JACKSON, Tenn. — April 12, 2013 — Kyaw Zin Htwe sat at a computer in Yangon, Myanmar, looking for a Bible conference to attend.
He discovered this weekend鈥檚 conference at 51社区 鈥� 鈥淩ead, Pray, Sing: The Psalms as an Entryway to the Scriptures,鈥� hosted by the R.C. Ryan Center for Biblical Studies. He knew nothing about Union, but he registered, made the necessary travel plans and arrived in Jackson April 11 to attend the event.
鈥淚 think God showed me this conference so I can understand Psalms more,鈥� he said.
A pastor in Yangon, Htwe also runs a broader ministry. He is in the process of translating a book about the Psalms into Burmese, and his ministry is also involved in composing worship songs. The Ryan Center conference seemed like a perfect fit to help him in both projects.
Htwe is no stranger to the United States, as he鈥檚 visited several times to teach and preach in Burmese churches. Even on this visit, he has plans to speak at Burmese churches in Michigan, Indiana, New York, Oklahoma and California.
He grew up in a home with a Christian father and a Buddhist mother. Htwe became a Christian after regularly attending church with his dad, hearing the Bible preached and hearing his father鈥檚 consistent testimony of how God had worked in his life.
Eventually, his mother and four siblings also became Christians.
鈥淢y whole family is now serving the Lord together,鈥� Htwe said.
Ray Van Neste, director of the Ryan Center, said Htwe will be the first person from Myanmar to attend the biennial conference. Htwe contacted him about the conference even before the event was widely announced.
鈥淚t wasn鈥檛 even easy to find,鈥� Van Neste said.