In June 2007, my Mother asked me to study in Ranong. The head teacher of Soi-jet Learning Center sent me to join English class at Ranongthani Learning Center which Marist Asia FoundaNon
provided.

In 2008, I studied at Marist Asia Foundation. In that year my mother asked me to work but I do not want to work. I said to my mother that I am too young to work and I want to study more.

She asked me to choose between education and Mother. She gave me two choices to choose. If I study, she will not allow me to call her Mother. I am allowed to call her Mother if I work. I did not know what to choose but I went to school as usual.

One day my Mother told me that I am giving more importance to an education than the Mother. At
that moment I did not know what should I say. Should I need to say sorry to her or not? Then I immediately told my Mother please let me study, I will not ask for pocket money, I will not ask for new uniforms or stationeries. I told her that I will help myself.

One day my parents separated and my Mother go away from home. We all have to live with our
Father. From that day I have to take care of my sister and my brother.

My sister and I have to work on weekends and take care of the house. Even though I live with my father, I go to school everyday. I keep in my mind that only education can change my life in the future.

After I finished year 4, Teacher Irene from Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) offered me a job to teach at Bangklang Learning Center.

My first day of work was great because I joined Ngao Learning Center's parents' meeting and I started to learn more about migrant families. Now I am a teacher as I wish and helping my own people in Ranong.

• Thu Thu Mon is a Burmese Migrant in Ranong on the Thailand / Burma Border. As well as teaching, she is a student in the ACU University Online Diploma Programme.
• www.maristasiafoundation.org

I've never felt happier.

Restless. Yes, that perhaps sums up in a word a spirit led journey.

I turned 40 a year ago and realised each year I was becoming a bit more a comfortable.

Although a little dramatic, one image in my mind was that of putting slippers on and watching a bit more TV.

With about 25 years to go before retirement, do I choose to slow down or go deeper?

Answer a more radical calling in my bones that I could not turn off.

I knew deep down becoming more comfortable was going in the reverse direction to a God placed desire in me.

Who do you really want to be?

I can still remember a significant moment when I was 16. I was asked by a priest during a spiritual conversation: Frank, what is your deepest desire? Who do you really want to be?

My response was pondered often while walking my Doberman dog along the riverbank - (she insisted on large amounts of daily exercise or she would bark the neighbourhood down) - I wish to live a life of love and service for others.

And hence the journey began to Marist life and Priesthood.

While in New Zealand I greatly enjoyed serving in schools, parishes and among the indigenous Maori people.

But working among poor Burmese Migrants in the fishing town of Ranong for the past 18 months has changed me inside.

What it is like serving in Asia

It's a bit like Jesus in the gospel of John taking off his ‘priestly garments' and picking up a ‘towel and water basin' to wash dirty feet; moving from the ordered priestly workbench of the altar to more dirty missionary pathways and streets.

I've been serving on the Thailand Burma Border for the past 18 months and I've never been happier. Continue reading

Sources

• Fr Frank Bird s.m. in Restless Press
• Image: Marist Asia Foundation

In Ranong, I taught English in a learning centre and I was amazed by the children's interest in learning and by their respect for their teachers.

I also realized that learning English and Thai can make the difference for them in having and not having "a future".

I was also able to work with the HIV Project.

Our help is integral but, what the patients value most is to know that somebody cares for them.

I could see how a terminal patient felt relieved and calm after our visit.

We did very little during our short visit, but for that person we brought relief.

He died less than 48 hours later.

The last part of my experience was the visit to three refugee camps in the Northwest of Thailand. The life in the refugee camp is very tough.

• the refugees cannot get out of the camp,
• nor go freely into Thailand
• they cannot farm nor work
• they have no money and almost no rights
• they depend on UNHCR and other NGO's
• their life is monotonous and without attraction.

It seems they do not exist, and are trapped in the middle of the jungle.

Two camps have dormitories for children whose parents have gone back to Myanmar but the children remain to study.

During our farewell, one boy with whom I had had a nice chat asked me:

'Will you remember me?'

'Yes, I will," I replied.

"Good, because I'll remember you', he said.

'Will you pray for me? ', he asked again.

'Sure,' I replied.

'Good, I'll pray for you too,' he added.

Lastly, he asked me, 'Will you miss me?'

Then, with my heart touched, I replied, 'yes, I'll miss you'.

How big has to be your longing for appreciation, for attention, for acknowledgement in order to 'beg' a stranger to miss you?

In this moment I realized what it is like to be a refugee: they feel abandoned and ignored.

These people need many things, especially good education and basic resources, but I have realized that the only thing I could do for them now is to keep their memory alive and their voice loud and not to allow our memories and consciences rest until they will be able to return to their real home.

For these are the lowly ones; those of whom Mary foretells in the Magnificat that were lifted up by the Lord (Lk 1,52). They should be the most important because they are the least ones.

- Daniel Fernandez
A Marist seminarian studying Theology in Rome was with the Marist Mission Ranong on mission placement during the Italian summer break.

New Zealand-born Fr Larsen served in the Philippines for many years before leading a Marist mission in to Burma (Myanmar). After being denied an entry visa to Burma, Fr Larsen ministered to refugees and migrant workers on the Thai-Burma border.

For the past 25 years, Fr John Larsen has been working in Southeast Asia, the last six of which he spent on the Thai-Burma Border assisting migrant workers and their families.

"The greatest need is to work for justice, particularly for the young people," said Fr Larsen.

Now in its third year, the Future Justice Prize is a joint initiative of Future Leaders and ACU's Institute of Legal Studies. The prize is awarded to Australian individuals and organisations for leadership and initiative in the advancement of future justice.

Source

• ACU