For more thn a decade now, Clear and Simple Media has partnered with our friend Lai Ro Thang in Myanmar. “Rova” pastors a Presbyterian Church in Yangon and serves as a leader and influencer in a large network of evangelical churches throughout the country. He is a translator in both Burmese and Mizo-Chin and has been responsible for the translation of multiple CSM books and the printing and distribution of over 18,000 books in country.

Rova’s latest project has been the translation of the gospel-focussed book, The Jesus Story: God’s Promise. As anyone who is familiar with that part of the world already knows, life for the people of Myanmar has been quite difficult in recent years. A military coup d’etat (2021), oppressive government, civil war, food shortages, inconsistent access to electricity, severe inflation, and forced military service are constant stressors. Over 3,000,000 people have been displaced, and international relief agencies estimate that up to 20 million people need aid.

Then, on March 28, Myanmar experienced one of the largest earthquakes to hit the country in decades. In Mandalay, Sagaing, and Naypyi Daw, buildings collapsed and more than 3700 lost their lives. The quake was so large that its effects were felt in Thailand. The impact of the quake further compromised the country’s infrastructure, and Yangon and other major cities were without electricity and water for days. This in one of the seasons where temperatures frequently reach over 100° (38°C). This leaves buildings with poor ventilation, with no air-conditioning and no refrigeration.

In spite of those challenges, Rova has completed the Burmese translation of The Jesus Story, but has been unable to complete the Mizo-Chin translation given the challenges. He had also worked on the early stages of Simple Stories from the Life of Jesus. That compilation of 60 stories from the gospels has served as an effective introduction to Jesus’s life for those who know nothing about him.

Life is not easy in Myanmar these days. In fact, it has been challenging there for decades. The government in place is quite unpredictable and the military has been brutal in their attempts to eliminate opposition, especially among the minority peoples (Karen, Chin, Shan, Kachin, Rakhine). Multiple regions in the country are under constant threat of attack from the Myanmar military, which is now receiving significant support from China.

As you think of the work Rova is doing in Myanmar, pray for him, his wife and children, his church, the network of churches he influences, and for the minority peoples.

And pray that God will use the work Rova has done in the past number of years (translation, design, printing, and distribution) to reach people for Jesus and strengthen the church in Myanmar.

Here is a portion of the correspondence we received a few days ago:

Hello Tom,

The earthquake last Friday has caused many difficulties. The electricity lines have been destroyed, and the phone line has been cut off. We have been without electricity for four days and we do not know when the problem can be fixed. The temperature is unbearably hot. Please pray for our needed electricity.

My father went to be with the Lord on April 3, 2025, in our house at the age of 75. He had suffered lung cancer. My Dad and Mom came to stay with us in Yangon 18 months ago because there village has been a very dangerous place due to the civil war. I have had to be stopping my translation for 4 weeks now. I will be traveling for the next two weeks, but I will resume my work at the end of May.

Please pray that the problems from the earthquake can be solved and the civil war will stop. Life is getting more difficult here. We really need the mighty hand of God.