Chiang Mai – First Visit

Umbrella making and painting near Chiang Mai
Dec 1982

While we’d only had a couple months language study under our belts, we were already eager to take a break from study and the TBMF was eager to have us get oriented to the greater mission work in various places throughout Thailand. So the morning of December 23^rd, 1982 we were stepping off the train in Chiang Mai and saying hello to Johann Facchini. Johann, Helena and their three (at the time) kids were to be our neighbors when we moved to Chiang Mai and for this trip, they did a lot to take care of us. Johann took us to what was generally referred to as “the mission compound”. It consisted of two houses separated by a driveway. We were going to be living in one house and the Facchinis were already housed in the other home. Also on the compound was a small guest house for travelers and some storage rooms where missionaries could store belongings while they were back in their home countries for deputation.

Johann and Helena were BUS (Baptist Union of Sweden but now, a part of The Uniting Church in Sweden) missionaries involved with “The Irrigation Project” of which we were to become a part. American Baptist missionary, Rupert Nelson, was also heavily involved with the Irrigation Project as well as general Karen agricultural work so we spent time with Rupert and Dee as well. Dick Mann originally went to Thailand as an American Baptist Missionary to work with the Karen in agricultural development. By this time however, Dick was already seconded to the U.N. and working in opium crop replacement throughout northwest Thailand. But Dick maintained his relationship with the Baptist mission work and also helped orient us on this trip.

Rupert Nelson giving Marcia a first look at a Karen
village near Chiang Mai. Rupert was handing out
sweaters during the "cold season". Dec 1982

Johann, Rupert and Dick were our main hosts and guides but we visited a lot of people and places. Of course, it was Christmas and New Year’s season as well, so we were included on numerous holiday gatherings and services. Whether meeting Thai, Karen, Baptist or other church leaders no matter the denomination, country or mission group there was a real family feel. We felt very accepted and a part of things and were happy to be joining what was happening. Of course, this was a time when Chiang Mai had a “small town” feel. The scope of mission work was more limited to just a few local people groups. The number of Christian mission organizations was also smaller and Thailand hadn’t yet become the international tourist destination that it is today. So driving down a Chiang Mai street, if there was a western looking person walking on the sidewalk, chances are we’d know them.

Dick Mann gave us our first look at coffee and it's
processing. Here a Hmong woman is peeling coffee
berries in a Hmong village. Dec 1982

Johann, Rupert and Dick gave us our first looks at mountain villages and “Hill Tribe” people like the
Karen and Hmong. Johann even took us on a quick trip to Mae Sariang (about 4 hours from Chiang Mai). We didn’t know it at the time, but within the coming year, we would be living there.

Rupert took us out to several Karen villages delivering sweaters. Chiang Mai has a distinct “cool season” during the winter months and sweaters are appreciated by people living in the mountain villages. People in US churches also were eager to send sweaters. Unfortunately, the XXXL sweaters were very large compared to most village residents but there usually were enough of the right sizes to help.

Dick Mann took us up and beyond Doi Suthep, the mountain that forms the western edge of Chiang Mai. We looked at some of the tourist stops on the mountain top and then went on to some Hmong villages where Dick was working to introduce arabica coffee as a replacement crop for opium. Our future work would have a portion of our yard used as a coffee seedling nursery in Mae Sariang and we’d start several other coffee nurseries in mountain villages, as well as truck coffee seedlings throughout Pwo Karen areas near Mae Sariang. But at this point, Dick was showing us the first coffee plants we’d seen.

We were seeing, learning, experiencing and just doing a lot in these first months of being in Thailand. We were getting the idea that the kind of mission journey on which we were embarking was decentralized and was going to involve a lot of travel to lots of villages in far flung places, and a variety of people. The trip to Chiang Mai also solidified a trend we’d already tasted in Bangkok as all the missionary wives and most of the husbands were exceptional cooks. As newbies, we were being hosted by lots of missionary families and all the food was delicious! It was starting to look like we might make it Thailand after all, especially if we kept getting invited to dinner!