Our hotel is within walking distance of the Shwedagon Pagoda—the major tourist attraction here—but everyone on our team was more inclined to go to bed after a late breakfast. Most of us slept until dinner time, very jet-lagged. We are 11 and 1/2 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

Our hotel is quite nice, and our first-time team members always have a hard time believing that a room here costs just $38 per night, which includes a full-buffet breakfast and unlimited use of the weight room and pool! That breaks down to $19 per person. So if you join one of our teams next year, you can look forward to at least one day of luxury!

Last evening at dinner, I invited several of our friends to join us who will be distributing tons of rice for us in Chin State to those who are suffering from the rat-induced famine. They were very excited about being involved in that ministry, and particularly because they intend to use some of the rice to help soften some hearts to the good news that they will be sharing.

Monday morning we’re off to the airport for another town which I will leave unnamed. We’ll be back here in a week’s time, Lord willing. — David

The gold-capped pinnacle of the Shwedagon Pagoda at dawn