|
December
2006
Dear Brothers
and Sisters in Christ,
Greetings from
the Mekong Minority Foundation, of Chiang Rai,
Thailand. My name is Nitaya Buayoi. I am 30 years
old. I married a Northern Thai man named “Aae” in
November 2002. We have one lovely son, his name is
“US”. He is 2 years old.
This is my first
newsletter. The purpose of this newsletter is to
introduce myself, my family, and the ministries I
have been involved with for almost nine years at MMF
(formerly named World Concern Thailand).
My name in my
mother tongue (Mien) is Muey Hin. I was born in a
Mien village in Pong District, Phayao Province,
Thailand. Then at 7 years old I left my parents for
education at a local Thai school until I graduated
from high school in Chiang Kham District, 19 miles
from my hometown. I continued my education at
Rajabhat College in Chiang Rai and I graduated from
there in 1997. All of my schooling was in the Thai
language.
On July 1, 1998,
I started to work with World Concern Thailand as a
project secretary for the project named, “Tribal
AIDS Counseling and Training Center (TACT).” In
the first year I learned many things I never heard
or known before. I learned more about tribes such
as Akha, Karen and Lahu, and I learned about NGO
(Non-Government Organizations), etc. In the 2nd
year, I was called to become the secretary for the
World Concern Thailand Office. I was Secretary and
then Office Manager of what has now become the
Mekong Minority Foundation (MMF). The MMF was
officially independent or World Concern as of July
2005. We thank God for this transition to the MMF.
During my
working in the MMF I got to know many Christians. I
had questions about why those who are knowledgeable
with a confident personality believe in Jesus. That
means the Christian Religion is not just to teach
people to be a good human as I understood other
religions to do. Also, I have experienced with
God’s love through people around me. In 2001, I
went to America for my internship for 3 months.
During three of those weeks I lived with Bob and Pat
Coats and took an ESL class. They treated me like
their daughter in a way that I never had from my
family. Why can they love others truthfully with
their heart? I recognized God is beyond my
understanding, and then I started to search. Who is
Jesus, what does it mean to be a Christian? I
surrendered to God’s Love and gave my life to him in
early 2003.
Looking at the
past, people prayed for me for year after year, but
I never cared about their effort and I didn’t like
it when Christians forcefully told me about their
God. I did not see any difference between Christian
and other people. “I look but do not see, I listen
but do not hear.” This how I was before I accepted
Christ.
Since I’ve been
working with MMF, I can say this is my home, my
school, not just work place or office. God uses MMF
shape my life to be aware that he can use me for his
kingdom. I thank God for his call, I thank God for
brothers and sisters in Christ who keep praying for
me and showing friendship to one another amongst the
MMF team. I also thank for Canadian, American,
German, and Australian volunteers who taught English
to me. Some of them have also provided a
contribution for my cost of living too. I thank you
with a grateful heart.
Currently, I
work with MMF as Office Manager and on the
Administrative Committee. My majority roles are
office management, documentation, and financial
checker. In summary my overall role is to keep
things on track. The other ministries that I’ve
been involved with are the Christian Experiential
Learning Program, a Leadership Course that I helped
to initiate, and the Mien Quality of Life
Development Project.
To summarize,
since July 2005 until now, God has blessed MMF in
many ways - wisdom to work, ministries expanding,
number of staff increasing and we are growing in
faith, AMEN.
Thank you again
for those who gave your contribution to MMF, note
that your name is not only written down in our
hearts but in God’s memory too. Thank you also to
those of you who pray for us – we need your
prayers.
At this
Christmas time may you find that you have many
things to thank our God for.
Thank you for
your prayers and encouragement.
In Christ,
Nit
nitayab@minorityleadership.org
|
