Urna Semper
Instructor’s Name
Course Title
May 17, 2018
The Samei People of Yunnan
Copyrighted © 2018 Operation China, Paul Hattaway All rights reserved.
What and Why This Ministry
The Samei are a people group in China are part of the Yi nationality and were exposed to the gospel as early as 1906. However, in the 100 years since missionary Arthur Nichols worked in the Kunming area, very few of the Samei have accepted Christ as the Messiah. Of the approximately 22,000 Samei people, less than 2% are believers and there are no known churches for their Kunming subculture. Another 32% of the people have heard but did not accept the gospel and 66% are completely unreached.The few existing Christians today are the result of evangelization by the Eastern Lipo of Wuding, another people group in Yunnan. Paul Hattaway, author of Operation China, estimates that three-fourths of the Eastern Lipo are Christians. (1)
The first reason I selected the Samei people for this ministry is due to the specific opportunity to work with a team in Kunming, China. Team leaders are already in Kunming and additional workers are in the process of relocating there where they will spend the next two years learning Mandarin and the local culture. Although I will not be able to join them long-term, I will be part of a prayer and financial support group for the team. It is my hope in about three years to complete a short-term trip to Kunming after the team has assimilated there to some degree.
The second reason I chose the Samei people is since there are existing believers there may be an opportunity for the team workers to quickly establish a bi-cultural bridge with either an existing believer or one of the 32% who have heard but not accepted the gospel.
Understanding this Ministry
For this type of ministry to work the first thing required is daily prayer. Prayers for workers to have an opportunity to meet and establish relationships with the Samei people are essential. Westerners are still a novelty in Kunming and the team leaders are constantly being observed to the point where locals will stop just to watch them dine at a restaurant. Prayers for this novelty to draw people into a relationship should be lifted up as well. Another key to success is the ability of the workers to learn Mandarin to the point that they can establish and develop relationships. Although Mandarin isn’t the mother tongue of the Samei people, it is understood by many of the adults. Finally, the workers must totally immerse themselves into the both the Kunming culture and the subculture of the Samei people…
Challenges are mother tongue language is dying in print, young people are atheists, adults are animists,
Specific references to helpful resources for this ministry…
Strategies for this Ministry
All Samei reside in Kunming. It will be global…
What organizations and resources will be needed…
Steps to make connections with people: Language, learn where the live in Kunming, maybe Eastern Lipo Christians for possible connections…
Prayer requests from the workers will be needed ….
To be Explored Further
Specific strategic future needs, issues, insights…
Government crackdown
From the internet:
The Samei, who are part of the official Yi nationality in China, actually call themselves Sani. This, however, "does not mean they are the same people group as the famous Sani of the Stone Forest. The two should not be confused. … The Han Chinese have referred to this people as Samei for so long that the name has become fixed – even among anthropologists and linguists – to the point that their designation as anything else would probably be more confusing than helpful."
History
For centuries the Samei have celebrated the annual Torch Festival. The Samei say that "long ago there was a brave Samei warrior king whose head, if cut off in battle, would grow back beneath the starlit sky at night. His wife leaked out the secret of his immortality, however, and he was finally killed in a battle. … The Samei went out to look for his soul with lit torches, and carry on the tradition every 24th day of the sixth lunar month."
Customs
The Samei possess their own colorful dress. "A hat worn by young women of the Samei tribe on the outskirts of Kunming resembles the comb of a cock. … There are not many people in this tribe, but these hats are still worn by young women and are unique."
Religion
Most Samei are animists. They believe their lives are controlled by the spirit world around them. Ancestor worship is also practiced, especially by older Samei. Many of the younger generation consider themselves non religious.
Christianity
The Samei have a long Christian history. Australian missionary Arthur Nicholls first pioneered work in the area in 1906. Nicholls received this glowing tribute from fellow missionary Samuel Clarke: "He may be reckoned among the heroes who are establishing the kingdom of heaven upon earth. … Loved and trusted by multitudes, despised and hated by many … like a man who has been touching the very bedrock of humanity, Arthur Nicholls goes on his way little thinking what a hero he is, and counting himself repaid over and over again because the people love him." The Eastern Lipo of Wuding and Luquan counties have taken the gospel to the Samei in recent decades. "Because of their witness, there are believers among the neighboring tribes … including the Samei."