Thung Phrow

 

The congregation at Thung Phrow after a
service - 1980s

Head out of Mae Sariang and at the edge of town there was a choice of turning left to head toward Mae Hong Sorn, go straight toward Chiang Mai or turn right and head south toward Sop Moei. Take the right turn and go maybe a mile or so, then turn left into the driveway of the Thung Phrow Church and the house of Gerda Meinusch.

Gerda was a German missionary that had connected with the Swedish Baptist missionaries who had a common interest in reaching the Pwo Karen for Christ in the area. Thung Prow was in the valley along the Mae Sariang River. Along the eastern wall of the valley was a mountainous area where many Pwo Karen villages were located. In the mountain villages though, many Pwo Karen were struggling to survive. A significant number decided life might be more manageable down in the valley, so they came down and created the new Pwo village of Thung Phrow. However, with limited access to land and water life was not easy in the valley near Mae Sariang either.

Gerda Meinusch speaking at a service

By the time we arrived on the scene, the church at Thung Phrow had already gotten started and was holding weekly services. Gerda was working to establish services in the Pwo Karen dialect used in the area, which was also the same dialect being used in the Pwo Student Hostel where Marcia was working. In fact, a number of the students staying at the hostel and attending school were from Thung Phrow. Visit the area south of Mae Sariang today and there would be a number of active and prosperous Pwo churches to choose from. But at the time, Thung Phrow was one of just a few congregations holding regular services and the only one close to Mae Sariang.

Some Pwo Hostel students reading at a service

So a kind of mutually beneficial relationship developed between the Pwo Hostel and the Thung Phrow Church. The church provided a spiritual base for the hostel and the hostel provided a big portion of the congregation, a choir and scripture readers.

Reading of course was problematic. For one thing, not much of the Bible had yet been translated into the Pwo dialect. Secondly, the adults at Thung Phrow generally had little to no education and could not read any language including their own.  The Pwo Hostel students however, were quick to learn how to read the Pwo language and so, were often asked to read the scriptures that were available.

Ladda being Baptized in the Mae Sariang River

Gerda worked hard to develop church leaders from among the Thung Phrow residents but it was no
t easy. The initial leaders had little previous education upon which to build and eventually succumbed to some of the local temptations (drugs). Eventually though, as more Pwo students finished their education the leadership situation improved.

For us, our role was often to support the work at Thung Phrow by helping ensure the students at the Pwo Hostel attended services and we’d often help with transportation. We’d also attend services there ourselves and were also involved in helping organize and carry out some special events.