Hope Prevails in Myanmar

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck Myanmar on March 28, leaving thousands dead and many more devastated in its aftermath.

In the aftermath of a horrendous earthquake, TWR is bringing hope to Myanmar.

The 60-episode radio program Hope Prevails is being translated into the Burmese language spoken by two-thirds of the population with the goal of beginning broadcasts by the second or third week of May, said Daniel Saputra,* TWR international director for the Southeast Asia Region.

Hope Prevails, developed to encourage survivors of disaster with the hope only Jesus can bring, first was brought out in the wake of the massive 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. It has been used more recently in response to earthquakes in Indonesia.

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28 left thousands dead and destroyed tens of thousands of dwellings. The city of Mandalay, with a population of 1.5 million, was especially hard hit.

The official death toll passed 3,600 on April 11. That number is expected to rise.

“In the smaller towns, even in part of Mandalay, the recovery process is still very slow,” Saputra said. “Under the debris, under the damaged houses, there’s still bodies over there.”

Moreover, the region still is being hit by aftershocks, Saputra said, including three on April 11. TWR’s coordinator in Myanmar lives in Yangon, where her home was damaged but livable after the quake. But she and many others sleep outside at night, Saputra said, because of concern about the aftershocks.

Conditions already are hot and wet in Myanmar, the Telegraph reported, and the monsoon season is just weeks away.

TWR’s relief ministry soon will begin providing about 200 packages of emergency supplies to TWR listener families, along with a radio for each family, Saputra said.

But ministering to the soul is at least as important. Hope Prevails was developed to help listeners reflect on their trauma, hearing about the healing love of God and having the opportunity to follow Jesus.

It’s an example of how God uses TWR to bring the hope of Jesus through media to people who are difficult to reach. Myanmar’s population is predominantly Buddhist, with only 5% evangelical Christians, according to Joshua Project. It’s also in the midst of a civil war.

But TWR broadcasts several programs heard in the Burmese language in Myanmar and distributes MP3 players as an alternative means to hear them. Saputra said the Myanmar coordinator’s mother is in church leadership and attends many conferences where invariably someone tells stories about becoming a believer by listening to TWR programs.

“Early this month when [the coordinator] was here… she got a phone call from her mother saying that there was a Buddhist monk that became a pastor who came up to the podium and shared how he became a Christian,” Saputra said. “And that’s because he listened to TWR.”

How to help

Do you want to help bring hope in response to the earthquake in Myanmar? Find out how here.

* A pseudonym