God at Work in the Mandalay Pioneer Area from Myanmar Central District

Dear Ministry Partners, Greetings from the Southeast Asia Field. Thank you for your faithful prayers and generous partnership in the pioneering work of the Southeast Asia Field. Through your support, new ministry areas are being opened, pastors are being trained, churches are being established, and people are hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, often for the first time. I recently received an encouraging ministry report from Rev. Adam, District Superintendent of the Myanmar Central District. I would like to share with you some of what God is doing through our pastors and pioneer leaders in the Mandalay Pioneer Area. ## A New Church Established During a ministry visit to Mandalay in late June, DS Adam and his team conducted Nazarene Essentials training at a newly developing congregation. Following the training, **Grace and Mercy Church of the Nazarene** was officially organized with twenty-five members. The church is being led by Pastor Yin Yin Htay, also known as Hla Hla Oo. We rejoice that another local congregation has been established in a community where there is a great need for the hope of Christ. The ministry team also purchased tables and other necessary furniture for the Chapman International College training center and district office in Mandalay. We are especially grateful for the Pioneer Partnership funds that helped meet this practical need and strengthened the foundation for leadership development in the area. ## New Believers and Baptisms Throughout the visit, the team shared the Gospel in churches, homes, and local communities. At House of God Church of the Nazarene, two Buddhist women confessed Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior and were baptized. In another home, Tin Tin Win and her two daughters listened as the Gospel was shared and placed their faith in Christ. Several days later, Tin Tin Win contacted DS Adam and told him that she and her daughters were ready to receive baptism during the next ministry visit. A young Buddhist man also heard the Gospel while traveling with the ministry team from Mandalay to Yangon. After continued conversations about Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the meaning of baptism, he decided to follow Jesus and was baptized along the journey. Each of these testimonies represents a person and a family discovering new hope in Christ. ## Strengthening Pastors and Disciples Pastoral training and discipleship remain central to the ministry in Mandalay. During the visit, the team conducted evangelism training, Nazarene Essentials training, discipleship gatherings, prayer meetings, and a pastors’ fellowship. These gatherings provided opportunities for pastors to encourage one another, pray together, and renew their commitment to holiness and faithful ministry. The pastors in Mandalay regularly participate in combined fasting and prayer meetings. They care for one another, disciple new believers, and continue sharing the Gospel despite difficult circumstances. Pioneer Pastor Thein has been especially faithful in entering new communities, caring for pastors and churches, and overseeing the Chapman International College center in Mandalay. ## God’s Peace in Times of Fear The ministry team also prayed with many people facing illness, trauma, fear, family difficulties, and serious spiritual struggles. Several individuals testified that they experienced healing, peace, and freedom as the pastors prayed in the name of Jesus. In a cultural setting where many people live with deep fears concerning spirits, curses, and bad omens, the Gospel offers a powerful message of hope. Rather than being controlled by fear, new believers are learning that they can trust in the authority, love, and victory of Jesus Christ. Local pastors are helping them understand their new identity in Christ while also providing prayer, counseling, trauma care, and ongoing discipleship. ## Faithful Ministry During Civil Conflict The ministry in Myanmar continues amid severe political, economic, and social difficulties. The long civil conflict has placed tremendous pressure on ordinary families. Young people face forced military recruitment, and some communities are collecting money from families to support those who enter military service. One newly converted member from the Mandalay ministry has already been recruited and sent to a conflict area. In some communities, local leaders restrict Christians from openly sharing the Gospel. Pastors also face pressure from other organizations that offer money or material assistance if they leave their churches or report baptisms under another ministry. Despite these challenges, our Nazarene pastors are remaining faithful. They continue caring for their members, discipling new believers, planting churches, and serving their communities with courage and integrity. Their perseverance is a powerful testimony to the grace of God. ## Encouraging Fruit in 2026 God has given encouraging fruit during the first half of this year. Since January 2026: * Forty new believers have been baptized—thirty-three in the Mandalay Zone and seven in the Yangon Zone. * More than one hundred people are presently receiving discipleship before baptism. * Three new churches have been established. * One preaching point is preparing to become a Mission-Type Church. * Eight additional believers in Mandalay are waiting to be baptized. * Two new families, representing thirteen people, have joined the Church of the Nazarene through the ministry at Hmawbi Preaching Point. Every number represents a life, a family, and a community being touched by the Gospel. ## Please Continue to Pray DS Adam and his ministry team are returning to Mandalay for pastors’ meetings, a combined worship service involving six churches, baptisms, discipleship training, prayer ministry, and evangelistic outreach. Please pray for: * Wisdom, protection, and strength for DS Adam and the ministry team. * Courage and endurance for the pastors serving amid conflict and hardship. * The spiritual growth of new believers preparing for baptism. * The development of Grace and Mercy Church of the Nazarene. * Open doors for the Gospel in new communities. * Continued training and support for pioneer pastors and church planters. Thank you again for your partnership in the pioneering ministry of the Southeast Asia Field. Your prayers and financial support are helping local leaders enter new communities, train pastors, disciple believers, and establish churches in places where the Gospel is urgently needed. The fruit we are seeing in Mandalay is also the fruit of your partnership. Together, we rejoice in what God is doing and look forward with faith to the new doors He will continue to open. In Christ, Bill Kwon Field Strategy Coordinator Southeast Asia Field Church of the Nazarene