Kan and his wife, Maiah, host children of Christian workers in their home so the parents can continue their work without worrying that their children will be taken as soldiers or brides. After Kan completed seminary in 2009, a friend in Myanmar asked him a pointed question: “Could you and your wife take care of two boys?” The boys, ages 5 and 7, were children of new believers from separate families who were working in the fields. Their parents feared that since they were now Christians, rebel groups would take the boys for use as child soldiers. Families in areas where rebel groups are active are commonly expected to give up a child, and Christian families are often forced to give up all their children as a penalty for being Christians. At the beginning of this century, Myanmar was reported to have the highest number of child soldiers in the world. At that time, an estimated 20 percent of the country’s 350,000 soldiers were children. While boys are recruited by rebel groups and the national military, girls in rebel-held areas can be married off or trafficked into China. Kan prayed about how he and his wife could help the families.
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After zealously persecuting Christians for decades, a Myanmar Army officer made a mistake that led to a life-changing encounter with six imprisoned pastors. Khin Maung wanted to be part of something bigger than himself. After completing high school, he joined the Myanmar Army and quickly rose through the ranks, eventually reaching the level of lieutenant colonel. As an officer commanding his own battalion, he developed a reputation for brutality toward his soldiers, reserving his harshest treatment for Christians. Khin had learned to hate followers of Jesus at a young age. He was raised in a rigidly Buddhist, Burmese family, and two of his uncles were influential Buddhist monks. At age 11, he spent nine months as a novice, wearing the traditional maroon robe and living among adult monks at a local monastery. He was taught that Jesus was a disciple of the Buddha and that He was crucified for disobeying instructions forbidding Him from preaching. In addition, he was taught that when Jesus died, He became an evil spirit. “From that moment, I thought Christians were crazy,” he said. “I decided that I didn’t want to have anything to do with them.” Khin took every opportunity to publicly mock and
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After Aung Hte and his wife came to faith in 2017, his in-laws expelled him and his family from their land and home. His family became destitute and was forced to live in a tent on rented land while Aung Hte worked in a remote fishing village to provide for their needs.
Read MoreFollowing the military coup that occurred earlier this year in Myanmar, authorities have been searching for local church leader Maung, seeking to detain him for his faithful Christian witness and leadership among congregants.
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“You are of our blood, and unless you return to our traditions, Iwill take back your blood myself!” shouted the uncle of UMaung Than. When Than decided to leave his family’s traditional religion andbecome a follower of Christ, he immediately became a marked man byhis own family in his homeland of Myanmar. He was soon arrested andimprisoned on trumped-up charges. The military dictatorship used theuncle’s hatred of Than’s faith to sentence him to death. In March 2002, Maung Maung and Kam Lian Ceu, two Christianfriends of Than, came to visit and encourage him, not realizing their friendwas in prison. Maung and Kam learned of the seriousness of Than’s case,as well as the intense hatred against his faith in Christ. For two days themen diligently sought permission to visit him in prison but were continuallyrejected. On the third day, military police in that area finally allowedMaung and Ceu to see Than, but they were ordered not to speak to him. After traveling with Than and the police escort to a wooded area,Maung and Ceu were surprised to receive permission to talk with Than.Before they could say anything, Than pleaded with them, “Please go tomy area and share the Gospel. This is
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