Elizabeth Hkawn Taung

Elizabeth Hkwan Taung (also goes by Saga Hkwan Taung) was born in the small town of Mohnyin in the Kachin State, Myanmar, and later grew up in Mandalay. As the eldest daughter, Elizibeth quickly learned responsibility by taking care of her younger siblings. Looking back on those early days, she remembers one of her happiest moments being buying milk for herself and her brothers and sisters. The memory reminds her of the close bond she had with her family and how something as simple as buying milk for family should not be taken for granted. 

Church was a central part of Elizabeth’s upbringing. She attended Sunday services regularly and sang in the church choir, where she discovered a love of music that would stay with her throughout her life. For Elizabeth, singing became an act of worship and a way to build community, two themes that would define her future ministry. 

In 1992, Elizabeth left Burma to pursue graduate studies in the United States. She first attended Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Chicago, where she studied theology. The transition was more difficult than she had imagined. Everything felt strange and different, like the language, the culture, the climate, and even the food. “The weather was cold and windy,” she recalls, laughing at the memory. More difficult than the weather, however, was learning how to navigate everyday life in a country that was so different from the one she left behind. 

Even eating became a lesson. Elizabeth remembers observing other students in the cafeteria, noticing what they ate and how they enjoyed foods that were unfamiliar to her. Determined to adapt, she challenged herself to like American food, even when the flavors were different. She remembers seeing classmates eating vegetables and decided that if they could enjoy them, so could she. 

Although she welcomed new experiences, she often found herself missing home. She missed her family and the sense of belonging she had known in Myanmar. Since language and cultural differences often made her feel like an outsider, she could not participate in student life as comfortably as her classmates did. Being one of the only Kachin or Burmese students at her school left her feeling even further from home. 

In 1993, Elizabeth transferred to Bethel Seminary in Minnesota, where she enrolled in the Master of Christian Education program. She graduated in 1996 with the preparation she needed to fulfill what she believed God had called her to do, not yet realizing that this call would eventually lead her back home. Rather than remaining in the United States, she returned to Myanmar in 1997, where she would spend the next twenty-seven years devoted to Christian ministry and education. She worked in provincial Christian education programs, served under the Mother’s Union, and led children’s ministries across local communities. 

Her greatest joy came from teaching children. She taught Bible stories, led worship songs, and encouraged young people to sing confidently without fear. She believed music could strengthen faith while helping children develop courage and self-confidence. Elizabeth measured success by faithfulness to God’s calling. “I believe God always provides for me,” she says. “I serve for God.” Those simple words became her guiding foundation in her ministry.

In 1998, Elizabeth married and began raising a family with her husband. Together they welcomed four daughters. Ten years later, their lives changed when her husband passed away, leaving Elizabeth to raise their daughters alone as both mother and sole provider. The loss brought overwhelming challenges, but she carried the weight of supporting her family while continuing her ministry, and even encouraged her daughters to pursue education in the United States, where each of them went on to study. Yet even during this painful period of her life, Elizabeth refused to surrender hope. She states, “I believe God will take care of everything.” That conviction did not remove her uncertainty, but it steadied her through it. Looking back, she says the most important lesson she has learned is simple: not to seek control, but to trust, serve God faithfully, and God will provide. 

In 2024, Elizabeth returned to the United States once again, this time to celebrate her daughters’ college graduation. She was immensely proud because their accomplishments represented the hopes shared by many immigrant and refugee families who endure hardship so future generations can thrive. Watching her daughters walk across the stage, she thought of her husband, gone now for over a decade, and of the years she had raised their daughters alone, trusting that God would take care of everything. In that moment, she felt her prayers had been answered. 

Today, Elizabeth continues serving through her local church in Minnesota, encouraging others to participate in worship and inviting people to join the choir, for she believes that music remains one of the most powerful ways to strengthen faith and build community. She also continues supporting her daughters, encouraging them to balance work, health, church involvement, and rest. To her, a meaningful life is one that centers faith and family. 

This understanding of resilience is deeply tied to her identity as a Kachin woman. When asked what being Kachin means to her, she answers, "Treating others like brothers and sisters.” Those words reflect a value rooted in care, hospitality, and community responsibility, the same values that allowed the Kachin community to remain steadfast and strong through generations of hardship and displacement. 

For Elizabeth, resilience is defined by acts of faithfulness repeated over a lifetime. Whether singing in a village church, encouraging children to learn, raising four daughters after the loss of their father, or building community in a new country, she has shown that healing and hope are cultivated through service, compassion, and unwavering trust in God.