Bound for the Pastors, Ministers and spouses retreat as well as American Burmese Youth conference

This coming Friday I and my family along with OBMBC youth and Young adults are flying to Buffalo NY to join the Pastors, Ministers and spouses retreat and Youth conference. It is exciting for me to meet with all others Burmese pastors and their spouses from North America’s Burmese churches. This is also first time event to get together all Burmese pastors and ministers from the whole United States which is organized by Burmese Christian Association of North America (BCANA) and sponsored by Burmese local churches where the ministers are coming from. We hope to have a fruitful and enrichment event.

Burmese Youth are also gathering during the same time. It is an opportunity for all of us to see the younger generation who are actively involved in ministry. I will be speaking to these youth groups. Please remember to pray for me and all of us. Let the Spirit of God touch us with spiritual freshness and motivate us to do more for His ministry. Hope to share with you more, God’s willing, about this trip after we are back.

Personal note from Pastor Lazum

Fathers' Day Celebration

Fathers receiving gifts


Fun and Games

Fathers’ Day was celebrated in our worship service. And it was wonderful to see many attendees who shared their testimonies and songs. Songs of fathers which appreciate each one of our fathers and honoring them with heartfelt smiles that shone across the sanctuary.

Children honoring fathers by songs

Dinning room tables were filled with foods and laughter while three sisters sings “My Hero, Dad” song.


Tug War

Enjoyable family fun games were played at Gym after our bellies were filled. Dads verses Moms, Dads verses Moms and children, as such competition on ‘Tug War’ was awesome.



For your information, Moms team won over Dads team on that tug war game.



Then we closed with Volleyball games. We hope and pray that all who came would find something to be cheer and smile about ‘Happy Fathers’ Day.’

Up Dated Cyclone Relief Fund

We are experiencing God's mercy and grace in each day of our lives. God has been pouring out abundance of blessing through our channel of blessing at OBMBC toward the cyclone victims of Myanmar (Burma). Last Sunday, as we continue to count the cyclone relief fund, we have reached 57,000 U.S. dollars mark. Out of it, we have sent out totalling $51,000 to the groups that are doing relief work directly to the victims. The rest of the amount will be sent out before the end of June. We believe that this cyclone relief fund will be increase as time goes by. May God richly bless you for your generous giving.

We Hit the Bench Mark!

We have raised, over all relief funds for the cyclone Nargis victims of Myanmar (Burma), well over our bench mark of $50,000 US dollars. Our gross amount of $51,504 was the last count on last Sunday. It is still growing. Praise the Lord! Today we have sent out total amount of $46,000 to the cyclone victims in Burma. The rest will be sent out along with additional donations that are coming in from the individuals.

Out of those relief funds we spread out into the following designated groups;

Pwo Karen groups who are working on the ground zero locations, received ($15,000) US dollars for helping out the victims in food, shelter, and clothing.

Another group is Sagaw Karen. We sent out also ($15,000) US dollars. This group is working with the leaders of local churches where the victims are taking shelter. They will rebuild bigger church buildings to accommodate more victims, especially foster children for shutter and food.

The third group is working at Labutta, Pyapon, and Bogalay districts where they rebuild the villages and farms. The first thing the victims need on those location is fresh water. Thus, this group will provide Artesian wells for each location that needed. The cost for building one artesian well is about US. $1,000 dollars. So we sent out ($10,000) dollars to this group to build estimate artesian well of ten.

The fourth group is to the leaders of cyclone affected Theological Colleges and Seminaries. We sent out for $6,000 dollars. There are three theological schools that received for $2,000 each to repair and rebuilt the school buildings, library and dormitories.

Thank you to every one of you who give lavishly to help the cyclone victims of Burma. May our Lord Jesus Christ richly bless you. Definitely, God’s love is shine upon to those who give cheerfully. “So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Cor.9:7)

Our Secretary’s jaw was drop during Sunday worship service!

Indeed, Ko David S. Lwin, secretary of OBMBC, his jaw was drop when he received the big chunk of check in his hands. Our host church as well as partner in ministry, Oakland First Baptist Church (OFBC) donated ($ 7,420) addition to the previous week donation ($2,650) to the cyclone Nargis victims of Myanmar (Burma) through the OBMBC relief effort fund account for Burma. When Ko David brought check during the service to my hand, I was pulsed for a moment thinking “what is God doing in our midst?” Reflected upon Ko David’s words in email to Pastor Nancy, saying,

“Earlier that day when I was preparing to write the announcement, Pastor Lone made a remark wishing that we reach the total fundraising goal of $ 50,000 by May 31st. I think God must have heard his wish because it didn’t take very long for us to get a big chunk of contribution from you. With your big help, we are well on our way to reach that goal, if not already.”

We are thankful for OFBC’s generosity toward people of Burma. In fact, this is not a first time from OFBC shows kindness and ministering the needs of people of Burma. History of OFBC has shown that this very church sent out two of their missionaries to Burma during 19 century. History repeats itself once again OFBC reaching out the people of Burma.

(Grace Seagrave) (Hill Karen Tribe Girls) (Children Ministry)

When I announced the news to the congregation during the service, every one give applause for the glory of God. May the Lord continue to bless OFBC in their mission and ministry here at Oakland and aboard.

(Gordon Seagrave) (Shan Trib Village)

Relief & Re-Life

Oakland Burmese Mission Baptist Church (OBMBC) of Oakland California has held the Fund Raising Food Fair and Musical Concert for the relief effort of cyclone Nargis victims of Myanmar (Burma) on May 24th 2008. Our location for the event is provided by the Korean Church named "New Life Church" of Fremont. Rev. Dr. Wee and Rev. Kim have assisted the need of facility usage for this event. Our connection to Rev. Wee was established by Rev. Yu from San Jose Korean Presbyterian Church of San Jose. We are deeply appreciated for this gracious act toward Burmese community.



Why we chose Fremont location? The simple reason is to reach out the Burmese community as well as other people who have much concern for the cyclone victims of Burma. The event was turned out to be successful. We have about four to five hundred including children, youth, young and old attendees in our event. We also have four professional Burmese singers; Tun Tun, Nyi Pu Lay, Pho Pan, and Mi Mi Win Pe who helped to raise fund by their talent for the great cause. We have raised approximately well over $11,000 dollars in our food sale, concert tickets sale, cyclone T-shirt sale, and Raffle Tickets sale. Many of our OBMBC members have pulled up this event within two weeks time frame to accomplish the urgent needs in Burma.



We continue to raise the relief fund by other means. We have a Matching Fund ledger account at OBMBC during the month of May. Any donation from individual or organization for the cyclone victims of Burma, the church will match up to $ 10,000. We thank God for the generous donation from the individual, churches in Bay area, companies, and organizations. So far total relief fund raised by OBMBC since early May is well over 30,000 dollars.



Early weeks of May, OBMBC collected special offering on one Sunday Service for cyclone victims of Burma about $ 5,100 and sent out immediately to the victims. All the donation dollars will go directly to the victims through our local churches leaders, ministers, and field workers in Burma. We expect to send the rest of the relief fund on early week of June.





Thank you OBMBCers for your leadership and great effort to accomplish this marvelous task for the great cause. We just want to thank God for all things that are possible before us through our Lord Jesus Christ.