This is the first church among the Thangkhals, built in T. Khuangkhai village under the leadership of Pu Selzagin, in the year 1943. The church was inaugurated by Evangelist (Pu) Thawngluan, who worked as a missionary among the Thangkhals from 07 March 1939 to 1948. This church came to be known as the first among the Thangkhal Christians.
With the Chief of T. Khuangkhai Pu KHUPKHOCHIN (age 83) in his residence on 08 January, 2022.
Pu Khupkhochin is a retired Thangkhal Christian pastor who was baptized by Pastor Thawngluan,
in 1967.
His father, Pu Selzagin and mother, Pi Donzavung also accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour.
“One day, my father, who was very old, felt sick so much so that he wanted to offer sacrifice to our forefathers’s unknown god. But we advised him we are believers (tapidaw) of Christ, such an offering is against our faith. We should not perform offerings to unknown gods like unbelievers (lawki) does. Then he obeyed us.”
“My father, while on his sickbed, told me he happened to sit on an airplane and saw the heaven with his own eyes. After seeing this vision, my father ventured out into villages preaching the gospel.... Nobody told him to do so. Until his death, he stopped drinking wine (Zu).”
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In Thangkhal dialect:
KHUPKHOCHIN (83 Yrs, he said)
Place of interview: His residence, Khuangkhai village
Date: 08 Jan 2022
Ka pa min (father's name): Sialzagin
Ka nu min (mother's name): Donzavung
Pian kum (birth date): 1938 tawplam, ahilouhleh, 1939 kumbul
Pianna khua (birthplace): T. Khajang
Pasain thu awi kum (believed in Christ): 1950. Mission School, Mission compound ah sikul naupang a ka lut in -- A, Aw, B, Ch (Simtung Bu) kana sim hi. Tua kum in Pasian thu awi in ka min kana khum hi.
Zi nei kum (marriage): 1958
Baptisma tan kum (year of baptism): 1967
Batstima Petu (baptism by): Pastor Thawngluan
Mulam apat Suangkuang, Nahzang (ka pute'n) ana kisat in, Nahzang apat T. Khajang ah, tua a pat Khuangkhai ah ka te'ng uhi.
Q. Pastor Thawngluan in Khuangkhai a Pasian thu a gen tung lai in, bang a gen taangpi aa?
(What did Pastor Thongluan preach in his first days in Khuangkhai)
= Pastor Thawngluan in Khuangkhai kholai ah Pasian thu a taangkou lai in, Gamdai a Mosi in gul a khaika'ng thu a gentaangpi hi.
Ka pa a chii nat lai in, kithawi lunggulh in kithawi sawm a, Pasian thu awi te kithawi ngai lou chi'n ka nial a, a kithawi nawn kei hi.
Ni khat ka pa'n, "Vanleng vangam a iki pan lenna ah ka tuang a, vangam kava mu hi," chi'n gen a, tua nia vision amuh apat, Pasian thu gen in vak pai hi. A sih toh dawng inzong zu ngawl hi.
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Photograph by:
Mr. Bruce K. Thangkhal
Photo Date:
08-01-2022
