Bridge to the Hill Tribes

By Jeannie Lockerbie Stephenson

In his book, Eternity in Their Hearts, Don Richardson suggests that God has placed within each people group a bridge to lead them from their own beliefs to the Truth. Long before Don Richardson used that title, King Solomon made the same claim in Ecclesiastes: "he hath set the world in their heart" (3:11).

During my recent GAP visit to Northern Thailand, PABWE missionaries Sucorra and Faith took me to the Hill Tribe Museum, where I saw evidence that God had set a hunger for knowledge of Him in the hearts of Karen people. At the museum, the life and customs of the seven tribes in the North are depicted in colorful displays. Among the Akha, Lahu, Hmong, Yao, Lisu, and KMT Chinese tribes, the Karen is the largest people group.

As I pondered the displays, I encountered this Karen myth: "When the different tribal groups were created, the Karen were the 'oldest brother,' therefore deserving the respect of the younger siblings. The 'white foreigner' is considered to be the youngest brother of all. When God handed out the gift of writing to the brothers, the Karen lost theirs, thus explaining their relative poverty."

The myth, however, expresses the hope that one day the younger white brother will come across the sea, bringing the writing gift back. In the 19th century, when American missionaries first came to Burma (now called Myanmar ), bringing the written Word of God, many Karen interpreted this as a fulfillment of the myth. A large number embraced Christianity.

Today, though the hunger for the Word may exist, the seven tribes are hindered by illiteracy, poverty, political struggles, and animistic beliefs. ABWE's GAP program works mostly with the Akha and Lahu tribes. GAP's challenge is to bring a clear presentation of the gospel to the other tribal groups in Thailand.

On my trip, we viewed GAP projects in action: English as a Second Language classes, a Christian hostel for Akha children who attend Thai schools. We rejoiced in the facilities training Christian leaders to return to their villages among the hills and lead people from various tribes across the bridge to truth. GAP's desire is to see all the hill tribes proclaim their faith in Jesus Christ: "Let the hills be joyful before the Lord" (Psalm 98:8).