My name is Nit Piawong, but everyone calls me "Paw Pan" which means - Pan's dad, in Thai!! This is because my son Pan and I both work with YWAM Thailand! Originally, I am from a small village in Northeastern Thailand called Boontarik, just above the Cambodian border in the province of Ubonrachatani.
For many years, I was living my life in a strange way. I worked as a carpenter and also a truck driver and sometimes I was a representative for different companies. I used to do lots of odd jobs here and there because I wanted to have lots of money to do things that I thought would make me happy: women, drinking and gambling. Any time I had money, there were the things I was looking for, sex, drugs, food and alcohol. I was really selfish and thought only of myself. As I kept living this life, noticed that I started smoking more, about 40-60 cigarettes a day, and I was drunk every day. I was also using amphetamines and other kinds of drugs just to get high. I was just wasting my life away! All the happiness I thought I could have by using all the things never lasted.
So this was the way I was living my life from age 18 to 39 until the day a small YWAM outreach team came to my village with my son Pan to talk to me about Jesus. This is when my life started to turn around.
After I became a Christian, I started to back off the drugs and alcohol. I was still discouraged sometimes and worried that I would never get away from all of these addictions. But there was a incredible strength that came and helped me carry on day by day. Some days I felt I had some victories and other times I felt I was defeated but one thing I know for sure is that God gave me a new chance and a new life! God gave me friends who loved me and helped keep me free of my many addictions. He has totally turned my life around.
Today I am the leader of the Outreach Teams Department as well as the NRTC facilities manager. I enjoy both of my roles as I am able to not only send 100+ annual outreach teams throughout the nation, but also disciple the many young Thai men and women who work with me in both departments.
My dear brothers and sisters, John 11:40 says, Then Jesus said, "Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the Glory of God?". Now I pray that the Holy Spirit and the Power of Jesus Christ and the Love of our God will be with you wherever you are to help you take His message of Hope to everyone! God bless you and thanks for your prayers!
Paw Pan
Sawasdee!
Greetings to all! I am so thankful to God for the many blessings I have received so far in 2011. I am humbled and honored to continued to be used by Him in the many various responsibilities He has entrusted to me.
The Outreach Teams Department continues to run smoothly and I am still responsible for many of the logistics in setting up outreaches, Thai ministry partnerships (we have just redone our online ministry map), among many other roles. This month has seen us receive 10 teams already and we are on pace for another year of 100+ teams being sent out throughout the Kingdom of Thailand!
Sadly one of our team, Bik, will be leaving the Outreach Teams Department in August. Bik has been a tremendous help to us by serving as a translator, conducting orientations and leaders meetings as well as handling logistics for incoming teams etc. Would you please join us in praying for a replacement for Bik? His contributions this past year have been invaluable and he will be sorely missed once he moves on to the next step God has for him.
One praise report is that I have a new group of young Thai men and women working with me in the NRTC and Hospitality Department.You can read more about what they are involved in on a daily basis by clicking on Behind the Scenes.
As I wrap up this short newsletter, I would like to share with you a few prayer requests:
Thank you for your continued prayers and financial support. I am so blessed to be a part of what God is doing in this nation and I am honored to have you walk together with me in that journey.
Be blessed and have a great day,
Sanit “Paw Pan” Piawong
If you wish to support our ministry through tax deductible donations, please send checks payable to "YWAM Montana" to:
"YWAM Montana, 501 Blacktail Rd., Lakeside, MT 59922, U.S.A.".
Please write "Project 3152" on the memo line and include a separate note indicating that your donation is for "Sanit (Paw Pan) Piawong".
If you wish to support this ministry through tax deductible donations in Canada, please send cheques payable to "YWAM" to:
"YWAM Vancouver,
Donor Services,
PO Box 57100,
2480 East Hastings Street,
Vancouver, BC,
V5K 5G6,
Canada".
Please do not write anything else on the check
but include a separate note indicating that your donation is for "Paw Pan".