Volume 10.

No 7

Robbery at the Fish House

July 11, 2011

Dear Missions Committee members and MACM prayer partners, Greetings to you again from Lazarus and Acha on behalf of MACM workers in Myanmar. We are so sorry to tell you a tragic thing that has occurred to us. We have been so sad about this. Praise to the Lord, however, for His protection that none of us were hurt in the robbery that occurred at our house on July 3 while we were at church. We are so grateful for the words of encouragement from our friends in the USA. It really lifted our spirits. We are also receiving personal visits from our fellow-missionaries in Yangon who are praying for us. the police have not arrested anyone to date.

The South Dagon Church Building fund ($2,500): This fund was received from the churches and individual givers. We received it on June 30th, Thursday along with the regular support sent by our forwarding agent. The next day on July 1st, we immediately disbursed salaries to the MACM workers in Yangon and then wired other supports to Myitkyina, Tanai and the China border training center and kept the rest including the South Dagon fund, at home during the weekend, Saturday and Sunday; planning to deposit the fund in the bank on Monday. But unfortunately, it did not happen.

The broken-in seen from outside. This hole leads to the basement. The hole is actually very mall even I can barely insert my head in. The thief broke in here with a four-feet long iron bar. The loss was huge in terms of money: A total of $10,958 (84,00,000 kyats). This stolen money includes (1) $2,500 for the South Dagon church rebuilding fund, (2) $3,819 for the YCCS building, which is the 6 month rent money saved to date, and (3) $4,500 for the Fish house construction fund. Why did This Money Happen to be at Home and not in the Bank? The answer is as follows:

This is the same hole seen from inside the basement. This entrance leads to the basement under the recording studio room. Above the basement has a hole covered with a wooden lid. The fund for YCCS building rent ($3,819). The YCCSs four storybuilding is the MACMs main ministry center which accommodates not only YCCS but also other MACM ministries such as literature, music, video, office facilities, etc. The rent is $1,091 per month at the current rate. We have been paying for the rent by saving the money six months ahead but always found not enough money was saved for the need due to the decreasing rate in exchange. However, we have

From the basement, the thief climbed up to the studio room through this opened entrance.

The thief again broke the glass on the studio wall and entered inside our house. And then to our bed room. He broke the cupboard where the money were kept and took the money.

Volume 10. No 7

Robbery at the Fish House

July 11th, 2011

always been able to pay the full amount ($6,546) for each six month contract, because the supporting churches and individual donors have made up the differences. That is how we have been paying for the rent of the main building. Here is what happened: Our next contract is due by the end of August. However, the General, the owner of the YCCS building, requested we pay the rent in advance with whatever amount of money we had on hand, because his wife is currently undergoing medical treatment for cancer and he urgently needed the money. So, we had the money at home and were planning to deliver it to him on July 5th. But that money was also gone. Fish Family House Construction Money: Our family has been living in

per month. But now as the rate went down to 773 kyats per US$, the rent for YCCS has become $1091 per month. Likewise, our family house rent has also increased from $300 per month to $477 per month for same reason. Therefore, since 2008, our family had tried to purchase an apartment of our own but did not have enough money to buy one. In 2009, Acha and I changed our mind and decided to buy a land plot instead of the apartment. After many prayers, God finally led us to a Christian lady who owned a land plot for sale. The plot measured 110 feet in length and 80 feet in width, big enough and has no building in it. Since then, we built a relationship with her over the weeks. But the

This was the scene left by the thief. The thief broke the cupboard and pulled out all drawers and took all the money from it. He left a knife and four feet long iron bar here at our bed room. a rented house since 2002. It has both good and bad things. The good thing is that it enables us to live in a house without having one of our own. The bad thing is mostly to do with annual increase of the rent and the reduced exchange rate, which makes the rent higher. For example, the YCCS building rent was started with 450,000 kyats per month in 2003. The exchange rate then was 1,150 kyats per US$. So, the rent was just $491 per month. And the house owner had increased to 500,000 kyats and then 600,000 kyats and then 700,000 kyats and now 800,000 kyats per month starting in 2008. In 2008 and 2009, the rate was 1050 kyats. So the rent in those two years was $761 per month even though the rent has increased to 800,000 kyats

All of the YCCS students enrolled at this Fall. We have 67 students. Some of the teachers are not present here. The students came from different parts of Myanmar belong to different denominations. price she asked was so high that we had no way to afford it. However, to our surprise, two weeks later, the lady invited us to visit which we did the next day. When we got there, she asked us how much we can afford. We sincerely expressed to her what we could afford. Her reply was interesting, saying that she wanted Gods servants to possess her land not unbelievers. we negotiated with her just a few minutes and finally she offered it to us for 60 million kyats equivalent to $60,000 according to the exchange rate in 2009. It was a good price. We paid 54 million kyats at that time with 6 million to be made in installments within the next year. As the rent is going up while the dollar exchange rate is going

The YCCS student leaders elected for the 2011-12 academic year. The group includes student body chairman, class monitors, group leaders, dorm fathers and mothers.

This picture shows the students who have been enrolled at our China border training center. We have 130, the highest enrollment. This picture was taken on July 1st and Di Di sent it to me from internet.

Volume 10. No 7

Robbery at the Fish House

July 11th, 2011

down, we realized that we will not be able to rent our house any longer. Therefore finally, we decide to sell one of our two cars and build the house. We keep two cars because Acha needed of her own to daily transport kids to the school and I need one for myself. Starting this year, Rachel and Elizabeth go to school by a school bus and also we could not afford to keep two cars as maintenance, tax, gasoline have become too expensive. Therefore, we sold our truck for 31.6 million kyats equivalent to $37,500 (note, a car is very expensive in Myanmar). With that money Acha and I began to build a two-story house (40x25=1000 sq ft). The house is being built by making a contract with the Fatherland construction company, which is cheaper

ment 25%, the 2nd 25%, the 3rd 25%, the 4th 15% and the fifth 10%. (see the attached paper). The first payment is due on the day when the contract was made, which was done on April 30th. The second was paid on May 3rd when the foundation was laid. The third installment was paid on July 1st when the first floor slab was completed. The fourth installment was to be paid on July 6th as the columns to the second floor have been completed. Therefore, we withdrew 33,00,000 kyats ($4,500) from the bank and temporarily kept them at home, ready to deliver it to the company on July 6th. But this did not happen too. Dear brothers and sisters, we apologize for this long letter. We

YCCS students have always been divided into four teams for the purpose of competitiveness in their performance of academic, sport, and other school activities. Two teams here: Philippians vs Corinthians. than building it ourselves. The company charges 25,000 kyats per square feet for a two-story house. Since our house has 1,000 square feet, the cost is 30 million kyats, i.e., $40,000 according to the current rate. That is just for completion of the structure of the house with concrete walls on each floor. It does not include partitions, windows, doors, ceilings, decorations, etc. We will not be able to continue the construction after the car sale money is spent. The house will not be finished yet by then. Anyway, our family is planning to move in the unfinished house in December when the contract of our house is expired. According the contract with the company, the payment, 30,00,000 kyats is to be done by making five installments, i.e, 1st pay-

We have been annually conducting YCCS soccer game in June. The game was over and the Philippians soccer team won the championship. YCCS selected team will compete in the Christian League game. just want to let you know what really happened. Now, we are nearly hopeless. Our most concern is the YCCS building rent which is due by the end of August. Now we have no money for it. The cost for another six month contract is 4.8 million kyats, i.e., $6540. This fund is needed by the end of August. If we fail to pay this money to the General, he will surely dismiss us from his house and then all of the students with furniture, official facilities will be out of place. We also want to let you know that the contract to be made in August will last until February, that is the end of the 2011-12 academic year. The contract will also be the last one. We do not need to make another one because we are planning to move in the land Acha and I had purchased with our family money. Our land property has 8,800 sq ft and our house occupies only 1,000 sq ft. We still have 7,800 sq ft for the school. We are planning to build bamboo houses for YCCS when the time comes.. We will provide you more information regarding this project later. We are also concerned about the South Dagon fund. We deeply apologize the previous donors. Above all, Acha and I apologize you for our carelessness. We know we are so much responsible for the loss. We have been taught a great lesson big enough. Today onward, we will make sure that any payments comes directly from the bank. Also realize it is very dangerous for our family to handle the money in this way. Dear brothers and sisters, we need your constant prayers. If any of you want to help us in this great need, that will be such indescribable joys and blessing to us. Thank you so much. God bless. In His service : Lazarus and Acha Fish

The trophy was presented on June 26th at the church. Bobby Morse who visited us then presenting the trophy to the leader of the Philippians soccer team.