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NORTH THAILAND
North Thailand presents a challenge to Christian missions as formidable as its great mountain ranges, as diverse as its many peoples and languages and as tough as any pioneer area In the world. Dr McGilvary began

work among the northern Thai in 1867 and today more than half the Christians In Thailand live in the north. Butfor many years the animist tribal people were neglected by Christian
missions. Some outreach was made to the

These fears increased their desire to get on with the job and were a sustaining motive through the years of learning new dialects or languages. They knew from experience in China that only a church with the Bible in Its own language could hope to stand after missionaries were forced to leave. And they wanted to plant churches which would maintain the traditional patterns of tribal culture and leadership. So after a time of expforatory trekking, consultation with other missions and discussion and prayer, the pattern emerged and OMF took on responsi

AKHA

QUESTIONS 1. What did the missionaries from China see

There are about 10,000 Akha scattered over

as the most important job to be done

when they moved to the tribes of north
Thailand?

2.

Why must a

missionary iearn

the

language of a tribe? Wouldn't the national

the mountains along the borders with Burma and Laos. They are looked down upon as the most dirty and degraded of the tribes, but although poor and despised they are actually a lovable people. Their navy skirts, brightly

(or trade) language be good enough?

decorated jackets, knee-length leggings and

cone-shaped hats decorated with monkey fur and silver identify an Akha woman anywhere. They are steeped in animism and appear satisfied with their own complicated culture

Karen and Lahu, but it was not until the 1950s that there was a planned approach to reaching the 250.000 or more tribal people scattered

bility for the Akha, Lisu, Blue and White Hmong, Yao and Pwo Karen as well as the Shan people (an ethnic group related to the Thai, rather than a tribe). For some time OMF also worked among the Lahu but this was later
handed over to another mission; and more

across the 42,000 square miles of rugged

mountains.

recently work has been begun among the

Sgaw Karen.

CIM missionaries who had previously worked among the tribes of southwest China were delighted to find the Lisu, Lahu and Meo and to be introduced to new groups like the Yao, Akha and Karen, It was a happy sight to
see the familiar tribal dress and their

Especially during the last decade, the tribal

situation in Thailand has been rapidly

changing. The government Is taking a much

greater interest in the tribal people, seeking td

educational

give

them

help.

agricultural,

Buddhism

medical

Is bein^

ancj

expectations were high. They had seen God work mightily among the Lisu of Yunnan province in China; they were fluent in the language and already had a wealth of know ledge about Lisu culture; they were used to living in remote, rugged conditions; and they had faithful prayer supporters who shared with them in prayer for the Lisu church in China and
Burma as well as for this new advance.

promoted as a means of encouraging integration into Thai society. New roads are constantly being made which increase the accessibility of many villages. To their dismay
tribal leaders are seeing their cultural patterns

The pioneers who moved to Thailand after the exodus from China had deep impressions of the Communist takeover. How long would Thailand remain free? Would they be evacuating yet again within a matter of years?
78

crumbling. More and more tribal people are travelling freely among the Thai and many are moving down from the mountains to settle in the plain. Young people are being educated in Thai. Radios are bringing new ideas even into remote villages. We are finding more and more tribal people ready to trust in Jesus Christ, and church planting has accelerated steadily over
the past five or six years.
79

VOvvlo^
(

and society though less so than they once

were.

stood as a Christian. What was the use? They ! Burma. They cried to God to show them what to do, and pleaded yet again for some Akha to
turn to Christ Unknown to them, the \

might just as well return to their home in j

missionaries spent their end-of-year Day of Prayer likewise pleading with God for a break
through among the Akha.

Peter and Jean Nightingale were the first missionaries to try to reach the Akha in Thailand. They longed and prayed for an

evenings in personal witness and evangelism. As a result of this and of the witness of others, tw ?lve new Christian villages have come into
be . g.

health. Peter undenn^ent surgery and retum to

full-time work in Thailand was out of the

question. However, he was able to visit

Thailand for an Akha leaders' conference in

opportunity to live among them, but were never given permission to build a house within
the demon gates which form the entrance to

These new Christians needed teaching in

the faith and help in learning to read. Teachers were needed, but where could they be trained? Several had tried studying at Phayao Bible
Training Centre one had been there for two

Februaiy "1977,

after

which

he

wrote, '

every heathen village. For six years they lived in a Thai village in the foothills, making trips up to the Akha villages and learning their
language.

Within a couple of weeks,

men took a

firm stand for the Lord, follov. . J soon after by a fifth. The inevitable storm of opposition,

years but they found studying in Thai too

threats and illness broke upon them, but they |

threw them out It was a bitter blow, but the j

hard and finally gave it up. So a month-long

Rainy Season Bible School was held in 1974

Peter and Jean shared their excitement with

stood firm. So in desperation the villagers | using the Akha language. It was later that year

their praying friends at home *a young Akha couple who are Christians have come across
from Burma to witness to the Akha in

about building anew village not far away. Here j

Lord gave them fresh courage, and they set 1 Christ a whole village believed en bloc

tha' the first large group of Akha turned to

Thailand*. Surely God was at work there must be a turning to Christ soon. Yaju and his
wife wanted to live in a heathen village, make their own fields and tell their neighbours what Christ meant to them. It took quite a lot of

at last was a place where missionaries were | were sent out fully supported by the welcome to build a house and live among the J Christians to whom they ministered. Akha Christians. j What caused these large-scale 'turnings?

and in the same year too that the first teachers

'Returning after one year away, I sense the pace of tumings quickening, the Akha church's response rising to the challenge. I feel the church stands on the verge of some large turnings, some blessed "refreshing" and some vicious attacks by the enem ' Barely a month later, fellow issionary Peter Wyss and a Swiss friend v .re brutally murdered along the trail t -ha village. Peter's wife Ruth and two other lady missionaries, together with the Akha teachers, bravely carried on with the month-long Bible School they had been preparing for. Ruth Jater
returned to Switzeriand to care for her three
children.

persuading, but finally the leaders of Khayeh village in Chiang Rai province gave grudging permission. Soon it became apparent that Ya ju and his wife were not going to take part in
the village demon worship. Thei villagers were naturally suspicious. They listened to what the couple had to say but few showed any interest.
One man believed, but soon afterwards he was blamed for the sickness of a relative and

join them. Ya ju realized that it was important i the help given with breaking the opium habit to set a high standard of morality, so strict 1 and the consequent better standard of living..

Slowly the group grew as others came to | One of the chief attractions of Christianity is

them hymns in their own language which were |

used across in Burma, and got copies of the '

discipline was emphasized. He also taught j Motives such as these brought trouble in the ,
years ahead.

Four missionaries (two of whom focus primarily on agricultural help) continue in partnership with the Akha leaders. At present all the trained leaders live in one village.
Elephant Valley, and the other Christian

who could not read were taught and worship j burnt down and the Christians lost their services contained regular Bible-based ser-, j homes, their belongings and their rice. The
the heathen villages that anyone who wants to . food with those who did. Swiss Christians sent become a Christian is forced to leave and go ' large gifts to help rebuild the village, buy more and live in a Christian village; So the Christians : rice and replace lost possessions. Was the fire tithe their rice in order to support these new a plot by nearby villagers to force the Akha families for the first year until they can get their : Christians to move? If so, it failed and the

newly-translated Akha New Testament. Those j village. Elephant Valley, when the village was

In 1976 tragedy struck the first Christian

villages desperately need teaching to bring

them from their rather norriinal faith to a true
commitment to Christ

mons. i few who didn't lose everything showed So strong is the community spirit among j brotherly. love and shared their homes and

turned back after being beaten up by the demon priest Another family wanted to believe, but no sooner had they talked of it
than their old father died and they were

QUESTIONS

1. Howimportant is it actually to liveamong

a group of people in order to witness to

engulfed in demon ceremonies.

them, rather than simply to visit them

By the end of five years, Ya ju and his wife were desperate. Surely they had come in response to God's call. Why then had He let
them down like this? One of their children had

died, their rice crop had been bumed, there was the constant jeering and open hatred of

the other villagers and, worst of all, no one had

80

church continued to grow. After some time, Ya ju went to work with a l j In the battle for the souls of men, the devil family planning scheme and was away from many different ways of fighting. Direct home for most of his time. But this also worked | opposition and great suffering failed to shake for the advance of the Gospel, because it gaye ; the Akha Christians from their faith. Next he him opportunitfes to visit all the Akhavillages moved against the missionaries. Peter and in Thailand, and he was able to spend the^ Jean Nightingale were forced home by ill
own harvest

2.

from a base elsewhere?

What special part did prayer have in

winning the first Akha to Christ? Is there a

lesson here for us in our daily witness t9

non-Christian friends?

81

Christian Clinic

Chiengkam, Phayao 56110

Thailand

September 17 1982

Dear Friends,

dec

fi

m?

What a thrill I had the other day when the Pastor from the Chinese church brought a

tianity, but the Chinese Pastor spoke little Thai. It didn't take long to find out
that Dr. Jatpon was really seeking the Lord.

young army doctor over and introduced him*

The doctor had come asking about Chris

living for the Lord and the other a Christian in name only and a stumbling block. While in Chiengmai on business last month his Christian friend gave him a tract on happiness that really started him thinking. After answering some of his questions I suggested he read Genesis 1-3 and then start one of the gospels. He asked to come and study two days a week, but came back the very next day with good but didn t believe that there was a devil or demons. Two days later when he came he
said he d finished Matthew and that he believed in Jesus and his miracles.
questions about what he had read. He said he now believed that God created the world

In medical school in Chiengmai there were two Christians in his classone really

him to a home Bible study where he could get acquainted with some of the Christians and they could share with him too. He is very naive and thinks there will be no prob lem if he becomes a Christian. Little does he know of the battle Satan puts up for
the souls of men.

I invited

We have seen this as the interest and friendly spirit of the villagers at Puey Pieng
I le class. At Banana Field village 5 men have made a profession of faith and immediately they found opposition. The headman called a village meeting and told them they could expect no help from other villagers if they become Christians. The persecution will continue for months. Hence the need for much prayer for all of
from the power of darkness into the Light of Jesus Christ.
has changed to opposition or indifference as Oratai and Nok continue the children's

these that they may be delivered from the kingdom of Satan to the Kingdom of God and
Keen interest has been

expressed at a village of northeasterners called Red Ant Village. There the headman and many of the villagers have asked for teaching, so the clinic staff will try to
visit there regularly.

Plans are under way for a youth conference to be held here October 12-15. There
lUO high school young people whom they are assisting in school. That will mean alot of non-Christians, Then October 22-25 we'll have a retreat for the dorm students.
young people present as World Vision says they want to send about

kids here are looking forward to the trip, (School is out for mid-term break in Oct.)

It will be held in Pua this year with Imogene Williams and Banya taking charge. The

This letter was started many days ago, but interrupted by a telegram from a Thai Christian friend in Bangkok whose daughter, Mem, ran away and they thought she was coming to Chiengkam to see a boy friend. (The family moved to Bangkok 2 months ago,

out she was infatuated with a non-Christian policeman.) Mem was assumed to be tra veling with the daughter of a local headman. I went to see him, but he knew nothing. However, the next morning my cook's hus-

Chiengkaij^. Kam .

band aaw the two girls.

night bus from Bangkok and were waiting for a bus to

go to the headman's house. As soon as I finished clinic I went to see them and invited Mem to come

They had just arrived on the

and stay at my house, but she said no, she'd

stay with her girl friend who was a relative.

She did say they would come to our dorm party

the next evening and would spend the night then. The next morning my cook's husband saw the two girls
Taking
Good News Jesus

riding with the policeman on his motorbike so I was not

surprised when I received a note that they wouldn't be coming to the party. Where were they spending the night??? A quick trip to the girl's home brought re

Christ

taxi driver and arranged for him to call Mem's parents in Bangkok
from Phayao the next morning and to ask one of them to come on

assurance by the mother that they would be there in a few minutes. With these problems I went to see a Christian

Thailand

the night bus. (I had sent a wire to tell of her arrival.) The dorm party went well and that night the Lord gave me assurance from Psalm 108 that He would give victory, so
Saturday morning I was able to commit the matter to the

Lord and get on with other pressing matters.

Early Sunday morning the mother arrived and I took her

to the headman's house to see her daughter.

We had been there

mother's suggestions. We had planned to attend a nearby church, but Instead I spent
the time praying for Mem that the Lord would protect her and deliver her from the
power of the evil one.

only a short time when two fellows came by motorcycle to pick up Mem. When they saw UB they left but cruised around several times. Mem wasn't interested iti any of her

About noon she slipped down the back steps and though I alerted them and we quickly
On the way to the hospital we stopped at a friend's homft and she said, "Jan, I didn't know you were in town till I saw your daughter run past here a short time ago," And
and she asked Daddy to take her someplace, so he made me get off and walk home."
WowI Thank you Lordl

boyfriend's house brought information that he was sick and had gone to the hospital.

followed, she eluded us as it was a wooded area with several roads.

A trip' to the

then her little girl piped up, "Yes, I was coming back from the temple with Daddy

We went to the hospital but couldn't find the boy friend. As we were leaving Jan saw his motor bike and there he was on the porch of the private room section. He obvious ly had fever, and said he knew nothing about where Mem had gone. We started to leave when the man who had taken Mem on his motor bike cams racing in with the headman
to say he had left her at a shop in the market. (He was afraid he'd be called an

accomplice in a minor's running away.) We arrived at the shop only to learn that she had gone off with a fellow to another village to find the young man she was to go to Chiengrai with. So, the 4 of us went roaring after then on our two motor bikes. Part way there we met Mem and the fellow returning so turned around and went after them. (Thank you Lord!) They stopped at the same shop. I expected her to run
or be angry or sullen, but no, she was willing to talk.

to marry and if so, if it would be well for her to work in Bangkok for awhile first. No final decision was made, but we recessed and came home for supper. Then Mem went to spend the night with OrataiCyoung Thai Christian worker) and Nok(Bible college intern) came to stay with Jan and me so we could pray and Mem and Oratai could talk.

We went to the hospital to visit the policeman and discuss whether they really wished

out some seed was planted before Mam dropped off to sleep.

talking she admitted that she had never had a personal relationship with hrist but attended church because her parents made her go. They didn't talk long,
morning Mem seemed another person. - She wanted to return to Bangkok and take Christian doctor. in-prayeir Tickets for the night bus to Bangkok were puras I took her to getter things^and" say

woMn took her to say goodbye to her police friend at the hospital. We were all praising the Lord end Mem boarded the bus for Bangkok, but to ne battle "not overwe must when keep Jan on praying for Mem until she gives her life
the Lord and becomes established in Him. Lord, help us to be faithful.
mentioned in this letter? Victory can only come through Christ as we minister to-

girl friend, who is an evil personthief, prostitute, etc. A Thai

Will you share in the ministry here by praying for Mem, for Dr. Jatpon and the others

I prayer, loving, witnessing and encouraging. Let ue praise the Lord IkL 11 His promise that He will do exceedingly above all that we ask or remember think according to the power that works in us. abundantly
Sincerely,

FIR^T,CHRISTIAN CHURCH
1201 South Alameda Klamath Falls OR 97601

Non-Profit Organization
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