Burma (MNN) — Christian civilians in Burma are
facing deadly attacks.
Those who manage to escape to Internally
Displaced People camps have not found the safety they hoped for. There have
been repeated attacks near one of the camps where Vision Beyond Borders works.
A recent report from one of their contacts
indicated the team escaped a near-bombing. He writes, "We had two back-to-back trips to our orphanages.
Just two days before we planned to go, we got the final 'okay'
from our 'spy' Thai-Karen soldier to cross the river." However, one week prior to the visit, someone
placed a time bomb on one of the boats heading for the camp.
The bomb destroyed that boat and others
that were close by. The team took the
threat to heart and planned a different route to get to the camp. Instead of doing the 2-hour boat ride and
passing 4 Burmese Army camps, they drove 4 hours through the jungle to the
river. From there, they carried the supplies to the boat and finally crossed
the river to the camp.
VBB's contact goes on to say that two
days before they arrived, the Karen and Burmese armies were fighting
again. Gunfire and mortars could be
heard in the dorms. "This was very
frightening, especially for our girls and the younger orphans. Our
leader called all the kids together in the dorm, and they all prayed while
the fighting was going on."
Although there are more than 4,000
Karen refugees in this refugee camp inside Burma–mostly women and children,
there were no reported injuries from the fighting nearby. While there, the team
had an early Christmas celebration, and the children were thrilled to receive
gifts and prayer.
Please pray that God will shine His light of truth on the situation in
Burma. Pray for witnessing
opportunities for every Christian this Christmas season. At Christmas, oftentimes people are more open
and receptive to the Gospel than at other times. Pray for safety, too, for the teams working in the
IDP camps.
