Making a Difference in Myanmar

FAME recently mobilized a small team to go to Myanmar to teach health education, midwifery, and to facilitate a Pastors’ conference. The team went to two locations, first to the campus of Asian Children’s Mission outside of Yangon, Myanmar to the Myanmar Community Development Center (MCDC) and then to Restoration Bible Institute (RBI). At the MCDC they were excited to see 23 Community Health students and community midwives attend the class for midwifery training. It turned out to be a great class with lots of good questions. The students were very eager to learn. On day two of our midwifery training, two beautiful pregnant ladies allowed the students to listen to their babies’ heartbeats!

During the Pastor’s conference, lessons were taught by Amelia Capotosta and Jeff Robinson. Jeff is the lead pastor of Lincolnway Christian Church in New Lenox, IL. Amelia talked about the effectiveness of prayer walking and how important it is to stay healthy while doing ministry. God gives many examples in His Word concerning the need to take good care of our health. Jeff was a great encouragement to the Pastors and Evangelists in attendance. They have expressed their gratitude over and over again for giving them the tools they need to build relationships with people.

The second part of the trip, held at Restoration Bible Institute was also, a success. One of the ladies in attendance is Daw Ki Ki. She served 18 years as a government nurse and is now a Midwifery Tutor. She brought 7 of her students with her to FAME’s training and was very helpful in class with the training!

Lonnie Burley, FAME Director of Short-Term Trips said, “Nineteen students and community healthcare workers were in attendance at Restoration Bible Institute today in Yangon, Myanmar. One of the Myanma ladies taught the class how to take a blood pressure. She completed our first Midwifery training at MCDC last week and is now teaching others!! Sherry Burnam, the Midwife on our FAME team, is teaching in such a way that the students in the class can replicate what they have learned to others. God is doing some amazing things!

Sherry Burnam also writes, “The 19 students that attended the training were very eager to learn and asked excellent, often very difficult, questions. It reminded me how thankful I am that I live in a country with quality medical care that is available. There were times I was left only to say, “pray, as without a miracle the mother, baby or both will die.” They were incredibly thankful for the birth kits. One of the women was a pastor’s wife in a remote village. She had attended 3 births with absolutely no training. She was beyond thankful. I am sure the training and resources will be used to care for the people in villages where there are no hospitals or doctors. THANK YOU for your support: financially, personally and prayers. You made this possible. I wish you could all have been here with me to see how grateful they were. Instead, I will include some pictures.”

On the last day of the Pastor’s conference and Midwifery training at RBI, Lonnie taught a lesson on how to make clean water. Many people living in villages and remote areas of Myanmar get their drinking water from a pond or stream. This lesson demonstrates 3 different ways to take pond water and make it into water that is safe to drink! At the end of the day, group pictures were taken and they all celebrated God’s blessings poured out over 3 days of Midwifery training and the Pastor’s conference. Thank you to Lincoln and Leah Bill for being such wonderful hosts to the FAME team!

Thank you for your support of FAME through your donations and through prayer. Your support is making a difference in lives all around the world. As Josiah Aung of ACM writes, “We have done midwifery training and Pastor conference at MCDC and at Hope. These midwives will be God’s Hands in their community and the Pastors will make more disciples for the Lord. Please, keep praying for the team as we continue the training at RBI. His name will be glorified more and more.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is Hope in Kenya

FAME exists to bring help and hope in the name of Christ to the world through medical evangelism.  A part of FAME’s ministry, that helps provide that help and hope is shipping much needed medical supplies and equipment to many of our missionary partners.

This month, Andy Schamerloh, FAME Director of Mission Resources, shares two recent stories from our partners to whom FAME recently shipped medical supplies.

“Ovi & Violet International recently opened a clinic in Kenya to care for orphans.  In the area surrounding the clinic, there are 48 orphanages!  FAME sent exam tables, an x-ray unit, casting materials and additional medical supplies to provide healthcare to these orphans.  We recently visited the facility in September and what sticks out to me is the way they live out James 1:27 (“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress…”).  Ovi & Violet connected with local widows to provide comfort and care for the orphans.  The widows receive a small stipend each month to rock babies, change diapers and care for the orphans staying in the clinic.  Two needs are met at the same time.

The second story involves FAME’s partners in Guinea, Africa.  Jim and Dawn Anderson received a delivery bed from FAME.  Before the arrival of the bed, mothers laid on the concrete floor with a shower curtain underneath.  You can imagine the discomfort for the mother, doctor, and nurses.  After receiving the delivery bed, we received this email from the Andersons.

‘We wanted to send a note to say THANK YOU to all who prayed and gave! Yesterday, I delivered my first baby on our new delivery bed!  After delivering several hundred on a shower curtain on the floor, it was wonderful!  Everyone should be this fortunate!  Mom and the little guy are doing great!  We are so grateful (my back in particular!)’

I counted 6 exclamation points in their email!  That is the level of joy you bring with your gifts to FAME.”

Thank you for making things like this possible through your support of FAME.