Through teaching him at Sahamit School, Pete thought that he knew Athit well; he had stood out as a keen and talented student with good leadership skills. However, it was only when Pete recently asked his students to write about their lives, that he learnt more about Athit’s background and was “amazed by his story”.
When he was just four years old, Athit was living with his family in Mae La refugee camp near Burma, but was then sent to live with his grandmother while his parents remained in the camp. Four years later there was a joyful reunion as his family returned to live with his grandmother too.
Yet further upheavals from parents came when at aged 11 he was ordained as a Buddhist monk. He lived at the temple for a year and then he made the difficult decision to study far away from home. Since being at the school Athit has started to believe in Jesus; “…now I worship God every night at the school hostel and at church on Sundays”.
Athit will graduate from Sahamit School in March 2009. He is in the process of applying for a place to study English at the prestigious Chiang Mai University- quite an achievement for a boy who started his schooling within the confines of a refugee camp!
Geypo
Lizz became involved in Geypo’s life through having a daughter of similar age, nearly three years old. People in the village noticed that she had difficulty communicating; so Lizz offered to take her for a check-up with the local doctor, where she was diagnosed with mild developmental delay.
Poverty is a real issue for Geypo’s family; her father works growing crops, mostly away from home and her mother is still very young. Having a caring Christian community supporting them as they face the challenges of Geypo’s special needs is so important. Lizz has been able to offer practical help:”Every two months we make the four hour journey to see a Speech and Occupational Therapist. With a bit of individual attention and support, Geypo is progressing well”.
To witness any signs of progress in the life of any young person is a source of joy; to be part of helping someone make progress in their journey through life and their spiritual journey is a privilege.
If you think God may be challenging you to do the same kind of work as Pete and Lizz – click here
Pete teaches English in Sahamit School in Musikee, northern Thailand, and he and his wife Lizz are also involved with the local church. They have two children: Abigail and Jacob.