Annual General Meeting of the Trustees of
Silk Road Ministries International
for The year ending 30th. September, 2025
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No one could have imagined that the war in Ukraine would still be continuing and that Israel and Gaza would experience so much devastation and loss of life. In Myanmar , the fighting between the military and the resistance forces is still as fierce as ever; millions of people, including very young children, have been displaced from their homes to live in makeshift tented communities on the wooded hillsides of mountainous regions. The ongoing fighting is costing so many young lives who are conscripted into the military or into the resistance forces. SRM International has continued to help those most needy with food, shelter, education, medicines, counselling and comforting helpful literature.
In spite of the terrible conditions both Bible Colleges have now completed the second semester of the 2024-2025 academic year. There are 24 students at the Calvary Theological and Missions Academy (CTMA):16 male and 8 female students. Myanmar Vision Christian College (MVCC) has 6 male and 9 female students, many of whom struggled to travel to Yangon from an area of fierce fighting in the north.
The situation in Myanmar took another turn for the worse, with the devastating 7.7 earthquake which struck on Friday, 28th.March 2025. The full picture may never be known because the military government did not disseminate up to date earthquake information and statistics. The epicentre of the earthquake was in the Sagaing region, close to Mandalay - the country’s second-largest city. It was the most powerful earthquake to strike Myanmar since 1912 and the second deadliest in Myanmar’s modern history. It is estimated by many sources that over 10,000 people died and at least 11,404 were injured, with hundreds more reported missing. The ongoing civil war in Myanmar exacerbated the difficulty of disaster relief.
SRM International sent funds to the leaders in Yangon, to make urgent building repairs and to buy food and water supplies to help those in desperate need in their localities. Electricity, the four hours a day ration, was completely cut off for several days and the staff at MVCC were unable to pump water from the well on the College site. SRM sent them funds to purchase a generator. None of the staff, students, their families or the pastors and their church congregations were hurt or injured. All the buildings were standing upright with just superficial cracks to walls and floors! Ronald wrote, “ The Lord protected us, Praise the Lord.’’
The male dormitory property purchased on 1st. January 2024, has now been completely renovated and extended to accommodate 2 additional floors. When the Campbells travelled to Yangon to be with the staff and students of the Bible Colleges in December 2024, they walked the new building and rejoiced with principal Ronald for such a provision. Ronald expressed his gratitude to SRM International for the funds for both the purchase and renovations. Additional funds of approximately £6000 to install a solar system in this newly refurbished building was provided by generous donors in South Wales, during the Campbells deputation meetings there in March! As soon as the earthquake news was relayed around the world, donations were received for the solar system which was installed in April. The contractor was also able to run a cable across the road to the CTMA building. The students at both CTMA and MVCC sat their final examinations in February and these completed the 2024/25 academic year.
The Calvary Boarding Center (CBC) in Kanpetlet, Southern Chin State, remains closed because of the continuing fierce fighting in the area. CBC is safe and there are watchful eyes making sure that there are no intruders or break-ins. Most of the children in that part of the Southern Chin state have not been in school for 5 years and after many requests from parents and pastors living in that area, Ronald asked if SRM International could fund the move of the Calvary Boarding Center children and teenagers down to Yangon. It was agreed that a group of up to 15 children and teenagers should be allowed to come to a safe house in Yangon, if they could make the journey over roads badly damaged by the earthquake.
These young people would be cared for by Benjamin ( Ronald’s assistant and CTMA staff member ) and his new bride, in a suitable safe property. Thirteen children and teenagers made the perilous journey in May and arrived in Yangon thin, hungry and very needy. One of them, Soe Maung collapsed with haemorrhaging dengue fever; he was unconscious when he was admitted to a local hospital. Thankfully he recovered and Ronald wrote: ‘He is getting better; the Lord heard all our prayers.’ The children and teenagers were finally enrolled in a school for refugee children in Yangon. They should now be able to receive that all important transcript at the end of the school year which will enable them to be enrolled in more local schools, nearer to their new safe home.
The Hope House Organization (HHO) Cambodia , has continued in its mission to provide great educational opportunities for some 300 children from at least 8 villages in Kampong Speu province. Our goal for this year was to raise sufficient funds to implement an effective solar system for ceiling fans and air conditioning in the school classrooms.The temperatures in the summer months can be over 40[o] C. Several churches sponsored a classroom and other donors sent in funds for this project. The aim is to have the solar panels and batteries in place by the end of this year, 2025.
The HHO school had an amazing Christmas programme; the various annual festivals are always highlights for the children in the school year and the Christmas festivities are high up on their list! There were well over 300 children participating in the Christmas day activities and the day long festivities, organised by the school staff, were a huge blessing to all who attended. The children shared a simple meal together, sang Christmas carols, received gifts and listened attentively to the story of the birth of the Christ child.
The farmland is now much more productive, with the undoubted benefit of the Kubota tractor. The crops are more plentiful and the fruit trees, especially the mango trees, are finally beginning to provide the children with really nutritional snacks. The fish ponds continue to yield at least 2000 Red Nile Tilapia each year for school meals and the goat sales supplement the school budget by approximately $3000USD annually. An international team helps director Sarorn to investigate further potential farm development.
The Campbells’ visit to the Hope House school from 26th. September to 3rd. October 2025, gave them a great opportunity to spend time with the director, Yem Sarorn, the staff and the schoolchildren as they planned for the 20th. Anniversary celebrations on 1st. March, 2026. They were able to brainstorm, discuss ambitious ideas and agree a programme of badly needed renovations. This will involve fundraising for a new toilet block for the school, painting and decorating and updated outdoor kitchen facilities for the children.
The Campbells were in the U.K. from February to early May, 2025 on an extensive itinerary of meetings in N. Ireland, S. Wales and Merseyside. The goal was to report to our partners and supporters about the work and ministries in Cambodia and Myanmar and to encourage ongoing prayer and financial support for the work and ministries in these countries. They were encouraged by the response in those meetings.
I continue to serve as a trustee and as the SRM International secretary/administrator/treasurer in a voluntary capacity, from my home office in Rainhill, Merseyside.
Respectfully submitted,
Jeffrey Ellison
Secretary / Administrator/Treasurer of SRM International Trustees
SRM UK Trustees: Mr. Paul Buchanan, Mr. Jeffrey Ellison, Mrs. Margaret Ellison, Mrs. Zeta Towers. Registered Charity Number: 1064590