Thailand Hmong Mission

January 2006 Trip Report

By: Dr. Fungchatou Lo

With the start of the New Year, I decided that the first thing I should do was to encourage members at Grace Lutheran Church to engage on “Mission Work”. So, I decided to start the New Year with a mission trip to Thailand. Accompanying me was Rev. Mark Berlin from Mayville, Wisconsin.

On January 10^th Rev. Mark Berlin and I met in Bangkok, Thailand for the first time. We spent the night at the airport sleeping on the floor for reasons of saving mission fund and time delay. From January 11^th to the 12^th, we spend time at the Mission Center in Chieng Mai teaching the leaders on the book of Genesis. On January 13^th, my cousin—Ker Lor--came for a visit from Laos, and we traveled to Kong Huai Klai in Chieng Rai. For the next three days, we studied the book of Genesis, visited different villages, recruited leaders and witnessed to the villagers in Chieng Rai province. We showed the Jesus film in Hmong and the Passion of the Christ. Within two nights, approximately 450 people saw the two films and heard the gospel from St. Luke. Praised the Lord!

One of the greatest moments was that I got to witness to my cousin about the saving grace of our Lord. He was skeptical at first, but on the night before he departed to Laos, he stated that he will become a Christian and ask his two brothers in Laos to do the same. He will also help us identify leaders from Laos to be trained in Thailand for doing ministry in Laos.

On January 17^th, Wa Xue--our van driver--took Phongsock, Pha, Mark, Phonsock’s wife and older daughter and niece, and I to visit the Hmong immigrants from Laos in Huai Nam Klau. There were approximately 8,000 individuals living right on the sidewalks of a mile long road. Each of the families there made a small hut in the side of a small kitchen for themselves. The United Nation provided them with sheet of plastics to cover the roofs of their huts and to be used as bathroom covers. They also have tanks of water in the area for the people to use. Other than these, the UN has no further supports. The only rice that they received is from a Baptist Christian organization called Relief Logistics International (RLI). Every week, RLI would bring in a truck load of rice and distributed it to the people with each person receiving two kilograms of rice for a week. The people there are suffering without hopes of knowing where they will end up. We got to send message to LCMS World Relief for help.

On January 17^th and18^th, we also visited the Hang village in Phare—Kue Nam Tha. We discussed with the villagers again about becoming Christians and showed the Jesus film right outdoor. It was a terribly cold night, but about 100 people sat through the film. We also gave Rev. Mark Berlin a Hmong name and prayed for him. His Hmong name is Chamong; which means messenger. We also gave the people there each a gift of a Thai bath towel. On January 18^th we retuned to the Mission Center in Chieng Mai, and Rev. Chamong Berlin return to the US on January 19^th via Bangkok.

During the evening of January 19^th, Wa Xue had his young brother (Lee Yang) and a nephew (Pao Thao) from Long Xang for a visit. From 7:00 pm until 12:00 midnight, Pha and I shared with them our Christian faith. That night they confessed that they are sinners and needed Jesus to save them. On the morning of January 20^th, we held a short baptism service. Just before the baptism service started, Wa Xue’s young brother-in-law (Yausxeej Chang) and his wife (Pajyeeb Chang) showed up and wanted to be baptized. They had been Christians for a long time with another denomination—the SKT. So, on the morning of January 20^th, just before we left for Tak, we baptized four individuals. It was a blessed morning.

On the road to Tak, I continued to instruct our new Christians more about what it means to be Christians. They got so excited because what they heard was different than what they were taught or experienced from other denominations. For the first time, they heard that life in Christ is life under grace and not under laws. These men returned home with joy and desired to go into the ministry. I encouraged them to meet with Rev. Yia Vang and Rev. Jeff Prewitt in March for further instructions.

We arrived in Pa Kha, Tak on the night of January 20^th. On the morning of January 21^st, Wa Xue invited me to share with his relatives about life as Christians; many of them are Christians but they have been instructed not to join with their non-Christian relatives during Hmong cultural ceremonies. They are not to drink alcohol because it is a sin, not to date and/or marry to non-Christians, and not to eat certain food because it is a sin again God. They were eager to hear what I have to share with them. So, I shared with them that as Christians, we are saved by grace through faith in Chris alone, and not by laws. This means, we are to love God with our hearts, minds and souls; and we are to love our neighbors as ourselves. Furthermore, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life to the Father; thus none of the laws we kept will help us or prevented us from getting to the Father if we are walking in Christ. With all these and many other explanations about life under grace, they all wanted to become LCMS members; but I encouraged them to continue to attend church where they had been doing and be faithful by studying the Word so they will know the truth; only the truth will set them free.

For the next two nights, we showed the Jesus film in two different villages (Pa Kha & Pa Wai). The weather was nice and we had about three hundred people saw the film. I could not imagine that we would have be able to get three hundred people to sat through the two nights to hear the gospel of St. Luke if it was not for the Jesus film. Traveling around and showing the Jesus film in different villages was a good ministry. Lee, Pao and Yausxeej mentioned that if they have a video projector and the sound system needed, they would take on this project. It is my prayer that we will have such equipments for them to start doing “film ministry” in Thailand.

On the third night, as we were preparing to show the Jesus film in another village, we received a bitter sweet news that one of our members in Klong Huai Klai by the name of Nhia Chau Hang has been involved in a car accident and lost his life. Right away, we packed everything and traveled all night to Klong Huai Klai. When we arrived in Klong Huai Klai, the sons of the deceived man already started conducting the funeral in the Hmong traditional faith in the spirits. However, when his relatives arrived, they deliberated and discussed about how the funeral should be continued, while I was praying that God would open the sons’ hearts and grant us the opportunity to glorify Him through this funeral. Shortly, after my prayer, the relatives announced that the funeral will be done as a Christian funeral. For the next three days, Phongsock, Pha and I make sure that the people heard the Good News of Jesus’ resurrection and eternal life in heaven. During the second night, I also showed the Jesus film, and another film about God created the universe. Both films were in Hmong language. Approximately, 75 adults and children saw the two films that night. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Over all, the mission trip in January was filled with many blessings. We showed the Jesus film to over 800 people in four different villages. Saved four souls out of the Devil’s hands, and witnessed one soul to heaven.

Things Needed for the Mission in Thailand:

· Raise fund to support the four newly recruited leaders.

· Raise fund to purchase a rice mill machine to do ministry in Klong Huai Klai.

· A video projector to implement the “film Ministry” in Thailand.

· Help find supports for the Hmong immigrants from Laos in Huai Nam Klau.

Please pray for these things

Thank you for your prayers and financial support.