She is the 10 year old girl from Burma who had severe clubfeet, with one foot turned completely backward, and theother on its side. Our Burmese contact had spent three weeksworking during the rioting and finally got her out of Burmato Singapore for the surgery (this was after unsuccessfulattempts during more peaceful times). My heart was soexcited to see the progress that had been made in thisgirl’s life.The airplanecouldn’t fly fastenough as I wasso anxious to seewhat God wasdoing in thislittle life. Thisgirl had told hermother that,“she wanted tocut her feet off as she wouldnever wearpretty shoes”,and “that no man would ever love her and want to marryher.” The last time I saw Shwe in Burma I wanted to cry,because her eyes were so full of sadness. She had dropped outof school because she couldn’t stand the teasing anymorefrom the other kids. She looked totally depressed.When I arrived in Singapore I could hardly wait for Sonny toarrive from Burma. After he arrived, we hopped into a taxi tohead for the YMCA. After we checked in, I grew impatientand said “Sonny, when can we see Shwe?” He replied, “Sheand her Mom are just down the hall.” My heart waspounding rapidly in my chest, as her mother opened the door.There was Shwe sitting up in bed with two plaster casts onher feet. Her face litup when Sonny said,“This is UnclePatrick.” It was thefirst time I had everseen her smile, myeyes welled up withtears of joy as Ilooked at her feetand saw them bothturned the correctway.Her mother stood ather side as she haddone through thesurgeries. She hadrefused to leave herdaughter’s sidethrough it all. Evenafter she fainted inthe operating roomfrom seeing all theblood, they got her up and saidthey would take her out, but shehad insisted on staying by herdaughter’s side. She and herhusband had realized if they didn’ttake care of Shwe’s feet she wouldbe emotionally scarred the rest of her life. When Shwe’s motherthanked us, her eyes welled up withtears. It was easy to tell that shewas pleased with the work thedoctors had done.

THE TRIP TO SINGAPORE DURING THE SE ASIA TRIP

It was one of those days that you will never forget.I gotup early in the morning in Bangkok,Thailand to catch aflight to Singapore to see Shwe.

“LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE BEFOREMEN THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOODWORKS AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHERIN HEAVEN.”MATTHEW 5:16

The next night a Burmese speaking friend visited them andwas able to pray with Shwe and her mother as they accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. When I saw them later thatnight their faces truly were radiant.The Lord has used this situation to bring glory to His nameas we met a Hindu lady from Malaysia who saw us atbreakfast and then asked questions about Shwe. Later thatnight she and her son came to Shwe’s room to bring somegifts. The Lord gave us the opportunity to share the Gospelwith this Hindu lady. Sonny and I were amazed as we bothsensed this woman was not far from the Kingdom of God.On my flight home I was so excited about Shwe that I sharedwith the lady next to me. She patiently listened as I rambledon and proudly showed the pictures before and after thechange in Shwe’s life. We know that God will use thissituation to affect many lives and we give Him all the glory.

EARLIER ADVENTURES IN THESE ASIA TRIP

While on the last trip, the team of eight people carried almost1,500 Chinese Pastor’s Study Bibles to our brothers andsisters in China. Most of the time we had successful bordercrossings, but the team did experience some opposition. Oneof our fellows was stopped in customs, but used theopportunity to share the Gospel with the customs official.Later that night in our hotel room, the team member sharedwhat had happened and then broke down and cried as weprayed for this young man’s salvation.While the Chinese government is saying that there is nopersecution of Christians, we are experiencing muchresistance to the Gospel at the borders. Please keep prayingfor us and the Christians in China who experiencepersecution on a daily basis.

WHILE TALKING TO OURCONTACTS,THEY SAID THATTHERE IS A LIST OF OVER400,000 CHINESE PASTORSWHO NEED BIBLES.

Many of them wouldlike to have from 10to 100 Chinese Biblesto share with theChurch leaders. Manyof the Pastors in Chinahave never seen aBible, and yet in myown home I have four.When many Christiansdo get a Bible inChina, they tear itapart so they canshare with otherChristians. Manybelievers havememorized longpassages of scripture, while sometimes I struggle to find thetime to read God’s Word.While in Vietnam one morning, I sensed the Lord wanted usto minister to those who beg on the streets. I encouraged theteam to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s prompting and topray for the people who are considered outcasts by society.While walking downtown we saw a man begging on thestreet who had been very badly burned on his face. The tip of his nose was gone, his lips were almost all gone, his lowereyelids were scarred opened. In the natural he was notappealing, but God sees differently than we do. We stoppedand offered to pray for him. Even though he couldn’tunderstand a word of what we were saying, he gladly bowedhis head. We were all touched by God’s compassion, but Ithink Pastor Wes was touched the most. After praying wewent to a coffee shop, where we sat and talked. While Westalked, his eyes welled with tears as he said we need to domore to help this man.We returned later to find him not much farther down thestreet than where we had met him before. When he saw uswalking toward him, his face lit up. While praying for himagain, a lady on the team had another man whose legs weretwisted up from polio, approach her. He was not asking formoney, but rather that we would pray for him as well. Hequickly bowed his head, after motioning for us to lay ourhands on him. Truly we are called to be Jesus’ hands and feet!Our team feels we would like to help the burned man, and soon our next trip we plan to find him and work to get him toBangkok for surgery. Please pray that God will use our simpleacts of compassion to bring glory to His name.Your prayers and support are making a difference in the livesof many people around the world. Thank you for yourparticipation in this ministry.God Bless You!Patrick and VBB Staff