“Every one of our people, they are scared of the night. They long to see the morning. Why? Because every night is a nightmare for them,” says Stephen, a Venture partner who works along the Thailand and Myanmar border during a recent prayer meeting. He talks about how the military junta in Burma is oppressing the ethnic minority groups along the borders in the longest-running civil war in history. “An evil satanic power is ruling our country and they are killing our people like chickens.”
The needs are great for the people Venture serves along the border. Many people fled their homes for safety as bombs were dropped on their villages and their possessions burned. People are living in the jungle off of the roots of trees. They need food, shelter, and hope.
Through Venture’s food program we have fed those who have run for their lives. Venture recently distributed its 50,000,000th meal. Many of those meals have helped the growing number of displaced people living along the border.
In many ways, the Manna Packs that Venture distributes through our local Christian partners are a miracle. Many displaced people cannot believe that people from around the world know what is happening to them and care enough to help. They are thankful for the thousands of people who have given through Venture to provide a meal and some hope in a desperate time.
Whenever our local partners distribute these meals, they also share a message of hope, of God drawing close to us.
“If we believe in a God that can bring life, even in the face of death, then we have hope for a better tomorrow.”
Stephen, Venture Partner
“The Gospel is important to us, because it is a story of a God who overcomes death. If we believe in a God that can bring life, even in the face of death, then we have hope for a better tomorrow.” Says Stephen, a Venture partner. “There is death and destruction all around us. We need a God to who we can cry out. We need a God who can be with us in our pain and give us hope.”
One of the things we celebrate during Christmas is that God is with us in our sufferings. In the first chapter of Matthew, we are told that Jesus will be called “Immanuel,” which means God is with us. This holiday season we find hope in a God that walks with the people we serve, and with us, through difficult times.
If you want to be a part of giving hope this holiday season, consider giving toward Venture’s food security programs which are helping stateless people along the Thailand and Myanmar border.