REACHING THE TOTO'S
P.M. Thomas tells how God opened the door to reach this tiny, hostile, unreached tribe for Christ.

The Totos are a small tribe of 1241 people that lives close to the Bhutan border. They have a small temple but gather in it only once a year to drink and dance and fight. They don't practice any other religion.

They are a ferocious and fighting people, and very proud. They make native liquor out of many things. Their main livelihood is keeping pigs. The Nagas heard about them and sent missionaries to start a work among them. At first they had limited success. Then the chief heard about it, and beat the missionaries terribly and they fled for their lives.

Then he gathered all the people together and asked, "Who among you are Christians?" After the Christians were singled out, he made them sit down in front of him. Everyone waited on his verdict.

Finally he spoke: "Bring five gallons of kerosene, pour it on them, and set them on fire."

Nobody moved. No one dared question the chief. It was a very tense moment.

"I tell you, burn these people," he reiterated.

Still nobody moved. Some pretended to look but could not find the kerosene. After a while the leader relaxed a little bit. One by one the Christians got up and went away. The leader also left.

When I heard that back in 1996, the missionary call rose up within me and I said, "I will got there and meet those people."

The bus went there only once a day. My intent was to go there, meet them, pray for them for 15 minutes to encourage those among them who had believed, and then get back on the bus and leave as quickly as possible.

However, I had no sooner walked away from the bus than a bus strike was announced and the bus left immediately without me. I was stranded there with these unpredictable hostile people!

While I was sitting among them, they came by me one-by-one and examined me. Finally the leader came.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"I am a Christian leader," I replied.

"Why did you come here?"

"I came to see your people."

He studied me up and down. I wondered what he would do.

hen he said, "Will you do a favor for me?"

I was greatly relieved that he was asking for a favor.

"What favor?" I asked.

"Our people are lost," he said. "We do not want our young people to be lost. Can you start an English medium school here?"

"Is that all?" I asked.

"That's all. But…" He paused.

I was wondering what that "but" was.

"…you should not make us Christians," he insisted.

I thought for a while and the Lord gave me wisdom.

"I promise you that I will not make anyone of you a Christian," I said. "But…"

I thought if he had said "but" I also could add a "but." I knew the Totos were a very proud and defiant people and no one could make them do or not do anything.

So I continued, "…if you like me, who in the world can stop you from joining me?"

He lifted up his head and said, "If I like you, nobody-not even your police, and not even your Indian army-can stop me from joining you; I will join you." I said, "That's all."


The Totos donated a piece of land and we sent five missionaries. One of our missionaries married a Toto girl who had believed and was from a very influential family. Now a beautiful school is functioning, and some of the adults are taking an interest in our faith.

We instructed our missionaries not to baptize converts one-by-one but to wait until a large number were ready. We are actually waiting for the leaders themselves to come to the Lord. I believe God is going to give us a big harvest among them.

With a contribution we have already made one school building with brick and bamboo walls and a corrugated metal roof. Next we want to put in a concrete floor.

We also want to construct a hostel. That is the only way we can have real influence on the students, if they come and live here. Otherwise they just come for teachings and return home daily. If we make it a boarding school, we will be able to have morning and evening devotions, and have a much greater impact on these young lives. By God's grace, the next generation will be Christians.

This school is in Totopara, close to the Bhutan border. We have 65 students at this time. We organized the school in 1997. The school is operated by HEM missionaries. Todo and Bhutanese children playing at our school. Toto children at recess time getting a cool drink of water from the spring. Students of the school. The temporary building constructed of bamboo mats and tin sheet roof. It is use for the school building, classes. Noah Mani, teacher, with some of the Toto children. Trying to reach the Bhutanese and the Toto children through the HEM school.