Hringnun lamtluang a sei mang e,
Duhthlanna lamtluang a zau lua e;
Pengtin, thuam tin ka tan buaina,
Tlukna, tlakna, herna, penna,
Thang leh khan leh kham leh suar leh —
Bona, bona, bona, bona...
— Rochamliana
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
In My Dreams
When the sun goes down on the other side of town tonight
And the world is asleep dreamin' in the deep moonlight
I'll slip away in the shadows out of your life
You don't want' me anymore so I'll close the door when I leave
My bags are packed and I'll give you back your keys
You keep your ring and I'll keep your memory
But in my dreams at night... oh...oh
Everything will work out right
'Cause I'll still hold you tight... in my dreams
Well, it's hard to take when love breaks down and dies
But it's better to quit than to sit each nite and cry
I'd rather know the truth than to live thru a life of lies
But in my dreams at night... oh...oh
Everything will work out right
'Cause I'll still hold you tight... in my dreams
Maybe it's for the best to give this love of ours a rest
But I'll come runnin' back if you want me
Well, bye bye baby it seems that we're all thru
You sure know how make this little girl blue
When you say you don't want the things I can do for you
But in my dreams at night... oh...oh
Everything will work out right
'Cause I'll still hold you tight... in my dreams
In my dreams at night... oh...oh
Everything will work out right
'Cause I'll still hold you tight... in my dreams
Emmylou Harris
And the world is asleep dreamin' in the deep moonlight
I'll slip away in the shadows out of your life
You don't want' me anymore so I'll close the door when I leave
My bags are packed and I'll give you back your keys
You keep your ring and I'll keep your memory
But in my dreams at night... oh...oh
Everything will work out right
'Cause I'll still hold you tight... in my dreams
Well, it's hard to take when love breaks down and dies
But it's better to quit than to sit each nite and cry
I'd rather know the truth than to live thru a life of lies
But in my dreams at night... oh...oh
Everything will work out right
'Cause I'll still hold you tight... in my dreams
Maybe it's for the best to give this love of ours a rest
But I'll come runnin' back if you want me
Well, bye bye baby it seems that we're all thru
You sure know how make this little girl blue
When you say you don't want the things I can do for you
But in my dreams at night... oh...oh
Everything will work out right
'Cause I'll still hold you tight... in my dreams
In my dreams at night... oh...oh
Everything will work out right
'Cause I'll still hold you tight... in my dreams
Emmylou Harris
Kan Inthen Bang Lo
Tunhma chuan Lungremsei tih a ni thin a. Tunah erawh Upper Khatla tiin kan hre ta ber mai. He hmunah hian Hriatrengna Lungphun pakhat a awm a. Chu Lungphun chu SABINGA LUNG tih a ni a. He thu hi chu Lungphunah chuan a inziak a ni —
“Life is Shadow”
A ni, Hringnun hi hlimthla ang chauh a ni a. Engtikah emaw chuan a la ral ang. Hringnun hi khualzin kal mek ang te pawh a ni. Khualzin na na na chuan a khua thlen hun a nei thin a. Keini pawh khualzin kan ni a. Engtikah emaw chuan kan khua kan la thleng dawn...
“Life is Shadow”
A ni, Hringnun hi hlimthla ang chauh a ni a. Engtikah emaw chuan a la ral ang. Hringnun hi khualzin kal mek ang te pawh a ni. Khualzin na na na chuan a khua thlen hun a nei thin a. Keini pawh khualzin kan ni a. Engtikah emaw chuan kan khua kan la thleng dawn...
ZORAMA KRISMAS CAROL HMASA BER CHU
Carol tih thumal hi Dictionary lama a awmzia kan hmuhdan chuan ‘Sakhaw lam hla/Pathian fakna hla, Krismas hunlaia miin an sak thin’ tihna emaw, ‘Krismas Hla’ tihna emaw a ni mai a. Awmze dangte phei zawng a nei thei ang. Hlim taka Sava hram lauh lauh ri te pawh hi Carol an ti ve chawk. Carolling tih anih chuan ‘Carol an sa a...” tihna a ni ang a. Kan ngaihsan American ho khuan Carolling/Carolled ti lovin Caroling/Caroled (‘l’ double lovin) an ti deuh. Keini Mizote chuan, “Carol kan sa a. Kan hlim hle mai,” kan ti kher lem lo. “Kan Carol a...” kan ti sam mai a. Chu chu, “Krismas laiin zaiin khawlai kan fang a. In hrang hrangah te pawh kan lut lawr a. Vehbur khawn pah chungin hlim takin, Krismas hla sain kan zai a ni,” kan tihna a ni ber. A tihphungah ngawt chuan khawthlang ho tihdan nen a tir atangin a danglam tehchiam lova. Amaherawhchu, Carol tih thumal hrim hrim kan hmandan leh an hmandan erawh a inang lo deuh a ni. Engpawh chu ni sela, kan hrethiam hle tho ani lawm ni? Tunlaiah chuan ‘Khawn’ chunga Carol lovin, ‘Pe’ chhuaka Carol te pawh kan ching ta deuh deuh anih hi.
Zotlangsanga Krismas Carol hmasa ber neih kum tak hi mi tam zawkin kan chiang ta vak lo a ni awm e. Krismas boruak inlumlet vel karah hian i han sawithar leh teh ang.
Aizawl khuaa venghlun berte zing pakhat chuan 2005 khan an veng Kum 100 tlinna an lawm a. Chumi hriatreng nan chuan Souvenir chikhat atan lehkhabu tha tak an tichhuak a. Chu Souvenir-ah chuan heti hian a inziak a, “Kan veng hi Mizoram pumah Carol lo chhuah tanna a ni an tih tlat chu!... 1949 ah chuan Krismas Carol chu neih a ni a... kan veng nula leh tlangval bakah Mission Veng leh Kulikawn tlangval 10 lai an tel ve...” tiin. Thlalak hlui lama a landan chuan vengdang tlangval zingah hian Pu R. Zuala te, Pu V. L. Lawma te, Pu L. Pachhunga te bakah Pu V. Rosiama te pawh an tel a ni.
Hmanah, kum tam tak liam ta, 1926 khan Kulikawn pa hrat khawkheng Pu Telela leh a thiante, mi 7 ten ‘Zoram Thawvenna’ atan British sorkar lakah ngawhngawl chhuahin Jail bang an lo zut phah hial a. He an thiltih namenlo tak avang hian Kulikawn Pasaltha Chawimawitu Committee chuan October 18, 2006 khan Hriatrengna Lung an phun a. Souvenir atan Kulikawn Arsi Eng tih bu an tichhuak bawk. He lehkhabuah hian Zorama Carol hmasa ber chungchang chu heti hian a inziak thung a, “Central YMA (YLA?) chu Christmas Carol nei hmasa ber Mizoramah chuan an ni a. 23.12.1939 zanah Pu Lalkailiana (Pu Lalkailuia?), Pu Sainghinga, Pu Buchhawna, Pu Pachhunga, Pastor Thanga, Pu Dahrawka, Pu Hrawva leh Pu Makthanga te inah kan zai a ni,” tiin.
Amaherawhchu, 1949 a Carol leh 1939 a Central YLA Carol aia hmaah hian Zorama Krismas Carol hmasaber chu 1933 Krismas khan Rev. P. D. Sena hovin an lo nei tawh a ni. He Carol hmasa ber chungchang hi Upa Chawngzika khan heti hian a sawi a, “Pi Zaii hovin Mizo Zaipawlte chu 1933 khan Lahore-ah kan kal a. He Zaipawlah hian telve ngei turin Rev. P. D. Sena pawh kha a inbuatsaih a. Lahore Zaipawlah hian ani kha Conductor turte zinga mi a ni nghe nghe a. Amaherawhchu, hetih hunlai kher hian a nupui chu a damlo ta tlat mai a. Tin, a fanu upa ber pawh a nuamsam vak lo bawk a. Chutiang chu anih avangin a kal ve thei ta lova ni. Tichuan, ani khawhar leh lungleng chuan thian thenkhat te a lo sawmkhawm a, an zaiho ta a. Chutia an zai chu an zai phur chho zel a, sapho leh chutih hunlaia Mizo milian leh mitha deuhte inah kalkualin, vehbur khawn chungin an lo Carol ta a ni,” a ti. Upa Chawngzika’n, “...a hunlaia Mizo milian leh mitha deuh...” a tihte hi Pu Pachhunga te, Pu Makthanga te, Pu Sainghinga te, Pu Buchhawna te leh midang dangte an ni.
He Carol-a an thilpek tlingkhawm hian Mission Veng Biak In Gate Pillar chu an siam ta nghe nghe a. Pu Thanseia sawihmangin he Gate hi Biak In Pui Gate hnunglam a ni nghe nghe awm e.
Upa Chawngzika’n a sawi zel danah chuan, “Zoram hmarlamah leh chhimlamah pawh ka hriat chinah hei aia hmasa hi a awm thei lova. A kum lehah te, a kum kum lehah te chuan hmun dang dangah Carol hi an ching chhunzawm ta hle zel a ni,” a ti. Zorama Krismas Carol hmasaberah hian ‘Chanchin Lawmawm Angelho Thu Ngai Ru’ tih hla bakah hla dangte pawh, a sap hlain an sa niin Pu C. Vanlallawma chuan a sawi.
He Carol-ah hian tute nge tel? A huaihawttu Rev. P. D. Sena bakah khan Upa D. Thianga, Mission Veng leh Pu Hrangaia, Rahsi Veng (Thakthing Veng) te bak midang telve te erawh hriatchhuah an awlai ta lo hle. A hrechiang ten mual an liam zo ta a ni awm e. A la han hre awm deuh turte pawhin an hre ta tlat lo mai a. Lo hre mial kan awm anih chuan han ziak ve teh u.
Member 49 awmna (Rev. P. D. Sena nen chuan 50 an ni) Lahore Zaipawl-te hian India ram fang turin November 15, 1933 zingkar khan Aizawl an chhuahsan a. Ke in Sairang an thleng a. Tlawng dung zawhthla turin a alto-ho zawng chu lawng pakhatah an chuang a. A air (soprano) ho lawng pakhat dangah an chuang bawk a. A bass leh tenor-te lawng pathumah an inhnawh a. Pi Zaii erawh zaipawl member pakhat nen lawng pakhatah an chuang thung a, Lalaghat thleng an inkar thla ta a ni. Chuta tangin Badarpur-Chandpur-Brahmaputra thlengin an kal zel a. Brahmaputra atangin Meilawng (Steamer) in West Bengal (Gualanddowk) an pan a. Heta tang hian November 20, 1933 zan dar 8:00-ah Relin Culcutta-a Sealdah Station an thleng ta a ni. Lahore Zaipawlte hian khawpui hrang hrang 16 ah zaiin rawng an bawl a. Sap hlabu Holy City leh Messiah hlabua mi hlapui chi hrang hrang — Halleluia Chorus, The Glory of The Lord, Worthy Is The Lamb tih hlate an sak bakah Mizo hla — Ka Ralthuamna Ka Dah Ngam Lo tih leh Ka Damlai Thlipui A Ral Hunin tihte an sa a ni.
Rev. P. D. Sena hi a hmingpum chu Pangdailova a ni a. A naupan laia a nu leh pate kohduatna — Sena tih chu a hming tak angin a pu hlen ta a. Cherra Theological College-ah Pathian Thu (Advanced Course) a zir zawh hnuin, Sub-Inspector of Schools hna thawkin Mission Vengah a inbengbel a. Tirhkoh Muka inhmun hi a in dinna thin a ni. Zorama Krismas Carol hmasa ber an huaihawt kum, 1933 hian Assembly Inkhawmpuiin Pastor atan an la nghe nghe a. 1934 ah Durtlang Biak Inah nemngheh a ni.
— Rochamliana, Mission Veng
Zotlangsanga Krismas Carol hmasa ber neih kum tak hi mi tam zawkin kan chiang ta vak lo a ni awm e. Krismas boruak inlumlet vel karah hian i han sawithar leh teh ang.
Aizawl khuaa venghlun berte zing pakhat chuan 2005 khan an veng Kum 100 tlinna an lawm a. Chumi hriatreng nan chuan Souvenir chikhat atan lehkhabu tha tak an tichhuak a. Chu Souvenir-ah chuan heti hian a inziak a, “Kan veng hi Mizoram pumah Carol lo chhuah tanna a ni an tih tlat chu!... 1949 ah chuan Krismas Carol chu neih a ni a... kan veng nula leh tlangval bakah Mission Veng leh Kulikawn tlangval 10 lai an tel ve...” tiin. Thlalak hlui lama a landan chuan vengdang tlangval zingah hian Pu R. Zuala te, Pu V. L. Lawma te, Pu L. Pachhunga te bakah Pu V. Rosiama te pawh an tel a ni.
Hmanah, kum tam tak liam ta, 1926 khan Kulikawn pa hrat khawkheng Pu Telela leh a thiante, mi 7 ten ‘Zoram Thawvenna’ atan British sorkar lakah ngawhngawl chhuahin Jail bang an lo zut phah hial a. He an thiltih namenlo tak avang hian Kulikawn Pasaltha Chawimawitu Committee chuan October 18, 2006 khan Hriatrengna Lung an phun a. Souvenir atan Kulikawn Arsi Eng tih bu an tichhuak bawk. He lehkhabuah hian Zorama Carol hmasa ber chungchang chu heti hian a inziak thung a, “Central YMA (YLA?) chu Christmas Carol nei hmasa ber Mizoramah chuan an ni a. 23.12.1939 zanah Pu Lalkailiana (Pu Lalkailuia?), Pu Sainghinga, Pu Buchhawna, Pu Pachhunga, Pastor Thanga, Pu Dahrawka, Pu Hrawva leh Pu Makthanga te inah kan zai a ni,” tiin.
Amaherawhchu, 1949 a Carol leh 1939 a Central YLA Carol aia hmaah hian Zorama Krismas Carol hmasaber chu 1933 Krismas khan Rev. P. D. Sena hovin an lo nei tawh a ni. He Carol hmasa ber chungchang hi Upa Chawngzika khan heti hian a sawi a, “Pi Zaii hovin Mizo Zaipawlte chu 1933 khan Lahore-ah kan kal a. He Zaipawlah hian telve ngei turin Rev. P. D. Sena pawh kha a inbuatsaih a. Lahore Zaipawlah hian ani kha Conductor turte zinga mi a ni nghe nghe a. Amaherawhchu, hetih hunlai kher hian a nupui chu a damlo ta tlat mai a. Tin, a fanu upa ber pawh a nuamsam vak lo bawk a. Chutiang chu anih avangin a kal ve thei ta lova ni. Tichuan, ani khawhar leh lungleng chuan thian thenkhat te a lo sawmkhawm a, an zaiho ta a. Chutia an zai chu an zai phur chho zel a, sapho leh chutih hunlaia Mizo milian leh mitha deuhte inah kalkualin, vehbur khawn chungin an lo Carol ta a ni,” a ti. Upa Chawngzika’n, “...a hunlaia Mizo milian leh mitha deuh...” a tihte hi Pu Pachhunga te, Pu Makthanga te, Pu Sainghinga te, Pu Buchhawna te leh midang dangte an ni.
He Carol-a an thilpek tlingkhawm hian Mission Veng Biak In Gate Pillar chu an siam ta nghe nghe a. Pu Thanseia sawihmangin he Gate hi Biak In Pui Gate hnunglam a ni nghe nghe awm e.
Upa Chawngzika’n a sawi zel danah chuan, “Zoram hmarlamah leh chhimlamah pawh ka hriat chinah hei aia hmasa hi a awm thei lova. A kum lehah te, a kum kum lehah te chuan hmun dang dangah Carol hi an ching chhunzawm ta hle zel a ni,” a ti. Zorama Krismas Carol hmasaberah hian ‘Chanchin Lawmawm Angelho Thu Ngai Ru’ tih hla bakah hla dangte pawh, a sap hlain an sa niin Pu C. Vanlallawma chuan a sawi.
He Carol-ah hian tute nge tel? A huaihawttu Rev. P. D. Sena bakah khan Upa D. Thianga, Mission Veng leh Pu Hrangaia, Rahsi Veng (Thakthing Veng) te bak midang telve te erawh hriatchhuah an awlai ta lo hle. A hrechiang ten mual an liam zo ta a ni awm e. A la han hre awm deuh turte pawhin an hre ta tlat lo mai a. Lo hre mial kan awm anih chuan han ziak ve teh u.
Member 49 awmna (Rev. P. D. Sena nen chuan 50 an ni) Lahore Zaipawl-te hian India ram fang turin November 15, 1933 zingkar khan Aizawl an chhuahsan a. Ke in Sairang an thleng a. Tlawng dung zawhthla turin a alto-ho zawng chu lawng pakhatah an chuang a. A air (soprano) ho lawng pakhat dangah an chuang bawk a. A bass leh tenor-te lawng pathumah an inhnawh a. Pi Zaii erawh zaipawl member pakhat nen lawng pakhatah an chuang thung a, Lalaghat thleng an inkar thla ta a ni. Chuta tangin Badarpur-Chandpur-Brahmaputra thlengin an kal zel a. Brahmaputra atangin Meilawng (Steamer) in West Bengal (Gualanddowk) an pan a. Heta tang hian November 20, 1933 zan dar 8:00-ah Relin Culcutta-a Sealdah Station an thleng ta a ni. Lahore Zaipawlte hian khawpui hrang hrang 16 ah zaiin rawng an bawl a. Sap hlabu Holy City leh Messiah hlabua mi hlapui chi hrang hrang — Halleluia Chorus, The Glory of The Lord, Worthy Is The Lamb tih hlate an sak bakah Mizo hla — Ka Ralthuamna Ka Dah Ngam Lo tih leh Ka Damlai Thlipui A Ral Hunin tihte an sa a ni.
Rev. P. D. Sena hi a hmingpum chu Pangdailova a ni a. A naupan laia a nu leh pate kohduatna — Sena tih chu a hming tak angin a pu hlen ta a. Cherra Theological College-ah Pathian Thu (Advanced Course) a zir zawh hnuin, Sub-Inspector of Schools hna thawkin Mission Vengah a inbengbel a. Tirhkoh Muka inhmun hi a in dinna thin a ni. Zorama Krismas Carol hmasa ber an huaihawt kum, 1933 hian Assembly Inkhawmpuiin Pastor atan an la nghe nghe a. 1934 ah Durtlang Biak Inah nemngheh a ni.
— Rochamliana, Mission Veng
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Zantiang Chhawrthlapui
1. Over top of yonder gorgeous hills,
Shines the mellow Moon the Queen of Night;
Stirring sentimental and pining hearts,
She beams on my little cottage door,
Just behold, the Angel of the Night.
2. Frolicking in pleasant moonlight bright,
Their sweetest songs all the night birds give;
Perfect chord the hooting owl providing,
Creatures of the night they all enjoy,
Singing, “How pleasant the moonlight is!,”
3. True solace the weary heart does find,
When the Queen of heavens shines for us;
When she enthralls us all with her beauty,
Our longing for earthly things vanish,
Even burden of toils disapear!
4. Do not roll away so hastily,
Just stay on to thrill the lonesome hearts;
How delightful it is when you’re with us,
Make us blissful yet a little while,
Ere taking your journey home again.
Composed by Rokunga/ Translated by Dengchhuana (Sangzuala Pa)
Theology in Wood and Concrete
(He thuziak hi tha ka ti angreng khawp mai. Lo chhiar ve teh - Chama)
Six Protestant churches that strive to match form with faith
Protestant churches at the turn of the century asked themselves, How can we continue to build lavish buildings when there are people in need and missionaries to support? Like the rising modernists, they argued that ornamentation was frivolous and costly, and that they could do much more with much less. However, few churches saw modernism as a solution to their concerns, and they abandoned innovative design.
If churches then had seen what they had in common with modernism, they could have allied their sense of responsibility with cutting-edge design. Instead, churches, which were the architectural focal points of early American settlements, left the conversation of progressive architecture. But in the past few years, missions-minded Protestant churches have begun to rediscover architecture.
The following churches decided that their buildings were an important part of their ministry, not merely afterthoughts. And while many churches are moving toward traditional design, these churches believe there is still something to be said for a contemporary approach. They believe that buildings can express the values of congregations, bringing new meaning to the act of stewardship in architecture.
First Presbyterian Church
Encino, California | Abramson Teiger Architects
The old building of the First Presbyterian Church in Encino, California, mirrored its congregation: it was aging quickly and in desperate need of renovation. Attendance was dwindling. The church's leaders hoped that if they injected vitality into the building, the congregation would follow suit.
The church chose Abramson Teiger Architects, a firm that did not have a church or religious space in its portfolio.
Architect Trevor Abramson recalls that it was one of his initial concepts that won over the committee. "During the interview, I envisioned the two sides of the ceiling as hands cupped in prayer over the congregation," he said. The spaces between the crossed fingers would allow filtered light into the space.
That concept was preserved through the building process, which cost the church less than $1 million, including architectural fees.
The pastor wanted to be among the congregation, so the lectern was designed to be on the floor with casters. The Communion table is also mobile. A light well (a shaft that opens to the outside) mysteriously illuminates the choir.
After the church's renovation, the size of its congregation grew. Besides that, Abramson says many more weddings now take place in First Presbyterian. In addition, secular organizations have requested to hold concerts in First Presbyterian. For the congregation, that means greater opportunities for outreach.
Friends Meetinghouse
San Antonio, Texas | Lake|Flato Architects
Simplicity. Quietness. Plainness. Those were the words that were to guide Lake|Flato architects in designing this Quaker meetinghouse. Before a new space was built, the San Antonio Friends owned what they thought was the perfect site, a beautiful piece of land ideal for contemplation. After negotiating with the church, architect Bob Harris began site analyses and preliminary proposals.
The few people living next door protested the project. Out of respect for their neighbors, the Friends decided to move elsewhere. They eventually chose a site far from perfect. It was semi-urban and faced a beauty salon and a drainage ditch.
Harris flattened the sloping land and created a plateau to look out over the drainage ditch. The Friends planted trees and greenery between the ditch and the church—a sanctuary for birds and wildlife amid busy streets. On the plateau is the main gathering space that Harris designed for quiet contemplation. Rustic and unadorned, it displays an authentic expression of natural materials in the tradition of early Quakers. But, as Harris says, the Quakers' taste for plainness isn't nostalgia or a rejection of contemporary design. "They do not want architecture to take on a meaning of its own, but to be simple, beautiful, and background," he says.
The San Antonio Friends say that construction cost less than a one-bedroom condominium in many major cities. Lake|Flato showed that good design does not necessarily mean expensive design, even when hiring a nationally recognized firm.
Korean Church of Boston
Boston, Massachusetts | Brian Healy Architects
The Korean Church of Boston (KCB) was founded in 1953 as the first Korean church in New England. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, KCB launched an unusual fundraising campaign: to create a children's chapel and community center.
Architect Brian Healy divided the building into sacred and secular spaces. The chapel—a sacred component—is tucked behind the sanctuary and faces a residential community. The community center's coffee shop, a secular component that is a vehicle for outreach, faces a busy Boston street. KCB also offers language programs and other cultural events.
The jewel of the new building is the children's center. Skylights dance playfully across the ceiling. Seating is less rigid and formal than in KCB's former chapel, allowing children to walk, stand, or sit on benches all around the stage. Negative space creates the cross at the front, which is a reference to architect Tadao Ando's celebrated Church of the Light in Osaka, Japan.
Healy says KCB wants its children to have a different kind of church experience, one that engages the world right outside.
Churches and Community Centers
Bolivia and Honduras | Jae Cha, Light Inc.
Jae Cha has the mind of an artist, the heart of a missionary, and the spirit of a nomad. Although architects are typically rooted in one place, Cha says she goes to wherever the Spirit calls her, spreading the Good News. Her design firm, Light Inc., is based in Washington, D.C., but her work has been produced in Latin America and Africa. Unlike most global architectural firms, Light Inc. is a nonprofit.
Cha's church buildings break away from the old church archetype. Traditional churches are usually cruciform or rectangular and often have a tower to show authority. Cha believes that the body of Christ is nonhierarchical, and that therefore the church building should not be either.
Cha's churches show Christ as the center of community. It is the spirit of the community rather than the building that reaches up to the heavens. Thus, her buildings are always bold, symmetrical shapes, and flat on top. Her church in Bolivia is a circle within a circle; the Honduran church is two layers of squares. These layers let in natural light and allow the congregation—and fresh air—to move freely in and out.
Cha says her architectural inspiration comes in part from studying fashion. The sheathing of the building is like an evenly draped fabric on skin, covering the body of Christ.
Antioch Baptist Church
Perry County, Alabama | Rural Studio, Auburn University
The late architect Sam Mockbee believed that only a fraction of Americans live and work in well-designed buildings. Reasoning that everyone deserves thoughtful design and that architects should be available to serve more than just the wealthy, he made Hale County—a poor, rural area in western Alabama—a case study for social justice through architecture. As a first step, Mockbee and colleague D. K. Ruth founded the Rural Studio program at Auburn University in 1993.
The Rural Studio spent years designing and building contemporary, practical solutions for the local community in Alabama, having architecture students design and construct projects as one-year thesis studies.
Antioch Baptist Church approached Rural Studio. When its leaders came to dream about their new building, says architect Jared Fulton, "The congregation didn't want any old church … these people said over and over that they wanted the Cadillac of churches!"
Fulton was one of four students on this project, and he made a new building for Antioch Baptist his thesis. Many in the black, rural congregation were skeptical that a few students would be capable of demolishing, designing, and constructing their church building within one year.
The Rural Studio's plan called for the existing building to be carefully disassembled so that approximately 80 percent of the materials could be reused for the new structure. The church raised about $10,000. The Rural Studio donated the most expensive components of the building process, design fees, and labor.
The final plan alluded to Cadillacs, but incorporated a spiritual metaphor much more strongly: Antioch Baptist's concrete walls, which represent death, flank the church cemetery. As members emerge from the concrete baptistery, they cross over the threshold into a sanctuary clad in wood, which represents life.
The Greater Boston Vineyard
Cambridge, Massachusetts | CBT Architects
Our Lady of Pity Church was designed by Charles Greco and dedicated in 1923 as a French Catholic church in Cambridge. It operated until the late '90s, when the Archdiocese of Boston closed it due to financial hardship.
The building now has a new life as the home of a Vineyard church. The Greater Boston Vineyard is one of a number of new Protestant congregations that have re-inhabited and renewed discarded Catholic buildings.
When church leaders bought the building, they knew there was a problem. Lead pastor Dave Schmeltzer says that while the church's aesthetics did not conflict with the Vineyard's mission, its building plan did. The doors of the original church's sanctuary opened directly outside. "You went to service," Schmeltzer says, "and when service was over, it shooed you away, out to the street."
To alleviate this problem, the Vineyard hired CBT Architects in Boston. Although CBT typically does large-scale corporate work, two of its employees, Glenn Knowles and Chris Brown, were active in the Vineyard congregation and local church community.
The architects flipped the church's orientation 180 degrees: The new entrance is where the old sanctuary's sacristy and preparation space once were. The entry now leads into a lobby with a soaring and ornate dome, which was once the apse. A large glass wall where the altar had been now separates the lobby from the sanctuary.
Although the building's glass wall is elegant, the most striking additions to the building are the acoustic clouds suspended from the ceiling. Whereas the previous congregation had only organ and vocals, the Vineyard uses multimedia projection, video, and performance-style worship music.
Gary Wang is a senior designer at Machado and Silvetti in Boston. His work can be seen at WangArchitects.com.
Six Protestant churches that strive to match form with faith
Protestant churches at the turn of the century asked themselves, How can we continue to build lavish buildings when there are people in need and missionaries to support? Like the rising modernists, they argued that ornamentation was frivolous and costly, and that they could do much more with much less. However, few churches saw modernism as a solution to their concerns, and they abandoned innovative design.
If churches then had seen what they had in common with modernism, they could have allied their sense of responsibility with cutting-edge design. Instead, churches, which were the architectural focal points of early American settlements, left the conversation of progressive architecture. But in the past few years, missions-minded Protestant churches have begun to rediscover architecture.
The following churches decided that their buildings were an important part of their ministry, not merely afterthoughts. And while many churches are moving toward traditional design, these churches believe there is still something to be said for a contemporary approach. They believe that buildings can express the values of congregations, bringing new meaning to the act of stewardship in architecture.
First Presbyterian Church
Encino, California | Abramson Teiger Architects
The old building of the First Presbyterian Church in Encino, California, mirrored its congregation: it was aging quickly and in desperate need of renovation. Attendance was dwindling. The church's leaders hoped that if they injected vitality into the building, the congregation would follow suit.
The church chose Abramson Teiger Architects, a firm that did not have a church or religious space in its portfolio.
Architect Trevor Abramson recalls that it was one of his initial concepts that won over the committee. "During the interview, I envisioned the two sides of the ceiling as hands cupped in prayer over the congregation," he said. The spaces between the crossed fingers would allow filtered light into the space.
That concept was preserved through the building process, which cost the church less than $1 million, including architectural fees.
The pastor wanted to be among the congregation, so the lectern was designed to be on the floor with casters. The Communion table is also mobile. A light well (a shaft that opens to the outside) mysteriously illuminates the choir.
After the church's renovation, the size of its congregation grew. Besides that, Abramson says many more weddings now take place in First Presbyterian. In addition, secular organizations have requested to hold concerts in First Presbyterian. For the congregation, that means greater opportunities for outreach.
Friends Meetinghouse
San Antonio, Texas | Lake|Flato Architects
Simplicity. Quietness. Plainness. Those were the words that were to guide Lake|Flato architects in designing this Quaker meetinghouse. Before a new space was built, the San Antonio Friends owned what they thought was the perfect site, a beautiful piece of land ideal for contemplation. After negotiating with the church, architect Bob Harris began site analyses and preliminary proposals.
The few people living next door protested the project. Out of respect for their neighbors, the Friends decided to move elsewhere. They eventually chose a site far from perfect. It was semi-urban and faced a beauty salon and a drainage ditch.
Harris flattened the sloping land and created a plateau to look out over the drainage ditch. The Friends planted trees and greenery between the ditch and the church—a sanctuary for birds and wildlife amid busy streets. On the plateau is the main gathering space that Harris designed for quiet contemplation. Rustic and unadorned, it displays an authentic expression of natural materials in the tradition of early Quakers. But, as Harris says, the Quakers' taste for plainness isn't nostalgia or a rejection of contemporary design. "They do not want architecture to take on a meaning of its own, but to be simple, beautiful, and background," he says.
The San Antonio Friends say that construction cost less than a one-bedroom condominium in many major cities. Lake|Flato showed that good design does not necessarily mean expensive design, even when hiring a nationally recognized firm.
Korean Church of Boston
Boston, Massachusetts | Brian Healy Architects
The Korean Church of Boston (KCB) was founded in 1953 as the first Korean church in New England. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, KCB launched an unusual fundraising campaign: to create a children's chapel and community center.
Architect Brian Healy divided the building into sacred and secular spaces. The chapel—a sacred component—is tucked behind the sanctuary and faces a residential community. The community center's coffee shop, a secular component that is a vehicle for outreach, faces a busy Boston street. KCB also offers language programs and other cultural events.
The jewel of the new building is the children's center. Skylights dance playfully across the ceiling. Seating is less rigid and formal than in KCB's former chapel, allowing children to walk, stand, or sit on benches all around the stage. Negative space creates the cross at the front, which is a reference to architect Tadao Ando's celebrated Church of the Light in Osaka, Japan.
Healy says KCB wants its children to have a different kind of church experience, one that engages the world right outside.
Churches and Community Centers
Bolivia and Honduras | Jae Cha, Light Inc.
Jae Cha has the mind of an artist, the heart of a missionary, and the spirit of a nomad. Although architects are typically rooted in one place, Cha says she goes to wherever the Spirit calls her, spreading the Good News. Her design firm, Light Inc., is based in Washington, D.C., but her work has been produced in Latin America and Africa. Unlike most global architectural firms, Light Inc. is a nonprofit.
Cha's church buildings break away from the old church archetype. Traditional churches are usually cruciform or rectangular and often have a tower to show authority. Cha believes that the body of Christ is nonhierarchical, and that therefore the church building should not be either.
Cha's churches show Christ as the center of community. It is the spirit of the community rather than the building that reaches up to the heavens. Thus, her buildings are always bold, symmetrical shapes, and flat on top. Her church in Bolivia is a circle within a circle; the Honduran church is two layers of squares. These layers let in natural light and allow the congregation—and fresh air—to move freely in and out.
Cha says her architectural inspiration comes in part from studying fashion. The sheathing of the building is like an evenly draped fabric on skin, covering the body of Christ.
Antioch Baptist Church
Perry County, Alabama | Rural Studio, Auburn University
The late architect Sam Mockbee believed that only a fraction of Americans live and work in well-designed buildings. Reasoning that everyone deserves thoughtful design and that architects should be available to serve more than just the wealthy, he made Hale County—a poor, rural area in western Alabama—a case study for social justice through architecture. As a first step, Mockbee and colleague D. K. Ruth founded the Rural Studio program at Auburn University in 1993.
The Rural Studio spent years designing and building contemporary, practical solutions for the local community in Alabama, having architecture students design and construct projects as one-year thesis studies.
Antioch Baptist Church approached Rural Studio. When its leaders came to dream about their new building, says architect Jared Fulton, "The congregation didn't want any old church … these people said over and over that they wanted the Cadillac of churches!"
Fulton was one of four students on this project, and he made a new building for Antioch Baptist his thesis. Many in the black, rural congregation were skeptical that a few students would be capable of demolishing, designing, and constructing their church building within one year.
The Rural Studio's plan called for the existing building to be carefully disassembled so that approximately 80 percent of the materials could be reused for the new structure. The church raised about $10,000. The Rural Studio donated the most expensive components of the building process, design fees, and labor.
The final plan alluded to Cadillacs, but incorporated a spiritual metaphor much more strongly: Antioch Baptist's concrete walls, which represent death, flank the church cemetery. As members emerge from the concrete baptistery, they cross over the threshold into a sanctuary clad in wood, which represents life.
The Greater Boston Vineyard
Cambridge, Massachusetts | CBT Architects
Our Lady of Pity Church was designed by Charles Greco and dedicated in 1923 as a French Catholic church in Cambridge. It operated until the late '90s, when the Archdiocese of Boston closed it due to financial hardship.
The building now has a new life as the home of a Vineyard church. The Greater Boston Vineyard is one of a number of new Protestant congregations that have re-inhabited and renewed discarded Catholic buildings.
When church leaders bought the building, they knew there was a problem. Lead pastor Dave Schmeltzer says that while the church's aesthetics did not conflict with the Vineyard's mission, its building plan did. The doors of the original church's sanctuary opened directly outside. "You went to service," Schmeltzer says, "and when service was over, it shooed you away, out to the street."
To alleviate this problem, the Vineyard hired CBT Architects in Boston. Although CBT typically does large-scale corporate work, two of its employees, Glenn Knowles and Chris Brown, were active in the Vineyard congregation and local church community.
The architects flipped the church's orientation 180 degrees: The new entrance is where the old sanctuary's sacristy and preparation space once were. The entry now leads into a lobby with a soaring and ornate dome, which was once the apse. A large glass wall where the altar had been now separates the lobby from the sanctuary.
Although the building's glass wall is elegant, the most striking additions to the building are the acoustic clouds suspended from the ceiling. Whereas the previous congregation had only organ and vocals, the Vineyard uses multimedia projection, video, and performance-style worship music.
Gary Wang is a senior designer at Machado and Silvetti in Boston. His work can be seen at WangArchitects.com.
SAPTAWNG AVANGA KA ZAHNA!
Kan chenna khawvel hi Saptawng Khawvel a lo ni ta. Saptawng tel miah lo chuan eng huangah mah hian ‘Sera mu a thur’ theih ta lo a ni ber mai. Tin, saptawng hi ka pianpui tawng alo ni lo lehzel vei nen, a kilkhawr leh a lairil thuk tak thleng a hrethiam leh hmangthiam ziazang chi phei chu ka ni lo lehzual a. Chuvangin, keini ang hi chuan Saptawng Khawvelah hian Saptawng avanga zah em em na hi tawk deuh ut reng mai pawh ni ila thilmak anih awm loh hle laiin, ka hawl chin a zim aleiah rinai tak chuan tawk tlem ka la inti ta zawk a. A vanneihthlak hle!
ZAH VAWIKHATNA
Engpawhnisela, Saptawng avang liau liau hian tum thum chu tihtakzetin ka lo zak ve tawh. Saptawng avanga ka zahna hmasa ber chu Dawrpui Kohhran Committee Room-ah a ni a. BA result ka nghah laiin Dawrpui Kohhranin an Kohhran School a thawk turin zirtirtu an la dawn a. Chu hna chu ka va dil ve a ni. Ka damchhunga a hmasa ber atan hnalak chungchanga Interview Board ka hmachhawn tur chu ka han zam nasa khawp a. Ka zam nasat dan chu sawifiah vak ngaihna a awm lo. Vawi tamtak ka zun sek hnuin ka hun a lo thleng ve ta a. Zun a rawn chhuak leh nghal ngut ngut tho! Thin a phu pawng dawt dawt a. Mitmeng a phelh ruai a, khawhmuhte pawh, — diktak chuan, a fiah hranpa lo ani tih chu step mam tha lai tak ka rahpial tak tlat avangin a chiang reng mai. Kawngkhar ka han hawng khur dar dar a. Luh veleha chham tura ka lo vawn sa ran ran chu chhamchhuah tuma ka inhampuar vel lai takin kawngkhar hnuailam za chu ri fawk khawp a nain ka han chhuih leh ta a! Zawhna tam pawh min zawt hmanin ka hre lo. Pangngai tak chuan ka chhang ve zel chuan ka inhre ringawt a. Chutah, Upa pakhat chuan, “Lal Biakna tawngtaina a ‘I hming zahawm rawh se...’ tih hi saptawngin engtinnge ni ang?” a han ti a. Kei chuan rang fahranin, “Thy Kingdom come...” ka han ti ta rup mai ani! Min zawttupa chu a nui kiai suk mai. “A tawk e, a tawk e...” an ti ta ruai mai a.
Ka chhanna dikloh rapthlakzia chu pawn ka chhuah tirh chuan ka la hre mai lo lehnghal a. Phurrit hrawl fahran paihbo tehchawkah ka inchan a. Thaw hawk hawk chungin Bazar pheiah ka kal phei vel a. Interview lam rilruah a la lut hleithei lo. Bazar Bungkawn vel atangin thluak a fim tan a. Lal Biakna chungchanga ka chhanna dik lohzia chu thawklehkhatah ka hrechhuak ta phut mai a ni. Ka ngaihtuah nasat poh leh ka zak tawlh tawlh mai a. A va han manganthlak tehreng em! “Ka va let leh ang. Ka va hrilhfiah hlawm dawn...” te ka han ti rilru ut ut vei thin a. “Dawrpui Upa ho chuan mawl min va ti dawn em!” ka ti a. Kilkhata Upa Rokamlova lo thu nui vur mai hmelte chu mitthlaah a rawn inlar tak zut zut a! Eng engemaw chu ka inngaihbel ta zel mai a. Ka inngaihtuah thinrim ta a ni. Mawl min tih leh tih loh pawh hre uk si lo khan, “An mi ngaih anga mawl chu ka ni bik lo,” te ka ti! Min han lak dawn loh chian vei nen, “Min la mahse, ka thawk lovang!” te ka ti thul! “Dawrpui Upa ho hi a mal malin Lal Biakna hi Saptawng baka Grik tawngin in ka la chhamkhum vek ang,” te ka ti! Tichuan, min hriatzui phei zawng ka ring hauh lo naa, tunthleng hian kha zawhna min zawttu Upa leh Upa Rokamlova te hi ka hmuh chang chuan ka la zak ru deuh reuh reuh thin!
ZAH VAWIHNIHNA
Saptawng avanga ka zah vawihnihna pawh hi tawngtaina lam thil bawk a ni a. Mission Vengthlang Kohhran Hall-ah a ni thung. North East India Christian Council Youth Assembly (NEICCYA) Inkhawmpuiah Palai ka ni ve naa, ka titha peih lo angreng khawp mai a. Rorel inkhawm chawhma lamah chuan report pek turte ka neih ve avangin ka tel tluan hram a. Chawhnu lam chu ka bo leh daih a. Zan lam pawh inkhawm ka tum hran lo. Amaherawhchu, rilru a inthiam hlei thei lova. Chuvangin, tlai fahranah hmanhmawh rilru fe siin ka thleng thla a. Inkhawm an lo tan der tawh a. Tlar hnung berah emaw, a dawttuah emaw tal thut a, duh huna puhbo leh mai tum rilru tak chungin ka han dak dek dek a. Mahse, thutna a lo khat vek tawh mai si a. Tichuan, khualchhawn thothang tha zet mai chuan mipui rehthup tawh karah chuan min hruai min hruai a, tlar hmasa langsar lai tak maiah min han nghat ta a ni. Lai deuh takin thuthmun ka remfel a, ka han hawichhuak leh chiah tihah chuan inkhawm hruaitu chuan kan zavaia aiawha tawngtaina hun hmang turin min han sawm ta thut mai a nih chu! Ka va han haw mai mai tak em!
Dawhsan atang chuan ka han thlirthla a. Mipui an tam kher mai. Hmelhriat, hmelhriat vak loh leh hmelhriat reng reng loh, a zo a vaiin an inthutpawlh nuk mai a. Kan dopui (Salvation Army) Tawtawrawt Pi leh Pu ho pawh tlar hmasa lamah chuan an thuam famkim nen an lo thu tle ver vur mai bawk a. Rilru a inpeih lo nasa a, zamawm tak a ni. Mizo tawnga tawngtai tur pawh nise ka chham buai fe na turah chuan saptawngin eng eng emaw chu ka han chham chho ta nawk nawk a. A bul lam chu a mar tha ve viau naa, rilru lam lo chiai deuh bawk nen, engemaw chen atang chuan ka haihchham titih ta a! Chuvangin, arang aranga tihtawp vat mai kha tha berin ka hre ta a ni.
Awm a nuam lem lo viau mai! Inkhawm banah chuan Synod Zaipawl lama kan thiannu pakhatin min rawn chibai a, “I titha khawp mai,” min ti! Awm a ti nuam chuang miah lo. Ka inngaihtuah lungpuam leh ta pek a. “Saptawnga tawngtai te chu vawitam vawitam ka lo ti ve tawh a, zanin ang ngawt kha chu ka ni bik lo,” ka ti a. Kan lehkha zir laia Evangelical Union (EU), University Evangelical Graduate Fellowship (UEGF) bakah Presbyterian Youth Fellowship (PYF) tih velah te a ka tawngtai zozai(!) te kha ka han ngaihtuah chhuak thar vel zur zur a! Awmzia erawh a nei chau viau. Ngaihtuahna rau tak a ni hran lo! “Naga Service lamah te pawh thu min sawitir thin a. Ka thusawi zawhah te pawh duah deuh fein ka lo tawngtai ve tawh thin...” te ka ti rilru ta vel zel a. Naga Service sawi takah chuan, — Naga thian leh ‘engemaw-laia-thian-aia-thuk-zawk-i’ avang khan an inkhawmna a va tel ve zeuh zeuh leh vawi 2/1 thusawi tura min sawmna han tihhlawhtlin a, han inlak vai tingtang vel kha ka tan thil hrehawm lutuk a ni fahran lo!
— Rochamliana, Mission Veng
ZAH VAWIKHATNA
Engpawhnisela, Saptawng avang liau liau hian tum thum chu tihtakzetin ka lo zak ve tawh. Saptawng avanga ka zahna hmasa ber chu Dawrpui Kohhran Committee Room-ah a ni a. BA result ka nghah laiin Dawrpui Kohhranin an Kohhran School a thawk turin zirtirtu an la dawn a. Chu hna chu ka va dil ve a ni. Ka damchhunga a hmasa ber atan hnalak chungchanga Interview Board ka hmachhawn tur chu ka han zam nasa khawp a. Ka zam nasat dan chu sawifiah vak ngaihna a awm lo. Vawi tamtak ka zun sek hnuin ka hun a lo thleng ve ta a. Zun a rawn chhuak leh nghal ngut ngut tho! Thin a phu pawng dawt dawt a. Mitmeng a phelh ruai a, khawhmuhte pawh, — diktak chuan, a fiah hranpa lo ani tih chu step mam tha lai tak ka rahpial tak tlat avangin a chiang reng mai. Kawngkhar ka han hawng khur dar dar a. Luh veleha chham tura ka lo vawn sa ran ran chu chhamchhuah tuma ka inhampuar vel lai takin kawngkhar hnuailam za chu ri fawk khawp a nain ka han chhuih leh ta a! Zawhna tam pawh min zawt hmanin ka hre lo. Pangngai tak chuan ka chhang ve zel chuan ka inhre ringawt a. Chutah, Upa pakhat chuan, “Lal Biakna tawngtaina a ‘I hming zahawm rawh se...’ tih hi saptawngin engtinnge ni ang?” a han ti a. Kei chuan rang fahranin, “Thy Kingdom come...” ka han ti ta rup mai ani! Min zawttupa chu a nui kiai suk mai. “A tawk e, a tawk e...” an ti ta ruai mai a.
Ka chhanna dikloh rapthlakzia chu pawn ka chhuah tirh chuan ka la hre mai lo lehnghal a. Phurrit hrawl fahran paihbo tehchawkah ka inchan a. Thaw hawk hawk chungin Bazar pheiah ka kal phei vel a. Interview lam rilruah a la lut hleithei lo. Bazar Bungkawn vel atangin thluak a fim tan a. Lal Biakna chungchanga ka chhanna dik lohzia chu thawklehkhatah ka hrechhuak ta phut mai a ni. Ka ngaihtuah nasat poh leh ka zak tawlh tawlh mai a. A va han manganthlak tehreng em! “Ka va let leh ang. Ka va hrilhfiah hlawm dawn...” te ka han ti rilru ut ut vei thin a. “Dawrpui Upa ho chuan mawl min va ti dawn em!” ka ti a. Kilkhata Upa Rokamlova lo thu nui vur mai hmelte chu mitthlaah a rawn inlar tak zut zut a! Eng engemaw chu ka inngaihbel ta zel mai a. Ka inngaihtuah thinrim ta a ni. Mawl min tih leh tih loh pawh hre uk si lo khan, “An mi ngaih anga mawl chu ka ni bik lo,” te ka ti! Min han lak dawn loh chian vei nen, “Min la mahse, ka thawk lovang!” te ka ti thul! “Dawrpui Upa ho hi a mal malin Lal Biakna hi Saptawng baka Grik tawngin in ka la chhamkhum vek ang,” te ka ti! Tichuan, min hriatzui phei zawng ka ring hauh lo naa, tunthleng hian kha zawhna min zawttu Upa leh Upa Rokamlova te hi ka hmuh chang chuan ka la zak ru deuh reuh reuh thin!
ZAH VAWIHNIHNA
Saptawng avanga ka zah vawihnihna pawh hi tawngtaina lam thil bawk a ni a. Mission Vengthlang Kohhran Hall-ah a ni thung. North East India Christian Council Youth Assembly (NEICCYA) Inkhawmpuiah Palai ka ni ve naa, ka titha peih lo angreng khawp mai a. Rorel inkhawm chawhma lamah chuan report pek turte ka neih ve avangin ka tel tluan hram a. Chawhnu lam chu ka bo leh daih a. Zan lam pawh inkhawm ka tum hran lo. Amaherawhchu, rilru a inthiam hlei thei lova. Chuvangin, tlai fahranah hmanhmawh rilru fe siin ka thleng thla a. Inkhawm an lo tan der tawh a. Tlar hnung berah emaw, a dawttuah emaw tal thut a, duh huna puhbo leh mai tum rilru tak chungin ka han dak dek dek a. Mahse, thutna a lo khat vek tawh mai si a. Tichuan, khualchhawn thothang tha zet mai chuan mipui rehthup tawh karah chuan min hruai min hruai a, tlar hmasa langsar lai tak maiah min han nghat ta a ni. Lai deuh takin thuthmun ka remfel a, ka han hawichhuak leh chiah tihah chuan inkhawm hruaitu chuan kan zavaia aiawha tawngtaina hun hmang turin min han sawm ta thut mai a nih chu! Ka va han haw mai mai tak em!
Dawhsan atang chuan ka han thlirthla a. Mipui an tam kher mai. Hmelhriat, hmelhriat vak loh leh hmelhriat reng reng loh, a zo a vaiin an inthutpawlh nuk mai a. Kan dopui (Salvation Army) Tawtawrawt Pi leh Pu ho pawh tlar hmasa lamah chuan an thuam famkim nen an lo thu tle ver vur mai bawk a. Rilru a inpeih lo nasa a, zamawm tak a ni. Mizo tawnga tawngtai tur pawh nise ka chham buai fe na turah chuan saptawngin eng eng emaw chu ka han chham chho ta nawk nawk a. A bul lam chu a mar tha ve viau naa, rilru lam lo chiai deuh bawk nen, engemaw chen atang chuan ka haihchham titih ta a! Chuvangin, arang aranga tihtawp vat mai kha tha berin ka hre ta a ni.
Awm a nuam lem lo viau mai! Inkhawm banah chuan Synod Zaipawl lama kan thiannu pakhatin min rawn chibai a, “I titha khawp mai,” min ti! Awm a ti nuam chuang miah lo. Ka inngaihtuah lungpuam leh ta pek a. “Saptawnga tawngtai te chu vawitam vawitam ka lo ti ve tawh a, zanin ang ngawt kha chu ka ni bik lo,” ka ti a. Kan lehkha zir laia Evangelical Union (EU), University Evangelical Graduate Fellowship (UEGF) bakah Presbyterian Youth Fellowship (PYF) tih velah te a ka tawngtai zozai(!) te kha ka han ngaihtuah chhuak thar vel zur zur a! Awmzia erawh a nei chau viau. Ngaihtuahna rau tak a ni hran lo! “Naga Service lamah te pawh thu min sawitir thin a. Ka thusawi zawhah te pawh duah deuh fein ka lo tawngtai ve tawh thin...” te ka ti rilru ta vel zel a. Naga Service sawi takah chuan, — Naga thian leh ‘engemaw-laia-thian-aia-thuk-zawk-i’ avang khan an inkhawmna a va tel ve zeuh zeuh leh vawi 2/1 thusawi tura min sawmna han tihhlawhtlin a, han inlak vai tingtang vel kha ka tan thil hrehawm lutuk a ni fahran lo!
— Rochamliana, Mission Veng
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