Myanmar update From George Butron

Dear Friends,

For those of you in America, I hope you enjoyed your turkey, family and friends on Thanksgiving. We got together with friends here and did some serious damage to a 10kg bird along with salads, potatoes, pies, etc. Also did some damage to my diet!

I want take a moment to give thanks for some great ministry that is happening in the Golden Triangle area of Myanmar.

It is rumored that long time drug lord Khun Sa (once at the top of America's most wanted criminals list) died in the past few weeks. Unfortunately his legacy of drug trade in the Golden Triangle continues. Producing huge amounts of heroin and meth, not only do traffickers export these deadly products but they also encourage use in villages by giving out free samples to the kids. They tell these simple village people that the meth pills are vitamins that will give them added energy to work. The result is a generation of young people addicted to drugs and distributors with lifetime customers.

This month a new property was found just outside of T. (just across the border from Thailand) that has a small house, a natural source of spring water, a fish pond and enough land for a large garden. We are purchasing this property to open a drug rehab center that will help new converts kick the habit and receive intensive discipleship and vocational training to get them moving in a new direction. We do not know of any other rehab center in the area and believe that this will have a huge redemptive impact. The cost of the property (about 4 acres) with the house is under US$20,000.00. The owner is the wife of a drug lord who built up a big gambling debt and had to sell at a low price. The husband has moved to Vietnam to avoid the Burmese Army so this great property that was originally purchased with drug money will now become a drug rehab! Want to help us develop it? (see details at the end)

Pictures on the way:
Golden Triangle Drug Rehab Center

Spring fed water supply

Fish Pond

Our Bible School in T, was closed by authorities over two years ago (along with other Bible Schools in the area) and it is now used for the orphan ministry (40+ kids from ages 6-16) while the Ministry Training continues in the cramped quarters of the town church under the leadership of Pastor P. Since it was the central military authority (not the local police) that closed all the Bible Schools, there is no way for them to use the old site for training. By changing locations, we have found a way around this roadblock. Training will continue in town at the church and also at the new rehab center as it is developed.

The 70 Foursquare Churches and outreaches in the Golden Triangle are making a difference and communities are being touched in multiple ways. Jesus is proclaimed in power through outreaches and crusades and the message is lived out through local churches that use community health evangelism, agriculture projects and preschools to help meet practical needs in villages. The momentum is building and in the month of October, these ministries saw a combined total of 760 people come to Christ with 387 receiving water baptism! We are working on getting a support team of missionaries established just across the border in Northern Thailand who can help with the training and development of these projects. Continue to pray for this great ministry and the new team members from America who are preparing to move to Thailand in 2008!