Pioneering spirit

Thein Htay’s unknown works in Burma are well known in heaven | Andrée Seu

Illustration by Krieg Barrie

Burma closed its doors to foreigners from 1962 to 1972. In 1972, it opened a crack—just for a few hours on one day. The Navigators swept in, and Thein Htay, a young medical doctor, responded in faith to a teaching on 1 Corinthians 3 to the effect that we will all be judged according to what we have done with Jesus.

Htay then hit the ground running with the gospel and found himself no longer welcome in his Sunday school position, the pastor being uncomfortable with his suggestion that salvation lies in relationship with Jesus and not in being baptized. Htay looked around in horror at his church and realized, "They are all going to hell." So he requested permission from the government to leave medicine (it took two years) in order to spend the rest of his life telling people about Jesus.