Fascinated is how you feel when you arrive in the beautiful country of Myanmar, where rubies and kind people abound. The second feeling you notice is distress in the soul of the Burmese people, as trusting relationships are few and violence is real.
For children, the distress is intensified, as many are forced to work long hours instead of going to school. It’s not uncommon to see them asleep on their night shift in a store or even worse, teenage girls working as prostitutes to pay for their studies.
Indeed, children and teenagers are not as valuable as rubies in this country.
Pastor Jubilee, who founded Grain of Wheat’s ministry in Myanmar, understands firsthand the misery children face due to his own difficult childhood. Through his Grain of Wheat mentor, Peter Empson, Jubilee realized that children are at the center of the Gospel and should also be at the center of the church. That’s why nurturing children’s faith through discipleship is his priority.
Since 2008, close to 100 clubs have been established in each of the nine regions of Myanmar and are led by several hundred highly committed volunteers. If you were to ask these passionate leaders why they give of their time and their best for something that will not provide food for their family, the resounding answer would be “In this place, so beautiful on the outside, yet dark on the inside, it brings us unspeakable JOY to see the light of Jesus through the gleam in the eyes of each child when they come running to club!”
Cosette et Fabien Bourgeois
