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Wa Outreach in Thailand - Annual Report 2008Frontier Mission Project of the Presbyterian Church (USA)Project Name:Wa Outreach in Thailand. Partner church, contact person, address, telephone and/or fax: Wa Christian Fellowship (WCF) Project Director, address: Mr. David Eubank, Director Introduction:Dear Friends of the Wa, This report is written by Jesse Cusic, Logistics Director
for Free Burma Rangers and Christians Concerned for Burma. This past year Kay
Orsini, the Volunteer Wa Coordinator in Thailand, returned to the U.S. to help
take care of her children and grandchildren. Through her efforts the Wa ministry
has not only grown, it has become better organized and communications have improved.
As of this month, Josh Dunham has taken over as the new volunteer Wa coordinator
here in Chiang Mai. We thank you for continuing to care about and help the Wa people of northeastern Burma and their cousins, the Lawa of Thailand. The Wa Hills of Burma are marked on some maps of Southeast Asia, but even here in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, they seem very far away. Not necessarily in distance as marked by miles or kilometers but in accessibility. The drug trade and guns separate us from them and contribute to the atmosphere of hostility and suspicion that hangs over both Wa State and Shan State on the borders of Thailand, China, and Laos. It's in these two areas where most Wa people live in Burma. Despite the hostile circumstances, God's grace has reached the Wa. In 1908 the first Wa became Christian. Over 50,000 Wa in Burma are believers and reportedly there are over 100,000 Wa Christians in China. God is working through them and others to overcome many challenges inside and outside of the Wa church. His light continues to shine among the Wa. Dave, Karen and family spend most of their time on foot, on relief missions in the war zones of the Karen, Karenni and Shan States, serving internally displaced people. They have been able to serve and minister to Wa people in the Wa southern relocation site in Shan States near the Thai border but, because of the Wa partnership with the Burma dictators, they have not been able to go to the Wa areas of Burma since 2000. They financially and prayerfully support the Wa pastors doing outreach and then go where they can (that is, into the other ethnic areas where the Burma Army is conducting attacks against the Karen, Karenni, and Shan people. In these areas it is a Burma Army policy of shoot on sight but still they can move with the ethnics who can usually avoid the Burma Army). Narcotics, collusion with the dictators, conscripting children to fight in the army, and attacking other ethnic groups make the United Wa State Army (UWSA) an easy scapegoat. However the Wa people themselves have very little choice and are but pawns in a deadly game. Animism continues to grip the people, and the threat of attack by the Burma Army means that most Wa live in uncertainty and fear. In spite of this, the church shines its light of God's love and freedom. And in spite of many obstacles, the church keeps growing and the mission to the Wa continues. Thank you for your part in that growth. When the Eubanks are in Thailand they meet with the Wa Christian Fellowship (WCF) to pray, assess the work, make plans and encourage each other. See photos about the Wa outreach attached below. Note (1): Lawa is the name used for the ethnic Wa in Thailand, but Wa is the name of the language and the people-group elsewhere in the region (Burma and China). There are an estimated one million Wa people in the northern Wa area and China and about 200,000 in the southern area north of the Thai border. In Thailand there are fewer than 100,000 ethnic Lawa immigrants, their children and grandchildren as well as descendants of the original inhabitants of the northern Thailand area surrounding Chiang Mai. Note (2): The Wa Christian Fellowship (WCF) is part of the 18th District of the Church of Christ of Thailand (CCT). Pastor John Saniex, administrator of the Lawa Student Hostel, is a founding member of the WCF and serves as secretary. He also pastors the Wa church of Chiang Mai, which currently meets at the Hostel.
Brief description of current projects: 1) Lawa Student Hostel - The Hostel is in Chiang Mai, Thailand, with 35 students,
grades 1-12, house parents - direct Presbyterian Church (USA) support - and
Rev. John Saniex and his wife who provide spiritual guidance and leadership
to the children. Thank you, Community Presbyterian Church of Vacaville, California,
for the salary and ministry of Wa pastor/evangelist John which are accounted
for by Allan Eubank. 2) Evangelists - There are eight evangelists working full time in northern Wa District that we support, six directly and two indirectly. Six are teacher-evangelists--five based at the Ying Phaung hostel and school and one at Cao Tie village, the old hostel site. One part-time evangelist-pastor travels to both sides of the border and also on Wa evangelistic trips to the northern Wa District. Another Wa pastor-evangelist travels the Thai side of the border and sharing the gospel with the Lawa people. 3) Evangelism trips - The Wa evangelists are engaged in teaching and preaching at various villages in the northern Wa State area and in the southern region as well. There are Lawa pastor trips across the border to preach and teach and provide medical and relief supplies to poor Wa villagers. There is regular travel by Lawa evangelists to Lawa villages in Thailand border areas. 4) Northern District Ying Phaung Hostel and School - 31 impoverished Wa children live and study at Ying Phaung Christian Hostel and School in the northern Wa District near the border with China. Some have lost one or both parents and some are from poverty-stricken families. An additional 32 more children attend school during the day totaling 63 children touched by this ministry. The hostel is in its sixth year, thanks to the Kachin and Wa missionaries who are faithfully serving to witness for Christ in a poverty-stricken area. Through special gifts, we have been able to provide support for 3-6 months of the year on average (in addition to the teacher-evangelist salaries) and have depended on the Wa church, the UN World Food Program and the grace of God for the balance. 5) Medical care - In the past, we have helped to provide medical care for Wa people. The Lawa church provided help for some individuals who could not afford their hospital bills. In February 2007, some Lawa pastors and church members travelled across the border to a poor Wa village, Na Kawng Mu, in the southern region and brought with them warm clothing, blankets and medicines to treat the most common illnesses in that area. 6) Christian Literature - The work to translate, check, publish, and distribute a complete Wa Bible, Old and New Testament, is ongoing. The 2006 Bible has now been revised. Copies of the new revision are now being given to Wa people in Burma and Thailand. Evangelism material and Sunday School materials in the Wa language are being distributed in the southern Wa region by other mission groups as well.
Major activities of the past 24 months:1) Lawa Student Hostel in Chiang Mai-The hostel is thriving with 35 young people. Four of these students are now enrolled in university in Chiang Mai. Most of the students come to Chiang Mai from villages and towns in northern Thailand for a good public education and Christian nurture in a bi-lingual (Wa-Thai) language environment. When volunteers are available, they teach English and computers on the wonderful computers the Rotary donated. If you come to Chiang Mai, be sure to stop by and meet the students, the hostel parents, Rev. John Saniex and his wife, Sopha. It's thrilling to join the young people in worship and singing at various times during the week. Evening worship is at 7:00 pm and is often led by students. Here, it is clear that Christ is Lord of the nations. 2) Rotary -- Rotary Clubs were instrumental in giving special facilities for the new hostel building, such as the outdoor sanitation system, the four adjacent outdoor bathrooms, and lots of needed equipment. Adele Anderson coordinated the matching grant application with Rotary Clubs in Tempe, Arizona; Walla Walla, Washington; and Chiang Mai, Thailand; and with Rotary Foundation. 3) Ying Phaung Hostel -- The food supply for the children and staff at Ying Phang hostel is still not secure. When we met in January 2008 in Chiang Mai with Roi Ji, the Hostel Director, she brought news of a Wa District government initiative to construct another school and hostel building on the 10 acre site. She believes they will bring piped water to the hostel when they complete the building-so it's better not ask for help to increase the hostel water storage capacity at this time. In case the UN World Food Program ends the school rice-feeding project, Roi Ji wants to put a plan for food-sufficiency in place now. The hostel grows a vegetable garden to help feed themselves and corn for themselves and for their five pigs and some chickens. She said they need five more pigs and also fencing for the crops to keep cows, buffaloes and other animals out. They lost half their corn crop last year to animals and she is concerned that the tea trees they planted for a future cash crop (3 years to maturity) are getting damaged as well. They would like to fence the entire area but do not have the funds for that. Would you pray with us for food self-sufficiency for the Ying Phaung Hostel children and staff? Thank you. 4) Evangelism in northern Wa Special District-- The six full-time evangelist/teachers based at Ying Phaung continue their work sharing the gospel, strengthening believers and teaching. A new Christian worker, Nyi Rung, has been called to serve as pastor-evangelist and is supported by the Lawa Church in Chiang Mai. The Lawa Church is working hard to support missions, as they are able. The Ying Phaung evangelists focus their efforts for the most part on spiritual nurture of the hostel children and the school children. Roi Ji said they have confidence in our Lord that the children's faith will help lead their families to Him. They pray that when the children complete their education, they will be able to nurture others and become bridges for their people to live better lives through Christ. 5) Evangelism in southern Wa areas-Across the Chiang Mai Province border with Burma near Chiang Dao is an area of Wa village resettlements. Some time ago, the Wa authorities forcibly relocated large numbers of Wa from their villages in the north down to the southern border areas. Consequently, there are a number of very poor villages just across the border. There are 22 families in the Na Kawng Mu Church and some 50 families in the whole village of Man Siang (named after their home village up north). They are eager to share the gospel with their fellow villagers, but their helper, the 80 year old Lahu missionary pastor, is about to retire. He has been teaching a dedicated layman who loves the Lord and is ready to start Bible teaching. Pastor Banjong, on the Thai side of the border, wants to take on some evangelism duties and to structure a training program for the lay teacher if he can cross the border on a regular basis. Would you pray with us about support for this possibility and for the safety of border crossings? It may take a budget of about $100 a month to do this evangelism project.
Changes in personnel, short-term objectives or emphases since beginning of the project or last report:1) The Lawa Christian Hostel in Chiang Mai is a wonderfully vital place. We praise God that the new 2-story permanent dormitory building was completed. Hostel ties with the local community have been strengthened. 2) The WCF invited youth leaders to form a Lawa Youth Council in 2006. The Youth hope to develop leadership skills, to mentor the younger members and to lead the Lawa (Wa) community into challenging opportunities working with Wa Christians in other countries of the region. Miss Uraiwan Kornlao, who is president of the Lawa Hostel students and just graduated from high school, went with other Lawa Church members to Mong Mao, Burma, for the Centenary Christian Jubilee in April 2008. Because of her trip she was able to bring back a broader vision of the Wa Church to share with the other students. Chiang Mai International School students have come to the hostel to help on maintenance projects and to teach computer skills to the children for their community service requirement. They also teamed with the Lawa students to paint the old office. 3) Please pray with us for Wa Christian workers in northern and southern Wa areas of Burma and in Thailand, as well. See the paragraph above on evangelism work across the border in the southern Wa region. Wa Christian workers many times must continue forward on a wing and a prayer from fellow Christians around the world because of lack of funding, strong local non-Christian opposition to their work and internal divisions in the Wa church. 4) Kay Orsini, the previous volunteer Wa coordinator, relocated to the US at the end of March 2008 to spend time with her new grandchildren. Josh Dunham has now come to take over her job as the volunteer Wa Coordinator. He is currently living with the students at the hostel and is a real blessing to have help the students in their studies as well as help administarte the current Wa projects.
Financial statement for 2008:Income 2008 1 Thai Christian Foundation - $4,464.75 Total Income - $13,536.75 ( x 34Bt = 460,249.50Bt)
EXPENDITURES 1. Chiang Mai Lawa Hostel: Total Expenditures - Hostel Account Baht 460,244
Other matters you wish to share with the Presbyterian Church (USA):Thank you very much for your continuing support and prayers. The Wa Christian Fellowship is very grateful to you and the Presbyterian Churches of the PC (USA). We are all thankful to God who has brought us together even though we are on opposite sides of the world. In spite of any obstacles, financial or other otherwise, God's light is shining among the Wa and the darkness will not put it out.
When might be a good time for a representative of the PC (USA) to visit the project?Any time! Respectfully submitted by,
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