What makes Perry Meridian High School different from other schools? Here at PMHS, we have a diverse range of cultures, and one of the most notable is our Burmese Community, which has a strong religious belief with Christianity playing a big role. UBTJ, a club that has only been officially recognized starting last year, sponsored by Megan Pryce, decided to stay after school one day, now leading up to a meaningful way for students to learn about the word of God. 

UBTJ is a club for everyone at PMHS, but is populated by Burmese students. There are over 100 students who signed up for UBTJ. “A big percentage of us is Burmese people,” said sophomore Cahnem Iang (team leader), “We would love for it to be more diverse, and we want it to be more diverse.”

”Our motto is kind of like, learn the Gospel, preach the Gospel, live the Gospel,” said Iang, “We would like to have a lot of people to just really learn about God’s love and his love for the nations and for people in the school, so we can pray.” With that, “UBTJ is a Christian club that’s focused on the Gospel and preaching the Gospel in our schools, said junior Nun Lian.

Despite attending a large school with a diverse population and a society full of different beliefs, Lian is still able to connect his cultural roots with his Christian beliefs. “If I didn’t have as many of my Burmese relatives, or like not as many Christians as around, I would feel more isolated,” said Lian, “It would be harder for me to know my identity as Burmese and Christian.”  

Pryce sees that these students at PMHS who are a part of UBTJ have a heart for their school and have a lot to share with their peers. Although it’s only been the beginning of the school year, many students have signed up and are interested in joining UBTJ. “It gives everybody an opportunity to hear about Jesus, get closer to him, and reap some students that might not have that opportunity elsewhere,” said Pryce, “plus, this has been going on for a couple of years, even though we’re only an official club, just starting last year.” 

At UBTJ, they want to show their love for one another by having fellowship with other students and praying for one another. Even though they live in a society full of different cultures and ethnicities with people from various backgrounds, they still choose to spread love for everyone.