Myanmar immigrants long for Kachin Bibles

by Dr Gam Seng Shae, UBS Translation Consultant

USA — A few years ago there was a small window of opportunity for people in Myanmar to emigrate to the USA. Hoping to escape the difficulties they faced in Myanmar as a minority group, a small number of Kachin Christians decided to leave.

This was not an easy decision for them to make: the journey out of the country would be gruelling and dangerous and they would only be able to take a few essential items with them. Their Bibles were among their most treasured possessions but, knowing that they would face many challenges as they fled their country, most of them left them behind.

As they were going to the USA, however, they were not worried and looked forward to being able to worship God freely for the first time in their lives. They felt sure that they would be able to buy new Kachin Bibles once they arrived in the USA, or use Bibles in other languages. And so they left their homes and their country and settled in the USA.

Some of them went to Omaha and found a Baptist church where they were able to gather together and worship God in Kachin. Only two people had brought their Kachin Bibles with them from Myanmar, however. The others longed to be able to read God’s Word in their own language again but tried in vain to find somewhere local to buy Kachin Scriptures.