(Yunnan-Tibetan Christian Mission) FIRST 1954 NEWS LETTER Near the top of a high moantain pass in the Mission field. "TTiou wilt keep him perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee." I8AIAH S 6:3 The J. Russell Morse Family and Associates P. O. Putao, via Myitkyina Kachin State, Burma m&i IT HAPPENED IN 1953 JANUARY On the field, Eugene, Helen and children returned to Muladt after spending a month in Rongoon. They had gone for medical checkups when Ronald (born at Muladi, Nov. 9, 1952) was three weeks, also buying supplies to take back with them. Robert, Betty, Jonathon and two-month old Stephen (born in Rangoon, Nov. 19, 1952) left for Tiliwago to work among the Rawang tribespeople. In the States, LaVerne and Ruth Margaret Morse enrolled for the second semester at Cincinnati Bible Seminary. Mr. and Mrs. J. Russell Morse made their home in Cincinnati to be near LaVerne and Ruth Margaret.. FEBRUARY On the lfield, Robert and Betty reported 117 students in Bible School, classes being taught in both Llsu and Rawang. Eugene toured churches of Putao area, preaching, holding elders conferences, taking core of medical needs. Helen and Dremo took core of work at Muladi. MARCH On the field, Robert and Betty reported success in Bible School at Tiliwago. Associate Missionary, Miss Dorothy Sterling, R.N., adopted a Lisu baby, Judith. Eugene and Helen reported first convert among the Shan tribe of the Putao area. In the States, R. LaVerne Morse and Lois Carol Elliott were married March 27 at Cincinnati. APRIL On the field, the Easter conventions were held in the Muladi and Tiliwago areas of Burma. In the States, Mr. and Mrs. J. Russell Morse left Cincinnati, spending time with Mrs. Ruth Morse (Mother of J. Russell) in Tulsa, and with Miss Helen Howe (sister of Mrs. Gertrude Morse), in Oklahoma City. This was their final visit before returning to the Orient. MAY On the field, plans and preparations of materials for summer Bible Schools were completed both at Muladi and Tiliwago. In the States, Mr. and Mrs. J. Russel Morse left by plane May 2, arrived in Bangkok, Siom, May 6. Mr. Morse remained in Bangkok while Mrs. Morse went on to Rangoon to obtain his entry permit. Hearts of loved ones and friends were saddened by the death of Mrs. Ruth Morse (Mother of J. Russell Morse), May 20. JUNE On the field. Entry Permit for J. Russell Morse granted June 15. He arrived in Rangoon, June 23; was given his permanent residence visa on June 30. In the States, LaVerne and Lois Morse started out for a summer of teaching in Christian Service Camps and speaking in churches in the United States and Canada. Ruth Margaret Morse went to Cedar Lake, Ind., where she worked in the office of the Lake Region Christian Assembly. JULY On the field. Joyous reunion with family and natives when Mr. and Mrs. J. Russell Morse arrived at Putao by plane July 2. Mrs. Morse started at once help ing with classes in the Preachers' Bible ^hool, already in progress with more than 100 students. Mr. Morse was thrilled to preach in Lisu, for the first time since leaving China in 1946. He immediately took over the major portion of the medical work. AUGUST On the field, Robert and Betty and family returned from Tiliwago to Muladi where another happy reunion took place. They had not yet seen Mr. and Mrs. J. Russell Morse since their arrival in Burma. A government agricultural advisor from Myitkyino visited Muladi. Soil tests showed advisability of opening new area for fields across the Muladi River. 2 SEPTEMBER On Hie field, the Bible School at Muiadi was completed September 6. A flood at Mulodi on Sept. 7 imperiled safety of missionaries and natives, making further plans for moving across the river imperative. In the States, LaVerne and Lois Morse and Ruth Margaret Morse enrolled for fall semester at Cincinnati Bible Seminary. OCTOBER On the field, preparation of teaching materials for Bible Schools for adults and Christian Day Schools for children, together with the medical work occupied the entire mission staff. NOVEMBER On the field, Robert Morse and his Mother went to Tiliwago early in Novem ber to hold Bible Schools. DECEMBER On the field, Mrs. Robert (Betty) Morse, Jonathan and Stephen, went to Rangoon on Dec. 10, where Jonathan was to have quite a bit of dental work done. J. Russell Morse, Drema, Eugene, Helen and family attended the Christmas Con vention about three days journey from Muiadi. Under the direction of Drema Esther Morse, the native children presented the Christmas Story in drama, the first time anything of this sort has been done in Lisuland. In the States, LaVerne and Lois Morse, and Ruth Margaret Morse spent the Christmas holidays with family and friends in this country. ROPEHOLDERS, PLEASE READ: January 20, 1954. Dear Christian Friends and Co-Laborers for Christ: We appreciate very much the faithful support of the Yunnan- Tibetan Christian Mission by churches and individual Christians throughout the years. We want to thank all our steady rope-holders for their continuing support In prayers and material means. We shall continue trying to use faithfully the funds entrusted to us for spread ing the Gospel on the Tibetan border. However, at this time we realize especially the critical needs of many faithful direct-support missionaries, particularly those who have started in new fields in recent years. We believe that the spreading of the Gospel is equally priceless In every part of the world. All Christians are laborers together In carrying "the unsearchable riches of Christ" to needy, lost souls. Therefore, concerning special offerings and Increased giving throughout the churches, we should like to urge that more of the offerings be sent to the fields which are at present In dire need of material support. Many of the direct-support missionaries in Thai land, Japan, Alaska, South Africa, Mexican border, Hawaii, Ameri can Negro Bible colleges, etc., have inadequate support, and yet they are continuing faithfully the work of establishing churches of Christ according to the NewTestament pattern. Yours In Christ's Service^ LaVerne and Lois Morse, on behalf of All the Morse Families 3 FROM DARKNESS TO LIGHT by Mr. and Mrs. R. LaVerne Morse A Chahku tribal chieftain amidst the towering, snow-capped mountains of the Tibetan border, near the headwaters of the Irra- waddy River, sent a messenger two days' walk southwards to the Daru Christians of the Mongdi church. His message was as follows: "We Chahku tribespeople hear that you have become followers of Wu-Sa (God), and that He created ali men. We hear that you are no longer slaves of the evil spirits, but that you have been made free by Wu-Sa, If Wu-Sa created you, He must also have created us. We are human beings as well as you, and not just animals. Please send us the Message about Wu-Sa. We want no longer to be slaves of the evil spirits." Throughout ail the jagged mountains, two-mile-deep gorges, and sub-tropical jungles "where China, Tibet, Burma, and India meet," the same appeal is made. Thousands of primitive tribes- peopleincluding Lisu, Rawang, Kachin, Shan, Chinese, and Tibe tanuntil a few years ago had never heard of God. They speak seven major languages and about forty different dialects. They make their living by clearing out small patches of jungle with crude homemade knives, and by planting mountainside fields of corn, rice, buckwheat, and millet. AM these people are extremely poor; but their poverty is above all other things due to the fact that they do not know the justice, grace, and love of God. Neither In this life nor in the life to come have they any hope of joy and peace. Drunk with native whiskey half the time, not washing or taking baths In a lifetime, with faces blackened with soot and grime, with eyes darkened by superstition. Ignorance, and fear, these wild men of the mountains worship and fear only devils and evil spirits. AH around them, these tribes- people believe there are malicious spirits constantly trying to cause them sorrow, pain, and destruc tion. They believe that, in or der to avoid calamity, they have to appease the evil spirits. When crossing a high mountain, they are very careful to be quiet so as not to disturb the demon of the mountain. If the demon were awakened, it would be angry and bring a sudden blizzard roaring upon them. When climbing over narrow "monkey trails" on the mountainsides and through the jungles, the people have to ap pease the evil spirits or these will bring landslides and huge bould ers crashing down upon them. When they return home after a long journey, they need to kill a chicken or pig, and to beat gongs for several hours to satisfy ant^ drive away the devils that have followed them home. Native Witch Doctor Around their bamboo-and-grass houses the natives construct many altars. These are little platforms on bamboo poles. On the platforms the people offer boiled rice wrapped in banana leaves, and also whiskey in bamboo cups. The birds and the rats get easy meals this way, but the heathen people believe the evil spirits have eaten the food. If a child is continually sickly and weak, the natives believe a particular evil spirit Is following the child. They will change the name of a boy to a girl's name, or give a girl a boy's name. Thus they hope the evil spirit will be confused and look elsewhere for the child it has been tormenting. When a person becomes sick with malaria, pneumonia, typhoid, or some other of the numerous diseases, the people believe that a devil Is eating the sick man. They then call in a witch-doctor, or "devil man." The devil man puts on a cap with boar's tusks, and other characteristic dress, and decides what kind of demon is caus ing the sickness and what sacrifices should be made. If a disease continues for a long time, the family of a sick man may sacrifice their entire possessions and then go Into debt in order to sacrifice the right number of cows, pigs, and chickens which the devil man requires. Sometimes, it takes several generations for them to pay such a debt. Thus are the people, as they state themselves, truly slaves of the evil spirits. 5 V4i^:iv The tragic climax of a heathen's lostness is seen at death. When someone dies, the friends and relatives weep and waii with heart breaking cries which are tragic and terrible to hear. They believe that a person when he dies goes on into darkness and torment, and there Is no escape or hope. When a Rawang tribesman dies, for several days his relatives beat day and house.^ThTs^Ts all'^^hJy^can^do for a soul which Is lost In the darkness beyond. A Heathen Grave To people such as these the missionary goes to bring them "from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God" through Christ Jesus. He may walk over narrow mountain trails only eight or ten inches wide, go around cliffs on two or three small poles, or cross swift, raging rivers on bamboo rope bridges. He may travel five or ten days on footor on horseback if the trails are wide enough with not too many cliffsto reach a distant heath en village where the name of Christ has never before been mentioned. After reaching the village, he enters a small bamboo-and-grass hut and sits on the bamboo floor beside the open fireplace. The latter is a sunken, box-like affair in the middle of the room. Long stream ers of black soot hang down from the low grass roof. The house has no chimney; so the smoke from the fire brings a steady stream of tears from the missionary's eyes. Meanwhile, the brown-skinned natives gather. Some are cur ious; some are a bit afraid of the strange white man; some, especial ly the witch-doctors, are hostile; but a few are genuinely interested in the message which the white man has to bring. The missionary begins to tell them about a Supreme Being, more powerful than all the evil spirits which they have feared, a Supreme Being who created all the heavens and all the earth. This Being, called Wu-Sa or God, created the towering mountains, the crashing rivers, and the thick, damp jungles. He made the rain to water their fields; He created the sun to make their grain ripen. Finally, God, the Supreme Being, made man in His own image to obey and follow God. The missionary goes on to tell them that this Supreme Being 6 not only is so powerful, but also wants to help all men. God's will is to save all men from the power of evil and from eternal destruc tion; He wants to give us happiness and peace. We can all receive God's blessings If we follow Him and His Son, Jesus Christ, Many of the tribespeople in Burma and China have a tradition of a great flood which swept the whole eartha tradition they have received from generation to generation. The missionary can point out that God's Book tells the full account of this flood, and that the reason for the flood was the disobedience of man to the One who had made him. Also, one tribe of people near the Tibetan border, known as the Daru tribe, have a tradition about a great tower which their fore fathers are supposed to have built, a tower which reached up almost to the sky. By means of a ladder from the tower, at one time they could climb up to the sky. Afterwards the ladder was lost, and men could no longer reach the sky. To this day the Darus point to a certain bowl-shaped mountain on the top of which is a great pole. There they say the tower had its foun dations. The missionary can show the people how man used to know about God. Then Satan and the evil spirits deceived man. Through the generations man lost contact -a J and knowledge of God. Satan > |^^ caused the people to worship t only evil spirits and false images. is sending His message out to all i H the world to accept and follow /( When the native tribespeople hear the message of Christ, at first it is very strange to them. . - , , It is hard for them to think of an ^ all-powerful Spirit, the eternal God, who cares for them. They have known only malicious, hungry evil spirits and demons that harmed them. But gradually, one or two people may say they want to turn from their evil spirits and heathen customs, and to obey God. After careful teaching, they are baptized and begin to lead new, changed lives. One of the most powerful forces in winning the people to Christ is the example of the ones who have already become Christians. It is a wonderful testimony to the heathen to see native Christians joyfully singing "What a Friend We Have In Jesus," or "When We All Get to Heaven." The singing echoes back and forth between the narrow canyon walls, carrying the message of Christ. Whether they are working in their fields on the steep mountainsides or wheth er they are sitting cross-legged beside their fireplaces in the evening, the Christians are happy and joyful. Having learned to read In their new native written language, (Continued on page 16) 7 A Group of Daru Girls diyWv T>UTAO SUHPRMHJ*^ This map made recently by Eugene Morse shows the area of China in which the Morses worked until 1949, and the area of Burma that is now the center of evangelism. Places mentioned in the various articles may be found on the map. 8 Boundaries -f4f- Churches Trails Note adjoining countries, illustrating "Where China, Tibet, Burma and India meet.' OPERATION PUBLICATIONS During the two months following the closing of the summer Bible School on September 6 and until Mrs. Gertrude Morse and Robert again left for Tiliwago on November 2, the Mission Home at Muladi was the scene of much activity. One of the greatest needs of the work is for more printed materials to use in teaching the Christians. So during this time the mission staff combined their forces in preparing some mimeographed literature. Robert trans lated the materials into Rawang; he and Eugene and Mrs. Morse all worked on the Lisu translations; and the cutting of stencils and mimeographing was done by Robert, Eugene and Helen. They used legal size paper, putting two book-size pages on each side of a sheet that is, four pages on a sheet. Since they have no paper cutter, all of these sheets of paper had to be cut by hand with a knife, using a ruler as a guide edge. Neither do they have a paper punch, so Eugene used an ordinary brace and bit and drilled holes in the books so they could be used in loose-leaf notebook form. Covers were also cut by hand from waterproof tar paper. Then all the books had to be assembled and stapled. The entire mission family joined In ac complishing this task. The magnitude of this task can be seen from the following "production record" as sent by Helen. No. of No. of No. of Sheets of Longuoge Item Prinfed Pages Stencils Copies Paper 1. Rowong Acts Notes, part 2 12 6 100 300 2. Rawang ChronologyLife of Christ 10 5 100 250 )3. Rawang Geographical outline "Footsteps of Jesus" 8 4 100 200 4. Rawang Plan of Salvation 40 20 100 1000 5. Rowong Primer (for Christian Doy School at Rowangtang) 40 20 300 3000 6. Lisu Acts Notes, part 2 8 4 100 200 7. Lisu ChronologyLife of Christ 12 6 100 300 8. Lisu Footsteps of Jesus (Geographical).... 8 4 100 200 9. Lisu Plan of Salvation 24 12 100 600 10. Lisu ChartGod's Plan of the Ages 1 1 150 150 11. Lisu Map of Palestine in Jesus' Time 1 1 150 150 12. Lisu Map of Mediterranean lands 1 1 150 150 13. Lisu Doily Bible Reading Schedule 8 4 200 400 14. Lisu Kochin Language Study Primer 36 18 300 2700 15. Lisu Gospels Handbooks (outline of 4 Gospels) 52 26 300 3900 261 132 Total Lisu) 151 77 (Total Rowong) 110 55 10 2350 413500 1650 8780 700 4750 A MESSAGE FROM LAVERNE AND LOIS MORSE January 13, 1954. Dear Christian Friends Everywhere: As the months go by, Lois and 1 are looking forward eagerly to the joyous occasion when we can be once more out on the Tibetan border in northernmost Burma for the spreading of the (^spel of Christ. Either in June or September, the Lord willing, we hope to leave by steamship from the West Coast across the blue waters of the Pacific. __ Meanwhile, there are many complicated preparations to make. The Tibetan borderland is one of Hp the most remote and primitive fields in the world. For instance, the nearest ice cream cone would V be at least seven hundred miles .BT TSa'' ' away! Anyhow, it will be neces- sary to take with us such supplies ^ ' as clothing, household equipment, VA t some kind of foodstuffs, etc., to "i !\ ^ 'st for a five-year term. A cou- aK'' ^ ^ months ago Lois and I . ' ' i'd ^ were trying to calculate how many V V pairs of socks we should wear out \ .ry in five years. Finally, we ended up \ W ^buying forty-eight pairs for the \ S V':i ^'me being, and probably we'll \ m - need to buy a few more! Well, \ that's a sample problem in the ** buying of supplies. Tr-^c .. Nlf , - \J - LaVerne and Lois Morse Some of the larger items which we will yet need to obtain in clude an iron wood-burning cookstove, a portable folding pump organ, home canning equipment, a set of carpentry tools (nothing electrical), and various good books for our missionary library. Other preparations on which we are working include getting United States passports and foreign visaes in order, and arranging transportation twelve thousand miles to a hard-to-reach part of the world. Especially we hope that we shall not have trouble ac quiring entry permits to Burma. We'd like Christian friends to pray for us, that God might enable us to obtain the entry permits without difficulty. In addition to preparations for going, Lois and I have been working on the project of getting the very effective visualized books, Life of Christ Visualized, translated and published in about eight foreign languages. A number of missionaries from different parts of the world are working with us on the project. Among other 11 languages/ we hope to get published 3,000 copies in the Lisu lan guage, and possibly also 3,000 Rawang. Together with the books for other countries which other missionaries hope to get printed, the total foreign language edition of the Life of Christ Visualized is to total over 100,000 copies. These books can have a powerful effect throughout the world in teaching people about Christ, and in reaching heathen peoples who are now unreached by or indifferent to the Gospel. The funds for the Lisu and Rawang copies of the Life of Cfirist VisuaKzed are on hand already. However, we should like to urge strongly that Christians throughout the country enable missionaries in Japan, Thailand, Latin America, India, and Korea to publish the books they hope to order. Together with all these projects for the mission field, Lois and I are enjoying this present year of school work in Cincinnati Bible Seminary. We want to make the most use possible of this oppor tunity to equip ourselves further for the spreading of the wondrous story of Jesus Christ to people whose turning to eternal life depends upon our presenting faithfully the truth of God's Word. In all these things, we covet your prayers. We can do nothing in ourselves; but we can do all things through Christ who strength- eneth us. Yours in Christ's Service, LaVerne and Lois Morse Mr. end Mrs. Eugene R. Morse and family plan to leave Muladi late in April or early in May. It will be necessary to have the children vaccinated, etc., so it will be late May or early June when they leave Rangoon for the States. The main planting season at Muladi is from October to January or early February. Packets of garden seeds are welcomed and should be mailed in mid summer to reach Burma in time for fall planting. ANOTHER CHRISTIAN DAY SCHOOL LAUNCHED By Robert Morse When Betty, the two boys and .1 moved back into this vast eastern sector of the mission field, we received a constant flow of letters from the various Rawang churches asking us to come and visit them. After our informant, Peter, left to teach In the Bible school at Muladi, I put in a month's steady work on Lisu translation, then decided to move down to Rawangtang for a while to help get a new project launched there. For a long time the Rawang churches have been wanting to establish a Christian Day School, at which Rawang would be taught as well as the two required languages, Kachin and Burmese. They had sent Tychicus on a successful trip to visit the various military establishments around the country where Rawangs are stationed, 12 to appeal for financial help. He obtained such necessary items as slates, notebooks, primers and pencils. Each family in the dis trict had contributed some grain for the school so that students could be boarded. Even so, half of the one hundred fifty prospec tive students, (some from 10 days' walk away) had to be turn ed down. Seven bamboo bashas had been built by the people for class rooms, dormitories, kitchen, granary, and teachers' quarters. Rawangtang was chosen as the central location for all Rawang country, and Tychicus, the resi dent pastor there was to be one of the teachers, looking out for the spiritual growth of the chil dren. He was also to teach Ra wang. A fine young Christian Nung, who had received some formal schooling, was obtained to teach Burmese, Kachin, and Ari thmetic. I li/fjt A Swinging Bridge Made of Bamboo and Vines Christian teaching is very important to these people. As we worked out the teaching schedule I found that they wanted to spend as much time on religious classes as on all other studies combined! Besides their classes in Arithmetic, Burmese, Kachin, Rawang (read ing and writing), the students had one hour of religious instruction in the morning; they also have morning chapel and regular evening devotions, studying the Gospel of Mark, it seems a tough schedule for beginners, but after a month they still seemed to be thriving on it. Under this arrangement, any students would be accepted as long as there was food to board them. Thus there were quite a few youngsters who came from non-Christian homes. Ages ranged from about 8 to 18. It was significant that before long every student in the school was a Christian; What a wonderful promise it is for the future, if they but remain steadfast in the faith. For in the coming generations all the leaders of the people are apt to be Christian if we can but further this aspect of Christiart growth. Do pray with us that the many problems and difficulties remaining may be successfully overcome, and that more such schools may be opened. For the most part of our brief stay, we were at the new school. At the request of the leaders of the area, a good part of the time was spent preparing text-books in Rawang for the school. We also visited other villages treating the sick and conferring with the preachers. 13 CHRISTMAS CONVENTION AT NAM-HTE-KHU By Mrs. Eugene R. Morse went up, up, and up, then witl? tall, straight trees in ul^ "IBBI some placesjungle giantsa Eugene/ Tommy, David, Helen tangle of bamboo forest in other and Ronnie places. Much of the time we seemed to be on sort of a ridge, with a deep ravine on either side of perhaps 1000 feet or soall dense jungle. Up above through the trees one could see the almost unbelievably blue sky through the lacy pattern formed by the leaves. Bamboo leaves make an especial ly lovely sight against a clear, blue sky. Then we reached the top and started down, down, down. The descent was only about one- third the distance we had climbed up. When about half way down, we could see the village of Nam-hte-hku nestling besides the river at the foot of the green, jungle-covered hill across the valley. It was such a beautiful, peaceful sight. In many respects, the convention was like any other, but the thing that made it outstandingly different was that for the first time in Lisuland a Christmas play was presented, telling the Christ mas story. It was all acted by the school children except for the parts of Joseph, Mary and King Harod. These parts were taken by older young men, as the children wouldn't speak up loud enough to be heard. The play turned out very well. The audience seemed to be enthralledthe quietest, most attentive Lisu audience I have ever seen. It was held outdoors, with the audience sitting on the ground. There were small fires here and there so folks didn't suffer too much from the cold. The play lasted an hour and a half. There was music from behind the scenes at the proper moments. I helped in the singing and enjoyed the whole thing thoroughly, It seemed more like Christmas than any time since we left the States. Drema work ed awfully hard on the playfirst translating it from Chinese to Lisu, making necessary changes to adaot It to Lisu settings, and then coaching the playersthe results showed it. There were 920 counted in attendance. We started home Monday morning about 9:30 and got here before 6:00 P.M. Our actual travelling time was about 6 hours, 50 minutes. Not bad for covering 18-20 miles on foot over some pretty rough trails. We were tired, but happy that we could attend the convention. We rather think that the Christmas Story in drama will be a yearly institution from now on. 14 BIBLE SCHOOL AT TILIWAGO Robert Morse and his moth er, Mrs. J. Russell Morse, left the mission home at Muladi Novem- ber 2, for Tiliwago, located ] 0 days journey away (see map 8, 9). It was a difficult trip and ^K ^J they wrote that Mrs. Morse ^6'^ " ^ that she could not have made the^ ^ trip if she had not had a horse to f ^ -2' . ride most of the way. *% Reports have come that they ^ are having a good school with 150 % *' students77 Lisu and 73 Rawang. They are conducting classes in Betty. Joni, Stephen and Robert both Lisu and Rawang. This is the largest Bible School that has been held in Lisu or Rawang country. It was first planned that the school should last through the middle of February but because of a food shortage they are having to limit the school to ten weeks instead of twelve. Robert and his mother expect to return to Muladi early Betty was unable to pany Robert and his mother Tiliwago because it was necessary^^BV^^^|k^V^2j^^w^H for her to take Jonathon to Ran-^ * . goon for dental work. She and sons Jonathon and Stephen will be in Rangoon for several weeks. Betty has taken care of obtain-j^P ing supplies while there. 3^,^^ 3./, 4 at Kobudeh, March 19S3 PLANS FOR NEW VILLAGE SITE During the past few years, floods in the Muladi (western) area of the mission field have endangered this largest of the Christian villages in Burma. This has nessitated the Christian's moving to higher flat lands across the Muldi river.. The natives have sorely needed a means to open the plain to fields, since it is covered with tough elephant grass six to ten feet high. We are very thankful that a Christian friend in the church at Newberg, Oregon, has given $5000 to buy and maintain a tractor for the people to supply this need. These plans have been made with the encouragement of the Technical Advisor of the Agricultural. Department of Burma. If more food can be produced on the Putao plains, more Bible Schools can be held in the entire mission area, as food is one of the great problems of a school. J. Russell Morse will be a great help to the natives in this phase of their development. In additional to his medical and evan- 15 gelistic work he is vitally interested in improved methods of culti vation and has long been interested in giving to these under-privileg ed peoples a greater variety of foods. Additional fruits and veget ables will help improve the health of these folk so they will have the physical strength equal to their zeal in carrying on the Lord's work. With God's help this hope will be realized as the plains area across the Muladi river is developed. , , 0 Continned from Page 7 the Christians earnestly study the Scriptures. In the Lisu language, the entire New Testament plus Psalms and Genesis have been printed. In the Rawang language, only the Gospel of Mark is available yet. Wherever they go, the Christians like to carry a book-bag with the Scriptures and also a hymnbook in their language. Morning and evening, and throughout the day, they pause in their work to thank God and to pray for His forgiveness, strength, and blessings for them. Moreover, they are eager to tell non-Christian relatives and neigh bors about the Gospel. When they travel to distant villages, where- ever they go they become witnesses of the "unsearchable riches of Christ." Even at the death of a Christian, the heathen see a moving tes timony. Though the Christians may mourn at a temporary separa tion from a loved one, they gather to sing about the glorious day when we all together shall see Christ face to face. Instead of weeping in broken-hearted, utter hopelessness at the burial, the Christians rejoice that there will be a glorious meeting In the pres ence of Jesus, where there is no more pain nor suffering, no weari ness, no hungering, no heartacheswhere they can be in the joy and love of God's heavenly home for all eternity. Such, then, is the contarst between those who know Christ and those who know Him not on the Tibetan border. Truly, to be an ambassador for Christ to carry the knowledge of Him "unto the uttermost part of the earth" is the most wondrous privilege in the world. Mailed by MRS. OSCAR L. MYERS See. 34:66 P.L.&R. 2024 N. 14th Street Terre Haute, Indiana Form 3547 Requested Return & Forwarding Polag Gaazaatted. Burria Eutlor 20 E. Contrcl Pc;'!:n(qr Clnclimta. 10^ Ohio 16 16.00 1.00 15.00 6.00 16.00 50.00 45.20 16.00 11.27 8.00 10.00 .... 24.64 17.00 .... 5.00 25.00 5.00 0.00 1.00 5.00 3.00 9.75 26.00 5.00 5.00 3.00 25.00 Arizona Mr. and Mrs. V. C. Kaser, Phoenix... 60.00 California First Christian Church, Long Beach 121.14 Church of Christ, Huntington Beach 75.00 Mrs. Lettie B. Heclcler, Temple City 25.00 Fetterley Ave. Ch. of Chr., Los Angeles 10.00 Mrs. Minnie D. McCray, Oceanside... 10.00 Colorado Church of Christ, Holyoke 60.00 Georgia Christian Church, East Point 25.00 Illinois Mr. and Mrs. Roger Smith, Chicago 6.00 Miss. Soc., Second Ch. of Chr., Danville 25.00 Indiana First Christian Church, Washington... 25.00 Sunday School, Metz Chr. Ch., Angola 46.84 Christian Church, Springport 11.25 Cyntheanne Chr. Ch., Noblesville 80.00 Christian Church, Columbus 50.00 Mr. & Mrs. W. L. Lycan, Evansville 10.00 Mrs. H. E. Ross, East Chicago 25.00 Center Christian Church, Mays 20.00 Tip-Top Class, First Chr. Ch., Columbus 10.00 Intermediate C. E., Maple Ave. Ch., Terre Haute 2.06 Iowa Bertha K. Sargent, Grundy Center... 25.00 Mr. & Mrs. H. N. Weart, Iowa City... 25.00 Friends, Cedar Rapids 100.00 Mr. & Mrs. Guy Walker, Hanlontown 50.00 Hans N. Christenson, Hampton 6.00 Mrs. Leo Stoutner, Keota 60.00 Pearl Horner, Sioux Rapids 6.50 Kansas Miss. Soc., Chr. Ch., Hope 7.26 Mrs. E. B. White. Liberal 26.00 Mrs. Virginia Templeton & Nedine, Wichita 5.00 Kentucky K. Z. Wilking, Owensboro 16.00 Christian Church, Germantown 60.00 Michigan Mrs. C. M. Adams, Algonac 5.00 Minnesota Mr. & Mrs. G. Clare Buskirk, Minneapolis 25.00 Mr. & Mrs. John Kendall, Stewartville 20.00 Mrs. R. Sewall, Minneapolis 50.00 Missouri Miss Bonnie O'Rourke, Joplin 5.00 Nebraska Virgil Marshall, Wymore 260.00 New Mexico Church of Christ, Lordsburg 29.43 North Carolina W. E. Williams. Battleboro 60.00 Ohio First Christian Church, Canton 25.00 South Akron Ch. of Chr., Akron 17.20 Helping Hand Soc., Chr. Ch., Morristown 15.00 A Friend . 20.00 Perrytown Ch. of Chr., Frazeysburg. 21.30 W. Miss. Soc., Chr. Ch., Perry 10.00 Co. Youth Rally, Danville 40.00 Charles Raffel, Hillsboro . 10.00 Club, Westwood Cheviot Ch. of Chr., Cincinnati 10.00 Gregg Sandker, Cincinnati 5.O0 Oklahoma Mrs. Frank Ritthaler, Perry 20.00 Christian Church, Arapaho 201.00 Christian Worn. Fellowship, Miss. Group) Helena 10.00 Oregon Mrs. Zua Hooton, Myrtle Point 1.00 Mrs. Cora Church, Roseburg 3.00 Pennsylvania Homestead Chr. Ch., Munhail 20.00 Tennessee Mr. and Mrs. Wm. C. Mahon, Greenville 10.00 Texas Entre Nous Class, Beaumont 3.21 Entre Nous Class, Beaumont 3.08 Virginia Waynesboro Chr. Ch., Waynesboro... 14.66 Adelaide B. Sims, Richmond 25.00 Washington West Seattle Chr. Ch., Seattle 6.00 Mrs. R. R. Graves, Prescott 5.00 Mrs. Lida Conover, Waitsburg 5.00 SUMMARYFINANCIAL REPORT Yunnan-Tibetan Christian Mission June 1, 1953 to December 31, 1953 BALANCE of Missionary Funds on Hand June 1, 1958 - In Cincinnati Terre Haute, Indiana ...$ 6,097.02 ... 1,174.53 Transferred from Tulsa, OkIa 7,381.99 Total Bal. June 1 $13,653.54 RECEIPTS Miscellaneous Paid by Mr. and Mrs. R. LaVerne Morse for use of Mission automobile to date $ 271.75 Other receipts on automobile, in cluding insurance 136.27 Miscellaneous (Bank interest in Cincinnati) 27.59 Total Receipts from Churches and Individuals 16,258.94 Grand Total $30,211.82 EXPENDITURES June 1, 1953 to December 31, 1953 postage, secretarial help - -S 119.76 Communications, postage, secretarial help 147.82 by bus, train, etc 452.69 expenses, including insurance, gasoline, etc. (See refunds or payments received from automobile above) 712.22 publicity 309.92 Pictures, Duplicate slides, displays, etc. 32.00 equipment 13.36 (partial) plus motels, etc 271.96 supplement for Mrs. R. LaVerne Morse, June-Sept., 1963 132.00 Mission Stationery Supplies ... 32.93 Mel Byers (rec'd as for associate of mission) 10.38 Dorothy Sterling (rec'd to be forwarded) 5.00 Second and Third 1953 Newsletters .. 460.00 For buying supplies for 5 year term on mission field for Mr. and Mrs. LaVeme Morse 1,000.00 Total Expenditures $ 3,700.04 BALANCE ON HAND December 31, 1963$26,511.78 ($5000.00 for tractor included in this amount) received and expenditures for Yun nan-Tibetan Christian Mission by Mr, and Mrs. R. "LaVerne Morse. designated for printing of Life of Christ Visualized in Lisu and Rawang. from individual designated for purchase of tractor for use in developing new fields for Lisu. LIVING LINK CHURCHES The various members of the family are sup ported as follows: Yearly Support J. Russell MorseChristian Church of Ingle- wood. California $1200 Mrs. J. Russell (Gertrude) Morse^West Side Christian Church, Springfield, 111.... $1200 Eugene R. MorseFirst Christian Church, Compton, California $1200 Mrs. Eugene (Helen) MorseMaple Avenue Christian Church, Terre Haute, Ind $1200 David Lowell Morse (son of Mr, and Mrs. Eugene Morse)Boulevard Christian Church, Muskogee, Oklahoma $ 300 Robert H. MorseAs of January 1, 1964. First Christian Church, Long Beach, California $1200 In' the past Robert was supported as fol lows; First Christian Church, Albuquer que, N, M., $300: Women's Group La Junta, Colo., $300; First Christian Church, Long Beach, Calif., $760 yearly. Mrs. Robert (Betty) Morsesupport as follows: Skidmore Christian Church, Skidmore, Mo., $300; Berean Class, Chris tian Church, Galena, Kansas, $300; Bethany Bible Class, Christian Church, Bumpass, Va., $300; Women's Council, Christian Church, Cabool, Mo., $120; Mrs. Claude Garth, Georgetown, Ky., $300; First Christian Church, Griffith. Ind., $300. Jonathon Russell Morse (son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Morse) KYN Missionary Group. First Christian Church, Holyoke, Colo. $ 300 R. LaVerne MorseFirst Christian Church, Joliet, 111 $1200 Mrs. R. LaVerne (Lois) 'MorseCentral Church of Christ, Mt. Vernon, 111., (be ginning April, 1953), $67.00 per month; Bridgetown Church of Christ, Cincin nati, Ohio, (beginning October, 1953) $38.00 per month. Bridgetown Church of Christ, Cincinnati, Ohio, plans to con tinue the $33.00 per month until LaVerne and Lois return to the mission, probably late in the summer of 1954, the Lord willing. At that time. Central Church in Mt. Vernon, 111., plans to take up the full $100 per month support. Ruth Margaret MorsePalmyra Church of Christ, Fredericktown, Ohio $1000 LISU and RAWANG CHURCHES OF CHRIST YUNNAN-TIBETAN CHRISTIAN MISSION January 20, 1954 Dear Christian Friends and Ropeholders: We want to thank all of you for your faithful support, both through material means and through prayers, for the Yunnan-Tibetan Christian Mission in spreading the Message of Christ "where China, Tibet, Burma, and India meet." We want to request Christian friends everywhere to continue praying for all of us, that we might be effective in winning souls to eternal life through Jesus Christ. Please pray also for the native Christians on the mission field, both for the Lisu and Rawang Chris tians in Burma where we are now work ing, and for the Lisu and Chinese Chris tians across the Iron-Curtain border in atheistic. Communist-controlled China. During the past year, Mrs. Oscar L. Myers, mother of Helen Morse, Eugene's wife, has accepted the responsibility of general forwarding agent for the Yunnan-Tibetan Christian Mission. In addition to the duties of her home and in the Maple Avenue Christian Church of Terre Haute, Indiana, Mrs. Myers is doing a commendable job in the mission for the spreading of the Gospel of Christ. As mission forwarding agent, Mrs. Myers receives all contributions for the general missionary work done through the Morse missionary families. In ad dition to the general missionary con tributions, she receives the personal liv ing-link support for Eugene and Helen Morse and children. Temporarily, she has also been doing so for Robert and Betty Morse and children, and for J. Russell Morse. The support for the work in general and for the missionaries is as follows: Personal living-link support for each of the missionaries consists of $1,200 a year per adult. It is separate from the general missionary fund, being pledged and sent directly from the sup porting church or churches for the missionary. All other contributions for the mis sion work go into a general fund. Ex penses paid out of this fund include all non-personal expenses of carrying on the missionary work, such as travelling to the mission field, printing of New Testaments, hymn books, and primers in the native languages, medical supplies for the mission work, housing on the mission field, etc. In addition, medical bills, and partial rent allowance while a missionary is on furlough, are paid from this fund. A missionary family going to the field in northernmost Bur ma finds it necessary to buy clothes, household equipment, foodstuffs, etc., in advance for a five-year term. For this reason, up to $1000 per adult is sup plied from the general fund. In addition to the current expenses, it is necessary to keep repatriation funds (not included in the following report) in reserve for any emergency on the mission field. The mission work is be ing carried on in spite of Chinese Com munist troops occupying Tibet on. the north and China on the east. Since po litical situations are very unstable throughout southeast Asia, the mission aries have to be ready to evacute at any time. There are nine adult missionaries of the Morse family, plus five children. Plane fare from the mission field back to the States in such an emergency would be over $1000 per adult passenger. Of course, we are all hoping and pray ingand expectingthat we shall be able to continue establishing the churches in northernmost Burma on the Tibetan border for many years to come. During the past several years,, floods in the Muladi (western) area of the mission field have endangered the larg est Christian village in the mission field. This has necessitated the Chris tians' moving to higher flat lands across the Muladi river. However, the native Christians have sorely needed a means to open the plain to fields, since it is covered with tough elephant-grass six to ten feet high. We are very thankful that a Christian friend of the Newberg, Oregon, church, has given $5,000 to buy and maintain a tractor for the people to supply this need. Thus we rejoice that advances for the Gospel are constantly being made possible. Furthermore, we pledge our selves as ever before to use the funds entrusted'to us with our utmost strength, knowledge, and ability for the winning of lost souls unto Christ. We want to thank with all our hearts those faith ful ropeholders who through time, funds, and prayers have made this work for the Lord possible. Following is the financial report of all receipts for the Yunnan-Tibetan Christian Mission (Lisu and Rawang Churches of Christ) received by Mrs. Oscar L. Myers, forwarding agent for the mission, and through Mr. and Mrs. R LaVerne Morse during the period from June 1, 1953, to December 31, 1953. Yours in Christ's Service, LaVerne and Lois Morse on behalf of all the Morse Families. Mrs. Oscar L. Myers, Forwarding Agent. RECEIPTS OF YUNNAN-TIBETAN CHRISTIAN MISSION June - December 1953 From Churchcs and Individuals in the United Stales and Canndn. JUNE1953 Mrs. Ethfl Carlile. Hot Springs $ 16.00 " Fetterley Ave. Ch. of Chr.. Los Angeles 10.00 First Chr. Ch.. Los Angeles 33.00 """paxton Ave. Ch. of Chr.. Chicago .. 53.00 Christion Church. Ludlow 26.75 Mis. Soc.. Chr. Ch., Eldorado 25.00 & Mrs. Chas. Turner, Portland 20.00 East Columbus Ch. of Chr.. Columbus 100.00 Children's Day Oft., N. Scott S.S.. (Angola) Christian Church. Sprlngport 16.00 Syria Chr. Ch.. Orleans 12.24 Chr. Ch.. 5th & Lafayette, Columbus 50.00 S S., Domestic Ch. of Chr. Geneva .. 52.50 W. Council. Chr. of Chr.. Warren... 15.00 B. & (I. Bible Class, Hampton 10.00 Mr. & Mrs. Hans N. Christensen. Hampton . 6-00 Eliza A. Wiley. Albion 20.00 Christian Church, Missouri Valley 50.00 Christian Church Mis. Group, Brandon 60.00 Kansas Primary & DVBS, Center Chr. Chr., Columbus . 18.29 W. Chr. Service Council, W. Side Christian Church. Wichita 50.00 Miss. Soc.. Chr. Ch., Bucklin 5.00 Kentucky Mrs. Knrl Wilking, Owensboro 35.00 Bethany Ch. of Chr., Brooksville 14.00 Massachusetts Mrs. E. S. Donnell, Watertown 8.00 Michigan C. E. Wiley. Battle Creek 30.00 Miss Mabel B. Goufd, Saranac 1.00 Minnesota Phobe CIrflp. First Chr. Ch,, Litehfteld 2.00 Missouri Liberty Chr. Ch., Cairo 21.50 Cammie K. Brooks. Brunswick 75.00 Bible School, Chr. Ch., Greentop 50.00 Nebraska Mrs. Ada B. Mahn, Alma 5.00 Mrs. Nora Gockley. Holbrook 5.00 A Friend. Hastings - 5.00 New Brunswick *Ch. of Chr., Lord's Grove, Deer L 26.00 New York "Ch. of Chr., Hicksville, Long L... 28.75 North Carolina Mrs. H. R. Miller, Roanoke Rapids . 100.00 Bible Sch., Macedonia Chr. Ch.. Wllliamstown 24.67 Macedonia Chr. Ch., Williamstown 70.00 Old Ford Chr. Ch., Washington .. 48.82 Oak Grove Chr. Ch.. Stokes 11.07 Roanoke Chr. Ch., S. Camp, Washington 158.86 North Dakota Mi-s. L. H. Carter. Fargo 20.00 Ohio Church of Christ, Hamersville 54.89 Bridgetown Ch. of Chr., Cincinnati 100.00 Mrs. H. C. Armintrout, Bellefontaine 5.00 Church of Christ, Hillsboi'o 100.00 Mr.s. Roy Polen, Steubenville 5.00 Mission Group, Waynesviile 10.00 South Akron Ch. of Chr.. Akron 17.52 South Side Ch. of Christ, Wash. C. H. 10.00 Women's Miss. Soc.. New Antioch Ch. of Christ. Wilmington 26.00 Oklahoma Mrs. Frank Ritthaler, Perry, Okla.... 5.00 Jones Christian S.S., Jones 62.38 Oregon Mrs. Zua Hooten, Myrtle Point 1.00 Cora Church, Roseburg 3.00 Missions Group. F.ugene 10.00 Pennsylvania Church of Christ, Scottsdale 33.67 Albert R. Hanke. Mill Hall Chr. Ch. 25.00 First Christian Church, Meadville .... 18.50 Miss. Soc., Ch. of Chr., Bioomsburg 55.00 Saskatchewan, Canada Church of Christ, S.S., Yellow Grass 11.40 Tennessee W. Miss. Soc. Chr. Ch., Newport 14.00 William C. Mahon. Greenville 10.00 Texas Entre Nous Class, Beaumont 5.39 Virginia Mrs. J. E. Lipscombe, Ellerson 10.00 Mrs. J. E. Lipscombe. Ellerson 12.00 Washington Mrs. R. R. Graves. Prescott 5.00 Miss Nellie E. Copley, Vancouver 50.00 West Virginia Miss. Soc. Ch. of Chr. Follansbee 10.00 Miss. Soc. Chr. Ch.. Chester 15.00 JULY1953 Alabama LeGi-ande Ave. Ch. of Chr., Anniston . 10.00 Arizona Phoenix Chr. Ch., Phoenix 25.00 Arkansas W. Miss. Soc., First Chr. Ch., DeWitt 5.00 Christian Church. Yellville 10.00 California Minnie D. MeCray, Oceanside 10.00 Fetterley Ave. Ch. of Chr., Los Angeles 20.00 Park Ave. Ch. of Chr., Montebello 9.00 Colorado Berean Miss. Soc., Canon City 65.00 Georgia South Gardens Ch. of Chr.. Savannah 5.00 Idaho Nampa Ch. of Chr., Nampa . ... 112.42 Women of F'irst Ch. of Chr., Boise 18.00 Illinois Mis. Circle, W. Union Chr. Ch., West Union B.OO Christian Church, Herrin 13.00 Harmony Miss. Soc., First Chr. Ch., West Frankfort 10.00 Loyal W. Miss. Soc., First Chr. Ch., West Frankfort 15.00 Miss. Soc., Chr. Ch., Sciota - 25.00 Christian Church, Louisville 25.50 First Chr. Church. Flora 86.S2 Oil Bell Chr. Service Camp, Flora 62.00 S. 111. Chr. S. Camp, W. Frankfort 40.00 Indiana Mr. & Mrs. W. E. Lycan, Evansville 10.00 Miss. Study Gr., Cobum Comers Church. St. Joe 9.50 Mrs. Eileen W. McClure, Elizabethtown 16.00 W. Miss, Soc., Antioch Chr. Ch.. Montgomery 25.00 Christian Church. Burnettsville 5.00 Church of Christ, Hamilton 37.00 Ethel and Pearl Self. Tipton 10.00 Miss Ruby Hoffman, Staunton 20.00 Iowa Primary DVBS. Ch. of Chr., Hampton 10.00 Junior Boys, Ch. of Chr., Hampton ... 2.50 Church of Christ, Hampton 2.50 Miss. Soc.. Ch. of Chr., Webster City 10.00 Madison Ch. of Chr.. Brooklyn 27.50 Kansas Miss. Soc.. Chr. Ch.. Leon 10.OO Women's Chr. Ser. Council. West Side Chr. Ch., Wichita 20.00 Christian Church, Norton 53.7fl Christian Church, Sublette 30.00 Mrs. Virginia Templeton and Nadine, Wichita 5.00 Kentucky Mrs. Winter Ncalc, Georgetown 100.00 "W. Dept., Broadway Chr. Ch.. Lexington 10.00 Manitoba Church of Christ, Norwood 11.50 Ch. of Chr., Portage la Prairie... 13.52 Gilgal Chr. Service Camp, Delta... 14.78 Michigan Mrs. Earl Burch. Battle Creek 54.00 First Church of Christ, Owosso 23.69 Minnesota Church of Christ, Fairmont 59.09 W. Council, Ch. of Christ. Truman .. 16.00 "Church of Christ, Crook.ston 32.76 "Bible School Union Camp, Warren 10.00 Phobe Circle. Ch. of Chr., Litchfield ... 2.00 Missouri Union Sunday School. Oregon 90.00 Missionary Socicty, University City .... 18.70 DVBS. Urst Chr. Ch.. Crane 25.00 Miss Bonnie O'Rourke, Joplin 10.00 Liberty Christian Church. Cairo 22.25 News Brunswick M. Lou Barbour, St. John 37.00 North Carolina Mrs. R. H. Shavender. Ransomvilte .. 14..36 Nova Scotia "W. Miss. Soc., Ch. of Chr.. River John 5.00 Church of Christ, River John 14.67 Ohio W. Miss. Soc. First Chr. Ch.. Canton 10.00 Mrs. Harry Strong. Hicksville 6.00 Mi-8. Ersa Lenhart. Belle Center 8.60 Mrs. Ray Folen, Steubenville 5.00 Oklahoma Maria M. Carr, Blackwel! 25.00 Frances Jacoua, Oklahoma City 30.00 .Miss. Soc. First Chr. Ch., Texhoma 11.2B Oregon Win-ne-ma Christian Church, Oretown 20.00 Turner Christian Church, Turner 9.00 . Pennsylvania Church of Christ. Uiilgeway . . 12.00 Central Christian Church, Pittsburgh 25.00 Raymond nill'hiim, MononRnhela 20.01) Princc Edward Island Jr. Bible School, Ch. of Chr. Montague 10.00 C h u r c h of Christ, Montague 50.00 ***Church of Christ. Murray Harbor. 31.50 Canoe Cove Christian Camp 80.00 Frodericton Church of Christ 10.00 .Mrs. Laura Nicholson, Fredericton 6.00 Summerside Church of Christ 51.00 South Dakota Sunday School, Ch. of Chr., Spencer 12.34 Tennessee Mr. & Mrs. Wm. C. Mahon, Greenville 10.00 Texas Entre Nous Class, Beaumont 3.69 First Chr. Church, Marque 10.00 Mrs. W. S. Blodget, Denton 2.00 Mr. & Mrs. Jessie Barnett. Ft. Worth 50.00 Virginia Ladies' Class, Chr. Ch., Ellerson 20.00 Mrs. Ethel Bourne, Bumpass 5.00 Christian Church. Waynesboro 14.96 Washington Mrs. R. R. Graves. Prescott 5.00 Miss Mabel Gilmore, Zillah 5.00 Mrs. Lida Conover, Waitsburg 5.00 West Virginia W. Miss. Soc. Chr. Ch., Follansbee .. 18.00 First Christian Church, Follansbee 16.70 AUGUST1953 Alabama LeGrande Ave. Ch. of Chr.. Anniston 10.00 Arizona Mrs. Anna L. Meek, Phoenix 2.00 Arkansas Mi-s. Walter Heins, Rogers 5.00 British Columbia Mrs. Pearl BeatI, Hope 10.00 California Fetterley Ave. Ch. of Chr., Los Angeles 10.00 W. Council, Ch. of Chr., Downey 10.00 Georgia W. Council, Chr. Ch., East Point 11.00 Central Ch. of Chr., Savannah 10^00 Illinois Mr. Sever, Ml. Vernon 5.00 Men & Women's Miss. Soc., Central Ch. of Chr.. Mt. Vernon . 25.00 Oil Belt Chr. Service Camp. Flora 71.76 Walshville Chr. Ch., Walshville 37.45 Mr. & Mrs. Harry H. Hornbaker, Maywood 25.00 Christian Church. Newton 15.82 Indiana First Chr. Ch.. Washington 50.00 Bethany Chapel. Oxford 25.00 Ethel & Pearl Self. Tipton 1.00 Mr. & Mrs. Fretl Foster, Pendleton .. 5.00 W. Miss. Soc.. First Chr. Ch.. Staunton 25.00 Iowa Mrs. E. S. Randall, Martinsburg . . l.OO Friends. Cedar Rapids 65.00 First Chr. Ch., Council Bluffs 25.00 Kentucky "Isaiah Moore, Paris 10.00 Massachusetts Mrs. E. S. Donnell, Watertown 6.00 Michigan Mrs. C. M. Adams. Algonac 6.00 Mrs. Jack Hawes. Elsie 25.00 Minnesota Mrs. Klolz, Matawan 1.00 Mr. & Mi-s. G. Clare Buskirk, Minneapolis 25.00 New Mexico Mrs. W. H. McDaniel, Texico 100.00 New York Laura S. C. Veatch. Rochester 100.00 Ohio Mrs. Ray Polen. Steubenville 5.00 Madisonville Chr. Cr., Cincinnati . . 76.63 S. S,. Clear Creek Ch. of Chr. Ashland 36.63 Junior Class, Ch. of Chr., Morristown Mrs. Ivonette Walters, Lowellville .... Mrs. Ona F. Smith, Akron Miss Elizabeth Brockhoff, Cincinnati... Oklahoma Mrs. J. L. Freeman. Tonkawa Mrs. Frank Ritthaler. Perry Oregon "Mr. Gene Burney, Portland Wi-Ne-Ma Chr. Service Camp Church of Christ, Drain Church of Christ. Cottage Grove Eve. Group. Fairmont Ch. of Chr.. Eugene Church of Christ. Oakland Mi-s. Cora Church. Rosenburg CottuKe Grove Ch. of Chr., Cottage Grove Tennessee Mr. & Mrs. Wm. C. Mahon, Greenville Texas Entre Nous Class. Beaumont Edgar Sage, Fort Worth Mrs. Leiia F. Cupp, Galveston Mrs. W. S. Blodgett. Denton Virginia Fairmont Ave. Ch. of Chr., Richmond Ladies' Bible Class, Chr. Ch., Ellerson Washington Mrs. R. R. Graves. Prescott West Seattle Ch. of Chr.. Seattle 15.00 Oklahoma 5.00 Women' 1.00 Ch., < 2.00 W. Cou Lewis A 5.00 Oregon 5.00 Soutl Centi 6.00 First Ch 50.00 Church 1 10.00 Tennessee 80.75 Mr. and Texas 31.00 Entre N 13.65 Virginia 5.00 Ladies' Washington 40.00 Mrs. Ge OCTOBER 10.00 Alabama LeGrand 5.0!) Arkansas 24.00 Mrs. Bei 5.00 California 2.00 Pork Mrs. Mir 25.00 Fetterley 10.00 E. R. F Illinois 5.00 First Ch 15.00 Beginner Churcl Indiana A. W Life Re( of Ch 10.00 Samuel Iowa 10.00 Church 22.29 Kansas Miss. Sc 25.00 C. S. w 7.25* 20.00 First Cl Kentucky 28.90 Churc 10.00 Michigan Central 6.00 Memorial SEPTEMBER1953 Alabama LeGrande Avenue Ch. of Chr., Anniston Alberta Church of Christ. Vulcan California Church of Christ. Cotton Park Ave. Ch. of Chr.. Montebelio Park Ave. Ch. of Chr.. Montebello Mr. James Elliott, Long Beach .. DVBS of Northtown, Alvarado, and White Churches of Christ Fetterley Ave. Ch. of Chr., Los Angeles A Friend, Fetterley Ave. Ch. of Chr.. Los Angeles Indiana S. S.. Maple Grove Ch. of Chr.. Berne Georgiunna Wilson. New Castle DeKalb Co, Youth Rally, Harlan Kenneth Eade, English Lucerne Ch. of Chr., Logansport Kansas Mrs. Virginia G. Templeton, Wichita .. Christian Church. Norton Christian Church, Sublette Kentucky Intermediate Boys & others. Chr. Ch., Carlisle Massachusetts Mrs. E. S. Donnell. Watertown Michigan Duplain Church of Christ. Elsie 25.00 Minnesota W. Council. Ch. of Chr., Cleveland .. 16.00 Missouri "Mission Fund. Chr. Ch., Knob Nosier 51.00 Christian Church. Knob Noster 40.00 "Christian Church LaMonte 25.00 Mrs. Almon Brandow, Anderson 2.00 Miss Bonnie O'Rourke. Joplin 5.00 Nebraska Friends, Humboldt 200.00 North Carolina Sprague St. Ch. of Chr., Winston-Salem 10.00 Ohio Montgomery Rd. Ch. of Chr., Cincinnati 15.00 Mrs. Roy Polen, Steubenville 5.00 Phillips Christian Church, Salem .. 35.00 Church of Christ, Orrville 31.50 Church of Christ. Akron 15.75 Church of Christ, Winche.ster 42.12 67.88 10.00 38.00 10.00 73.11 4.00 44.42 30.00 5.00 8.C0 LISD and RAWANG CHURCHES of CHRIST IN BURMA "Where China, Tibet, Burma and India Meet' (YUNNAN-TIBETAN CHRISTIAN MISSION) SECOND 1954 NEWSLETTER (No. 5, New Series beginning January 1953) i: Rawang Boatmen on River Near Putao '1 con do oil things through Christ which strengtheneth me.' PHILIPPIANS 4tia The J. Russell Morse FamHy and Associates P. O. Putao, via Myitkyina Kachin State, Burma A NEW VENTURE From the porch of the mission home in Muladi, one can look across the Mung Lang river (only 150 yards away), over the grass-covered plains, to the snow-capped mountain peaks some 50 miles away which mark the Tibetan border. The same mountain range curves around and is also visible in the west, where it forms the border between Burma and Assam about 30 miles away. In the sparkling clear sunlight of the winter season it is truly a thrilling and awe- inspiring sight which is presented by these majestic, towering jagged peaks which rise so abruptly from the edge of the plain. Near at hand, however, lie the grassy plains, in various levels or terraces, formed by Nature, not by man. The portion visible from the mission home forms only a very small part of the area commonly referred to as the "Putao plain." This is an area approximately 30 miles long and 12 miles wide. The grass which looks so soft and lovely from a distance is really the tough, wiry elephant grass which grows ten to twelve feet tall. This grass has roots that form a tangled mat just a few inches below the earth's surface. It is partly because of this hard-to-kill grass that in the past this large area of fertile plains land has not been extensively cultivated. With the crude and ineffective agricultural implements used by these peo ple, it is extremely difficult to cut through the grass roots sufficiently to destroy the grass and make it possible to grow other crops suc cessfully. Another reason for not settling and cultivating the plain has been fear of the very severe type of malaria encountered there one of the worst kinds in all Burma. So, except for a few scattered paddy fields cultivated by the Shans, almost the entire plain has gone uncultivateda rich area lying idle, while people endured famines year after year in the hills. The Lisu, Rawangs, Kachins and others all thought it more profitable to cut fields out of jungle land, which must be abandoned after one or two years, forcing the people to move on in search of new fields. Although this jungle or faungya cultivation as it is called, is thought by the people to be easier, it has many disadvantages which they have neither the experience nor education to discern. For one thing, since fields are temporary, so are the houses. They are scat tered about one here, two there, two or three more a mile or two away, and no large or even permanent villages are established. Thus it is impossible to have schools, and likewise very difficult to have congregations large enough to support a preacher. When the people are so scattered it presents a real problem in trying to shepherd those who have become Christians Because the work in North Burma has been growing rapidly, and because the mission field rovers ?iirh a wide area in which travel is extremely difficult, an effort has been made to urge the people to gather in larger villages (also advocated bv the government). Also, the importance of establishing Christian Day Schools has been stressed. The first large Lisu village to be established was Muladi. The village was laid out in proper blocks, with straight, wide streets. The village has been kept clean toilets built, pigs penned up In stead of running wild through the villageand consequently much sickness due to unsanitary con ditions has been almost eliminat ed. In three and one-half years the village has grown from ten to twelve families to more than one hundred families. A LISU PREACHER AND FAMILY It was in Muladi that the first LIsu Christian Day School was established. The large congregation at Muladiaround 400-450 has been taught tithing, and they practice it. During 1953 the cash offering alone was more than kyats 1500 (about $300 U.S.), plus rice, corn, cloth, chickens, pigs, eggs, and vegetables. More than half the money received was used in sending evangelists to new areas, and in helping preachers in other places where theif congregations were unable to provide sufficient support. The Muladi village and congregation has become a "model" or example after which other Lisu villages can be and have been patterned. But during the past year or so a new problem or difficulty has been developing. Although the people had been developing spirit ually, and in many ways the-r living standards were much Improved, It was growing increasingly difficult to find fields nearby. Many families were having to go seven or eight miles awaynearly a whole day's travelto find fields. Also, because so many famtl es were concentrated in one area, so much jungle was being destroyed each year by the cutting of taungya fields, that it was feared that w'thin a few years there would be a critical shortage of bamboo and timber for house-building, for fire wood, and other purposes. Therefore, many families were seriously considering moving on into a new area where there would be plenty of fields, wood, and bamboo, thus reverting to the traditional Lisu tendency toward westward migra tion. Even though they were reluctant to leave, they must have food. The only solution was to open up new fields in the grass olains on the north side of the river. Three recent floods at Muladi have washed away great sections of the river bank, threatenina the safety of the village. This danger, ever present during the monsoon sea son, added to the urgency of this move. But this wa<: considered almost impossible because of the difficulty of overcoming the ten- acity of the elephant grass with their inadequate farming implements. A few had tried small fields, but had almost despaired because in spite of their best efforts to weed it out, the grass grew so fast during the rainy season that it choked out much of the rice. The obvious need, of course, was for mechanized equipmenta tractor, plow, and harrow^but that seemed out of the question, until . . . but that is getting ahead of the story. When they were in Rangoon, Eugene and Helen had met an American who was TCA Agricultural advisor for the Kachin State, to be stationed in Myitkyina. He was much interested in what he heard about the Putao and Muladi area, particularly in the prospect of opening up new land for cultivation. He suggested that soil samples be sent to Myitkyina for testing. This was done, and the tests proved the soil to be very good. In August, 1953, Mr. Carter realized his previously expressed desire to visit the area, and spent a week looking over the land, and, incidentally, seeing how the mis sionaries lived and worked. He was very optimistic and enthusiastic over the potential possibilities, and urged that a tractor and im plements be purchased to be used in opening land, as he felt that to be the only way the grass could be destroyed. Previously, while J. Russell Morse was visiting churches in the U.S.A. on the West Coast, a friend in Newberg, Oregon, had offered to supply funds for the purchase of some piece of mechanized equip ment. When he learned of this need, he very generously gave $5000 for the purchase and maintenance of a tractor. Even after the money was given, it was only after much prayer, and careful consideration of all problems involved, that the equipment was ordered. Although the money was received in the fall, because of communication, trans portation and other difficulties, it was not possible to make actual purchase until January. The tractor is a Fergusona snnall, light weight unit, designed especially for use In backward, undeveloped areas, and widely used throughout the Orient. The equipment was shipped from Rangoon on January 28th, and reached Muladi on February the 15th, having been accompanied by an instructor from the company to teach its operation The first two weeks after the tractor arrived were spent in dem onstration and driver train-ng. Besides J. Russell Morse and Eu gene, two Lisu drivers were taught to operate it. By the end of a second two weeks, twenty-five acres of virgin grass land had been plowed under for the first time. As the drivers become more skilled, it will be possible to open up land a little more rapidly. It is hoped that before the planting season in May, it will be possible to have plowed about one hundred acres of lat*denough for a two acre plot for each of fifty families. Another year, when plowing can be started earlier, it will be possible to work more land. TTiis work is being done by native drivers for the native people, under the super vision of the mission. Because it can be operated and maintained by the native workers, the tractor will require only a small amount of the missionaries' time in a supervisory or advisory capacity, once work is well under way. The primary purpose of the missionaries' presence on the field is to preach Christ, not to do social work. The primary emphasis is and will continue to be placed on the spiritual welfare and development of the people. But we are thankful that the Lord has provided this means of improving their physical well being also. We pray that it may be used wisely, and be another re minder of the goodness of God, who supplies all our needs, and who delights in giving good gifts to His children. (Left to right) Jonathon, Stephen, (sons of Robert and Betty Morse) Ronald, Thomas and David, sons of Eugene and Helen Morse. This picture of the five little Morse boys was taken by J. Russell Morse. Since this picture was taken, another third-generation mis sionary has arrived. Robert Jr., third son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Morse, was born in Rangoon February 23, 1954. Mr. and Mrs. Robert Morse and their three sons returned to Muladi April 1st. North ' American . CHRISTIAN CONVENTION EUGENE MORSE FAMILY RETURNS FOR FURLOUGH Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Morse are returning to the States In time for the North American Christian Con vention at Long Beach, California, according to present plans. FOR CHRIST ALL OVER THE WORLD One sunny afternoon in the month of July 1953, as LaVerne and I. were crossing on a ferry toward Prince Edward Island, Canada, we suddenly thought of an idea which in the intervening nnonths'has so developed that by August 1, 1954, tens of thousands of books may be awaiting shipment into lands all over the world to tell men of the Christ, Who alone can be their Hope and their Salvation. This is the story of that idea and of its development into a near reality. I remember as a child spending many long hours reading a set of books called the LIFE OF CHRIST VISUALIZED. This set includ ed three books, each containing forty-eight pages of pictures with accompanying script and relating step by step the story of Christ from His birth to His Ascension. I recall that I was especially touched as I looked upon the pictures which portrayed the tremen dous anguish and suffering that my Lord endured for me. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I saw the nail-pierced hands and thorn- crowned brow. And I imagine that thousands of others all over America have been likewise touched as they have followed the events in the life of Christ as they are so beautifully pictured in these books. Then last summer as we were, riding on the ferry toward Prince Edward Island, LaVerne and I suddenly thought of printing the LIFE OF CHRIST VISUALIZED in the language of the Lisu tribal people along the Tibetan border. Soon after this idea came into our minds, we began to wonder if these books could be printed, not only for the Lisu, but for other tribes throughout the world as well. We were thrilled with the idea; and though at first it seemed so like a passing dream, it wasn't long before we were busy trying to make that dream a reality. We had a firm conviction that these books would have a tremendous power in presenting the story of Christ not only to those whose minds had never yet conceived of there being a God who loved them, but to those as well who had already been touched with the Gospel message. We knew that many of these minds were being filled with false propaganda which the Communists were flooding into various nations all over the world, it was a time for action on the part of God's people to stem the forces of evil and to bring light into the lives of men who lay in darkness! Investigating at the Standard Publishing Company in Cincinnati, Ohio, we found that if the missionaries over the world could raise an order for at least 100,000 copies of one of the three books of the VISUALIZED set, the Standard would see that these four-color books were printed in the various languages of the people with whom these missionaries were working. We were indeed surprised when ^^we found that the cost of producing one book complete in a foreign "^^^language would be approximately sixteen cents, whereas even the English edition of the same book was twenty-four cents wholesale price. We were thrilled and took the good news to the Sixth National Missionary Convention. Many of the missionaries enthu siastically hailed the idea and desired to order thousands of copies for the people arrKsng whom they were working. There was a prob lem, however, that threatened to thwart the dreams of those pres ent. Where would they get the money to buy the books they desired? In the following days a group of men in Cincinnati formed as committee to work out details with the Standard Publishing Com pany concerning the project, and to contact missionaries around the world as to the possibilities of getting the books printed. The com mittee consisted of Harold Sims, missionary to the Tokyo Bible Seminary, Japan; Paul Rathbern, missionary to the Colegio Biblico, Mexican border; Milton Dills, forwarding agent for the African Chris tian Mission, Belgian Congo; and R. LaVeme Morse, missionary to the Tibetan border. The final compilation of replies to the plea showed that the missionaries together could pay for 61,000 copies. Over 100,000 copies were desired by the missionaries, but funds were too low on every hand. Consequently, in December, the committee, with the encourage ment of various preachers and Christian leaders over the country, decided to put the proposition before direct support missionaries all over the world, that they order whatever books they desired on the basis of paying fifty per cent of the cost, or, in other words, about eight cents per book. Then an appeal would be made to the churches over the United States and Canada to raise the cost of the other fifty per cent of the total orders made by the missionaries. The project was to include only Book Three of the VISUALIZED set, ^ picturing the climax of Christ's ministry from His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem to His Ascension. According to a suggestion made by Harold Taylor, missionary to Japan, the steps of salvation wer to be printed on the back page of each book. The addresses of the Christian missionaries in the respective fields would also be printed or stamped on the back page. Thus people would first read the pictured account of Christ's life. Then, asking the ques tion, "Of what concern is th's story to us," they would have at the end of the account Scriptures showing what men must do to be saved. Finally, asking, "Where can we learn more about Christ, and where can we have fellowship with other Christians," they would have before them the address of the nearest Christian missionaries. In January letters began to flow out from the committee to di rect-support missionaries all over the world to present unto them the project at hand. In just a few days, tens of thousands of orders were pouring in from all oarts of the world for copies of the LIFE OF CHRIST VISUALIZED, Book Three, in the languages of the people with whom the various missionaries were working. Our hearts were truly thrilled as we saw the enthusiasm of our fellow workers in rhrist as they visualized the tremendous effect these books would have in reaching men with the story of Christ. For example, Elston Knight and Ray Carlson, ordering 5,000 copies ?n the Visayan d-a- lect, wrote, "How happy we are to see this world impact for Christ and that ancient gospel not after man in such an effective medium as this will be." Again, Harry Schaefer of the Central Provinces India Mission, ordering 10,000 copies in the Oriya language of Central India, wrote, "Over a thousand persons from that area have been baptized since beginning work there last year and the field is tremendous, so that such a publication would be most useful in help ing these new babes in Christ grow." Orders continued to roll in, until, to date, about seventy-seven direct-support missionary families apd single missionaries have placed orders for 165,100 books. The books are to be printed in the fol lowing languages: Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Vsayan (Philippines), llocano (Philippines), Siamese, Lisu, Rawang, Hindi, Telegu (South India), Tamil (South India), KhasI (Assam, India), Oriya (Central India), Xosa (South Africa), Italian, and Spanish (Central and South America). About $13,000, or, about one-half of the cost of pro ducing these books, has been pledged by the missionaries themselves. The appeal is now being made to the churches of the United Statss and Canada to raise the other $13,000 needed to complete the cost of production. Please pray with us, won't you, that, if it be the Lord's will, Chris tians over the land will respond to the plea and thousands of books telling of the story of Christ from His Triumphal Entry to His As cension may reach into the homes of men all over the world to tell them of the hope that is theirs in Him. Lois and LaVerne Morse. CONCERNING SUPPORT FOR PRINTING LIFE OF CHRIST VISUALIZED IN TOREIGN LANGUAGES Dear Christian Friends: At this particular time, we of the Yunnan-Tibetan Christian Mis sion believe sincerely that the printing of LIFE OF CHRIST VISU ALIZED in the various foreign languages is a project worthy of the heartiest support. We should like to urge supporters and ropehold- ers at this present time especially to send contributions to this cause. Men, women, and children all over the world with the LIFE OF CHRIST VISUALIZED books In their own languages will have in their hands a powerful influence for spreading the Gospel of Christ and thereby leading people to the pricelessness of eternal life. Where as atheistic, militaristic Communism now threatens the entire free world, and especially the cause of true Christianity, we Christians everywhere need to redouble our efforts to make the bulwarks strong, and to win foreign peoples all over the world to Christ be fore they fall under Communism instead. The LIFE OF CHRIST VISUALIZED books are an important means of doing this. ^^5 fiV wi luf^ iy - --- t-linlfftiHlf "'1 ;;v_ The publication of the books and proper use of all funds is under the responsibility of a temporary committee (for this one project only) of missionaries, ministers, and a Christian businessman as follows: Harold Sims, Paul Rathbern, Milton Dills, Harold Scott (Co lumbus, Ohio), James Walters (Bethel, Ohio)> Ralph Sims (Cin cinnati), Roy P. Slifer (Christian businessman serving as treasurer for the committee), and LaVerne Morse. Contributions will enable missionaries all over the world to have the LIFE OF CHRIST VISU ALIZED in their own language. Contributions should be made payable and sent to Missionary Book Fund, s/o Roy P. Slifer, Box 55, Station V, Cincinnati 10, Ohio, They will be receipted by him, and listed in the Cfiristian Standard. The missionaries all over the world have pledged $13,000; please prayfor us that the additional $13,000 necessary may be supplied by faithful Christians and churches in the United States and Canada AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. LaVerne and Lois Morse. THE SCHOOL AT TILIWAGO By Mrs, Gertrude H. Morse The second semester of the freshman year of the Bible Seminary had been planned to be held from November to February at Tiliwago, which is one hundred miles into the Himalaya mountains east from the Putao plain. In the fall, the trail to Tiliwago is in Its worst con dition of the whole year, due to having weathered the onslaughts of the long rainy season which closes about the middle of October. Usually, many landslides have taken away part of the trail, many bridges have been washed away by high waters, and the remaining ones are quite rotten. The trail is overgrown with tall grass, ten to twelve feet high, and other jungle growth, and many large trees and boulders have crashed down the mountainsides to block travel on the narrow path. However, it was reported that a week or ten days before Robert and I started on the trip to Tiliwago, the trail had been opened somewhat by a small caravan of several horses. Therefore we decided to try to take our horses. As I had so recently returned from America and had not regained my walking muscles, Robert insisted on my riding the horse when ever possible. He or one of our load carriers usually went first to try to be sure that the bridges and trail were passable for the horse. It was considered best to dismount the horse whenever a bridge looked a bit questionable, as well as at other dangerous places. By the end of the day, after dodging all the tree limbs, sharp overhang ing bamboo, and dense jungle growth, and at the same time trying to guide the horse into the least dangerous parts of the path, and sticking on when he jumped down or ud several feet in the rocky places, I felt as if 1 had done a hard day's work. As Robert carried a forty pound load in order to demonstrate to some of our young preachers that it is not below the dignity of a preacher to carry a load, he was usually quite tired bynight, too. On Monday morning, when we were climbing to the top of the pass, one of the rotten bridges did give way under my horse. However, It was not a dangerous place, and I had gotten off the horse just a few minutes before. The horse went down somewhat as though he were on an elevator. However, Robert was coming close behind the horse at the time, and he sank down several feet into the mud and muck, but fortunately received only a slight injury. The load carriers cut a path up the steep side of the ravine and led the horse back to the trail. The horse was unhurt! Just about a mile from this place, we had to cross a very crudely built, narrow bridge spanning a narrow gorge which Robert estimated to be a thousand feet of sheer drop. If this bridge had broken, none of us would be here to tell the story. But God "tempered the wind" and helped us to get to our desti nation safely. The day before we were to arrive at Tillwago, we got to Kobudeh where Dorothy Sterling is located. My, It was indeed a great pleas ure to visit with her again and relax from the trials of the road in her comfortable home. Although Robert had to go on with the load carriers the next day, he insisted that I accept Dorothy's invitation to stay over several days and rest. We certainly had a good visit together. quart^^^ the three ^ houses for dormitories, but since there were 150 students, these HOUSE AT TILIWAGO were insufficient. So the students built about seven or eight small grass huts. The rest of the students stayed down In the village below us. Of the one hundred and fifty students enrolled for the school, about half were Rawang and half Lisu. Twenty-six were preachers. Some of them had come ten or twelve days' journey on foot to attend the school. The mission helped with food for most of the far-away students. As the Rawang students did not under stand Lisu, we had to have a Rawang interpreter. Although Robert speaks both Lisu and Rawang, he used an Interpreter, for it is too BAMBOO AND GRASS MISSION HOUSE AT TILIWAGO much of a mental strain to speak a sentence first In one language and then In another. I, myself, speak only the Lisu. We have seven classes a day. Including: Harmony of the Gospels, Acts, Plan of Salvation, Deeper Life Teachings (chapel period daily), two language classes (Rawang and Kachin), and one class in healthy living. Then, besides the teaching, there was the medical work, the buying and dispensing of food and other necessities to the stu dents, and the many mission tasks of that area. So we were Indeed busy, but reallyvery happy. And God abundantly blessed the school, for which we do covet your prayers. A week before the Christmas convention, the elders from all the surrounding churches gathered for the Elders' School and Conference. In years past we have found that these gatherings are very profit able and helpful In the growth of the churches. Besides the morn ing classes- of the Seminary which we thought would be helpful to the elders, classes were also given In the origin, growth, organiza tion, and purpose of the church; personal evangelism; and the quali fications and work of the elders. The Christmas convention for that area was held at Wuning, a day's journey from Tiliwago. We dismissed school for several days so that everyone could attend. As Wuning Is located In the Rawang area, most of the seventeen hundred (1700) who attended were Rawang people. We had really good sermons and we felt that the people were blessed. After the convention, Robert had to stay on for two days to have his Rawang literature conference, while I re turned with the students to continue the school. During the last two weeks, in the hours when we were not teach ing. we had personal conferences with the 26 preachers about their various church problems. Also, we got together the medical kits, and supplies of New Testaments and hymnals for each one. These 26 preachers, plus four others, minister to 67 congregations and also work In unevangelized areas. Please pray much for these work ers. On the last day, after the services were finished and the grade leaf lets were given out, we all had dinner together. Finally, after the farewells were said, the students left for their respective homes, carrying on their backs their blankets, books, cooking kettles, and food for the journey home. It had been a very happy three months and, we trust, a profitable time for the Kingdom of God. LATE NEWS FROM J. RUSSELL MORSE . . My work recently has been slowed because of pain resulting from an accident about a month ago. Next to the kitchen Is a small porch about 12 feet above the ground. When I stepped on one of the planks it suddenly broke, drooping me to the ground below; but I thank God my chin d'd not strike on the front plank of the open ing, for my neck might have been broken. Meanwhile, the sick people from this and many neighboring Christian villages continued streaming in for treatment and in this time the loyal and skillful help of our Drema Esther has been especially appreciated. Beginning last Friday night we had the Easter Convention here for the Putao area, and there were about 2500 in attendance. It was a time of Gospel preaching and Christian fellowship. We have not received reports yet from three or four other regional conven tions which were held at the same time. We are so very busy with the great operation of moving across the river to higher ground. All are so very tired and really standing In need of prayer support. What will the coming few months bring forth after the Geneva Conference! LISU AND RAWANG CHURCHES OF CHRIST IN BURMA By Mr. end Mrs. Eugene R. Morse Mission staff: On the field: Mr. & Mrs. J. Russell Morsereturned to mission field in July, 1953 after furlough. Mrs. (Gertrude) Morse has been engaged largely in Bible School teaching, first at Muladi, then later at Tiliwago, with son Roibert; Mr. Morse has been active in medical work, supervising agricultural developments, etc., and general base station work and problems. Mr. & Mrs. Eugene Morseat Muladi base station. Helping in Bible School teaching, preparation of literature, evangelistic trips, general base station maintenance work,, conferring, etc. Eugene has made two trips to Myitkyina, for purchasing supplies for mission staff. Have three childrenDavid Lowell, age 5; Thomas Eugene, age 3; Ronald Keith, age 18 months. Verne graduates in May, Lois com pletes her third year. They plan to LISU CHRISTIANS IN TEMPORARY attend Summer Institute of Linguistics SHELTERS AT A CONVENTION at the University of Oklahoma, then start for the mission field in late Au gust or early ^ptemiber. Miss Ruth Margaret Morsestudent at Cincinnati Bible Seminary, complet ing second year this spring. Planning to complete Seminary training before going to mission field. Field of Labor Although in the past the field of labor has been referred to as "Lisu- land," that term is not inclusive enough and presents only one side of the pic ture. For the work among the Raiwang is growing so rapidly that it will soon equal and perhaps even surpass the growth of the Lisu work. Also, there are other tnbespeopleShans, Kachins, and far to the north even Tibetans here within the borders of North Burma, whom we hope to reach with the Gospel. Roughly, the field is divided geographically into two sectors, east and west. In the western sector, around the Putao plain, we find mostly Lisu, some Rawang, some Kaehin, some Shan. Up to the north, in the mountain ous region we find many Daru (a branch of Rawang), a few Lisu, and up on the northern border, some Tibetans, In the eastern sector, there are two mission stationsKobudeh, where Dorothy Sterling is working, and Tiliwago, where Robert and Betty have spent much time. Around these two stations and north of them, are mostly Lisu, with some Rawang, but to the south of Tiliwago begins the real Rawang country, with thousands of people living in small villages scattered throughout the mountains, reached only over very difficult trails. These are the people who are turning to the Lord in such a thrilling way, by families, and even by whole villages. From the eastern most part of the field (the China border) to the westernmost (the India border) takes about 25 days hard travel on foot (the only way to travel); and from the southernmost congregation (near Sumprabum) to the northern most, on the Tibetan border, takes 27-30 days very hard travel. The fact that the work is scattered over such a large area, and with such primitive means of travel, presents a problem in trying to shepherd all the congre gation (about 90 in number, here in Burma). It is obviously impossible for the missionaries to travel to all these remote places, and therefore we must rely heavily on the native preachers to teach these outlying districts. That is one reason we have concentrated so much on conducting Bible Schools this past year, even though it meant having to stay in one place, not being able to get out and visit the churches as much as we would like to do. NATIVE PREACHER TAKES GOSPEL TO DISTANT AREA Way to the north, about 20 days' travel from Muladi, one of vM our very faithful Daru Rawang preachers, John, recently started ' on a tour of that distant area, tak- ing with him phonograph and ,' Z' Viewmaster also. He came upon \ * several villages of Tibetans who Ojv had never before heard the Gos- pel. He had with him two or three Gospel Recordings in Tibetan, and these he played for them. They TIBETANS WHO CAME TO were amazed to hear the "box" MULADi FOR medicine speaking their own language. At first only a few people were pres ent, but they went out and called all the people they could until a large crowd had gathered. Snee most of them understood Rawang also, the Rawang Gospel recordings were very useful also. Several people expressed interest and wanted to hear more. And now, four Tibetan men have made that long, hard trip to Muladi to get medi cine, because they heard from the preacher and other Christians that we gave out medicines, treated sick people here. It gives us another opportunity to present the Gospel to them. They were very much surprised to find that Mr. J. Russell Morse could speak Tibetan! And although it was a slightly different dialect, they were able to converse. LISU AND RAWANG CHURCHES OF CHRIST Tiliwago Sector By Robert and Betty Morse The area to which the Tiliwago station is central now has some rarely Ra- congregation. Tiliwago is such a congregation. A RAV7ANG CHRISTIAN FAMILY The year 1953 began with 20 Lisu churches (counted by church buildings) and 23 Rawang church buJd.ngs, but ended with 22 Lisu and 45 Rawang churches, show.ng an increase of 24 new churches. No figures are yet available for the number of baptisms during the year, but the number is qu.te a few hundred. Total churches in the sector now number 67. As can be seen, there are far more congregations than there are available workers, so that each preacher must care for more than one congregation. Some preachers in the more densely populated areas have as many as 8 to 15 villages as their "circuit," and hence the needs of the congregations are in adequately cared for. Consequently ^^assistants," where available, are sometimes kept as busy as the regular pastors. The Bible Training School, or Seminary, for this eastern sector, in 1953 taught by the missionaries, was split into two sessions total ling 5 months and overlapping into February 1954. The first se mester was held at Miss Sterling's station at Kobudeh, with 103 students finishing (55 Lisu, 48 Rawang). The second semester was at the Tiliwago station, with Mrs. J. R. Morse's added help, and with 134 students finishing (each tribe 67). Through both se- mesters, Mugaltaq Piter, Robert's able Rawang informant and Bible translations assistant, has acted as translator, doing a remarkable job of ensuring that the deep spiritual truths are rightly translated and understood by the Rawang half of the class. Class notes and study material are In both Lisu and Rawang, so that in actuality the one school represents two distinct schools, Lisu and Rawang, with each group using and working in their own language throughout. Thanks to the help of the Muladi missionary staff (Eugene and Helen) in regards to printing, 2350 copies of 15 items of mimeo graphed study notes and class material, from maps to 50-page book lets, totaling 261 pages, and requiring 13,500 sheets, were prepared for this second semester alone. The year 1953 saw the establishment of the first indigenous church day school in this area, down at Rawangtang in the center of a group of Rawang churches. Although attendance at first was around 140, the problemof food soon necessitated reducing the enrollment to 60. The first year, kindergarten standard, was completed with two teach ers being occupied full-time. Most of the credit for the success of this school should go to Pastor Tychicus, the untiring Rawang preacher who gave Robert his start in Rawang and helped do the first trans lations during 1950-51. Two Bible classes were taught each day, besides chapel and the "three R's" (in Kachin and Burmese). The end of the year also saw a representative conference of all the Rawangs, representing four religious bodies (Church of Christ, Baptist, Pentecostal, and Animist) gathered to consider and ac cept as their heritage the new Rawang literature. Over 100 dele gates from all over North Burma met for two days, and appointed committees and reached decisions with a view to unifying the 80-odd dialects of Rawang that are spoken. Among the important decisions reached was one choosing the dialect learned and spoken by the Robert Morses as the basic dialect to be used in printed literature, and also, a request for the whole New Testanoent to be translated into Rawang. The missionaries were also requested to help open schools and translate school texts as well as religious material. This establishes Rawang literature as something permanent and accept able to all factors and groups throughout the tribe and not as a private linguistic effort by a "foreigner", which later will fall into disuse. Please remember us in prayer Mei[d by MRS. OSCAR U MYERS Sec. 34.66 P L&R 2024 N. 14th St. Terre Haute, Indiana Form 3547 Requested BUTTis ButleP, 20 E Central Parkway, Cincinnati 10, Ohio