By His Grace, grow in L.O.V.E.

David Chan, Country Director of Timor-Leste. He is an MMS Missionary from Aldersgate Methodist Church. He is also the director of St Paul Methodist School (Timor-Leste), which was founded in 2016.

Growing in love is expected of those who have experienced the grace of God in their lives. The students of St Paul Methodist School (SPMS) have been no exception, for the grace of God has abounded upon each of them in many ways, especially amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As love should be shown not only with words but with actions and in truth (1 John 3:18), the school embarked on SPMS L.O.V.E. Projects 2020, in the hope of growing the students in Leadership, Obedience, Vision, and Excellence.

Growing in Leadership: Dignity Project

SPMS’s Dignity Project was conducted in partnership with Liman Hamutuk, a rehabilitation centre for the disabled started by a Brazilian missionary, Pastor Branca. The project saw the students planning and running three days of activities for participants who are wheelchair-bound, have Down’s syndrome, are mute, or have other disabilities. Choosing suitable activities to involve these individuals in required the students to be sensitive to their needs and abilities.

This is L.o.v.e.!

To LEAD is to serve the needs of people.

Dignity Project

Growing in Obedience: Garden Project

The Garden Project took the students to a farm about a 20-minute drive away from school. Under the hot afternoon sun, the students were put to work on the farmland. For three days, they pulled out weeds, tilled the ground, and planted kangkong seeds and dragon fruits seeds. The toughest job of all was erecting stone structures needed to grow the dragon fruits. Listening to and following the instructions of the four resident farmers in preparing the ground and not being able to enjoy the “fruit” of their labour taught the students to persevere in obedience in doing good to others.

This is l.O.v.e.!

To OBEY is to do good to others without expecting any return.

Garden Project

Growing in Vision: Compassion Pack Project

With donations from friends of SPMS, the school gave out 430 compassion packs of basic necessities, namely rice, oil, biscuits, milk, sugar, flour, and noodles, to needy families living in Hera (where SPMS is located) and in Lebutum (a mountain village in Metinaro). The students spent four days delivering the compassion packs to families identified by Pastor Branca as having no food security, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. As for the 20 families known to be very lonely due to lack of family support, the students not only delivered the packs but also spent time having fellowship with them, praying for them, and helping to clean their homes. The visits to these families opened the students’ eyes to see what God sees and their hearts to feel what God feels.

This is l.o.V.e.!

To have VISION is have a heart of compassion for a world without vision.

Compassion Pack Project

Growing in Excellence: Kitchen Project

An elderly couple living near the school had been cooking their meals in a dilapidated kitchen. They had no one to turn to for help and no means of having it repaired or rebuilt. Having come to know about the couple’s plight, the older students took up the challenge to bless the couple with a new kitchen. Under the supervision of a local builder, they built the kitchen from scratch, starting with the foundation and finishing with a zinc roof. Within three days, they not only managed to build the kitchen, but also painted the house and fixed a broken door for the couple. The project taught the students to give their best, even if it was only for one couple, for they were doing it for God.

This is l.o.v.E.!

To be EXCELLENT is to give your best to the least and the last.

Kitchen Project

PRAY

• PRAY for SPMS that by God’s grace, every student will Grow in L.O.V.E.

• PRAY that in so doing, the students will be a purpose-driven generation, committed to loving God passionately and to loving people practically, so as to make a difference in Timor-Leste and beyond.