P'Niew

The two caskets at the churches meeting hall for the service

I just got back from the funeral of two strong Christian women who in the minds of the community here God has called home too soon. These women truly were God’s hands and feet in this world. They passed away last Thursday after taking a group to check the site of a remote village to prepare for a group of doctors and nurses that were supposed to come in the next few weeks to provide check-ups and care. From what I understand the truck that they were in broke a gear or a break or something and flipped several times. The one lady was riding in the back and was flown out the first time it flipped. I’ve heard that after the accident they were both still alive, and were talking and praying with each other. However, help was too far away and they died about 15 minutes apart from each other while waiting for help.

From here I could go on and explain how I heard the news, by being shown a picture of the lady that I know laying there, I could explain about the Christmas party at the school that had the evening segment cancelled because of the deaths, I could write about spending Saturday at the house of one of the ladies who died with the other teachers from my school preparing to feed everyone who came to the evening worship service, I could also write about the double funeral and burial they held at the church just this morning. However, I’m not going to write about those things. What I want to write about is P’Niew and the things that I have learned from her.



P'Niew is in the sweatshirt at the back, serving food at last years
Christmas for people with disabilities.

P’Niew is one of the ladies that died. I remember arriving last year with the second month I was here being December, and all of the Christmas celebrations. P’Niew seemed to have her hand in all of them, helping with the children with disabilities, the school, different churches, and the school dormitory amongst many other things. She was always doing things for others and always had a smile on her face. I think she must have been friends with just about everyone in Thailand, for she was constantly telling me about something one of her friends had donated for the dorm, for the children with disabilities, or any number of things in the community. She wasn’t afraid to ask people she knew in the city to help those out in our rural area, and those areas even more remote than where I am. Her friends were constantly donating things to her different projects, and I have to imagine that it is because she asked them to.



P'Niew's casket

Over the last few days I have been thinking a lot about P’Niew and the other lady who passed that I didn’t know, but that had a very similar heart for the people in this area and was doing the same type of things as P’Niew. As time goes on, there will be holes in all the different things these women were involved in. Even though they didn’t have much themselves they used their very lives and contacts to help those who were less fortunate than themselves, asking for donations and finding ways to help the least of these. In the end, they ultimately gave up their lives in the process of helping others. Over the last few days I’ve found myself wanting to be sad for them, but I can’t do it. Why you might ask? It’s because I know without a doubt where they are, and I don’t think they would want us to be sad. What I think they would want is someone to take up the work they were doing and continue on with it. By no means will a single person be able to take the place of these two women. I doubt that even twenty people working together could do all that these women have done.

Earlier this fall P’Niew spent about a month in the states I believe helping out a Karen or Thai church in North Carolina. She ended up returning early after her father’s death here in Thailand to be with her mother and look after her. I remember asking her earlier this month if she was going to return to the church in the states. She said that she was going to go to a church in New Zealand next because she had already spent time in the states and wanted to see another part of the world, and had an invitation to go there.

That is one thing she had, contacts in different places in Thailand and around the world, and she wasn’t afraid to present an idea to a group and have them help support it. I realize that in a way I have that too. Growing up in one of the richest countries in the world and going through university I now have friends who are teachers, doctors, nurses, social workers, etc… So, don’t be surprised if from time to time I send messages asking for donations for different groups. Right now I have a mental list of things I would like to do and projects I want to find donations for to help with. However, it is just that, a mental list not yet written down on paper. Many things I need to pray about first and then ask people if they are willing to help. Maybe just reading this you are thinking something like I would like to help donate money each month to help the poorest children’s home have food each month, or maybe you would like to give me a few extra dollars to give snacks to kids who usually go without, or maybe you would like to donate to the school to help build a new building so we can extend through 9^th grade, maybe you would like to give a special gift to one of the outreach churches, or sponsor a trip to reach people out in the jungle, maybe you would like to pay for a child’s yearly tuition in a sort of informal child sponsorship program. I don’t know what you are interested in helping with, or what your budget would be. The things that I just mentioned could range from fifteen cents to give a child a snack, to over $200,000 for the new school building. One thing that I have learned here is that with God anything is possible, and what I learned from P’Niew is that you can’t be afraid to ask, because if you don’t ask then how will people know of the opportunity to help and donate? So, here is my first request without requesting anything specific, in time, I’m sure there will be many requests because when we give to others we are doing His work and will be blessed for it. So, as I continue to live here and work with these people I will try my best to give you opportunities to bless others and be blessed.

P’Niew, thank you for your life of service and love in this community. It is going to take a lot of people working together to carry on the work you were doing. However, your life has been an inspiration to many and you will not quickly be forgotten.