George and Sarah Boardman and The Karen
By Parthenia Stout in Thailand
George and Sarah Boardman came to Burma and was guided by God to work among the Karen tribe and some Burmese children. George died and Sarah continued with a school for the Karen and the work among them. It is reported that they liked and trusted Sarah and she traveled among the tribes with her son after her husband died.
What is of interest to us in this day that was reported in Adoniram’s book --”To the Golden Shore”--the Karens were much easier to enter the faith of Christianity than the Burmese. They were primitive people, jungle dwellers, not even accustomed to live in villages, and their simple animistic beliefs offered no such resistance to a highly developed religion as did Buddhism. Christianity which adheres to the knowledge of the one true God of the Old Testament could flow into a religious vacuum, so to speak, instead of having to displace an already well organized doctrine: that of worshipping idols.
It was reported by the Boardmans that the Karen had some peculiar legends which suggested the Bible, the tree of death and the Creator Y’wa. Pages 400-401 of the book
To the Golden Shore.
I didn’t have much information on the Boardman’s life I know that after George died Sarah decided to stay on the mission field with the Karens. Later she and Adoniram got married since Adoniram’s wife Nancy had died. As time went on they had several children.
