TRIBES anJ TRAILS

lit Thailand
. for Thou ivast slain, anil tlithl pan huso unto Goil
with Thy hlootl mon of every trihe. and ton}ne.
and people, and nation.^* Revelution 5:9h
APRIL 1953
TRIBES and TRAILS
in Thailand
APRIL 1953 Vol.2, No. 1
Published twice yearly, in
spring and autumn by Mission
Services, Willernie, Minnesota
for
SI AM MISSION
o f
AMERICAN
CHURCHES OF CHRIST
Address in Siam
TALAT CHIENGKAM,
CHANGWAT CHIENGRAl, THAILAND, ASIA
(Send letters and parcels for all missionaries
to this address)
MISSIONARIES
and their forwarding agents
C. W. and LOIS CALLAWAY
Mrs. C. \V. Callaway, Sr.
Box 757, Canadian. Texas
The Callaways will be on furlough from May
1953 to April 1954 during which time they
maybe reached through the Canadian Address.
MISS IMOGENE WILLIAMS
Mrs. Lora Harrison
1218 N. Custer, Wichita 12, Kansas
MISS DOROTHY UHLIG
First ChristianChurch, Klamath Falls, Oregon
GARLAND and DOROTHY BARE
Mrs. Norma Burney, Box 178, Lincoln, Illinois
MISS MARGARET ALLDRIDGE
Mrs. Mary M. Klor
70 E. 23rd Street, Eugene, Oregon
(Note: Send funds to agentsnot to Siam ad
dress, Agents transmit funds regularly by bank
draft to the respective missionary in Siam)
THE COVER
Thai children riding a wa
ter-buffalo at the Leper village
of Ban Sop Waan. Typical bam
boo house with grass roof i s
visible in the bacfeground.
"They shall be called
Sons of the Living God."
Sons Of God
"SO they've gone to convert the
Yao! Next thing you know
they'll even be thinking they can
make Christians of the Miao!"
This was the mirthful comment
o f Chiengkam denominational
folks.
And indeed that is just what
we are thinking. God's Word is
as true today as it was in the
days of Hosea~or of Paul who
quoted him"I will call that my
people which was not my peo
ple... and it shall be that in
the place where it was said un
to them, 'Ye are not my people,"
there shall they be called sons
of the living God." Romans 9:
25, 26. Hosea adds "And they
shall say, "Thou art my God."
The Yao and Miao are not
the Lord's people. They are the
devil's people. Not that they ex
pect mercy and love from the
evil one but they fear and wor
ship him and his hosts of evil
spirits and they partake of his
degradation. Opium is the staff
of life for all but the yoiing wo
men. Gambling is the sport, and
immorality is village custom.
They are tolerated by the plains
people only for their profitable,
if illegal, opium trade.
While despised by their
equally sinful down-country
neighbors, they have been look
ed upon in mercy by a loving
Heavenly Father, and through
the working of His Spirit, your
prayers, and His using us as
vessels for His Word, "they
shall be called sons of the liv
ing God."
Lois Callaway
IF the world's most eloquent preach
er, the most learned teacher, and
the most persuasive personal worker
were all included in our mission staff, it
would still be human fraility pitted against
superhuman might, "for our wrestling is
not against flesh and blood, but against
the principalities, against the powers,
againstthe world-rulers of this darkness,
against the spiritual hosts of wickedness
in the heavenly places." Yet we believe
that if one thousand believing Christians
The Greatest Need
will give at least five minutes of
every day to prayer for the needs
of Siam, the forces of Satan will
be routed and great victories
won for our Lord and Master.
Here is a suggested daily prayer
schedule:
SUNDAY: The Preached Word
y Pray that the Word might
be preached in its fulness and
power in each service.
y Pray for the Bible school
classes in Chiengkam and Ban
Sop Waan.
y Pray for the more than 60
new Christians at the Ban Sop
Waan church.
y Pray for the afternoon
hymn sings.
MONDAY: The Yao Tribe
y Pray that the seed sown
during the Callaways' stay in
Tzan Fu's village might bring
forth fruit into eternal life. Pray
especially for the headman.
y Pray that the villages of
Ai Liang and Nam Dome might
continue warm and receptive to
the Gospel.
y Pray that the mercenary
spirit and the hostility of vil
lages such as Dong Puan might
be speedily overcome by the
power of the Gospel.
y Pray for the C. W. Cal-
laway family in their continued
labors among the Yao. Pray for
special guidance in the problems
of language study and transla
tion work.
TUESDAY: New Workers and
and Untouched Tribes
y Pray for Margaret All-
dridge in the problems of lan
guage study, adjusting to a new
field, and entering into her cho
sen phase of the work.
5 Pray that recruits now
preparing for Siam may be gui
ded in their decisions and pro
vided with their needs.
y Pray that laborers might
be thrust forth sufficient to the
needs of Siam.
y Pray for the untouched
tribesthe shy Khamu, the wild
Khon Pa, and the degenerate
Lahu.
WEDNESDAY: The Black
Miao Tribe
y Pray that the Black Miao
in the Nam Pik area might con
tinue receptive to the Gospel.
THE GREATEST NEED
? Pray that Wang San, the
headman who has been favorable
toward the Gospel, might come
to a complete understanding and
obedience and thus be used in
leading his tribe to Christ.
y Pray that the Gospel seed
might have found good ground in
each of the villages where ithas
been sown.
5 Pray for Imogene Wil
liams and Dorothy Uhlig as they
prepare to study the Black Miao
language. Pray that they might
be guided to the proper location
and time for undertaking this
study.
THURSDAY: Chiengkam
y Pray that the Chinese and
Ind:. an merchants in Talat
Chiengkam and the other market
centers may be reached by the
message of Christ.
y Pray that the clinic work
might ever be an effective means
of pointing souls to the Great
Physician.
5 Pray for the Thursday
night service in Chiengkam.
y Pray that all who call
themselves "Christian" in this
area might be united in full
obedience to ChrislJs commands.
Pray that the sectarianism and
division which elsewhere bring
reproach to Christ's cause
might be eradicated through the
preaching and acceptance of the
simple message of the New Tes
tament.
FRIDAY: The White Miao
y Pray that the 11 large
White Miao villages north of
Chiengkam might continue res
ponsive to the Gospel message.
y Pray that the interest man
ifested in the villages of Ba Ma
and Bleh Soo might grow into a
hunger and thirst after right
eousness.
y Pray that the Miao popula
tion centers of Sen Jai and Sen
Long Si might become centers of
Gospel witness.
y Pray that Garland and
Dorothy Bare might be guided
in their plans to live and work
among this tribe.
SATURDAY:
The Lowland Tribes
y Pray that the indifference
and entrenched Buddhism of the
tens of thousands of Northern
Lao might be overcome.
y Pray for the idolatrous
Shan people of Ban Hok, Chieng
kam, and Chiengkhong.
y Pray that the Laotians of
the Mekong valley might be won
to Christ and used in carrying
the Word of Truth to thousands
of their untouched fellow-tribes
men in the Kingdom of Laos.
y Pray for the hard-hearted
Lu tribe. Pray that the Lu popu
lation centers of Chiengkam,
Chiengban, Chiengrang, and Baw
Luang might soon be reached for
Christ.
11/ E DO not believe there is
rr danger of over-estimating
the importance of backing each
worker and phase of the work
with earnest, daily prayer.
Siam, alone among the nations
of mainland Asia, maintains
her doors wide open to mission
aries. How long the time of op
portunity will last we do not
know. We only know that it is
urgent that the Gospel be prea
ched in Asia today. We do not
ask that you pray for the wel
fare or safety of the workers.
Rather, pray that the Word
might go forth and souls be
saved no matter what the cost.
4
(concluded on page seven)
A WELCOME
Among the Black Miao
4WANG SAN, A BLACK MIAO HEADMAN
Six Miao men filed into our
house and after seating them
selves, started asking about us,
and we in turn asked them from
what village they came. Tou
Ying, who was the spokesman
for the group, and another young
man came from French Indo-
China, but the others live in
Thailand. The two from French
Indo-China had heard the Gos
pel from Christian and Mission
ary Alliance missionaries, and
after having accepted Christ as
Savior they were eager that
their relatives too should hear
the good news. So they had come
several days' journey to tell
them about their new found joy
in Christ. Tou Ying stayed for
many days with his brother,
Wang San, who is headman of
the village of Nam Pik. As he
witnessed concerning Jesus,
Wang San became interested,
especially when he realized that
Christians no longer worship the
Devil and no longer have to sac
rifice animals to the evil spirits.
Then Tou Ying suggested that
they go to Chiengkam and meet
the missionaries in Thailand.
Wang San didn't want to for he
was suspicious of foreigners,
but after much persuasion he
finally agreed. Three other men
came with them.
Thus, they came to our
home, some of them a bit fear
fully perhaps, but eager to know
more. They only stayed for a
few hours, but before leaving
Wang San invited us to go to his
village and teach him about Je
sus. With hearts full of priase
we prayed that, the Lord will
ing, we might be able to visit
his village.
Several months passed be
fore we could do, butfinallythe
morning arrived when Imogene
and I could leave the plains and
start our search for the little
village of Nam Pik, located
somewhere in the mountains
northeast of Chiengkam. It was
the opium harvesting season so
the tribal people were busy and
suspicious of foreigners, but in
spite of this we found a wel
come among them and they ea
gerly listened to the gospel
records. We traveled slowly
seeking to make friends, so it
wasn't until the fifth daythatwe
arrived at Ham Pik. The head
man, Wang San, was a bit sur
prised to see us, but gave us a
warm welcome. The other vil
lagers quickly gathered around
to see the foreigners and hear
the gospel records. There was
none of the suspicion there had
been in other villages for we
came as invited guests of the
headman and the way had been
prepared before us bythe Lord.
, For three days the people
eagerly listened to the gospel
records and we explained the
story of Jesus as best we could
in Chinese. One day Wang San,
after listening to the Thai,
Chinese and Flowery Miao re
cords, told us that he understood
them fairly well, but that we
would need to learn his language
before he and his people would
really understand.
Before we left, Wang San
said his brother would be com
ing to visit him again soon, and
then they would come to Chieng
kam and see us. Pray with us
that if this is the Lord's open
ing among the Black Miao that
Wang San may invite us to come
and live in his village and learn
his language that we may tell
him of the Savior who died for
the Miao too.
Dorothy Uhlig
On The High Trail
W. Callaway with Thai Carrier in a
Yao mountain opium field
The trail on the ridge is the
boundary between Thailand and
Frenchlndo-China. The Eastern
slope of the range descends
sharply to the Mekong Rivera
thin ribbon of clay far below.
For nine days, Garland and I
and one carrier had traveled up
to and through the nearest range
on the west, and were now head
ed south on the border range.
We were glad it was the Lord's
Day, and that He had brought us
to such a lovely spot to spread
His Table. Unsaddling the hor
ses and putting them to graze
we prepared to give our hunger
ing souls afeastonhigher things.
A. tree root made anice seatand
so placed us that, as Garland ex
pressed it, our feet were in
Thailand, but our hearts in In-
do-China.
On the long, border range,
there were White and Black
Miao, Yao, and Khamu. The
valley at our feet had Lao and
Lu. The next velley contained
Shan and Laotians also. Beyond
that, other heights, near Chien-
grai, added Lisu, Lahu, and
Kaw to the area's peoples. Many
ranges, visible beyond the Me
kong. were White Miao terri
tory.
We had just departed from a
White Miao village of 70 hous-
esa virtual metropolis for
tribal-land! Miao new year cele-
brations were there in progress
and there were visitors from
other villages. We had seen
about 500 Miao, allin their shi
ny black, and bright red tribal
bestmany playing catch or
spinning heavy tops with great
dexterity. Although likely the
first white men in the area, we
had been received with friendli
ness and courtesy in every vil
lage. There had been rnany
happy occasions for Christian
witnessing, and we had rejoiced
in the interest some had shown.
Lao at Pang Ka seemed grateful
for tracts given, and listened
attentively to the Gospel mes
sage. White Miao at Bleh Soo
village were overly exuberant
as they heard for the first time
the old, old story. Men inter
preted the message to children
and women who did not know
Chinese, and often two or three
were speaking at once. Later
one of the men told us the le
gend of why the Miao have no
books. The ancestor of the tribe
was about to drown in a great
flood and swallowed his only
booksays the legend.
These thoughts were in our
minds as we sat there on the
mountain ridge i n communion
with our Lord. This day the loaf
was His "body broken" for the
peoples of all these tribes about
us and the cup was "poured out"
for themas much as for us.
The day seemed to be dawning
whenmany of these people would
understand that for them also
Christ died, and, when, they
likewise, would keep the feast
in His memory. A hymn which
we sang there reminded us of
our pitifully inadequate know
ledge of any of the languages
which had been buzzing about
our ears these days. We real
ized more than ever that even
had we "the tongues of men and
of angels" we could not begin to
proclaim adequately the great
message entrusted to us. And
yet it seemed appropriate (and
so it seems still) to sing those
words:
"It passethtelling, that dear love of Thine,
MyJesus, Savior: yet those lips of mine
Would fain proclaim to sinners, farandnear,
A love which can remove all guilty fear,
and love beget."
C. W. Callaway
Etfigaged
While it is always true that the future lies unknown before
us, Christians have the blessed assurance that their pathway is
planned by an all-wise Heavenly Father and "commit their way
unto Him," trusting Him to guide. So it is that Margaret All-
dridge, who was led by a round-about way through Burma to
Thailand, has found her particular place of service to be quite
different than the one she envisaged.
As far as she knew when she arrived in this land, her field
of work was to be somewhere in the Chiengkam area. Then, just
as she was leaving Bangkok to come and continue language study
here and begin to find her place of work, a young man of the
Birtish Missionary Aviation Fellowship was brought to Thailand
on special business for the Master, and these two, uponmeeting,
came to recognize that God had made them soul-mates and that
it was His intention that they should serve Him as one.
Margaret has announced her engagement to Alastair John
Macdonald of Scotland, and sometime before the year is out they
will be united in marriage. If the doors continue to open and MAF
is allowed to make its services available to the missions here
in Thailand, then this country will be their home, with Mr.
Macdonald assigned to the flying and maintaining of the plane,
for he is a qualified pilot and air-craft engineer as well as being
a highly consecrated Christian.
A LETTER FROM LELAN VT riigHM6Bfe> . -
Dear Friends:
OnSunday when Sunday school isreadyIgooutand
call the Thai children to come toSundayschooland then
we singThai choruses. Uncle Garland tells me the story
in English and then I interpret it into Thai. When Sun
day school is over we give the children Sunday School
papers.
We used to live in the mountains inabamboo house.
But now I live in Chiengkam. Inihreeor four months we
>vlll go back to America.
Your friend,
Lelan Callway
P.S. I have a new baby brother named Joel David. He
was born February 17th.
MARGARET ALLDRIDGE
THE GREATEST NEED
Other Suggestions
J Select one missionary to
be remembered daily in your
prayers. Write to the mission
ary telling of your intention so
that you might be informed of
prayer needs and special pro
blems .
J Select a tribe or phase of
the workfor dailyprayer. Write
for further information on the
matter selected.
J Organize a prayer and stu
dy group within your congrega
tion to consider the neeas and
problems of Thailand.
Will you become a fellow-
laborer in this ministry ofpra-
yer that Christ maybe glorified
and souls saved in this needy
land ? ^
God Giveth The Increase
V. cutaway baptiilng a poup of men
GarlandBatebj^tttiloga Thai glil
"So shall my word be that goeth outofmy mouth:
it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accom-
Blish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the
ling whereto I sent it." Isaiah 55:11. We have re
joiced to know that the Word is working in the hearts
and lives of people and have sen
"So shall my word be that goeth outofmymouth:
it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accom
plish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the
thing whereto I sent it." Isaiah 55:11. We have re
joiced to know that the Word is working in the hearts
and lives of people and have seen again that "the Cos-
pel is the power of God unto salvation."
During January of this year, there were 61 who
were buried with Christ in baptism and rose to walk
in newness of life. These, 44 adults and 17 children,
are all from the Leper Village three miles from
Chiengkam. Twelve came from Buddhism; the others
were believers and had been sprinkled. After much
study of the Word and earnest prayer for guidance in
the matter, they believed immersion to be the Scrip
tural form of baptism, and, desiring to completely
obey their Lord, they asked to be immersed.
Medical work among these with leprosy, is slow
and discouraging, for even with the newest treatment
it takes months usually before improvement is seen
and for some there is no improvement. Thus, for them
there seems to be even greater joy in being "His chil
dren." Only a few can read, making teaching difficult,
but they are all endeavoring to memorize Scriptures.
This was their idea, not ours, and we were thrilled
when the headman asked us to give them verses to
memorize. They love to sing and like to learn new
hymns. Pray that these might grow In faith and know
ledge.
CALLAWAYS' FURLOUGH THIS Wiiiiams
C. W. and Lois and the children expect to arrive on the U. S.
West Coast in May. After visiting Lois' parents in Fort Morgan,
Colorado and C. W. 's parents in Canadian, Texas, they will locate
for the summer in Norman, Oklahoma to attend the linguistics
course of Wycliffe Bible Translators. Because of the intensive na
ture of this course and its importance for future language study
and translation it is essential that speaking engagements at this
period be limited in number. September to April will be given to
speaking engagements. They hope to return to Thailand in April 1954
because an absence of not over one year from Thailand will pre
vent delay and red tape in Bangkok as well as repayment of Thailand
entrance fees. Callaways came to Thailand from China in 1949,
having left the States in December 1946.
R 'i "1 'd 99 *335
p33iuBjen<) 3Seiso<}
M3tiuiw 'ajmaxiTM 'SHDlAMas NOISSIW
0] uimsj 'passsjppe tv sxqeisAnspun
XSIMHD JO S3HDanH0 NVDIHaWV JO NOISSIW WVIS
TRIBES
ITRAJLS^
t
^0^THA/LAND
r= - ' '
,V' '16
. . *for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase unto God with Thy blood
men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation." Revelation 5:9b.
OCTOBER, 1953
TRIBES and TRAILS
in Thailand
OCTOBER 1953
Vol. 2, No. 2
Published twice yearly, in spring and
autumn, for;
SIAM MISSION
OF
AMERICAN CHURCHES OF CHRIST
PRINTED BY HENRY PRINTING CO., EUGENE. OREGON
ADDRESS IN SIAM
TALAT CHIENGKAM, CHANGWAT,
CHIENGRAI, THAILAND, ASIA
(Send letters and parcels for all mission
aries to this address)
MISSIONARIES
and their forwarding agents
C. W. and LOIS CALLAWAY (on forlouRh)
Mrs. C. W. Callaway, Sr.,
Box 757, Canadian, Texas
MISS IMOGENE WILLIAMS
ieavinc; on furlough Nov. 1933
Mrs. Lora Harrison, 1218 N. Ouster,
Wichita 13, Kansas
MISS DOROTHY UHLIG
First Christian Church, Klamath Falls, Oregon
GARLAND and DOROTHY BARK
Mrs. Norma Burney,
Box 178, Lincoln, Illinois
MELVERT and JUNE BYERS
Mrs. Allen B. Nichols,
2111 S.E. Silver Springs Rd.. Portland 22, Ore.
(Note: Send funds to agentsnot to Slam
address. Agents transmit funds regularly by
bank draft to respective missionary In Slam.)
COVER PICTURE
Intelligent but illitenite, this Yao boy
waits for the word in his own ianguage.
RECRUITS TO SAIL
This winter Donald and Roberta Byers
expect to sail for Thailand. They may be
reached thru their forwarding agent,
Mrs. C. C. Pierce, P. O. Box 482, Med-
ford, Ore.
MARGARET ALLDRIDGE MARRIED
On July 23rd Margaret Alldridge was
united in marriage with Alastair John
MacDonald and has joined him in his
work with the British Missionary Avia
tion Fellowship.
A rice mill is a very interesting place
with a great whir of constant activity.
The rice in its brown husk is thrown into
a hopper and whirled around roughly to
cause the outer husk or chaff to come
off. Then it goes into a blower where
the chaff is blown away. This process is
repeated three or four times and each
time the rice becomes more polished
until at last it comes forth gleaming
white. In the final process it is sifted
and separated and from one chute comes
forth the large perfect grains; from the
next come partly broken grains; and
from the last come the small broken
pieces of rice, still usable but lacking in
beauty or desirability.
The world is like this rice mill and the
people in it as the rice. In the process of
milling many refuse the gospel message
and are cast forth as chaff. Of those
who hear the Word and receive Christ
some come thru the periods of testing
as broken grains losing their original
beauty, while others are polished more
perfectly by the testings which are
theirs. Pray that these to whom we min
ister in Thailand will receive the Word
and be steadfast and faithful during tri
als that they may come forth perfect in
Christ Jesus, fit for the Master's use.
Dorothy Uhlig
Don and Roberta Byers, and son
X
A Christian family at Sope Waan.
You're invited to worship at the Lepor
Village this morning! Be ready to start
before 8 for the dikes thru the rice
fields may be slick and it will take more
than an hour to get there. Don't fear
crossing the bamboo bridge for its real
ly very strong. We're thru the forest
now and there's the village. Someone's
calling "maa liang ma laao" which
means the teachers have come. This is
the signal for the headman and others
to come to the bamboo church building.
We go up and sit on the bamboo mat
ting raised floor on the side opposite the
men. The women and children sit on the
dirt floor at a slightly lower level.
Greetings are exchanged and conversa
tion continues until the elder announces
the first number. These people love to
sing and may sing six or seven songs
with all verses. The men who can read
use books; the others follow as best they
can. Many have learned the verses and
all sing on the chorus.
A child is nudged or told to go see
about the buffalo for at this season the
water buffalo can not be turned loose
and the children must care for them.
A boy of 13, named See, has to be told
many times, for he doesn't want to miss
any of the service. He hasn't known the
Lord very long and has been in the vil
lage less than a year. His parents are
dead and he lived with an older brother.
Some large red spots appeared on his
face and his feet felt numb so his broth
er brought him to us for examination.
The diagnosis was leprosy but they
wouldn't acept that nor the advice to
go to the village or take medicine. Some
time later he was put out of school for
the spots were much larger and he was
getting worse fast. The village was his
only hope. The very first Sunday he
came to church and listened attentively.
He learned choruses readily and was
well liked by all. Many of the other boys
had accepted Christ as their Saviour
and were faithful witnesses. Thus not
^ery much later See too accepted Christ.
Since taking DDS regularly he has
greatly improved and can probably leave
the village in two or three years.
After singing, prayers, the offering
and the communion service an elder or
deacon preaches. Bible classes are
taught afterward. Dorothy Uhlig and the
children go to a near-by house where she
teaches using flannelgraph. Scripture
verses and choruses are taught. Some
of the men get pencils and paper ready
to take notes and Scripture references.
Some of the women put on the expres
sion "I know I can't understand her so
why try," while others quiet their babies
and make ready to listen. The teaching
must be simple for they are yet babes in
Christ and still it must be such as will
make them grow and become mature in
him.
Classes are over and everyone wants
to sing choruses or start learning a new
song. Between 1 and 2 p.m. we say good
by and start toward home rejoicing and
praising the Lord for these and praying
for their growth in him. Will you pray
too?
Imogene Williams
Mel and June Byers
At present June and I find ourselves
seeking to adjust to the habits and lang
uage of a relatively small country called
Thailand. Formerly we would not have
been able to give any infonnation con
cerning this country which is % the size
of Texas yet contains over 18 million
people. Other fields would have been
more appealing but we have learned that
God's leading must always eclipse the
desires of man. In this way June and I
have experienced in a definite way what
it is to be led to the mission field by the
Spirit of God.
Our original plans were to return to
Burma and work among the Rawang
tribes people. Negotiations with the Bur
mese government were slow and dis
couraging. In the meantime we had
made contact with the missionaries in
Thailand. Since preparations to leave
were complete we set sail not knowing
just where we would finally be engaged
in missionary work. Shortly after arriv
ing in Bangkok, Thailand we received a
definite refusal from the Burmese gov
ernment. We then took definite steps in
obtaining papers to work in Thailand.
This was completed in a few days. Thus
our place of service had been deter
mined. We were quite ignorant of this
land, its need and its possibilities.
One night about 11 o'clock our road-
weary truck stalled for the last time
just as we approached Chiengkam. The
rains had washed out a small bridge.
Jie leaJU M(:.
We were determined to complete our
journey so we waded the rest of the way
through mud and rain. Thus we arrived
at our new home in Northern Thailand
late at night, bare-footed, soaked and
tired. Since then we have been quickly
ushered into the routine and life of the
missionary endeavor of this area. After
two or three days of getting settled and
registered, June and I commenced the
task that faces every new missionary
language study. With peculiar looking
words and unfamiliar sounds we have
been wrestling ever since arriving. Our
language teacher is a young fellow who
has exhibited much patience with our
stumbling incoherent sentences. Some
times it requires several embarrassed
moments for him to identify what we
are attempting to say. Nevertheless
God has been giving us the victory as
we look to Him each day.
Since the work here is young, evange
lism and knowledge of God's Word is al
most nil. Surrounding the plain on which
we live are several mountain tribes
which have yet to hear the message of
deliverance. The powers of Budhism and
spirit worship are strong but God is
greater. We shall not be satisfied until
some of these have tasted of the New
Birth.
The first few months on the mission
field have been filled with work and a
heart-peace that God is still leading. We
rejoice also in the bit of scripture which
says, "For thou art my rock, and my
fortress: therefore for Thy names sake
lead me, and guide me." June and I nev
er dreamed that we would be sensing the
Lord in Thailand. Now the reason why
is readily understood. There are many
forces and obstacles working against
the efforts of evangelism in this area as
there are in every mission field, yet this
is God's business. It is our business to be
yielded. Lead on. Master, is our prayer.
Melvert Byers
White Miao women dressed in festive
attire for their New Year celebrations.
Taken on a mountain trip made by Mr.
Cullaway and Mr. Bare.
"Hey, Mom! Look at the sugar cane
the Gamnan's boy gave me!" Young
Mark Callaway came in beaming above
an armload of the sweet stalks, deposit
ed them in the kitchen and dashed off
to fetch the "lots more" that had been
promised him. This generous neighbor
we always refer to by his official title
"Gamnan" (Village Magistrate). His
three young sons were good friends of
Lelan and Mark during their stay here.
The eldest is now at home, the second
away at school, and the youngest, Fone,
lives with an older sister who is also our
neighbor. Fone's stepmother is of the Lu
tribe and is a characteristically hard
worker. In spite of her husband's high
position she industriously gathers and
sells fruits in season and can often be
seen climbing the fruit trees next door.
The eldest of her three little girls. Pan,
is about the same age as the eldest of
her step-daughter's two girls, Pranee.
This step-daughter is a sweet young
woman married to a young Catholic
doctor from Bangkok. As they are our
near neighbors on the north we have
frequent visits and discussions with them
and hope soon to see them follow the
True Way. Often Pranee and her little
uncle, Fone, and, occasionally, her wee
auntie. Pan, come over to "read" our
picture books. We have almost complet
ed translation of some children's Bible
story books with which to entertain
them on these visits.
MEET
THE
NEIGHBORS
Beyond the Doctor's modest abode
are the big house and spacious grounds
of the Khun Pra, former county magis
trate. Although gracious in such things
as inviting us to his son's wedding this
neighbor is ardent in his pursuit of
worldly pleasures. Many sleepless nights
have been due to his noisy parties. Yet,
we have frequent opportunities to wit
ness to the man and his family. Yes, we
know that the Saviour is able to reach
even this one despite his wealth, pride,
and power.
Recently we had occasion to call on a
neighbor with whom heretofore we have
had little contact. Some of our chickens
had gone vagabond and we were trac
ing them down. This man, a teacher,
proved friendly and helpful, warning us
that the new neighbors to the rear are
of a very low sort. Before we left, the
teacher's pretty young wife appeared
with her month old baby. Though a
healthy looking child it was suffering
from upset stomach and she asked our
advice about it. Later, when June and I
called to ask about the baby wo found
her bathing it with water and mild soap
a rather rare thing among Thai
mothers. We are truly thankful for the
opportunity to get acquainted with these
young folks and we pray that it is only
the beginning of a future friendship in
the Lord.
There are other neighbors with whom
we have had little contactthe folks in
the tiny bamboo houses across the road
and the new neighbors the teacher
"warned" us aboutbut with whom we
hope to make friends before long.
Jesus teaches us to "love thy neigh
bor as thyself" and, by His grace, we
have not found it hard to love these
"house-friends" as the Thai put it. Will
you not join us in praying that they will
become, not only "house friends" but
spiritual brethren looking together with
us toward that spiritual home?
Dorothv Bare
u
^ ^ a word fitly spoken
n
^ ^
"You can smile when you can't say a
word." But teaching the gospel of Christ
requires more than a smile.
When a man asks, "Who is Jesus?" or
"Can you cure me of worshipping evil
spirits?" our souls thrill with the mes
sage we have for himthen comes the
language barrier. Tsan Fu can speak
some Chinese, as can we. He can speak
some Northern Thai. We do too. But the
Chinese and Thai that he has learned
have prepared him to barter in opium
and horses, and clothnot for under
standing the more intricate forms that
have to do with the heart and soul. So
understanding does not come to his
heart in those languages.
He has words of his own in the spirit
ual realm, but we do not know them.
They have never been written down.
They sound impossible to our ears. When
we try to write them down, our pen fails.
We try to repeat the words after him,
but he smiles and shakes his head.
Souls hungering for freedom from dev
il worship and no one knowing the words
to bring this spiritual bread! Souls dy
ing for lack of salvationnot even
knowing that they are dying or that
there is salvation from that death. No
Teacher! No Book! No hope in the only
Name that can bring hope and peace
and salvation! "How shall they believe
in Him whom they have not heard?"
The barrier must be broken downthe
language must be conquered in the
Name of Him who said, "Go ye into all
the world and preach the gospel to ev
ery creature."
The Wycliffe Bible Translators, a non-
denominational group organized solely
for the purpose of Bible translation saw
this need several years ago, and have
set up summer institutes in the United
States, Canada, England, and Australia
to train prospective translators in the
processes of learning a language, reduc
ing it to writing, translating the Scrip
tures, and teaching the people to read
it. And so we turn to the Summer Insti
tute of Linguistics at Norman, Oklaho
ma, for a summer of concentrated work
in the principles of learning the langu
age of Tsan Fuor his counterpart in
any primitive people any place in the
world.
We must learn to hear the many
sounds not found in English, and repro
duce them. Then they must be written
in phonetics. The phonetics must be
changed to a practical alphabet, which
can be printed. Next we must study the
construction of words, with all the vari
ous possibilities of prefixes, suffixes,
infixes, etc. that we might meet in our
prospective language, along with the
various possibilities of grammatical for
mations. One summer can only introduce
one to the vast possibilities in the
science of languagesbut it does give
a basis for work.
So now we go back with greater con
fidence to our task of learning Tsan Fu's
language and eventually giving him a
Bible he can read and understand. Lin
guistics invaluable? "The Gospel is the
power of God unto salvation ..." The
greatest power in all the world! If lin
guistics is a means to release that power
to souls dying for lack of it, then we feel
it is indeed invaluable.
Do pray for us that this knowledge of
language learning can soon be put to
work among Tsan Fu's peoplethat wis
dom will be given in translation and
teaching, and that the Holy Spirit will
be preparing the "ground" for the sow
ing of this seed. Pray for these people,
"knowing not that they know not," that
they may come to the saving knowledge
of the Saviour.
Lois Callaway
A White Aliao village situated on the In-
do-China border. The road is the boundry
between Thailand and Indo-China.
12:00 Noon. It didn't seem like such a
high mountain when viewed from our
front window in Chiengkam. Behind us
are the paddies and palm-crowned vil
lages of the plain, the oxcart trail wind
ing through teak and bamboo, and the
hour of wandering through swamp and
forest when we got lost. We have been
on a steep upgrade now for more than
an hour not counting the half-hour lunch
stop just finished. The corn field we just
came through is the first sign of moun
tain life. No tractor will ever cultivate
that 50 degree slope.
2:00 P.M. Time to get started again.
As we rounded that last bend we found
ourselves amidst a group of Black Miao.
These happy little highlanders live in a
cluster of tiny huts perched on a ridge
high above the trail. We caught them
observing a tribal ceremony. It only took
a few minutes to recover from the shock
of intrusion by these white foreigners.
The ceremony continued after a teen
age boy invited us to seat ourselves and
added politely but firmly, "you can't go
on 'till the bridge has been dedicated."
A sturdy new plank bridge spans the
creekfor human use? Of course not,
but for spirits! Travelers must continue
to wade. Two men and a woman have
been preparing a freshly killed pig and
chicken while another woman presided
over ceremonies. The village headman
recently died and with this ritual his
l\loieA^
teen-age nephew has just been installed
as his successor. As soon as the pig and
chicken were cooked, a middle-aged
woman threw a rag over her top-knot,
picked up a gong and walked beside the
new span chanting a rhythmic incanta
tion. This ended, Melvert and I, the
accidental guests of honor, were asked
to participate. We carefully explained
that as servants of the True God we
cannot indulge in observances that honor
demons, but as a gesture of good will
toward the new headman we took his
hands and assisted him across the bridge.
Henceforth the bridge is closed to hu
man traffic forever. We have politely
declined a part in the feast and are tak
ing leave amid warm invitations to re
turn.
9:00 P.M. Old Seven is playing a
long and rather monotonous melody on
a bamboo Kan while jiggling his infant
grandson on his back. Melvert and I are
stretched out on a bamboo mat spread
on the dirt floor. The firelight is dying
and the last of the evening's crowd are
scattering to their huts. With what ani
mation they lisened to our stumbling ef
forts to bring thorn, in Chinese and Lao,
their first taste of the Good News. Did
their running conversation concern this
Great God who made Heaven and Earth,
or were they merely commenting on the
strangeness of the foreigners?
After a day of steep trails, of wander
ing by mistake into Indo-China, and of
once again finding the trail that brought
us to this White Miao village we are
weary, but rejoicing that the suspicion
which greeted us has changed to a
friendly warmth, that Old Seven has
received us into his smoke-filled hut,
and that another mountain village has
been touched by the first dawning rays
of the Light of the World.
Garland Bare
Thai Schoolboys
Raise Big Din
r-
From Grandma downno one goes to
school in this Yao village.
The first day of school has come for
Lelan and Markreal school, that is
for though Lelan has had four years of
school work at home, and Mark a year
of kindergarten and first grade, they
have never gone to a real school.
I wonder what the teacher would do
if they were to forget and answer her
questions in Thai, or if Mark muttered,
"nung gap nung ben song" (1 plus 1
equals 2). Worse yet, what if they should
try to read as the Thai boys do in their
classes? The teacher reads a line and all
the boys yell it back in unison. School
sounds like bedlamand no one gets
punished for whispering for no one
could hear a whisper above that roar.
They won't get five days off in April
for Thai New Years and they'll find that
there won't be a vacation for the King's
birthday. There will be some things that
they will be glad for. They won't have to
vvai (bow down with folded hands) be
fore an image of Buddha as Thai boys do.
On Sunday they can go to Bible school.
Thai boys can't in most places, for there
just aren't Sunday schools.
Do you think all this sounds strange?
Lelan and Mark know some little boys
and girls up in the mountains of Thai
land that would think your school even
more strange. These little Yao boys and
girls never have school at all, and never
learn to read or write. They have never
owned a book, and probably never will
until we can write some Bible story
books for them.
Lois Callaway
Sloxn Mission of Amoiricciii Clmirclies of Christ
Henry Printing Company
1411 Walnut Street
Eugene, Oregon
Sec. 34.6-5{c) P. L. & R.