Published October 18, 2017
Lydia Cing Lun
Growing up in Yangon City, Myanmar, Lydia Cing Lun (’08, ’10) attended a private middle school and high school. Because of the fees and requirements, many other children were not able to benefit from this kind of education. Lun was grateful for the opportunity, and God gave her a burden to provide affordable education for children and to open doors to share the gospel.
Connecting Personally
At Clarks Summit University, Lun studied specialized ministries with a focus on Christian education. She graduated with her bachelor’s degree in 2008 and her Master of Arts degree with an emphasis in education and counseling in 2010. She was drawn to CSU because of the personal atmosphere. “I had the opportunity to get to know the staff members and professors on a personal level,” she explains. “I was able to make and build life-long friendships with students by staying in the dorm.” She also found CSU to be financially accessible, and she appreciated the foundation of biblical truth in every class.
Reaching Children
Her education paved the way for Lun and her husband, Sinwal, to start Hope International School back in Myanmar in 2015. The school opened with pre-K and kindergarten; one grade is added each year. She seeks to reach children from rough backgrounds who otherwise might not be able to afford a good education.
“God brings students from different religious backgrounds,” she notes. “Although some families know that we teach the Bible, they are willing to put their children in our school so that they are able to learn English.”
Hope International School has no financial support besides the low fee collected from students. Because of this, teachers and staff members often do not receive their full salary. The school, which uses a building of Faith Baptist Theological Seminary, will need its own building soon. Despite these challenges, God is at work. Trials help them to rely on God through prayer and fasting.
Planting Seeds
In the future, the couple plans to adopt children, so the school will mix local children with orphaned students. “Our goal and hope for the ministry is that the school will be a place where we plant the seeds of the true Word of God,” she explains. “Then we hope that God will bring people into their lives to water those seeds to make them grow in due time.”
Find more about Hope International School at LiveGlobal.org.
Haley Seboe (’18) is a Communications-Writing major from Tunkhannock, Pennsylvania
