Myanmar Mission Relief Work

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36th MARCH Mission - CdO City

36th M.A.R.C.H for Christ Medical and Dental Mission, 22-23 May, 2008 East City Central School Lapasan, Cagayan de Oro City. Simultenously held in Iligan City (22 May) and Camiguin Island (23 May) in Mindanao.

Latest Update from Myanmar Relief Mission Work

Update from Myanmar Relief Mission Work, Sun. 25 2008

we had a great Lords day here in myanmar. Ubah tais daughter and son-in-law attended the morning worship at sis winsomes place. he is the only christian in his family so we were so glad to see some of his clan whom we gave medical aid last friday .attendace is 26 plus 5 children.
Joey barrier preached in the morning and jeremy is scheduled in the afternoon at sis esthers house. but joey had a bum stomach so they were late in the evening worship and i had to fill in as the speaker.we had 5 visitors in the pm service.the nieghbors who helped with the prep of the relief packages.
no need to worry abt joey. we got him some medications already.
the barrier brothers is in uncle ronnies place as i write to get info and help through their org.if they can give us certification so we can go to lapoda on tuesday. joey will also meet with the prez of myanmar ecunemical movt tom morning who is his acquaintance if the grp can help 4 foreigners (2 americans+2 pinoys) got he the delta region. as of today, accdng to douglas, only burmese are permitted to go there.
by the way, the remaining staff of winsomes former office will travel to lapoda tom. so 4 of our church members namely, phillip,sian tal, ubah tai and nim mou decided to join the grp. like i said earlier, uncle ronnies grp has already machineries in that area also and he gave our grp permission to travel with them even if we will do our own thing. they are willing to provide logistics and provide nec contacts to our team going there.
so our 3 preachers+ 1 member will serve as our advance team there.they will come back thursday,Lord willing. 4 or 5 of us will follow on tues if we can get passes or if and when the military govt will make an announcement allowing all foreigners passage to the delta area.
but i will contact the phillipne asmbassador also early tom and ask abt the phil team and how he may help us.
i released 500usd/pax as recommended for the advance team as their relief budget.
jeremy also handed to the team a handy water purification system and lots of puritabs for their use and the people theyre going to help with instruction that they will pass it on to the next team goin there.
meanwhile, dr conrad and i will go back to mhawbi tom morning for a basic healhtcare lecture for the orphans beside the bible college. edward, the tamil burmese guy you missed last mon. barrier boys will follow in the afternoon.
by the way, phillip is asking if the gen set can have at least 5KW power. the rationale is that they need at least 5kw in order for the schools electric power water pump to work. the made in china gen set with that capacity is abt 650usd.
pls include abovementioned plans and our health and welfare as well in your prayers,

to God be the glory!

shemer sameon (MARCH for Christ, Team 2)


Sat. 24 May, 2008

dear bro,
we share the same ecstasy when we heard the news last night abt the govt opening to all aid workers. but its only a news until now and many are also asking WHEN?
at our meeting, the group felt that we should go as far as lapoda bec thts whre many small villages are neglected and there are talks that the ones without relief aid are buddhist. accdng to them, majority of the populace in the delta region are baptist christians. with the the karens baptist grp relief machinery( that we can atest), the baptist burmese in the delta region have sufficient relief supply now. so the small villages with buddhist beliefs are the ones in dire need of relief goods.
church members here feels its a good time to show the love of the living God to our buddhist freinds now in small villages in the delta by going there and helping them.
after dinner last night, we went straight to get some fresh info from uncle Ronnie, winsomes boss who is now the president of Myanmar Coordinating Council for Relief-composed of churches, medium business and political grps. he remembers meeting you. anyway, we went to his house late l;ast night so i wasnt able to e-mail you bec internet cafe here closes early. he just came from the delta a few days back and said the same thing- that the relief stage has diminished bec most people there have enough food supply,except for the small villages that were overlooked.one has to ride a boat to reach these villages. the rehabilitation stage has commenced and his org will start with the housing,and procurement of tractors, diesel-fed engines saws and others.he is inviting to join us and allowed us to use their contacts there in the delta region.most of his staff are already there, except for his secretary who is goin to the church tom to have meeting with us with
regards to our delta trip.
there is NO official word that foreigners can go there now but we are hoping that it will come out tom after the UN meeting at the hotel tom. pls continue to pray for a favorable outcome bec even the locals are hesitant to bring us along with them to lapoda.
yes winsome made arrangement with our small limo to pick up the the Barrier bros tom. theyve been here 6 times so even uma win knows the 2 americans.
as for our activities: last thursday,may 22, dr conrad, phillip and i went back to Kyauk Tan for medical consultation. we wer told up[on arrival that the L:aos medical team went around the area that morning too so we went straight to the people we have befriended the day before and phillip distributed to them the jc choate book in burmese. we even prayed for friendly guy whose house( a shanty now) who offerd you a chair the 2nd time we were there. we also gave a little amount for the bed-ridden patient, just enough to bring her to the hospital and pay for routine physical tests. the dr consulted abt 4 patients that time. nim mou and and others help with the relief pack prep at sister esthers house that day. we joined the grp later that afternoon after we canvassed for the generator set for the bible college.

friday may 23, we had a medical consulation at U Ba Htays residence.many neighbors came. total of 22 patients sought medical consultation. i had a patient there too, his 4th daughter whos suffering fr neck pain.
today,may 24, we visited the bible col;lege in Hmawbi. there was medical consultation too and the good doctor saw at least 23 patients not including the children from the orphanage whom i served with multivitatmins.
ill give the money needed for the expense of the big tree that fell and blocked the entrance of the school tom. they are only asking for that lone tree to be cleared. they will leave the other 19 trees on the ground and keep them a little green and use them for firewood one tree at a time.for the gen set, we will try to purchase tom bec i need to see their situation there first as per winsomes advice.
we scheduled another mini clinic after worship at winsomes place tomorrow,Lord willing
praying for a clearer delta trip planning tom.

MINGKALABA!

shem sameon (MARCH for Christ, Team 2)

Luis Cusi wrote:

shem,

with the opening of MM to ALL foreign aid workers, pls. see how you can register so that we can being among the first to send our doctors to the irawaddy delta region. this will pave the way for evelyn, lorie, titus and verna, who all have visas, to take the next trip to MM. try getting in touch with the ambassador and coordinate your plans with him if you think this is wise. he could help you get the accreditation that the government might require. otherwise, continue as you think is best. pls. report regarding your meeting this evening. i know tomorrow you have free time. many people continue to pray for you.



Tue, 20 May, 2008

Dear brethren,
Today was a special day for me and your brethren here in Yangon, Myanmar. It rained very hard the whole morning and we thought that we would again be rained on as we got terribly wet yesterday. But praise God, our prayers were answered, and it only was overcast the whole day and did not rain at all.
We visited the village of Klaiktan ( kyak-tan), and even if we did not announce our arrival, there were about 150 women and children lined up in the streets waiting for a relief van to come. None had arrived that morning, and so at 1 pm, our arrival caused some excitement in the crowd. Immediately people lined up behind our Dyna truck; except, it wasn't a line, it look more like a hungry crowd.
We asked them to return to their homes instead because we said we wanted to meet them in their houses. So one by one, we went to over 200 houses spread apart in muddy fields. Dr. Conrad said there was an instance he had to jump over a pool of muddy water. There were 6 teams of brethren accompanied by 2 locals who carried our sacks of packed rice, dahl, dried fish and candles. For the houses that did not have a roof, we gave away tarpaulin roofing material. It was a great opportunity to interact with them as we went to their homes, and wrote down their names. They are so thankful and appreciative! Some of our teams even taught them how to say Thank you Jesus and even those who were not taught how to say this would repeatedly say "Thank you Jesus".
I particularly was able to go to three of the bigger wooden houses that was still intact. In two of them, they agreed to allow us to teach them how to read the Bible in Burmese and to conduct lessons for children. In one house, Winsome and I interviewed the men and women about how they expect to get their livelihood now that the cyclone destroyed their harvest. I preached a little to them about how they must continue to trust God and to be thankful that they are alive and still have food to eat even if it has to come from strangers. That in their time of suffering they must be drawn closer to God and listen to His voice. They were very receptive and I taught the children how to sing Jesus Loves Me and Happy Birthday. Please pray that seeds planted in Klaiktan today will be implanted deeply in their hearts and that your brethren will be able to bring them to salvation in Christ.
And this is perhaps why today was special. We all saw how important it is not to just hand over the gifts to the monks or village leaders, but to meet the people and immerse ourself in the village. All of us had very gratifying experiences! Everyone in the team felt an openness to Christians, perhaps because there was no Buddhist monastery nearby. In our dinner meeting we decided that we shall return to the village tomorrow and deliver more gifts, since there were over 500 families in the area and we brought only 300 bags. Please keep this in your prayers.
As we left Klaiktan with joy and gladness at what had taken place, we passed several more villages that had been damaged greatly by the cyclone. And as we drove the 1.5 hours to the city, and having been to Irawaddy the previous week, I pondered on how great the need is to rebuild and how humongous the task ahead to rehabilitate their livelihood. For three seasons now they have not gained money from their harvest. They have managed to survive through this, but now with many of their homes gone or badly damaged, their livestock diminished, their sources of firewood and income cut down by the winds, and this third harvest destroyed, how will they survive in the next few months. They are healthy now and they still have food, but what happens next week, or next month? Indeed it is a disaster that will continue to unfold especially with a military junta that cares only about holding on to power and not the people's well-being.
Please continue to give and ask those who have not given to give. When we first asked for funds for the cyclone Nargis victims relief fund, I told you that I would be content with only $20-$25k. You have been so generous and gave in excess of this, up to the amount of $50k. We would like to help them to rebuild their houses; sturdier ones that will stand more cyclones to come. We would like to be able to provide them with funds to buy seeds and fertilizers. We would like to be able to reach more people. Most of all, we would like to be able to provide them with Godly men from the church who can edify them and nurture them in the way of the Lord.
I leave Yangon on Thursday, and leave behind Shem Sameon and Dr. Conrad Diestro, able men who will carry on the work of providing relief aid in partnership with our Burmese brethren and volunteers. But I will be back! With your support and blessings I would like to bring 2 Filipino missionaries to work with me in the months of June, July and beyond if needed. There are already some men and women in the church of Christ in Myanmar who are stepping up their commitments and whom we are asking to move to Yangon to reinforce the brethren in the relief and evangelism work. With your prayers and support this is all happening because we saw cyclone Nargis as God's way of opening doors and hearts for the gospel to be preach and Burmese people to be added to the number of the saved.
I am yours in Christ,

CHITO CUSI

Day 7: Mission Relief Work in Myanmar

May 18, 2008 (Day 7 in Myanmar)

Dear brethren in the Lord,

Greetings of grace and peace in the Lord! I thank God for our safety, and how the Holy Spirit has led us to show the love and care of Jesus. and all that we have been able to do. During the 6 days that I have been here, we have learned many lessons. Allow me to share this with you.

First, the needs of the brethren have been attended to, with their houses repaired and made as good as it was before (if not better for some). Your sending me was a great source of joy for them! Some were surprised why we all even bothered, but because you sent me, they know that our love and kinship is deeper than blood relationship.

There is excitement in the air for the brethren. As a people, the Burmese take care of each other. Inspite of their meager funds, they are helping to bring relief to the cyclone Nargis victims in Yangon and in Irawaddy. Perhaps it is because they have learned that they have only each other to depend on under a harsh and corrupt military leadership. There is bitterness and anger when they talk about how the government has been slow in providing relief and allowing international agencies to help. I am among those who encourage them to pray that God will open the hearts of their rulers, and to just do what they can to help. Our brethren are no exception, and to them, with the church actively involved in relief work, their pride and self-esteem as Christians is greatly boosted.

Our relief work is taking shape. And what is emerging is a two-pronged relief effort. First, aid to small affected communities around Yangon, within a 30 minute ride from the city. Second, aid to the far flung areas in the Irawaddy.

Now how do 2 small house churches accomplish this?
1. Under OUR (yours and ours) guidance and supervision we move to empower our local Burmese brethren to work with local Burmese NGOs in delivering vital resources to far flung areas;
2. The nearby communities are easily reached by taxi so our brethren can do the job of not only providing relief but developing friendships with the people that will lead to bible studies;

Another question that you might have is, can our house churches evangelize the far flung areas on a sustained basis? The answer is NO. So why should we help at all? And I know that you will say, as I said in the beginning, that we will help because we want to be part of the solution, i.e. to provide basic necessities to ensure the survival of those in the delta region. God loves each and everyone of them, and we are God's messengers of hope.

At this point, let me tell you briefly what I know about the Brethren---a bible-believing church that is recognized and has been in Yangon for at least 2 decades. As far as I know from the information I have been provided, they baptize for the remission of sins. In addition they have the Lord's Supper every first day of the week. They also do not use instruments in worship, and the women are "silent". They have a Sunday attendance of about 1500, and a membership that is perhaps even more.

I met with their head pastor-Pastor Ronnie, and he informed me that they have formed 10 teams of 5-10 people to go to the Irawaddy delta and penetrate its remote villages and towns. Bringing only provisions and money, they will walk through the paddies and wade in the waters. He is indenting rubber boats/dinghies, and once this arrives, their mobility will be greatly improved. Their objective is similar to ours, that is to give aid, and to evangelize. And he has welcomed us to join them; to pool resources. This is why on Tuesday, while I stay and work in Kunyangone area (which is still part of the prohibited area for foreigners, altho there is only 1 checkpoint), Philip, Winsome and Relo (members of our church) will go to Laputta---6 hours by car, and again, one of the worst hit towns. It is a town, so supplies of rice, dried fish, dahl, blankets, clothers, diesel, etc. are available. Its many villages still have to be reached by aid.

What other needs are there where you and I can help the Burmese people in rebuilding? After food and medicines, comes the need to rebuild their houses. They are made of very simple materials--- wood and thatch leaves. But even all the leaves have been blown away by Nargis and it will take another 2 years from them to re-grow. I have made a preliminary estimate and $120 will provide 10-12 roofing sheets, 6 bamboo wall panels, nails and several pieces of lumber that will build the frame for a house that is 10 ft. by 12 ft. They will have to provide the labor.

Obviously, much remains to be done. And what I want to point out at the end of this "report" is that as we continue to support the on-going relief work, we must most of all be quick to support the evangelistic effort that needs to take place. I would like to be able to send 2 Filipino missionaries to work with our 2 Burmese preachers that are presently in Yangon. I have observed that they need mentoring and encouragement in leadership and improving their self-esteem, so this contact and partnership with ex-patriate missionaries will help. There is also one other Burmese preacher in Mandalay (sorry I don't have his name at the moment), who can reinforce this team. I hope you understand why I am not recommending US missionaries.

Thank you for generously sending the MARCH team to Myanmar to be your eyes, ears, hands, feets and heart. On Monday, Shem Sameon and Dr. Conrad are arriving. We give God all the glory for what our partnership is able to accomplish. Please continue to give to the Myanmar Aid & Relief. Thank you for your continued prayers.

Your brother and fellow-servant in the Lord,

Chito Cusi

Day 4: Mission Relief Work in Myanmar

This is the latest from Yangon --

May 15, 2008---Day 4

Dear family and brethren in the Lord,

Today was not as exciting as yesterday's trek into the Irawaddy delta. But it had its share of exciting events and opportunities.
First, I met brother U Ba Htay in his damaged house. A retired soldier who had been baptized recently. Surprisingly robust and full of energy for the gospel at age 70, I pray that he will be instrumental in bringing many to Christ. He has 3 married sons and one of his daughters-in-law listened intently as I delivered a short message and Philip Lian translated. He used to worship with a denominational church, and his search for true worship has led to the church in Yangon. And yes, of course, we will repair his house and that of his sons. And also of a lady's house who he has been 5/16/08 at 12:42 AM

lady's house who he has been studying the bible with.
Second reason for optimism is I met two elderly women who came to meet me this afternoon at my hotel! They are both doctors and wanted to join our mission, but when Philip and I told them about our trip to Irawaddy, they realized they are too old. Now, the optimism comes from the promise of the ladies to introduce us to the group of their children who have a medical and relief team that went out today to Irawaddy. Please pray that we will be able to utilize the energy of this young men and women to deliver relief to the far flung areas. If this materializes, we will always take opportunity to provide spiritual insipiration and direction.
Third of all, the meeting with 7 pillar-members of the church in Yangon was very fruit 5/16/08 at 12:42 AM

of the church in Yangon was very fruitful. Everyone is enthusiastic to participate in helping out in organize and participate in the coming relief missions to irawaddy. We have divided into several assignments and once all the tarps, rice and dried fish are packed into 1,000 bags, we will leave Saturday dawn either for Bogale or Kunyangone. We also have an invitation to go to the farthest point south which is in lopatta, where a doctor will be coordinating efforts with us. This is the place where the stench of death permeates your skin and where the floating bodies remain unrecovered.
Some disappointments so far:
1. To-date I have not received confirmation to go to the island of Hiene-Gyi with the retired admiral's party;
2. The general's convoy to Irawaddy has not yet mate 5/16/08 at 12:42 AM

materialized (only up to planning stage);
3. I have over $6,000 ($100 dollar bills) that I cannot use because money changers do not accept bills that have the face of Benjamin Franklin smudged or creased. I have told my coming teams to make sure they will not bring such bills.
Other than this, I am so blessed to be here to be your eyes, ears, hands, heart, and mouth. Pray that I will be able to return to Irawaddy undetected. Please pray that the rest of our Filipino team of workers will finally get their visas tomorrow; there has been delay with one whose visa was marked as aid worker when he went to Pakistan. Most importantly, continue to pray with me that the church will grow spiritually from this experience and the church will grow in numbers as they unite to work together.
5/16/08 at 12:43 AM

Pls. pray also fro the contacts we have made so far and whom we have yet to make. Pray for Saiman, the housekeeping supervisor, and Winnie (Winsome's friend), sales manager, of the Dusit Inya Lake Hotel; Douglas Vertaines, his wife, Weenie, and 3 grown children, Linda, Henry & Suzy; the businessmen brothers Ta-te & Mee Yat; brother Htay's family; the community secretary and his family; U Mah our driver, and, everyone else the Lord will put on our way.
This is all for now, and I pray for another blessed day of service tomorrow.

Your brother, partner and fellow-servant in Burma,

Chito Cusi,
M.A.R.C.H. President

Day 3: Mission Relief Work in Myanmar

Update No. 3 (May 14, 2008)

it has been raining in myanmar. but this and strict checkpoint guards did not prevent us from going deep into the irawaddy province. we left 650am and returned at past 1030pm. i will exclude all details since i am in a public internet cafe with many people looking over shoulders every now and then. we went as far as bogaly, which is about 10 miles from the coast of the bay of bengal.
today we are buying tarps, rice, noodles and dried fish---some of the items badly needed in the area. shelter and food. some complain about needing dry clothes but this will have to follow. $5 worth of goods in a bag will contain 1 kg of dahl, i kg. of rice, some noodles and dried fish, hopefully a supply that will least the more than 40,000 families living along the road in small tent shaped thatched shelters. i have plenty of pics and video but for some reason this cafe cannot open it. children are lined up on the streets waiting and begging for gifts of food. in one stretch 40 km stretch, we saw nothing but thatch houses on their side, roofs blown or totally destroyed on each side of the road. it could have been more than 40 km, because the first damaged/destroyed houses appeared at around 8am, and it did not stop till two hours later, and still there were intermittent clusters of destroyed houses, and people living in this thatch tents. i think the place was in kunyagone.
we plan to go first to bogaly and distribute the goods we will prepare. then to the kunyagone area. we definitely need more help so tonight i am meeting with the brethren and some local volunteers.
and yes, no foreigners allowed. we had to go through 4 checkpoints, and thank God i am asian. we saw a group of 5 causcasians at a checkpoint pleading their case, surrounded by soldiers.
bbc announced today that volunteeers from 5 asian countries will be allowed to enter the delta, but they did not say which nations. i hope the phils. is one of them.
have to rush. please continue to pray for me. i have a soldier 2 booths away from.
to God be the glory! pls. continue to send those donations to the MARCH account. hopefully have more filipinos with me this sunday or monday.
your partner in the Lord's work,

chito

Update No. 2 Mission Relief Work in Myanmar

Dear family and brethren,

“Mingalaba!” Greetings, good morning, good afternoon or good evening in Burmese. Whatever time of day it is said, it is a respectful welcome by a humble and friendly people.

It is Day 2 for me in Myanmar and everything is moving very fast. I have always said that when in Asia, MARCH for Christ can hit the ground running, and indeed that is how our almighty God has put us to work.

So far, we have been blessed to accomplish what we have set out to do on my first two days here. The surprised faces of the V. family and their neighbors at my arrival was a golden moment. It was an emotional time to see them safe, and for them to know of your concern for them. They are very happy and grateful that we remember them and that you have sent me with aid for them. If you had not sent anyone, perhaps they would have lived on and later on tell us how they had suffered, but for them to see our love in action is a priceless treasure.

Roofing sheets, plywood, nails, lumber, etc. have been purchased for the repair of the V’s leaking and damaged roof. We also have the materials for the 6 small houses a short distance from their home, which was damaged by the typhoon. One of these 6 is the house of the community secretary. He is the overseer of what they refer to as 100-1000 households in the area where the V. family live. Through the years he has been supportive of the house church; as we have found out in Myanmar, all he has to do is air a complaint against the church and the military will come and close down the church. On May 20, Tuesday, we will have a fellowship lunch in their neighborhood. In addition to this, he has allowed W.V. to use their community hall for VBS.

We also visited the Preacher Training School, and found that it has suffered almost no damage at all. Only 9 mango trees, 7 cashew trees and 3 other bigger trees were all toppled and have to be cleared---plenty of firewood for our Myanmar preachers who regularly go there for training and fellowship.

Tomorrow, a vanload composed of the V. family, a couple of people who have been to Irawaddy, a neighbor and myself head for no man’s land---the Irawaddy River Delta. A checkpoint at a bridge prevents foreigners from entering, but hopefully, being someone who looks Burmese, I pray that I will be able to sneak in. If not, I will stay at a aid center before the bridge, and let the Burmese survey the Delta region as deep into the region as they can. We leave at 6 am and expect to be back by 9 pm. Please keep our safety in your prayers.

Ah yes! How faithful is our God and how He has answered your answers. Providing us the good health and energy to go on, and letting us meet people with whom we can partner with in delivering aid to the suffering and desperate people in Irawaddy. So far, I have 4 Burmese doctors who are willing to conduct a medical mission with our brethren inside Irawaddy. I also talked to a man who is close friend of the V. family, making arrangements for me to join a convoy of a general who will bring aid possibly on Thursday to Irawaddy. In addition, the boyfriend of one of the V. ladies is the son of a retired admiral, who is going to the partly submerged Hiene-Gyi Island, the most badly damaged by cyclone Nagris. I have put in a request to join them on Friday or Saturday for a 2 day mission. In both the general and admiral’s trips, I will be bringing relief goods, tarps and medicines badly needed by the cyclone survivors.

It has started raining since I came. And for now drinking water is not a problem, but disease, exposure and famine continue to be major problems that might kill more than the cyclone.

I am waiting for my team that will start to arrive before the weekend. One of them already has a visa while three other doctors and one of our team leaders hopefully will get theirs tomorrow. I am also waiting for Thai brethren to join us. We also still have to go to ICRC/Red Cross to find out where else we can help.

I understand that you continue to raise funds in the US, and I pray that our brotherhood will generously give. Now whether you give it to MFC to manage or to another group does not matter to me so long as the help reaches the poor suffering people. God will be glorified to see His children doing acts of charity and in preparation for a harvest.

I had earlier written a longer report, but someone must have been monitoring my email, because as I was about to end and close it, it just got erased. So I am sending this as a Word document in my flash drive, and attaching it to this email.

This will be all for now. Please continue your prayers for us.
Your brother, fellow servant and partner in the work,
Chito C.


Report from Bro. Chito Cusi, M.A.R.C.H. President. First Filipino Team Member to arrived in Myanmar.

First Mission Relief Worker Arrived in Myanmar

MARCH for Christ Relief Mission in Myanmar

Update 1:

Bro. Chito Cusi safely arrived in Myanmar. He was able to reach Brother Winsome's house by paying $4 taxi fare. The brethren's house still intact except for 2 GI sheets that flew off and the fallen sorrounding trees. The very good news is that all known brethren throughout Myanmar have been spared from injury or damaged to themselves and to their family. They were able to visit Winsome's neighboring village and were able to assessed the damaged. He's currently staying in a hotel with limited internet access, but nonetheless was able to contact me thru yahoo messenger to give this update. He wants to assure us all that he's A-ok and doing fine and this visit will do a lot of good as he prepares to welcome the rest of the team. if u wish to drop him a note, leave a message to his ym account lpcusi@yahoo.com

Call for Help!!!

Seated from left to right Raj Buo, Renato Austria, Gigi Carranza, Shemer Sameon, Pres. Chito Cusi, Julius Rojo, Dra. Lani Palaypayon and Dra. Gina Catalan.


dear brother don,

still unable to get in touch with winsome or philip in myanmar. will try again tomorrow.
i have asked my brother's government office to endorse my application for a tourist visa in order to ensure that i get a visa asap. i will fly to manila on friday for a 930 am interview. the rest of this first team, dr. verna uy, dr. evelyn ignacio & physical therapist shem sameon (shem is also a preacher) or our missions coordinator ms. gigie carranza, will apply through normal channels since my brother told me he can only do this favor for me. didn't push him anymore to include the others since he is already going out of his busy schedule to accomodate me.
if all goes well, i will leave next week either on monday or tuesday, may 13, depending on available airline space and the visa of course.

Myanmar Relief Strategy and Plan

A. Prior to arrival of the 3 medical personnel:
1. chito to assess damage to vertaines house, preacher training school, achard's, yangon brethren's respective houses;
2. set up communications system;
3. assess feasiblity of working/registering with international and government relief agencies;
4. make plans together with yangon coc leaders and preachers at the training school for yangon relief work and possible trips to other areas/provinces where there are coc congregations and mission work;
5. locate suppliers and sources of food, water, medicine and shelter materials;
6. acquisition/ distribution of food, water and shelter materials to brethren;
7. repair of preacher school, if needed, and consider its use as a relief/feeding center;
8. set up feeding/water center at vertaines compound and/or achard's place to be managed by yangon coc;
9. establish ability of brethren and other volunteers to manage the relief/feeding center at the vertaines, etc. winsome to oversee this.
10. conduct regular devotionals for brethren, neighborhood volunteers, etc.

B. Upon arrival of the medical team (may 18-eta):
1. start roving medical team to start from vertaines residence, then to training school, achard's neighborhood, and other areas identified/recommen ded by brethren;
2. start provincial relief work in partnership with burmese brethren/preachers;
3. in the provincial areas, we will follow the above protocol;

C. Sustaining phase:
1. assess needs, opportunities and capabilities for further relief work;
2. assess capability and desire of local brethren to conduct further relief work without physcial presence of foreign participation;
3. establish an improved communications system with local brethren;
4. turnover funds, accountability forms/procedures and plans to local leadership;
5. assess financial and manpower capability to proceed to friendship evangelism;

D. Departure phase:
1. closing devotionals, turnover and prayers
2. goodbyes and till we meet again

on the ground, by God's grace, while we have made these plans, we will go where He will lead us.

our main object is to assist brethren in their time of need to recover from whatever physical, emotional or spiritual damage they are in. and as we strengthen and encourage them through our work and God's love, we would like them to see how they can take part in the opportunity that God has given them to be a blessing to their neighbors by participating in nieghborhood relief or assistance activities that we will organize and turn over to them.

we do not want to breed dependence with the charity that we bring. instead, we bring the message that they are part of a loving and caring universal church. for brethren to realize that while we can give material and physical relief to the damage suffered by cyclone ragus, the best gift that they have and that they can share is the gift of being in Christ and in Christ's family. and the friendships that will be bonded with their kin and neighbors during the relief work, are open doors for them to share the gospel.

having proposed all the above plans, we continue to ask for your prayers. thank you for your trust and partnering with us in the myanmar relief efforts. i know of your great desire for the gospel to flourish in asia, and i pray that God will continue to bless your small congregation in double springs, alabama, to continue in your giant ways. truly, when we let God use our resources, talents, abilities and our life, He is able to accomplish much through us.

should there be others who want to take part in this relief work and support our plans and desire to take this open door to this country in shackles, we will welcome your donations. our account details are:

account name: MARCH for Christ, Inc.
US$ savings account no.: 8124005117
bank name: Bank of the Philippine Islands, Baguio City Branch
code: BOPIPHMM

all donations will be receipted.

we go with God.

your brother,

chito cusi
MARCH for Christ(medical action for relief, counseling and healing)

Update: The First team planning to go to Myanmar are all ready set to depart this week once all their visas are granted. Prayers are needed for the success of this Mission Relief Workers. For more information about the group M.A.R.C.H. for Christ, please click July 2006 under Archives.