FBR Annual Reports 2023-2024
Dear friends,
Please find here our most recent Annual Report, as well as the report for the Jungle School of Medicine. Below is an introductory letter from David Eubank, FBR’s founder and director:
“Don’t feed your fear feed your faith,” said Julia from Ukraine, as she spoke with displaced people in Karen State, Burma. In Ukraine, Julia had lost her brother and many friends in the fighting, and her father was on the front lines and out of communication. Tears came to our eyes and the eyes of the displaced, as we all could feel the pain and knew from our experiences exactly what she meant.
Before her visit to Burma, we had been invited many times to come help Ukraine, but because of the heavy fighting in Burma we did not feel we should leave. However, when she came and encouraged the people in Jesus’ name, we felt we could also do something like that for the people of Ukraine. So this past year we started a very small rotation of chaplains and medics to go and help. Our family, along with one of our medics, Sky, and Eliya, the Karen cofounder of FBR, and his two sons, made the first trip. My family has grown up with Eliya’s in Burma and now, there we all were, in Ukraine. What struck all of us was that God was bigger than our missions, our affections, and our plans.
In spite of the mission in Ukraine, Burma is still our main effort, with Burma seeing the worst fighting we have ever seen, and Iraq and Syria, as well as Tajikistan, are also missions that we are committed to. So dear friends, we thank you for all your care for people in need and your partnership as we stand together for love, justice and freedom. Serving in Burma, Iraq, Syria, Tajikistan, and Ukraine is a blessing, and we thank God for this opportunity to be part of freedom and reconciliation.
In Burma, the military is lashing out with their Russia- and China-supplied jet fighters, heavy artillery, missile systems, tanks, and mortars with a speed and vengeance we’ve never seen before. There are now over 3 million people displaced in Burma in the last three years since the coup, and thousands have been killed. Thousands of schools, hospitals, churches, homes, and IDP sites have been targeted and destroyed. In Karenni State, for example, every hospital and clinic has been bombed. The regime is supported by Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. In that sense, things have gotten worse.
The fear of bombings and attacks and the sorrow at the loss of friends and family in the face of the onslaught lies heavy on all in Burma. But the dictators are slowly and steadily losing control of the country. Since the coup three years ago, a new unity has been born in Burma that cuts across social, economic, political, racial, tribal, and religious lines. This is a unity for a free and inclusive Burma and it is a unity against dictatorship. This came as a surprise to just about everyone, but it is also an answer to prayer. As you will see in a map in the following pages, the forces of freedom are gaining more control, and the dictators’ area of control is shrinking.
The people of Burma have a sure resolve. When I’m with them, I see them standing with tears in their eyes burying a loved one after an airstrike, or carrying the wounded as fast as they can and then turning around and going right back into the fire to save more. They are terrified and suffer great loss, but are fueled by love and commitment to each other and a new rule of love and law in Burma.
We continue to pray for love, justice, understanding, forgiveness, and reconciliation throughout this struggle. As the Burma Army has tried to crack down on its own people, this has only strengthened the resolve of the people for change. When change does happen, and a representative government is formed in Burma, we want love and reconciliation to be its foundation. This means that right now we all have to act in love, justice, and forgiveness in every part of the struggle. In the face of the attacks we pray for the dictators and their army, that their hearts would change.
In Iraq and Syria our mission of providing relief for displaced people, building playgrounds, helping with building schools and hospitals, and relationships of love with leadership in these countries continues. In some parts of both countries, ISIS is resurgent and different factions, representing different extremist groups, attack each other and our friends. Iran has become increasingly bold and launches attacks which we experienced firsthand. We have daily opportunities to share the love of Jesus, and are grateful for the friendships there. In Tajikistan we continue to partner with local ministries to share the gospel of Jesus with Afghan refugees as well as providing educational and material support so the people can not only survive but thrive. In Ukraine we also are partnering with local ministries as we rotate small teams of chaplains and medics to encourage, comfort, and teach wherever we are invited.
We know the line of good and evil isn’t between us and them but in each of our hearts, and only Jesus can save us. Thank you so much, each of you who pray for us and for the people we serve.
Thank you and God bless you,
Dave, family and FBR
