Ministry Update
March 27, 2020
Dear Mission Myanmar Supporters,
I pray that this newsletter finds you and your loved ones safe, well and closer to the Lord during this time of uncertainty and stress. As I write this letter on behalf of Judah and Mission Myanmar, I know that this global health and economic crisis has touched all of our lives in unprecedented ways. It is our hope and prayer that God will make good out of all of this and we will recover and be stronger in our faith and in our love of God and our neighbors as a result. Jeff and I (Suzanne) visited Judah in January and traveled across Myanmar with him visiting many of the churches, evangelists and orphanages that we all support. We learned a great deal, took many photos, and will use all of this in our newsletters and reports. We had an amazing time in Myanmar.
The government of Myanmar is not very forthcoming with sharing their status in this global crisis, but Judah has reported that schools are closed, most businesses, festivals, sporting events, etc., are all closed or canceled. As of March 25, the government reported only 2 people in the country who have tested positive for COVID-19, but Judah has heard that they are not testing many people, so this number is most likely artificially low.
His church gathered last Sunday and he provided hand sanitizer. Moving forward, they may not continue to meet, and unfortunately, they don’t have the technology to be able to do services remotely. The economic impact has been swift with prices skyrocketing for essential goods and services and the exchange rate had dropped 20% (as of 3/17/20). To put it into practical terms, if we wire him $1,000, he will essentially only get $800. These rates fluctuate daily and it has regained some of that over the past week. We are working with Judah on a revised budget so that he can continue to meet the needs of all those that depend on Mission Myanmar for basic needs. Of course, the church pastors, church members, and children in his care are the top priority.
With that in mind, there is one need that is extremely critical and needs to be completed prior to the onset of the rainy season in June. The new 3 story orphanage building in Yangon has a roof leak that needs to be fixed. It has made it impossible for Judah to utilize the building to its full potential. The original contractor will not honor his work and Judah needs to request a new building permit and contractor. When my husband Jeff and I were there visiting in January, Jeff inspected the roof and gave Judah some very good ideas for how to fix it. Right now we are estimating the cost of this project to be around $5000 to do a rubberized coating to seal it and stop the leaks. Judah would ultimately like to put a new raised roof on the top so that this area can have more uses. We do not know yet what that will cost. Please help us raise $5000 to get this leak fixed so that the children will have a safe and healthy place to live.
Judah has been extremely busy over the past few months doing the work that the Lord has called him to do. In our next newsletter, I will discuss these in detail. For now, please know that Judah, Khaw, James, Jonathon, Zamiwayne, and Samuel are all in good health and continuing to serve the Lord.
Prayer Requests:
For continued health for Judah, his family and the church in Myanmar.
For wisdom in knowing how to move forward with church gatherings.
For provision for all needs, including food, shelter, and clothing
For provision for repairs to the roof. Specifically $5000 to stop the leaks.
Love in Christ,
Suzanne and Jeff Kosik
Mission Myanmar exists to mobilize God’s people to plant churches and raise up leaders among the unreached in Myanmar. Mission Myanmar supported churches and leaders bring hope and help communities by addressing the needs of the desperately poor, including disaster victims, and vulnerable children. To learn more visit www.missionmyanmar.org
