Shan Missions

Shan Gospel Radio Broadcast

Far East Broadcasting Company

Manila, Philippines.

SW 15440 KHZ (Myanmar Tine 6:30-7:30 AM) (Daily)

 5 million Shan live in Shan States and other parts Myanmar. Almost all Shan are Buddhist. About 0.2% are Christian according to report in 1990. Most of the Shan have never heard the Gospel. There are several reasons for not being able to hear the Gospel.

1. Not enough preachers preaching gospel to the Shan.

2. Preachers are not eager to preach gospel to the Shan Buddhist.

3. Difficult access to the Shan living in remote high mountains.

4. Expensive traveling cost.

5. Shan Churches do not have priority in preaching to Shan Buddhists.

Romans 10:14 “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?

Radio Gospel Broadcasting in Shan language was first started by a missionary from Holland, Miss. Anna Capon, in 1987. It was broadcasting from Far East Broadcasting Company, Manila, Philippines every morning for 15 minutes. Because of lack of resources Miss. Anna Capon was not able to produce the program and had to stop broadcasting in 1989. I was then introduced to Mr. Frank Gray, the Executive Director of Far East Broadcasting Company (FEBC) by Miss. Anna Capon when I was attending World Evangelization Congress, Laussan II, in Manila in July 1989. Frank Gray asked me, “Can you produce Shan program for us?” Actually this is what I’ve been praying for ten years since I come to Hong Kong in 1979. I don’t have money to pay for airtime. Frank Gray said, ‘Don’t worry about money. God will provide. Please produce Shan program for us if you can.’ After returning from congress hall to hotel room in Manila, I was filled with joy. Mr. Robert Morse, a missionary to Lahu, Northern Thailand, who was my room-mate, and I were on our knees praying together and giving thanks to God for such a wonderful opportunity to preach gospel to Shan through radio. My prayer answered. It is worth of waiting for ten years.

Letter from Roy J.B. Alvarez, IODM, Far East Broadcasting Co.(Philippines) Inc, Manila, Philippines to Dr. Sai Htwe Maung, Hong Kong.

25th August 1989

Dear Dr. Sai Htwe Maung,

           Our General Program Director, Frank Gray, forwarded to me the proposals regarding the Shan broadcast reached in your conversation with him and Sis. Anna Capon during breaks at the Lausanne II Conference. We will carry on the present frequency of 11650 KHz. On October 16 we will start testing new frequency in the 19-meter band.

Thank you for your continuing interest to reach the Shan people for the Lord.

Roy J. B. Alvarez.

Letter from Mr. Ronnie Tin Maung Htun, General Director, Myanmar Program, Rangoon, Burma December 8, 1989 to Mr. Frank Gray,

General Program Director, Far East Broadcasting Company, Philippines.

My Dear Frank,

The test broadcast for the Shan program is coming in beautifully. We are receiving quite an encouraging report from the listeners. Please convey this news to Dr. Sai Htwe Maung.

Signed\ Ronnie (Tin Maung Tun)

Before I left Burma to Hong Kong on April 9, 1979, we had a special prayer meeting at our home. One of my nieces asked me, “Uncle Htwe, how will you help our Shan people if you go to Hong Kong?” I then said, “I don’t know. May be I’ll preach gospel to our Shan people from Radio.” At that time there was no gospel preached in radio in Shan language. That was my wish and prayer. I kept on praying and asking God to give me opportunity to reach my people from abroad with gospel of Jesus. After ten years God answers my prayer. I can now preach gospel to millions of Shan people not only in Burma but also in Thailand and Southwest China through radio broadcast. God has His own time. Ten years is not a waste. Praise God for my first Shan gospel song recorded in Burma in 1978. During ten years time between 1979 and 1989 I have opportunity of writing and recording more Shan gospel songs and music in Shan at my home with my guitar and small portable keyboard without knowing that it will be of great use in my future radio programs. By the time I start doing radio program in 1989 I realize that I have good enough Shan gospel music and songs ready to be used. At that time not a single gospel music in Shan has been produced by any Shan Church.

15 Minutes to 45 minutes daily

 I start daily 15 minutes program on October 16, 1989. I start doing recording in my bedroom with small portable cassette recorder. After doing it for three months I felt that it was too short. I wanted to have 30 minutes. I asked Mr. Frank Gray. He graciously gave me 30 minutes every morning. After one year of daily 30 minutes I wanted to have 45 minutes because I thought 45 minutes would be good enough for me to have music, preaching, replying listeners’ questions and play special music at their request. Again Frank Gray graciously gave me 45 minutes every morning. This Shan gospel radio broadcast is the first and only broadcast in the world, preaching gospel in Shan language.

I cannot afford to have a well-equipped recording studio. Even though I may have a free studio, in that situation, I may not have time to go to studio every day to do recording because I am a full-time medical doctor working in a hospital. I can only do recording in my own available time especially at night. I do my recording in my bedroom. I use to do recording at night after coming back from hospital work. My family members are very understanding and co-operative. They refrain from making a loud noise. Nevertheless sometimes I can still hear my little girls’ voice in my recording. Since the room is not a soundproof it requires a special technique to reduce the volume control and speak closer to the microphone so that the external noise will not get into the microphone. Even though the room is not soundproof-studio the quality of the sound is acceptable as informed by FEBC. I do not have recorder such as professional open reel recorder. But I do have a small Cassette Deck that I can play music and record. In the beginning I only have two small cassette decks. One is for playing music or song and one is for recording. Mixer is absolutely necessary because it can allow you to mix your music and your voice. Background music is also important to keep the listeners from boring. Gospel songs, hymns, local pop songs and traditional music are also used in the program. In the beginning I use C60 (60 minutes) tape. Later I use C90 when I start doing 45 minutes program. I do not keep master tape. I do not keep the copy. After recording and completing the tapes I sent them to Manila by post in package. I do not have technician to help me out in controlling the recording amplifier, mixer and recorder. I have to learn and manage by myself through experiencing the result. Listening to my own program in the air in the morning is helpful for me to adjust, change and improve the quality.

Time is the most important factor. Doing two jobs at the same time is not easy. I have to work in hospital because it is my only source of income to feed and support my family and myself. Producing this radio program is self-supporting ministry. I wish I could have forty-eight-hours a day. If I work in hospital at night I do recording at day. If I work in hospital at day I do my recording at night. If I have missed one recording today I have to do two recordings tomorrow. Public holiday is my greatest opportunity of doing more recording from 8 AM to 12 midnight, no shopping. I sometimes skip my lunch because I was too absorbed into my work. Some listeners ask, “How many of you are doing this radio program?” My answer is, “Four.” “God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit and I.” I believe knowledge, wisdom, authority and power come from The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Programming

 When I first start in October 1989 fifteen minutes seemed to be very long. It takes me about three hours to complete one 15 minutes program. After three months I have received letters from listeners asking for more time.

My daily program is as follows;

Monday to Saturday is gospel program targeting non-believers.

Sunday is Praise & Worship program and Church service program for Christians. Program begins with gong-mong Shan traditional music and greetings followed by local popular songs, scripture reading, gospel song, preaching gospel, gospel song, announcement, answer to listeners’ questions, music at listener’s request and end of 45 minutes program with benediction. The program is broadcasting from Far East Broadcasting Company, Manila, Philippine at 19 meter band 15440 KHz from 6:30 AM to 7:15 AM Burma standard time in common Shan language.

Chinese-Shan (DaiMao) Program

I visited China, Yunnan province, in 1997. I met Shan people who listened to my broadcast. My elder brother in MuSe said to me, “Many DaiMao (Chinese-Shan) are listening to your program. Why don’t you preach in DaiMao dialect? You are DaiMao and your DaiMao dialect is perfect.” I came back to Hong Kong and asked Frank Gray if I could have a time slot for DaiMao program. He graciously gave me 15 minutes extra every morning for DaiMao (Chinese-Shan) program. Praise the Lord! Starting from December 1997, 15 minutes in DaiMao is on the air. I have invited pastors and preachers from ShweLi Shan Baptist Mission as they are DaiMao to preach in DaiMao so that I can use it in our DaiMao program. But no one has taken this opportunity until today. In common Shan language program, late Rev. Sai Stephen had contributed fifty sermons for my radio program when he was attending conference in Hong Kong in 1997. He was the only one who contributed with some sermons.

Khamti Shan Program

Khamti Shan are another Tai group who speak different dialect. A Khamti Shan pastor, Sao Noi Man Han, came to meet me in Yangon in the year 2000 when I was in Burma. He is one of the twenty believers among Khamti Shan. He is a son of Khamti chief. He is very concern about his own people group. He wants to preach gospel in radio in his own dialect. Starting from 2001 there is a 15 minutes Khamti Shan program every week on Sunday replacing DaiMao program on Sunday. There are about five hundred thousand Khamti Shan in Burma. Many Khamti Shan are in Assam, India.

Effectiveness

How can we assess the effectiveness of our Shan gospel radio broadcast? Some of the methods are assessing letters received from listeners, hearing testimonies from listeners and meeting people who are listening to the program. Many Shan people from different part of Burma, Northern Thailand and Southwest China are listening. 90% of letters received from listeners are from Buddhist Monks asking many interesting questions such as “How can a dead wood give a green leave, how can all get clean if only one take bath, how can one hundred people get full if only one eat, how can we say God is loving and kind by allowing people to be poor, suffering and die,” etc. Some express their belief in Jesus Christ. Some accept Jesus Christ and baptized, some are saved from committing murder, some released from addiction because of the message preached in the radio. Some people have their life changed and some people rededicated their life to the Lord. Some gospel tracts and books are produced to give it to the listeners as a follow up tool.

Testimonies from listeners

When we were conducting training in MayMyo in 1997 I met a man who wrote to me a year ago. He was from MuSe, Northern Shan State. He said, “Thanks for changing my life. I was drifted away from Church many years doing sinful things. I was not only selling liquor but also drinking when I heard your message in radio. After hearing the message my life has been changed. I now have dedicated my life to God and serving as full-time evangelist in a village. I am now pastoring a Church.”

A man from NamKham, Northern Shan State said, “Thanks for saving me. One day in the early morning I took a knife from my kitchen to go and kill a man who had cheated me one million Kyat. But before I left home I tuned in to your program. I heard your message, ‘Forgive your enemy and pray for them. God will take care of you.’ Then I dropped my knife. I abandoned my plan. Otherwise I would have been in jail by now. Thanks for saving me.”

When I was in Northern Thailand in 2001 a man came to me and said, “After listening to gospel message you preached in radio for three years I believed that Jesus Christ is the only Savior. I wanted to be baptized and become a Christian. But there was no Christian and no Church in this area. I started to look for a Church. Finally I found a Lahu Church on the mountain. I went to that Church and told the pastor about my faith. And I got baptized in that Lahu Church.”

 When we were on short-term mission trip to Northern Thailand with medical and dental team we met a blind woman. She was smiling so sweetly and dressed with a flower in her hair. When asked why did she seem to be very happy, she said, “Because of Christ.” How did you know Christ? “I have listened to gospel message from radio.”

I did not expect that Buddhist monks would listen to the gospel. But it is amazing. I have received many letters from Buddhist monks from different places all over Burma. Some have expressed their beliefs in Jesus Christ, some have expressed their interest and wish to know more, some have requested for Bibles and some have asked intellectual and theological questions. About four hundred letters were received in 1996. Most of the letters are from Burma, Shan State, and Central Myanmar such as Bagu, Sagaing, Pyinmana, Mon State, Kachin State, Kayah State, Rakhine State, Chin State, Yangon Division and some from Thailand. The questions in all letters are answered during the radio program to enable all listeners to hear and know the questions and answers. I have received a letter from a prisoner in Thailand saying that the message he had heard in the radio was a blessing for him even though he was in prison for five years. He asked for a Bible so that he could read the words of God every day in prison. I have received a letter from Buddhist monk from Burma saying that he never knew that someone died for the sins of the people. He wanted to follow Jesus so that he would be free. In 2001, I have received a call from our evangelist telling me that Shan people in golden triangle have been listening to the gospel in radio for years. Now the son of the head of the village has accepted the Lord. They want me to go there and preach the gospel to them. (As I am writing this book we have planted the first Shan Church in Golden Triangle in 2002)

           It was reported from Mission Network News, “Missionary radio broadcasters are seeing success in reaching out to Buddhist monks in China, Myanmar and Thailand. Jim Bowman, president of Far East Broadcasting Company, told Mission Network News, the company’s Shan language broadcast resulted in more than 1,000 responses in 1997. There’s a lot of terminology in other religions than Christianity that sounds the same as Christianity,’ said Bowman. ‘For example, Buddhists are looking for salvation. And, when they hear we’re talking about salvation or when we use the term God, they have a concept of God but it’s not the same as the God that stands outside and loves us.’ Bowman says the Shan broadcast has been on the air for some time. ‘People are attracted to it because it’s in their language and the broadcaster learns more and more about the skill of broadcasting,’ Bowman observed. He continued, ‘We’ve noticed... a remarkable change in the response in our listeners on almost all fronts. And I’d have to give the credit to the Holy Spirit.”

It was reported from Northern Thailand, “How did you come to put your trust in Christ?” I asked. “The Lisu people shared the Gospel with us and when I heard the Shan FEBC radio broadcast, it confirmed what the Lisu had been sharing and so I prayed to receive Christ.” Sai has been a believer for about five years; he has a passion for the Word of God and is now a leader in a Shan-Tai Church of about 50 Shan-Tai people. Isn’t it wonderful when Christian ministries complement each other and testify to the truth of the Gospel. To God be the Glory! Pray for the Shan FEBC radio broadcast, pray for freshness and creativity, and pray for it to be used to see many new Churches planted throughout the Shan State. Pray for people groups like the Lisu and the Kachin. Thank God that He has been using tribal Christians to bring the message of God’s love to the Shan-Tai people in some very remote places. Pray for God’s blessing to be upon the Lisu and Kachin and pray that God would bring unity to their Churches. Pray for the fruit of outreach to the Shan. Pray that it would be a pure and holy offering to the Lord and that Shan-Tai Christians would be compelled by the love of Christ to reach their own people.[1]

The seeds have been sown for fifteen years through radio broadcast. Now is a time to reap. We need more workers for the harvest.