August 2002 Myanmar Trip
Doctor Richard Bacon of the Reformation
Presbyterian Church just completed a fourth missionary trip to Myanmar
(former British colony of Burma) in August 2002. During the trip Bacon
taught a semester of Greek in eleven days, lectured at the Reformed
Bible Institute seminar, taught the book of Hebrews for two days at
Yangon Bible Institute, arranged for the translation of the 1650
Scottish Psalter into the Falam language, preached three of the four
Sabbaths that he was in Yangon, and made numerous contacts among the
nationals of that country. Bacon reports that the progress of the
mission is very good and that the work there is becoming more stable
with each trip.
The intensive Greek course was modeled
on the approach taken by Defense Language Institute in teaching
foreign languages to military personnel and DoD linguists. The DLI
approach is for the class to do exercises and receive syntactical
instruction during lecture hours and to do memory work (vocabulary,
paradigms, etc.) during non-class hours. Thus, while the class met for
only eleven days, there were about sixty-six actual "contact
hours" in class, or about the same number as would be experienced
in a typical college semester. The approach was for the students to
translate Greek into their mother tongues (at least five mother
tongues were represented).
Bacon also lectured for Doctor Bong
Thant of the Yangon Bible Institute. The lectures covered the first
six chapters of the book of Hebrews and explained a number of reformed
doctrines in light of the exegesis of the book. Yangon Bible Institute
is devoted to training missionaries who can return to the southern
half of the Chin State within Myanmar, where there are still numerous
villages that have never heard the gospel. One of Bacon's Greek
students was also from the southern Chin State. Suiki has a burden for
his own village and is presently supporting a group of five students
in Yangon who are training to return to the Dai people of the Chin
State to preach the gospel where it has never previously been
preached.
The Reformed Bible Institute is located
just north of the Yangon city limits. Rev. Thang Bwee is the president
of RBI and he and his associate professor Titus San Ceu Luai are among
the most reformed voices in Myanmar at present. Both of these men
subscribe to the three forms of unity, but both the Westminster
standards and the Three Forms are taught at RBI. Bacon taught on the
subject of early Scottish martyrs for two hours at the RBI seminar.
Also teaching at the seminar was Korean pastor Chang Won Shu.
In addition to the teaching and
preaching that took up most of his days, Bacon also met with reformed
leaders from several denominations during the evening hours. There are
currently eleven distinct reformed denominations in Myanmar that hold
relatively close subscription either to the Three Forms of Unity (Belgic
Confession, Heidelberg Catechism, and Canons of Dort) or to the
Westminster Standards (Confession and Catechisms). Sadly, even the
Westminster denominations do not yet have a Westminster view of the
Sabbath. However, it should also be noted that most of these
denominations are very young.
The original plan called for Bacon to
spend three or four days in Kalemyo/Tahan visiting an orphanage. For
various logistical reasons, that became too burdensome to carry
through, so the headmaster of the orphanage came to Yangon on a bus to
visit for several days. Rev. Lal Dawnga (also sometimes called
"Rev. Moses") is in great need of approximately $US 11,000
so he can move his orphans away from an area that is presently
affected by typhus. The new compound, which measures 60' frontage,
120' rear, and 245' depth, presently contains two buildings --
one brick and one wood. The water supply is clean, there is a septic
sewage storage tank already built, and the electric service is
available for about $US 3.00 per month.
The Tahan orphanage has four young
women who are rapidly reaching the age where they can no longer stay
at the orphanage. Rev. Moses would like to buy four new sewing
machines (Tahan has a considerable textile district) and teach these
young women how to use them so that they will have marketable trades
even after they leave the orphanage. A treadle type Singer sewing
machine costs about $US 50 in the Tahan area.
If any Christian Observer readers would
like to help with any of these mission requirements, they may do so by
contacting Rev. Bacon in care of the First Presbyterian Church of
Rowlett. Checks should be made payable to "Mission to
Myanmar," or a simple request for information would also be
welcome. Bacon is presently planning another mission trip to Myanmar
for winter. Any readers wishing to accompany him should contact the
same address.
Dr. Richard Bacon
c/o First Presbyterian Church
8210 Schrade Road
Rowlett, TX 75088
