Just Keep Fighting | Newsletter #10
- exodusglobalinfo
- 1 day ago
- 8 min read
12.1.2025
Hey!
It’s been over five months since our last update. We’ve had numerous changes and challenges. While there have been difficulties and heavy burdens, there have also been many blessings. Here are some of the highlights:
Compassionionate Hope Foundation - Bangkok/ Chiang Mai, Thailand
Met with Al Henson, founder of Compassion International
Visited multiple orphanages in Bangkok and Chiang Mai
Advice on how to start rescue mission
SportsLife Leadership - Athens, Greece
Alliance Jiu-Jitsu Athens - David Said
SportsLife Leadership sports ministry
Robert and Andi Blake Visit Myanmar
Reviewed our mission
Encouragement
Ministry Change
Moving away from Christian school ministry
Will homeschool our children
Focus on sports ministry as a platform for discipleship and rescue of children
Welcome, Bawi Om Thang!
New family member since September
Aung La's Retirement Fight - Bangkok, Thailand
Aung La’s won
Started new gym in Florida, Python MMA USA
New Visas
Now applying for extensions
Uriah’s Dengue Fever
Currently recovering
Abuse in Children’s Home
Several incidents with different children
Reported to Myanmar authorities
Awaiting news about investigation
Ian and Joni Heinisch
Christmas visit in Myanmar
Prayer points
Compassionate Hope Foundation - Bangkok/ Chiang Mai, Thailand
In June this year, my daughter Macaiah and I went to Bangkok and Chiang Mai to visit Al Henson, the founder of Compassionate Hope Foundation. Their organization mostly works in Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos. They have cared for thousands of children who were rescued from trafficking and other abuse. We visited several of their homes around Bangkok and Chiang Mai. It was amazing to spend our time with Al Henson and his team, along with the caretakers and the children. We were able to meet with him and his team because they have been praying about going into Myanmar. Through our conversations, Mr. Henson gave me the steps it takes to start a rescue mission for children who are victims of abuse. We will see how God will use this friendship for His Kingdom.
SportsLife Leadership - Athens, Greece
In July, Nathaniel and I went to Athens Greece on a trip with SportsLife Leadership, a sports ministry that develops, equips, and supports leaders of combat sports ministries. We were invited by Carl Perry and Steven Jude (former heads of FCA Wrestling). I went on 4 trips with them when they led FCA Wrestling and it was amazing to see how the coaches were using MMA, Wrestling, and other combat sports to make disciples and preach the gospel. This trip was no different. We hosted a 3 day camp with David Said, the owner and head instructor of Alliance Jiu-Jitsu Athens. Each day of the camp was filled with sport specific training, food, philosophy, fun, prayer, and preaching the gospel. We had some amazing encounters and made many new friends. I’m sure we will be doing ministry with SportsLife in the future.
Robert and Andi Blake Visit Myanmar
In September, we welcomed our first visitors from the United States. Robert and Andi Blake, members of Spirit and Truth Church in Fort Collins, Colorado, felt a divine calling to minister to us and quickly organized a trip. Robert is an elder in the church, and someone I’ve received wise counsel from on multiple occasions. When they came, we had no idea about how they were planning to help us, but God knew our need. We had been praying for guidance in our ministry.
Since our arrival to help this school in Htauk Kyant, many things have happened. Before we came, they said we could run the school the way we wanted, but we soon realized that was not true. We continually had disagreements regarding education philosophy and child discipline. We believe that children learn through mistakes and that effort should be rewarded (not only perfection). We also don’t believe children should live in fear. These issues, along with theological differences, ultimately led us to make the decision to depart in March or April, after the school year concludes.
So, when Robert and Andi explained that they were here to help us with our ministry vision, we were so thankful and excited. We spent four 12 hour days going over our past from birth until now, mapping it all out, and seeing how God has worked in our lives and how He has used us. At the end of it, we all could see God’s ministry vision for us more clearly. “Our family is called to be separated from this world and to use MMA as a tool for preaching the gospel, making disciples, and rescuing children for the glory of God.”
We are so thankful that Robert and Andi came to serve us here. It was a huge blessing for us and very encouraging at a very discouraging point in time.
Ministry Change
After Robert and Andi helped us with our vision for ministry, we have been taking steps forward. I started teaching an open grappling practice every Saturday at Python MMA in Yangon. I believe starting a fight team and/or a gym makes the most sense of how I can serve God, but we will see where God leads. I’m also looking at starting an open sparring day to create a network of fighters from different gyms. Ultimately, we are praying about starting a Bible study connected to one of these practices.
We have shifted our home life and stepped back from the school. I am no longer principal and I only teach Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and New Testament at the school 5 classes per week total. We also host a Friday night Bible study at our house, but it’s not connected with the school except that several students attend. In addition, now we prioritize learning Burmese, something we couldn’t do since our arrival in Myanmar. This is because both the school we initially started and the one we are currently assisting are English-medium academies. Now we spend 2 hours every morning in Burmese class, plus daily practice times. After only 2 and a half months of this, we are already noticing a big difference. I believe this is something that God wants us to do to be more effective in discipleship, preaching, and rescuing.
Welcome, Bawi Om Thang!
When we moved from the children’s home in Hmawbi to Htauk Kyant, there was a student who wanted to come with us, but was prevented. Bawi Om Thang (Bawi Bawi) wants to be an MMA fighter, and for a year at the first school I taught him basic Martial Arts along with the other students. Several months after we moved here, he started taking the bus and training Jiu-Jitsu with us daily. After a couple months of this, he suddenly stopped and we were unable to reach him. Then one day he asked if we could pick him up. I happened to be driving north that day and when I picked him up, he had his bag packed. I knew something was happening. Later we learned that there were multiple incidents of physical abuse that have happened at that home, mainly by one person. Because of my relationship with the founder and overseer of that home, I need to be careful with publicizing this matter until all the facts have come out and there is a conclusion. I have taken many steps to resolve the issue and will update you all on when I am able. Please pray that God would bring resolution and protection for the children of this home.
Regardless, Bawi Bawi needed a home. We have taken him in as one of our own and are helping him become the man that God intends by schooling, training, and discipling him.
Abuse in Children’s Home
Abuse and mistreatment in children’s homes is something we have encountered at three homes here in Myanmar, but have heard many more stories from other homes. I continually pray to God that He would show me a solution for these situations and how to prevent them. Please pray that God gives me wisdom to navigate this matter and that he would have his hand of protection over the children.
Aung La's Retirement Fight - Bangkok, Thailand
In October, I had the privilege of being at my good friend’s retirement fight in Bangkok. Aung La Nsang, a former ONE FC champion, is an MMA fighter I met at the gym in Florida. We trained together for three years and became close friends with him and his family. He attended our weekly Bible study, completed a one-year Bible teaching course that I taught (242 Training), and now he is the teacher of that Bible study. He fought a tough opponent who was also a former champion. He was able to win by KO in the second round, praise God! Now he is back home coaching at his new gym that he just opened, Python MMA USA. I’m excited to see what God does through him, his family, and his business. Aung La was born in Myanmar and happens to be super famous here (there isn’t a Myanmar person over 5 years old who doesn’t know who he is). It’s funny how God connects people.
New Visas
Because of the ministry change, we needed to leave Myanmar and come back on a new visa. We started a business called Salvation Sports with the ideas of both literally saving children and spiritual salvation through Jesus. We left and came back on visas through the new company and now we are extending our visas. We are hoping to get a one-year extension, but it’s possible they will only give us 6-month extensions or less. Thankfully, the initial visas worked, but please pray for the long-term extensions to be approved. It’s expensive, a big hassle, but it’s necessary and we can’t do ministry without it.
Uriah’s Dengue Fever
As I write this, Uriah is recovering from dengue fever. When I started this letter, he was in the critical phase. Dengue fever is from mosquitoes and is very dangerous for children, especially babies. It has 3 phases. The first phase, the body gets a fever which can get very high. This is because the immune system is fighting by raising the body temperature. The next phase is the critical phase where the fever drops. This is the dangerous phase because sometimes the parents think the baby is doing better. The blood changes and the person can bleed easily out their nose or other places and the plasma can leak internally. This is dangerous because if it is bad enough, the blood pressure will drop and the baby will go into shock. Praise God, Uriah came out of the critical phase as of today and is in the recovery phase. Please keep him in your prayers. Also pray for little Nate as he got a concussion playing laser tag in Thailand with Bawi Bawi 2 weeks ago and is still having some headaches.
Ian and Joni Heinisch
I met Ian Heinisch in 2014 while training at the gym. It was about a year after I was saved. Over the next few years, we had many discussions about faith as the Lord was calling him. Eventually, Ian gave his life to the Lord. Fast forward to 2020, and we were both planning to move to Thailand to train MMA and start a sports ministry together. However, the COVID pandemic redirected us to Florida, where we both ended up for the next three years (and Ian still lives there). Ian was a part of the Bible study at the gym and he also graduated from 242 Training (one-year Bible teaching course). He and another friend who graduated, Tom Muñoz, started a Bible study together at their homes. Ian and his wife, Joni, are coming to visit us this Christmas. We are thrilled to see our friends. We are wondering if (and hoping) God will somehow direct us back together for ministry, considering the circumstances and some of the dreams Tessa has had over the years. Please pray for them as they arrive.
Prayer points
protection for the children who are victims of abuse and/or exploitation
Marquardts to become fluent in Burmese
spiritual, mental, and physical strength of my family
a boy here named Naing Lin Twe
one-year visa extensions
God’s guidance to a new place this coming March or April
next steps for our sports ministry and children’s ministry
godly wisdom during spiritual attacks
for God’s encouragement during discouraging times
Thank you for your love and support. May God bless you and your family always.
Love,
Nate Marquardt and Family
💪🏼❤️🇲🇲
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