Woman Volunteer Killed by Burma Army During Attack

10 March 2022

Karenni State, Burma

Dear friends,

We are so sad to let you know that Elizabeth died of her wounds, and we thank you so much for praying for her. Elizabeth, 25, was hit by a Burma Army 122 mm mortar shell at 10 a.m. the morning of 8 March. Elizabeth had serious head injuries and her teammate Rozaru was hit in the arm but is ok.

The Burma Army had sent jet fighters to bomb a church at 2 a.m. on the 8th at Sung Du La Village, west of Demoso, Karenni State. Bombs wrecked the church, and the few remaining villagers fled. Elizabeth and Rozaru went to assist the villagers. When they arrived at 10 a.m., the Burma Army launched a mortar attack that injured them both. They are were treated at a remote clinic and we sent out a prayer request and worked on trying to get Elizabeth evacuated. Elizabeth had extensive brain injuries and fragments of the mortar shell in her brain. In spite of the efforts of the medical team, she passed away yesterday and we feel shocked, sad, and disappointed. We love her so much. She was one of the most outstanding Rangers we have ever had and, even though she was new, she ran all the logistics and children’s programs in Karenni State. She was mature beyond her years and it seemed as she was a long-time teammate, not a new Ranger. She helped Karen and our teams run the Good Life Club program for children and always had a beautiful smile for everyone.

She is irreplaceable and was so unique. She had the rare ability of being a high-capacity servant who would support any leader, yet at the same time lead an entire program by herself if she needed to. She was brilliant, followed Jesus, beautiful, physically tough, and always put others first. She was the most loved member of the entire mission. We are shocked at how someone so wonderful could be taken away by a force of evil like this. We know she did not die in vain and her death makes us even more committed to pray and work for change in Burma. I know it’s very sad to pray for someone and then not have your prayers answered the way you want them. But we do believe that nothing truly precious is eternally lost. Elizabeth was truly precious and she is in heaven with Jesus and we will see her again. Until then we will cry for her and miss her and do our best to live as she did, for God and for others, not ourselves. Thank you for not giving up on praying for her and her family and for us. Thank you for suffering with us when we suffer. The photos below are of Elizabeth, and also of damage to the church where she was hit.

Thanks and God bless you, 

Dave, family, and FBR

An FBR staff member wrote this about Elizabeth before hearing about her death:

“When a loved one dies, I immediately romanticize their good qualities. The things that rubbed me wrong or I found disagreeable about them no longer holds a place in my mind.

This isn’t true for Elizabeth because I can say in truth she is one of the best people I have known. She has a servant’s heart, capable of running an organization but choosing to take the lowest seat at the table.  She joyfully and expertly performs any task, whether it be balancing financial books, bringing lunch to the teams at the front, cooking, or cleaning bathrooms. 

She is joyful in her fear, anger, and sadness. Her every negative emotion is interlaced with light, redeeming them, even as they issue forth from her.  Her smile alone is all she needs to add. It is light, and the darkness of the world flees when she is near. I am blessed to have known her. She loves well the people around her.”