A little more than a century ago, our ancestors in Mizoram lived in the dark, worshiping “Things”. Jan 11 in 1894, two men arrived with the gospel to the state.
It was here at Serkawn that the two pioneer missionaries Rev F.W. Savidge and J.H. Lorrain settled down on their return to Mizoram as Missionaries of the BMS (Baptist Missionary Society) in 1903. They are fondly known as Sap Upa and Pu Buanga locally. They left behind a history, a story and a heritage.
To this day their former residence stay, in very good condition. They are used by BCM(Baptist Church of Mizoram) officials as quarters.
Sap Upa lived here from 1904 to 1925.
We even found someone we know was a current occupant of the heritage bungalow. Phylia who dad is the Associate General Secretary of BCM, a very lovely girl by the way. Shhhhh! Please don’t tell her.
We were promptly invited inside for a cup of coffee.
The door leading to the backyard. The door that Sap Upa must have walked through several times.
The incumbency list of the occupants.
Behind is the former quarter of J.H. Lorrain, Pu Buanga.
The incumbency list of occupants taken from here.
The missionaries started a mission school which became Christian High School in 1961 and later evolved into the Baptist Higher Secondary School of today.
The original school building on the hill top houses the junior section. It has a sprawling courtyard, a very pleasant place to spend the evening.
A monument in memory of the Baptist missionaries.
The senior section of the school sits beside a huge tree. I attended their Advance Christmas function last year. There is a hall and multi-storey building to the right but I really like this old building.
Finally, a water reservoir built by the two in 1903 at a minute walk from their former bungalows. It has a system of filters by way of gravel etc.. Something I have seen demonstrated a lot at Science Exhibitions in Mizoram but never seen implemented for real use.
MizoramPX 