'Sounds of Worship' at Historic Myanmar Youth Rally

More than 13,000 Myanmar youth gathered for a historic youth rally in July, organized by the Myanmar Evangelical Christian Association and Teen Mania.

It's the first time the U.S.-based Teen Mania has held an international evangelistic outreach and the first national event for youth in Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), according to Teen Mania founder and President Ron Luce.

In the last several years Myanmar has begun to transition from a military dictatorship to a newly emerging democracy. 

Still, a 2014 Pew Research Center study found that a high degree of government restrictions on religion continue in Myanmar. 

Even so, 3,000 people committed their lives to Christ during the two-night rally held in the capital of Yangon on July 24 and 25, Teen Mania reports. The crowd gathered in the outdoor Insein Football (soccer) stadium despite pouring rain.
   
Luce says the worship experience was stunning. 

"The sounds of around 13,000 people worshiping in both Burmese and English, dancers from every tribe in Myanmar moving in praise at the beginning of each evening...it felt a lot like heaven," he said.