FLEEING BOMBS AND BULLETS: PASTOR YANG’S STORY

Pastor Yang* is one of many believers from Myanmar who, due to conflict and persecution, have had to flee home. He and his young family had to grab what they could and leave – not once, not twice, but many times. Most citizens face danger in Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, but the conflict is being used by those in power as an opportunity to increasingly target Christians and other minority groups.

Robbed at gunpoint

Pastor Yang recalls one of the attacks, by a radical group, that displaced much of his congregation. “Members of my church were blindfolded and forced to lie down as guns were pointed at them,” he says. “They were not allowed to speak. Their houses were searched for money and valuables. The radical groups took everything valuable.”

This wasn’t an isolated incident – the church members were assaulted in this way several times. Pastor Yang’s own home was targeted: “They took my motorbike and stole 150,000 kyats, which was our emergency fund.” That’s worth about £55, which is two months’ minimum wage in Myanmar. “As a result of these attacks, many church members chose to flee from the village.”

Relentless displacement

Pastor Yang and his family are never able to feel truly at home. They are always exhausted and scared, and the displacements are relentless. “We moved to another, safer place. We stayed there for a week. There also problems arose,” he says. “Then we fled to the village where my in-laws live. We stayed there for two months. We had lots of trouble there too – we moved again.”

“We have had to live amidst the sounds of gunfire and bomb explosions. All this deeply traumatises my wife. My children fear the loud noises. As a husband and a father, sometimes I feel helpless that I cannot make my own family feel safe.”

CHRISTIANS FACE A FAR GREATER THREAT

The threat doesn’t just come from these radical groups. The situation in Myanmar is very complex. Ever since the military coup in 2021, which deposed the government, widespread fighting continues in various parts of the country.

All Burmese people are vulnerable, but Christians face a far greater threat in the Buddhist-majority country. Christianity is often portrayed as a ‘foreign’ religion, and believers experience opposition from all levels of society – and from both sides in this conflict.

“Even before the coup, we Christians had few privileges,” Pastor Yang explains. “We faced many hindrances when we tried to conduct worship services and church activities.” After the coup, this discrimination turned deadly, as military airstrikes often target churches and majority-Christian areas.

Even while living in displacement, believers continue to face discrimination. When aid is distributed, Christians are denied the much-needed food and other essentials that are given to displaced Buddhist people.

God’s Guidance

Despite all they are facing, Pastor Yang and his family can see certainty in God’s guidance. “Living in the conflict area and going out for daily chores is stressful,” says Pastor Yang. “Every time we ride our motorbikes, we remember God’s promises in Scripture.”

He adds: “We remember God for small things, because we could be killed at any moment. I pray, ‘God, help me come back home safely so that I can see my wife and children.’”

It’s clear that Pastor Yang feels a holy responsibility to serve other displaced Christians in his region, who are also facing increased risk of persecution and discrimination. He knows that it isn’t always possible, from his own resources.

“My church members are my family members. They are my spiritual children,” he says. “Being a father in the family and a pastor in the church, it is impossible to focus only on my family’s difficulties. I cannot ignore them.”

Pastor Yang adds: “Our church members also left their homes. I visit them on bicycle, as my motorbike was stolen. Our main problem is the lack of basic needs. Church members have no more jobs. No income. We are battered physically, mentally and spiritually.”

MEETING Open Doors partners

With your help, Open Doors local partners can help answer the prayers of believers like Pastor Yang. He first met local partners after his family’s most recent displacement, when they were feeling particularly exhausted and defeated from repeated upheavals.

“I was overjoyed to meet the Open Doors partners. They are so passionate to serve persecuted believers like me,” says Pastor Yang. “I soon partnered with them in reaching out to the displaced believers.”

Pastor Yang was able to attend persecution survival training, and he can pass on what he learned. “I now facilitate workshops for church leaders and pastors because I know, like me, they need this time of fellowship for encouragement.”

With your support, Open Doors local partners will be able to provide much-needed food to the displaced believers Pastor Yang knows. “We distribute rice, cooking oil and onions to the most needy ones,” he says. “They cry out of joy. When we had much, we were not mindful of it – but when we have nothing, even one kyat [1/30th of a penny] means a lot.”

He adds: “If we don’t provide food to the Christians who are really displaced and in need, I cannot imagine what their lives would look like. The help is for physical needs, but it also helps their faith to increase.”

*Name changed for security reasons