History of Shan Churches in Burma 1861-2001 - Khamkoo

Baptist mission among the Shan 48
order for as much unoccupied land as he wanted for mission use. At the same time he wanted to know
when we could come to his city to begin mission work. He asked us to look over the whole city and
select the most desirable site for a mission compound and he would have it marked and reserved for us.
We gladly accepted his offer and selected a fine knoll, which will be near the new palace. From this
knoll one could see all over the city. I counted twenty-three villages in sight. This is a very important
field about midway between HsiPaw and NamKham and ought to be occupied at once while the SaoPha
is so friendly and ready to help. At both NamKham and HsenWi timber is very scarce and poor. Only
jungle wood and probably all permanent buildings at both places must be made of brick. We spent one
bazaar day here in HsenWi and had crowds of listeners till the rain came on. The SaoPha invited us to
the palace for one service. The large room was crowded and great interest was manifested by some.” 30
NamKham was then under HsenWi SaoPha control.
The Second Mission Field, MuongNai (1892)
(23 Years to establish mission field in Southern Shan State)
MuongNai was the first mission field in Southern Shan State and the second in Shan country.
MuongNai city was under SaoPha control with about 650 houses in 1893. It was one of the most
powerful Shan States under SaoPha. It was 240 miles away from Rangoon but it would take a month to
travel to that place by train from Rangoon to ThaZi then by horse or elephant or bullock cart or on foot
to MuongNai. It was a city full of pagodas and monasteries. MuongNai situated in a valley in which
Malaria had long been a problem and also the fatal black-water fever.
Cushing’s visit to MuongNai
According to Rev. Rose’s record Rev. & Mrs. Cushing visited MuongNai in 1868-1869.
Wherever they went the people gathered around them and many listened attentively to the story of the
cross. Several thousand tracts were distributed and seed sown from which they may hope for fruit in
coming time. 31 It was reported that Mr. Kelley, a man of rare linguistic ability and earnest devotion,
joined the mission early in 1872, entering enthusiastically upon his work he acquired a sufficient hold
upon the Shan language in nine months to preach very creditable sermons in the chapel in Shan
language at Toungoo before he left with Rev. Cushing for a trip to Shanland in December 1872. On
January 1, 1873, when almost within a day’s journey to their destination, the city of MuongNai, he was
drowned in a small lake called Nong Saweet (Lake Saweet). The tragedy of such missionary or
missionary children got drowned in the late was not uncommon in history of Shan mission. A
missionary drowned in Toungoo and a missionary’s son drowned in ShweLi. Lakes are in fact the
natural swimming pool of the Shan. Rev. Cushing visited MuongNai every two years after his first visit
and tried to establish Shan mission field there in 1887.
Mission field established
However mission field in MuongNai was not established until 1892 by Dr. and Mrs. W. C.
Griggs and Mrs. Huldah Mix. It took 23 years to establish mission field after first visit by Rev.
Cushing. William Marcus Young, American missionary from Nebraska, came to Burma in 1892,
perhaps under the auspices of the Boston Missionary Society. 32 It was reported that Rev. and Mrs.
W.M. Young left Toungoo on February 13, 1893 and reached MuongNai on March 14. Dr. Griggs then
returned to America two days after their arrival. In June, Mrs. Young experienced a violent attack of
dysentery, with recurring attacks at intervals afterwards so that for three months Rev. Young suffered
30 Ibid pp44-45
31 56th Annual Report, July 1870, American Baptist Missionary Union, p247
32 http://mercury.soas.ac.uk/wadict/young_family.html#_edn1 March 1, 2006