Rawang Chief & Son ask “Are you Fating us to Hell?” Please come! Please make us a Bible in our Language!

“After his Search and Rescue work was over the latter part of 1945, (Blog Editor Note- Looking for downed pilots for the American government they set up a chain of church who were trained in the rescue of downed pilots) Robert went over to the Ahkyang (Ah-chang) Valley in northern Burma, along a tributary of the Irrawaddy River. Numerous requests had been received from there, asking for teachers to come, so Robert (Blog Editor note- He would have been about 20 then) stayed there through the winter months of 1945-46. Lisu evangelists had worked in that area, and Robert felt it would eventually become even more extensive than the work in the Saiween Valley. It was amazing how the Gospel had spread, carried not only by frill-time evangelists, but by the Lisu Christians as a whole.

Most of the people there were Lisu and Rawang. After Robert had been there for some time preaching and teaching, he received this message from a Rawang village about three days’ travel away: “We, the Rawangs, have ever been classed as a slave tribe to the Tibetans. Is it that our slave-tribe is fated to go to hell in the next life as well as to be spurned in this? Is this the reason you folks refuse to show us the way to salvation ?

What could Robert answer? He was the only missionary in that part of upper Burma. For several months he had tried to meet the overwhelming demands of new churches scattered over an area of twenty-three days journey from north to south and twelve days journey east and west, with no transportation but his feet. In that area some 1500-1800 people had turned from heathenism to the Lord Jesus Christ, and Robert had the help of only five young Lisa preachers in all that vast territory. No wonder he felt overwhelmed! People with centuries of heathen background cannot hear the Gospel just once and instantly accept the Lord. They must be taught constantly, with much love, patience, and wisdom. Bible schools must be held frequently in order to train leaders and teachers for the new churches.

One day, a Rawang chief’s son came to Robert, begging him to make a written language in Rawang so they could read about “the Mighty One” in their own language. He said, “The Lisu have a written language, so please make us one”. That was to be an indescribably long, hard, tedious job for Robert — but that is another story.”

(“The Dogs May Bark But The Caravan Moves On” – A Prequel to Exodus To A Hidden Valley. Gertrude Morse, College Press, 1998, Pg 238-39 ) Morse Family in Asia 1921-1965