(Also See Intro: Northern Thailand Experience)
Part 1
The first night greeted us with a Christmas Celebration at the church. We were invited.
Although it was only Dec 20th, I think the church when learned of our coming planned it to coincide with our arrival. When the time came we went up to the church hall and lo and behold there were already a lot of people.
I did not expect such a large turnout in such a small place. Honestly I wouldn’t have imagined it. A large turnout it was. There were more than 100 people, adults and children in their best dress.
What impressed me most was that most of them were from a hill tribe known as the Akha and they are Christians.
My second amazement was - how on earth did they became Christians. As I know it later - it was because of the untiring efforts of Christian missionaries who had been going there for that purpose.
The Akha is one of the thirteen hill tribes found in Northern Thailand. The largest of the tribes is the Karen (not to be confused with the ‘long neck’ Karen living in Myanmar). However in this place where we visit is mostly populated by the Akha.
If you'd known the Akha, they practiced shifting cultivation. And in the past they planted poppy as a cash crop. Unfortunately many of them succumbed to what drug addictions and alcoholicism.
The Akha believe in demons. And in many villages of (the non-believer) Akha you can always see a ‘demon gate’.
As the legend was told by the Akha, they believed that long, long time ago humans and demons coexisted together in harmony. The coexistence was simple, the demons own the hills and rule the night. The humans own the valley and the farms, rule the day.
But after a while when livestocks began to disappear the demons were accused of stealing them.
Conflict emerged between the humans and the demons. As a result of that, according to the Akha folklore the demons and human went separate ways to this day.
Thus the humans began to construct the 'demon gate’ at the entrance of every village to keep the demons out.
Only humans can pass through that gate. And no one must touch the gate. If some did, the gate has to be re-constructed again.
When the missionaries came, they preached the gospel to the Akha people. But both the missionaries and the converted Akha faced dire consequences.
The missionaries were not welcome and were threatened.
At the same Akha found to be Christian was expelled from the village. Even if it was only one member of the family become a Christian the entire family is expelled.
I was inspired by the courage and the persistenceness of the missionaries. It was truly witnessing the Lord’s hands at work.
That night as we watched the shows preformed by the children, I marveled at them. They were dancing one performance after another. My heart went out to them.
I could not have imagined myself to be here at this northerness tip of Thailand, sitting down together with these strangers and enjoying a Christmas Celebration. But yes, I am right there. Wow.
I thought of the folks back home in Singapore and Malaysia. And I wondered what they might be doing ‘right now’?
Story to be continued…..
Part 1
The first night greeted us with a Christmas Celebration at the church. We were invited.
Although it was only Dec 20th, I think the church when learned of our coming planned it to coincide with our arrival. When the time came we went up to the church hall and lo and behold there were already a lot of people.
I did not expect such a large turnout in such a small place. Honestly I wouldn’t have imagined it. A large turnout it was. There were more than 100 people, adults and children in their best dress.
What impressed me most was that most of them were from a hill tribe known as the Akha and they are Christians.
My second amazement was - how on earth did they became Christians. As I know it later - it was because of the untiring efforts of Christian missionaries who had been going there for that purpose.
The Akha is one of the thirteen hill tribes found in Northern Thailand. The largest of the tribes is the Karen (not to be confused with the ‘long neck’ Karen living in Myanmar). However in this place where we visit is mostly populated by the Akha.
If you'd known the Akha, they practiced shifting cultivation. And in the past they planted poppy as a cash crop. Unfortunately many of them succumbed to what drug addictions and alcoholicism.
The Akha believe in demons. And in many villages of (the non-believer) Akha you can always see a ‘demon gate’.
As the legend was told by the Akha, they believed that long, long time ago humans and demons coexisted together in harmony. The coexistence was simple, the demons own the hills and rule the night. The humans own the valley and the farms, rule the day.
But after a while when livestocks began to disappear the demons were accused of stealing them.
Conflict emerged between the humans and the demons. As a result of that, according to the Akha folklore the demons and human went separate ways to this day.
Thus the humans began to construct the 'demon gate’ at the entrance of every village to keep the demons out.
Only humans can pass through that gate. And no one must touch the gate. If some did, the gate has to be re-constructed again.
When the missionaries came, they preached the gospel to the Akha people. But both the missionaries and the converted Akha faced dire consequences.
The missionaries were not welcome and were threatened.
At the same Akha found to be Christian was expelled from the village. Even if it was only one member of the family become a Christian the entire family is expelled.
I was inspired by the courage and the persistenceness of the missionaries. It was truly witnessing the Lord’s hands at work.
That night as we watched the shows preformed by the children, I marveled at them. They were dancing one performance after another. My heart went out to them.
I could not have imagined myself to be here at this northerness tip of Thailand, sitting down together with these strangers and enjoying a Christmas Celebration. But yes, I am right there. Wow.
I thought of the folks back home in Singapore and Malaysia. And I wondered what they might be doing ‘right now’?
Story to be continued…..
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