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On this day, the messengers of the good news of Jesus Christ arrived at Saikao, Maraland from London, UK in 1907.

Rev. Reginald Arthur Lorrain and his wife Mrs. Maud Louise Ulander Lorrain, the pioneer missionaries to Mara people were divinely used by God to transform the lives of Mara people.

The following is quote from M.S. Dawngliana Khithieh’s article:

On January 18, 1907, Mr. Reginald A. Lorrain and his wife left England on their journey to “Further India”, Maraland. Across the mighty oceans by ships, through the Indian plains by train and other odd means of transportation and, over the hills and ravines atop mules and on foot, they finally arrived at their proposed mission station Saikao (Serkawr) “just before four o’clock in the afternoon” on September 26, 1907.

Thus, on September 26, 2007 the Mara people could celebrate the hundredth year of the arrival of the Gospel of Jesus Christ to their land through His faithful servants, the Lorrains.

Buried in the Mission Compound in Mizoram:

Unlike the other Pioneer missionaries who came to Mizoram, we are proud, and feel tremendously blessed too, to have with us in our own country the mortal remains of both our pioneer missionaries at Saikoa village, their mission station.

His Devine favor in sending the Lorrains for the Mara people is also manifests in that, by the turn of a century, the Mara people can claim to be a hundred per cent Christian community, irrespective of the geographical boundaries  in which they live.

Read more

A very historical blog was opened by one of the relatives of our missionaries at blogspot. It is named after the Pioneer Mission name i.e. Lakher Pioneer Mission – Click

The Blogger is Martin Walker. He is a Cousin of Rev. Vaili – the last Missionary to Mara people, who is still alive and serving Mara Church at the same town where the Mission started.

The content of the blog so far:

• Chapter 6  1934 – 1948  Growth War and Change 6.0…
• Chapter 5    Consolidation 1928 – 1934   Colleague…
• Chapter 4    Consolidation 1920 – 1927   Over the …
• Chapter 3    Consolidation 1912 – 19193.01        …
• Chapter 2 – 1907-1911 Five Years in Unknown Jungle  …
• Chapter 1 – The Lakher Pioneer MissionWritten by Martin F Walker…

The Pioneer Missionaries to Lushai (Lushei) Hills are:

1894 – Rev. J.H Lorrain and Rev. F.W. Savidge of Arthington Aboriginal Mission who arrived in Mizoram in 1894. They left after 3 and a half years to come back as the Missionaries of Baptist Missionary Society as shown below.

1. 1897 – Rev. D.E. Jones of Welsh Presbyterian Mission started Mission in Aizawl. Founded Presbyterian Church of Mizoram. He served primarily among Mizos.

2.  1903 – Rev. J.H Lorrain and Rev. F.W. Savidge came back to Mizoram as the Missionaries of Baptist Missionary Society, they founded Baptist Church of Mizoram. They use Serkawn, near Lunglei as their Mission centre. It lies in the South central part of Mizoram. They served primarily among Mizos.

3. 1907 – Rev. & Mrs. R.A. Lorrain based their mission centre at Saikao, also known as Serkawr in Mizo. Rev. R.A. Lorrain is the younger brother of Rev. J.H. Lorrain, however, his missionary work was not supported by any missionary society. It was an independent mission, funded and supported by friends and well wishers. The couple worked primarily among Mara people in the southernmost corner of Mizoram state, Northeast India and the mission also tended Mara people in the neighbouring Chin state of Burma.