Church-Planters to Myanmar
Sent from: Lighthouse Baptist Church, Horseheads, New York USA

PeterJudson

Peter Judson was originally “Kyaw Kyaw Aung” of Mon State, Myanmar, or old Burma.  He was raised in Buddhism as all the others in his village near Thaton.  He, like many others, never knew or even questioned that Buddhism might be wrong.  But after school, Peter went to Thailand to find work.  He met a man named Pastor Joseph and, while visiting his church, he heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the first time.  He believed the Gospel in his heart and prayed to receive Christ as his personal Savior.  It was through Pastor Joseph’s church that he met his wife, Say Say (Ruth), a young lady from the Myanmar Karen tribe, and they were married. Serving the Lord together and learning the Scriptures under Pastor Joseph, Peter became a great witness for Christ and loved to win souls for Christ. He worked as a translator under two other missionary-pastors while in Mae Sot.

The young couple soon started a family and God gave them three beautiful children: Sarah, Charity, and Joshua.  Thinking he could never return to his beloved Myanmar but unable to stay legally in Thailand, Peter and Ruth decided to come to America where he might be able to serve the Lord freely.

Peter and Ruth landed in Chicago and immediately were sent by U.S. Immigration to the city of Des Moines, Iowa where they settled into their new apartment.  Peter has always been a good worker, and soon after settling in Des Moines, he was able to get a good paying job as a fork lift operator.  They joined the Des Moines Baptist Church and, with the help of their new pastor, Peter started a ministry to reach other Burmese refugees like themselves. Peter and his wife won many to Christ, not only Burmese but all kinds of people, faithfully participating in outreach ministries in the city park and in their own apartment.

After five years in America and securing their American citizenship, they changed their names to Peter and Ruth Judson.  They fully intended to spend the remainder of their lives in America but God had other plans for them.  Soon God began to speak to his heart about the need of his own people back in Myanmar.  Peter is from Old Burma but he is not Burmese.  Peter is from the Pa-O tribe, one of hundreds of different people groups in Myanmar.  In fact, Peter was the first person in his tribe to believe in Christ as his Saviour.  His mother was the second.  And to their knowledge, they are the only Christians in their entire people group to this day.

Peter called Dr. Bob DeWitt of Golden Land Baptist Missions and said, “I cannot stay in America.  I must return to Myanmar and God has burdened my heart to start a church in the city of Malawmyine, Mon State.”  Brother DeWitt was excited because Malawmyine is not only a port city but it is the third city of famed missionary Adoniram Judson and near to the place where Mrs. Anne “Nancy” Judson is buried.

Brother DeWitt helped the Judsons move to Horseheads, New York and to the Lighthouse Baptist Church, the home of GLBM, where they spent two years working, saving, and preparing for their return to Myanmar.  With all their life savings and just $400 per month missionary support, the Judsons returned to Old Burma. Within the first week they had won a dozen souls to Christ and officially started the Malawmyine Baptist Church.

They have been holding church services in their own house for the past three years.  By the grace of God, they congregation has grown substantially, but it is getting too large to fit in their house!  They have purchased four strategically located acres to build on, and they are currently raising the funds to erect their first church building.

What a wonderful ministry the Judsons have! Your giving to them through GLBM is a wonderful investment in souls for Christ.