Salesian Brother Interview - Cambodia Br. Martin Tan Tai

By Our Own Correspondent

Sihanoukville, Cambodia, 9 January 2018 -- Br. Martin Tan Tai (35 years) is a Vietnamese missionary in Cambodia Delegation since 2008, after his specialization in Manila was recently assigned to the Don Bosco Technical - Hotel school in Sihanoukville.

What makes you happy or joyful as Salesian Brother?

When I work close within our Salesian mission, in the vocation - professional school environment and witihn the business field. When I'm involved with secular world of educating young people as a consecrated person and when I'm working together with other Salesian confreres - it filles my heart with joy!

How were you attract you to this form of Salesian vocation?

I can say I was attracted by ‘both’ forms of Salesian vocation. It is both faces of SDB (priest and brother), we all carry the same identity either priest or brother. On the way becoming a Salesian, the face of Lay Brother attracts me more.

What is the specific contribution of the Salesian Brother to our mission and in the community?

In the Mission: When we work with low and middle class young people, Salesian Brother reveals an active, practical, and visible face of the Salesian Congregation and contributes in a special way to produce good citizens to the society.

In the Community: Salesian Brother contribute with his life witness of simple life, when he takes care about the life, health of confreres in the community. But in a special way when we witness and show together the love between Salesian Brother and Priest.

How to make the vocation of Salesian Brother more visible in the Church?

When we are becoming the hands of the Church for the poor, when we work closer with young people, listen and share our life with them.

How are your first months as Director of the Don Bosco Technical School in Sihanoukville?

It is really the world of work, business - that keeps me so busy. I have experienced that it is the work of Salesian SDB as Brother – balance between business and education. We do business for education. We learn how to work with lay people, how to learn from the other confreres their experience and how do the work together as a team.

What does sustain your vocation?

Any work that is done for God, like time of prayer. Any life activity for the Salesian Congregation, like time with community and ministry for the young people our time with young people does strengthen my vocation!

You have been among the youngest participants in EAO 2006 Congress in Cambodia. Do you have any suggestion for the EAO 2018 Brother Congress?

I would expect from the next Brother Congress 2018 that we could strengthen the links, connection among different Salesian settings of Don Bosco among the 23 countries of our EAO Region, especially regarding technical support and volunteers exchange for the Technical schools or Vocation training centers.

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