Published on: 01-30-2021 Born into a Buddhist family in Saraburi, Thailand, Nateekan Nithan attended Asia-Pacific International University (AIU), a Seventh-day Adventist institution in Muak Lek, to earn a bachelor’s degree in English. His parents were Buddhist farmers, but when Nateekan was about 10 years old, his aunt converted to Adventism. She later became a college professor at AIU. His aunt’s conversion introduced Christianity into his family circle and was the reason Nateekan decided to attend the school. OVERCOMING CHALLENGES A few months after Nateekan arrived at the AIU campus, he learned that his parents could no longer afford the cost of tuition and fees, so he moved in with his aunt and began commuting to school to reduce the cost of food and lodging.