There really is no way to sum up my experience this past week in Myanmar. This is my first time to participate in an MTM Conference, and it was such a blessing. The Lord Jesus was so sweetly in our midst and we all were richly blessed. Praise the Lord!
We arrived in Yangon Sunday afternoon, and spent the night there. Then Monday afternoon we boarded a crowded bus and headed north for the Capital city of Shan State, called Taung Gyi. (pronounced Taowng-Zhee). The bus trip was fairly uneventful except that it took us 15 hours to get there. We arrived in Taung Gyi at about 6 am. After getting some rest at our hotel for a few hours, and then did some site-seeing around the area.
Finally, on Wednesday the MTM Conference began. Students were still arriving, so it wasn’t until noon that we were able to meet everybody. These students come from 7 different people groups in Burma, and they all are servant leaders in Christ’s Body. What blessing was ours to see their earnest and hungry faces, drinking deeply at the fountain of Grace all week long. I was deeply moved by their passionate love for Jesus, and hunger for His Word.
Lord give us such a hunger as this.
Raymond taught his series in the morning entitled, “World Evangelism from the Book of Acts.” I taught my series in the afternoon entitled, “A Chronological Revelation of God.”
Raymond’s messages were very inspiring, and motivating for these students to take the Gospel of Jesus to their own people. As he taught on the beautiful example of the Antioch church, the students and translators were deeply moved, and it brought up many practical how-to questions in their hearts. They asked questions like, “How can we be free from outside support and truly have an Antioch-type mission church?” They said, “We want to have indigenous churches. We want to be free from dependance on outside support, and be completely self-supporting, self-propagating, and self-governing, but we don’t know how to get there.”
These are excellent questions, and we believe they need to be dealt with not only by the native missionaries themselves, but also by all of us who are involved in obedience to the Great Commission. It is very easy for us who are from the West, to give them some US$ thinking that we are helping to expand the kingdom of God. What we don’t realize is the dependance and loss of dignity that goes along with that US$. We didn’t give them alot of practical answers, but rather tried to hold high the standard of God’s Word, and encourage them to seek the Lord earnestly, and trust Him that He will guide them in all of this.
I am not sure who received more from my class, me or them, as we looked into the heart of God in a chronological journey through the Bible. I was deeply moved as I watched their eyes so full of Light, Joy, Peace, Laughter, and Tears, all throughout the week. It was an experience I hope I do not soon forget. They are so hungry. They sat through hours and hours of teaching, and no one fell asleep. No one seemed bored. They were on the edge of their seat the whole time. May God give each of us such a hunger as this.
These dear people are on the very front of the front lines. They are serving in oppression and poverty. They are taking the gospel not to exciting frontiers, but to their very own people. The vision of MTM is train and equip native leaders who have no chance to attend seminary, to go and reach their own people. This is exactly who these dear students were this week.
They had one well-used guitar which the song leader used. Other than that they all joined together in singing. They sung with all of their hearts. Their four-part harmony accompanied hearts filled with passion and love for Jesus nearly lifted the rafters. I was So Blessed and Inspired by their singing. It was Heavenly
God gave us the sweet privilege of sitting with them at the feet of Jesus for a week. Praise His Name.
It wasn’t easy to leave. We were on a journey together this week, and when it came time to say goodbye, it was not easy. After we were back at the hotel after the conference was all over, I was laying there on my bed reflecting over the week. It occured to me that many of those faces, I will probably never see again before we walk together in Glory. It is my prayer that we all, the students, Raymond, and myself, will serve the Lord Jesus faithfully until He calls us Home.
It was such a privilege for me to be able to be a part of this ministry. Thank you Lord Jesus.
Martin Holsinger
Editors Note; This article was written by Brother Martin Holsinger who served as a guest teacher at our recent MTM leadership conference in Taung Gyi, Myanmar. Brother Martin & his wife Rachel are German Baptists originally from the state of Washington in USA. They now live in Chiang Mai, Thailand and are serving as missionaries among the Thai people. They also have three small children. Brother Martin has teaching experience and did an excellent job of teaching a Chronological Revelation Of The Lamb Of God. Indeed we were all challenged and inspired to love God more deeply and to be in His service. Thank you Brother Martin for serving the Lord Jesus in this way. Please visit Brother Martins website at www.utmostforchrist.com You can also contact him by email at Utmostforchrist@gmail.com
Our Taung Gyi, Myanmar MTM Ministry Team – L-R, Philip (our native coordinator and interpreter), Martin Holsinger, Raymond Burkholder & John (interpreter and worship leader)
These Church Leaders Are From 7 Different Ethnic People Groups From All Over Shan State, Myanmar.
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