The Work of GWI Myanmar Research Center
1. Slum Village Ministry
We have established a GWI After School Center in the slum village called Hlaing Tharyar, which is located in the outskirts of Yangon. Our current instructors use the center during the week to help the Hlaing Tharyar children with their homework. During the weekends, worship service and Bible studies are help to spread the gospel to these children. In order to enroll their children at the After School Center, which is free of charge, parents have to agree send their children to the worship services and Bible studies.
The Current Situation in Hlaing Tharyar
2. Textbook Translations and Publishing Ministry
The everyday language and words used in all the published materials from developed countries are unrealistic and hard to relate to for those living in Third World countries. GWI U.S.A. creates textbooks and other resources for the people in Myanmar. These texts are currently being translated by the researchers at the Research Center. They are also published and used during leadership trainings and given out to the public in order to spread the gospel.
3. "KWON-SUH" Ministry
The "kwon-suh" ministry is one of the main factors in the development of early Korean Christianity. Kwon-suhs were those who were selectively handpicked by members of the Bible Society. The kwon-suhs sold Bibles and also served as evangelists who would teach Bible study to help people understand Biblical text. Therefore, GWI has decided to apply Korea's traditional and specialized evangelism method that the kwon-suhs used in order to effectively spread the gospel to the most difficult and uncivilized ethnic groups in the country of Myanmar.
Due to the religious laws in Myanmar that prohibit foreigners from spreading Christianity, GWI missionaries are sent to the native missionaries who are commissioned as missionaries to the unreached ethnic groups and regions. We meet native missionaries face-to-face and conduct interviews to hear their reports on the current state of the ethnic group and the gospel in that region. Based on those reports, we analyze the missionaries' needs and give out free donations of Burmese Bibles. We also re-educate and train the native missionaries in the unreached areas so they learn how to rectify the mistranslated contents of the Bible.
A local printing company in Myanmar has joined to participate in GWI's kwon-suh ministry by fully devoting their efforts in Bible printing. 100% of all the costs to print and donate Bibles to the ethnic groups are paid by GWI funds. This kwon-suh ministry is playing the role of quenching the spiritual thirst of the young generation who are learning the common language -- Burmese. In addition, GWI is currently preparing to print, produce, and donate Bibles that are translated into various ethnic languages, to the areas where Bible printing is nearly impossible.
We have established a GWI After School Center in the slum village called Hlaing Tharyar, which is located in the outskirts of Yangon. Our current instructors use the center during the week to help the Hlaing Tharyar children with their homework. During the weekends, worship service and Bible studies are help to spread the gospel to these children. In order to enroll their children at the After School Center, which is free of charge, parents have to agree send their children to the worship services and Bible studies.
The Current Situation in Hlaing Tharyar
- The majority of the enrolled students attend both the temple and church. There is resistance to accept other religions, therefore making it very difficult to convert this through the gospel.
- GWI provides free meals and/or rice in order to provide at least one meal to the impoverished children and their families.
- There are many children who are forced to go out and making a living starting at the age of eight. In such cases of where the child has to drop out of school to support the family, GWI pays for the child’s wages to the family and all expenses needed to attend school. (**This is all in agreement with the child’s parents/guardians). Given these conditions, we encourage conversion to Christianity and for the children to stop attending the temple. We believe in taking special care of our children to grow up at the After School Center and church with the gospel.
- Since the majority of the churches in Hlaing Tharyar are underground churches, they are in dire need of church education and Sunday School education training. GWI is currently building a network system by forming a church directory and researching the status of the gospel in this area. By holding GWI Conferences, we are working to improve the quality of the churches and teachers. Textbook Translations and Publishing Ministry
2. Textbook Translations and Publishing Ministry
The everyday language and words used in all the published materials from developed countries are unrealistic and hard to relate to for those living in Third World countries. GWI U.S.A. creates textbooks and other resources for the people in Myanmar. These texts are currently being translated by the researchers at the Research Center. They are also published and used during leadership trainings and given out to the public in order to spread the gospel.
3. "KWON-SUH" Ministry
The "kwon-suh" ministry is one of the main factors in the development of early Korean Christianity. Kwon-suhs were those who were selectively handpicked by members of the Bible Society. The kwon-suhs sold Bibles and also served as evangelists who would teach Bible study to help people understand Biblical text. Therefore, GWI has decided to apply Korea's traditional and specialized evangelism method that the kwon-suhs used in order to effectively spread the gospel to the most difficult and uncivilized ethnic groups in the country of Myanmar.
Due to the religious laws in Myanmar that prohibit foreigners from spreading Christianity, GWI missionaries are sent to the native missionaries who are commissioned as missionaries to the unreached ethnic groups and regions. We meet native missionaries face-to-face and conduct interviews to hear their reports on the current state of the ethnic group and the gospel in that region. Based on those reports, we analyze the missionaries' needs and give out free donations of Burmese Bibles. We also re-educate and train the native missionaries in the unreached areas so they learn how to rectify the mistranslated contents of the Bible.
A local printing company in Myanmar has joined to participate in GWI's kwon-suh ministry by fully devoting their efforts in Bible printing. 100% of all the costs to print and donate Bibles to the ethnic groups are paid by GWI funds. This kwon-suh ministry is playing the role of quenching the spiritual thirst of the young generation who are learning the common language -- Burmese. In addition, GWI is currently preparing to print, produce, and donate Bibles that are translated into various ethnic languages, to the areas where Bible printing is nearly impossible.