On the Road Again

CHIANG MAI, THAILAND – Our ninth day of mission in Thailand saw the team once again on the move. After one last visit in Chiang Mai, and a glimpse of an important part of the Christian Church’s future in southeast Asia, we departed for Thailand’s border with Myanmar (Burma), and the next stage of our mission.

Bags packed and ready to go, the team first stopped at the McGilvary College of Divinity, part of Payup University in Chiang Mai. There, we were met by the Reverend William J. Yoder, Dean Emeritus of McGilvary, who took us on a tour of the seminary, and briefed us on the history of the school, and the history of the Christian church in northern Thailand, which goes back to the 16th-century and the mission of Francis Xavier. As for the school, it’s roots go back to 1867, when Daniel McGilvary, a Presbyterian missionary, started a class in evangelism and church administration, and contributed to a renaissance for the Christian community in Thailand, in the late 19th-century.

The team met with seminary staff, visited the library and computer center, and were introduced to the works of Sawai Chinnawong, an artists who has brought together the artistic traditions of his country, and others to give new expression to Christian themes and scenes from the Bible. This picture shows a detail from his "Annunciation."

Our visit to the seminary ended with a worship service with the students and faculty. The Reverend Jerry Hilton offered closing remarks, greetings and words of encouragement to the students, reciting the list of Asian countries from which they have come to live and learn at McGilvary. Team leader Margaret Purvis thanked the Dean, and presented him a donation for the seminary.

The rest of the day would be spent in travel south and west, to Mae Sot, a town of about 30,000 people, on the banks of the Ping River, which serves as a boundary between the nations of Thailand and Burma. The journey of several hours took the team through the higher, more rugged mountain country of western Thailand, passing by many villages and cultivated fields, herds of cattle, parks and campgrounds, and Buddhist temples, some with very large golden statues that stand in the open air, gazing out over the countryside.

Upon arriving in Mae Sot, our team will renew its contact with Partners Relief & Development, which maintains its second Thailand office here, close to those whom they serve. And it is here that our team will meet with more members of the Partners staff, and visit the schools and other services they support in the local refugee camps.

That will begin tomorrow morning, but we are already gaining some valuable, first-hand insight into the plight of the Karen people. Joining us in Chiang Mai was Nee Doh Chit, a 24-year-old Karen, originally from Burma. "Andy" now lives in Thailand and works as a Karen Project Coordinator for Knowing Children. He helped pass the hours of our journey by answering team members’ questions, and helping them better see the ‘big picture’ through his own life story.

The day ended with a shared meal in Mae Sot, and a discussion of the day ahead, as we begin the final stage of our mission to Thailand.

And remember, if you have any questions you would like to ask our team members, you can e-mail your question to us at missioner@fpcmid.org