History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

Baptist mission among the Shan 34
them land. Should they do so, what a field of labor will at once are opened to me! What does this mean?
May we not think that God has sent them to meet us by the way? And does it not indicate that we have
been moved to commence the Shan Mission at the right time?” Toungoo was not a Shanland. But the
Shan were there as refugees. Wasn’t it a divine plan? No foreigner was allowed to travel to Shan
country at that time without special pass from Burman King. It was reported in April that ten thousand
Shan refugees were in Toungoo. Bixby said in his letter dated April 12, 1861, “Can it be possible that
the event of our arrival in this country to establish a Shan mission and the arrival of ten of thousand
Shan at the very place where we had thought to take up abode and where we can dwell with safety
could occur at the very same time and the hand of God not be in it? But why should I question this? We
will not be faithless but believing. We will thank God and take courage.” God sent people to
missionary!
The beginning
Bixby quickly moved to Toungoo on May 8, 1861 and started working among the Shan
refugees. He gave his first report from Toungoo on June 18, 1861, “I find substantially correct. The
Shan tribes have come down en mass with their SaoPha (chief) and the bulk of them have settled on the
site of the old town DinGaWadDie about seven miles from the city of Toungoo. The harvest before me
is indeed great but what can I say of the laborers? As I stand on the border of this broad harvest-field
and look over it I am overwhelmed with a sense of the magnitude of the work and when I turn my eyes
to a single sickle my heart sinks within me. Can one reaper garner such a harvest?”
Immediately Bixby thought he could not do the work alone. He developed plan to reach out to
the Shan by studying Shan language, preaching to the Shan in Burmese language as he had learned
Burmese few years ago in Moulmain and many of the Shan understood Burmese. He occupied zayat 6
every day and preached the gospel, opened a chapel for regular Sunday services and preached house to
house. He baptized the first Burmese woman believer on the third Sunday of August 1861 together with
eight Karen. In the beginning Bixby did not believe that she was a genuine seeker. But later he was
convinced that she was a genuine believer when she walked one mile every alternate day to study the
Bible with Mrs. Bixby. It was unusually quick to have a Burmese woman baptized within three months.
When Adoniram Judson worked among Burmese in 1813, he got the first Burmese baptized in six
years. Despite that Bixby was a missionary assigned to the Shan he got Burmese believer first.
Deep inquirers and new believer
Bixby reported in his letter dated November 5, 1861 that when he was passing through the
bazaar a man asked him whether he was Jesus Christ’s teacher and told him about the gospel he read
from the book entitled “Glad Tidings.” A few days later this man asked a bout a tract called “Tree of
Life.” Next day Bixby took a good selection of tracts and went to the bazaar. In the market he saw
many people gathering around him asking for tracts. He gave all the tracts to them and preached to
them the gospel until he was exhausted. When he came back home from bazaar he saw several young
men waiting for him at his home. One of the young men asked for baptism immediately. Who was this
man? His name was Maung Dyne, a native of Arrakan. He was a government officer. He wept over his
sins and heartily confessed them to God and said, “My shame is all gone and I am bold to speak for
Christ. My sins are all forgiven through Christ and my soul is very light and happy. Now, teacher, I
want to be baptized so that the world and all my friends may know that I am a Christian.” He was then
taken to Dr. Mason and Rev. Cross to examine him. He was confirmed and baptized one week later. He
later offered himself to superintend in the building of a chapel for the Shan and Burman and he
contributed forty rupees to aid the work. Furthermore he preached boldly wherever he went. Bixby said,
“The Shan were very friendly and some listened well but none as yet believed.”
6 Temporary shelter for travelers