Shan

WHO are they? Agriculture is the driving force in the Shan economy. Rice is the major

cash and family crop. Other crops include tea, soybeans, peanuts, coffee, and cotton.

People living near larger villages or towns grow vegetables to sell in the market.

WHERE do they live? Shan farmers live in villages of ten to five hundred or more

households clustered or lined among trees along roads or riverbanks. The Shan have

neither clans nor family lines. Marriages are monogamous, based on the couple's

mutual consent. Newlyweds usually live with the bride's parents for the first two or three

years or until they can set up their own home.

The Burmese Shan are a large group of civilized people who migrated south from China

in the twelfth century and established three small states in Myanmar (Burma). The Shan

language belongs to the southwestern group of tonal languages. The people refer to

themselves as the "Great Tai."

HOW many? 4,084,000

WHAT do they worship? Buddhism was introduced into Myanmar in the fifth century

and the majority of the Shan are Buddhists. The Buddhist's goal is to seek the middle

path to nirvana, or ultimate peace. The Shan view of the world centers on the idea of

'power protection,' which protects people from the consequences of their actions,

allowing them to do as they please. Buddha and Buddhist monks are the most powerful

beings, followed by spirits of the village, spirits associated with fields, households, and

the forest. For the Buddhist, death is not a threat if one has done good deeds; it is

simply passing from one life to another.

The tiny Shan Church needs more leadership and the opportunity to train their leaders

within Myanmar. The Bible is available in the Shan language, as are the Jesus film and

Christian radio broadcasts.

PRAYER needs:

• Ask God to strengthen, encourage, and protect the Shan Christians.

• Ask the Holy Spirit to complete the work of adequate discipleship begun in the

hearts of the Burmese Shan.

• Pray for the effectiveness of the Jesus film among the Burmese Shan.

• Pray that God will raise up prayer teams to break up the soil through worship and

intercession.

• Ask God to grant wisdom and favor to the missions agency that is focusing on

the Burmese Shan.

• Pray for opportunities to train Shan leaders within their country.

• Ask God to anoint the Gospel as it goes forth via radio to the Burmese Shan.

• Ask the Lord to raise up strong local churches among the Burmese Shan.

Akha

WHO are they? Swine and poultry are the most important livestock of the Akhas. Dogs are used for hunting but they also like to eat them. The Akhas mostly get married around 12 or 14 years old and they live in extended

family units averaged about 10 people in each family. An Akha man can take more than three wives. The Akhas speak the language of Tibeto-Burman that is closely similar to the Lahu and Lisu tribes language.

WHERE do they live? There are hundreds of unreached Akha villages in the Golden

Triangle. There are more than 1.5 million Akhas in Myanmar. The Akhas usually do not

stay in one village for long. They will move from one place to another and they prefer

the hilly mountain sides. The distance between the villages may be three or four days

on foot.

HOW many? 234,000

WHAT do they worship? Ethnic religions

PRAYER needs:

• Pray for the salvation of the Akhas and the unreached peoples of the Golden

Triangle in Myanmar.

• Pray for the salvation of the chiefs in the Akha villages.

• Pray for the Akha children in the Akha region. Most of the Akha children are not

in school since there are no schools, no roads and no medical facilities. The

children are addicted to drugs. Pray for deliverance from their addiction.

• Pray for protection of all the laborers of Christ.

• Pray for provision of workers and resources.

• Pray for peace in the country.

Northern Thai

WHERE do they live? More than six million Northern Tai speakers live in Thailand. The

traditional center of Northern Tai culture is the city of Chiang Mai.

HOW many? 7,369,000

WHAT do they worship? Buddhist

PRAYER needs:

• Pray the Tai Yuan Jesus film would be used to evangelize many people inside Laos.

• Pray the things keeping the Tai Yuan from salvation would be cast down.

• Ask God to send Tai Yuan Christians from Thailand to reach their cousins in Laos.

Blogs and Updating

  

A personal blog is a great way to share an update with your friends and family back at home. If you are planning on using your personal blog over the duration of your NT summer here are some things to keep in mind...

1. Email your blog home page nehemiahteams@yahoo.com.

2. Grab the button on the right side to link to your blog to either the P52 or NT website.

3. Tell your own story. Remember a personal blog is just that, personal. Do not share other people's story, stick to your own.

4. Do not share specifics of your location or schedule.

5. Pick one meaningful story of how God is working and tell it. Your readers don't need a timeline of everyday. Share with them how God is working and ask for prayer. Minute by minute replays of each day  can wait for later.

6. Let your friends and family know what day you will be most likely to update each week. (And that you will only be updating once a week.) And make sure they realize the time difference.

7. Use short paragraphs. Highlight the important parts with by bolding the font or using larger fonts.

8. Use bullets for prayer requests. Ask for specific needs, not just that God would use the team and keep them safe.

9. Be creative. Think of different ways to share your story. Videos. Pictures. Poem.

10. Stick to the  WHY you are doing missions this summer. Your focus in updating your friends and family back at home should be for prayer support. You can share cultural and funny stories later. Remember your internet time will be limited and you will need to be a good steward of your time.