We are grateful to everyone involved with MCGN and apologize to anyone we have missed here below.

Jeff Mead, a Christian computer businessman in Placerville, California for his selfless service to prepare a Mizo Christian Global Network Website. May the Lord use his expertise and prosper his business for serving Him. MCGN has been trying to have a website for more than two years and the Lord has answered our prayers with Jeff.

Stuart Spani, a Christian speaker and film producer in Vancouver, Canada for producing two videos on Mizoram: God's Chosen Jewel and A Modern Day Miracle, and writing a booklet on Mizoram from a Christian perspective. Stuart came to know Mizoram by attending a Zoram Evangelical Fellowship (ZEF) presentation. The videos and booklet are well liked by friends in North America and Japan. Translation into Hindi, Punjabi, and Mizo is under way. Because of his love for the Mizo people and his generosity, we like to call him a modern-day missionary to Mizoram.

Mildred Gordon, World Missions, Walnut Creek Presbyterian Church, California for endorsing the Mizoram videos. Mildred and her late husband Robert served with Wycliffe Bible Translator. She is still committed to Christian missions.

Harold & Polly Kurtz of Presbyterian Frontier Fellowship and Don & Kay Fox of Handclasp for their availability to provide advice whenever we needed it. Harold & Polly were missionaries in Africa for more than two decades and Harold was in Mizoram during the Gospel Centenary. Don & Kay are mission-minded people who were introduced to MCGN by Pu Sapzova, Chiangmai, Thailand. Jack and Vangie Davidson of Simpson College, Redding, California have supported the idea and functioning of MCGN. Marian Hanna of Placerville, California willingly became our treasurer. She and her husband, Art Hanna are longtime Christian friends who have shared our joys and sadness, and are always ready to pray for us. All of them are our unofficial spiritual advisers and great supporters for developing the people in Mizoram and the surrounding area for Christ. One of their shared characteristics is that of love and generosity, and we are just glad to know them.

Dave Rogers of Pleasant Hill, California donated a used laptop to Aizawl Theological College through MCGN.

Ed Burgess, a state worker of California for his patience and guidance, especially his aid in matter of writing. He was ready to give input on growing ideas and encouragement for the future, and he is always available for us.

Bill Thorpe, a communication expert in Placerville, California for offering his technical assistance to MCGN. He sparked ideas and gave advice on projects for Mizoram. Furthermore, he co-authored an article for publication concerning the state of Mizoram.

Pi Lalsangpuii (1919-1999):

Born Aug. 15, 1919 and died July 13, 1999 at Aizawl, Mizoram. She was the first Mizo woman college graduate, B.A. (1942) from Scottish Church College, Calcutta, and later completed B.T. (1963). The first Mizo woman to become the Principal of Govt. Mizo High School, Aizawl (1971-1979), Pi Sangpuii was noted for her simple life and generosity to the needy, especially to poor students. She had set a good example for life. Her son is a missionary in Taiwan. She will be missed by the Mizo people, her students, and notably by her children and grand daughter in USA who requested to insert the following:

"You will be greatly missed and your memory will linger in our minds forever. You left in our heart a place which no

one can fill. Your voice still rings in our ears! Our heart is broken, but we take courage with a great hope to see you

on the resurrection morning. Until then, MANG THA." (Mang Tha means Good Night, Good Bye, or Farewell).

Pu Patrick Paul Hauhnar (1958-1997):

Born Jan. 13, 1958 and died Sep. 17, 1997 at Aizawl, Mizoram. He was the first Mizo leader in Wushu (Shanshou), an advanced martial art. He established the National Wushu (Shanshou) Academy in Mizoram. He personally trained Mizo and other Indian young people in the martial art of Wushu at his own expense. The Mizo team won several championships (Gold and Silver Medals) in India and abroad, including Malayasia (1993) and USA (1995 & 1996). We lost a great young Mizo leader who left behind a noble example. A portion of a note by his sister, Dr. Cecilia Prasad of Massachusetts, USA states:

"Though I miss my brother very much, my dream has given me a new hope that we will all meet again someday and his message of giving to our fellow brothers - a deed which he practiced while he was alive - has given me a deep desire to follow his footsteps".

Mrs. Zami Crowley has started the MCGN in Australia and has contributed the first family membership there. As a mother with children active in school, we have not heard from her lately. We will share with you more about them in a future Newsletter.

As reported in the first MCGN News Flash last month, MCGN (Japan) is pursuing a project to build a hostel for needy students along the Tiau River in Chin Hills, Myanmar. The project was initiated by MCGN (Japan) Co-Ordinator, Lalhruaia of Tokyo. In support of this project and for encouragement, Dr. Lalliana Mualchin and family also contributed financially. Feel free to contact MCGN if interested to support the project.

Not much news of Mizoram MCGN activities lately, but we noted encouraging news for Mizoram. Pu Zohminga Colney, the critical orchestrator for Dr. Lalliana Mualchin's initiation of MCGN here, also requested Chief Minister (CM) Pu Zoramthanga to become the patron for MCGN. The response was encouraging as the CM accepted the request and considered an office space for MCGN. The CM has been pursuing positive relationships with neighbors for mutual benefits. His approach is to develop Mizoram with concrete projects and asked the Central Govt. of India for funds, as a peace bonus, for the projects. He is also promoting peace by offering to negotiate for peace in Nagaland. We are very proud of our Chief Minister. Mizoram is getting much-needed funds from the World Bank for road construction.

Rev. Dr. Laithuama has always been a great supporter of MCGN from its start, and now he is its President in Myanmar. He has been elected to serve as Moderator of Presbyterian Church of Myanmar.

Most MCGN contact people are Christian missionaries from Mizoram. The amazing thing is that what they are doing is exactly what MCGN intended to promote. There are 15 Mizo families in Nepal. Tlana & Madini and Ringa & Diki are making sanitation facilities, constructing fences to contain rhinos, and building churches. As you can see from their activities, they are unique: serving the Lord using their personal engineering backgrounds. Kima & Vani have been running a school and an orphanage. Hriata & Sangi are responsible for taking care of American visitors helping Nepal.

Pastor Rualchhina, MCGN spiritual adviser, has convened a meeting in Maryland to discuss the future direction of MCGN for the local people. They will be reaching out to find more interested people. Experience has taught us that quality seems to be more important than quantity at this point in the life of MCGN.

Dr. Lalliana Mualchin has been approached by a virtual university, Fielding Institute, based in Santa Barbara, California to arrange an active pioneer research team's (5 to 12 Ph.D. students) co-operative study of Mizoram with Mizo scholars. Unlike conventional universities, Fielding's students are employed and mature people, mainly interested in contributing something significant in their field. We are fortunate to have the opportunity to present Mizoram, largely unknown to others, to such educated people. A brochure was prepared for informing Ph.D. students about the opportunity and has been presented at the Institute's most recent meeting in Washington D.C. Depending upon the response of students, plans are underway to lead the research team to Mizoram for about 2 weeks in February 2000. A series of visits (same duration) to Mizoram by a number of teams is anticipated.

Global Society based at Hiroshima University, Japan invited Dr. Lalliana Mualchin to write a paper on Mizoram for their publication, ISHIKI; and with his neighbor, Bill Thorpe he co-authored: Pathways to Development of Mizoram. Also, Dr. Mualchin has been selected and appointed as one of their Central Executive Board members. At this point, the Society is trying to find a place for an office and a country for registering it as an International Non-Governmental Organization. Interested Mizos and others are encouraged to get information from Dr. Mualchin.

A video of Mizoram: God's Chosen Jewel by Stuart Spani has been well received by people who have seen it. Several videos have been distributed and purchased by others to support the video ministry.

A new project on a video about Mizoram is stated below in the Prayer Request section. The proposed video will show facts about Mizoram, to be narrated by Evangelist Vanlalnghaka and confirmed by an Indian high official. It will be moderated by an Indian Christian emphasizing the condition of Mizoram as a Christian state. We know that "God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty; and the base things which are despised God has chosen," (1 Cor. 1:27-28) so that the world may know only in the Lord is glory. We are also such a chosen people in India. In many ways, Mizoram is a fulfillment of Mahatma Gandhi's dream for literacy and religious freedom. Our central message, however, is and should always be to tell the world about the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the one worthy of all our worship, and the only need of mankind.

On short notice, Pu Sawma of LPS, Aizawl, Mizoram was approached and he kindly accepted to significantly contribute to a project to produce a new video about Mizoram. Pray for Sawma and others involved in the project. The proposed video is envisioned for a nation-wide broadcast over Doordashan. It will show how Mizoram fought corruption and what the Lord has done in Mizoram. LPS will be supported and assisted by Stuart Spani, Vishal Mangalwadi, Lalliana Mualchin, and others. Evangelical Fellowship of India (EFI) is interested to produce the video as part of their National Forum for Reconciliation, Religious Liberty, and Social Justice. Pray for completing the project as a witness of the Christian faith to the people in India and beyond.

Stuart Spani's Mizoram video: God's Chosen Jewel is in the process of translation into three languages: Mizo, Punjabi, and Hindi. Pray that it will be completed soon.

Rev. Dr. Laithuama, recently elected Moderator of Presbyterian Church of Myanmar, is involved in Peace and Reconciliation efforts in Myanmar. Pray for him in his new responsibility and his passion for Peace and Reconciliation in Myanmar (see Myanmar).

The Lord has opened opportunities to meet the needs of people in Mizoram and the surrounding region through MCGN. We expect that more opportunities will be presented in the near future. The harvest is ready but laborers are few. We need more workers for various activities of MCGN, including the editing of the MCGN Newsletter. Pray that the Lord will bring in more interested people in MCGN ministry. Tell others about MCGN and invite them to join us.