Harvest Force 2018 issue 2 by MMS1

2018 ISSUE

CHALLENGES AND NEEDS ~ in the fields ~

THEREFORE, HAVING THIS MINISTRY BY THE MERCY OF GOD, WE DO NOT LOSE HEART. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:1

Often troubled, but not crushed We are often troubled, but not crushed; sometimes in doubt, but never in despair; there are many enemies, but we are never without a friend; and though badly hurt at times, we are not destroyed. ~ 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 (GNB)

magine with me… You are leaving your comfort zone you are so accustomed to and delving yourself into a foreign culture you can hardly understand. Not just a week, or a month, or even a year but longer. And you are in this for a long haul. Well, this is what our Missionaries have done.They face countless daily challenges in their respective mission fields. It could be family concerns, cultural differences, odd local administrative procedures, hectic journeys, tricky ministries, or difficult people. Such struggles and obstacles metaphorically represent a huge daunting mountain in their lives and ministries. Personally, I have not climbed a physical mountain yet. But does Bukit Timah Hill count? Indulge with me as I recall the last time I hiked this hill a few years ago, together with another family with three young children. Almost at the start of the hike, my younger son decided not to climb anymore. So, I had to carry him in my arm; it was such a back-breaking experience. As much as mountains are deemed as dreadful, there are also some interesting lessons when we face our “mountains”: Company of people The journey of hiking up the hill was only really fun when there was a company of supportive and cheerful people. We helped one another carry our barang-barang, offered one another drinks and snack, and alerted one another of any danger so that the whole trip was enjoyable and safe. Likewise, our Missionaries need all of us to come alongside them in their journey. One step at a time When we started out the hike, I did not look at the top. Instead I kept my head down, for practical reasons to watch my steps so that I would not trip and fall over. But when we had our numerous pit stops, we could admire the flora and occasional fauna, and appreciated the views. But when it was time to continue, I put my head down again and marched on with the extra boost of energy. Likewise, do allow our Missionaries to take some rest stops along their journey, and do not pressure them to work 365/24/7. Top of the world The best feeling of the entire hike is when I reached the summit. Though the view at Bukit Timah Hill was pretty unremarkable, the feeling was out of this world. We congratulated ourselves for making it up there with an entourage of children. If it was a famous mountain (you may refer to page 14 for some famous mountains), I bet it would be a mountaintop experience with stunning unhindered view of the surrounding areas. Similarly, standing on top of their mountain of challenges, our Missionaries can appreciate the hard work and enjoy their sweet successes. In the Bible, we can also read about many mountaintop experiences: Abraham saw God’s provision of a ram as a substitute for his only son as a sacrifice; Moses saw God’s character as He revealed the Ten Commandments; and Elijah saw God’s power of sending fire to counter the false prophets of Baal. God gives the “mountaintop experience” in order to sustain His Missionaries as they go down into the valley! His revelation is always intended to help us journey with Him more closely on the road ahead. Let’s take heart and press on when we are facing our mountains, knowing that our next mountaintop experience is awaiting. Leongheng • Editor

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We are sorry for a typographical error in HF 2018 issue 1 on page 07: It should be Prek Tual Kindergarten.

CONTENTS

02 04

FIRST WORD • Tenacity in Adversity WAZZUP! • Mission Trips • Opportunities to Serve

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 • Challenges and Needs in the fields

SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT • Go tell it on the Mountain

IELD FEATURES 16 FCAMBODIA • Raising female

• Cambodian leaders through 1st Phnom Penh GB Company NEPAL • My first 100 days in Nepal as a missionary • Melodies of the Heart

otherwise stated.

PERMIT NUMBER

MCI(P) 047/11/2017

JULY 2018

ADVISOR Rev Philip Lim EDITOR Leongheng CHINESE PROOFREADER Goh Tuan Gee

THAILAND •N ew Leaders for New Season TIMOR-LESTE • Our Journey to Timor-Leste

2018 ISSUE

TRANSLATORS Koh Wan Yee, Thng Pheng Soon

PHOTO CREDITS Chris Lee, Gabriel Koh, Henry Yeo, Lawrence Ko, Lyndon Gan, Michael, Teresa Wilborn 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

HOME IN ON... • MMS Family • Eulogy for Ps John Lim

MITE REPORT • Stepping out of Comfort Zone

HF SPECIAL • The Hand of God in the City: The Gospel of Hope and Holism (Part 1)

CLOSING THOTS • Challenges in the Mission Fields

Tel: 6478 4818 • Fax: 6478 4817

MMS IS SOCIAL! Connect with us and never miss an update

mms@methodist.org.sg

www.mms.org.sg mms.org.sg mms.gram

COVER: Breath-taking view from Huangshan. Photo by Wu Jun

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 2

TENACITY in Adversity I

always look forward to meeting our Missionaries and National Workers especially when I visit the mission fields. In particular, I enjoy listening to what they share. From them, I learnt that things do not always work out as planned in the ministry. There are setbacks and challenges:

Rev Philip Lim 林建隆牧师 is the Executive Director of MMS. He enjoys watching the English Premier League.

Diasporic Disciples Intentional discipleship is core to what the Missionaries are doing. Hence, they spend considerable time and energy to disciple the young people. They expressed disappointment when midway through the process of discipleship those they are mentoring requested to stop. Their reason was that they had applied and found a job overseas and would be leaving in a few days. Statistic (source: https://www.ceslam.org/index.php?pageName=newsDeta il&nid=139) has shown that about 30% of young people in Nepal, between the ages of 18 and 35, are working overseas. Our churches in the mission fields are also not spared this trend. Just when they are making good progress at being a disciple of Christ, the process got disrupted. And the Missionary has to start all over again. Vague Visa In visa application, our Missionaries are exasperated by ambiguous rules and requirements. One Missionary shared that after several trips to the visa application office, he was still unsure which documents were required. That was because the steps in the application process were different from the last time.

THEY ARE DETERMINED NOT TO LET THESE SETBACKS GET IN THE WAY OF THEIR MAIN TASK OF MISSIONS AND DISCIPLESHIP.

FIRSTWORD 03

逆境中的坚持 Treacherous Travel The Vijayee Methodist Church is situated on a hilly region in Nepal. The Pastor, who is also responsible for another church, had to set off from his house before sunrise, so as to get to church on time. Traveling by motorcycle, he passed by small rural villagers that dotted the countryside and arrived at a huge river. The Pastor told me that during the dry season, the river was partially dried out and he could cross to the other side of the river with ease. However, during the monsoon season, the water level would rise with swift current making it treacherous to cross. So he had to detour to another place for a safe river crossing. This increased the traveling time by another couple of hour. Despite these challenges, our workers are not giving up. They press on with the work of missions and evangelism. In fact, they are determined not to let these setbacks get in the way of their main task of missions and discipleship. They have also learnt patience and looked for the positive in the midst of these challenges. Indeed they take inspiration from Paul’s word: “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.” (2 Corinthians 4:8-10)

每

当拜访禾场，我总会期待和我们的宣教士并当地同工见面。我享受聆听他们的分享，明白事工不一定会按照原定计划进行，当中也充满挫折与挑战，需要随时做出调整应对。

门徒的离散有意识的门徒培育是宣教士的核心事工。因此，他们付出大量的时间和精力栽培年轻人。当被督导的年轻门徒，由于找到海外的工作而需要在几天后启程，培训因此需要终止时，难免让人感到失望。统计数字（https://www.ceslam.org/index. php?pageName=newsDetail&nid=139）显示，在18 岁到35岁年龄层的尼泊尔人中，有三成到海外谋生。我们在当地的教会也受就业潮流影响。就在培育他们成为耶稣门徒的工作取得稳健进展的时候，不得不应他们的谋生需求而中止，宣教士的门徒培育事工于是又得从零开始。模糊的签证申请程序在签证申请的过程中，宣教士也遇到模棱两可的规则和要求，因而倍感受挫。曾经有一名宣教士透露被繁琐的申请流程所困扰，多次亲身到相关部门，还是无法确定究竟需要呈上哪一些文件，原来申请手续的程序又更改了。过山涉水行路难 Vijayee 堂坐落在尼泊尔山区。同时兼顾两处教会的牧者必须在日出前出发，才可以及时抵达教堂。他骑着电单车，经过乡间的小村庄后，还得涉水过河才能达到对岸。旱季时河水流量小，部分河床干涸，可以轻易穿河而过；然而一到雨季，水位升漲，水流湍急，唯有绕道而行，如此一来，行程又得拉长两个小时。尽管面对重重挑战，同工们并不放弃，继续加紧宣教与布道工作。事实上，他们绝不让这些挫折妨碍他们开展宣教与培育门徒的任务；反而从中学习忍耐，积极面对层层叠叠的挑战。保罗的教导确实带给他们很大的鼓励： “我们四面受敌，却不被困住；心里作难，却不致失望；遭逼迫，却不被丢弃；打倒了，却不致死亡；身上常带着耶稣的死，使耶稣的生也显明在我们身上。” （哥林多后书4:8-10）

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 2

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 petertay317@gmail.com 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 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. • 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

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.

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). • Missionaries who are willing to be trained in making disciples in our ministries. East Asia

3. If your church pastor and leaders

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.

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

Cambodia

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.

• Secondary and primary school teachers, property manager, youth workers, and children’s ministry workers at COSI. • Trained social workers as well as Children’s & Youth Ministry workers for COSI. • Prayer and financial supporters for pastors in Methodist Church

Laos

• 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 one-year term or longer.

WAZZUP! 05

• Experienced volunteer English teacher to help at the language centre INSPIRE. Nepal

• A TTC graduate to serve at Caleb Bible Institute on a short-term attachment. • Ministry staff to serve as spiritual counsellors and mentors for Sophia’s Home on short field assignments. Thailand

• Short term help (English and Math) for Rangsit, and Songroi-pi tuition centres. • Qualified English, Chinese, and Math teachers for Vineyard Methodist School. • Medical mission teams for rural churches. • Mission teams to conduct evangelistic events, community services, etc at our Methodist churches.

• 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. Vietnam

• Mission teams to visit the International Christian Fellowship.

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.

Timor-Leste

Office Assistance

• Teachers willing to volunteer for one year to provide instruction for Grade 7 and 8 students at the St Paul Methodist School. Or for at least a month to mentor local teachers in basic curriculum design and instructional strategies.

• Be our MMS Event Coordinator. • Be part of our fund raising efforts to enable missions. Financial Assistance

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

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 2

CHALLENGES in the Fields It is probably an understatement to say that life in a foreign country is not always smooth sailing. Our Missionaries and National Workers face numerous challenges in the mission fields. Here is an attempt to compile some of the challenges so that we may appreciate their hardship and come alongside them. Email us if you want to discuss further.

CAMBODIA THE DOOR IS WIDE OPEN CHALLENGES The Mission in Cambodia covers four main categories: Church Planting, Community Development, Education, and Market Place Ministries. Discipleship is the underlying objective in all these. In Church Planting, we participate in the growth of the Methodist Church of Cambodia (MCC), which is becoming a Provisional Annual Conference in September 2018. In response to the pressing needs of preaching the Gospel, MMS and the Methodist Mission Agencies from other countries continue to co-labour with MCC. We need to train ministry workers to be effective in preaching the Gospel. In Community Development, we seek to be relevant and adaptive to the changes in social needs. There have been regulatory changes regarding child residential care programmes. MMS has to review our approach to reaching out to needy children. We are praying for wisdom in learning to adapt, as we seek to meet to needs of the communities. With respect to Education, we are thankful to God for the ministry of the Methodist School of Cambodia (MSC) that is currently reaching out to 1050 students and 70 staff. We thank God that many teachers are becoming more receptive to our Gospel programmes, and some have committed their lives to the Lord. The immediate

challenge ahead is to develop the teaching staff, improve their teaching competencies, and increase their commitment to our school. One of the key areas that we have to work on is in the Market Place Ministry. MMS introduced the BAMBOO (Business As Mission Blessing Outreach Opportunities) programme for the Cambodian Methodist churches over the last two years. We pray that this will help to nurture their members to give obediently to their churches and to reach out to others in their market places. We also see that the POSCOSIIP, Methodist Hostel, and Joy Hostels are generating disciples for this purpose. These university students are learning various professional skills for the betterment of their life and society. Given Biblical foundation and ministry empowerment, we trust that the Lord will use them as ‘fishers of men’ in the market place. Although these are challenges we are facing, they also caused us to move into new areas and approaches of outreach to many more Cambodians. NEEDS As the door is wide open for us to preach the Gospel and make disciples, we need more missionaries and partners from Singapore. We need missionaries who are willing to be trained in making disciples in our

FEATURESTORY 07

ministries. We need missionaries with background on youth or young adult ministry, pastoral ministry, social work, women ministry, market place ministry, education from pre-school to pre-university, administration and accounting, and computer training. We also need partners who will come alongside to pray, train, strategize, and to provide funds and resources, especially in the Methodist School of Cambodia, and in the new outreach opportunities. There is also a great need in training local ministry workers and pastors. As such, we need continual support in partnering with the Cambodia Methodist Bible School, and in supporting crucial training and seminars for the Cabinet (Pastoral leadership) of MCC, pastors and laities. FRUITS We are thankful that the Lord has established our presence in the community such that we are able to reach out to many people through our ministries. We are also thankful for a group of committed disciples whom we have nurtured. Some have responded to the call and are now serving alongside us. Together, we form a bigger team of workers to keep our ministries running for the purpose of bringing the Gospel to the Cambodians.

EAST ASIA SAND STORM And he said to all, â&#x20AC;&#x153;If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.â&#x20AC;? (Luke 9:23) It was a desolated ground covered with deserts at the northwest boarder. Responding to the call of B2J, YG arrived at the train station of the desert land with one small bag and 100 dollars. This young man had no idea how to begin, but he was willing to submit himself to the call and

the guidance of God. After seven years of hard labour, from tilting the soil to watering the plants, liked a father to the children; he witnessed the amazing fruit of first generation ethnic disciples sprouted in the land. He later learnt that the sweetest fruits in the market were mostly the products of the dry land. PJ and MD got marriage as they served in the hospital as the medical officers. It was a joy seeing these disciples witnessing to their relatives and friends for the Lord. Both families who opposed the faith violently had begun to embrace them because of the obvious change in their lives. YG was very grateful to God that, like the couple, many disciples were doing just as they did. As the seeds were sowed following the direction of the wind, plants began to grow; they are praying for the fruiting of the second generation disciples. A season of unprecedented Sand Storm has come. According to the nationals, the storm has started since year 2017 and there is no sign of weakening. Many farming works had come to a stand still and the harvesters could do very little, except to pray for the grace and mercy of God. Many first fruits were being detained for re-education due to their belief. Some were forced to separate from their new born baby. The authority has introduced the most stringent security measures in the region where every person, every household, and every meeting was being monitored. We believe the fire of baptism will bring about a new generation of faithful disciples who deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow the Lord. MMS is privileged to partner YG for the last ten years, despite zero involvement of Methodist churches in the desert. Likewise, we have some worthwhile ministries in the big land that your church may be able to get involve. We believe mission is done by the local churches through the help of the agency. We need a lot of prayer for the people in the big land. We need a lot of support to sustain the projects. However, we need your partnership as a church to come alongside us as we venture together for the glory of Jesus Christ.

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 2

LAOS TELL ME THE STORIES OF JESUS: NEGOTIATING PATHS TO FAITH IN A NOT-YET-OPEN COUNTRY In a classroom in a middle-class primary school, a sixyear-old girl raises her hand during chapel and says: “I believe in God, but I don’t go to church, so how can I be a Christian?” While learning about weird and wonderful sea creatures, one seven-year-old comments: “God is so intelligent to have made this animal!” A senior girl avers: “I pray to Jesus for all of you – every day!” In a country where Christianity used to be Public Enemy No. 1, where suspicions still run high towards the fastest growing faith group: evangelical Christians, where strict regulations have been laid down regarding the entry of foreign churches, where most people have only a hazy notion of a religion called Christianity, how did there come to be such an awareness of Jesus as the person who made the universe, who is God’s son, who is our friend? It began with stories. Because we did not know any better how to talk about the Christian faith in a culture where no one had ever heard of Jesus. Because we knew that somehow the values that we were trying to inculcate in our students lay locked in the stories, waiting to be transmitted into the hearts of so many receptive listeners. So we told stories of Jesus. And gradually we saw Jesus take those stories and imbue them with His living, breathing presence and become real in the lives of the children.

How to stay unashamed of the gospel in front of so many wide-eyed faces? How to talk about the person of Jesus with the same simple confidence that you want to see reflected in these lives? How to live in front of these children so they know that you earnestly believe every one of the stories you told them? That would be the challenge one faces every day: to conduct oneself transparently before fellow teachers and children, and trust that the Lord can and will use this poor offering that you call your life, to speak His indelible love into the souls of so many around you. And also, as a school that preaches integrity, to fairly represent other faiths and ideologies, to hold back from ramming Christ down throats, to be ready to confess: I do not know. Because you know that the Lord will not honour dishonest conduct, no matter how good the intentions are. Crucial to bringing home the message of our hope is a community of brothers and sisters in the faith, living the Christ-led life under scrutiny. At SMS, our small band of believing teachers is committed to this challenge, and committed to continue in intercession for the hearts of these children and those who have already gone on for secondary school. Lord Jesus, please send more teachers with vision into this field of ripe hearts.

WHAT IS SMS LAO? SMS Lao, The Singapore Mission School in Laos, was begun in 2010. MMS partners Kok Liang and Lesley Yeow in this bilingual school that teaches a Singaporebased curriculum to (at present) kindergarten and primary students.

FEATURESTORY 09

NEPAL CHANGING LANDSCAPE â&#x20AC;&#x201C; EVOLVING APPROACH Nepal, like any other developing country, has its peculiar situation in demography. This is the result of the reality of her economic situation. As a result, our churches are faced with consequences that has necessitated a review of how we optimise our human resources to ensure the continuity of our ministry. According to the national census conducted in Nepal in 2011, it is estimated that there are 4.1 million males in the 15 - 34 age group. This accounts for 33% of the male population in Nepal. The labour department also reported that half of them are working overseas, which accounts for about 2 million Nepalis. Hence, youth makes up the largest proportion of Nepalis leaving the country to seek for employment. In addition, in fiscal year 2016/17, Nepal ranked th 4 on the list of countries with the large contribution to GDP (30% of the GDP) from overseas remittance back to Nepal. This trend will be on the increase as unemployment rate remains high in Nepal. This phenomenon poses an immediate challenge to our Nepali churches, in that many young males are leaving their villages in search of employment overseas. In the village, the demographics of our congregation reflects the presence of only young children, women, and the very elderly. The loss of youth in the churches has a severe impact on our churches, as well as Nepal. It affects the development of leadership that is essential for the continued growth of our churches. Consequently, this has required a re-think of our ministry in Nepal. Emphasis and priority are now placed to disciple our youth at a much younger age, even at preteens from 10 years old onwards, and girls in their late teens and early adulthood. Concerted effort is also made to leverage and develop women within the churches

for leadership roles. Another area of focus is on urban ministry, where the rest of the youth tend to move to, to continue their college and university education. We praise the Lord that recently, some of our girls from Wesley Bardan Methodist Church (WBMC) in Kathmandu, whom we have discipled over the last few years, have begun to take on the responsibility of discipling pre-teens in WBMC using the Equipping-theSaints (ETS) material. Two of our more experienced girls (age 17 and 18) are now conducting weekly classes for 12 children between the ages of 10 to 13 using the ETS material. They are currently covering the topic on Basic Christian Living. Elsewhere in our churches and preaching points, our pastors are discipling their youth as early as 13 year olds, and these youth are actively involved in reaching out to others within their community. At a recent Medical Camp with Living Waters Methodist Church in May 2018, all eight of the local volunteers from Siyon Methodist Sangati (Fellowship) are about 13 to 15 years old. It was noted by the mission trippers that six of them are from non-believing families. We continue to pray that our Lord will use these eight young teens mightily to bring the gospel to their families. We are beginning to realise the potential these young teens, adult ladies, and women provide for our churches. In adversity, the Lord has opened new opportunities and resource for our ministry, breaking the norm and mindset that has held us captive. Please join us as we continue to uphold our initiatives in developing the resources that we have in prayer. As our prayer partner, together we will see Nepal being â&#x20AC;&#x153;Redeemed for Christâ&#x20AC;?!

HARVESTFORCE 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ 2

THAILAND GOD WORKS IN AMAZING WAYS CHALLENGES (i) Church Planting There is a lack of trained pastors to plant more new churches. Even with trained pastors, they may not want to be posted to places we have churches or plan for new ministries. There is also a lack of trained leaders to help lead house churches. We want our churches to multiply new churches using cell-church strategy instead of planting new, so-called conventional churches (with fulltime staff, church building, and structured programmes). On top of that, we need financial resources to fund staff, programmes, and operational costs. Our churches are still not able to support themselves and thus not able to sponsor new churches that are multiplied. We need to find the right strategies to help our churches to become financially self-reliant. As long as our churches continue to have to support full-time paid staff, it will be difficult for them to break free from the financial yoke. But the problem is that we are not still not able to produce unpaid staff capable of leading the congregation.

(ii) Vineyard Methodist School Our main challenge is to maintain the good standards in terms of academic, moral, social, and also the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ambient. Every batch of students is different, so we have problem to be consistent. The national examination differs every year, so the standard varies. Another factor is the turnover of our teachers. It is difficult to keep good teachers without having to increase incentives and motivations. So, when we have new teachers in-chargeof levels that need to take National Examinations (ie, Pri 3 and Pri 6), we face inconsistency and uncertainties. We have to learn to wisely assess and reject students who are incapable of learning in a normal class. We have parents who got very upset that we turn away their children who we assessed (usually we let them try out for one term) as lacking the ability to learn in a normal class. Maintaining unity and the same spirit to excel among all the staffs is a big challenge for the Principal. And keeping the students safe and free from accidents within the schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s compound is also a constant challenge.

FEATURESTORY 11

(iii) Mettakij Hostel We need funding consistently to keep up with the hostel’s expenses. Also, the building is already about 15 years old and we need to keep up with the maintenance. In addition, it is always a challenge to look after teenagers - more so when you have 30 from different families and tribes. NEEDS (i) Church-Planting Pray with us as we seek trained pastors from our own members and from elsewhere. We also seek training funding and materials for our members to lead house churches. We hope to make disciples out of our members so the churches do not have to be relying on ministry staff to do all the works. We need churches and individuals to contribute to our financial needs, especially for staff. Pray that our pastors and congregations will grow in spiritual maturity, and make disciples who will make disciples.

(ii) Vineyard Methodist School We need teachers who love to teach, love the students, and are motivated to help the students to excel. Pray for protection and a spirit of excellence for all staff and students. (iii) Mettakij Hostel We need sponsors to fund the hostel. Pray for the students and house parent to be good Christians and excel in what they are doing. FRUITS Pi Wai was wheelchair-bound with shaking hands and confined to her home. She was deteriorating from Parkinson’s disease for the past eight years. And she was on the verge of committing suicide due to the long battle with the illness. Thankfully, Sri, who was a postwoman, happened to be delivering mails to Pi Wai. Sri encouraged Pi Wai with God’s word and hope in Jesus. In fact, Sri was a baptised believer for only a year. Subsequently, church members visited Pi Wai. From occasional pastoral visits, it became a weekly morning prayer meeting. Pi Wai began to experience God’s love through His word and the fellowship. Soon, Pi Wai gave her life completely to Jesus and attended church regularly. On 17 July 2016, a year after she met Sri, Pi Wai was baptised! Ever since she attended church, Pi Wai’s hands stopped shaking, and she gained some mobility in her legs. She could walk in the morning but her legs would be stiffened up by the afternoon. Nonetheless, she still went to church two hours earlier to sweep the floor and help in the kitchen. In April 2018, Pi Wai went on her first pastoral visit to see Sanduang, an elderly bedridden lady. Pi Wai inched her way to visit Sanduang and shared her testimony with excitement. Although Parkinson’s disease had made Pi Wai’s voice slurry, somehow Sanduang, who was also hard of hearing, could understand. When offered the invitation, Sanduang gave her life to Christ! From Sri, to Pi Wai, to Sanduang. God works in amazing ways to spread His word of salvation through His faithful servants.

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 2

TIMOR-LESTE FRUIT THAT WILL LAST CHALLENGES (i) Developing Nation Timor-Leste is a young post-war nation that is rebuilding its infrastructure. There are many needs in the land. Pray for wisdom for the National Leaders to prioritise the right needs at the right time. (ii) Youth Timor-Leste has a young demographic; there are many more youth than adults. It is imperative to educate them well now, and then to provide enough jobs for them in the years to come. Otherwise, unemployment could become a problem with energetic youth not having anything productive to do with their time. (iii) Spiritual Climate Timor-Leste is predominantly Catholic, with animist and tribal beliefs woven in through traditional cultural practices. Pray for the truth of God to prevail. Pray that there will be a culture of truth, boldness and advancement of the Gospel. Pray that God will not be sidelined or mixed with other beliefs as they develop and advance. NEEDS (i) Teach in St Paul Methodist School (Timor-Leste) Be it a commitment of a month or a year, we need you to journey with our local teachers to bring quality education to the students in SPMS. (ii) Sponsor a Child For S$45 a month for non-residential student in St Paul Methodist School (Timor-Leste), as well as S$110 for a residential student in Sundermeier Home, you can help a child to have his or her education in Timor-Leste. This will help him or her to have a good future. (iii) Rise up, Prayer Warriors Commit to pray for a child for a year. Prayers will do a transformation work in the lives of the children under our charge. We need more prayer warriors to intercede for our children for our battles are not against flesh and blood but against the principalities of this world. FRUITS “I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” (John 15:16, NIV)

We are privileged to be serving the Lord where He has placed us in Timor–Leste. In Sundermeier Home in Gleno, Ermera District, we have 38 High School students staying with us. Every day, we get to share the Good News of Jesus with them. We teach the students English and gracious living so that they could find a job in the city one day. But our utmost concern is that the students will continue in their faith in the Lord. Our resources are in the Lord. We are assured of His constant presence and everlasting love as we minister. As we teach and disciple the students, it is encouraging, comforting, and liberating to have the Holy Spirit leading and empowering us in everything we do. As missionaries, our focus is on the Lord. Without Him, we will not be able to sustain and succeed. “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2) “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16) The scripture encourages us to focus on the Lord Jesus who intercedes for us and that we should not be distracted by the various needs of the community. Our time and energy is daily channelled into teaching the Word and prayer, fellowshipping, and witnessing. The students of Sundermeier Home spend three years in the home and we hope that by the time they leave and go out in the world, they would have developed a relationship with Jesus. We are reminded that the Lord of the harvests will grant us fruit that will last.

FEATURESTORY 13

VIETNAM REJOICE! AND AGAIN I SAY REJOICE! CHALLENGES (i) Transient Congregation International Christian Fellowship (ICF) is a transient congregation. Just as there are as many new foreign members, there are also as many or even more oldtimer regular foreign members. The latter have either been relocated back to their home countries or to other countries. ICF learns to rejoice and praise God that somehow we have many tourists dropping by. (ii) Declining Membership There is a declining rate in our expatriate membership. 154 people pleasantly surprised us by joining the celebration the birth of Jesus with ICF. Albeit our limited human resource and ability, we had our first big-scale “pot-blessing” buffet lunch which provided a delightful spread for our worshippers and visitors. We have many hidden talented chefs in this body of Christ. (iii) Limited Audience Our audience to share the Gospel of Christ is limited. Yet, we rejoiced with our four brothers and sisters who took the step of obedience and were baptised on Christmas Day 2017. We also had the biggest number of participants for the “5 Love Languages” activities and talks conducted for the two shelters for girls and boys at our Christmas Celebration 2017. The children enjoyed their Popeyes Fried Chicken, Domino Pizza, and their Christmas gifts. On our recent Easter Sunday 2018, we saw 110 people celebrating the Resurrection of Christ with us. We witnessed a baptism and enjoyed a sumptuous lunch buffet. We thank all who had supported us in prayers and many little ways. Some even chose to help us in

teaching, equipping, and ministries despite our limited ministry opportunities. We are praying for more foreign businesspeople and professionals to join us as a church to spread the love of Christ. (iv) Build Rapport We continue to build and develop a friendly rapport with the local Officials and local Churches. During the Tết (Vietnamese Lunar New Year), ICF visited the respective local officials to build friendship. And so did our host church with the Chairman of Evangelical Church of Vietnam. We cherish our relationships with the respective official parties, and we pray that our loving God will watch over them and grant us peace and harmony in our daily activities in this city. FRUITS The Lord blesses us with disciples who are growing and they obey the Lord by being baptised during Christmas 2017 and Easter 2018. Our Cell Groups are growing both in size and also in depth of the Word. Here’s a letter from a couple D and D: “Hi Pastor and Auntie Linda! Thank you Pastor and Auntie for being our godly teachers. Thanks for the time, the prayers, the teaching, and the investment you have put in us. Thank God for you and your love for us. We love you. May God continue to bless you abundantly so that many will continue to be blessed you abundantly. Then, many will continue to know God and love Him through your ministry! Pastor and Auntie, you leave a mark on people’s heart. Only by love, the world will know that you are His disciples. All glory to God!”

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 2

Go Tell It on the MOUNTAIN This new series explores a common item in the seven countries and sees how similar or varied we can be. Here, in this issue, are some of the famous mountains in these countries. Get ready to go for your next mountaintop experience!

CAMBODIA Phnom Aural is the tallest peak in Cambodia and it is 1813m tall. It is in the eastern part of the Cardamom Mountains. To protect the biodiversity of the mountains, Phnom Aural Wildlife Sanctuary was established. This mountain in located in Aural District, Kampong Speu Province. Backpackers and trekkers come to this roof of Cambodia to challenge their trekking skills. Starting from Srae Kan 3 Village, it takes about two to three days to reach the summit.

EAST ASIA Huangshan (or Yellow Mountains) has the most outstanding natural beauty. List by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site, its spectacular natural scenery features oddly-shaped pines and rocks, mystical seas of cloud, and stunning sunset and sunrise. The best time to appreciate the seas of cloud is from November to May, especially after rainy or snowy days, at sunrise or sunset. Huangshan is 1864m tall. There are three cable cars to take the time and effort out of the middle part of the climb to the summits, and minibuses that will take you as far as the cable car stations from the gates. Some travel services also offer 3- or 4-day tours to see the highlights of the Huangshan. As declared by a noted Chinese geologist: “五岳归来不看山，黄山归来不看岳”, you don’t need to see any more mountains after seeing ‘the Five Mountains’, and you don’t need to see the other four mountains after seeing Huangshan.

LAOS Phou Khao Khouay is a protected National Biodiversity Conservation Area in Laos. It is located 40km northeast of Vientiane. It includes a large stretch of mountain range with sandstone cliffs, river gorges, and three large rivers with tributaries which flow into the Mekong River. It has mountainous topography with elevation varying from 200m to 1761m. Sandstones are seen spread in layers. The forests are evergreen, Shorea mixed deciduous forest, dry dipterocarp and pine type; particularly coniferous forest, of mono specific stands of Pinus merkusii, Fokienia hodgsonsii, bamboo (mai sanod), and fire-climax grasslands. Animals found in the park include elephants, tigers, bears, white-cheeked gibbons, langurs, reptiles, amphibians and birds.

NEPAL Mount Everest is probably most famous because it is the highest mountain in the world. In fact about 8 out of 10 of the tallest mountains in the world is found in Nepal. Located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas, also known as Sagarmatha, its current official elevation is 8848m, which is recognised by China and Nepal. Mount Everest attracts many climbers, some of them highly experienced mountaineers. There are two main climbing routes, and the standard route is the one approaching the summit from the southeast in Nepal. There is very little native flora or fauna

SAMESAMEBUTDIFFERENT

on Mount Everest. Despite strong winds, extreme cold temperature, lack of oxygen, and avalanches, many professional climbers attempt to make it to the top of Mount Everest. Most attempts are made during May, before the summer monsoon season.

THAILAND Doi Inthanon, also known as “The Roof of Thailand”, is the highest mountain with an ultra-prominent peak in Chom Thong District, Chiang Mai Province. The name Doi Inthanon was given in honour of King Inthawichayanon, one of the last kings of Chiang Mai, who was concerned about the forests in the north and tried to preserve them. You can take a scenic drive to visit the waterfalls and continue with an easy nature trail walk to the summit at 2565m. It is actually part of the Himalayas. The summit of Doi Inthanon is a popular tourist destination for both foreign and Thai tourists. It is also one of top destinations in the country for birders.

TIMOR-LESTE Tatamailau (or Mount Ramelau) is the highest mountain in East Timor and also of Timor island at 2986m. The mountain is located approximately 70km south of the capital Dili. Almost all summit bids are launched from Hato Bulico town. The track is very well formed having originally been cut to create a pilgrimage trail to the Virgin Mary figure on the summit and was once negotiable by four-wheel-drive vehicles. It takes a fit person four hours to climb from Hato Bulico to the summit. On a clear day, as the surrounding mountains roll out in every direction below the peak across a patchwork of dense green forest, the entire coastline is visible in the distance. It is a surreal experience to view the entire nation from this single vantage point.

VIETNAM Mount Fansipan is the highest mountain in Indochina (comprising Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia) at 3143m. It is located in the Lào Cai Province of the Northwest region of Vietnam, 9km southwest of Sa Pa Township in the Hoang Lien Son mountain range. It is dubbed “The Roof of Indochina” and has about 2024 floral varieties and 327 faunal species. The topography of Fansipan is varied. Muong Hoa Valley, at the lowest altitude (950-1000m), is created by a narrow strip of land at the base on the east side of the mountain. It can be climbed in a steep and fairly strenuous hike. Tour companies in the area will recommend taking a two- or three-day hike to the summit. It is also possible to take a cable car most of the way to the summit.

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: Phnom Aural – https://seasia.co/2017/08/15/ranked-highest-mountain-of-each-southeast-asian-country Huangshan – https://www.landbeauties.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/mount-huangshan-3.jpg Phou Khao Khouay – http://www.ecotourismlaos.com/images/background/bg-5.jpg Mount Everest – https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Mount_Everest_as_seen_from_Drukair2_PLW_edit.jpg Doi Inthanon– https://seasia.co/2017/08/15/ranked-highest-mountain-of-each-southeast-asian-country Tatamailau – https://seasia.co/2017/08/15/ranked-highest-mountain-of-each-southeast-asian-country Mount Fansipan – https://seasia.co/2017/08/15/ranked-highest-mountain-of-each-southeast-asian-country

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 2

CAMBODIA

RAISING FEMALE CAMBODIAN LEA through 1st Phnom Penh GB Compan A

Serene Lee and Chen Qiuluan are members of Covenant Evangelical Free Church and Aldersgate Methodist Church respectively. Both are MMS Missionaries serving in Cambodia. They love to sing with their kids in the MMS vans on their long journeys together.

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

cool breeze brought an air of excitement amongst the students and officers, as we celebrated our 2nd Combined Enrolment Parade and Service of the 1st Phnom Penh Girls’ Brigade (GB) Company and the 1st Phnom Penh Boys’ Brigade (BB) Company, on 3 February 2018 at the Methodist School of Cambodia (MSC). Two significant events took place during this parade. Firstly, the Parade Commander, home-grown Warrant Officer (WO) Soksan Pisina, was promoted during the parade. Secondly, it was during the parade that Chen Qiuluan handed over the role of Captain of the 1st Phnom Penh GB Company to Chhom Darareaksemy. Darareaksemy is a graduate of Community Outreach Services Immanuel (COSI) and the MSC. After completing her studies, she is presently employed as an Administrator at our Methodist Centre. Her growth and development as a leader exemplifies the fulfilment of our vision and ministry amongst the young girls in Cambodia – to help them grow and develop as leaders with godly values. To see someone rising through our system and now serving the Lord is a great encouragement not only to our missionaries, but also to all our supporters and donors from our Methodist churches in Singapore. The 1st Phnom Penh GB Company has come a long way since its nascent beginnings in 2008. In the early years, officers and leaders of the GB in Singapore came to train MSC teachers on how to lead in Bible study. Together with our missionaries, they organised the local teachers and taught them skills like cross-stitch and craft work. Over the years, the GB in MSC continued to persevere in spite of limited funding and other challenges. In 2016, we had the privilege, in consultation with our students, to design the Cambodian GB uniform. In the same year, the group was officially recognised as the 1st Phnom Penh GB Company. That gave us a greater sense of identity and presence. Today, the GB in MSC is an effective platform where discipleship and modelling of godly principles in servant leadership are carried out weekly. We are greatly encouraged by the girls’ commitment and growth as we journey with them from Grade 7 to 11 (akin to secondary education in Singapore). We are also thankful for dedicated volunteers – female teachers in MSC, ex-students,

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ADERS ny TO SEE SOMEONE RISING THROUGH OUR SYSTEM AND NOW SERVING THE LORD IS A GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT NOT ONLY TO OUR MISSIONARIES, BUT ALSO TO ALL OUR SUPPORTERS AND DONORS FROM OUR METHODIST CHURCHES IN SINGAPORE.

and others – who invest their precious time in the lives of these girls. As we (Serene and Qiuluan) talked and prayed about our work in the GB, we were intentional that the GB would not just be a programme, but a platform for us to share the Gospel to the students. At the end of the Spiritual badge-work course last year, one of the Grade 11 girls who had backslidden chose to recommit her life to God, and has started attending church again. Meanwhile, at our Annual Leadership Camp in August 2017, we prayed for the salvation of our girls, and one girl gave her life to Jesus. She even renounced her previous beliefs by removing her items related to superstitions, and allowed us to pray over her for her deliverance. We also had many more who responded and are seeking to know more about Jesus. We pray that the GB in MSC will continue to be relevant and effective in training Cambodian girls to be followers of Jesus Christ, and that they will grow to become women who will make a difference in this nation. It is also our hope that many of the girls who graduate from MSC will come back to serve with us. May God enable the local Cambodian churches to catch the vision of our work in the GB, and to reach out to and empower young women in Cambodia for His Kingdom.

PRAY • Pray for Chhom Darareaksemy to have wisdom, courage, and leadership as the Captain of the 1st Phnom Penh GB Company. • Pray for unity of the current team of teachers and volunteers, and that they will be refreshed and encouraged to further their good work in the GB. • Pray for wisdom in planning programmes and badge-work that will be relevant and effective in reaching out and training girls for the Kingdom of God. • Pray for a sponsoring church from Singapore. • Pray for financial support for the provision of uniforms and badges, and the programmes of the 1st Phnom Penh GB Company. • Pray for volunteers who can commit a month or two to conduct orienteering or outdoor camping programmes for the girls, or teach a specific life skill like ‘Time Management’ or ‘Money and Stewardship’.

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 1

NEPAL

MY FIRST 100 DAYS IN NEPAL as a 1

MO is an MMS Missionary from Barker Road Methodist Church (BRMC). Before joining MMS, he was a medical doctor in the Navy. He is married with four children – two human kids and two fur kids.

5 November 2017. The cold acrid air greeted me as I stepped off the plane onto the tarmac of Kathmandu’s Tribhuvan International Airport. Nepal would be my home for the next many years, God willing, but little would I know that I would first have to be stuck in the airport for the next eight hours as my two dogs which arrived with me had to be impounded in the Nepal Zoo. The next 48 hours was anything but welcoming as I had to grapple with the language, culture, bureaucracy, as well as the frigid custom officials as I tried to get my dogs released. “Lord, how am I to love these people whom You have sent me to?” Less than a month later, my wife who was to join me was diagnosed with first stage cancer and had to undergo a major surgery. Less than a month in Nepal and I was back in Singapore. “Lord, why?” We returned together in late January 2018 and finally settled in our new home in the suburbs of Kathmandu with our two dogs, now happily acclimatized to the bitter winter cold of Kathmandu Valley. It was a tumultuous two months, but it was also a journey of God’s provision and presence as He brings us to a state of helplessness and complete dependence. A Nepali friend had unexpectedly called me on the night of my arrival just to say hello and subsequently volunteered to help with the translation and guided me through the various government offices to have the dogs released in record time. God provided friends who offered their homes for our family to stay when we were homeless in Singapore during the surgery and recovery. Expensive medical bills were waived by my wonderful colleagues. And best of all, many in BRMC were mobilised to pray for us. We (the church and us) were truly on missions together. “Lord, Your ways are not our ways but Your steadfast love endures.” Our time is spent learning the language, enjoying our new culture, new surroundings, and new friends. I enjoy the language learning; I realised my time learning Hebrew was but a preparation for an equally difficult and nuanced yet mostly enjoyable Nepali language. Although my Nepali language was very basic, God’s Word was never dormant. His language of Love for the people in Nepal was never silent and I met many English-speaking Nepalis whom I could connect with in English. “Lord, use us to speak Your language of Love and may we soon have a small house meeting in our home.”

A beggar with no feet in one of the poorest countries in the world.

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missionary LORD, WHAT A WONDERFUL JOURNEY AND I CAN’T WAIT TO UPDATE EVERYONE AGAIN AND SPEAK OF YOUR GLORY.

The two dogs doing their part in helping me to approach strangers to talk to them about Jesus.

I saw a beggar walking on his knees. Two old shoes were strapped to his knee caps to prevent it from chaffing on the uneven dirt floor of the busy bus interchange. He had no feet. Nepal is an extremely poor country. This man is not a social issue, he is not an image to be quickly accustomed to so that we can get on with life, he is not a statistic, and he is not even a cause to rally around. He is a person. Before the day was over, he would have laughed and loved. Suffered the cold and enjoyed relief in perhaps a cup of hot tea. Just like me. His reality intersects with my own, his being with my being as a child of God. I realised that a majority of people are living in conditions far worse than mine and ours in Singapore. Ours is not the reality. We are living in a dream world of our expensive houses and cars. At the periphery, looking in. Feeling pity but never incarnational. Giving but never connecting. “But, Lord, did You not say that the poor we will always have with us?” The poor and the unsaved will always be with us, but God is already doing His work. It started at creation.

His kingdom, like a ray of light, broke through the dark clouds of this sinful world with the first Christmas. And now, as we await the fullness of His Glory, I am reminded that His work continues on with or without me, and that the poor will always, for now, be with us. “Lord what will You have me do?” I am fully convinced and fully satisfied that this is where he has called my wife and me to be for the next season of our lives. But it is also a time to discern where exactly will I be called to serve without my own carnal satisfaction of having “done something for the Lord” or to achieve recognition and success in Christian ministry. In the meantime, as He continues to deconstruct and reconstruct my faith and perspective, and reveals His plan for me to do His slice of work in my area of operations, I wait. I enjoy His creation. I meet new people and colleagues in the church of God here in Nepal. Each has his/her special set of gifting, but all has the desire to help the people of Nepal. “Lord, what a wonderful journey and I can’t wait to update everyone again and speak of Your Glory.”

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 2

NEPAL

MELODIES of the Heart A

Rasanya Isabella Gnasegaran is the Administrative Executive and Personal Assistant to MMS Executive Director. She worships at Toa Payoh Tamil Methodist Church. In her free time, she likes reading, making music, and watching cat videos.

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

s a person who has music deeply intertwined with her daily life, I am fascinated by music of other cultures and, by extension, how people from various cultures worship the Lord Jesus through song. Worship through song is a common yet intimate way to express one’s relationship with God. In Ephesians 5:19-20, Paul instructs the people to be “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In a world with ever-evolving cultures, customs, and people groups, this idea of “making music from (the) heart to the Lord” therefore has important relevance towards the contextualisation of worship in the mission field. In October 2017, MMS gave me the opportunity to attend the Annual Meeting of the Methodist Church in Nepal, held at the Wesley Bardan Methodist Church in Kathmandu. I was excited to be travelling to a new place to see how God had been building the church there through MMS. The opening hymn during the service was a Methodist classic: O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing, translated into Nepali. This was not unfamiliar to me as many Methodist hymns have been translated into various languages around the world. The praise and worship segment of the service, however, left a deeper impact on me as the leaders led the congregation in local Nepali worship songs. I learnt later from one of the missionaries that many of these songs were actually written by early Nepali Christians in the midst of severe trials and persecution. Since I could not understand the lyrics, my ears struggled to grow accustomed to the language and the people singing around me, while becoming more attuned to the music alone. Within a few moments, I found myself being moved to tears just by the melody of the song itself. The rise and fall of melodic cadences sounded to me like a lilting cry

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and praise, from the hearts of people in struggle, to the One who loves us unconditionally. In a situation where I expected to comprehend nothing, the Lord spoke so profoundly to me just through music alone, transcending the barriers of language. Thus, I came to realise that His ways are truly higher than ours. Upon reflection, I was in awe of how God had used the early missionaries to build bridges between cultures, enabling the people to worship in their own unique way. The blend of western instrumentation with traditional Nepalese melodies was evident of the localsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; ability to incorporate the Christian faith into their own culture, and further adapt their music and worship to cater to the increasing number of young believers in their churches. While accepting Christ may have alienated them from their communities (due to Nepal having been. up until

fairly recently, a Hindu Kingdom), the Nepali believers had found a way to retain their identity and culture by incorporating their rich musical heritage into worship of the Lord. This encounter I had with God and His people has inspired me in my journey towards becoming a missionary. I have discovered the merits of different cultures and, importantly, how these may be used to enrich oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s personal relationship with Christ. The gift of contextualisation therefore makes worshiping the Lord vibrant, special, and most importantly, something that Christians everywhere around the globe can relate to. This is indeed a great testament to our God, the God of all Nations!

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 2

THAILAND

NEW LEADERS for New Season T

Rev Henry Yeo is the Country Director of Thailand. He loves to run marathon. 42km was the longest distance he had run, clocking around 4 hours 30 minutes.

hailand was one of MMS’s earliest mission fields. Starting 1995, the ministry in Thailand has grown from strength to strength. We now have 28 churches and preaching points. Our major focus has been in Church Planting through our Community Development programmes. Our major success is the Vineyard Methodist School, which provides sound education and imbues the children with Christian values. More importantly, MMS has been investing in discipleship and leadership training for the local pastors and laity as a key strategy for the sustainability of our ministry in Thailand. In line with this, the 13th Annual Meeting of the Mettakij Church Association (MCA) in Thailand focused on the training, equipping, and preparation of future church leaders. Held on 13 March 2018 at Shineforth Methodist Church in Chiang Mai, the Annual Meeting was significant and historic as the fruits of our ministry became evident. The MCA meeting saw several “firsts”: • Six Deacons and two Elders were ordained at the same service. They will be mentored by the senior Elders and assigned to the various churches and preaching points. • It was also the first time in MCA history that women were ordained as clergy – not just one but three! And all of them are graduates of the Bangkok Bible Seminary. They are now serving in our churches. • The first retirement service was conducted – the Rev Prasert Pornkiratikul retired at the age of 65. He served MCA faithfully even before its official establishment. He was a member of the Board of Directors before joining MCA as a full-time minister in 2004 and took over as the Pastor-in-Charge of Rangsit Methodist Church. Upon his retirement, we wish him well in the next season of his ministry.

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We are also thankful to God for an overall increase in church membership. There are now 34 pastoral staff members serving in our 28 churches and preaching points throughout Thailand. We also have two Christian ministry workers serving at Vineyard Methodist School to nurture our students’ spiritual development. On a sad note, the 13th Annual Meeting was to be the last for our beloved Pastor John Lim, who was called home to be with His Master just two weeks later. The late Pastor Lim was instrumental in setting up several preaching points, travelling and working tirelessly to minister to the people he loved. Even as we mourn the loss of this faithful servant, we remain confident in God’s provision and faithfulness, to provide committed young pastors and leaders to continue his work. Without the commitment of MMS missionaries serving in Thailand, MCA would not have grown both in numbers as well as in developing a younger core group of pastors and leaders. The team of senior national pastors and leaders will now assume added responsibilities of coaching and mentoring the younger team that is in place. With God’s help, we look forward to becoming a full Annual Conference within the next few years.

… WOMEN WERE ORDAINED AS CLERGY – NOT JUST ONE BUT THREE!

PRAY • Pray for the new Deacons & Elders. Pray for their spiritual growth. Pray that they may discharge their duties faithfully. • Pray for deeper discipleship and spiritual growth amongst the church members. Pray for them to be willing to step forward to serve and give. • Pray for wisdom and strength for our Country Director and District Superintendent as they provide leadership in MCA.

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 2

TIMOR-LESTE

Our Journey to TIMOR-LESTE O

ur journey to Timor-Leste began on 27 August 2017 when Rev Teresa Wilborn, MMS Area Director, shared a sermon on the mission work in Timor-Leste. The message deeply impacted my family, including my daughter. Hence, together with my wife, we were prompted to visit Timor-Leste to see the work of the missionaries and the areas we could contribute. On 11 November, Saturday, we finally arrived at Dili, after four hours of flight. Our hosts David Chan, his wife, Jessie, and their three children warmly welcomed us at the airport. David and Jessie, who are trained educators themselves, manage the school operations, and provide instructions and training for the local teachers. David kindly arranged for us a room on top of the landlord’s house at US$15 per night and to our surprise, it was air-conditioned with an Chris attached toilet. Other than the occasional water rationing and crawling insects, the room was Lee Kok Boon comfortable. On Sunday, we visited New Community Church, which the Chan family has been attending for about two years. The service was wonderfully conducted in Tetum. Though we is married to Marie and they have a daughter, did not understand, the Spirit united us to worship Him as a body of Christ. In the evening, we Isabel. He worships in visited Cristo Rei of Dili and climbed up to a 27m high statue of Jesus located atop a globe. Ang Mo Kio Methodist Monday finally arrived and we were excited to meet the students. The daily routine during Church since 1983. He served many years weekdays was hectic. At 8am, the hall at the Chan’s house was used for the Grade 1 class as a BB Officer, but which had nine adorable and very lively students. We observed how the teachers patiently currently he is serving conducted Mathematics and English lessons. Marie taught them Christmas-theme art and in the worship ministry, and serving as a Cell craft. The children were eager to learn and overwhelmed with enthusiasm. With pride, they Group leader and an hung their crafts on the wall for display so that their parents could see them during the Honours usher team IC. The Day event. After ending the class at 11.30am, we had a quick lunch and then sandwich nine article was co-edited persons into David’s MPV for a 45-minute drive to the afternoon session at Hera. by Ps Collin See, David In the interim, the Grade 7 and 8 classes consisted of 39 students, including David’s Chan, and Marie. children, were conducted in the afternoon. In the morning, a Brazilian NGO operated the venue as a Primary School. It allowed MMS to use the premise in the afternoon. Besides academic lessons, St Paul Methodist School (TL) also conducted Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Brigade programmes as part of their curriculum to instil discipline and develop good Christian character. When the Grade 8 students first joined the school in January 2016 as Grade 7, it was challenging to level up their English proficiency and their academic IT HAS knowledge. However, through the effort of the teachers and the willing-to-learn BEEN A VERY attitude of the students, there was a marked improvement in the 2017 year-end examination. The perseverance of the teachers is indeed commendable! MEANINGFUL AND Every day, a teacher would conduct a 10-minute devotion, centring on a LIFE-CHANGING Bible verse for the week. I had the opportunity to share the devotion on Friday. I encouraged the students to persevere on and put their hope in Jesus, the Anchor, TRIP. as they encountered “mountains” in their lives. The post-exam programme was a very engaging experience for us as we conducted art and craft, team building, leadership, lesson planning, songs and activities for the students. Many of them demonstrated creativity and participated with energetic interest. After the last lesson of designing their kites with beautiful colours and Biblical verses, the students ran to the beach behind the school to fly their kites in the clear blue sky and relax in their free-spirited nature. Over the weekend, we visited Sundermeier Home (SH) which was run by missionaries Joseph and Grace. As it was the examination period, Marie and I conducted two hours of English remedial lessons before dinner. We saw the youth’s desire to excel in their examination and their frustration of not being taught adequately during their classes. We also observed how the youth cleaned the hostel and prepared the meals according to the duty roster. They

FIELDFEATURE 25

fulfilled their tasks with discipline, responsibility and good teamwork. Every weekday evening, they would rotate to conduct worship and share scripture. They also had other enrichment English and computer lessons during the week. On Sunday, we joined in the worship service conducted beautifully by the youth, and I was given the privilege to share my thoughts on deepening our intimacy with God. On the last night in Timor-Leste, we were deeply encouraged to see the whole of Chan family sprang into action. Every Tuesday evening, for the past two years, they had been reaching out consistently to a group of about 40 children in a community nearby their house. They conducted a simple one-hour session comprising singing with the children Biblical songs, sharing of Bible stories in Tetum, doing activities such as colouring, and finally issuing of milk and snacks. It was a touching and humbling experience for us as we saw how the Chan family persevered on, despite their tiredness. It was an energetic and lively session as they sang, danced, and played the guitar and drum. The children sang with their angelic voices and participated actively. We had a glimpse of how God’s love was visibly demonstrated through the love and actions of this incredible family as they poured out their hearts onto the lives of these children. Praise the Lord for their faithfulness! It has been a very meaningful and life-changing trip for Marie and me. The missionaries have sacrificed greatly. They forsake the comfort of their home to serve in a foreign country in a different culture and with a different language. They give up their career and educational opportunities. They are living under less than ideal standard of living, away from both families and friends. Manpower and financial support are limited. Lack of progress may result in disillusion and disappointment. At times they may experience persecution from the local government, community or religious groups. However all these elements do not deter them. They continue to soldier on with perseverance because of their love and trust for God. They march on, armoured only by their simple faith for God; harnessed by a heart of humility, they apply unconditional love for the Timorese, so that the Name of our Lord Jesus would be proclaimed. These missionaries have certainly earned my respect for their sacrifices, strong convictions and their faith through their service for God. After returning from this trip, I ask myself this question over numerous occasions: “When God calls me to serve Him in an unfamiliar and uncomfortable area, whether locally or overseas, will I surrender all my rights, stop giving all my excuses, and trust in Him to lead me in fulfilling His plan and purpose for me in His kingdom work?”

WHAT IS ST PAUL METHODIST SCHOOL (TIMOR-LESTE)? MMS sees education as a platform with immense potential to shape and impact lives especially those in their youth; and thus has committed to build a school in Timor-Leste. St Paul Methodist School (TL) will provide quality education in a rich Christian environment for 700 students ranging from Grade 1 to Grade 12 (equivalent to P1 to JC2). The total projected developmental cost is US$3.5mil (or S$5mil) with Phase 1 infrastructure to be operational ready in 2019. The projected cost includes the acquisition of the 3.04 ha of land (equivalent to 3 football fields) in Metinaro, the eastern-most sub-district of Dili. The fund raised will also be used to construct classrooms, sheltered area for canteen and assembly, chapel, recreation areas, and hostel blocks. The curriculum will be attuned to Singapore standards and it will be taught in English. Students from poor families will be eligible for financial support. WHAT IS SUNDERMEIER HOME? Sundermeier Home which was located about 1 hour drive from Dili City. This hostel completed by January 2016, provides accommodation and food for the youth living in remote villages. Hence, they are able to attend the only high school (15-minute walk away) at Gleno, rather than dropping-out; as they need not walk long distance or pay expensive transport. Currently the hostel has 29 youth and it can accommodate up to a maximum capacity of 40. The hostel is very wellmaintained to provide a very conducive environment for living and studying. The impressive garden was beautifully tended by the youth. WHAT YOU CAN DO? • Pray for the ministries to flourish. • Volunteer as short or long-term teachers to teach in the school. • Financially support the building of St Paul Methodist School (TL). Contact us by email mms@methodist.org.sg. • Sponsor the needy students of the school or hostel through the MMS Student Sponsorship Scheme (SSS). Visit www.mms.org.sg/sss for more information.

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HOMEINON... 29

MMS Family STANLEY SEAH AND BEE LENG are appointed as Missionary Interns to Laos for a 4-year term from 1 May. They are from Agape Methodist Church where Stanley used to serve as a Lay Ministry Staff. Bee Leng was an admin executive at HDB. They have two sons who are working adults. Earlier when Stanley was still with Faith Methodist Church, he was part of the team that started the Lakeside Family Service Centre. While in Laos, their first task is to learn the Laotian language and try to achieve language proficiency. They also need to gain a better understanding of the local culture and social practices. The goal is for Stanley to provide spiritual guidance to the teachers and staff in the school, and Bee Leng to be a teacher in the primary school department.

Dear Lord, we pray for strength and perseverance as Stanley and Bee Leng learn the new language and understand the local culture. May they be led by the Holy Spirit as they interact with the people around them. May You open doors of ministry. May You keep them safe. Amen.

JOHN LIM Eulogy Ps John Lim Thuan Woon, MMS Missionary to Thailand from Paya Lebar Methodist Church, was called home to the Lord on 28 March 2018. We thank God for this dedicated and committed servant who was very fervent to bring the Good News to the people in Thailand. Here are some tributes from our missionaries, staff, volunteers, and friends: BISHOP EMERITUS DR WEE BOON HUP: “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” (Psalm 116:15) It is precious because it is something of great personal value to God, and it is costly to God. John’s death is of great personal value to God. He was committed to what he was doing in missions. At times, he did it at his own personal expense. And he did so with such passion, dedication and commitment. He was trained and equipped so that he could be certified and licensed to teach and pastor. Over the years, he has trained many. We can imagine God saying to him, not just “Well done faithful servant”, but also “Welcome faithful servant”. It costs God because He feels the grief at the death of His saints and the pain of the loss. Remember Jesus wept at the death of Lazarus whom He loved. We felt the shock at the suddenness; the loss and absence of someone we love, talk with, joke with, laugh, and work together. We felt the sudden cessation of John’s service. His fellowship time with the Lord on earth had stopped. God felt as we did. But for the Lord, the difference is that that fellowship continues on the other side. When something is costly, it means that you have to give up something at the price of what you get in return. The death of a saint means that God has to give up something in order that He might receive

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 2

the saint to Himself. It means giving up the work in progress. There will be a stoppage or slowdown of the work. But that would only be temporary. John has trained people who would be able to pick up the job from where he left off. But the biggest cost to God is the price He paid in His Son. Every life that enters heaven has been bought with the blood of Jesus Christ. John’s life was redeemed for keeping in heaven at the cost of Jesus’ death on the cross. Every life that enters heaven has been raised to life in Jesus Christ. Not just His Son, God also gave us His Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, who is our Helper and Comforter who comes alongside us. We may sense a vacuum left by John. But God never leaves a vacuum. He fills us with His Spirit. He baptises us with His Spirit, who walks in us, by us, and is always with us. As we journey now without John, may God be ever more keenly felt in our lives by the ministry of the Holy Spirit - teaching us, helping us to remember words that Jesus has spoken to us, and witnessing to our spirit that we are truly His children and God is our Abba Father. REV PHILIP LIM: Seven years ago, when I became ED, I read from reports that John was one of us and would make regular trips to Myanmar and Thailand to conduct evangelistic outreach and rallies. In one South Thailand circuit, over the weekend, John invited me to join him. We took turns to share the Gospel and preach in different places. One of those places was inside a construction site where construction workers from Myanmar lived and worked. John’s message of the Blessed Life was simple and filled with sharing from his own experiences. At the end of the message, he gave them a chance to receive Jesus. I was blown away to see nearly the entire crowd of about 80 people came forward to be prayed for. Such was the effectiveness of his ministry. John was a friend, parent, mentor, co-worker, ministry partner, and servant all rolled into one. His ministry was an inspiration to us. While we are sad that he is no longer with us, our hearts are filled with joy and thanksgiving for his effective ministry. May God’s peace and comfort be with the Lim family during this period of grief. Once John told me that he was a F1 racer in his younger days. For now, he has finished the race, he has kept the faith (2 Timothy 4:7). He is with the risen Lord now. REV DIANNA KHOO: Our supply Pastor to Thailand was called home to be with the Lord. This is how I will always remember John: always joyful in serving God and his special love for the people of Thailand. I am absolutely certain God will say to him, “Welcome home my good and faithful servant.” I will miss your good sense, generosity, quick humour, and friendship. DAVID KHEW: It was a very sad day when we were informed of our dear Ps John’s return to the Lord. Just two weeks before, we had a wonderful fellowship in Chiang Mai during the Thai Annual Meeting 2018. Now, we have lost a dear brother and a faithful servant of the Lord who had served tirelessly and passionately in his ministry in Thailand. Ps John was a Supply Pastor at Rangsit Methodist Church since 2005. He served with a burning passion and he was always on fire for Christ. I was privileged to have witnessed his service as a testimony of God’s love, especially through his outreach to various peoples from all walks of life, both young and old. He was warm and generous; always wearing a charming smile. He was ever ready to show us the many ministries he had patiently and caringly established - Chaiyaphum, Wang Nam Keow, Nong Bua Lamphu, Mae Sot, and Phuket. He mirrored the early apostles by going to wherever the Macedonian call was heard. The intensity of his passion to evangelise was matched with the geographical extent to which his ministries had reached. No geographical divide could impede his passion to bring the saving grace of God to the people. He enjoyed driving and would embark on continuous drives of 8 to 10 hours - just to visit his flock. No language barrier could put a dent in this dynamo. He worked with the God-given energy of a young man; soaring high on

HOMEINON... 31

wings like an eagle. No challenge or obstacle could hold him back. Many beneficiaries would look forward to his visits and attest to the impact Ps John had made in their lives. Truly, his actions reflected the saying “not everything that counts can be counted”. Rather than boasting in his accomplishments, he embraced an attitude of humility. A case in point, he had wanted to wear a clergy robe whenever he performed the sacraments in the church but was not given the honour as he was not ordained. He was finally granted this special privilege by Bishop Dr Chong at the Thai Annual Meeting 2018 – after waiting patiently for almost 20 years. He will continue to be an encouragement to all of us, a shining light to guide our Missionaries, and he will remain in the hearts of the Thai Pastors and Church Leaders. HENRY YEO: We lost a very important member of our MCA clergymen. He had been an inspiration to us (both in the mission fields and at home) in many ways as we saw his passion for evangelism, leadership development, and church multiplication etc. His generosity to give to ministries was hard to match. His legacies were apparent in many ways. Our lost is his gain although I wish he could stay a little longer. But I cannot be happier that the departure was swift and peaceful for him albeit shocking and painful for us who remain, especially his loved ones. Our heartfelt prayer to these loved ones that the peace of the Father that passes all understanding to be with them all through Jesus Christ our Lord. I am personally glad that he finally got his recognition as a pastor by being allowed to wear the clergy robe at our last Annual Meeting. He is now eternally ordained. Enjoy your eternity, comrade in Christ. GLORIA KHOO: Dear Uncle John, I remember how you were financially challenged yet you did not back out and continuously went to Rangsit to preach and evangelise. You could just eat your favourite Songroi pi Wan Tan Mee and not able to spend more. You did not give up. God brought people to help you. Amazingly, there was even an accounting mistake and the company paid back the sum of money, exact to the cent you needed. Since then, you never stopped building the Kingdom of God. First in Thailand, then Myammar, India, and so on. I would never forget how you boasted in driving the church van when the gear box was jammed up. You were force to drive and push the stick to the gears. But you never forgot it was God’s protection whenever you drove. I would also not forget the few must-stop places to eat: Swensons, Songroi pi Wan Tan Mee, and your favourite Isaan red ant. I would never forget the time when you wanted to buy fish maw for Aunty Janet. You did not know how much to get and ended up buying a huge box back. Aunty Janet was shocked and had to them give away. I would never forget your jokes, your concerns, and your heartfelt prayers. You lived a life of ups and downs but it never held you back to serve God. We will dearly miss you. You made a great impact in our lives. I am glad that we will meet again in heaven. Till we meet again, Uncle John. REV PRASERT PORNKIRATIKUL: Thank God that l have had one of the joyous life journeys with brother John Lim in the mission field in Thailand – for more than 16 years. As he was one of the main proponents in the effort to reach out to the North-Eastern Isaan people. He became an exceptional lay preacher who has varied roles. Because of his passion to serve the Lord, he was busy and he tried to be in several different places at once. He helped me to set up Rangsit Methodist Church (RMC) and I never expected RMC to take off as it did. He had a big faith, and was full of life, feisty, and downright humorous. Most importantly, he had a big love for his family. He went that extra mile and achieved more than his call of duty. Glory be to God. Rest in peace, John Lim, our big brother.

Dear Lord, may you be very close to Ps John’s wife and family. We pray that the Thai churches, pastors, and leaders, whom Ps John had ministered to, will continue the good

HARVESTFORCE 2018 â&#x20AC;˘ 2

Stepping out of COMFORT ZONE A

Gabriel Koh worships in Barker Road Methodist Church.

fter about a monthâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s stay in Chiang Mai, it became very obvious that the culture there is different from Singapore. Of all the mission trips that I had made, this was the only one that encouraged trippers to wash the dishes and clean up together with the villagers. It was a good thing because it taught us servanthood. Moreover, I realised that it has always been the church members in Thailand who did the cleaning of their own church. But in Singapore, we tend to take things for granted and rely on the cleaners to do the work. I am glad that the members of Shineforth Methodist Church included me to help out, as it reminded me that the nature of ministry is to serve and not to be served. Unlike my other trips, this mission trip also allowed me to experience what it was like to live in a village. To be honest, it took me a while to adjust to the accommodation as it was cold and pitch-dark at times. However, it was worth the experience as it taught me what real missions is and helped me to understand the role of a missionary. As I interacted with the villagers, I discovered my spiritual family. I learnt that my brothers and sisters-in-Christ are not only from Singapore, but also from the rest of the world. We worship the same one and only God. This means that I am able to build lasting partnerships with the Thai people even though I may not visit them often. Besides, language and age should not be barriers when building friendship with people in different cultures.

MITE REPORT 33

As I visited the Thai youth and taught them English, I sensed that the Lord was telling me that I should not be focusing on making an impact for myself, but on the Thai people, such as helping to disciple them. Furthermore, I should not plan and act independently on mission trips. Instead, I should work as a team and rely on God, who is my source of strength. Also, there is a need to realise that we are connected with God’s already-at-work global purpose when ministering to the villagers. On this trip, I witnessed God’s divine provision and protection, and I was thankful that my needs were met. It reminded me that God may not give us what we want, but He will definitely give us what we need. Overall, this trip to Chiang Mai has stretched me to my limits to a large extent. It has taught me to be independent. Also, it has trained up my learning agility. If I want to be a missionary or a true disciple of Christ, I cannot stop learning and taking risk. I sensed that God was teaching me to step out of my comfort zone. I am grateful for these memorable overseas experiences.

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 God’s call. Visit www.mms.org.sg or contact us to find out more.

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 2

The Hand of God in the City: THE GOSPEL OF HOPE AND HOLISM

Lawrence Ko is the National Director of Singapore Centre for Global Missions. He is also founderdirector of Asian Journeys Ltd. He has served as a pastor and in Christian mission agencies over the past 28 years. He enjoys reading, movies, and visual arts. And he has worked with over 1000 youth volunteers in greening the cities and planting 22,000 trees in Inner Mongolia – as priests of God’s creation.

Editor’s note: This is Part 1 of Lawrence’s article. Part 2 will be published in the next issue.

t was springtime in Beijing and I was sipping Chinese tea al fresco style with a few old pals in a tea house in Xinjiekou. I was basking in the afternoon sun as I surveyed the tea house, set in a refurbished old pagoda in the university district of Beijing. This is entrepreneurship at its best, as I was introduced to the young engineer turned entrepreneur who leased the pagoda premises and established it as a bookshop cum tea house. It is also a research centre on Beijing history and culture. Chatting with an old Beijinger happy to entertain a curious foreigner, I learnt a little of how life in Beijing has changed over the past 40 years since 1978. An example was the arrival of the southerners from Zhejiang province, armed with baskets of silk, textile and sewing machines, who became the tailors of the city and helped Beijingers learn to dress up and fashion new tastes for life. Asia is rapidly urbanising with migrants from various ethnic groups and nationalities converging in the cities to seek refuge from environmental disasters, violent conflicts or simply pursuing their economic dream of a better life for themselves and their families. The cities are centres of social, economic and political life but they are fast becoming centres of diaspora communities. With the arrival of new population segments come new craftsmanship, new ideas and new culture in the city. The arrival of the Shanghai tailors in Beijing helped shape and fashion the capital city. The arrivals of the educated and creative Arabs in Venice a

(Part 1)

THEY ARE BEING SUSTAINED AND SUPPORTED BY THE INVISIBLE HAND OF GOD.

few centuries ago helped birth the Renaissance. We await the rise of new innovation and cultural shifts in the wake of the current transnational migration of the 21st century. But the current urbanisation trend is unprecedented and fraught with tremendous challenges as inadequate supply in infrastructure and services can cause great congestion and stress among the urban dwellers. The lack of housing, education, health services and more importantly, the lack of job opportunities can have an adverse effect on the new arrivals as well as the resident population. Yet the opportunities for the gospel ministry are also immense in our common quest for meaning of life and hope in the cities. The cities are the harvest fields of the 21st Century. The cities are filled with fascinating stories within each home, each street, each community, and each subculture. In Luke 18:1-8, our Lord Jesus Christ narrates a story in an urban setting. The parable of the helpless widow and the unjust judge is a story of history’s harsh

reality. This was a story of a helpless woman who has suffered past tragedy and was presently aggrieved. In desperation, she cried out for justice and sought help from the local judge. It was an exercise in futility, typical of the powerless and helpless in the face of personal crisis. Yet she persevered and was amazingly vindicated. There must be millions of folks like this widow in the cities. These are the proverbial “man in the street” faced with unimaginable tragedies and troubles. The plight of the urban poor. They could include those who are poor materially, socially and spiritually. They could be the lonely and destitute, with no one to turn to in times of crisis. Many have complex and complicated problems. It is a miracle that they are awake and alive every morning despite their dread and despair of life. Their arrival at school or at work is a testimony to the fact that there is still a glimmer of hope in their lives. They are being sustained and supported by the invisible hand of God.

HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 2

CHALLENGES in the Mission Fields T

Rev Dr Chong Chin Chung 新加坡卫理公会会督 is the Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore. Cooking helps him to destress.

he world today is very different from what it was in the 19th and 20th century. Whether locally or abroad, sharing the gospel must no longer be done with a superior attitude, or pomp and ceremony that draw undue attention. In the last couple of centuries, such strategies adopted by some western missionaries had resulted in rather negative and antagonistic postures. Thus, in any mission field today, the missionary must adopt a low profile, and adapt to the local situation, becoming aware of the local culture and sensitivities. Secondly, the mission field can be challenging. Political instability, war or unrest; or persecution and hostility from other religious leaders, causing unfriendly and strained relationships between the non-believers and the missionary and his family. Over time, such difficulties and stress can be detrimental to one’s physical and mental health. We trust and depend on God for His guidance and protection while being careful and on the lookout all the time. Thirdly, another great challenge has to do with the missionary’s family life especially where the education of the young children is concerned. It is a dilemma whether to register the children in an international school or in the local school. Based on the support they receive, it will be tough to see their children through the international school system, unless the international school is willing to offer very special rates for the missionary’s children. If the children are not home-schooled, they may be enrolled in the local schools, and also be tutored their children on other subjects and learning methods at home so that they may keep up with standards elsewhere. This puts an extra burden and worry on the missionaries, and it is a heavy and unavoidable challenge. The parents’ time and energy are stretched and they may miss out on the children’s growing up years. Yet one more fairly common challenge is the compatibility with the national pastors in working together. Differences in culture may lead to different points of view and different ways of working, which can lead to much frustration and disappointment. This all adds additional weight on the shoulders of the missionary. Here is a reminder for us to be more realistic in our expectations of the local staff, and to be considerate to their needs too, to grow and adapt to a new situation. Nonetheless, let us be encouraged by the chorus from a well-known often-sung hymn “I know Whom I have believed”.

宣教禾场的挑战今

让孩子在家学习（Home Schooling），宣教士都会在本天的世界跟19，20世纪很不一样。在本地或国外与人分享福音绝不能以高姿态，不可一世的态度与人谈地正规学校学习之余，协助孩子另外按原属国的教育课程论。就因为上两个世纪不少西方宣教士的宣教策略，导致今在家里跟进学业。这难免给予宣教士额外的负担和担忧。对孩子成长的教养也是不容忽视的挑战。父母在时间和精天好多人对基督教的宣教和分享福音的行动，印象非常负力上的局限，使孩子在成长过程中可能被忽略了。面和敌视。因此，今天无论在哪一个宣教禾场，宣教士必须再一个挑战是与当地教牧的配搭共事，这是不少宣教士低调并融入当地处境，务必对当地文化、民情风俗具有一定碰到的难题。文化差异导致在处事和处理人际关系上出现的敏感度。不同的观点和做法，有时会令人非常诅丧和失望。结果宣教其次，宣教禾场总是有一定的危险性。危险可以是来自士需加倍承担责任和消耗精力。或许宣教士对当地同工不政治因素，如政治不稳定、政变、战事；也可以来是自宗教能在效率和能力上要求过高，要理解他们需要进步和成长逼迫，如遭受其他宗教领袖的敌视、异教信徒或当地居民的空间。对家人和自己极不友善的对待；甚至是宣教区特殊病毒对虽然如此，让我们记得“我深知相信的是谁，也相信祂身心健康所构成的病害。在信靠交托上帝保守之余也必须能至终保守我，我交祂的都必稳妥，直到祂显现那天。” 时时警惕谨慎。再次，是家庭生活，尤其有年幼子女，他们的教育是宣教（联合诗集 149“我深知相信的是谁”）士一大挑战。宣教士常要为孩子入学选择国际学校抑或是当地学校焦虑。以宣教士的生活津贴收入，很难有能力供孩子在国际学校读书。除非当地国际学校给宣教士非常优惠的学费或慷慨的津贴。因此就算不是