(AUTOBIOGRAPHY)
( 1963 – Present 15th October 2021)
Mr. Hpone Naing is the son of Mahn Kyaw Hla and Daw Myaing. He was born at the village of Kathabaung, Myaung Mya district on November 21st, 1963. He has ten siblings and out of ten siblings, he is the sixth and he has two older brothers, three older sisters, three younger brothers and one youngest sister. His father’s religion background was Buddhist but later on he was privileged to go to study at Seventh-day Adventist School in Myaung Mya and afterward he was baptized there and became a Seventh-day Adventist.
His father’s native place was Aye Ywar village, Kyonemangay township, Ayeyarwady division. His mother was one of the believers from Baptist denomination but later on she accepted the true doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist and baptized in Myanmar Union Adventist Seminary Theological School campus in 2005. The majorities of the family members were came from Baptist Denomination, but when they were affected by Nargis Cyclone on May 2nd, 2008, and they all were out of action and lost their residence. At last they decided to move to settle in Myaung Mya and in a moment they were placed at Ayeyarwady Adventist Seminary Campus. While they were staying there, they were embraced and cared by the Church Pastors, teachers and kind church members, and more over, the pastors gave them Bible study and explained about the truth from the Bible. So, after a few weeks, the majorities of their family members were converted and baptized into the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Formerly, in the year 1971, his parent lived at Shwe Gone village, in Laputta township and worked there with the business of cooking salt and some fishery work. When they were getting old, they changed their business into gardening as a vocational.
When he was young, he had studied at Aye Ywar village, in Kyonemangay township in the year between 1970 and 1972, and he finished his K.G and K.G II there. And in the school year between 1972-1973 and 1975-1976, he studied at Shwe Gone village, Laputta township and he finished his Elementary School there. Afterward, in the school years between 1975-1976, he studied at public school of Theik-Pan Konegyi village, in Laputta township and finished his Grade VII there and then he proceeded his study to Myaung Mya at Ayeyarwady Adventist Seminary, which was the first established school by Ayeyarwady Mission of Seventh-day Adventist in 1979-1980, under the Principal of Pr. U Soe Maung, and he finished his Grade VIII there. He was baptized in that same year by the Principal himself. Started from there, he became an Adventist church member. To be continued for his higher education, he need to earn some more money and was working as a carpenter student under the instruction of Saya U Maung Gauk, during summer holidays without going back to home. Moreover, he was working such as classrooms extension, earth oiling the houses, digging the toilet ground tank, planting the season vegetables and plants for the boarding students in the beginning of the school year.
Afterward, he went to the “Mountain View” Adventist Seminary at Tar Byay, in Central Myanmar Mission for Pre I and Pre II, which was the only high school in Myanmar established by the Myanmar Union of Seventh-day Adventists at that time. As it was established and began, all the campus was full of bushes and forestry trees, so the campus needs to be cleansed and all the staffs/teachers and students worked hardly hand to hand clean up and set up all the campus and prepared some land scape orderly. But on the other hand, they all still have great challenge with severe malaria disease too. And he finished his Pre I and Pre II classes, in the school years of 1980-1981 to 1981-1982, during under the principal, Pr. Moses Po. Afterward, he moved back to Myaung Mya Seminary in 1992-1993 and he finished his plus I there. But he cannot continue plus II in the following school year of 1983-1984 because he went home for his own business to earn some money.
But after one year, his beloved principal, Pr. Herbert Sein sent a person to bring him back to school and that person came and convinced him to go back and continue for his education, at last he had decided to go back to the Adventist Seminary at Myaung Mya, and he finished his plus II academy in the year of 1984-1985. Starting from that year he continued to join MTC. I (Ministerial Training Course. I) and finished his MTC. I in the year 1985-1986. And he had continued for his study of MTC. II and it was about to graduate but unfortunately, he cannot involve at graduation marching, because he had committed the discipline of the school again. But finally, after one year of punishment of pause, he finished his Ministerial Training Course II, in the year of 1988.
Even though he had finished the school, he didn’t join to the ministry immediately. He was still interested and continue in his personal business such as charcoal, coconuts and fishery work. But after he received five letters of encouragement from Pr. Kyaw Sein Pe and Pr. Yan Aye, he decided to serve in ministry and finally, he went to Yangon 1990 and began to work at Kinsaung Publishing House which is the only one Press established since May 18, 1950. He was posted as a Pwo-Karen typing composer and mean while he was also requested to serve as a volunteer in sanitarian and cleaning works.
But, on June 1991, he was posted to work in Central Myanmar Mission as a church pastor for one year from July 1st, 1991 to June 30th, 1992 at Nann Hpe village, Kayar state.
At that time, it was quite difficult to work for ministry because there was a great arms race between the government and the revolution Kayan rebels who against the government. Several times of conflicts and fighting between them. But by the grace of God, he can able to work safely even in a limited situation.
Afterward, he was transferred and requested to work as a church pastor at Paungdawoo village and Sa Tone village, Ann township, Rakhaing state for one year between the years from July 1st, 1992 to June 30th, 1993. It is an isolated rural area and its because of poor transportation, it took long time to travel from place to place, and on the other hand, it was very dangerous with wild animals such as elephants, tigers, bears and foxes, so they have had to be careful all the time especially while moving from place to place. But glory be to God for His guidance and protection.
After raining season, in dry season or in winter season, they have conducted evangelistic meeting at Swaytt Chaung, Ywar Hawn village with the district pastor, Sayagyi U Ba Thaung and his team members, Pr. Nyan Tin, Pr. Hla Kun and Saya William. After evangelistic meeting many souls were baptized. Unexpectedly, he was affected by malaria disease severely but by the grace of God, he was recovered from sickness and escaped from dreadful situation.
Afterward, he came back to Yangon Kinsaung Publishing House as a second time in June, 1993 and worked as an off-set machine operator for six months, and he was assigned as a typing composer with computer in 1994. As he continues serving at KPH and he got married with Miss Naw Than Than Htwe in Feb 19, 1995 and got two precious children, daughter, Nant Zin Mar Kyaw and son- Saw Thet Naing Htwe.
Unfortunately, in the early month of April, 1997, Sayagyi U Henry was passed away by car accident, so he was assigned as a cashier, including computer typing composer until 2001. And again, start from that same year, he was assigned to work as a proofreader and some additional responsibilities such as books binding, and cutting the paper until 2009. Afterward, he was assigned as an assistant foreman for two years. And starting from 2011, he was requested to serve as a Press Manager and it has been already ten years of service by this year 2011 and still continue working in God’s ministry.
At the second term of his serving as a Manager from 2016 – 2021, Kinsaung Publishing House bought 2 Unit SHINOBARA FUJI 6S Offset. The Union supports with 6,000,000 kyats, Church members donate 14,105,561 kyats and 7,394,439 ks from KPH and the total amount for 2 Unit SHINOBARA FUJI6S Offeset is 27,500,000.
Kinsaung Puplishing House was renovated by the total amount of kyats 63,602,910; the SSD shared kyats 53,898,750, the union shared kyats 6,000,000 and the KPH has shared kyats 3,704,160 only. Moreover, a staff housing was built with the total amount of kyats 181,905,070; the union supported with the amount of kyats 174,200,000 and the KPH added kyats 7,705,070. The KPH also bought a folding machine with the amount of kyats 13,000,000 only.
By the grace of God, he met many wonderful things through out his term. He want to appreciate all the leaders of Division, Union and Church members for their kindness and offering. God is so good all the time and glory be to God.