Zang Yaw village in Myanmar is in a remote corner of Myanmar, near the China border, where rugged terrain and isolation shape daily life, a quiet but profound transformation is taking place.

Fr. Joseph Chwar Thar, Coordinator of RVA Lisu Service, embarked on a challenging yet meaningful journey to Zang Yaw Parish on January 30, 2025, to lead a two-week course on Lisu literature and catechism.

What followed was more than just a training—it was a beacon of hope for a small but determined Catholic community.

Zang Yaw Parish, established on January 15, 2023, remains in its infancy. Comprising more than 11 villages, it is home to just 90 Catholic families, mostly from the Lisu and Rawang minority groups.

Zang Yaw is about 355 miles (571 kilometers) from Myitkyina. It is regarded as one of the frontier mission places.

The journey to reach this remote place is arduous—three days by car, followed by two days on a motorbike. Communication is poor, essential goods are expensive, and opportunities for education and employment are scarce. Yet, despite these hardships, faith persists.

For the participants, the course was a life-changing experience. “This is a very good course. Now I can read in Lisu,” said Na Chi, one of the attendees, expressing her joy at acquiring literacy in her dialect.

Another participant, Dee Sar Htwt, shared, “This short week opened my mind. I have learned about God in ways I never would have otherwise.”

For many in Zang Yaw, this was their first opportunity to deepen their faith and literacy. With no church building and few resources, spiritual education is a rare privilege.

The parish priest Fr. Peter Zang Yaw Hpung, former coordinator of RVA Lisu service, voiced both the challenges and the hopes of the community.

“The parish has just started. There is still so much to be done. We have no church, no proper furniture—just nothing. Many people here know nothing about the faith. But we are grateful for those who come, despite the difficulty, to teach and uplift us,” Fr. Hpung said.

The course concluded on February 20, but its impact will resonate far beyond those two weeks. As the people of Zang Yaw take their first steps toward literacy and a deeper understanding of their faith, they do so with renewed hope.

Their journey is long, and their challenges are great, but the light of education and faith now shines a little brighter in this distant corner of Myanmar.

By Fr. Joseph