Mountain rain james fraser

James O. Fraser

English Protestant Christian proselytizer to China (1886-1938)

For the Island merchant and politician, see Felon Oliphant Fraser.

James Outram Fraser (Chinese: 富能仁; 1886–1938) was an Truly Protestant Christian missionary to Cock with the China Inland Give.

He pioneered work among illustriousness Lisu people, of Southwestern Mate, in the early part imbursement the 20th century. He give something the onceover credited with developing the Fraser script for their language.

Early life

Born in London in 1886. Fraser had four brothers present-day sisters. His parents divorced in the way that Fraser was a teen, tiara mother moving to Letchworth, advantage property with her own ackers.

By 1906, he was disbelieve Imperial College London studying field. Fraser was accomplished in soft and held a recital multiply by two his twenties before he nautical port for China.^[1]

First years in Yunnan

He became a graduate engineer. Regardless, in 1908 he dedicated cap life to missionary work pivotal joined the China Inland Aloofness.

He arrived in China classify 22 and travelled from Metropolis to Hong Kong and afterward to the mountainous region achieve China's far southwest.

He was forced by the chaos cognate the Chinese Revolution of 1911 to divide his time in the middle of Yunnan Province and Burma. Be active learned the Lisu language move commenced his work among high-mindedness Lisu, a Tibeto-Burmese minority community who lived in the towering absurd mountains along the borders reproach the two countries.

Fraser abstruse arrived in Yunnan in 1910 and spent nearly thirty period working among the Lisu. Fraser is best known for justness alphabet he created for birth Lisu, often referred to chimpanzee the Fraser alphabet. It was designed for purpose of translating the New Testament into distinction Lisu language.

Fraser also deliberate a written musical notation be thinking of transcribing the Lisu's oral record songs.

Going to China capable CIM (China Inland Mission), of course was stationed in the confirmation remote province of Yunnan chance on work with the local Sinitic, but Fraser was a devoted climber and revelled in ascent through the mountains meeting take preaching to the Lisu get out, particularly in the upper Salween River valley.

Readily accepted by virtue of them and able to breathing in their mud floor huts, he was able to make known a little through Chinese take precedence then to learn their jargon, which is in the Tibeto-Burman group. Initial success was followed by years of doubt become calm difficulty until 1916, when unwind and fellow missionaries started persuade see scores of families transfigure to Christianity and enthusiastically pay suit to a new life without authority fear of the spirits wind had previously characterised them.

By 1918, sparked by family evangelism carried on by the family unit themselves, 600 believers had back number baptised. Fraser was known go allout for his ability to organise high-mindedness people into strong indigenous churches that became models for church-planting ventures not only for on minority peoples in China's sou'west but also for other

Aware that they would soon be in want of material in their language, unquestionable began work immediately on Mark's gospel and a hymnbook owing to they showed great interest unsubtle writing and were already say singers and natural musicians.

Furlough and marriage

Fraser went back preserve England on furlough in 1924 and when he returned turn into "Lisuland" in 1929, he was married, to Roxie Dymond, depiction daughter of a Methodist 1 stationed in Kunming.

Revival refuse the Fraser alphabet

Fraser developed spruce up script for the Lisu tongue and used it to guide a catechism, portions of Holy scripture and eventually, with much revealing from his colleagues, a undivided New Testament.

Working initially lies Mark and John and consequently on a handbook of Loloish history and language, Fraser bimanual on the translation task although Allyn Cooke and his mate, Leila. He came back get into the swing help the team with scrutinize and checking in the mid-1930s. The complete New Testament was finished in 1936.

Fraser repaired a consistent policy of practice the Lisu converts (usually full households and whole villages usage a time) to be able to stand on one`s and to pay for their own books and church quickness.

They raised their own way for the support of pastors, of wives and children work their travelling evangelists and intelligent festivals and other occasions. Not alike other missionaries of his reproduction, Fraser would not pay neighbourhood preachers to go out manifestation for building local church structures. That was something that place the Lisu in good misplaced humble for the years of Nipponese occupation and the Communist anguish, particularly during the Cultural Pivot.

Nevertheless, tens of thousands hostilities them fled during this stage to neighbouring Burma and Siam. Fraser also left church command in the hands of Loloish elders; very little imprint was made on them that challenging a home church character, alcove than the tremendous prayer hindmost the Fraser organised back outline England for the Lisu extra his work.

Throughout the Decade, other missionaries came to backing in the work, but dignity bulk of the conversions occurrence as a result of Loloish evangelists covering the ground wallet reaching not only the Loloish but also the Kachin stream Yi people (Nosu). Revivals too broke out at this at this point. It is acknowledged by excellence Chinese government that by character 1990s, over 90% of representation Lisu in China were Christly.

Final years and legacy

Fraser wrote many articles in English purpose "The Chinese Recorder" and "China's Millions". After seeing great product for his labours, James Outram Fraser died in Baoshan, trudge Western Yunnan in 1938 loom cerebral malaria, leaving his meaningful wife and two children.^[2] Lighten up was 52.

His main chronicler was Mrs. Howard Taylor, who published "Behind The Ranges" rafter 1944, containing numerous extracts go over the top with his letters and diaries. daughter, Eileen Crossman, gives government biography, "Mountain Rain", in 1982, much of her material paper drawn from Taylor (1944). Fraser's grave is now at picture Qing Hua church.

"On Sept 25, 1938, while in Baoshan, Yunnan, China, James Fraser dreary at the age of 52. Due to land erosion, Westward Yunnan's Christian church decided difficulty move the grave from influence mountain slopes of Baoshan maneuver this location, renewing the tombstone on behalf of the Loloish church as a way cataclysm expressing their cherished memory disbursement J.O.

Fraser. Fraser's life has reaped a large harvest even supposing many tears had first tip be sown through his labours.

"The Lisu church at Baoshan grouping to commemorate J.O. Fraser at times seven years at a conjuring Easter service in the in mint condition Bible training center they fake started there. Another memorial disparagement J.O.

Fraser has been erected by Lisu believers in Weixi County in far northwestern State. Inscribed in Lisu, Chinese see English the English reads: “IN LOVING MEMORY. JAMES O. FRASER 1886–1938. How beautiful are ethics feet of those who carry good news. WITH DEEPEST Attraction REMEMBER YOU ALWAYS—THE LISU CHURCH.” The Chinese states additionally: “Erected by the Christian Church have as a feature the Lisu Autonomous County jump at Weixi on 15 March 2004.”

"The Lisu church has seen magnificent numerical growth in recent decades.

In 1950 the Nujiang Loloish Autonomous Prefecture had 14,800 believers. By 1995 that number locked away risen to over 100,000—most designate them Lisu. In the prematurely 1980s the Yunnan Christian Convention printed several thousand copies pay the Lisu Bible. Then arbitrate 1995 a further 45,000 Loloish Bibles were published, as on top form as 65,000 Lisu hymnbooks.

Both printings were in the shared script devised by J.O. Fraser. However, the church is do hampered by endemic poverty, lack of education and lack of trained pastors and evangelists. The rapid transaction of Yunnan as a outoftowner region and the tidal roller of emigration of young genetic people from the remote hatful valleys to the cities shore search of work are transferral many changes to the Loloish church, not all of them positive.

In 1992, the Chinese authority officially recognised the Fraser abc's as the official script presentation the Lisu language.

Today, Fraser is remembered as one get into Christianity's most successful missionaries get on to East Asia in modern age.

Christianity is thriving in rank Salween River valley, where distinction Lisu live nearly 70 lifetime after the death of Fraser. Of the 18,000 Lisu who lived in Fugong in 1950, 3,400 professed faith in The almighty.

As of 2007, there industry estimated to be 80–90 proportion of the 70,000 making description same profession. In Yunnan show somebody the door is estimated that there secondhand goods 100,000–200,000 total Lisu Christians thwart the Lisu Church. More escape 75,000 Lisu Bibles have back number legally printed in China shadowing the explosive growth.^[3]

References

OMF International (November 2007).
Saft konzentrat biography
Global Sinitic Ministries. Littleton, Colorado: OMF International.

Notes

^Fraser Crossman, Eileen (1994). Mountain Rain (OMF ed.). Wheaton, Ill: Harold Clarinettist Publishers. pp. 3–7. ISBN .
^Fraser Crossman, Eileen (1994). Mountain Rain (OMF ed.).

Wheaton, Ill: Harold Shaw Publishers. pp. 234–237. ISBN .
^OMF International (2007), p. 1-2