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May 2020 E-Newsletter

Exciting New Ministry Opportunities
Zoom meeting with PhD candidate,David Moe, studying in USA (Asbury Seminary)
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I made it back to the USA on March 16 just ahead of border closings and flight cancellations. I'm very happy to be reunited safely with my family in Minnesota, where four of us have been sheltering in place for the past seven weeks now. It was a tough to have to leave Myanmar three weeks early, but leaving was the prudent decision. (You can read more about how God guided us in one of my recent essays," Expect God to be at work in your life, leading and guiding you.")
 
Of the three pastors' workshops planned for March, two had to be postponed. The Arakan (rebel) Army's shooting at civilians on the highway and the military's bombing of villages in Rakhine State (western Myanmar) shut down all hopes of conducting one for 60 pastors from Southern Chin State. Then, a fire, which destroyed a building of our host, followed shortly thereafter by a government ban on group meetings due COVID-19, eliminated our planned workshop for 75 pastors in Kanpetlet. However, we were able to hold a wonderful Spirit-Led Leadership workshop for 56 pastors in Mandalay. God blessed our sessions and the participants in many ways. Then, I made a hasty exit from the country.
Young ministers attending Spirit-Led Leadership workshop (Mandalay)

Now, much of Yangon is on lock-down, including Insein (where MIT is located), which is the real hotspot for COVID-19 in Myanmar. It seems increasingly unlikely that MIT can reopen in June. As is true with so many universities and seminaries around the world, they are rushing to see if they can rapidly create online courses. However, many students come from remote villages and have no access to wifi. The domino effect of lack of students, courses, jobs, income, revenue for the school, and so forth, is putting MIT and many other institutions at risk. Such a situation was unimaginable just six weeks ago.
 
In response to the COVID-19 crisis, FHL Global Ministries immediately pivoted from conducting workshops and preparing for fall courses to providing substantial resources and ministry to students, pastors, and leaders both in Myanmar and in the USA, online.
Graduate students, Run Ling Thang and Tawk Lian (Luther Seminary)

* I am now publishing a short, biblically based, essay every Tuesday,  on the theme, "What Can We Expect from God Now?" (See below for links to all the essays posted so far.)
* Former students and partners in Myanmar have volunteer ed to translate Tim's new essays into Burmese , Lai Chin , Mizo Chin , Tedim Chin, Zo Chn, and Karen languages/dialects.
* I have been meeting, one-on-one, via Zoom, with 14 PhD or Master's level Burmese graduate students, who are studying in the USA. The purpose is to encourage, support, and discuss their academic work and spiritual lives, and to pray together.
* Saw Newton and I maintain daily contact with various leaders and former students in Myanmar to offer support as needed and requested.
* Going forward, we will be exploring various ways to provide online teaching, coaching, and ministries.

As you well know, these are very challenging, uncertain times. In underdeveloped countries, such as Myanmar, there are no government safety nets, bailouts, or unemployment benefits. Most people live hand-to-mouth. While FHL Global cannot do much for the physical needs of the people, we are working hard to provide theological, spiritual, and moral support for as many students, pastors, and leaders as possible. (See some of the words of appreciation for the weekly essays that we have received, below.)
 
Please continue to pray for those most deeply affected by this global crisis and for us. The demands on the ministry are greater than ever. MIT, our primary ministry base in Myanmar, will certainly need extra financial help to weather this storm if the school cannot reopen in June or has to go online for a reduced number of students. FHLGM would like to help as much as possible. Would you consider making a special contribution at this time to enable us to better support MIT and other ministry partners on the ground in Myanmar?

I expect to be stateside for the foreseeable future, while Saw Newton is on the ground in Myanmar. Pray for wisdom to know how we can best serve during this time of crisis, and for our ability to do all we can to provide quality, valued resources to as many people as possible, wise counsel to the leaders who are looking to us for mentoring and guidance, and emergency financial assistance. Thank you.
 
In Christ's service,
Tim

Rev. Timothy C. Geoffrion, Ph.D., D.D.
President and Teaching Minister
    
In response to the COVID-19 global crisis, this new essay series written by Dr. Tim Geoffrion, focuses on trusting God in troubled times. The goal of these essays is to offer a well thought-out, biblically based theology that is also practical for those in the midst of suffering, fear, and uncertainty.  


Remember your limited ability to understand the will and ways of God.

 
Expect God to be at work in your life, leading and guiding you.

Expect God to strengthen your faith, build your character, and lovingly restore your hope through your suffering.

Expect to share in Christ's sufferings. Expect to share in his glory.


New essay posted weekly on Tuesdays! Visit Spirit-ledleader.com to read.  
Testimonials  
Readers of Tim's most recent essays

"Thank you very much for reminding me and assuring me of God's promises through your spiritual  truth.  Sometimes, and even always, we are blaming something or someone for all the suffering we suffer and turn to focus on the suffering. We forget to remember that suffering can lead us to the glory of God through our endurance and faithfulness. Thanks you again for turning our focus to Christ the God of glory. Blessings.." 
-Dr. Eh Tar Gay (Vice President of Myanmar Institute of Theology)

"Thank you for the essay on suffering. It is so deep!  I will be reading it several more times.  I was arrested by the thought that to resist temptation in a godly way, we must expect to live with some unfulfilled desires. God might not remove those desires, although in His power, He could. This is just one thought I will be chewing on this week.  I find that your writings speak to my heart because they come from a scholarly, Christian man whose background of personal experiences has proven God's faithfulness Thank you for your encouraging input."
-Sylvia Shepard Helser (ChapelStreet Church, prayer group coordinator)

"Thank you very much for keeping us in your prayer. I preach every Sunday morning. Your essays are a very good resource for me. I will keep using them. May God continue to speak through your essays."

"Thank you very much Dr Tim for your profound three truths: reminding our limitedness of knowing God's way in truth one, God is our guider in truth 2, and there is Hope in the midst distress. I am looking forward to reading the next truths. I am deeply encouraged by your prophetic sentence in truth two that "It's not our circumstances that made us unstable, it is our lack of faith." It exactly is the truth that we need to examine our spiritual life. Thank you very much Dr Tim."
Spirit Led Leader Workshop in Mandalay
In March, 56 pastors participated in the Spirit-Led Leadership workshop held in Mandalay. These programs are life-changing for many of the pastors, who often tell us how much this teaching is new, fresh, and very much needed in Myanmar today.

In the midst of Covid-19, Faith, Hope, and Love Global Ministries is needed more than ever. We depend on the generosity of our supporters to keep the ministry going and growing in both the joyous and the tough times. Please consider making a donation to our small non-profit if you are able. 
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Keep up-to-date on not only where in the world Tim is, but also what he is working on and whom he is serving. We would love to hear how Faith, Hope, and Love Global has impacted your life or the lives around you, too. Feel free to share on our page! 

Faith, Hope, and Love Global Ministries |   www.fhlglobal.org