On March 28, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck near Mandalay in central Myanmar, killing more than 2,000 people and injuring thousands more.
The quake leveled buildings, crippled infrastructure, and compounded a crisis already worsened by political unrest and military violence. Search and rescue teams from neighboring Southeast Asian nations have rushed to respond, but humanitarian access remains limited—especially in some of the hardest-hit areas.
Amid the devastation, ABWE’s Live Global partners are safe. National believers based in Yangon and the Shan State were largely untouched by the disaster. According to reports from the field, a Live Global country coordinator is attempting to reach contacts in the Mandalay region—an area where many use The Ancient Path, a gospel resource contextualized for Asian worldview audiences.
Electricity remains intermittent throughout the country. Yangon currently receives just four hours of power per day, a situation that was already dire before the earthquake but has worsened with the destruction of already-frail infrastructure. Sagaing City, one of the worst-affected regions, is receiving minimal aid—an area where the ruling military junta has historically withheld resources.
“The situation is extremely geopolitically complicated,” one worker wrote, explaining that the military regime is continuing airstrikes in areas controlled by people’s defense forces and ethnic militias. “In 48 hours there will probably not be anyone to rescue, and the problem will be decay, disease, lack of water and sanitation—and still, lack of access to the worst hit areas.”
Since its 2021 coup, Myanmar’s military government has clung to power through oppression and armed conflict, displacing hundreds of thousands and leaving communities without access to basic services. The earthquake has only deepened the suffering.
While relief efforts continue, the priority for ABWE’s partners is spiritual. “The time will come when our partners can step in with the gospel to try to replace grief with hope,” one worker shared. “Until then, we pray—and we encourage everyone to pray for those who will survive to have tender hearts for the gospel.”
Many of these partners share the gospel through The Ancient Path, a chronological evangelistic tool designed to lead people from an Asian background through the redemptive story of Scripture, starting with creation and culminating in Christ. It has been used throughout Southeast Asia in both church planting and discipleship settings.
Originally posted at: https://abwe.org/blog/abwe-partners-safe-after-myanmar-earthquake-prayers-urgently-needed/
