Myanmar Update 3/3/2021

It has now been exactly one month of tremendous turmoil and unrest throughout the country. Protest and violence seem to fuel the nation, fear and uncertainty reign supreme in the hearts and minds of the vast majority of those who call Myanmar home.  Fear haunts the night, and pain brings hate.  Hope and a future seem to have been stolen in the middle of the night, or at least that is what the world would have us believe.  But the truth is that this pain will strengthen us, and our fears drive our faith deeper; there is hope, there is a future, we simply must remain focused on what we can do. 

With that as the background, The Esther Project launched a new year of classes providing vocational training to the orphaned in Myanmar on March 1st.  Spread throughout 5 townships the staff of the Esther Project is committed to focusing on our mission to the children who have come to depend on us to provide them the life-changing skills they so desperately need (perhaps now, more than ever).   Still unable to bring the students to our learning centers because of the restrictions in place due to the continuing Covid-19 pandemic; daily, the staff is traveling by foot, motor scooter, and bus to each of the orphanages that partner with us to provide in-home schooling. 

With the public schools shut down for over a year now, the Esther Project has taken an even greater responsibility and is providing lessons in math, social studies, and science as well, to all of the children 1st grade and higher as well.  Each staff member is doing all that they can to help keep the children engaged, learning and progressing, regardless of the volatile circumstances we find ourselves in.

But perhaps more importantly at this time period, in our country’s darkest hour, each of us stands as a lamp on the hill, bringing encouragement, hope, faith for a brighter tomorrow, and love to those who have been inundated with one blow after another.   We will face this, our most challenging year with faith, courage, optimism, and great expectation for what the future holds for ourselves and the children of the Esther Project.   For we know that we do not walk alone, that God goes before us.