Harvest Force 2018 issue 1 by MMS1

2018 ISSUE

CHURCH ENGAGEMENT ~ in missions ~

BY HELPING EACH OTHER WITH YOUR TROUBLES, YOU TRULY OBEY THE LAW OF CHRIST. ~ Galatians 6:2 (NCV)

Helping each other Be strong enough to stand alone, smart enough to know when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.

ecently, Tadd was lost in a busy shopping centre. This inquisitive seven-year-old probably got distracted by some toys or games. When we realised that he was gone, we panicked and split up to search for him. It was a dreadful few minutes that seemed like eternity. Wild imaginations raced through our minds with a lot of “what-ifs”. Suddenly, I spotted him from a distance. Locking in my target, I made a beeline to him. Then I noticed something very interesting. He was approaching kind-looking uncle and talking to him! Just then, I reached Tadd and thanked that uncle. Soon, I found out that Tadd was trying to borrow a mobile phone to call me. In fact, I noticed that uncle was taken aback by such a request. But I thought that it was a smart and very brave move by Tadd. Many times, MMS cannot do the work alone to anchor a certain ministry or support a missionary in the field. Missions is not a one-man or one-organisation’s job. It is a partnership through which God’s work is fulfilled and His glory shown. Thus, MMS is not shy to ask for help from the Methodist churches in Singapore. There are so many resources within this Methodist community. We need people to go, give, or pray. For this issue of HF, we are featuring on Church Engagement. On page 36, Bishop Dr Chong Chin Chung exhorts the Church to support missions actively, pray constantly for her missionaries, and engage her missionaries and members in dialogue. Our Executive Director, Rev Philip Lim, urges the local churches in Singapore to be involved as the task of the Great Commission is huge (page 2). And Rev Derrick Lau writes about MMS Church Engagement Initiative on page 6. It takes two hands to clap. MMS and the Methodist churches in Singapore depend on each other to fulfil the Great Commission. Perhaps, it should be seen as MMS and the churches are holding hands together. Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! Leongheng • Editor

Hello! Do you have anything to share? Email mms@methodist.org.sg Your article may be edited for length, style and clarity.

CONTENTS

02 04

FIRST WORD • Partnership in the Gospel WAZZUP! • Mission Trips • Opportunities to Serve • GoForth 2018

Methodist Missions Society (MMS) is the mission agency of The Methodist Church in Singapore. In 1997, MMS was given the mandate to establish indigenous churches supported by mission endeavours in communities across this region where there is no Methodist presence. Harvest Force is published three times annually and distributed free. The views and opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the publisher. All information published is correct at time of writing and may subject to change. All Scripture quoted is based on the English Standard Version, unless

FEATURE STORY • MMS Church Engagement Initiative

SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT • Bridging the gap IELD FEATURES 14 FCAMBODIA • Woman of Noble Character EAST ASIA • The Red Roof

otherwise stated.

PERMIT NUMBER

ADVISOR Rev Philip Lim EDITOR Leongheng CHINESE PROOFREADER Goh Tuan Gee

THAILAND • The growth God grants • A Joy to Serve God

MCI(P) 047/11/2017

MARCH 2018

2018 ISSUE

TRANSLATORS Koh Wan Yee, Licia Yeo, Thng Pheng Soon

PHOTO CREDITS Daniel Lee, Jonathan Chan, Rudy Wong, Mission Teams from Grace MC-WSCS, Pentecost MC-WSCS DISTRIBUTION & SUPPORT Rasanya Isabella Gnasegaran, Helen Tan, Nancy Tay & Volunteers DESIGNER SNAP! Creative Pte Ltd PRINTER Print & Print Pte Ltd PUBLISHER Rev Philip Lim 70 Barker Road #06-01, The Methodist Centre Singapore 309936 Tel: 6478 4818 • Fax: 6478 4817

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HOME IN ON... • MMS Family • MMS Office Renovation

30 32 34

MITE REPORT • Not a Mite would I Withhold

IN OTHER WORDS • Reflection of a mission trip HF SPECIAL • What missionaries wish you knew about themselves CLOSING THOTS • Missions and Church Engagement

TIMOR-LESTE •S undermeier Home – Journeying On VIETNAM • Discovering God

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 1

PARTNERSHIP in the Gospel T

he mission of the Methodist Missions Society is to mobilise the Methodist community in Singapore to fulfil the Great Commission, establish indigenous churches, and equip them to be multiplying. For us to do that, we must focus on quality disciple-making so as to produce mature followers of Christ. These tasks are huge and it is our desire is to see our local churches in Singapore participate with us in the work of missions. Our churches can be involved in several areas:

Rev Philip Lim 林建隆牧师 is the Executive Director of MMS. At the 42nd Session of the Chinese Annual Conference (CAC), he was appointed as District Superintendent of District 1. Within CAC, there are four Districts.

Development of National Leaders In a number of our mission fields, our missionaries have worked hard to reach out to the people. As a result, the number of believers has grown steadily. Keeping in view the goal of establishing indigenous churches, the next step is discipleship and mentoring so as to build up a pool of national leaders. Our churches in Singapore are blessed with many capable leaders with a wealth of knowledge. They can share their experience with these fledging national leaders. Urban Missions The seven mission fields that we have work in are busting urban centres. Just by waiting at the bus stations in Kathmandu or Phnom Penh, one can see busloads of people arriving to find work and to pursue their dreams. Such a trend presents opportunities for outreach. Our churches in Singapore are well equipped for effective urban ministry cover different domains such as education, hostel ministry etc. Disaster Response We will never know when a natural disaster will occur. When it does, we need to response quickly so that those displaced and affected can be helped and cared for. Consequentially, the help rendered is often not one-off but long term. We would like our churches in Singapore to join us to share the love of Christ with those affected people.

LET’S JOIN HANDS FOR THE WORK OF MISSIONS.

FIRSTWORD 03

福音伙伴 These are just some of the things we can join hands in ministry. Indeed we can do much more and have greater impact when we work together. And God is pleased when we do that. I can sense Paul’s joy each time I read his words to the believers in Philippi: “I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.” (Philippians 1:3-5, NIV) This year, we want to step up our efforts on Church Engagement. We want more churches in Singapore to come and work with us. We are well aware that the task of church engagement is multifaceted as our missionaries, the mission committees in the local churches in Singapore, and MMS play significant roles. MMS has been established for more than 25 years old. In all the years of ministry, we have gained much experience and accrue knowledge of what works on the ground, but we still have much to learn especially from churches in Singapore which are active in missions. Partnership assumes that both parties have valuable gifts to share with each other. Let’s join hands for the work of missions.

卫

理宣教会的使命是动员新加坡的卫理社体，群策群力实践主托付的大使命，植立并装备本土教会成长倍增。因此，我们需要聚焦培育、塑造成熟且愿意跟从主耶稣的门徒。这项任务艰巨，我们乐意看到本地教会能在我们的宣教事工上有份参与。教会可以从以下三方面来考虑：

培育有潜能的本土领袖在我们的海外禾场，宣教士努力透过外展接触当地居民传递福音，信徒的数量稳步增长。在植立本土教会这目标的大前提下，下一步就是门徒的培训与督导，建立本土的领袖团队。新加坡的教会蒙上帝祝福，拥有许多智才双全的领袖，他们可以向这些本土教会的领袖分享自身丰富的经验。迈向城市化的使命放眼看我们在海外的七个禾场，当中有一部分所处的地域已经蓬勃地发展为未来的城市。在加德满都和柬埔寨金边的客运车站候车，可以看到车内挤满了到城市找工作，追求理想的人群。这趋势提供我们许多外展的机会。新加坡的教会在不同领域的城市事工上包括教育、宿舍等等事工都有很好的装备。赈灾的回应我们永远不会知道什么时候会发生自然灾害。当它发生的时候，我们需要迅速作出反应，以便那些流离失所和受影响的人能及时得到帮助和照顾。赈灾所提供的援助往往不是一次性，而是长期的。因此我们希望本地教会能与我们一起向灾黎分享基督的大爱。以上所提的只是我们可以携手同工的部分事工。事实上，还有许多事工我们可以搭配，产生更大的影响力。我深信我们所做的必蒙神的悦纳。每当我读到保罗写给腓立比信徒的书信时，深深体会到保罗灵里的喜乐：“我每逢想念你们，就感谢我的上帝；每逢为你们众人祈求的时候，常是欢欢喜喜地祈求，因为从头一天直到如今，你们是同心合意地兴旺福音。” 腓立比书 1：3-5 节。今年，我们要加强与教会的联系，寻求更多本地教会参与我们的事工。我们清楚意识到这项互动合作要从多方面来考虑，海外宣教士，本地教会的宣教委员会以及卫理宣教会本身都扮演举足轻重的角色。卫理宣教会成立至今已超过二十五年了。尽管我们累积了下不少实地的工作经验与知识，仍有许多地方还需要向努力不懈参与宣教事工的本地教会宣教委员会学习。与大家建立伙伴关系让我们能互相分享彼此宝贵的资源与经验。愿我们在宣教上齐心同行！

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Country Information If you are interested to find out more about the different fields, please email the respective persons at these email addresses: Cambodia jeremy.choo@methodist.org.sg East Asia koheng.quek@methodist.org.sg Laos

david.khew@methodist.org.sg

Nepal noel.tam@methodist.org.sg Thailand david.khew@methodist.org.sg Timor-Leste

lichun.woo@methodist.org.sg

Vietnam dianna.khoo@methodist.org.sg

Opportunities to Serve IN THE FIELD • Short term workers who are willing to spend between two weeks and six months to help one of our missionaries. Please raise your own support. • More importantly, passionate prayer partners to pray for our ministries and missionaries. What to do if you sense the LORD calling you into His mission field: 1. Tell your pastor and ask him/her

The fields are ready for harvesting – but there are so few labourers. In all seven countries that MMS has chosen, we continue to be needful for the following: • More fulltime missionaries to join us! We are asking the Lord to send pastors, church planters, ministry workers, mentors, and teachers.

to help examine your calling to missions. 2. If your church pastor and leaders

affirm your calling and are prepared to provide full financial support – praise the Lord! Call MMS straight away. 3. If your church pastor and leaders

For more information about these opportunities, kindly email mms@methodist.org.sg. Be in prayer with us as we seek God’s direction to challenge and mobilise our Methodist community to serve with MMS.

affirm your calling but are unable to provide full financial support for you – call MMS anyway! Some of our missionaries are supported by the combined efforts of multiple Methodist Churches, Agencies, and individuals.

Cambodia

• Educators, building maintenance people, youth workers, and fund raisers for Methodist School of Cambodia to expand its ministry and renovate the premise. • Trained social workers as well as Children’s & Youth Ministry workers for COSI. • Prayer and financial supporters for pastors in Methodist Church in Cambodia as they are receiving below the national minimum wage and have to be bi-vocational. • Trainers and volunteers to support market place ministry and consider joining BAMBOO (www.bamboofoundation.sg). East Asia

• Professional trainers to conduct enrichment courses on leadership development on family, marriage, and parenting skills. • Local churches to partner and support newly established preaching points. • Ministry support in social / community engagement programme.

WAZZUP! 05

Laos

Vietnam

• A Christian Ministry Worker (CMS) to serve for a term of three to six months, with a view to serving longer. Specifically to provide spiritual guidance to the children, to offer pastoral care for the staff, and to befriend and counsel parents. • A trained Early Childhood Educator (ECE) for teaching at the Singapore Mission School (SMS) Kindergarten. • Two or three Primary teachers familiar with the Singapore curriculum to teach the primary classes at SMS. Teachers can opt to serve a term a year or long term. • Experienced volunteer English teacher to help at the language centre INSPIRE.

• Mission teams to visit the International Christian Fellowship.

Nepal

Mission-Trip Coordinator

• A missionary pastor to serve as teaching staff at Caleb Bible Institute in East Nepal and equipping ministry for National leaders and workers. • Ministry staff to serve as spiritual counsellors and mentors for Sophia’s Home on short field assignments.

• Be a Mission-Trip Coordinator to assist in briefing and debriefing the mission teams to achieve optimal preparation, mission fulfilment and benefits.

AT HOME You can also come alongside as Mission Partners and Volunteers (MPV) at home to encourage and empower God’s work and workers to incarnate the love of Jesus Christ to make a difference in the mission fields. Communications & Publications

• Be an English-Chinese translator. • Be a photographer. • Be a graphic designer. • Be a web designer. Office Assistance

• Be our MMS Event Coordinator.

Financial Assistance

• Be a sponsor through the Student Sponsorship Schemes. Please refer to page 27.

Thailand

• Short term educators (English and Math) for holiday camp and day care at Shineforth, Rangsit, and Songroi-pi Methodist Churches. • Qualified English and Chinese teachers for Vineyard Methodist School. • Prayer partners and supporters for Shineforth Methodist Church’s community outreach effort by building a multi-purpose hall. • Medical mission teams for rural churches. • Mission teams to conduct evangelistic events, community services, etc at our Methodist churches. Timor-Leste

• Teachers willing to volunteer for one year to provide instruction for Grade 7 and 8 students at the Methodist School. • Short-term volunteers to provide English and Mathematics tuition for Grade 10-12 students in the Sundermeier Home. • As education is a key ministry, we seek more sponsors for the poor and needy students at Sundermeier Home and St Paul Methodist School.

GoForth 2018

GoForth National Missions Conference is on 21 to 23 June 2018 at ACS Barker Road Campus. The theme is Go Urban. It will have different tracks for different interests with topics for adults, millennials, youth, and children. Choose your preferred track in English or Chinese. There will also be a Children’s Track and Leaders’ Track with more than 50 workshops on various topics, including urban church planting, migrants, social issues, creative arts, education, sports, economic and livelihood issues, and digital media. Explore what it means to Go Urban in missions. Hear what exciting keynote speakers have to say. Participate in stimulating workshops. Catch God’s heartbeat for the cities. Find out how YOU can make a difference! For more information, please go to the back page or visit www.goforth.org.sg. See you there!

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 1

CHURCH ENGAGEMENT

MMS CHURCH ENGAGEMENT INITIAT T

Rev Derrick Lau The article was prepared by Rev Derrick Lau (assisted by Ms Woo Li Chun) in consultation with the Board of Missions Chairperson of the three Annual Conferences and several members of the MMS Executive Committee. He is Vice Chairman of the MMS Executive Committee, and is tasked to look into MMS Church Engagement.

he Methodist Missions Society (MMS) was officially inaugurated as a full agency of the Methodist Church in Singapore (MCS) on 30 September 1991, over 25 years ago. Its primary mission was to establish indigenous churches where none currently exist and aims to be a disciple-making movement that transforms lives. MMS’s strategy adopts an integrated approach of Church Planting and Community Development with transformed lives and communities as the desired outcomes. Nevertheless, in a given geographical location or people group, the strategy shall be appropriately structured according to the field situation. This strategy is rooted in the Theology of Missions, where the church is the primary agent of missions. Hence Church Planting and Community Development are both the ‘means’ and the ‘ends’ of missions. MMS may work through appropriate partnership arrangements with overseas Methodist entities or non-Methodist mission entities or pioneer new missionary work in mission fields selected by MMS where there is no Methodist presence. It is important that MMS partners the local churches in the field in order to identify and promote the service opportunities and needs of the mission fields as well as to ensure that the missionaries are adequately cared for. In some cases, MMS is not the only agency in the mission field and may have to adopt a multi-dimensional strategy that factors in the other mission agencies. Reaching a people group, or transforming a society cannot came about through the effort of one-man or one-organisation. Just as MMS needs to work with its partners in the field, so too it will need the partnership and support from the whole body of Christ in the Methodist community. It is a partnership through which God’s work is fulfilled and His Glory shown. This is the spirit under girding the Church Engagement Initiative. Significant Milestones of MMS over the past 25 years Praise God for the partnership with local churches in areas such as Volunteers, Mobilisers, Donors, Prayer Partners, Mission Teams, and Missionaries. Over the last 25 years, by God’s grace, MMS had been able to send missionaries to the seven MMS Mission Fields in Cambodia, East Asia, Laos, Nepal, Thailand, Timor-Leste, and Vietnam. Presently, 29 of our missionaries are currently supported by their home Methodist Churches in Singapore. Churches have also supported their church members in mission trips to these seven mission fields. Through the faithful work of our missionaries and in partnership with the churches, more than 25 preaching points, two International Christian Fellowships, and 21 churches were planted in the field. To name but a few of the churches planted with the support of TRAC churches from Singapore, are Nong Bua Lamphu Church, Rangsit Church, and Sanphranet Church in Thailand; Wesley Bardan Methodist Church and Marhimit Methodist Church in Nepal; Chress Methodist Church and Glory Trinity Methodist Church in Cambodia etc. As Methodists, an integrated and holistic approach is essential; and community development is an important means in outreach to the marginalised and the poor in the society. Such developments include projects in healthcare; starting social enterprises (eg. Jars of Clay Cafe in Nepal); livelihood projects; rehabilitation programmes (eg. Drug Rehabilitation Centre in East Asia, and Hope House ministry in Cambodia); children’s homes (eg. Sophia’s Home in Nepal, and Term Fun Home in Thailand); and various centres for the disadvantaged (eg. Emmaus Women’s Centre in Cambodia).

FEATURESTORY 07

ATIVE Education is a primary and very important means to transform the future for the younger generation, and work in this area include setting up child-care centres (eg. Vineyard Childcare Centre in Thailand); kindergartens (eg. Prek Thai Kindergarten in Cambodia); children and youth hostels (eg. Sundermeier Home in Timor-Leste, and Methodist and Joy Hostels, COSI Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Village, and Youth hostel in Cambodia, and Mettakji Hostel in Thailand); after school care programmes (eg. Youth Club in East Asia); and the building of Methodist Schools: Methodist School of Cambodia, Vineyard Methodist School in Thailand, Singapore Mission School in Laos, and St Paul Methodist School in Timor-Leste. Missionaries have also been greatly supported by the mission trippers in their outreach efforts to the community through Christmas programmes, teaching trips, and medical and dental trips etc. The examples above are by no means exhaustive; they do not do full justice to all the work done over the past 25 years but serve to emphasise the point that without the partnership and support of the Methodist churches and community in Singapore, much of what has been done would not have been possible.

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MMS Role This key role of MMS as stated in the Book of Discipline of the Methodist Church in Singapore is that MMS “shall work with local churches as its partner to promote the service opportunities and needs of mission fields selected by the Society as well as to ensure that missionaries are adequately cared for.” (Para 371). MMS has served (and will continue) to enlist, encourage, engage, and empower Methodists to serve in missions by praying, participating, raising, and providing financially in order to reach those for whom Jesus died to redeem. We are in conversation with the Boards of Missions to encourage churches to conduct their missions with and through MMS. MMS seeks to be a resource in mobilising, equipping and enriching the missions ministry of the local Methodist Churches. Help was extended in terms of strategizing for missions, in defining and implementing mission policies, in providing training, and Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) etc. Going forward, as the work in the seven mission fields expands, we envision that more Methodist Churches in Singapore could support and participate more actively in the missions endeavours. Presently, 26 of our 46 local churches have one or more ministries with MMS. In the light of these development, there needs to be a centrally coordinated body to provide Missions strategy, approach, and roadmap. This will give direction, consolidate forces, reduce duplication, provide clarity in ownership, accountability, and more importantly, seek to align with what God’s will and direction for Missions as a single body – the Methodist Church in Singapore.

FEATURESTORY 09

What would MMS hope to see? In essence, there are two desired outcomes for MMS to be: 1 the Agency to lead and define MCS Missions Strategy and ensure that there is a coordinated MCS wide Missions implementation roadmap / plan where the Methodist Community will commit to take direction from and align with their overseas related mission work. 2 the Missions Agency of Choice to the Methodist Churches in Singapore i.e. Methodist Churches in Singapore will refer MMS as the Agency of Choice to potential missionaries or mission trippers for their consideration in overseas mission work and where possible and resources permit, adopt and support MMS programmes and MMS ministries in the mission fields as a priority.

HARVESTFORCE 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ 1

Challenges in Church Engagement The first desired outcome is not new although this was not driven by MMS in the past. As with all new initiatives, there needs to be discussion, understanding, and clarification of the expectations, roles, and boundaries from all parties involved, namely MMS, General Conference, Annual Conferences (ACs), and Local Conferences (LCs). The second desired outcome is for MMS to be the preferred Agency of Choice was never explicitly stated in MMS engagement with the LCs. Towards this end, MMS needs to earn its recognition by embarking on a programme of communication to all the ACs and LCs to raise awareness of the ministry and work of MMS on a regular or periodic basis, to enrol support and participation in the ministry and projects, and to refer field service opportunities to potential missionaries and trippers so that MMS may be the first agency to be considered. MMS does not seek to be dogmatic or dictatorial in either outcomes, and indeed, there should be leeway for exploratory or even developmental growth outside of the MCS mission roadmap. In principle, MMS seeks to build bridges to encourage and enable local churches to share the heartbeat of MMS Strategy and Direction. Much remains to be done as MMS works out its strategic Direction for the next five to ten years, work with the various ACs and LCs to seek their inputs and support.

FEATURESTORY 11

As a first step, work can already start as MMS develops the necessary communications package and video, and plans for a series of roadshows or engagement sessions with our 3 ACs and all LCs to inform, excite and seek support for the mission programmes in its current mission fields. In this era of internet and social media ubiquity, the challenge in any communication programme is the need to ensure data protection, prevent fake news and information leakage. Information security is a fine balance between being able to freely share information and to ensure that such information will not jeopardise the work or the source in any way. MMS is committed to safeguard our ministries on the field as well as the personal safety and security of our missionaries and their families. Hence all communication content will be carefully reviewed and MMS will work with the local churches closely in this. Receptivity by the local churches is another area of concern. Will they be willing to align with the central MCS Mission Strategy and Roadmap or will they find it too restrictive and/or stifling? MMS will have to reach out to the various stakeholders to solicit their views, refine the process to build a big picture that local churches can buy-into and yet still able to grow in their specific calling and mission.

References: 1. The Book of Discipline of the Methodist Church in Singapore, 2017, Para 371. 2. “ We are never alone in mission.” Rev Wee Boon Hup, Harvest Force Issue 1 of 2016. 3. “ MMS Mission Fields”. Back Cover of Harvest Force Issue 3 of 2017.

JUST AS MMS NEEDS TO WORK WITH ITS PARTNERS IN THE FIELD, SO TOO IT WILL NEED THE PARTNERSHIP AND SUPPORT FROM THE WHOLE BODY OF CHRIST IN THE METHODIST COMMUNITY. IT IS A PARTNERSHIP THROUGH WHICH GOD’S WORK IS FULFILLED AND HIS GLORY SHOWN.

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BRIDGING the gap This new series explores a common item in the seven countries and sees how similar or varied we can be. In this issue, we present some famous bridges in the seven countries. Are you ready to cross over to visit them?

CAMBODIA Monivong Bridge is a heavily trafficked bridge in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It was named after King Monivong. It bridges the Bassac River near the end of National Highway 2 to southern Cambodia and lies along the National Highway 1 which connects the city to eastern Cambodia and Vietnam. On the eastern shore lies the Chhba Ampeou Market. Hope House, one of MMS ministries, is located nearby.

EAST ASIA Glass Bridge is a bridge located in Zhangjiajie above the Wulingyuan area. The bridge, built as an attraction for tourists, is glass-bottomed and is transparent. When it was opened to the public on 20 August 2016, it was the longest and tallest glass bottomed bridge in the world. The bridge measures 430 metres in total length and 6 metres in breadth, and is suspended about 260 metres above the ground. The bridge spans the canyon between two mountain cliffs in Zhangjiajie National Forest Park in China’s central Hunan province. It is designed to carry up to 800 visitors at a time. If you want to know more about MMS ministry in the region, please contact us.

LAOS First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge is a bridge over the Mekong, connecting Nong Khai Town in Thailand with Vientiane Capital City in Laos. The bridge was funded by the Australian government. The city of Vientiane is approximately 20 kilometres from the bridge. With a length of 1170 metres, the bridge has two 3.5 metre-wide road lanes, two 1.5 metre-wide footpaths and a single 1000 mm gauge railway line in the middle. It is interesting to note that traffic on the bridge drives on the left, as in Thailand, while traffic in Laos drives on the right. The changeover is at the Lao end. Crossing the bridge to go shopping in Nong Khai on the weekend is a favourite pastime for Lao and expats. One can get as far as the middle on foot but not all the way. And it offers a splendid view of the Mekong. Singapore Mission School is about 20 minutes’ drive (or about 16 kilometres) from this bridge.

NEPAL Karnali Bridge is an asymmetric, single-tower, cable-stayed bridge. It is the longest of its type in Nepal and was built by international collaboration. The bridge spans the Karnali River between the Kailali District and Bardiya District of Western Nepal. The bridge was constructed by Kawasaki Heavy Industries of Japan and inaugurated after six years of its construction date by the late Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala. The nearest MMS ministry, Abhishek Methodist Fellowship in Tanahun District (Western Region), is about a good eight-hour drive from the bridge.

SAMESAMEBUTDIFFERENT

THAILAND River Kwai Bridge in Kanchanaburi is probably the most famous bridge because of the 1957 movie “The Bridge On The River Kwai” which is about prisoners of war building a bridge to aid the war effort of their Japanese captors. This bridge is a tourist destination now. The track is developed into a walkway with side platforms. This allows crossing the railway bridge on foot. These platforms are useful as viewpoints and for avoiding trains. A small tourist train runs back and forth across the bridge. Every year, River Kwai Bridge Festival is organized to mark the Allied bombing on 28 November 1944. Spectacular light and sound show is the highlight of the festival. It is about 100km from our Rangsit Methodist Church (Bangkok) and Payakapum Methodist Church (Isaan).

TIMOR-LESTE Noefefan Bridge is a bridge over the Tono River, in Oecusse District. It was inaugurated on 10 June 2017 by the president of Timor-Leste, Francisco Guterres. The 3-arched bridge, which is 380 metres long and 20 metres high, connects Citrana, Passabe and other isolated regions west of the Tono River to the regional capital of Pante Macassar, providing them permanent access to markets, the ferry and airport, even on the rainy season (November to April). It is about 350 kilometres (or ten hours’ drive) to our Sundermeier Home in Gleno.

VIETNAM Saigon Bridge may look like any ordinary bridge but it is most famous for its historical significant. It was one of the most vital gateways for vehicles travelling from northern and central Vietnam to the city, and therefore was a key point of contention during the Tet Offensive in 1968 and the Fall of Saigon in 1975. Known as Newport Bridge before 1975, it is a bridge crossing the Saigon River, connecting Bình Thạnh District and District 2, Ho Chi Minh City, on the Hanoi Highway. The bridge has four lanes for cars and two lanes for motorcycles and bicycles. It is about 20 minutes’ drive (or six kilometres) to our International Christian Fellowship.

Editor’s note: This compilation was done with consultation with our missionaries and workers living in the mission fields. And also with some help from www.wikipedia.org. Photo source: Monivong Bridge – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Highway_1_(Cambodia)#/media/File:Monivong2016-7.jpg Glass Bridge – https://inhabitat.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/2016/09/Zhangjiajie-Grand-Canyon-Glass-Bridge-lead-1020x610.jpg First Thai–Lao Friendship Bridge – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thai–Lao_Friendship_Bridge#/media/File:Thai-Lao_Friendship_Bridge_(10729268664).jpg Karnali Bridge – https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/I_captured_this_photo_in_Nepal_to_describes_Karnali_Bridge.jpg River Kwai Bridge – https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bridge_on_the_River_Kwai#/media/File:Bridge_on_the_River_Kwai_-_tourist_plaza.JPG Noefefan Bridge – http://www.jornalbisnistimor.com/images/Ponte_Oefefan.jpg Saigon Bridge – https://www.vietnam-travel.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Phu-My-Bridge.jpg

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 1

CAMBODIA

Women of NOBLE CHARACTER “Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she laughs at the time to come.”

Proverbs 31:25

W Laureen Ong is the WSCS Advisor in Pentecost Methodist Church.

omen are important in God’s kingdom. We have read and studied, and are inspired by women in the Bible who had effectively spread their encounter with Jesus Christ in their lives. Lives were transformed then and many were led to Christ. We thank God for His faithfulness in women’s’ ministry, and building women spiritual leadership. It was with the purpose of continuing the work that was began by women missionaries from America and Australia that the Cambodian Women Leaders Development (CWLD) was planned. 23 participants took part in CWLD which was held at Chress Methodist Church in Phnom Penh from 21 to 24 October 2017. It was organised by Pentecost Methodist Church (PMC) and PMC Women’s Society of Christian Service (WSCS). The trip is led by Laureen Ong, and the team comprised trainers who shared bible study and work skills. The workshops were attended by young female adults from the Post-COSI Integration Programme, who are students in colleges and universities, as well as teachers from the Methodist School of Cambodia in Phnom Penh. They gathered for a time of fellowship, learning together, and shared experiences. And after the training, they acquired broader perspectives for their future plans and preparation for church leadership in Cambodia. Bible study was led by Laureen and it was a study on the women in the Bible. The first workshop “Managing Your Finances” was conducted by Sandra Lee. The ladies were taught how to budget for their expenses on personal items, post studies, holidays, and others. The second workshop “Working Effectively” was done by Teo Siew Guat, and the girls participated in interactive roles on how to work effectively. The third workshop “IT & You” was managed by Loo Lok Pin, who gave an overview on the expectations and requirements for career paths in the IT industry. The training programme closed with reflections, reviews, and action plans. After the training was completed, the team visited COSI and Emmaus Women’s Centre. We praise God for an eventful trip. All glory goes to Him.

FIELDFEATURE 15

THEY ACQUIRED BROADER PERSPECTIVES FOR THEIR FUTURE PLANS AND PREPARATION FOR CHURCH LEADERSHIP IN CAMBODIA.

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 1

EAST ASIA

The RED ROOF I

t all began with a dream, a vision from God. I was down with high fever and was praying for healing. I dreamt of a church with a red roof, beautifully decorated, that located beside a vast flowing river. I heard God’s voice GO AND BUILD MY saying, “Go and build My church and I will give you a helpmate, I will CHURCH AND I WILL prosper you, and you will build My church.” I hesitated, and said that I didn’t know anyone in the mission field that He has shown me. But God GIVE YOU A HELPMATE, responded unequivocally, “GO!” I WILL PROSPER YOU, After a period of prayer, I decided to obey His calling. After my arrival AND YOU WILL BUILD at this bustling city of SGH, I met my wife who comes from ZJJ. God fulfilled the first of His three promises. Curious to see if His two remaining promises MY CHURCH. would also come to pass, I asked my wife about her home church. To my disappointment, she said it was a very old building, with a black roof and not beautifully decorated. Could my dream have just been imagination? I learnt to trust God and remain faithful to Him, believing that the vision I had was indeed from Him. My wife and I spent nine years in SGH. After worshipping there with 70 other believers, we decided to move on to a new challenge, to set up a fellowship in SHZ. By God’s grace and faithfulness, this weekly fellowship grew to a group of believers 100 strong. After seven years in SHZ, my wife and I decided to further equip ourselves through theological studies. However, things were not plain sailing as I enrolled myself in TTC while my wife attended a local seminary in HNN. For the next three years, we were apart from each other as well as from our children who were placed in a boarding school. The only occasion we could spend time together as a family was during the Lunar New Year. I was privileged to be able to spend time with my wife during my semester break, staying in a family room at her seminary in HNN. It was during this time that God opened new opportunities for us to serve. All the while, we had been serving with MMS as volunteers. Upon completion of our theological studies, we became full time missionaries with MMS. We returned to ZJJ to begin our ministry. In God’s faithfulness, my wife received Editor’s note: her preaching license in nine months, a process that would normally take two This article was first published years! We were attached to the Christian Council in ZJJ, ministering to its in the November 2017 issue of 46 churches. Methodist Message. The writer In ZJJ, there are only four ordained pastors and 40 local is an MMS missionary in a preachers to serve the 46 churches. The challenge is Creative Access Nation. He is a greater as the churches are located across difficult Singaporean while his wife is a terrain, making them highly inaccessible. local national. They have been serving with MMS since 2005. As such, the churches celebrate Due to the sensitive nature of Holy Communion only his ministry, acronyms have been once every three used for names and places. months.

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We are planning to establish another fellowship in ZJJ city. The critical need is to equip and train the local leaders, most of whom are farmers. We have built a retreat centre that will cater to the spiritual needs of the mostly volunteer pastors and leaders. Farming is their primary source of livelihood and we have seen many who have left because of the financial need to support their families. Over the years of my ministry, I have learnt to trust and remain faithful to God. Today, the main city church in ZJJ now has a red painted roof and is beautifully decorated – just like the vision given to me by God. As for the vast flowing river, I believe it was a metaphorical representation of the growth of the church: always moving and not standing still. God always fulfils His promises. Glory be to God!

PRAY • Pray for more trainers to come and teach. • Pray for the safety and protection of our missionaries. • Pray for the local leaders to be spiritually equipped. • Pray for a revival in ZJJ city.

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 1

THAILAND

The GROWTH God grants

Vincent Lim & Phyllis Zhou are MMS Missionaries in Thailand supported by Faith Methodist Church. Vincent is currently studying the Thai language while Phyllis cares for their two young children at home. The family is currently attached to the Methodist churches in Rangsit, Thailand.

Editor’s note: This article was first published in the January 2018 issue of Methodist Message.

he story of Yun Xia’s conversion reminds us that indeed it is God who brings about spiritual growth. Yun Xia, a fresh graduate from East Asia, has a deep desire to learn new things, and that is what brought her to Thailand – to learn the Thai language. When we first met her in Thailand, we were thankful that she was comfortable with us. Yun Xia attended the same Thai Language class as Vincent, and that allowed us to get closer with each other as we spoke the same language. She followed us to church a few times, but we found that she was not yet ready to be a Christian, even though she had been exposed to the Gospel back home. During the short period of getting to know her, we saw that God was truly working in her heart, as He exposed her to more Christian friends who brought her to church, and who showed her the love of Jesus through acts of kindness and hospitality. We also prayed that we would reflect God’s love through keeping in touch with her, and constantly showing concern about her adjustment to Thailand. One night at the train station, Vincent came across what he thought was a stored-value card that someone had dropped. However, upon picking it up,

FIELDFEATURE 19

I PLANTED, APOLLOS WATERED, BUT GOD GAVE THE GROWTH. 1 CORINTHIANS 3:6

he realised it was a card that taught the reader to say the sinner’s prayer! Immediately, Yun Xia came to his mind, but Vincent continued to wait for God’s prompting to act. That same week on Sunday night, while preparing our prayer updates, Phyllis also pondered and prayed about when Yun Xia would accept Christ. It weighed especially heavy on her heart, since she felt that Yun Xia has been experiencing the love of God through many instances in her life. One morning, before the Thai class started, Vincent finally received the prompting he had been waiting for. He asked Yun Xia, “Are you ready to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour of your life?” Her reply was, “Yes, I am ready. There is really nothing much to ponder upon anymore.” We were awestruck by the Lord’s timing and His preparation. Indeed, we are privileged to be God’s instrument to reap the harvest for Him, be it in prayer or in person. Let us continue to pray for Yun Xia that the Lord will enable her to speak His word with great boldness; to heal, and perform signs and wonders through the name of Jesus; and to be filled with the Holy Spirit while living out the Word of God boldly all the days of her life! Because you prayed with us, you reap with us! All glory to God!

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 1

THAILAND

A JOY to Serve God “T

his is my first mission trip and I don’t know what to expect. I think it is about time that I make a commitment to serve God. I want to find out if I can do more than just pray from afar.” It was with these thoughts that three mission newbies, together with another three mission veterans, travelled to Chiang Mai. This trip was organised by Grace Methodist Church (GMC) Women’s Society of Christian Service (WSCS) with the intention of supporting the work of MMS missionary Cassandra Lee Boon Eng who is based there. Cassandra is from GMC.

Sandra Kumarasamy is the WSCS Mission Trip Co-ordinator of Grace Methodist Church. She loves cooking, reading, travelling and learning about different cultures. She is a docent in NHB museums.

SCHOOL VISITS Our team visited Vineyard Methodist School, a school supported by MMS, and Sankhayom Primary School, where we conducted activities to encourage students to speak English. It proved to be a rather challenging task, particularly at Sankhayom, a government primary school where the level of English proficiency is minimal. But with GOD’s help, by the end of the sessions, the students had made, drawn and coloured the faces, and all the groups were singing the song we had taught. “Incredible!” as a mission tripper remarked. COOKING LUNCH FOR THE VILLAGE KIDS On Saturday morning, the team arrived at the village town hall where Cassandra runs the Children’s Ministry - Paddy Plant Club. We had planned to conduct games and cook lunch for 70 children including some parents. Our jaws almost dropped when we saw the kitchen. It was dark, dirty and totally dismal. But soon, with brooms, rags and soap, we had clean pots and an organised working area. While some of us conducted games in the hall, the cooking team started the chopping and frying. Soon the community hall was filled with the smell of food. The children had a meal of bee hoon, fried chicken and fruit salad. This was followed by green bean dessert. “Ahroy” (which means tasty in Thai) and thumps up for the food. For the ladies, it was mission impossible that became mission accomplished with the blessing of God.

FIELDFEATURE 21

I AM CONVINCED THAT I CAN DO MORE, THAN JUST PRAYING FROM AFAR.

VISITS TO METHODIST MINISTRIES Our team visited Little Candles School and Term Fun Home, both of which are run by MMS Missionaries. Daniel Loo and his wife run Little Candles School in Phrao, which is about three hours from Chiang Mai city. This outreach started with English tuition, and today, after fifteen years, the nursery and kindergarten brings Christian preschool education to 200 children. Term Fun, another MMS project, is a home for disadvantaged boys and is run by Angela and her husband Pastor John. At the moment, there are 10 boys in the home. Both ministries have grown to maximum spatial capacity. Daniel is planning for a primary school within the compound of the current kindergarten. Angela is seeking a bigger house so that more boys can come under her ministry. Both missionaries are in need of prayer and financial support. “It is so inspiring not only to see the work of these missionaries but also to see the mighty hand of our God,” says a mission tripper. “I am convinced that I can do more, than just praying from afar. I am not a leader, but I can contribute. I am happy to help. I see God’s blessing and God’s spirit in Chiang Mai. God is using the Christian workers in different ways.” These are the words of the participants. It has been said many times, that it is a joy to serve God. Truly, we felt this joy. Glory be to God.

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 1

TIMOR-LESTE

Sundermeier Home – JOURNEYING S

Rudy Wong is an MMS missionary in Timor-Leste. His ministry focuses on Community Development through agriculture, health, and nutrition. His home church is Aldersgate Methodist Church.

Editor’s note: This article was first published in the February 2018 issue of Methodist Message.

undermeier Home is located in a cool, green valley nestled between the mountains of Ermera District in Timor-Leste. Located near the district’s only secondary school, it enables young boys and girls from remote villages to finish their education. These are children who are poor and stay very far from their school. The Home offers a safe and healthy “home away from home” for students between 15 and 18 years old. As we enter the third year of operations, it seems timely to reflect on what has been achieved so far, and what lies ahead in this ministry journey. MMS missionaries, Joseph and Grace Mannar, from Bedok Methodist Church have been providing care and supervision for these students since the Home opened in 2016. Most parents would agree that raising a teenager presents a unique set of challenges, so just imagine having 30 of them under one roof at the same time! After raising three sons of their own, the Mannars left the comforts of Singapore to offer love, patience, and guidance to these Timorese youth. Known affectionately as “Papa Joe” and “Mama Grace”, they equip the students through Bible study, house worship, and training in basic life skills. Regular visits by Methodist church teams, including those from the TRACkers Programme, supplement their academic, social, and spiritual instruction at the Home, ensuring holistic development of the youth. Over the past year, there were several occasions when disruptions OUR PRIMARY GOAL to the town water supply caused IS TO DISCIPLE AND severe shortages of water for bathing, drinking, and preparation EQUIP THESE STUDENTS of food at the Home. By God’s TO BECOME MATURE grace, MMS received a donation from a member of the Methodist CHRISTIANS, PRODUCTIVE

CITIZENS, AND FUTURE LEADERS.

FIELDFEATURE 23

G ON community in Singapore that enabled us to dig a well and install a water pump. The students now enjoy a bountiful supply of clean, fresh water sufficient to meet all their daily needs! In addition to limited water supply in many areas, Timorese suffer from one of the highest rates of malnutrition in the world. This negatively impacts their health and ability to concentrate and develop academically. As an MMS missionary from Aldersgate Methodist Church, I started the “Good Soil Project” at Sundermeier Home to help address this situation. In the recent past, I have been teaching the students Biblical principles of farming, along with practical techniques such as using organic mulch in composting and returning nutrients to the soil through crop rotation. With assistance from Susan Eng of All Saints Presbyterian Church in Singapore, the students and I are turning land at the Home into a fertile farm. The fruits and vegetables we grow provide better nutrition and help make this ministry more financially sustainable. As we’ve journeyed with these youths, we can see the hand of God at work within them. Last year, a local church in Dili collaborated with MMS missionaries to conduct a weekend camp for children at Sundermeier Home. The resident students actively supported the event by leading sports and other programmes for the children. Recently, two of the residential students successfully graduated from secondary school and are preparing for the next chapter in their lives. Tommy has enrolled in a university in Dili, and Atoy is planning to pursue his

PRAY • Pray that Sundermeier Home will shine forth as a beacon of light and hope, reflecting God’s love and grace throughout the community and surrounding villages in Timor-Leste. • Pray that the students will develop spiritually, and experience the faithfulness and love of God. • Pray for our missionaries in Timor-Leste as they minister to the people.

studies as soon as he saves enough money for tuition. Both continue to regularly attend church and grow in their faith. With God’s help and provision, we will reach out to more families through our agricultural training and medical outreach. What’s next? In 2019, we plan to increase the student intake to 40 boys and girls. Our primary goal is to disciple and equip these students to become mature Christians, productive citizens, and future leaders. With the increased operating costs, we prayerfully seek your support through our MMS Student Sponsorship Scheme (SSS). Your contribution will go a long way in helping these children!

GIVE You can make a difference with your donation to the General Fund, Timor-Leste. Donations thus indicated will go towards the Methodist School in Dili and the Sundermeier Home. You may also support a student directly through the MMS Student Sponsorship Scheme (SSS). Please visit our MMS website at www.mms.org.sg for more information on how you can help.

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 1

VIETNAM

DISCOVERING God Ruth is not her real name but her story is amazingly real.

came from a non-Christian family. I do not really understand my family religion as it was a mixture. I just followed what I was told by my family members. When I met my husband, he introduced himself as a Christian. At that time, I knew little about Christianity. He tried to acquaint me with God and Jesus Christ. However, I did not believe it. He took a risk to marry to me even though I was not a believer. People around him advised him not to marry a non-believer. I did not want to just say that I was a Christian without truly believing so that he would marry me. And I felt judged by other Christians from my spouse’s former church in Myanmar. I thought we would be fine, even though we had different religions and beliefs, as long as we respected each other’s religions. About three years ago, we were located to Ho Chi Minh City due to my husband’s job. In the beginning, we went to several churches but we did not feel very connected. We found International Christian Fellowship (ICF) and felt welcomed and the sermons were well understood. So we attended ICF more regularly. There were several reasons why I was attracted to Christ, resulting in me accepting Him as my Lord and Saviour. I think God’s plan for me was to take it step-by-step so that I was prepared to go to Him. The first time when I was close to knowing God our Creator was when I met a Japanese missionary pastor’s wife in Myanmar. Both of them had served in Vietnam for 11 years. This pastor wife gave me two books which were about a Japanese Christian’s experience of discovering and getting to know God. Those books had a good and

FIELDFEATURE 25

simple explanation of who God is. If what the book said was true, then God is so amazing. This couple were very kind to me and did not judge me. Moreover, since we have been in ICF, I got involved in the Ladies’ Bible Study where I learnt more about God, and got great help and support from the ladies in the group. The main reason I chose to believe in God was my daughter. A month before my actual pregnancy, my husband and I thought I was pregnant. But after several tests, I was not. We were not purposely trying and did not want a baby at that time but I felt something saying that I would have a child. So I prayed to the Lord and that was the first time I prayed to God sincerely. I prayed that if God gave me a child, then I would give the child back to Him and the child would do what God wants him/her to be and do for His kingdom. It was amazing that I was pregnant the following month. At that time, I did not tell my husband that I had prayed. More than I expected: the more our child, Mia, grew inside my womb, the more God taught me to believe in Him. I felt I was changing ever since I believed in God. Firstly, I felt more comfortable and not shameful to confess my sins to God because I believe God sent Jesus to die for my sins. Secondly, I felt joyful and now I have a purpose to live a life that I have never felt before. I have also started trying to understand and love people around me more, and avoid judging them. I was baptised last Christmas and I am not shy to share my belief anymore. May my testimony encourage everyone. Colossians 3:15 says, “And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful.”

I THINK GOD’S PLAN FOR ME WAS TO TAKE IT STEP-BY-STEP SO THAT I WAS PREPARED TO GO TO HIM.

Read about God’s goodness and faithfulness in these MMS Books.

These DVDs present an overview of MMS work and ministries. And they are free of charge. Get your copies now.

$10

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ORDER FORMM Items

Cost

Qty

MMS DVD – Simple Faith Amazing Grace (2005 @ Cambodia)

FOC

MMS DVD – Of Miracles and Grace (2007 @ Nepal)

FOC

MMS DVD – Choose to Help a Few (2009 @ Thailand)

FOC

MMS DVD – MMS 20th Anniversary Videos (2011 @ China and Nepal)

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MMS DVD – SSS Videos (2012)

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MMS DVD – MMS at a glance (2013 @ Nepal)

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MMS DVD – Education Opens Doors (2015 @ Cambodia)

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MMS DVD – Proclaim His Wondrous Works (2016 @ 7 Fields)

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MMS DVD – Making Disciples, Transforming Lives (2017 @ Timor-Leste)

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MMS Book – Blessed to be a Blessing (2014)

$10

MMS Book – Wings of Grace (2017)

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PDPA MMS is committed to ensuring the security of all personal data she collects. MMS shall use and disclose such data only for her necessary purposes and if so, shall adhere to the guidelines of the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). All personal data shall be kept strictly confidential at all times. If ever MMS has to disclose any personal data to any third party, she shall do so only with the prior consent of the owner of the personal data. To withdraw or limit consent, please email to mms@methodist.org.sg.

Please mail cheque and completed form to: METHODIST MISSIONS SOCIETY • 70 Barker Road #06-01, The Methodist Centre, Singapore 309936. Thank you for your gift and support. For more information, please contact us at 6478 4818.

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OUR GIFTS FOR MISSIONS We would like to support MMS so that the Good News of Jesus Christ can be proclaimed to the ethnic Cambodians, Chinese, Lahus, Laotian, Nepalese, Thais, Timorese and Vietnamese, by giving to:

GIFT DETAILS $

Crisis Relief Fund (General)

Rev Dr Clarence Lim Missionary Development Fund $

Student Sponsorship Scheme (Non-Residential)* General $ @ S$45 per month (minimum commitment of 12 months)

Cambodia / Laos / Nepal / Thailand / Timor-Leste

Student Sponsorship Scheme (Residential)* General

@ S$110 per month

(minimum commitment of 12 months)

[

] COSI (Cambodia)

[

] Sophia’s Home (Nepal)

[

] Mettakij Hostel (Thailand)

[

] Term Fun Home (Thailand)

[

] Sundermeier Home (Timor-Leste)

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Cambodia Church Ministry Support Emmaus Women’s Centre – ministry expenses Post COSI Integration Programme

$ $ $

East Asia

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Staff & Ministry Support Church Planting Ministry

Nepal $ $ $

Community Development Crisis Relief Work Sponsorship for Pastor Lay Leader Training at Caleb Bible Institute Youth Ministry / Hub

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V ietnam Children’s Fund

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Please cross and make cheque payable to “The Methodist Church in Singapore (MMS)” and mail it together with this form to: Methodist Missions Society, 70 Barker Road #06-01 The Methodist Centre, Singapore 309936 Please apply glue here

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MMS Executive Director Methodist Missions Society 70 Barker Road #06-01 The Methodist Centre Singapore 309936

HOMEINON... 29

MMS Family DAVID AND JESSIE CHAN were commissioned by Bishop at their home church, Aldersgate Methodist Church on 17 December 2017. David is the Country Director for Timor-Leste, and provides leadership to our Missionary team based in Dili and Gleno. Together with his wife, David heads the school ministry there. The goal is to establish a Methodist School in the eastern part of Dili, the capital city of Timor-Leste, in a place called Metinaro. Please keep David and his family in your prayer. Appointed by Bishop to serve in Nepal, MICHAEL AND CAROL ONG are our new MMS Missionaries from Barker Road Methodist Church. They went to Nepal in mid November 2017. In the initial period, their main task is language acquisition, discipleship, and training of church multipliers. Before joining MMS, Michael was in medical practice while Carol was a school teacher. LAI CHOY FONG has completed her service with MMS. She started his service more than 10 years ago when she served in LY in 2006. Later, the work was transferred to NC and she followed and served till the completion of her service in September 2017. In her service, Choy Fong had displayed resilience, faith, and a love for the people. She had contributed much to the ministry. May her labour produce a harvest of many folds. She has started work as a Lay Ministry Staff with Sengkang Methodist Church, her home church.

Dear Lord, we thank You for the lives and commitment of David and Jessie. May they continue to be a blessing to the people in Timor-Leste. We pray for Michael and Carol as they make the transition into ministry in Nepal. We give thanks for Choy Fong and pray that God will bless her ministry richly. Amen.

MMS Office Renovation Since mid November 2017, The Methodist Centre has been undergoing renovation. MMS Office will be renovated in March 2018. So such, the MMS office staff will be temporarily relocated to the Sophia Blackmore Hall (Level 6). All renovation is expected to be completed by July 2018. Our contact details remain unchanged during this time.

Dear Lord, may You bless the renovation team and all the workers. Grant them strength and safety as they work tirelessly to create a conducive working environment for everyone in The Methodist Centre. May the renovation work and schedule be smooth and on-time. Amen.

HARVESTFORCE 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ 1

NOT A MITE would I Withhold D

Daniel Lee is currently studying at Ngee Ann Polytechnic and attends Barker Road Methodist Church.

uring my polytechnic holidays from September to October 2017, I decided to dedicate a month to do Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work in Nepal. When I first landed in Nepal, I was a little apprehensive. It was my first time being away from my family for such a long period of time. However, through the month, God revealed to me many things. For the first five days when I was in Nepal, I followed Lal, a local evangelist, around his village in Halde. I went with him to visit other Christians in his village, sometimes we had to trek many hours to visit them. The bold faith of Lal and the Christians there really encouraged me, as they make a one-and-a-half-hour trek up the mountain about twice a week just to have fellowship with one another. Regardless of the weather or the conditions of the mountain side, they would go up and down the mountains just to praise God. Instead of planning anything specific for me to do, Lal brought me to wherever he planned to go, whether it was climbing a mountain to pray for his village, or going to the town centre just to interact with other locals and share the Gospel. After this, I followed MMS missionary Uncle GS and his family to Pokhara. We were there to meet some missionaries from China, who recently moved their mission field from Kathmandu to Pokhara. We visited them and had dinner at their house. This has exposed me to the many struggles of missionaries, and the challenges that they had to face in the mission field.

MITE REPORT 31

On the last week of my MITE trip, the Methodist Church in Nepal would be having their Annual Conference the following week. So I helped Uncle GS prepare some documents for the conference. I also helped Aunty Jacq pack some items into bags, as her friend would be coming to Nepal to donate items to the needy. As he was Buddhist, his arrival helped me to understand more about Buddhism and their beliefs. Overall, I have learnt many things about being in the mission field. Going on this trip has definitely clarified some doubts I had about my calling. I really encourage those who are confused about their calling in life, or those who think they are called to the mission field, to go for MITE. It has really helped me.

I REALLY ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO ARE CONFUSED ABOUT THEIR CALLING IN LIFE, OR THOSE WHO THINK THEY ARE CALLED TO THE MISSION FIELD, TO GO FOR MITE.

What is MITE? MITE (Missions Internship Training & Exposure) is a programme designed to send believers to the mission fields for a period of one to three months. A MITE participant will serve, learn and grow, and experience the work and life of a missionary in the field. It may be a perfect opportunity to discern Godâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s call. Visit www.mms.org.sg or contact us to find out more.

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 1

REFLECTION of a mission trip F

Jonathan Chan is an undergraduate student residing in the United Kingdom. Prior to commencing his university studies, he attended Covenant Community Methodist Church where he served as a life group leader and a worship leader. Born to a Malaysian father and a Korean mother in the United States and raised in Singapore, Jonathan has found a reconciliation of identity in the love of Christ.

rom 24 to 27 August 2017, I was a part of a team sent to Johor Bahru, Malaysia to minister to the Iban Methodist Church’s youth. The Ibans are an indigenous ethnic group from Sarawak. I had been praying to serve in missions since the beginning of the year and embraced the opportunity to serve in JB. Before this trip I attended Malay language lessons due to an interest sparked during my National Service, when God placed in my heart a vision of people of other language groups worshipping together. In addition, while praying for the trip, I had a vision of a little girl. We organised a camp with games, discussions, and praise and worship. During camp, I saw the entire room filled with lovely worship songs in Malay. As a group leader, I was entrusted with 13 children, one of whom was an adorable 4-year-old girl. I was shocked because she resembled the girl in my vision. It felt like a fulfilment of what I would hope for and it gave me confidence that the church will be able to reach out to their communities. I remember when the children were asked to form into pairs and pray for one another, their chatter suggested an unfamiliarity with intercession. Our team leader, Uncle Raymond, demonstrated by having their pastor, Pastor Yan, to pray for his ill mother. What happened afterwards was beautiful: there was five minutes of stillness, whispered prayers and clasped hands. Tears were shed and sniffles were heard, and I prayed that they would feel the immense assurance and love of Christ. During Sunday service, Uncle Raymond initiated an altar call to assure the believers of their salvation and to pray for healing. He was careful to emphasise that God heals people for a purpose. One lady, a worship leader, was losing her hearing and felt a warmth spreading through her ear when she prayed for, resulting in clearer hearing. Another man, a lay leader, suffered from back problems. He felt a heat through his back while being prayed over and was able to bend forward subsequently. It was amazing to witness God’s outpouring of power upon the community. While serving, we identified several struggles faced by the church. The church requires a generation of lay leaders to be raised up. They need Christ-like people who are willing to teach and love children. CCMC can offer exposure, whether by inviting leaders to youth camps or by conducting leadership training. In addition, the fear of persecution continues to loom over the Iban church. It was reported in the papers that the use of “Allah” to refer to God is restrictive, with the preference being for the use of the word “Tuhan” or Lord. It is a unique linguistic tension that has resulted in the church’s discretion where public prayer and worship are concerned. The mission field always offers a glimpse of God’s great love and movement in the hearts of people. The trip was a validation of many things I have experienced over years and I will always be grateful for the hospitality with which I was received, both by my team and the church itself.

IN OTHER WORDS 33

THE MISSION FIELD ALWAYS OFFERS A GLIMPSE OF GODâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GREAT LOVE.

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 1

What Missionaries Wish You Knew A

Ting Siew Lee is the Executive Director of COCOON. She would like to visit Iceland one day.

IT’S NOT EASY SHARING OUR LIFE STORIES WITH YOU

Editor’s note: Due to popular demand, after her earlier article in HF 2017 issue 1, Siew Lee has written a few more articles on missionary’s honest take on some issues that are usually not discussed. This is her last article.

issionaries get asked the same questions over and over again. How did God call you to this work? How did your family react? What are your greatest challenges? We understand that we’ve chosen a life direction that is quite different from most people in Singapore. Some are curious to know more, while others are processing their own missions call and want to glean from our experiences. We also know that short-term visitors have very limited time with us, and we try our best to bless them through the things we share. But the truth is, it’s not easy sharing the most vulnerable episodes of our lives with people, some of whom we hardly know, over and over again. It takes a lot of courage to do so. Each time I am asked a sensitive question, I pause and ponder for a few seconds – How much can I trust you? Are you sincerely seeking to obey the call of God on your life or are you being voyeuristic? Are you mature enough to handle the hard truths that I want to tell you? I make a silent judgment call in a few seconds, and then I try to share as honestly as I can, depending on what I discern about the motives of the people asking the questions.

About THEMSELVES

IF YOU HAVE A CLOSE FRIEND WHO HAS BECOME A LONG-TERM MISSIONARY, ONE OF THE KINDEST THINGS YOU COULD DO, IS TO TAKE THE INITIATIVE TO KEEP THE FRIENDSHIP ALIVE.

I don’t know if this is true for my missionary colleagues, but I share different versions of my life story with different people. There is the 30-second account that I give to the casual and curious visitor, and the 30-minute story that I share with people I discern to be truly searching for more. So, by all means, ask what is on your heart. As you listen to the missionary’s heartfelt replies, recognize that their vulnerable self-disclosure is a gift to you from the heart. WE FEEL IRRELEVANT TO YOU WITH TIME

All relationships take effort. For missionaries, it’s often doubly difficult to keep relationships with friends back home alive and strong. One reason is because deep down, we feel that we are no longer relevant to people we once felt close to. Many things take a toll on our relationships. Distance – both geographic and cultural – make intimate communication and sharing of lives difficult over time.

Then, there is the momentum of life. Many long-term missionaries serve in the same position for many years, while our friends move from one stage of life to another. Single missionaries watch our best friends get married and start families. We witness our peers move up the corporate ladder and become rich and successful. While I believe many missionaries are secure in their calling, there are likely to be some moments when we feel somewhat irrelevant to friends back home, and we hold back from making contact. If you have a close friend who has become a longterm missionary, one of the kindest things you could do, is to take the initiative to keep the friendship alive. Get in touch again. Share about your life and take a genuine interest in his or her life too. Make an extra effort to meet and create shared experiences and explore common interests again. Teach them the latest technologies if they’re having trouble understanding it. Include them in your family life. These small gestures mean a lot to us.

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 1

MISSIONS and CHURCH Engagemen I

Rev Dr Chong Chin Chung 新加坡卫理公会会督 is the Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore. He likes spicy food like curry, beef and chicken rendang, fish head curry, gado gado, and pecel.

n Acts 13, we see that the church at Antioch was a missionary-sending church. There were five persons preparing to be sent out to the mission field. In the end, by the leading of the Holy Spirit, Barnabas and Saul were sent. The earliest disciples who formed the early Church were Jews. Consider this, if they did not honour and obey the Great Commission from Jesus, the Church today could be limited to the area of Palestine, in Israel territory. At most, it would be a Jews-only faith, and probably would become an off-shoot of Judaism. From the word “Go!” the Church obeyed Jesus’ commandment to make disciples of all nations. (Matthew 28:19) John Wesley, the founder of Methodism, found his efforts to spread the gospel being confined by the Church of England to within the boundaries of the church. He decided to make real the Great Commission of Jesus. Thus he said, “I look upon all the world as my parish.” This also means that the whole body of the Methodist church must have a missionary will. Whether by going, giving, or praying, we are all called to play our part in the Great Commission. The Church must support missions actively and be a missional church. That means that in everything we do, the fulfilment of the Great Commission is our ultimate goal. The Church must pray constantly for her missionaries. This gives the missionaries the greatest encouragement. In some places, the local culture has many gods and spirits, and there is much spiritual and man-made opposition. When a missionary enters such a place, these unseen spirits work against all the efforts put in by the missionary. Missions work is loaded with dangers and difficulties, from ancient times to modern times. The missionaries who lead the local Christians, face hostility, persecution, and even death. The Church must also constantly engage her missionaries and members in dialogue. This will help all the members of the Church feel the heartbeat from the missions field, to empathise meaningfully and pray with a strong sense of urgency. Missions was not invented by the Church. In some sense, the Church was created by missions, and for missions. Jesus Himself was sent by the Father into our midst, to bring the Gospel of heaven to all mankind. Jesus’ disciples were sent to places where there were few Jews, to share the Gospel with the Gentiles. During the 18th and 19th centuries, Europe sent many missionaries to be stationed in Asia, including Malaysia and Singapore - that’s how we received the Gospel. Today we have taken up the baton to spread the Gospel to other places. Remember always the Church’s mission: to love God and to love others as ourselves.

宣教与教会的参与在

使徒行传第十三章，我们看到安提亚教会是一个差派宣教士的教会，当时共有五个人预备受差遣前往宣教禾场，最后在圣灵的带领下，差派了巴拿巴和扫罗。成立初期教会的门徒都是犹太人。想一想，如果当初他们没有遵从及顺服耶稣的大使命，到今天，教会可能也就只局限在以色列领土上的巴勒斯坦地区。充其量，这将只是犹太人的信仰，也有可能成为犹太教的支脉。教会顺从耶稣的命令，“去”使万民作主的门徒，（太二十八：19）。卫理宗的创始者卫斯理约翰初期传福音时，发现福音工作被当时的英格兰教会局限在教会范围内。卫斯理决定落实耶稣的大使命。他说，“我把全世界视为我的牧区。”这也意味着卫理教会必须有宣教意愿。无论是通过走出去、还是给予、祷告，我们都被呼召扮演好自己在大使命的角色。教会需要积极支持宣教事工，并成为宣教的教会。也就是说，在一切的工作上，我们必须以完成大使命作为终极目标。教会必须持续为本身的宣教士祷告，这能带给宣教士最大

的鼓励。在一些地方，当地文化中也包含多神和泛灵敬拜，并有灵和人为多方面的阻拦。当宣教士抵达这类地区，这些肉眼看不见的灵就会对宣教士的工作掀起全面性的抗拒。从古至今，宣教工作无不艰险重重，宣教士在牧养当地信徒时常要面对敌意、迫害、甚至死亡的威胁。此外，教会还必须让宣教士与会友不断保持联系，让全体会友感受到禾场脉搏的跳动，设身处境感受对方的需要并迫切为他们代祷。宣教事工并非由教会首创。可以这么说，教会由宣教建立，也为宣教建立。主耶稣被天父差遣到我们当中，把天国的福音带给全人类。耶稣的门徒被派到少数犹太人的地方，并在那里和外邦人分享福音；同样的，十八到十九世纪期间，欧洲派出一批批的宣教士到亚洲国家，其中包括新马两地，我们因此有机会接触到福音。如今，该由我们接棒把福音传到其他地区。教会切记要爱上帝，也爱人如己。

N A T I O N A L M I S S I O N S CONFERENCE 2018

2 1 -23 J U NE 20 1 8

AC S BARKER RO A D CAMPUS | S INGAPORE MORNING PROGRAMME (22-23 June 2018) O O

Urban Realities, Seeing Possibilities Highlights include bible studies, testimonies, interactive sessions and plenaries on social realities, digital spaces, urban church, livelihood & the marketplace

DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS FROM OVERSEAS & SINGAPORE O Details to be released soon

AFTERNOON WORKSHOPS (22-23 June 2018) O O

Embracing Realities, Creating Opportunities 55 English programme workshops organised along four tracks

CHILDREN’S PROGRAMME (21-22 June 2018) O

Preparing Hearts, Positioning Hands

CIRCLES OF PASSION (22-23 June 2018) OPTIONAL

PUBLIC NIGHT RALLIES (21-23 June 2018) FREE ADMISSION O

Impacting Realities, Transforming Cities

CHINESE PROGRAMME Combined night rally on 21 June O Separate night rallies on 22 & 23 June O 17 Workshops organised along five tracks O

...the Lord appointed … and sent them … ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you… Luke 10:1-3 (NIV)