I grew up in a small village in Ayeyarwady Division (Myanmar). My whole family is Christian, but it was just our “cultural tradition.” There are eleven children in my family. Even from five years old, I would go with my father to work in the fields. I went to school, but on school holidays I would work in the fields. I wanted to get higher education, but I couldn’t continue school past standard (Grade) 7 since my parents couldn’t support me financially. When I was fifteen, I left home and moved far away to Yangon (the largest city in Myanmar), to find work and send money home to my family. 

In Yangon I worked in a restaurant. I would go to work at 6am and come home at 1am or 2am. For three years I worked like this every day. I was extremely tired and discouraged. I wasn’t thinking about going to church or God– only working.  Every day repeated the same cycle over and over again.  Home. Work. Home. Work. Eventually, I returned to my home village very discouraged. My brother encouraged me to come to Thailand to find work. So in August of 2014, I spent 10 days crossing the border. During this time, there was very little food or water. I had no money or documents so the crossing was secret and very dangerous. 

The first three months in Thailand were especially hard because I didn’t speak any Thai and didn’t understand anything at all. It was impossible to find a job, and I worked assisting my brother in his job for several months while living in Lam Luka (part of Bangkok).  When coming to Thailand, I didn’t have any thinking about God or church – just like the lost son from the Bible. I only thought about providing for my family.

In 2016, there was a small Nazarene home-cell group that met in a nearby apartment each week.  The first time I came I was so shy that I didn’t say anything at all. But eventually I began to work with the worship group. The first time I joined the worship team, I was just participating – not really leading anything.  This time meeting together with a home-cell group (preaching point) in Lam Luka was not easy. Sometimes after gathering for worship, we could not go outside because of the police. Most of us did not have any documents. We would send one person who had documents to go and check the situation before we can go outside again. 

It was around 2018 that my life transformed for the Lord. Before this time, I was carrying a big, heavy burden in my personal life. I experienced complete freedom and release of that burden. It was a “turning point” for me.  Jesus was with me, and I got a whole new life. I felt like a new creation in Jesus Christ. People who knew me before this time didn’t even recognize me. I am a different person. Even my family in Myanmar did not understand.  It was then that I felt a strong calling to be a worship leader.  An important verse that means a lot to me is John 4: 24, “God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.”

I started reading my Bible and studying the Bible intensely. I have had many chances since then to lead other home-cell groups (preaching points) and share my testimony. I am a Chapman International College student, and I want to graduate soon. At my factory, I invited many of my friends to come to church and I evangelize to them. Even now, there are many people at our church who attend and were saved because I encouraged them to come and shared my testimony.  I am also the leader for Jesus Film ministry at our church. 

When I think back about my whole life, I faced many challenges (ie. I was bitten by a snake, almost hit by a car, and many other very difficult, dangerous situations) but God saved my life for a reason. I believe that he chose me. I had my own plan to come to Thailand and provide for my family. This was my plan. But, by God’s grace the real reason I came to Thailand was to experience new life in Christ and fulfill God’s plan by sharing the Gospel with others. All the experiences of my life, God has redeemed to make a bigger story. 

In the future, I would like to be a full-time minister and start a church. I would also like to minister to my own family who still do not really understand the transforming power of God. The people in my village are traditional Christians, but don’t really have a relationship with God. Before knowing Jesus, the most important thing to me is supporting my family. Everything I did with my life was for them. Now the most important things is to follow Jesus and do ministry.  There are many people like me who have come to Thailand and are just surviving without much hope – Work. Home. Work. Home. This is what they know. I want to share with them about Jesus. My family doesn’t always agree with me, but slowly they are understanding a bit more. Another dream, I have is to be able to go to Myanmar, and share the Jesus film with people who do not know about Jesus yet. Wherever God is wanting to send me, I and willing and I will go there. 

Translation: Saya Win Min Nyunt 

Written by: Charity Shonamon

Interviewed: 9 May 2022