An Akha X-mas Main
The Thailand Galleries Main

The evening service has started for X-mas eve, and people attend in their best clothes--for some women it is traditional wear, for most others it is Western style pants and shirts. From the rear of the church, women sit on the left and men on the right.

I believe this church is a Presbyterian denomination, founded by Chinese missionaries. One of the village residents has apparently been trained to be a preacher and he leads most of the services. Tomorrow, for the X-mas service, a Karen minister (from another hill tribe) will come to deliver the sermon.

My friend in the village has a sister who married a Karen man nearby who is Buddhist, and now she is Buddhist again. She does come to the X-mas service, and I asked my friend if her sister believes in Christianity now that she no longer goes to church often. She said, "Fifty-fifty." I asked if all the people who were in this church believed, including the minister. She said, "Everybody fifty-fifty."

An Akha X-mas Main
The Thailand Galleries Main