Mission Network News - South-Eastern Asia

Myanmar (MNN) — Earlier this month, Myanmar’s ruling military junta lost a key base in the city of Lashio in Shan State to rebel forces. The rebel alliance is largely made up of ethnic and religious minorities standing against the State Administration Council, which has used brutal tactics against civilians since seizing power in 2021. 

A man we’ll call Peter serves with A3 in Myanmar. “They’re losing a lot of men, and they’re losing a lot of land too, and mostly in Christian areas.” 

Peter says churches in the war zones are getting hit hard but non-believers are seeing Christ’s love contradict the propaganda they’ve heard about Christians.

Protest in Myanmar against Military Coup 14-Feb-2021. (Wikimedia Commons)

“The juntas, their teachings are like, ‘They will just kill you straight away. These Christians are ruthless, they’re barbarians,'” Peter says. “But when these non-believers want to fight back, they run into the jungles, [and] it was a whole different story how these Christians welcomed them with open arms, giving them food, support, help.” 

The future is unsure, but Peter says gospel ministry is spreading for now. Churches give shelter and medical care to refugees. Pray for them.  

“We want to end this war fast, like really fast. We need support internationally, we need support for ammunitions,” Peter says. “We didn’t ask for this war — the junta bought this war to us.”

He prays every day for the airstrikes from the military junta to stop. 

“If it’s ground forces, we can fight. We win a lot of battles, and we can still take on artilleries. But the planes, the air assaults, those are very bad,” Peter says. 

“When [the military is] retreating or they’re losing, the planes don’t come to us (the rebel forces). Mostly they just go into villages or cities and bomb hospitals, bomb kindergartens, bomb schools. So then our [forces] would retreat, help the people — and on the way they will ambush us again. That’s the tactics that they were using.”

Pray for strong faith among Christians fighting in the rebel forces.

“I have friends who lost their faith because dealing with this war, [the] things that we had to do, the things that we’ve seen. It’s, it’s just ugly,” Peter says. “Some of them start questioning, ‘Where is God? Why is He letting this happen?’”

Click here to learn more about A3’s mission to equip indigenous leaders around the globe.

Photo of Lashio City in Myanmar courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Malaysia (MNN) — Gospel opportunities abound if you’re a missionary in Malaysia, but reaching certain people groups for Jesus carries a higher risk.

“Malaysia is a very interesting place as it relates to persecution because it is almost entirely based on ethnicity,” Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA explains.

“If you are Chinese, you can be a Christian [with] no trouble. If you’re ethnic Indian, you can go to church. But if you are an ethnic Malay person, you are required to be a Muslim. The government says you only have one option.”

Even the appearance of talking to Malays about Christ can get believers into serious trouble. Pastor Raymond Koh is a prime example.

“Pastor Raymond Koh was involved in ministry to the downtrodden. He was representing Jesus to the people in Malaysia,” Nettleton says.

A simple misunderstanding led to Pastor Koh’s abduction in 2017. He was thought to be sharing the Gospel with ethnic Malay people. Although that wasn’t the case, Pastor Koh remains missing today with no clues to his whereabouts.

Pray for favor as VOM USA supports front-line workers and persecuted Malay Christians.

“Voice of the Martyrs is involved in encouraging and equipping believers there,” Nettleton says.

“Being a voice for Malaysian Christians, for those who face persecution, is a key part of VOM’s ministry, as well as helping on the ground in hostile areas and restricted nations.”

Header image is a representative photo depicting the Malaysian flag. (Photo courtesy of Engin Akyurt/Pexels)

Malaysia (MNN) — Under court order, the Malaysian government is expected to release a classified report this week with information about the 2017 forced disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh.

“This has never been seen publicly; it’s never been published before,” Todd Nettleton with The Voice of the Martyrs USA says.

“The judge has ordered the government to turn it over to Susanna and her attorneys, as she is in the process of suing the government and suing, individually, some leadership within the Special Branch of the Malaysian police. They are the ones accused of the forced disappearance of Pastor Raymond Koh.”

(Capture of Raymond Koh and his wife, courtesy TheStar.com)

Koh’s wife, Susanna, has been pressing for answers since he disappeared in February 2017.

“If the abduction hadn’t been accidentally caught on a security camera, it would be as if he fell off the face of the earth,” Nettleton says. “His car has never been found. He has never been seen or heard from since that day.”

Susanna began her lawsuit in 2020 after being repeatedly refused answers by officials.

“She told me when she went to an attorney and said, ‘Hey, I want to sue the government,’ the attorney asked, ‘Are you serious?! This is the same government that made your husband disappear.’ But she says, ‘Yes, I want to know the truth,’” Nettleton says.

“She wants to know what happened to [her] husband. It seems like the government has been covering up from the beginning.”

A simple misunderstanding led officials to target Pastor Koh. He was thought to be sharing the Gospel with ethnic Malay people, an unforgivable crime in Malaysia. More about persecution in Malaysia here.

“Subsequently, he (Koh) was mailed a box with bullets inside of it – not a very subtle way to threaten someone – and then in 2017, he disappeared,” Nettleton says.

Pray that the government will release the full report and that the truth will be revealed. Additionally, “pray for Susanna,” Nettleton requests.

“This has been a very long road for her and a very stressful process, so let’s pray that the Lord encourages her and sustains her.”

Header image depicts the Koh family before Pastor Raymond Koh’s forced disappearance in 2017. (Photo courtesy of VOM USA)

Vietnam (MNN) — Mystery surrounds the whereabouts of 11 Christian men in Vietnam.

“The believers should have been released from prison by now as their sentences have expired. They should be at home, but they’re not,” says Greg Musselman with The Voice of the Martyrs Canada.

Six Protestant believers and five Catholics all began their prison terms at different times between 2011 and 2016. All of the missing Christians belonged to unregistered churches, and most believers were charged with “undermining national unity.”

“A lot of persecution is going on in some of the more remote places [where] access to lawyers and courts and things like that are not what it would be in the cities. It’s very, very difficult to get any information; they’re just stonewalled,” Musselman says.

“Can you imagine the families, their community, their friends, not knowing where they are? Are they alive? Have they been killed?” he continues.

“We continue to pray that they’ll be soon reunited with their families, but right now, it’s a total mystery.”

A prison in Vietnam.
(Photo courtesy of VOM Canada)

Even though Christianity is legal in Vietnam, the Communist government often views believers with suspicion. More about that here.

“They do see [Christians] as somewhat enemies of the state, if you want to use that terminology,” Musselman says. “[Believers are] not going along with the communist ideology, so that concerns the government.”

Pray for the safe return of all 11 missing Christians. Ask the Lord to surround family members with His peace and comfort.

“Continue to pray for these 11 missing prisoners. These are brothers and sisters in Christ; we need to lift them up,” Musselman says.

Header image is a representative stock photo depicting everyday life in rural Vietnam. (Photo courtesy of Tomáš Malík/Pexels)

Philippines (MNN) — The tail-end of Typhoon Gaemi lashes China with torrential rain and deadly mudslides. At least 22 people have died of storm-related causes since Sunday.

“Typhoon Gaemi has wreaked havoc in Taiwan, the Philippines, and now in China,” Brian Dennett with AMG International says.

“We are working in the Philippines [and] had word from our team there. They have had relentless rain; it’s done incredible damage, and many people have had to be rescued.”

Knee-deep flood lashes Quiapo district in the City of Manila due to southwest monsoon (Habagat) induced by Typhoon Carina (Gaemi).
(Photo, caption courtesy of Michael Peronce/Wikimedia Commons)

Super Typhoon Gaemi swept across the Philippines last week before downgrading and heading toward Taiwan. In the Philippines’ northern province, more than 18 inches of rain fell in 24 hours in some regions.

“Our long-time AMG missionary, Eden Layda, her home is completely underwater. She was rescued, and we have her lodging at the moment in AMG’s offices northeast of Manila,” Dennett says.

“Homes, roads, [and] crops have been destroyed, and that means hunger issues in the months to come.”

Over 830 public schools postponed their back-to-school opening because of the storm. AMG supports child development centers throughout the archipelago, which provide Christian education, food, and healthcare.

“We have several schools that are affected; we know of one that’s completely underwater,” Dennett says.

“We’re providing relief to those students and their families… they know that we’re helping because of our compassion and love from Jesus.”

According to the latest figures, around 4.8 million people have been affected by the combined effects of the annual monsoon season and Typhoon Gaemi. Consider helping Filipino families through AMG by donating to the Disaster Relief Fund.

“Everything we do is used to share the Gospel. As we meet these desperate needs, we are also sharing the hope in Christ,” Dennett says.

“Pray that we [can] help in providing food, shelter, water, and [in meeting] other basic needs during this trying time.”

Header image depicts Super Typhoon Gaemi as captured via satellite on July 23, 2024. (Wikimedia Commons)

Indonesia (MNN) — Church planters in Muslim-majority Indonesia sometimes face social oppression and even violence. Yet, they say they can deal with these challenges.

“They’re willing to endure the social ostracization and outright persecution. What gets really tough is when they’re starving,” says Bruce Allen with FMI.

“One pastor told me that he was fasting, he and his family and he had a two-year-old daughter at the time. [They] were fasting four days a week, ‘not because we’re super spiritual, but because we have no food.’

FMI-supported church planter in Indonesia. (Photo courtesy of FMI)

“He was seriously looking at leaving this remote village in a rainforest to go to a big city on the island where he might be able to find employment, not in vocational ministry.”

FMI began financially supporting this pastor, allowing him to continue ministry. His church is the only one in that rural area and continued to grow over the next year.

“Even the local witch doctor had become a follower of Jesus Christ and one of the elders in the church now!” says Allen.

“So I just think, ‘What would happen to these areas if the pastors didn’t stay?’ Ministries like FMI really play a vital part in sustaining and helping local churches in challenging areas to thrive.”

You can support an FMI church planter making a difference for Christ in rural Indonesia! Learn more at FMI’s website.

Then, Allen asks, “Pray for people who would like to partner with FMI, that God would raise up people to help support the work of so many churches in the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation.”

Pray also for church planters in rural Indonesia, for their spiritual encouragement, creativity, and endurance to proclaim the Gospel in remote areas.

Header photo courtesy of FMI.

Cambodia (MNN) — According to the Bible, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The past few years have taught believers in Cambodia how to trust God for better days, even when their circumstances say otherwise.

Churches began working with FARMS International on a microloan program shortly before the pandemic. A believer we’ll call Caleb* says trouble came on the heels of COVID-19.

“Some participants raised chickens, and they had a disease come through and wipe out most of their chickens,” Caleb says.

“Other participants had issues in farming; they had good crops and produced good products but didn’t have a market to sell [them] at [because] COVID happened and everything shut down.”

(Photo courtesy of FARMS International)

These trials were difficult to endure, but the Lord was faithful and protected His followers from destruction. “The struggles they went through really wiped them out; they were quite discouraged,” Caleb says.

“They had to walk in faith, and God [has] continued to provide for them.”

Today, believers are working on a repayment program with FARMS and setting goals for the future. “They were able to brainstorm and plan how to repay their loans a little bit back at a time, so they can continue to help others in need in their areas,” Caleb says.

“They plan on extending the program, even making programs of their own to help those around them.”

Pray for small businesses to flourish so believers have more to tithe and churches can grow. Contact FARMS International here to learn more.

“If you are good at animal husbandry, farming, or gardening, we could talk something out and maybe do a training because they’re hungry [for knowledge,]” Caleb says.

“They want to learn, they want to grow, they want to do better.”

*Pseudonym

Header image is a representative stock photo courtesy of allPhoto Bangkok/Unsplash.

Myanmar (MNN) — Did you know there are 37.6 million refugees worldwide? That’s two million more than last year, and the numbers continue to rise with global unrest.

Today is World Refugee Day, and Brian Dennett at AMG International shares how they’re ministering God’s love to refugees from Myanmar.

Since Myanmar’s coup three years ago, AMG has been working just over the border in Thailand attending to thousands of displaced Burmese.

People from the IDP community inside Myanmar. (Photo by Billy Weeks)

Dennett says, “There are hundreds of people by the week crossing the border, and it just continues to grow by day. Thailand has around a 1,500-mile border with Myanmar.

“Now with the government actually forcing people – even including young children – to join the army and fight against the resistance, it’s caused even more people to flee.”

Many Burmese kids show up in the refugee camps unaccompanied. “These are kids that are alone; they come, of course, very frightened having suffered a lot of trauma,” Dennett says.

“We have set up housing dormitories. We’re trying right now to build several more dormitories and a formal school, and just come around them and surround them with support and love.”

Yet, praise God for faithful Burmese Christians following Him even in refugee camps.

“It’s been such a joy to watch what’s coming out of that refugee situation,” says Dennett. “We have videos and photos of that community.

“They’re worshiping together, reading God’s Word, praising God together – really despite all that they’ve suffered.”

Mue is one of many children that has been given the opportunity to go to school at the Light Asean Hostel. (Photo, caption courtesy of AMG International)

You can learn more about AMG’s ministry to refugees here.

Pray for Christian refugees from Myanmar and around the world to be spiritually encouraged in the midst of persecution and hardship. Ask God to use the faithful example of these believers to lead others to Christ.

Header photo courtesy of AMG International.

Indonesia (MNN) — The $32 billion project to move Indonesia’s capital is facing some major hiccups. President Joko Widodo decided in 2019 to move the capital from overpopulated Jakarta to the largely forested area of Nusantara on the island of Borneo, over 1,200 km (750 miles) away.

Bruce Allen with FMI says of Jakarta, “It is sinking eight to 10 inches a year. The city is overpopulated. It was designed to only be home to a few million. It has 10 million [people], and 30 million in the surrounding areas. Traffic is a major headache, pollution, litter, and water issues.”

However, two of the capital project leaders recently resigned, and President Widodo is facing pressure on his legacy project from hesitant investors.

Although the first phase of the new city is only 80% done, President Widodo announced he will start working next month from an office in Nusantara once water access is available.

The goal is for the new capital to be officially inaugurated in August for Indonesia’s 79th Independence Day.

“[President Widodo] would really like to see it finished before he leaves office toward the end of this year. So he’s pushing for it,” says Allen. “But, ‘Is it really going to be ready?’ is the question.”

FMI church planters in Indonesia. (Photo courtesy of FMI)

As construction continues, God has already established His Church for ministry in Nusantara.

Allen says, “FMI has been supporting church planters on Borneo for over a decade. But once it was announced that this new city was going to be developed, our leadership team for partnerships on the island said we need to start church planting in Nusantara now so that by the time this influx of civil servants from all these different islands come to be part of the government in Nusantara, there are Christian churches waiting for them.”

One FMI church partner on Borneo already has 30 congregation members meeting together and worshipping in a home.

“They’re looking to also do construction for a church site,” says Allen. “They have all the permits. But as you might imagine, with all the construction materials being purchased for the government project, how expensive it is for this congregation to save funds from their offerings to buy the construction materials.

“The construction costs for [the church building] materials are about $15,000. While that might not seem like a whole lot for a building for us here in North America, that’s a substantial amount in Indonesia.”

Want to support FMI church planters in Indonesia? Click here to give at FMI’s website.

Then, pray for FMI church planters in Indonesia — especially those preparing for ministry in Nusantara. Ask God to grow their churches and establish a widespread Gospel witness for this young city.

Header photo of a busy street in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo courtesy of Adrian Pranata/Unsplash)

Malaysia (MNN) — You might call Pastor Raymond Koh the disappearing man. But there’s no magic trick behind his story — only a seven-year mystery about where his captors took him. 

On February 13, 2017, Koh’s car was surrounded, stopped and taken captive by a group of government men. The incident was caught on a nearby security camera. That is the last anyone has seen or heard of Pastor Koh, despite the tireless advocacy of his wife, Susannah, and the international attention his story has received. 

(Courtesy of VOM USA on Facebook.)

Recently, Susannah (Liew) Koh sued the government of Malaysia for negligence in Koh’s case. In 2019 the human rights commission in Malaysia said the special branch of the police were the ones who abducted Koh. But no further explanation for his disappearance has been given. They have been in court this week. 

Todd Nettleton with Voice of the Martyrs USA says, “Susannah told me [that] when she went to a lawyer and said, ‘I want to sue the Malaysian government,’ the lawyer looked at her and was like, ‘Are you crazy? This is the government that made your husband disappear, and now you want to sue them? What do you think is going to happen to you?’ And her boldness and her fortitude to say, ‘No, I want answers. I understand that it’s risky.’” 

Koh’s family has applied to the court to access a special task force report about his abduction. The file is currently classified. Please pray with the Kohs for truth to come out and for patience in the grueling process.

(Capture of Raymond Koh and his wife, courtesy TheStar.com)

“I know from [Susannah] saying it, how important it has been for her to know that she’s not alone and to know that the body of Christ is connected to her and is participating with her in this time of trial,” Nettleton says. 

“As the court hearings are happening literally this week, what what better time, what more strategic time is there to pray for justice and to pray that the truth will be revealed?”

If you haven’t already, you can join tens of thousands of people who have signed a petition to the Malaysian government for information about Pastor Koh. Learn more about the American Center for Law and Justice’s petition here, and about VOM’s petition at releaseraymond.com. 

“The [petition] call is the same one that Susannah Koh is making in court this week in Malaysia: Open the records, tell the truth. Explain what happened to this pastor who disappeared seven years ago,” says Nettleton. 

Header photo of the Koh family courtesy of Voice of the Martyrs USA.