Living in a new culture and environment is always challenging. I am training to be a Marist. I come from Papua New Guinea but have been studying in Rome. I got the opportunity to experience and contribute to the life of the Marist Mission in Ranong.
The life in Ranong is such a unique place when it comes to dealing with different religions and culture. I was so privileged for being part of the community in Ranong for 3 months. It helped me grow in my human life and my Spiritual growth.
I enjoyed working with education for the Burmese migrants and health outreach to those with HIV. We brought hope in the lives of the people that we worked with.
I had a special teaching experience in the Migrant Learning Centers. They have such joy to receive an education. It was great to be a teacher for them and encourage them to persevere in their life. They actually taught me so much about what life really means. They contributed to my religious formation.
My experience with the health ministry going out visiting sick people with HIV has been one of the unique experiences of my life. It gave me the opportunity to be with them and see them with dignity. I could see our visits brought a smile to their faces.
They formed me to grow in love and respect to every human person. The experience of being with HIV people made me learn how to love people who are neglected by the society. To be like Mary and be a mother to them. I learnt a lot from them.
I wish to thank the community in Ranong and the Marist Theologate in Rome for giving me this opportunity. I will treasure it a lot because it gave me many opportunities to grow in my formation as a Marist.
Thank you very much to the Ranong community for all the support and help you shared with me in my 3 months with you. It was a wonderful experience.