Missionary Profile – Samuel & Lumae Yangmi

Samuel and Lumae Yangmi are global missionaries for the Church of the Nazarene in Thailand.  They have served there since 1993. 

Samuel was born in Burma, the son of a Lisu refugee family.  After his family gave him up for adoption at the age of five months due to hardship and their return to Mainland China, he was adopted by Christian missionaries.  He and his parents immigrated to the United States in 1970.  They settled in Joplin, Missouri, where he attended high school and later enrolled at Ozark Christian College.  He served at a local church as a youth pastor for three years.

In 1976, Samuel went to Thailand to work among the mountain hill tribesmen in Northern Chiang Mai province.  While in Thailand, according to Asian custom, he had a semi-prearranged marriage, and married a Lahu Christian girl, Lumae, in 1978. 

After serving in Thailand for four years, the Yangmis came back to the United States. They attended MidAmerica Nazarene University (formerly College), graduating in 1984.  Soon after graduation, they returned to Thailand and to continue working among the tribal groups and to use their agri-mission skills to help opium growers find legal means of generating income.  Samuel was instrumental in helping the Church of the Nazarene get visas to begin the work in Thailand in 1989.

Samuel is presently serving as the district superintendent of the Northern Mekhong District.  He was also instrumental in opening new work in northern Myanmar (Burma).

The Yangmis have four daughters, Nellie, Julie, Samantha, and Anzie.