“I heard there are some places still in serious needs, even physical, and [many are still looking] for a place to stay,” Ko Htwe wrote. “There are so many people in need of physical, mental and spiritual [help]. Thank you for your concern and prayers for my nation.”

“One minister came to me and asked for help to rebuild his church [building], which [members] began rebuilding after it was destroyed by Nargis, but [they] had to stop due to lack of finances. All I could do was give him a small amount of money which I had saved for that purpose and pray for him and his church."

School of Worship

Brother Ko Htwe has been a School of Worship (SOW) teacher and leader since 2002 and in 2003 began his own ministry, Sounds of Heaven (SOH). SOH specializes in music and worship. Ko Htwe has written a number of songs, plays guitar and keyboard, and by God’s grace produced two music CDs in the local language. He was recently invited, along with two others, to lead a SOW in Kayar in Central Myanmar. Photo: Ko Htwe teaches a worship seminar.

However, when the time came for the seminar, the other two leaders could not go. So Ko Htwe traveled there alone and was the only leader there other than the local leaders. Most of the people coming to the seminar were from villages round about that are dominated by Buddhists. The only churches in them are traditional Baptist and Roman Catholic churches.

According to Ko Htwe, these churches don't preach the gospel and told the people not to go the seminar. But many people came, anyway, as they heard about the love of Christ for them, which they had never heard from their local churches. And as they sampled the sweet blessings of the Lord, they wanted to know more.

The seminar fee was only the equivalent of US$1, but most of them couldn't afford to pay even that. And some of them walked miles to the seminar, as there was no local transportation available.

The seminar lasted for six days, and the people—mostly young people—really enjoyed hearing the Word of God and received it with joy.

“Many people answered the altar call on the last night to consecrate themselves to be witnesses for Christ wherever they go,” Ko Htwe said. “The Spirit of the Lord moved in them as they opened their hearts and called out to the Lord. I believe that they will bring the good news to people wherever they go.” Photo: Young people cry out to God with tears.

Emergency ending

After the seminar, Ko Htwe returned to Yangon on the express bus, traveling with a woman who had been a teacher in some of the earlier Schools of Worship. The trip took 24 hours and it was early morning and still dark when they arrived at the bus station on the outskirts of Yangon. The woman was going to get a connection to go to Singapore to work. So she and Ko Htwe shared a taxi to downtown Yangon.

The driver went all over the road, as he was looking for additional passengers. He didn’t find any and when he got to the toll road, he picked up speed. Suddenly the car veered towards the edge of the highway.

“We thought at first maybe he had spotted a possible customer,” Ko Htwe said, “but as we looked ahead, we saw the car was headed straight for a lamp post. We shouted, but it was too late.”

The driver had fallen asleep. The car smashed into the lamp post, knocking it over, and breaking the main power connection. Lights went out all along the highway, and the gas station across the street lost power and people could not pump gas.

The crash smashed the front of the car and glass was lying everywhere, but Ko Htwe and the woman traveling with him were not hurt.

Photo: Ko Htwe teaches young people to worship by dance.

The impact knocked some wires down, and they were lying across the highway. With the highway darkened, it was hard for oncoming cars to see the wires lying on the road until the last minute. One pickup did not stop in time, hit the cables, dragged them with him, and pulled over about six more lamp posts, which then fell on the cars that had stopped.

“Surely the hand of God was upon us,” Ko Htwe said. “I do not know any other way we would not have been injured in such a mess. So I really want to thank God for His protection and thank you for your prayers that cover me. Let us rejoice and praise God for His goodness and greatness.”

I am convinced that Brother Ko Htwe has an effective worship and music ministry, especially among young people, but he has no permanent place of ministry. He ministers wherever he is invited, and conducts SOW wherever a church will let him have space. When I told him I would pray for him, he remarked, "That is the first time I know of that someone offered to pray for me that did not know me." Please pray for him and his wife and their ministry among young people.