A n e w s letter o f The N a viga to rs S in ga po re M C I (P ) 106/03/2018
MARCH 2019
Pioneering a new campus ministry to make disciplemakers was what Andson and Bifen desired. Seven years on, God continues to honour their commitment!
Full-time ministry is no walk in the park, and it is the team’s mission to disciple and train faithful men who share the same heart for God. (L-R) Adrian, Andson, Bifen and Siew Siew
GOING OUT IN PEACE AND JOY By Andson Tang, RP-NYP ministry leader
When Andson Tang and his wife, Bifen, began ministering in Republic Polytechnic and Nanyang Polytechnic (RP-NYP) in 2012, they claimed Isaiah 55:12,13 as a promise. God has since added Navstaff Adrian Ho and Diong Siew Siew to this team, as they faithfully serve the Lord together.
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You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be for the LORD’s renown, for an everlasting sign, which will not be destroyed. Isaiah 55:12,13
Andson—Raising the Next Generation
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I had a stable job in Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) and thought I could retire with that. However, while studying 1 Corinthians 15:58, I felt God calling me to enter full-time ministry. It has been seven years since we started our RP work, followed by NYP. While God has given us the increase, what is more encouraging is the faithful few! I am thankful that they share the same heart, mission and generational vision like we do.
Adrian—Leaving the Net Adrian was the first fruit in RP. After some sessions of Bible reading, he was convicted by the Spirit and made the decision to accept Jesus as his Lord and Saviour. Since then, Adrian has grown and committed himself to the Lord. Here is one instance of his lordship decision: I was at a camp themed “Come, Follow Me”, where Matthew 4:19,20 which talks about Peter and Andrew leaving their nets to follow Christ was shared. My “net” was the K-pop craze where I did things like pursuing idols and getting limited edition albums. During Quiet Time, Acts 19:19 spoke of how believers in Ephesus burned their sorcery books in order to worship God wholly. I wanted to sell my albums instead of burning them to recoup cost, but felt this would stumble others. So I requested Andson to dispose them for me. In the following days, I no longer had the gnawing desire to catch up with K-pop songs, news and entertainment. God had given me freedom from them. When Adrian received God’s calling four years ago through Matthew 9:37,38, he joined The Navigators Singapore as an EDGEr.
Jackson—Teamwork with Leader I (Andson) brought Jackson* to Christ in NP. Upon graduation, he helped with the RP-NYP ministry. Jackson’s faith challenge was “no man, no job”, which meant he would bring one person to Christ before finding work. God’s timing was perfect. As soon as one student accepted Christ, Jackson got a job as a subcontractor on campus! (L-R) Bifen, Siew Siew, Yin Kai and Pei Joo represent four spiritual generations in the RP-NYP ministry.
Siew Siew—To Love Jesus First Siew Siew loved her job as a kindergarten teacher. However, her work schedule limited her availability to meet with students who were keen to read the Bible. While seeking God’s will in this matter, she realised that God was challenging her to give up what she loved and to love Jesus more. Matthew 6:33 spurred her to also leave her “net” and to avail herself fully to the Lord. She joined us as an EDGEr three years ago. This year, Siew Siew is going to be a Staff-in-Training. With her heart for God and people and the Holy Spirit’s gifting, Siew Siew has established a number of disciples. Of course, the work is not all without faith and sacrifice. Yin Kai, whom she spent years equipping, is also discipling other girls, such as Pei Joo. Glory be to God!
We met Dan* in NYP when the haze was at a recordhigh of PSI 400 in June 2013. While donning masks, we shared with Dan the gospel. Having come from Malaysia, Dan sought out all kinds of exposure and fun, and had joined five Co-Curricular Activities. He made Navigators his sixth. Jackson found it hard to meet Dan during his first year, until God asked the latter why he lived life the way he did. God helped Dan simplify his life in order to focus on Christ alone. His life motto changed from “enjoy while you can” to “save while you can”. Today, Dan cycles to and from work for 15 minutes each way to attend Quiet Time sharing and to witness during lunch hour on campus. Currently, Jackson is discipling Dan, who follows-up with a few others. I commend the various labourers who have faithfully given their time to advance the Kingdom work. I strongly believe in the statement “reach the campus, reach the world” because of the energy and availability of these students. Once they are committed to Christ, God can work wonders and the lineage of spiritual generations will continue. *names have been changed
God has given the increase. Labourers in the RP-NYP ministry having a Lunar New Year meal together.
HELLO FROM FORMOSA The RP-NYP ministry team recently spent two weeks at Taiwan’s Tunghai University for mission exposure and to support the Navigator work in Taichung. Here are their highlights: Bifen—Faith to Ask, Believe and Act Upon Joshua 10:14 “There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man. Surely the LORD was fighting for Israel!” One of our objectives was to lead five persons to Christ. When we started talking to students and saw the condition of their hearts, I felt this was quite impossible. But God urged me to depend on Him like Joshua did. During our prayer walk one weekend, I asked God for two students. I was thankful to meet Siew Ling, who came to Christ. That day, Andson also led a male student to Christ. A few days in, I was tired and aching but God reminded me to be a fighter. I partnered my daughter, Joy, for witnessing. I asked God to allow her to experience His grace in leading someone to Christ despite the hard ground. We were rejected by many until we met You Zhen. Joy brought her to Christ and assured her of her newfound salvation. Later that day, Joy, Siew Siew and a missionary, brought Sheanice to Christ. The overall spiritual condition of the youths reminded me of the desperate need of the hour—an army of soldiers dedicated to Christ. We need people who not only believe He is God, but that He can fulfil every promise ever made. Nothing is too hard for Him. Praise God for the seven souls saved during this trip! Joy—Obedience Begets Blessings Malachi 3:10 “Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse,
The RP-NYP ministry team at Tunghai University. (L-R) Siew Siew, Joy, missionary couple for the campus, Andson and Bifen with their son John, and Adrian
that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” On the last day, I was really tired and found it tough witnessing for six hours in the cold of winter. However, I continued witnessing passionately because after reading God’s Word, I had promised to bring my whole tithe into His storehouse. That day, a girl I spoke with received Christ into her life with much tears. Such a sincere and vulnerable response to the gospel was unique to me. I was moved when she thanked us and said she felt as if God hugged her when she prayed to accept Christ. This trip was a hundred-fold blessing from God (see Mark 10:29-30). He showed me what it meant to hold fast to His Word. I would not have held to His promises as desperately if He had answered my faith goal early on. God is a promise keeper and answers immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine. I can’t be more assured of the fact that only through abiding in Christ will we bear much fruit (see John 15:5).
Team members with students they shared the gospel with. (Left) Siew Ling (Middle) You Zhen (Right) Sheanice
RETURNING HOME By Tan Jee Long, Director of Missions Tan Jee Long and his wife, Lydia, long-term missionaries to East Asia, returned to Singapore in 2017. Jee Long shares with us a little about themselves, their calling to missions, his experiences of business as a mission and how we too can labour across cultures. He now serves as our Director of Missions.
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Faith Journey of 25 Years I was involved in The Navigators since my university days. I had a clear calling from God for missions even as I laboured on campus in Singapore. In 1992 my wife and I finally got the opportunity through a job vacancy in East Asia, and so we embarked on our new faith journey. The first few months in East Asia were a honeymoon period. Then cross-cultural fatigue set in. It was a steep learning curve for the two years we worked there. When we had our second child, we took a break and returned to Singapore. While evaluating the pros and cons of living and ministering long-term in East Asia, God tenderly whispered to us, “After all these, do you still love them?” Thus, we returned to East Asia for another 23 years till 2017. Business as Missions In that time, we leveraged business for missions, that is, to use it as a platform to reach out and minister to locals. We partnered with a friend and two other couples in various business partnerships. This way, I could disciple them as they ministered to others. Their influence in the business community brought many into the faith, and they modelled a Christ-centred life for young families. As the ministry grew, new local communities were formed and local leaders emerged. These leaders embraced The Navigators Calling: “To advance the gospel of Jesus and His
While evaluating the pros and cons of living in East Asia, God asked us, “After all these, do you still love them?”
Jee Long and his wife, Lydia, leveraged business for missions in East Asia for the last 23 years. They are ready to come alongside labourers called to go across cultures.
Kingdom into the nations through spiritual generations of labourers … ”, hence it was with a peace of mind that we handed the ministry over to the locals there. My Role as Director of Missions God has blessed us with many labourers through our local Nav ministries, and I believe God calls many to be cross-cultural labourers. My Missions team and I will come alongside them as they seek to fulfil God’s calling for them. We have short term mission exposure trips lasting for a few months and a mid-term training programme which lasts two years. Before launching into long-term cross-cultural living, we will coach, train and raise support to prepare our labourers for life-long venture and effectiveness as missionaries. Defining a Cross-cultural Labourer He is effectively a missionary who chooses to leave his people and culture in order to bring the gospel to an unreached group of people. He can go in the capacity of a volunteer social worker, student, teacher, professional or business owner. He witnesses by life, shares the gospel and brings them into God’s Kingdom. He raises up disciples among them and has them disciple others who will do the same. Requirements of Labourers While we fear venturing into the unknown, only one thing is needed—we must be called by God. When God calls, His calling is uniquely yours and He alone is responsible for you and your family. As Hudson Taylor said, “God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply.” For the 25 years God called us to journey with Him, we have not lacked anything. Our heart’s cry should be like Moses’, “Do not send us unless you go with us (see Exodus 33:15).”
PRAYER PULSE
FROM THE NATIONAL DIRECTOR Yap Kim Meng
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n 20 February, Nav-Community Ministry (NCM) hosted a dinner fellowship and talk by Allen Tie. A Malaysian, Allen was helped by The Navigators during his university days in New Zealand. He spent the last 19 years in East Asia’s marketplace. Allen currently serves as National Director of International Student Ministries of New Zealand. Allen shared of the ups and downs of leaving his job to do ministry in East Asia, on his ministry amongst international students and graduates, and discipling in the marketplace for 11 years. When Allen and his wife, Swee Lee, departed for New Zealand, they held on to God’s promise that He would surely reward their obedience with many fruits. For the couple, New Zealand was the land of milk and honey, until they realised it was hard ground. 2017 became their toughest year. Despite experiencing difficulties, I’m heartened by what Allen concluded, “Imagine how ironic the scene would be, in the Parable of the Sower, if the seed dictated to the sower where it should be sown. The sower knows better. Hence, where God sows will be the best place for us to be sown. Our job is to just grow and flourish. We need to relinquish control and surrender to the Father, just as Jesus Himself did.” Creating a culture of discipleship takes time. Let’s continue to lift up our labourers in prayer as they advance the Kingdom of God.
NavStaff Family Retreat 2019 (18-21 March) Pray for journey mercies, for staff to bond as a family and for the Lord to minister to us individually. Vacation Training Programme: Polytechnics (March–April) and Universities (May– August) Pray for life transformation as our students and leaders undergo training in ministry skills and godly character.
Various Ministries’ Outreach Events on Good Friday (19 April), Labour Day (1 May) and Poly Freshmen Orientation Week (March–April) Pray for the gospel to be shared with great clarity, conviction and power, and for hearts to be receptive. Asia-Pacific Women’s Conference “Flowing Jars of Aroma” @ Siem Reap, Cambodia (26-30 June) 20 local labourers will be in attendance. Pray that they will heed The Navigators Calling to become life-long labourers.
www.navigators.org.sg @SingaporeNavigators The Navigators Singapore, 117 Lor K, Telok Kurau, Singapore 425758 Tel: (65) 6344 4133 Email: admin@navigators.org.sg The calling of The Navigators is to advance the gospel of Jesus and His Kingdom into the nations through spiritual generations of labourers living and discipling among the lost. Views expressed in published articles are those of the individual writers and may not necessarily be the views of The Navigators Singapore. All Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® Copyright © 1984, unless otherwise stated.
National Director: Yap Kim Meng Editor: Kylie Chia Writer: Sophie Sim-Lawrence
Allen (standing) sharing that effective discipleship is based upon an invitation to a relationship and a challenge to change.
Printer: Seng Lee Press © 2019 by The Navigators Singapore
