2018 ISSUE
03
~ in the days ~
OF YOUR YOUTH
Remember your Creator
REMEMBER ALSO YOUR CREATOR IN THE DAYS OF YOUR YOUTH, BEFORE THE EVIL DAYS COME AND THE YEARS DRAW NEAR OF WHICH YOU WILL SAY, “I HAVE NO PLEASURE IN THEM”. ~ Ecclesiastes 12:1
I
t is the examination period as I write this editorial. Both my sons are preparing to take their end-of-year examinations. A few days ago, the Ministry of Education announced that there will be less emphasis on examinations in the future. Nonetheless, it is my younger son’s very first official school examination for Primary 2. But he does not seem to know what is going on. After going through some practice papers, we noticed that he is rather weak in certain topics. So we have to remind him to “remember this” and “remember that.”
Actually in life, there are also many tests and examinations. But there is only one thing we need to remember. We need to remember God! Youth is an important phase of life when core values have yet to be based on a firm foundation. So, when we are young with our whole life ahead of us, time may seem quite unending. In the days of our youth, we have so much energy, strength, vitality, mind, and intellect. There are so many things waiting for us to do and explore. But it is easy to forget our Creator. So we need to be grounded in God’s word, and amongst a community that loves to remember its Creator. This is what we are doing with the young people in Cambodia, Nepal, Thailand, and Timor-Leste. Read about our various youth ministries in these countries on pages 6 to 15. These ministries in churches, hostels and schools provide a Christian environment and good foundation for the youth to grow and learn to remember their God. From Singapore, four young people also took time to explore the mission field. They went on the MMS MITE (Missions Internship Training & Exposure) programme. Read more about their trips on pages 16 to 23. Through these trips, they got to know the lives of our Missionaries better, and to remember their Creator. Like my son who needs continuous reminders to remember, all of us as children of God often need constant reminders to remember our Creator in all areas of life. Leongheng • Editor
Hello! Do you have anything to share? Email mms@methodist.org.sg Your article may be edited for length, style, and clarity.
CONTENTS
02 04
FIRST WORD • My time as ED WAZZUP! • Country Information • Opportunities to Serve
Methodist Missions Society (MMS) is the missions 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
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FEATURE STORY • Youth Ministry
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otherwise stated.
PERMIT NUMBER
ADVISOR Rev Philip Lim EDITOR Leongheng PROOFREADER Wendy Tan
MCI(P) 049/11/2018
24
NOVEMBER 2018
SAME SAME BUT DIFFERENT • Hello, it’s me
2018 ISSUE
CHINESE PROOFREADER Goh Tuan Gee
03
TRANSLATORS Licia Yeo, Koh Wan Yee PHOTO CREDITS Angela Sng, Belicia Ong, Benjamin Lee, Carol Loh, Chinnakorn Saenkasa, David Chan, Dianna Khoo, Eang Chanthin, Henry Yeo, Joseph Mannar, Lawrence Ko, Loh Han Chew, Loong Aphichai, Low Wee Teck, Monzie Tan, Paige Lee, Philip Lim, Suzanna Lee, Thav Veasna, Vincent Lim, Watit Kwanreun, Wendy Low DISTRIBUTION & SUPPORT Rasanya Isabella Gnasegaran, Helen Tan, Nancy Tay & Volunteers DESIGNER SNAP! Creative Pte Ltd PRINTER Print & Print Pte Ltd
IELD FEATURES 26 FCAMBODIA • Thanksgiving in Methodist School of Cambodia
THAILAND • Song-Roi Phee Outreach Centre • Great is Thy Faithfulness!
PUBLISHER Rev Philip Lim 70 Barker Road #06-01, The Methodist Centre Singapore 309936 Tel: 6478 4818 • Fax: 6478 4817
MMS IS SOCIAL! Connect with us and never miss an update
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HOME IN ON... • MMS Family • Missionary Retreat
38
HF SPECIAL • The Hand of God in the City: The Gospel of Hope and Holism (Part 2)
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CLOSING THOTS • Missions in the Younger Generation
mms@methodist.org.sg
www.mms.org.sg mms.org.sg mms.gram
COVER: Scenic view of a harvest field in Chiang Mai, Thailand with layered mountains in the background.
MITE REPORT: • The Call of Obedience • A Prayerful Trip • Serving an Unexpected God • Experience God’s Presence and Love
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HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 3
My time AS ED R
ev Philip Lim will be stepping down as the Executive Director (ED) of MMS on 31 Dec 2018. Harvest Force (HF) takes the opportunity to interview him.
Rev Philip Lim 林建隆牧师 is the Executive Director of MMS. He enjoys cooking but hates to do the dishes.
PLEASE JOIN MMS TO WIN THE LOST, BUILD THE BELIEVER, TRAIN THE WORKER, AND MENTOR THE LEADER.
HF: How many years have you been serving as the MMS ED? PL: I returned, in 2011, after serving in Cambodia to take up the appointment of an Area Director to oversee the ministry in Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. I was appointed as the ED in 2012.
HF: What will you be doing next? PL: I am from the Chinese Annual Conference (CAC) and will return to the pastoral ministry there. This year, I was appointed as the District Superintendent of District 1 in CAC. It is still within the term so I will continue with that as well. HF: What is the greatest takeaway that you will remember for a while? PL: On a recent visit to Nepal, I had the opportunity to hear at first hand the stories from our national pastors. It is hard for us to imagine all the troubles these pastors had to go through just to conduct their pastoral duties. A certain pastor had to climb mountain, trek through ravines, and wade across fast-flowing rivers, just to visit his congregation and to pray for them. And yet, there was not a single complaint as he considered it a privilege to serve. I am inspired by his dedication and service. HF: If you could turn back the clock, is there something you would like to do all over again? PL: I am always reflecting on how we can improve or do things better. If I could do it all over again, I would like to spend more time with our people. You see, we have many young missionaries who have just started their ministry. I wish to spend more time with them and to journey with them, so that they will succeed in their ministry. Also in the fields, we have national workers who have risen to be key leaders over the years. Many are young and wish to have a place or person to turn to for guidance or simply to process their thoughts. HF: How do you perceive the young people in each of the seven mission fields? PL: In a number of our mission fields, we have homes and hostels. These national young people have actually grown up with our residential programmes. And our missionaries have discipled and mentored them well. Not only are they serving in our churches, these young people are playing key leadership roles in their respective ministries. Together with our missionaries, they are impacting their communities in a refreshing way.
FIRSTWORD 03
我在卫宣的那段时间 HF: What can our readers do to support mission works? PL: Our mission work is growing. And the needs for resources will always be there. Hence, please continue to support MMS with your prayer, participation, and partnership. Please join MMS to Win the lost, Build the believer, Train the worker, and Mentor the leader. HF: Any last words? PL: I think it is appropriate to express my gratitude for all the support I received during my time as an ED. In my seven years as the ED, I have served alongside three different Bishops. I want to thank them all for their support and affirmation. Their different styles of leadership have shaped my ministry perspective. I also want to thank our Conference Presidents who have been most encouraging and often going out of the way to support us. Then, we have our MMS Executive Committee (EXCO) Chairman, Alvin Tan (and Fang Soong before him) and the EXCO members. During the meetings, we had to handle many questions. But in the process, we became clearer in our mission and with what we want to achieve. I want to thank all our office staff members too. I value the time spent traveling with them and when we huddled together to discuss matters. All these shared experiences have been most enriching to me. It has been a joy working with them. I also want to thank all of you out there but there are just too many to name.
卫
理宣教会执行主任林建隆牧师即将于二零一八年十二月三十一日 卸任。禾丰编辑在他卸任前与他作了一个访谈。
主编 ： 请问您在卫宣担任执行主任有多少年了？ 林牧 ： 我是在二零一一年从柬埔寨归来后接下区域主任的职位，负责 监督柬埔寨，泰国和越南的事工。隔年，就是二零一二年， 我被会督委 任为卫宣执行主任。屈指算来，已经七年了。 主编 ：请问往后您有什么打算？ 林牧 ：我是卫理公会华人年议会的长牧，卸任后会继续牧会。今年我也 受会长委任为第一教区的教区长，我也得完成任期内的任务。 主编 ：在任期间您最大的得着，最令您难以忘怀的是什么？ 林牧 ：最近尼泊尔的行程让我有机会亲身聆听他们的故事。我们难以 想象他们在执行任务时的经历有多艰难。有一位牧者不单要攀越山岭， 涉过沟谷，还要渡过急湍的河流，就只为了去探望会友，为他们祷告。这 种艰苦的旅程并没有让他发出任何怨言，反而感到能这样服侍是一种荣 幸。这种委身与服侍的心态令我特别受激励。 主编 ：若是时间能倒流，有哪些事是你想重新再来过的？ 林牧 ：我常反思怎样才能把事物做得更好或如何改善？若是时间能倒流 的话，我真愿意花更多的时间和同工相处。我们有很多年轻的宣教士刚 刚加入宣教的行列，我希望花多一些时间与他们同伴同行，帮助他们在 事工上取得成果。此外，宣教禾场有些本土同工，经过数年的磨练已经成 为主要的领导人。这些年轻、经历尚浅的领袖都希望得到督导，或有人能 帮他们理清思路。 主编 ：您如何看待卫宣海外七个禾场中的年轻人? 林牧 ：部分禾场设有收容所和学生宿舍，宣教士对他们的督导和门徒装 备都做得很好。这些年轻人在住宿期间通过我们提供的培训不断成长， 他们不单在我们的教会中服侍，还在所参与的事工中担任領导的角色。 这些年轻人和宣教士以新颖方式在他们周边影响无数的生命。 主编 ：禾丰的读者可以如何支援宣教事工? 林牧 ：宣教事工不断地扩展, 它的需求无疑就是各种资源。请大家继续 通过祷告、参与及成为宣教伙伴来支持卫宣的工作。让我们齐心同行赢 回迷失者、建立信徒、培训同工、督导接棒的领袖。 主编 ：末了，请问您还有什么话要告诉大家吗? 林牧 ：我要衷心感谢大家在我担任执行主任期间给我的支持。在这七年 中, 我有幸先后和三位会督共事,。感谢他们对我无比的支持和认可，他 们不同的领导风格塑造我在事工上有更宽阔的视野。我还要感谢各年会 会长一直以来给予的鼓励及不辞劳苦地支持我们。卫宣执行委员会主席 陈义生弟兄及前任主席方松弟兄并所有执委无私的帮助。在那些数不清 的会议中，我们需要处理很多问题，但在这个过程中，我们更认清我们的 使命和所要达成的目标。感谢所有办公室同工，我非常诊惜我们在一起 旅行以及聚集讨论事情的时光。 他们的分享丰富了我的生命经历，与他 们工作是无比的喜乐。我还要感谢很多很多的人，有点遗憾不能一一写 出来。
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Country Information If you are interested to find out more about the different fields, please email the respective persons at these email addresses: Cambodia jeremy.choo@methodist.org.sg East Asia koheng.quek@methodist.org.sg Laos
david.khew@methodist.org.sg
Nepal noel.tam@methodist.org.sg Thailand david.khew@methodist.org.sg Timor-Leste Vietnam
lichun.woo@methodist.org.sg koheng.quek@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.
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. 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.
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.
• 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
• Professional trainers to conduct enrichment courses on leadership development, family, marriage, and parenting skills. • Local churches to partner and support leadership, discipleship, and follow-up training for International Community Fellowship. • Ministry support in social / community engagement programme. 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 SMS. 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 and Little Candles 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. Office Assistance
Timor-Leste
• 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 33.
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HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 3
YOUTH Ministry In this issue, we focus on the Youth Ministry in Cambodia, Nepal, Thailand, and Timor-Leste. Here, you can read about the profile of these ministries, and see if you can go and help out or even pray with them.
COSY HOSTEL CAMBODIA Community Outreach Services - Youth (COSY) Hostel was officially opened in 2010. It is an extension of the COS-Immanuel Children’s Village (COSI) and meant for youth studying in Grades 10 to 12 since the highest level in the village school is Grade 9. Its main objective is for the youth to strive for spiritual transformation and academic excellence. Presently, we have 13 boys and 24 girls staying in the hostel. MMS Missionary, Carol Loh, oversees this ministry. Besides attending school in the day, they have their daily evening vespers and tuition classes. Weekly programmes include church prayer meetings, in-house bible study, BB and GB in COSI, and Youth Fellowship in the church. On Sundays, the youth attend Antioch Methodist Church, where they serve as Sunday School teachers, and as musicians and worship leaders for the Worship Service. In the evening on weekdays, they are involved in the English class for neighbourhood children as a form of outreach. You may come and help to teach and train the children in the Word of God and discipleship. The duration of your visit may range from one to four days, and may be done during the school or public holidays. Prayer is needed for the youth to love and trust God. Pray that they can pass their Grade 12 national exams. Pray for their future career paths.
FEATURESTORY 07
JOY HOSTEL CAMBODIA Joy Hostel is a ministry that reaches out to young people who come from different parts of Cambodia to study at the various tertiary institutes of education in Phnom Penh. Although the majority of these students are believers, there are also non-believers. Currently we have 18 girls and 8 boys staying at the hostel which is managed by a Cambodian couple who also serve as house parents and mentors. MMS Missionary, Suzanna Lee, is assigned to help this couple in this ministry. Besides providing the students with lodging, the hostel also provides them with spiritual care and discipleship. All the students are required to attend our twice-a-week Bible study and prayer sessions and once-a-week worship services, as well as to attend church on Sunday. Students who have the potential to lead are groomed to be room or group leaders to help to supervise the other students in their in-house duties and to lead in group Bible study. In addition to the spiritual programmes, we also organise recreational and social activities for the students such as football matches, gym exercises, and yearly outings or retreats to different parts of Cambodia. At
special times of the year such as Christmas and New Year, we usually hold celebratory-cum-outreach events that are open to friends and family members. We are glad to report that every year, a number of the students who arrive as non-Christians, will come to accept Jesus as their Lord and Saviour during their three or four-year stay at Joy Hostel. As for those who are already believers on arrival, their stay at Joy Hostel has helped them to grow in their faith and to share their faith with their pre-believing peers. This ministry is supported by Foochow Methodist Church in Singapore. Twice a year, a team from the church will visit the hostel to interact with and to conduct various activities for the students. Occasionally, there are teams from other churches that ‘drop in’ for a time of sharing with the students. Such visits never fail to edify the students and to invigorate the ministry.
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METHODIST HOSTEL CAMBODIA Methodist Hostel is a place that provides cheap and affordable accommodation for needy students studying in Phnom Penh. It aims to encourage and instil Christian values whilst living in a hostel community. We hope that pre-believers who join the hostel will come to receive Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord. This hostel is managed by a Cambodian, Meas Sophea. We have about 40 to 45 university undergraduates in Methodist Hostel. There are an almost equal number of boys and girls. We have weekly training sessions, Bible study, worship and devotion, and prayer meetings. Once every two months, there is a games day on Saturday. All students are required to attend the Sunday worship services in a church. Before leaving for church, the young people have their morning devotion and breakfast. And after service, they have group sharing with the leaders.
We welcome volunteers to help to plan and execute some programmes and engage with the hostel students. Here are some of the possible programmes or topics for these young people. You may consider cooking and having a fellowship meal with the students, although packed meals are possible too. You may conduct or teach in workshop learning sessions, such as: - Writing a curriculum vitae and preparing for job interviews. - Finding out one’s character traits and temperaments. - Preparing oneself for the working world and facing life challenges. - Being self-reliant in managing time and finance. - Praying for and choosing the right life partner.
FEATURESTORY 09
METHODIST SCHOOL OF CAMBODIA CAMBODIA Methodist School of Cambodia (MSC) was established in July 1998 by MMS Missionaries. The pioneering missionaries came and started kindergarten classes at our present location. With each passing year, as the children grew older, more students were added to the number. In 2009, a Secondary and High School block was built to accommodate the growing needs of the school. Presently, MSC has 11 Grades 7 to 12 classes, comprising about 350 students. These young people receive a daily input of God’s Word through morning devotions and Christian Education classes. Furthermore, they learn to lead and serve through weekly Boys’ Brigade (BB) and Girls’ Brigade (GB) meetings. BB and GB are very powerful platforms for discipleship and nurture. Through these platforms, the youth learn to seek, serve, and follow Christ and develop habits of obedience, reverence for God, discipline, and self-respect. They learn through experience that leadership is essentially service unto Christ and others. The youth also learn organisational skills and teamwork by leading their juniors in games, foot drill, praise and worship, and camps. Phin Daniel and Chhom Darareaksmey, both alumni of MSC, are currently serving as Captains of the BB and GB companies respectively. They grew up through rank and file in BB and GB, and have responded to God’s call to serve in their respective ministries.
Struggling with identity issues, broken and dysfunctional families, and the stress of living under the burden of expectations, our adolescent boys and girls require role models and mentors to help them navigate our ever-increasingly complicated and troubled world, with Christ as their compass. We hope that they would feel a sense of belonging in BB and GB, and build their lives upon the firm foundation of God’s Word. Anyone who has a passion and heart for BB, GB or Youth Ministry are welcomed to visit and share about the transforming power of Christ in their lives and encourage these youth to live the lives set apart for the glory of God. Please feel free to contact Low Wee Teck, Principal of MSC, at lowweeteck@gmail.com.
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SOPHIA’S HOME NEPAL In Nepal, young girls from destitute families are greatly marginalized. They do not have access to education or even decent living conditions. They will likely end up with no ability to provide for themselves in the future and will be exposed to unscrupulous people who will take advantage of their predicament. Sophia’s Home was set up to provide a safe and healthy environment for these destitute girls who are either orphans or from single-parent families. This is an outreach ministry that is a part of our community development efforts. We provide accommodation and education up to the pre-university level. These girls generally stay in the home for about ten to 15 years. During their stay, they are
taught Christian values and develop good self-esteem. More importantly, they are discipled to be disciples of Christ. We have currently 26 girls in the home, and Grace Lepcha takes care of them. The girls have grown up to become responsible, Godfearing young ladies. They have good self-esteem and confidence, and they are building a relationship with our Lord Jesus. This is a far cry from when they first arrived at the home. Sophia’s Home needs your financial support through the SSS programme. We also need volunteers to help to mentor the girls. You can study the Bible with them, befriend them, or show them God’s love!
FEATURESTORY 11
METTAKIJ HOSTEL THAILAND Mettakij Hostel was set up in 2004 to provide shelter for poor and needy students from remote villages. These students are unable to attend secondary school due to poverty or the lack of a secondary school within walking distance. They depend on us to give them accommodation, food, transportation, and other expenses incurred while going to school. This year, we have 26 students. From the next school year onwards, we will only take in students from Sec 4. We take the opportunity to nurture them academically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Occasionally, we have students from other religious background. So we provide a conducive environment for them to develop
Christ-like character. We hope that when they complete high school education, these students will mature in their faith in Christ, emotionally healthy and mentally prepared, to proceed on to pursue higher education or life in the outside world. A faithful couple has been serving as house parents since 2007. They train and develop the students to lead, read the Word of God, buy from the market and cook, and manage finances. The students cook their own communal meal, keep the financial accounts of the hostel, and manage a duty rooster. All the students attend and serve in our Methodist churches nearby. We welcome short-term volunteers to teach the Bible, Mandarin, English, and other life-skills. We also need sponsors to defray the cost of housing these students. We accept donations of clothing, stationary, laptops, and other things that youth can enjoy, but we would also need help to bring them from Singapore. Please pray for the house parents to continue to have the wisdom, energy, passion, and endurance to look after so many students. Pray for the students to do well in all areas of their lives (spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and intellectually). Pray for the students to serve well in our churches and also be good witnesses in their schools.
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SHINEFORTH YOUTH MINISTRY THAILAND Shineforth Methodist Church sees the importance of raising the next generation of faith. As such, the young people are our target group. We seek to build them up in the Lord, with the help of full-time ministry staff who look after this group. The youth in the church are an important segment of the church serving alongside with us. We have 2 full-time workers, Metas Khongsuktara and Marry Khongsuktara, to look after the youth. Presently, we have 12 youth who are members of the church, 22 from the Boys’ Brigade (BB), and 10 more whom we are following up with. The BB was set up on 12 January 2015, with Ps Seeda Saenkasa as Captain of the company. The aim is to train the young people to be obedient, be disciplined, and have healthy esteem of themselves. We also hope to build them up in their Christian faith. We are planning to start Youth Alpha soon with the aim of using this as an outreach tool. Other youth activities include Leadership Training, Music Contest, Valentine’s Day Special, Youth Cell Group, Guitar Lessons, One-to-one Bible Study, and Fellowship. We visit and encourage youth too. And we also have visitors from BB Hong Kong. We welcome mission teams to come and organise youth activities for them. Please pray for these young people that they may stand firm in their faith and be able to overcome the temptations they face daily, like sex, drugs or video games. Pray for God to raise financial support for us to organise youth activities, like outreach camps, youth retreats, and outings.
One-to-one Bible Study
Visit from BB Hong Kong
Music Contest
Fellowship
Youth cell group
FEATURESTORY 13
TERM FUN HOME THAILAND Term Fun Home was set up especially for Shan children between nine and 18 years old. Our aim is to reach out to them in Christ and build them up as disciples of Christ, to provide a safe and secure environment for them, and to help them to reach for their dreams. Currently, we have eight boys between 13 and 17 years old. Daddy John and Mummy Angela Sng, MMS Missionary, are looking after these boys. The boys are trained to do their daily quiet time in the morning. We have worship and devotion together every evening as well. Apart from these, the boys are actively involved in the youth ministry in Mittaphab Methodist Church. They are our worship leaders, guitarists, bass guitarists, drummers, and projectionists. Through this, we hope to train and teach them the importance of service unto God. All of them also join the Boys’ Brigade at Shineforth Methodist Church. At home, we instil a sense of responsibility in them by the doing of various chores. The older boys are also paired with the younger ones and they are responsible for the wellbeing of their charges. We also teach them accountability especially in terms of managing their weekly allowances. Daily records are made daily to account for their expenditures. Twice a week, Mummy Angela meets with the older boys to discuss with them the various issues they are facing in school. We are currently covering the topic of peer pressure. The aim of these sessions is to give the boys an avenue to raise their questions and share their problems. More importantly, it is to show them what the Bible has to say of their situations and how they can learn to cope with them. The boys are actively involved in sports, and we take them out for sports during school holidays. Some of them are in the school futsal and basketball teams.
We look forward to having groups come and organise different youth activities, like a Music Camp, English Camp, or Soccer Clinic. We also welcome teams to train them on worship dynamics. Pray for the boys to stand firm in their faith so as to be able to overcome the temptations they face, like sex, drugs, smoking, drinking, and video games.
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ST PAUL METHODIST SCHOOL TIMOR-LESTE The main youth ministry in St Paul Methodist School is the Boys’ Brigade (BB) and Girls’ Brigade (GB). We have 68 youth, between the ages of 12 and 16, attending BB and GB. MMS Missionary, David Chan, and his wife, Jessie, are in charge of BB and GB respectively. The ministry focus is to train each youth to serve God’s purpose for his or her generation. Here, we conduct drills, worship, share God’s word, play games, and learn life skills. The life skill modules include learning to play the guitar and keyboard (aesthetics), learning about lashing and orienteering (adventure and survival), doing art and craft (arts), and attending camps (social and leadership). You can come and help to run camps and modules for the ministry. Pray that the ministry will continue to stay relevant to the gospel and bring transformation to all who go through its portal. Pray that the Word of God planted in each heart will take root and bear fruit in season. But most importantly, pray that each youth will discover God’s purpose for his or her generation through the ministry and commit to serve the purposes of God.
FEATURESTORY 15
SUNDERMEIER HOME TIMOR-LESTE Sundermeier Home provides accommodation and food for the youth living in remote villages. It is located near the district’s only secondary school, enabling youth who are poor and stay very far away to continue their education. It is a home for students from Grade 10 to 12, age ranging from ages 16 to 22. MMS Missionaries, Joseph and Grace Mannar, have been providing care and supervision for these youth since it started in 2016. Three older boys and three older girls are appointed as youth leaders. This gives them an opportunity to hone their leadership skills as they help to look out for the rest of the youth. We have a total of 38 youth currently. But the first batch of 19 students will be leaving us at the end of 2018. Every morning, they share a short Word of God before breakfast. From Monday to Thursday, after dinner, they take turns to share during devotion and to pray. And we
have a time of Praise and Worship every Friday night. Our ministry focus is for them to read the Word every day. We hope to help them know how to share the Word of God with their friends in school. They also share with their family members when they go home during the school holidays. The final year students have been fervently sharing the word with their families and they take turns to visit the different families. We welcome volunteers who can teach these young people how to lead worship and how to play guitar, and can teach them new worship songs. We also need teachers who can help in mathematics and science. Furthermore, we need people who can give talks on boygirl relationships and teach them how to wait upon God for a life partner.
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HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 3
The Call of OBEDIENCE A
Belicia Ong worships at Aldersgate Methodist Church. She enjoys baking brownies and butter cookies.
fter a year of praying and seeking God, He revealed His plans for me to go to Thailand and explore His ministry there. I decided to join the MMS’ Missions Internship Training and Exposure (MITE) programme to explore missions in Chiang Mai, Thailand. I was there for 40 days. I taught English at two public schools and I was involved in church ministries including running activities for The Boys Brigade. While I learnt so much when I was there, one of my biggest lessons came even before I embarked on this trip. I learnt to obey and trust in God’s plans and timing even though the journey of seeking and preparing for the trip had not been easy. The decision to sign up for a 40-day missions internship in a foreign land was itself a struggle. God tested the priorities of my heart. I struggled to break the news to my parents that God had revealed His plans for me to go. It was difficult because God’s plans for me were not in line with the plans my parents had for me. On the one hand, I struggled with honouring my parents and on the other hand, I struggled with following God’s plans in obedience. It was hard for me to obey God and go when I knew that my parents would worry for my safety and wellbeing. As I continued seeking God, I realised that I was literally giving a similar excuse as stated in Luke 9:61: Yet another said, “I will follow you, Lord, but let me first say farewell to those at my home.” It really struck me, that God’s calling to each and every person is to first follow Him. All I needed to do was to obey and trust that He would make things right with my parents and
WHEN HE TESTS THAT WHICH YOU HOLD DEAR, WILL YOU STILL SAY YES AND FOLLOW HIM?
MITE REPORT 17
that He would bring peace and comfort to them while I was away. I surrendered my concerns about my parents to Him and fully trusted that He would protect them and love them even more while I was in Thailand. The greatest test of obedience came when God tested things closest to my heart. When He tests that which you hold dear, will you still say yes and follow Him? Obeying God is not easy, and more so when God challenges the things that matter most. Even so, I want to encourage those - who are questioning and exploring missions and yet have many other concerns - to surrender those fears and worries to God, and trust that He will take care of them.
What is MITE? MITE (Missions Internship Training & Exposure) is a programme designed to send believers out to the mission fields for a period of one to six 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.
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HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 3
A PRAYERFUL Trip T
Magdalene Monzie Tan is 19 years old and attending Paya Lebar Chinese Methodist Mission. When she was on this MITE trip, she ate on average one egg a day.
Group photo after outreach
he reason behind my decision to join MITE came about on the first Sunday of THROUGH 2018. My pastor shared on the topic of ‘Be Daring’. He challenged us to take courage THIS JOURNEY, and be missional. This remark awakened in MY GREATEST me a conviction to serve God wherever He TAKE AWAY IS TO would call me. As it continued to stir in my heart, I prayed about it and God showed me BE A PRAYERFUL the mission field. He enabled me to witness STEWARD FOR in Nong Bua Lamphu, Thailand, under the GOD. MITE programme run by MMS. The trip was 26 days long and it was a rather challenging time, especially at mealtimes because the food was always exceptionally spicy. Being attached to Nong Bua Lamphu Methodist Church has increased my tolerance for spicy foods. Jokes aside, the language barrier and sweltering weather were the greatest obstacles for me. Firstly, being in a rural province, not only did the locals speak Thai but also the Isaan dialect. It was difficult to understand and express most things verbally. However, Pastor Roong from the church would always sit next to me during prayer meetings and cell group gatherings to translate what was being said. Next, the hot weather would often drain our energy, especially so in the afternoons when most of the church’s outreach to villages and schools would take place. Yet the church members, Pi Mon and Pi Kluay, would often be filled with passion and enthusiasm throughout the entire visitation or programme, which would
MITE REPORT 19
School outreach
Games after church
encourage me and the others to be the same. Thus, despite the language barrier, the love shown through their actions was not lost in translation. And even with the scorching temperatures, they raised up others and edified us through their perseverance. Living with Nong Bua Lamphu Methodist Church gave me a community of people that showed me how I could draw closer to God. The church was extremely prayerful and would lift everything up to God in prayer. Prayer meetings almost seemed too short for them as they would pray for their nation, for their generation and for the unreached. And during daily devotions, they would pray for spiritual growth and for other personal matters. As a result, prayer occupied a lot of my time there, but it showed me the necessity for prayer. The church’s programmes were committed in earnest prayer, God multiplied the fruits of these efforts and enabled us to labour cheerfully. Through this journey, my greatest take away is to be a prayerful steward for God. I thank God for enabling me to be a part of MITE which has given me many insights on missions, since it was my first time going on a mission trip alone for close to a month. Should you be attended by a passion to serve in the mission field, but are unsure of how to take the first step, pray and discover your calling by joining MITE.
Prayer for those with ailments
Washing hair for villager
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HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 3
Serving an AMAZING GOD I
Paige Lee worships at Wesley Methodist Church.
t may seem unorthodox, or even ludicrous, to take a sabbatical from the marketplace in exchange for a I WANTED TO short stint in the mission field – as an STEP INTO THE FIELD unpaid worker. Well, that was what I did and I daresay my stint there was TO LET GOD EXPAND MY worth every dollar that I gave up, if FAITH, MY CAPACITY TO not exceedingly more. TRUST HIM, AND EXPAND While some may frown upon that label tagged onto millennials as THE BORDERS OF MY the strawberry generation whose EXPERIENCE AND whimsical hearts, prompting us to COURAGE. pack our bags up at our whims and fancies, I would not counter that notion. In retrospect, I wholly agree with them as it was that precise state I found myself in which propelled me into Cambodia for three months under MMS as a MITE participant. Prior to setting off, I would admit it was a tad nerve wrecking as I took this leap of faith into the unknown. Yet has not that always been the modus operandi of our God? Unexpected. Uncommon. Unusual. Contrary to the typical mission trips, the MITE programme allows one to experience the work and life of full-time missionaries while assisting the locals with their various ministries. With that broad agenda in mind, I stepped out with no particular checklist in mind as I told God my goal was to serve Him in whichever way He wanted. Looking back at where God has led me over my time there, I would never have expected God to have had such a wide array of colourful experiences in store for me. So if I were to sum up my time there, I would choose one word – varied.
Paige with the kids
MITE REPORT 21
Paige with the Missionaries and their families
Within that brief three-month span, the wild adventures God invited me into ranged from a 12-hour bus journey to the Ratanakiri Province where I was called upon to preach (a crazy first time for me!), a teaching stint in a children’s home where God pushed me out of my comfort zone as I broke through language and cultural barriers while befriending them, to watching God orchestrating miracles in the slum ministry. Above all that, I would say one of the biggest takeaways is the unique privilege to play front-row spectator to the inspiring lives of the missionaries. With the opportunity to live with them, I saw how zealously they were working for the Lord; it is literally 24/7 as they do not even have proper weekends to wind down. While each journey may yet amount to nothing but disappointments and challenges, it is the ability to catch that vision of glory beyond the horizon that keeps them going.
It was humbling to hear their stories and recognise that the same God who empowers them is the same One whom I serve as well. From the onset, I told God I was no longer content watching Him from the sidelines, hearing about the incredible stories of His activities as if they belong to fables from an ancient world. Instead, I wanted to step into the field to let God expand my faith, my capacity to trust Him, and expand the borders of my experience and courage. And, in typical God fashion, He sure did – and surpassingly.
Paige with the class she was teaching
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Experience God’s PRESENCE AND I
Wendy Low worships at Bedok Methodist Church and loves adventures and adrenaline sports. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with friends and making DIY jewellery.
Children Vacation Bible Camp
t was in August 2016 when I felt the calling to go to Nepal. While I did not know exactly what God had in mind for me, an opportunity arose shortly as I was impacted by my company’s restructuring programme. I took a step of faith and started to explore opportunities that would take me to Nepal. Being a relatively new Christian then, going on a mission trip did not come to my mind. Instead, I found a secular humanitarian organisation online that was willing to take me in to help with the earthquake rebuilding effort in Nepal. God immediately closed the door as I had to undergo an operation that prevented me to do any physically strenuous activities for six months. During this period, I became more involved in my church activities, and spent more time to know God better and grew spiritually. After sharing about my calling with Beng Lay, my CG leader, she recommended MMS since my church did not have a mission team in Nepal. I found the MITE programme suitable for me as it is a short term commitment of up to six months. And I feel that it would allow me to explore God’s plan for me, without committing long term. MITE HAS INDEED After getting a few confirmations HELPED ME TO from God that this was indeed EXPERIENCE GOD’S part of His plan, I set out to Nepal at the end of March 2018. PRESENCE AND LOVE FOR
HIS CHILDREN IN NEPAL AND THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE FOR HIM.
MITE REPORT 23
LOVE
Craft by Mighty Club
Sophia’s Home girls House fellowship group farewell
It was an amazing 12 weeks, during which I got to experience the life of a missionary in Nepal, and help out with the local Nepali church and girls’ home that MMS supports. I was also very blessed to be able to attend many Nepali events, including the holy week and Easter celebrations, children’s camp, a baptism ceremony, the mothers’ day celebration, the wedding ceremony of our evangelist, a new-born baby naming ceremony, the girls’ home graduation ceremony, discipleship classes, house fellowships, and bible study classes. I did not know many Nepali words but I was blessed to have my landlord’s daughter who is also a member of the church, to teach me some useful phases which allowed me to have closer interaction with the locals, learning more about the Nepali culture, and extending my spiritual family far from home. I was glad to know GS, Ps Saba, and their families who had spent many years of their life extending God’s kingdom in Nepal, away from the comforts of home. I am extremely thankful to MMS, my church, and many others for their wonderful support and prayers for me as a mission intern in Nepal. MITE has indeed help me to experience God’s presence and love for His children in Nepal and the hearts of the people for Him. Personally, I also learnt to surrender fully to God and not rely on my own ability in ministry work. I look forward to going back to Nepal again in the near future!
Lal’s Holy Matrimony
PS23 bracelet making
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HELLO, it’s me This series explores a common item in the seven countries and sees how similar or varied we can be. Greeting people in their own language shows respect and an interest in their national culture. Each culture has its own customs and ways of saying hello. Here, in this issue, let’s see how we greet one another “Hello” in the seven fields!
CAMBODIA Jom Reab Suar is a formal greeting in Khmer that is used in a formal or official meeting. When you meet with friends at a causal setting, “Suasdey” or “Sok Sabai” are commonly used. When using a traditional Cambodian greeting, it is polite to “sampeah”, which is a gesture performed by placing your palms together in front of your body. Your fingertips should touch your nose when you meet someone older or higher in status. But to those who are of the same age, a “sampeah” at chest height will suffice.
CAMBODIA
JOM REAB SUAR
EAST ASIA Nǐ Hǎo (你好) is an informal “hello” which is literally translated to be “you good”. For a more formal greeting, you can use “Nín Hǎo您好” which is more polite and respectful. But when answering a telephone call, you can use “Wéi喂”. In the past, the fist-palm salute was a classic way to go with your greetings. Nowadays, you can do handshakes instead. To do the fist-palm salute, make a fist with your right hand and then use your left hand to hold the right hand in front of your chest. However, the ladies will do it the other way: right hand on the top.
EAST ASIA
NǏ HǍO (你好)
LAOS Sabaidee is a standard greeting in Laos, literally meaning ‘it goes well’. It is usually offered to your friends with a smile and a wave. You can also use it with your hands pressed together at the chest as if praying with a slight bow in a formal gesture called the “nop”. Lao people are very friendly and will reciprocate the same greeting. It is the equivalent of shaking hands.
LAOS
SABAIDEE
NEPAL Namaste is a welcoming salutation in Nepal. It literally says, “I bow to the divine in you.” It is usually spoken with a slight bow and hands pressed together, palms touching and fingers pointing upwards, thumbs close to the chest. This gesture is called “anjali mudra”. It may be spoken without the bow. The bow is more formal and is considered to be respectful, especially when directed towards an elder or a person of importance. A common Christian greeting is “Jaimasi” which means “Victory in the Messiah!”
NEPAL
NAMASTE
S
SAMESAMEBUTDIFFERENT
THAILAND
THAILAND
SAWADEE KRAP (FOR MAN) OR
SAWADEE KA (FOR WOMAN)
Sawadee Krap (for man) or Sawadee Ka (for woman) is the standard greeting you use in Thailand. Thai people use the same greeting regardless of the time of day or night. They generally do not shake hands. So, as an important part of Thai etiquette, you have to add a respectful “wai”. It is done by holding the palms together in front of the face with a slight bow. The higher the “wai”, the more respect is shown for examples to elders, teachers, and important people. Just remember that not returning someone’s “wai” is considered rude. However, you should not expect a returning of a “wai” from those who are of a higher status (like, the elderly) because they occasionally do not return a “wai”.
TIMOR-LESTE
TIMOR-LESTE
OLA, OI, ELO
Ola, Oi, Elo are a few ways of saying “hello” in Timor-Leste. “Ola” and “Oi” have the Portuguese influence, and they literally mean “hello” and “hi” respectively. And “Elo” is used exclusively for answering the phone. A handshake is common for initial meetings. Sometimes a kiss on each cheek is acceptable depending on how well people know each other. You may want to add on “di’ak ka lae”, which means “how are you?”, to complete the greeting.
VIETNAM
VIETNAM
XIN CHÀO
Xin Chào is used as a general greeting. The word “chào” means “hello” in English, but you may use “chào” alone. Adding “xin” to the front of “chào” makes the phrase more polite. In cultural context, you would need to follow the term with another word based on the age, gender, and familiarity of the other person. For examples: “Xin Chào, Anh” for someone older than greeter; “Xin Chào, Chú” for an uncle; or “Xin Chào, Chị ” for an older sister. Native Vietnamese speakers would typically reserve this for someone who is older or admired, but non-native speakers can use just “Xin Chào” as a polite way to say “hello” to anyone when the greeter is not sure of the age or seniority of the person he/she is greeting.
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.
25
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HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 3
CAMBODIA
THANKSGIVING IN METHODIST SCHOOL OF CAMBOD T
Benjamin Lee is the Deputy Country Director for Cambodia. His family is musical: Serene and Lizzy sing, Zach and Benjamin play the guitar and keyboard, Zoe plays the ukulele and keyboard, and Ephraim plays the cajon. Recently, his family led worship in the International Christian Fellowship, the church they attend regularly.
he Methodist School of Cambodia (MSC) held its Thanksgiving and Awards Presentation on the morning of 25 July 2018. This annual event marked the end of the academic year 2017/2018. It was an occasion for us to give thanks to God for the Academic Year that has just ended and to celebrate with the students who did well in their studies. The event started with a short time of worship that was led by the teachers. Our very own students were the Masters of Ceremony of the event. School Board Chairman, Mr Ong Teong Hoon, was present at the event to hand out long service awards to our teachers who had taught in MSC for the last five years. This year’s Thanksgiving and Awards Presentation is a special one for MSC as we are celebrating our 20th Anniversary in October. It is yet another opportunity to thank God for His faithfulness throughout these 20 years. This was also my last Thanksgiving and Awards Presentation as the principal of MSC. MMS Missionary, Low Wee Teck, has taken over as the new principal of the school with effect from 1 August 2018. I am excited for Wee Teck as he leads the school and takes it to the next level. We look forward to the many more great years that MSC will provide quality education to the students in Cambodia.
FIELDFEATURE 27
DIA
IT IS YET ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO THANK GOD FOR HIS FAITHFULNESS THROUGHOUT THESE 20 YEARS.
PRAY • Pray for Wee Teck as the new principal. • Pray for unity among the school leaders and teachers. • Pray that the students and their families will know God.
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THAILAND
SONG-ROI PHEE Outreach Centre I
n English, Song-Roi Phee means 200 years. Song-Roi Phee Village, the two hundred-year-old village, was built the same year Bangkok celebrated her 200th anniversary as the capital city of Thailand. The outreach centre in the village, which focuses mainly on children, was started on 8 January 2017. The village has about 10,000 residents, and most of them are factory workers. And its children roughly estimate 500. Pastor Watit and his wife, Jantima, are the main drivers behind this new ministry. They offer the children after-school tuition, guitar classes, and weekend activities. These programmes are means to reach out to the children in the village. On Sundays, the couple runs a Sunday School for the village kids. They Rev Dianna Khoo engage the children in activities, and through arts and crafts, the gospel is is the MMS Area shared with them. Director for Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam. Last December, the children also went out for carolling in and around the She is looking forward village. It is heartening to see that the parents are supportive of the children’s to a year’s sabbatical participation in the programmes of the centre. next year. Recently, Pastor Watit shared with me the wonderful news of 44 of the children seeking permission from their parents to be baptised as Christians. Pastor Watit and his wife were so surprised that the children did this without any prompting from them. What a wonderful testimony of how a small seed planted and nourished with love and care has borne fruit. They are looking forward to the baptism day which should be taking place sometime before the end of this year. I am reminded that the Kingdom of God is “like a grain of mustard WHAT A seed that a man took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and WONDERFUL became a tree, and the birds of the air made nests in its branches.” (Luke 13:18-19) TESTIMONY OF HOW
A SMALL SEED PLANTED AND NOURISHED WITH LOVE AND CARE HAS BORNE FRUIT.
FIELDFEATURE 29
Pastor Watit and his family
PRAY • Pray for open doors for a supporting church to partner the ministry. • Pray for creative ministries to reach out to more adults and families around the church. • Pray for more labourers to help the pastor-in-charge to run children’s programmes and Vacation Bible School.
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THAILAND
Great is Thy Faithfulness! I
Vincent Lim is a missionary with MMS and serves in Thailand together with his wife, Phyllis, and two young daughters. His home church is Faith Methodist Church. They almost kept a giant water bug, which was as long as Phyllis’ palm, as their pet when it visited their balcony in Khon Kaen.
Editor’s note: This article was first published in the September 2018 issue of Methodist Message.
know it, sing it and acknowledge it. God’s faithfulness has been ever so real to me in my early experiences of serving as an MMS missionary in OUR HEARTS Thailand. My wife and I have discovered that we truly AND MINDS have a generous God. When we commit to His plans, ARE FILLED we will never be in want nor have to be fearful of what lies ahead. WITH AWE AND Our first challenge was our move to Thailand. Our THANKSGIVING. top priority was ensuring that all our family’s needs were considered and catered for. What should we bring? How were we to get all our belongings there? And how much would it cost to ship them? Our God in all His goodness met our needs in ways that only He could. One of our church members informed us that he was relocating to Thailand for work and offered us one whole container in which to ship our family’s belongings – at no cost! Praise God that we could stop fretting what to bring and what not to bring! But God’s favour and grace did not end there; our friend had his chauffeur send us and all our luggage from the airport to our residence. He also provided transportation for our container-load of things! As we settled into our new environment and community, the Lord had greater plans. We realised that the more important lesson the Lord wanted us to learn is to be faithful to His plans. In the course of my Thai language studies, we met youth from Don Tanin Methodist Church. I also led a classmate from China in the same language class to receive the Lord!
FIELDFEATURE 31
It also became evident that the Lord desires us to walk in intimacy with Him daily. One Sunday, we visited Don Tanin Methodist Church. We wanted to surprise our friends by turning up to worship together with them. However, we were the ones to be surprised when they invited me to preach the sermon. I was reminded of how important it is to walk closely with the Lord, so that whenever we are called to share, we are ready to bring God’s heart and His word to His people. It has been about a year since we left Singapore. We have moved from Bangkok to north-east Thailand. We have started our ministry and are learning at the feet of Jesus daily. Looking back, our hearts and minds are filled with awe and thanksgiving towards our almighty Lord and King who never fails to deliver what He wants to do through our lives. We just need to obey and remain faithful to Him, trusting in His love and grace. In all things, we give thanks to our God, for indeed, great is His Faithfulness.
PRAY • Pray for God’s continued provision of all their needs, particularly in our application for visas. • Pray that God will mould and equip them for His ministry. • Pray that God will cover this family with good health, friends, and prayer partners.
Read about God’s goodness and faithfulness in these MMS Books.
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HOMEINON... 35
MMS Family REV CLARENCE LEE, an ordained Elder with the Trinity Annual Conference, was appointed by our Bishop to serve in Thailand as a Missionary Pastor with effect from 1 July 2018. His whole family arrived in Thailand on 10 July. He will be in Bangkok for language study and will be helping out in church ministries.
HAZEL MUI from Bedok Methodist Church will be a home-based Missionary with effect from 1 November 2018. She is supporting the works in East Asia, Laos, and the Training Committee.
Former MMS Missionary LOONG APHICHAI graduated from the Trinity Theological College with a Master of Divinity degree on 12 May 2018. He is currently serving as Ministry Staff at Charis Methodist Church.
MMS Missionary GS was conferred the Master in Christian Ministry. The degree was awarded by T-NET International in collaboration with the Minnesota Graduate School of Theology. The event was held at the Closing Service of the 10th Annual Meeting of the Mission in Nepal cum Graduation Service on 2 October 2018. The T-NET journey started ten years ago when the candidates patiently and diligently went about learning and fulfilling all the requirements of the course. All our Elders in Nepal also received this award. Andrew Tay was present to witness this special occasion. He is a certified trainer of T-NET and formerly he served as the Chairman of MMS. Throughout these ten years, Andrew was their trainer and mentor. We praise God for all of them!
Dear Lord, we pray for Ps Clarence and his family. May they settle in well and assimilate into Thai culture. May they be surrounded by angels. May God protect the whole family in their coming in and going out. Let them be the salt and light for Him, and draw people to Christ. We also thank you for the faithfulness of Your servants who are involved in training. May they continue to grow in the Lord and serve You wholeheartedly. May they draw more people unto You. Amen.
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HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 3
MISSIONARY Retreat MMS held its Missionary Retreat from 26 to 29 June 2018, immediately after the GoForth 2018 National Missions Conference. The retreat is a biennial event during which our missionaries return for a time of fellowship, sharing, and learning. Through the teaching on prayer, many were refreshed, led, inspired, and empowered by the Spirit to fulfil Christ’s mandate to make disciples of all nations. We were reminded to continue to praying, and to speak healing, forgiveness, and empowerment to one another. The retreat was an enriching experience for our missionaries, their families, and the volunteers who served during the event. It affirmed that we have a God who loves us and wants to have an intimate relationship with each of us, whether we be adult or child. We should always trust in the faithfulness and provision of the Lord of the harvest! Over the last two years, MMS sent nine new missionaries to the field. What these new missionaries shared inspired and encouraged the more experienced missionaries as they looked back at their own faith journey.
"The sharing by missionaries from the various mission fields not only touched our hearts, but also encouraged us to continue in our respective ministries with greater faith and confidence in God's provision and faithfulness." – SUZANNA LEE, Missionary in Cambodia
"One day, we surprised a local church by joining their worship service to fellowship with them, but we were the ones to be surprised. I was invited to preach on the spot. God put words in me as I delivered the message in Thai, even though my proficiency in that language was limited. This was one of many difficult situations that God has seen me through and I know He will continue to do so." – VINCENT LIM, Missionary in Thailand
HOMEINON... 37
"The retreat has allowed us to hear the works and experiences of fellow missionaries. We are greatly encouraged by what was shared, especially from the more experienced missionaries." – STANLEY SEAH, Missionary in Laos
For the first time, a children’s programme was organised to enable the missionaries with families to focus on their own retreat, knowing that their children were well taken care of. One of the sessions taught the children how to hear God. One of the children shared:
"Trying to listen to God is hard, because I often don't know whether I am hearing my own thoughts or God speaking. Today, I learnt that God can speak to me in pictures, visions, and even things I encounter daily." – ZOE NICOLE LEE, 12 (daughter of Benjamin Lee, Missionary in Cambodia) One of the children’s programme facilitators shared her experience:
"Looking back on the two days with the wonderful children, I see our Abba Father showing to us once again His goodness and amazing love. My heart is filled with thankfulness and I am deeper in love with Him." – MARGARET NG, facilitator of the children’s programme, who worships at Pentecost Methodist Church
PRAY
Editor’s note: This article was first published in the August 2018 issue of Methodist Message.
• Pray for our missionaries and their families – for God’s protection and provision. • Pray for our Home Office – that God will provide able leaders to lead our teams in the fields. • Pray for each one of us to realise the plans that God has for us.
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HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 3
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 the 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 2 of Lawrence’s article. The first part of his article can be found in Harvest Force 2018 issue 2.
G
od is close to the poor, the orphans and widows, the helpless and hopeless. I have learnt to give thanks to God for every broken and suffering person I see in the streets, in the city. My heart breaks when I see the sick, the deformed and the mentally ill, still alive and kicking in the streets. It testifies to the presence of God in spite of us. Actually God invites us to journey with the poor and learn from them. We can learn from the poor what it means to be human, the simplicity of life itself. And perhaps witness the presence of God among them. When believers journey with the poor in the community, the church is planted from within the city. As Christians, we hope we are not like the unjust judge in the parable who would not lend a little finger to help, since he was one who “does not fear God nor care about men”. However, we are indeed like the unjust judge if we are one of those in positions of responsibility and yet not act righteously. Perhaps the unjust judge had been discouraged and disillusioned in his previous attempts to do good. We will be like the judge if we too harden our hearts towards those who cry for help. As the unjust judge eventually relented, worn out by the persistent plea of the widow, we too need to repent and learn to pay attention to the needy who are suffering in pain. Jesus rhetorically asked, “And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? … I tell you, He will see that they get
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(Part 2)
WE ARE INDEED LIKE THE UNJUST JUDGE IF WE ARE ONE OF THOSE IN POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY AND YET NOT ACT RIGHTEOUSLY.
justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:7-8, NIV) We can begin where God has placed us. It is a call to reveal the hope we have in Christ to help those who are in pain and suffering understand the meaning of their existential predicament, their purpose of living in history. This hope is revealed in every act of kindness we do, every word of encouragement we share, every demonstration of mercy and forgiveness we make. This hope is revealed in our persistence as we pursue truth and righteousness in our daily walk, at school, at work, at home, and at play. This year, we remember the 50th year of the assassination of the Black civil rights leader Dr Martin Luther King Jr who was gunned down by a white supremacist in Memphis, Tennessee. He was an activist for equal rights not only for the African American communities but all coloured people as well. Many people remember his famous “I Have A Dream” speech. But few people may realize that King was
firstly a Christian, and in fact a Baptist pastor rather than a politician. The people of faith who are called to demonstrate the shalom vision of the Kingdom which is a holistic vision for human destiny and flourishing, must therefore seek to pursue the righteousness of God’s Kingdom even on this side of eternity. The challenges in the city are many, and urban narratives include characters such as the poor but resilient widow and the powerful but callous judge. The Lord invites us to participate with him in the city to listen to the needs and use the ministry opportunities to extend a helping hand, to show compassion, to restore human dignity, and to point them to the hope that is transcendent yet immanent, here with us. May the Church be the hand that God can use in reaching out with hope and love, point to faith in Christ beyond this earthly city, to that which is not built by human hands, whose architect is God.
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HARVESTFORCE 2018 • 3
Missions in the YOUNGER GENERATION F
Rev Dr Chong Chin Chung 新加坡卫理公会会督 is the Bishop of The Methodist Church in Singapore. He loves classical music.
rom 21 to 23 June this year, for three consecutive days, more than 2500 participants attended the GoForth National Missions Conference. Over 40 organisations set up booths at the exhibition to showcase their work and the specialties of the cultures they serve in. What really excited the organisers this year was the strong presence of youth and young adults, and that they numbered significantly among those who responded to the call to be actively involved in missions. There was also a two-day programme for children aged 7 to 12 which proved so popular that the organisers had to limit the number to 400 children. It was a clear demonstration that Christian parents were keen for their children to learn about missions and evangelism from an early age, so that they may be open to and ready for the Lord. This is truly inspiring. Why must we pay attention to the development of missions awareness in the younger generation? There are at least four reasons: 1. The correct missions concept must be taught from young The world today is very different from the world of the early church, even when compared to the church in the 18th, 19th or 20th century. Though many concepts, theories and strategies remain useful, the environment in many mission fields have become quite forbidding. The situations evolve constantly. The earlier we help the younger generation to develop an accurate view of missions, the easier it will be to adapt to and bear with local political, social and religious conditions. 2. Mission fields need missionaries of various capabilities Much of our missions is situated in countries with emerging economies, where the concern is to catch up with the latest in intelligent technology to build a knowledge-based economy. Thus there is a great need for human capital in these areas as well as for teachers of foreign languages so as to bring everyone up to speed. We can easily find such talent among our younger generation.
As it is not easy to obtain long stay visas, and even more difficult to do so as a missionary, our missionaries need to develop up-to-date competencies or be teachers of foreign languages to enter the mission field. It is also possible for these young missionaries to consider going on short term. 3. Raise the morale of missions When young people commit themselves to missions and evangelism work, it re-ignites the passion for evangelism and invigorates the life of a church. It has a catalytic effect on all the church’s ministries, whether in discipleship and nurture, teaching, youth work, preaching, or missions. Even those members who are already involved in overseas missions find positive encouragement, and their morale is boosted. 4. The successors for the Church The future of the Church has to be in the hands of those whose hearts and minds are on the kingdom of heaven and have a sense of burden for evangelism and missions. In this way, the church continues to grow. In the west, the Church was most fruitful during the 19th century with the surge of missionary journeys over land and sea, resulting in bountiful harvests. But after that, the Church seemed to have neglected evangelism and overseas missions and fallen into decline, having lost one of life’s glorious moments. Jesus’ Great Commission was given to the first century Church that they may make disciples of all nations. If the first century Christians had not taken this commission seriously, and persevered through wave after wave of persecution, Christianity would have been wiped out a long time ago. In the same way, if the Church today does not awaken the passion for missions and evangelism in the younger generation, our precious successors may be enticed away by secular trends and materialism. “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.” (Matthew 9:37-38)
重视年轻一代的宣教 6
月21至23日一连三天举行的GoForth全国宣教大会， 共有超过2500人出席参与大会；超过40个宣教机构设 立展位向与会者介绍他们的事工及特定服侍的跨文化群 体。最令主办单位兴奋雀跃的是许多年轻人全程出席参 加，并且回应呼召愿意在未来积极参与宣教。这次大会特别 安排年龄从7岁至12岁的2天儿童组，结果反应超级热烈， 大会最终只能接纳顶线 400位儿童。这可看出许多基督徒 父母积极鼓励他们的孩子从小要有宣教传福音的意识，将 来长大了能被主差遣使用。这真令我们鼓舞。 为什么我们需要注重年轻一代的宣教意识？我认为至少 有以下几点： 1. 正确的宣教观需要自幼教导 我们活在当下，今天的世界与初期教会的时代乃至上几世 纪 18，19以及20世纪的时代很不同。虽然还有许多的宣教 概念、理论、策略可以沿用不变，但是许多宣教禾场的处境 非常严峻。局势不断变化，越早帮助年轻一代建立正确的 宣教观，越容易适应和承受当地政治社会及宗教等环境。 2. 宣教禾场需要投入拥有技能的宣教士 宣教区的国家大都处在要迈向新智能、新科技的阶段，需 要大量这方面的技术人才和外语教师以便跟上时代。我们 容易在年轻一代物色许多这类专才。 今天在世界各地外国人都不容易获取长期居 留证，以宣教士身份逗留在同一个地方更加困 难，因此非久驻的宣教士更需要具备新时 代的技术，或以外语教师的身份短期进 入禾场。
3. 提高传福音宣教的士气 因为有年轻人委身在宣教传福音的事工，带动教会对传福 音的热诚，从而使教会的生命活跃起来。对教会在发展培 育、教导、青年、布道、宣教等事工，取到催化的作用。对已 经参与海外宣教的会友无疑也是一种积极的鼓励，提高他 们的士气。 4. 教会未来的接班人 教会未来的接班人务必心怀天国的胸襟而且对传福音和宣 教有负担，这样教会才有继续发展的动力。西方教会最兴旺 的时期就是19世纪他们向海外宣教，结果累累的时候。曾几 何时教会不再看重传福音和海外宣教时，就失去了生命的 光辉，走向没落。 耶稣的大使命落在第一代的教会，要他们去使万民作基 督的门徒。要不是当年信徒们坚守这个大使命的信念，面对 一波又一波的宗教逼迫，基督教早就被淘汰。同样的，教会 对年轻一代不挑起他们宣教传福音的热诚，这些宝贵的教 会接班人将被世俗潮流和物资主义掳掠而去。 “庄稼熟了，求庄稼的主打发工人去收割庄稼。” (太 9:37-38)