History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

Appendix 386
Asian Report
May/June 2000
Shan State
Eighty Church leaders, workers and pastors have just gathered in a city in Southern Shan State
for their first Great Commission Institute training. Most of those who came will have spent one month’s
earnings on transportation to get from their village to the training place. “But they are willing to do that
because they want so much to receive training in the Word of God,” said Dr. Sai, the man who is
coordinating this GCI training. After the training the 80 trainees will spend a week doing evangelism in
the surrounding villages. “Please pray for us, as the area we are going to in Southern Shan State is a
politically sensitive area. Yet we must go and train because the workers are ready but they need to be
equipped.” This is the cry all over Myanmar and Asia. Dr. Sai is planning two more GCI trainings in
Myanmar during July and November. Already 160 workers are waiting to be trained. Please pray for
God’s provision, as the average cost of each training is US$2,500.
Asian Report
July/August 2000
“We Want to be Well Prepared”
By Dr. Sai Htwe Maung
At the end of May, people from 13 towns
and villages in Myanmar gathered in TaungGyi,
Shan State, for Great Commission Institute
Training. It took us 20 hours on a bus from
Rangoon to TaungGyi, where the GCI was held.
Housing, food and a subsidy for traveling and
materials, were provided for the trainees through
generous mission partners. Yet some still find it a
challenge to scrape together up to one month’s
income to travel to the GCI. A young man from
another village heard about GCI from a previous
graduate. In order to have enough money for his
bus fare he went fishing for several days. He then
sold the fish to cover his traveling cost. Another
young man who is a new believer did not have
the funds either. None of his family or friends is
Christians. By faith he got on the bus to TaungGyi, believing God would provide the fare. And God
did, through another participant traveling on the same bus!
The trainees spent 10 days together, receiving teaching and getting involved in practical
sessions on evangelism, praise and worship, how to study the Bible, ministry planning etc. At the end of
the training, 40 dedicated themselves to serve the Lord part-time and four for full-time. One retired
government official, the general secretary of a political party, decided to resign from his post and serve
the Lord after attending the GCI. Indeed God chooses the foolish and the weak things of this world for
His mission. The outstanding trainee at this GCI was once an evil spirit possessed. He ran around his
village, shouting, jumping and crying every day. Villagers chained him to the trees but he always
managed to free himself. He was taken to magicians and witch-doctors to be healed but nothing
changed. One day he met our evangelist who shared with him the gospel, prayed for him and gave him
a Bible. From then on he was released from the demonic bondage and accepted the Lord. He reads the