March 8th-- Global day of Prayer for Burma

Every year we have the privilege to join with other brothers and sisters from all around the wold to intercede for the situation in Burma.  For the past 50+ years the citizens of Burma have been oppressed and displaced systematically by their government.  Just last year in May, Burma was hit with Cyclone Nargis and unfortunately the government would not allow aid organizations to come into the country to assist people which led to an estimated 140,000 deaths.  Every year more men, women & children are being displaced from their villages and homes with the only option to try to survive in the jungles which makes them susceptible to disease, starvation and other life threatening situations.  This has been going on since the 1940's!  Imagine, generation after generation after generation facing year after year after year oppression and violation of their basic human rights.  These are families who have seen and experienced their husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, moms, dads, aunts and uncles being taken a way, tortured, or killed.

Please take a look at these grim statistics:

• 35-45% of soldiers in the Burma army are children under the age of 18 years.  70,000 of the estimated 350,000 soldiers are children.
• Over 2 million refugees have fled Burma
• Over 1 million people have been internally displaced within Burma.
• There are hundreds of reports by women who have been victims of rape as a weapon of war by the military regime of Burma.
• 50% of Myanmar’s budget goes to military efforts.
• Over 3,000 people have been forced into labor.
• 1 in 5 children die before the age of 5 in areas under attack.

Even here in the Seattle area we are having more and more refugees relocate and find new homes in our neighborhoods.  We have been lucky to come alongside and learn from our brothers and sisters from Burma and feel blessed that we can be in fellowship with the Karen community in Kent.  We also support men and women @ Quest who have dedicated their lives to spreading the word about the conditions of Burma and finding ways to bring aid to the internally displaced in the jungles of Burma-- organizations like World Aid and Free Burma Rangers are doing this important work every year.  And if you want to hear more about how you can get involved or how you can be praying and partnering then you really must sit down and buy Rich & Teresa Norman (long time Questers) a cup of coffee and listen. 

So this March 8th, we will mark together as a church and gather with others across the globe to pray and to lift up the need of Burma.  And although it may seem that it is just one day a year where we engage on this level the reality is-- we cannot cease praying.  We need to remember each day, every day that there are men, women and children who are vulnerable.  We must never cease praying because we know, we believe, we are reminded in scripture that God has come and calls us, "...to loose the bonds of injustice...tolet the oppressed go free...share your bread with the hungry...to bringthe homeless poor into your house...when you see the naked, to coverthem...then you shall call and the Lord will answer" (Isaiah 58:6-9).