High in the mountains along the China–Myanmar border, where rainy-season roads become difficult and daily life is often uncertain, Catechist Joseph Ja Ye Yaw has chosen to remain close to the people he serves.

For Joseph, serving the Catholic community in Pang Bu village of Chi Phwe Parish in Myitkyina Diocese is more than a responsibility. It is a response to what he believes is God’s call.

On May 22, 2025, Joseph and his family arrived in Pang Bu to begin their ministry. The Catholic faithful welcomed them with joy.

“I give thanks to God when I see the people welcoming us with happiness,” Joseph says.

A Call That Began With Listening

Joseph’s journey as a catechist began with encouragement, Scripture, and a growing desire to share the Good News.

Fr. Peter Zang Yaw Hpung encouraged him to attend catechist formation, while his mother encouraged him to study the Word of God. Through Bible sharing and reflection, Joseph gradually felt that God was speaking to him personally.

The more he listened, the stronger became his desire to share the Gospel and serve the Church.

He found inspiration in Abraham, who trusted God’s call and left what was familiar for an uncertain future. Like Abraham, Joseph learned that answering God sometimes means simply being willing to go where one is needed.

Beginning Each Day With God

Joseph’s ministry begins with prayer.

Each morning, he reads the daily Gospel and reflects on God’s Word before beginning his work. For him, this is more than a routine; it is the foundation that gives him strength when life becomes difficult.

“I entrust each day to God and try to live it in His way,” he says.

In Pang Bu, faith is woven into everyday life—family, work, relationships, travel, and prayer.

When the Road Becomes Difficult

Serving in a remote border community is not easy. During the rainy season, mountain roads can become extremely difficult, while food, finances, and other basic needs can sometimes be hard to manage.

There have been moments when Joseph wondered whether he could continue. At times, the pressure of ministry and family responsibilities made him consider giving up.

But he returned to prayer and Scripture. He also shared his struggles with fellow catechists and teachers, whose encouragement helped him persevere.

His vocation, he learned, is not a journey he walks alone.

More Than a Teacher

For Joseph, a catechist is not simply someone who teaches the Bible.

He lives among the people—walking with them, eating with them, listening to them, and sharing both their struggles and joys.

His ministry also includes helping people understand practical aspects of daily life. He believes evangelization begins with relationships. Before people hear a message, they often need to experience someone willing to walk beside them.

A Community With Many Needs

Joseph is particularly concerned about the future of young people.

Education and opportunities for young people remain important needs. Families also need support in raising children, strengthening family life, and building Christian homes where faith, education, social responsibility, and economic development can grow together.

For Joseph, the Church’s mission cannot be limited to Sunday worship. The spiritual, social, educational, and economic well-being of families are closely connected.

Faith During Conflict

Joseph’s vocation has also been tested by conflict.

In recent years, conflict came dangerously close to the area where his family was living. With little money and an uncertain future, they chose to remain with the Catholic community.

“We had little money, and we did not know what would happen,” Joseph recalls.

During that difficult period, the family prayed the Rosary and placed their trust in God.

Then unexpected help came from a person of another faith, who gave Joseph’s family an envelope containing financial assistance for their basic needs.

Joseph received the gesture as an unexpected blessing from God—an experience he says he will never forget.

It reminded him that God’s care can sometimes come through people and places we least expect.

The Language of the People

Joseph has also learned that evangelization must respect culture.

To serve people effectively, he believes missionaries must understand and respect their traditions, language, and way of life. When the Gospel is communicated through people’s own language and cultural understanding, it can reach their hearts more deeply.

Culture, he says, is an essential part of a people’s identity.

For Joseph, respecting culture does not weaken evangelization. It creates a bridge through which the Good News can be understood and received.

Serving While Raising a Family

Joseph’s ministry carries another challenge: he is a husband and father.

He must balance serving the Church with providing for and caring for his own family. At times, there is not enough money, and earning a living is difficult.

These realities cannot always be solved with words.

Yet Joseph continues to carry both responsibilities.

His life shows that a vocation does not necessarily remove hardship. Sometimes, it means learning how to remain faithful in the middle of hardship.

Leaving Something Behind

Joseph knows that his assignment in Pang Bu will eventually end and that he may be sent elsewhere.

But he hopes his time there will leave something meaningful behind.

One sign of hope is the construction of a new church building, which the community hopes to complete by 2027. For Joseph, the building represents more than bricks, wood, and concrete. It represents the faith and determination of the people.

Since his arrival, he has also seen greater commitment to prayer and religious life among the faithful.

If one day he leaves Pang Bu, he hopes people will remember not simply that he once lived among them, but what they built together: stronger faith, deeper relationships, a stronger community, and a church that remains.

A Legacy Written in People

Perhaps the greatest legacy of a catechist cannot be measured by years of service or buildings completed.

It is measured in people.

It can be seen when a young person begins to hope again, when a family prays together, when a community comes together during difficult times, or when people of different faiths help one another.

Joseph believes God’s way of calling people is often mysterious. When he first responded to the call, he did not know every road that lay ahead. He only knew that he was being invited to go.

Today, in the mountains along the China–Myanmar border, his ministry is a story of faith lived in ordinary circumstances: morning prayer, difficult journeys through the rain, conversations with families, concern for young people, struggles to provide for his family, and unexpected acts of kindness that become signs of God’s providence.

His story is ultimately not only about a catechist.

It is about what happens when one person hears a call, chooses to trust, and keeps walking—even when the road is difficult.

In the mountains, the roads may be rough and the future uncertain.

But for Joseph, the call to serve continues.

By RVA Lisu Service