Myanmar - Day 1 & 2: The other side of the world.

This is the story of Steph, Susan, Todd, and me on the adventure of a lifetime. I am telling it from my point of view. I am not trying to tell their story, as I was along for the ride.

For me, it started the year before; for Steph, it began in high school.

Background

Arthur and Laura Carson, Steph and Susan Carson's great-grandparents, were among the first Christian missionaries to serve the Chin State in the 1890s.

The Chin State is located in northwest Myanmar. Burma was the name of the country before 1989.

I met Steph in high school and have been close friends ever since. He moved to Europe in the 1980s, and we would catch up when he would visit his family.

Laura’s book can be found online as a PDF or reprints are available on Amazon. Search for "Pioneer Trails Laura Carson"

In 2017, Steph was visiting California from Sweden, and at Susan's birthday party, he told me he was going to Myanmar to find his great-grandfather’s grave. Without hesitation, I said, “Count me in.” I was eager to travel abroad again, and I love adventures. It was a great birthday party too.

Carson's Great-Grandmother Laura wrote a book about her experience, which Steph first read in high school. At that time, visiting wasn't possible; he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to visit since the country was closed by a military coup in 1962. He revisited that book throughout his life, seeing her reality in different ways each time.

In 2011, after a civilian government was voted in with just enough power to lift the sanctions and reopen the country, the Chin State opened to tourist travel in 2016, making the trip possible. Steph reached out, made contacts, and there were emails. We bought tickets and were off.

Little did I know what we were getting into or how revered Laura and Arthur were. We soon found out.

Itinerary

I flew from Los Angeles to Yangon on December 28, 2018, and returned on January 11. Starting in Yangon, Steph, his sister Susan, her husband Todd, and I traveled by plane to Kale and then by van on dirt roads to Hakha, the capital of the Chin state, where Arthur is buried. All along the way, we visited churches, met church leaders, and were treated like royalty in one of the poorest countries in the world. We returned south to Bagan, where I left the party behind, took an overnight bus across the country, and flew home from Yangon.

We were accompanied by Hla Aung, who cared for us the entire trip. We were shuttled from town to town and church to church. The Baptist Church and parishioners cared for food, lodging, and travel. They were very generous with all our needs and wonderful hosts all around. They opened their houses and hearts.

Day 1: December 30th

After landing in Yangon and finding Steph and Hla Aung, we were dropped off at the hotel. Steph and I relaxed and walked through the park on a lake across the street.

We are not in Kansas.

As we wandered in the park along a broad path, observing our surroundings, we noticed someone trying to catch our attention. Unbeknownst to us, we had bypassed a booth where we needed to pay a park entrance fee. Neither Steph nor I had converted any money into the local currency, and the dollars I took out of my wallet were met with puzzled looks. Unsure of the fee or the exchange rate, I opened my wallet, and they sifted through my bills. They selected a couple, straightened them, returned the rest, and appeared frustrated with us. I thought, take what you need, but I was pretty sure we had underpaid.

We learned later that banks will refuse US Dollars if they are not pristine. Of course, none of my bills were new. In Myanmar, paper money has a history of not being honored.

In 1985, under General Ne Win, the government unexpectedly demonetized the 25, 35, and 75 kyat banknotes, making around 80% of the currency in use worthless overnight.

Two years later, in 1987, Ne Win's regime abruptly demonetized the 25, 35, and 75 kyat notes and introduced new 45 and 90 kyat banknotes. These denominations were reportedly selected based on Ne Win's belief in numerology. This demonetization eliminated 75% of the money in circulation, causing severe economic hardship for the population and leading to widespread discontent, eventually triggering the 1988 nationwide protests and subsequent political turmoil.

We were to find numerous things different. I liked the traffic lights like Yangon; they countdown.

Day 2: December 31st

The next day, Susan and Todd joined us. We visited a church elder and the Taukkyan War Cemetery, which honors the Allied and British Commonwealth soldiers who died in Burma during the Second World War.

We visited the Baptist Headquarters, which supported the missionaries.

"Arthur Carson and Laura Harding both committed their lives to serve the Lord on the foreign mission field. In 1883, Laura Harding went to Burma to teach in a mission school. Her fiancé, Arthur Carson, remained in America to complete his theological studies. After graduation, he arrived in Burma in 1886 and he and Laura Harding were wed. Arthur volunteered to be the first American missionary to work among the people known as the Chin, a people who had never been exposed to the gospel." www.tribune.org/arthur-laura-carson/