Daniel (Pungya Sar) was born in Pungya village, Kachin State, Myanmar on February 15th, 1946. His father was Pungya Pung and his mother was Wadamkong Nang. When he was only one year old, his father died. His widowed mother raised Daniel together with his siblings, Nang, Nen and Peram alone. After the father’s death, the family made their living by mountain crop farming. The younger children, Daniel and Peram stayed home while their mother and eldest sister went to work on the farm. When strangers came to their home, they used to climb up above the fireplace and hide themselves there silently until the strangers left. Only when their mother and eldest sister came home and they had dinner together, could they talk and laugh without fear.
Later, they left their mountain village and moved to Nam Kham village which is five days walk away. Daniel was so young he could not walk over the steep mountain trails. His eldest sister carried him in a basket along with the food and belongings. In Nam Kham village and Machangbaw, he attended elementary school. He was not able to attend school two years for lack of financial support. In 1957, he went to the Munglangdam mission school and later Mankring, Myitkyina. In Grade Seven, students sat for their government school examination and Daniel received the highest grade in his school. He graduated from Kachin Baptist High School in Myitkyina in 1965. During all this time, he was supported by his two elder sisters.
Insurgent attacks made it impossible for him to return to his home in Nam Kham. It was the time of socialist takeover and great upheaval in Myanmar. Accepted at a prestigious military academy, Daniel suddenly changed his mind, tore up the acceptance letter and decided to study in America instead. His goal was to return to uplift his people and his country. Without a word to his mother, Daniel, aged 19, left home, travelled through the insurgent, drug and malaria infested jungles finally to safety in Thailand. He was the first of two Rawangs to come to Thailand and the first to go to America and Canada paving the way for thousands of Rawangs to live and work peacefully overseas.
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After four difficult but fruitful years in Thailand, he arrived in America in 1969, studied and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in missions and education from Cincinnati Bible Seminary. He married Beverley Joan Collins from Canada on January 1, 1974 and in June of that same year, they travelled back to Thailand together to begin mission work among the Thai, Lisu, Lahu, Akha, Kachin, Chinese and many other tribes.
In 1979, Daniel became Founder and Director of Frontier Labourers for Christ mission, reaching out now to over 18 different nationalities in Thailand, Myanmar and Laos as well as India, with over 150 FLC evangelists and Barefoot Doctors and supporters in U.S., Canada, U.K., Singapore, Korea and Australia. Thousands of people have been revived, uplifted and equipped through the spiritual and physical development ministries of FLC.
Daniel received his Masters in Missiology in 1987 from Fuller Seminary in California and was a doctoral candidate. He spoke on both television and radio, became a Canadian citizen and received a Canadian Achiever Award in Vancouver, Canada. He was ordained with the Christian Church in the U.S. and also the Congregational Christian Churches of Canada. Thailand Vice Chairman of the international ICCC and visionary leader of the Rawang people, along with his brother Peram, Daniel’s heart and vision was always to uplift all tribes and people, both physically and spiritually.
He met with the King of Thailand on February 13, 1983 and the Prime Minister of Myanmar on February 13, 2003, exactly twenty years later. He participated in the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, DC three times. The motto of his life was always to “Do everything in Jesus’ name” (Colossians 3:17).
A true outdoors man, there is nothing he enjoyed more than hunting, fishing, hiking, mountain climbing, rafting and later in life, golf. Yet, his greatest joy, was his family; beloved wife Beverley, children: Sonya, Chris and Elizabeth, son-in-law Jason and grandson Aidan, along with his extended family and Christian family throughout the world.
All was done for the glory of God and for Jesus His Saviour. The Lord called him home on December 26, 2008. His work on earth was completed. |
