Emmanuel Baptist Church: It was a humid morning. Moreh was warm as usual. At 7:30 a.m, a team led by Dr. Seiboi Singsit, Principal Chief Conservator of Forest, Government of Manipur, left Forest Rest house, Moreh, for a trip to the neighbouring town, Tamu in
Myanmar. Mrs. Hatnu Singsit, wife of Dr. Singsit, departed earlier in the morning for shopping. We picked her up from Namphalong market where she had been buying household knick-knacks. After a brief stopover at a couple of shops, the entourage got an effusive reception at the premises of Emmanuel Baptist Church, Tamu.
The Host: EBC, Tamu is a congregational unit of KVTBA, Kabo Valley Thadou Baptist Association, Myanmar. About 90 Thadou-Kuki families of the well-planned town made themselves constituent patrons of the centrally located worship centre. Rev. Thangpao Haokip is the present Pastor of the Church. 450 odd members are supposed to gather there every Lord’s day; but due to outstation sojourns, half of the members are regularly irregular. Even then, EBC, with its sprawling compound located opposite KVTBA’s administrative office premises, is one of Tamu’s biggest congregations and best-known addresses. The Church and its leaders, who attended full-force, were happy that the invitation extended to Dr. Seiboi Singsit to visit them had been responded that fateful morning .
The Felicitation: When it comes to altruism, no one can touch the high bar raised by Brother Singsit in sacrificial giving for the cause of the Gospel. Sometime in 2009, EBC Executive members were running from pillar to post sweating to get help for the ambitious project of building a big conference hall adjacent to the Church structure. When all other doors knocked to open for the noble cause were shut on their face, Mr. Thangminlen Kipgen, Hon’ble Chairman, Hill Area Committee, Manipur, and Mr. Singsit came forward to provide the amount required for the construction of the wall-less, tin-roofed meeting hall. The spacious multi-purpose hall of convenience was inaugurated for public use last December in the presence of Hon’ble Chairman, HAC(M), TBA leaders of Sadar Hills, Manipur, India and this author who also gave a sermon. Conspicuous by his absence in the opening bash, the host made it doubly sure that they were second-time lucky in roping in the VIP Invitee of that day in a small felicitation event.
Speeches galore: Mrs Hatnu Singsit succinctly thanked the host church for the warm reception and expressed her pleasure in being treated thus in foreign soil. Asked by the chair, Brother Seiboi addressed the attentive EBC members and the Zoumi Baptist Convention volunteers who also took part in the bash. The Forest Chief was effusive in his outburst with joy in conveying the message across that, “God is Spirit and those who worship Him should do so in Truth and Spirit”. The chief guest also congratulated the host church for having done a wonderful job with the little amount he contributed saying, “Your finished work is beyond my imagination”. The God-fearing PCCF, visibly satisfied that his alms was well-spent, enthused them further to make the dusty floor of the hall paved or cemented. Loud meandering applause thundered the ending of his speech.
Overtures Of The Host Church: The accommodating nature of the people of the country they reside in rubbed off on the members of EBC, Tamu. Generous in showering words of appreciation, the top-notch leadership of KVTBA, one after another, acknowledged Brother Seiboi’s good works to enhance the Faith. Their President, Mr. Letkhotinthang Haokip of Khampat, with his Gospel-singer wife in tow, harped on as to how a chance glance at a Forest department’s bill-board campaign near Kangpokpi in Manipur turned his life around. The ad slogan read, “If you are born on earth, and leave nothing to be remembered by, what difference is there between you and an animal? So plant a tree”. The Bible Graduate admitted he was deeply impacted by the words written on the bill-board. The CG nodded in affirmation.
A Revealing Speech: Following a blessing prayer for Dr. Singsit and his family from the father of Rev. Khupthang Chongloi, the General secretary of KVTBA, the latter gave a good account on the people of Chin Hills and their meandering roots. The Research Scholar took pains to collect data from far-flung sources. His labours paid off in discovering the identities of many erstwhile Thadou clan-folks who had been assimilated by the accidents of history in north western Myanmar. The Gen Secretary concluded that the findings of his research should be used to broaden our base in unifying ourselves with our estranged kindred and in strengthening crossover Christian fellowship .
Inputs Of This Author: By virtue of my posting as the Administrator of Moreh, Tamu’s poorer twin-brother of a town, I was more or less involved in the Christian events of the border area. Be it Church-services, social functions, Gospel Concerts, CD Releases, Gospel meetings etc. I was there in all and saw all. So, on the auspicious occasion, I invoked the sensibilities of the participants to prepare the strategic ASEAN corridor, Moreh-Tamu, in the Trans-Asia Highway map, to take the Good News of our Lord Jesus to the spiritually-under-privileged ASEAN nations. If the roads the Roman Empire constructed before the birth of Christ were meant to be used by St. Paul and the Disciples to fan the Gospel Truth in Bible land, there, for sure, will be a divine master-plan in the routing of Asian Highway no. 1, 2, 3 and 4 through Moreh and Tamu. In the shade of moments, Christians can as well make them Gospel Expressways.
Hospitality Unlimited: Our Myanmarese brothers may crib about many shortages in their land. Salaries may be low in comparison with that of their Indian counterparts. Things may be imported from China and Thailand, but the settlers of the land benefit a great deal from cross-country business transaction of such goods. God beautifully balances out things. Lacking in one side is gifted by another. What they can supply in plenty has a good demand in our country. Attraction to the opposites apply there.
The general hospitality in Myanmar is much better than that of Moreh or NE India. They have a way of tackling their guests by preparing dishes to tickle the palate . The outlandish traditional variety of dishes laid out that morning at the Pastor’s house, in honour of Mr and Mrs Singsit, had dietary class by themselves. A second serve was not enough. The lure of the tasty items stuffed on the dining table outweighed the formalities of social etiquettes to eat less than the heart desired and rue later.
