Andrew Miller is the International Director for DMI. When he’s not munching on corn chips in Sydney, he’s travelling around the world raising funds and DMI’s profile in developed countries or visiting the fields we support to see what’s needed and how our funds are being managed. Either way, he works tirelessly to avoid unidentifiable food and meets lots of weird and wonderful people who he just can’t resist interviewing…
#10 No Tuan
This is the first blog I’ve written angry. As I speak with No Tuan, I see the bright potential of a young man cut down by misfortune, familial sin and the evil of a government. A young Burmese man, he shares with me at a Deaf camp we are both attending in Davao, Philippines.
Andrew: You’ve just finished a 7-month ministry course here in the Philippines. How was it?
No Tuan: 7 months was too short. I still have so much to learn, and so much improvement to make in my own life. Simply, I need to gain more knowledge.
More knowledge for what?
I want to know more of the gospel and improve my skills in sharing it with others.
You are about to return to Myanmar. The military junta government has just introduced a new law decreeing that all youths – men and women – aged between 18 and 35 must join the army. How do you feel about that?
This government is horrible. Its sole means of administering a country is to go to war. If the country’s youth join the army, no one will be able to feed their families. I wish Aung San Suu Kyi could lead the country again. The current government is corrupt and evil. It’s so hard for everyone. I’m really worried about my future. My friends in Kalay have all moved away. I have no security and no friends.
You also lost both of your parents at quite a young age, didn’t you?
Yes. My mother died from malnutrition and my father drank himself to death. Mum died when I was 12. Dad died when I was 15 or 16. I sent my three siblings (all younger) to my grandparents to be taken care of.
When did you last see your siblings?
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen them. The youngest, my brother, was adopted out and the adoptive parents won’t let me see him. I’d really like to take him back and care for him myself. My second sister married and moved away. My first sister works far away.
You must miss them very much.
I love them all very much, but I am only in communication with my second sister now so I don’t really have any contact with them any more.
How have you been supporting yourself?
I have two jobs. One is a taxi bike. The other is in construction. I learned construction from my father and grandfather.
You’ve had such a tragic start to life as a young man. How does that affect your outlook on life and your faith?
I’m grateful. I’m grateful to my grandparents. Even though my parents died when I was young, my grandparents guided me. They enrolled me in the Muir School for the Deaf and supported me financially. DMI also supported me through school, through my studies in the Philippines and are supporting me in my pastoral beginnings now. So I feel blessed.
Tell me about DMI’s school in Kalay that you went to.
The school was a K-5 school so grades K-5 were really good! [It is now a K-6 school.] But in grade 6 I was transferred to a public hearing school and that was really tough. For grades 6 to 9 I would come back with the other high schoolers to the Deaf school in Kalay each afternoon and stay at the boarding house.
Is there any teacher or person at the school at Kalay who you remember most fondly and would like to talk about?
Yes, Saw Monday was my hero. He was very gentle with me as he was with all the kids and such a wonderful role model. I remember him very fondly.
If there was no war, what would you really like to do with your life?
I’d really like to continue with my studies and, upon graduating, become a teacher.
In reality, what do you think will happen when you return to Myanmar?
I’ll get on with my life while I can. I’ll continue to study the Bible and share it with other Deaf people.
Which would you prefer, to become a teacher or become a pastor?
Well, ideally both. I’d like to work as a teacher through the week and then share the gospel as a pastor or evangelist on weekends.
DMI has supported you through school, transport to church and with this recent study in the Philippines. How can DMI support you going forward?
I’d love transport support so that I can pick up other Deaf and bring them to church. We need more Deaf pastors to pastor the Deaf and reach the lost.
Perhaps it’s your calling to be one of those pastors?
I’d like to be one of those pastors so that I can bring people to church and lead them in their faith in Christ.
That would be wonderful.
Do you think it would be possible to have a car or van of some kind to drive around and pick up all the Deaf and bring them to church?
I’ll look into that. But you’re going back to Myanmar tomorrow. Aren’t you worried that you are going to be recruited into the army?
Yes. That could definitely happen. And my real concern is that I will lose the opportunity to share the gospel with the Deaf.
Could being Deaf keep you out of the army?
I don’t know about that, but I think I actually have a better chance of avoiding the army by becoming a pastor!
Well, you’d better keep studying then!
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More Deaf pastors are needed in our fields, none more so than in Myanmar. No Tuan is keen to be one of them. To support No Tuan (or any of our pastors) contact Andrew for details at andrew.miller@deafmin.org and please give generously at https://deafmin.org/donate/ or click on the ‘Donate’ button below and mark No Tuan (or other name) in the reference.
