A letter from Amy Davisson in Thailand
September 1, 2008
Dear Friends,
Shining Moon on his last mission in Karen State. April 2008.
You have my heartfelt thanks for your friendship and support. I have been reading a book about prayer that has reminded me how valuable your prayers are and how important it is to spend time in prayer. I can certainly tell when people are praying for me, and that is such a blessing. Thank you also for your prayers for Burma. The situation in Burma has not improved. People in the mountainous areas are attacked and displaced by the dictators’ army, while those affected by the May 2 cyclone have been denied aid by the dictators. In the face of this, with your help and prayers, we have been able to bring help, hope and love to people under oppression.
In May of this year a Free Burma Ranger relief team leader died who had helped provide this kind of assistance. He was 26 years old and was a displaced person from inside Burma. He was using his life to serve people who are being attacked and displaced in his home area by the dictators’ army in Burma. He was a friend and someone who I admired. He died of complications from malaria. At the end of this letter I have appended a report about him written by a friend.
Amy with a girl from Karen State, Burma. April 2008.
Since the beginning of 2006, Shining Moon and four other relief team members have died in service to God and their people. Knowing them and seeing their dedication and work has made a tremendous impact on my life. They and the other relief team members go into areas where they and their family members have suffered persecution, and they risk their lives to serve those currently being attacked and displaced. They share God’s love in so many ways and are an amazing example to me of living life in obedience to God.
Karen pastor prays in Karen State, Burma on the Global Day of Prayer for Burma. March 9, 2008.
For the past three years we have had more long-term volunteers working with Christians Concerned for Burma and Free Burma Rangers. They have filled the roles of logistics (buying supplies for the relief teams), information (distributing human rights reports gathered by relief teams), the programs “Good Life Club” and “Global Day of Prayer for Burma,” finance (accounting for all purchases and reporting to the charities that take donations for us), medicine (coordinating training for our relief teams, standardizing our medical reporting and coordinating with other agencies doing medical work) and other areas of work. Since these people are able to stay longer in these positions, it has made it easier to manage what is going on and help people find things that they love to do that help the ministry also. There have been many learning experiences along the way. I am thankful for God’s blessing in my life, which has included a very supportive family, church and co-workers.
God is good and I thank Him for you and all the joy you bring into my life. Please be in touch and let me know if you are ever in Thailand.
With love,
Amy
“Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17
FBR REPORT: The Death of Shining Moon, A Karen Relief Team Leader
Karen State, Burma
May 22, 2008
Shining Moon, an ethnic Karen Free Burma Ranger team leader, died last night on 20 May 2008 from complications of acute malaria. He was 26 years old and was a team leader, district coordinator, Good Life Club counselor, member of the Karen National Union, and the Karen Youth Organization. He was single and his family live in a forced relocation site in Burma.
Shining Moon was the leader of the three Toungoo District Free Burma Ranger teams in Northern Karen State, Burma. He coordinated and led these teams in helping to bring help, hope, and love to people under attack in this, one of the most oppressed areas in Burma.
Shining Moon was one of the first to regularly infiltrate into Burma Army-held areas and to send out high quality images and reports of human right abuses by the dictators. His images and reports have been broadcast all over the world. He was a fearless leader and was always at the front line helping people under attack.
Shining Moon also worked in areas and cities under complete Burma Army control and carried out missions to gather information, put a light on the situation, and to build relationships and hope among people under oppression. Along with being an outstanding leader, Shining Moon was a man of compassion and selfless service who spent most of the time living with people displaced by the Burma Army.
He was wonderful with children, and my own three children have lost a favorite uncle. Last month at the wedding of two of our medics, Shining Moon ran through a refugee camp with our 2-year-old son laughing and shouting on his shoulder. Last night, when my 5-year-old daughter learned that Shining Moon had died, she cried for him, saying, “Oh Shining Moon, oh Shining Moon, I miss you.”
We all miss him terribly and are grieving his loss.
Shining Moon was a Christian and believed his eternal home is in heaven. We believe that too and look forward to seeing him there. That hope and all the good memories and lessons we learned from him are a consolation for us.
As I reflect on what his loss means to us in every way — personal and professional — I am convicted to be more careful about my time, to try to put people before programs or “to-do” lists, to listen better, to wait longer, to take time to help, and to take the time to rest and play.
To Shining Moon I want to say, “I am so sad, my brother, that you are gone. I know you are in a better place and that I will see you again because of God’s love. I want to say I am sorry for not spending more personal time with you. At the same time I want to thank you for sharing your life with us and for all the miles we walked together, the dangers we faced, the joys we shared, and the lessons of humility, cheerfulness, toughness, and that smiling “can-do” spirit that you gave me and all those around you. We will go on for the cause of love and freedom and we will try to do it like you did, in the way of love, justice, and truth. Thank for your example and how you lifted us all up. It is your country and we are only guests, yet you were as a servant to us. I love you, Shining Moon, and miss you so much.
“And dear God, thank you for the gift of Shining Moon in our lives and that all that is truly precious is safe in your hands. Thank you that although this life is fatal, it is not final. Thank you for Shining Moon, and as we miss him, help us to live up to who he was and what he lived for. I say this in gratitude to Shining Moon and to you God, I say this in your son’s name, Jesus. Amen.”
Thank you and God bless you,
A Relief Team Leader
Free Burma Rangers
