Volume 1, Issue 8

August

2003

Dear brothers and sisters, Greetings to you again in the Name of Jesus Christ. It has been one year now since we arrived back in Myanmar on July 31st, 2002. We praise the name of the Lord for His gracious love and protection throughout the year. We set goals and objectives for our ministry and they were achieved. This success would have been impossible without your participation. If we briefly review the year, we can see the achievement of our goals are as follows:

Goals of MACM in 2002-03

Three Major Periods 1. The first period (August 2002January 2003) 2. The second period (February-April) 3. The third period (May-September) Six Major Goals 1. To start the College and Seminary, YCCS, in January 2003 (this goal was achieved during the first period). 2. To set up the Christian Gospel Recording Studio (this goal was also achieved during the first period). 3. To plant at least three churches during the first and second periods (this goal was achieved). 4. To establish the Christian Literature Ministry (this goal was achieved during the third period). 5. To be able to produce the radio programs (this goal was achieved within the third period). 6. To extend the one month-term China border training program to a two-month program in 2003 and to a three month-term in 2004.

in January with 50 students in attendance the first semester. The second semester (June-September) our enrollment increased to 74 students: 27 graduate students & 47 undergraduates.

entertain people but to move and touch the hearts of people with the gospel. This is really happening here. It is a powerful means by which we can communicate the gospel to the people.

The Third Goal Was Also Achieved. The Second Goal Was Also Achieved Our focus in the second period (JanuaryWe began the Christian Gospel April) was placed on church planting. As Recording Studio by renting an apart- we reported to you before, we were able to ment. Then we constructed two

Matthew, Lazarus, Titus Fish, Zar Bi and Zan Yaw Khi inside the studio.

The new church building in Yangon where Zar Li Di preaches. plant four churches. Two are in Yangon; one of them is the Yangon Christian Church where I preach. The second

sound proof rooms which were completed in late December 2002. The studio was successfully opened in January while Roger [our Forwarding Agent] was with us in Yangon. To this point, six gospel albums have been Achievement of the Goals recorded and produced from our studio. We are curThe First Goal Was rently preparing Achieved as We Exto record two pected. Christmas alWe concentrated bums for the our time and energies coming the in preparing for the Christmas. Note: establishment of our contempoYCCS within the first rary Christian period. As a result, we YCCS Students & Staff gospel music is were able to open the not designed to College and Seminary

Audience at the Yangon new church dedication service. churchs sanctuary construction was completed in June and the dedication service of the church was held on June 22nd. The

other two churches were in Tanai, Kachin state [Myanmar] and in China. The church in Tanai temporarily worships in a bamboo building and we yearn to help them in the future. The new church in China still needs $1,000 to help them establish a place of worship. (4) The Fourth Goal Was Achieved in the Present (Third) Period. The Literature Ministry has done two publications; one a book entitled Creation Science in Burmese, and the other was the first issue of the Lisu

Picture 5

This is Moses who is in charge of the Literature Ministry magazine. Moses is in charge of the Literature Ministry. He worked for the Northern Christian Literature Ministry for more than 10 years but had never used a computer before. He is being trained and gradually adjusting. The copy machine (which copies 45 pages per minute-both sides) is extremely useful for the literature ministry, the college/seminary, library and the church. (5) The Fourth Goal Was Achieved in the Present (Third) Period. Our current focus is on the daily Lisu language radio program. We have been paying $300 per month for the 15 minute radio program since December 2002. The Gospel Broadcasting Mission had paid for the previous 30 years; however, due to insufficiency of funds, the GBM decided to discontinue the program after November 2002. When the Lisu audience in China, Myanmar, Thailand, India and Lao heard about this, they were grieved and asked Laverne Morse and Bill McClure, Chairman of the GBM, not to discontinue the program. They have been listening to the

learning the desires of the Lisu people in these countries, Laverne and Bill McClure asked me if we were interested in taking over the program including raising funds for it. We accepted their offer because it fits into our gospel recording studio ministry goals. As a result, thanks to special gifts from several donors, we have been paying $300 per month for the 15 minute program to be continued. While we focused on other ministries activities, Ah Di Mark, from the Chiangmai Christian Recording Studio in Thailand, has been producing the program since December for us. Now our time has come. The computer system has now been set up and Khi Khi has just completed his four-month long training course on video, radio, and animation editing system. So now we are producing it in our studio in Yangon and have complete control of the program. We are planning to ship the first CD of programs to the Far East Broadcasting Company in Manila, Philippines this month. So

them establish the training center at the border so that the Christians from China can easily come. The trainees from China wrote to me that some of them even came to the training program from as far as the Mekong River, a four day journey. Those who come from the Salween Valley are near the

These students who attended the border training program in July 2002. border. Those from the Myanmar border are also from China because they are all recent immigrants from China and speak Chinese. We can send them back to China as well with the gospel. As reported to you before, more than 400 local churches in that region of China have no ministers. The immediate need of the Church in China is leaders. Presently there are nothing more important things we can offer to the Christians in China than providing leaders for spreading the gospel for those shepherdless churches. Our goal is to train at least 40 graduates from our training center by the year 2004 who are capable of being evangelists,

This is where we produce radio programs and videos. Khi Khi is in charge of this ministry. far more than fifty sermons have been recorded and more than 100 Lisu gospel songs have also been down loaded into the computer. God has provided wonderful equipment for our ministry. (6) The Sixth Goal is to be Achieved in the Present Period and the Future. As you know, we started the training program in July 2002 with 60 students which included 23 Lisu and 2 Tibetans from China and the rest were from the Myanmar border area. The training course was successfully conducted and the trainees expressed their

This is inside the Tibetan house where Isaiah spent the night.

youth leaders, Bible school teachers and pastors. Last year Lisu Christian leaders

asked us to help them extend the then one-month training program to a threemonth school. In response to their request, and sensitive to their need, we have extended it this year to a twomonth, July & August, training program. Next year, w e are planning to extend it to three-month term program, which will be a permanent program as we do not intend to go beyond that. Students will be required to attend the program

some of the major expenses. This brings the total to $900 for the training program this year. This money will be used for medical/school supplies, traveling expenses, food, etc. However, this $900 will not cover all the needed expenses. Fortunately, the Christians in the area contribute rice, vegetables, and labor for the training program. They do this at great sacrifice. The closing ceremony of the training program will be held on August 30th. Some Christian leaders from China and from the Myanmar border area are planning to come to the closing ceremony. They want me to come too and want to meet me. We have a lot of things to talk about. I am debat-

purchasing the property for our future school facility. We will give you more information regarding this plan as God reveals it to us. Hopefully we can do this in person, as we intend to revisit the supporting churches by 2005. 2. Church planting (1) To plant one more church and start one more free tuition class in the city of Yangon in 2003. (2) To plant four more churches in other parts of Myanmar by the years of 2004 and 2005. (3) To plant more churches among the Lisu in China. 3. Short-term Bible training program (1) To extend the China-border training program to three-month terms beginning in 2004. (2) To raise at least 60 Christian leaders from China and another 70 Christian leaders from Myanmar border area by the year of 2005. (3) To raise about 6 Tibetan Christian leaders in the year of 2005 from the border training center. (4) To conduct a leadership training program for the pastors in Myanmar in April and May, 2004. 4. Christian Literature Ministry (1) To publish at least 10 books in Lisu and Burmese languages in 2003, 2004 and 2005. (2) To publish the Lisu magazine in July 2003. [This was goal was achieved]. (3) To publish four more Lisu choir handbooks in the years of 2003, 2004 and 2005. 5. Recording Studio and Radio Ministry (1) To produce at least ten gospel albums by 2004. (2) To start producing the 15 minute radio program in July 2003. (3) To produce the program regularly by the end of August 2003 and beyond.

More than 100 students attended the training program this year. for three months, i.e., three months a year (July, August and September). After three years, they will graduate from the school with a certificate, qualified to be a Bible school teacher, pastor, youth leader, missionary or evangelist. This year, the training program is being conducted from July 1st to the end of August. We previously expected approximately 70-80 students this year. But to our surprise, Isaiah telephoned me from Panwa reporting that we have more than one hundred trainees this

Lazarus preached at the church dedication service in Yangon ing about going, because the journey will be very difficult and time consuming. I am weighting the importance of attending, with my other responsibilities. Please pray that God will grant me discernment.

Objectives of MACM in 2003, 2004, and 2005

Isaiah and Steve with the leaders from China and the Myanmar border area. year, which includes 36 students from China. I discovered that the $700 we contributed will not be sufficient with this big crowd. Therefore, we helped them with an additional $200 to cover

1. Yangon Christian College and Sem inary (YCCS) (1) To collect 3000 more books for the library during the years of 2003 and 2004. (2) To increase the enrollment to 100 students by the end of year of 2004 (we do not plan to go beyond this). (3) To be able to hold the first graduation ceremony in February 2005 with the 13 students from the program of Master of Divinity and 35 students from the Bachelor of Theology program.

Prayers and Praises

Dear brothers and sisters, we are so grateful for being such a wonderful

your partnership with us, the achievements would be impossible. Thanks from the bottom of our hearts for your great commitment for the cause of Gods Kingdom. We are so thankful for choosing us as your partners in His service. May His Kingdom be established and His message proclaimed among the Asian people through our joint efforts in the spreading of the gospel. P.S. The regular support of MACM received from you is $8000 per month. Our budget estimate has changed as indicated in the tables which follow.

Table # 2 No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. MACM Full-time Workers Fish family support Children education fund Isaiah Fish 3 Full-time teachers 3 Full-time teachers Rachel Fish (senior) Khi Khi Steve Michey Titus Bee Titus Fish Matthew Kwa Zan Yaw Khin Naw Yaw Ah Pong Moses Ah Gay The cook Total Table # 3 Monthly Needs $1,600.00 $450.00 $250.00 $600.00 $600.00 $100.00 $150.00 $200.00 $50.00 $150.00 $150.00 $150.00 $150.00 $150.00 $150.00 $100.00 $5,000.00

New Monthly Budget Estimate for MACM, 2003 2005 The Total Monthly Needs for MACM
No. Categories of Support Total monthly needs $1,300.00 $5,000.00 $2,380.00 $8,680.00

1. 2. 3.

Apartment rents (Table # 1) Supports for full-time workers (Table # 2) Other support needs (Table # 3) The Total MACM Monthly Needs Table # 1

No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Apartment Rents The school building Mens dormitory (1) Mens dormitory (2) Womens dormitory Cafeteria Recording studio The Total

Monthly Needs $500.00 $200.00 $100.00 $100.00 $100.00 $200.00 $1,300.00

No. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Other Needs Lisu Magazine Electricity Telephone Literature ministry Scholarship fund for 100 students MACMs general fund Radio ministry
Total

Monthly Needs $200.00 $100.00 $80.00 $200.00 $1200.00 $300.00 $300.00

$2380.00

Your prayer and financial support is very much appreciated and absolutely essential to the ministry. While much has been accomplished, there is also much to do. All so that God will be praised!

Faithfully in His service Lazarus and Acha Fish MACM, Yangon

Thank you for your support!