Adventist Mission

Molly Myaing discovers a photograph of herself displayed at the Seventh-day Adventist Church world headquarters taken nearly 50 years ago in Burma.

“That’s me,” says Molly Myaing with a shy smile, pointing to a black and white photograph in the display area of the Office of Adventist Mission. “What do you mean?” asks Nimfa, our donor response coordinator, as she looks closely at the picture of a young nurse and child. “I’m the nurse in the picture.” Molly says quietly. And with that, she returns to the cubical where she and her husband have been doing volunteer work for Adventist Mission. She wants to finish the project before she leaves at the end of the day.

Looking at each other in surprise, several of us follow Molly to her cubicle. We know a good story is about to unfold and we want to hear it.

Molly Myaing was born and raised in Myanmar, also known as Burma. When she was a teenager, her uncle met a Seventh-day Adventist who knew Pastor M. O Manley, a Seventh-day Adventist missionary who had just arrived from America. The Manleys needed a housekeeper and Molly got the job. While working for the Manleys, Molly took Bible studies, accepted Jesus as her Savior, and joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

When the Manleys returned to the States, Molly worked as housekeeper for Adventist missionary Dr. G. Richardson. Dr. Richardson wanted Molly to have an Adventist education and he kindly paid her tuition at Myanmar Adventist School.

In 1959 Molly earned her nursing degree at the Seventh-day Adventist Missionary Hospital in Rangoon, where she later worked in the pediatric ward. Her church pastor, E. C. Beck, often visited the patients at the hospital. One day he took a photograph of Molly interacting with a young girl.

Molly remembers teasing Pastor Beck, “Someday you will take that photo back to America with you. My body will be here in Burma, but my photo will be in America!” Never did Molly imagine that she would someday come to America herself, never mind see the photo in America!

When Pastor Beck returned to the United States, Molly's photograph somehow found its way to the department of Archives and Statistics at the General Conference. When preparing a display booth for the ASI convention last summer, our Adventist Mission staff searched for old photographs that captured the missionary spirit. When we saw the photograph of Molly, we had no idea who the young nurse was. But we were moved by the compassion expressed in her face.

Molly and her husband, Elmer, worked together at the Adventist Missionary Hospital, where he was assistant manager, until the hospital was nationalized in 1965. Elmer would not do office work on Sabbath, so he left the hospital to start his own business. Molly held her nursing position until she and her family immigrated to the United States in 1975.

“I was so happy being a nurse and helping people,” says Molly. “It was because of missionaries that people in our country were able to learn about Jesus. I am thankful they came, and I want to do everything I can to share the light of His example with others.”

Molly and Elmer were open to serving the Lord anywhere, but they felt God was leading their family to America. They were sponsored by Dr. L. W. Malin, one of the founders of Leland Memorial Hospital in Maryland. Molly worked as a patient care technician at Leland Memorial and Washington Adventist Hospital until she retired in 2003. In 2004 she was involved in a car accident. For two months this woman who had spent her career helping patients would fight for her own life in a hospital bed.

Just before Molly began volunteering at the General Conference a year ago, her son-in-law, Don Starlin, president of Adventist World Aviation, saw the photograph of Molly when he toured the Adventist Church' headquarters building. Pastor Beck had sent a copy of the photograph to Molly years ago, but she had no idea a copy of it was displayed in the Office of Adventist Mission until Don told her.

How did Molly feel when she saw the photograph? “I was so surprised! she says. “I feel that I am nothing. That I have done nothing special. But when I saw the picture, I felt valued. I thought that maybe it was God’s will that the picture is at the General Conference and that maybe He can use it to inspire someone.”

Molly’s picture is inspiring. I think I can speak for all the Adventist Mission staff when I say that Molly’s photograph is a constant reminder that behind every picture of a missionary is a real person who chooses over and over to share Jesus’ love without glory, without notice, to one person at a time.

As I listen to Molly working in the cubicle next door, I can’t help but notice that she works much like she did as a young nurse. Quietly, humbly, unassumingly shining for Jesus.

by Laurie R. Falvo
Office of Adventist Mission

Photographs
1. Molly Myaing stands by a photograph of herself taken at Adventist Missionary Hospital in Rangoon, Myanmar, when she was 26. Photo credit, Dan Weber.
2. The original photograph taken by Pastor E. C. Beck, 1960. Courtesy of GC Archives.
3. Molly and Elmer Myaing preparing promotional copies of the Adventist Mission DVD. Photo credit, Dan Weber.

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