Van Hmung and his wife, Hnem Za, along with their two children
(Emmanuel and Mary) arrived to Lancaster in early July. Having fled
Burma in late 2003, they lived in a large apartment complex in Malaysia
for several years, until being granted resettlement in the United
Sates. Along with other Burmese refugees, they were often subject to
brutal police raids and other forms of discrimination by the Malaysian
law enforcement.
The Chin people are traditionally from the northwestern regions of Burma, an area rich in agriculture and natural resources. The majority of the Chin are Christians, largely as a result of Baptist missionary efforts in the early 1900's. More recently, the Chin have been forcebly detained and sometimes expelled from the country, because of their ethnic and religious background.
Van Hmung and his family are are being sponsored through a partnership between two local churches. Table Community Church, a recent Brethren in Christ church-plant, has been actively involved in the day-to-day transportation needs of the family, and orienting them to the community. Mechanic Grove Church of the Brethren, located below Quarryville, has generously contributed financial support and a large portion of the household items for this family.
Since
our first Chin arrival in July, nearly 20 more individuals have arrived
to the area. We are in urgent need of additional co-sponsoring
churches to help welcome these families into the community. If you
would like more information about this rewarding ministry, please
contact Eric Kennel at 717-397-4757 or erick@lcfsinpa.org.
More pictures of the Hmung family can be found in the Photo Albums section of the website, or by clicking here.
