The Banfe Family

Missionaries to Burma NEWSLETTER January-February 2016

God is moving and blessing in such a mighty way. First, deputation is going very well, praise the Lord. We are starting to fill in our presentation schedule for 2016. We have been asked to present to some wonderful churches, and hope to be a blessing to pastors and their churches. We have started booking for early 2017! In Burma we have a special story to tell you about our tract, “The Way to Heaven”. This tract is Adoniram Judson’s original in-depth witnessing tract that was instrumental in his first convert in Burma, which took 6 years! The Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary found it and sent us a copy and we added Scripture. A Burmese pastor translated it into Burmese. I smuggled about 1,500 into Burma in my luggage in November. Now the story of this tract is growing. In January we finished our first printing of 4,000 in Burma. Here is a picture of the printed tracts:

A young Burmese pastor working with us there folded all 4,000 by hand. They have been boldly passing them out and talking to Buddhist youth and older folk in front of shrines. Here is a picture of a Buddhist women and man reading the tract.

We have been giving supplies of the tract to Burmese pastors, but need financial help for more Bibles and tracts. One pastor said his members have been greatly helped in witnessing with them and he always carries them with him. Now we have had the first printing of the tract also in Malaysia for Burmese Buddhist refugees there. We sent the PDF to a Pastor who had seen it in Mae Sot Thailand at a school there and he will begin printing the tract in Thailand. And we just shipped our first small shipment of these tracts to India to Mizoram state to be distributed to Burmese at weaving and garment factories there. Also, it has now been translated into four Burmese tribal languages: Mizo, Falam, Mra and Tidim! If Adoniram Judson only knew that over 200 years later his witnessing tract for Burmese people would be re-printed in multiple languages, distributed to Burmese in multiple countries and used in the salvation of souls. Praise the Lord. We have also provided Bibles for those whose hearts are spoken to by the tract and accompanying Bible verses. What a blessing! Next, we are completing bathrooms for a Baptist school/orphanage in Aung Lan, Burma. See the picture below. Also see the picture below of the kind of bathroom they had previously for 80 children to use. Praise the Lord. The center room is a bathing room. We have separate bathrooms for the ladies and men in separate areas. Most of the children in this school have already professed faith in Christ and new children are arriving each year.

BEFORE AFTER We are now beginning to create our Thai Charity foundation for the orphanage/Bible school/Church/Bible institute for Burmese refugees in Thailand. It will allow us to legally buy land in Thailand and to issue volunteer visas to visiting pastors and missionaries. We will then rent a house for Sherrie and me in Thailand until the property is complete. Finally, we are so excited about the trip our Burmese pastor friend will be making to Waw Township in Pago Division to search out a site for our Burma Orphanage/Bible School/Church/Bible institute complex. It reminds me of when, in Numbers 13 and 14 when Moses sent out men to spy out the land of Canaan. Joshua and Caleb were the only ones that brought back a faithful report. We are praying that we will find favor with the local village leaders there. We believe that church planting is not about building buildings but about training shepherds and gathering sheep. Training up orphans in the Word of God not only obeys God’s command in James 1:27, but prepares a new generation of church planters, missionaries, Bible teachers and evangelists. And teaching pastors assists them in their church plants to teach proper doctrine and receive God’s blessing. Please pray for tracts and Bibles, so that people will come to a saving knowledge of Christ and turned from dead idols. Please pray for our foundation, that God will give wisdom to the lawyers and provide us with the $4,000 we need for legal fees. And pray God will reveal His parcel of land to build a house for Him in the two complexes in Burma and Thailand. And pray for Daniel, Ngun and Grace as they assist us in God’s work. We are so blessed to be a part of God’s work in Burma. Sincerely, The Banfes

Contact Sending Church: Temple Baptist church in Powell, Tennessee: Pastor Clarence Sexton. Mission Organization: Central Missionary Clearinghouse: http://www.cmcmissions.org/donate Mission to Burma Advisor Emeritus: Dr. Charles Keen, First Bible International, Bearing Precious Seed In Country Address: 8426 Coppock Road, Corryton, TN 37721 (740) 815-4205 Email: missiontoburma@gmail.com Web:

Website: www.missiontoburma.com Facebook: Mission to Burma Twitter: missiontoburma

Thank you so much for your consideration and may God bless your ministry for the Lord Jesus Christ. Sincerely, Dr. Peter and Sherrie Banfe