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Bracing the Challenge

The year 2005 has been one of the most challenging years for Community Baptist Church. The events from 2004 were carried over to 2005 and the enemy came with added vengeance. The Lord sustained the people with the verse from Isaiah 59: 19 “….when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.” The issues are common to churches in the Klang Valley and it had to do with people, money, and leadership; CBC responded with the grace of God. Different centers responded differently and a beautiful dovetail of God’s grace and perseverance were evident among the people. Is there a contradiction between our theme on the Year of the Lord’s Increase with what was going on in the church? Certainly! I see the pruning process as a continuous function of God in order to bring the church to His standard. The topics in the last few months were right to the point. It challenged us to a purpose in life, our sufferings, and the need to see all things from God’s perspectives.

 

There were 3 things that we encountered this year:-

Firstly, we learned to raise our faith to a new level. This is so elementary that oftentimes we think we were exercising faith when all the time we were relying on our own strengths and creativity. Our minds and brain worked overtime. Though many of the projects were noteworthy, none will count for the kingdom of God unless it was done with faith. During this period the book of Isaiah, especially in chapters 29 to 35 were poignantly meaningful. There were not much understanding in the beginning; after a couple of weeks, suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, chapters 29 to 33 hit me. In these couple of chapters, the nation of Israel was rebuked for going down to Egypt for help and the Lord called them rebellious children. Who do we rely on in times of difficulties? Very often our worldly thinking takes over without the slightest reference to the issue of faith. This was our weakness and very quickly the prayer time was turned to repentance for our carnal ways. Like a shot in the arm, the Lord immediately responded marvelously and reminded us once more that He is the Lord of all creation. It is not merely talk, but now, the element of faith has begun to rise among God’s people. Many came forward to help in the funding of Kota Damanasara. I believe greater things are in store for us as we raise the water level of faith in the church. It will come!

 

Secondly, we see a new level of perseverance among the people. The enemy divides but the Lord unites. While true unity is spiritual and not physical, the demonstration of ‘hanging in there’ in difficult times were exemplary and heart warming. The demonstration of love and perseverance kept the light burning. Many would not have noticed what was going on or simply brushed the issue aside; but the closing of ranks among members and leaders was solid! It evolved from being merely physical to spiritual. We all should see this as an act of God’s grace and give Him all the glory. Where can I find this kind of people? It is not in the world. The best we have in the world is a club house or for the sick, the hospice. What we have can only happen in a true Christian community! It is the willingness to stick together for no other reason than for the glory of God. I say “shabas” to all the people in CBC. Isaiah 35 seemed to come to life and those that walked in it were truly blessed.

 

Thirdly, we see a new dimension in our mission endeavor. The commitment among those ploughing the ground through the mundane was an example of the life of Jesus. This is not particularly a glamorous work and yet what is done for these little ones will be remembered for eternity. At this stage we walk by faith and just do what the Lord brings before us until we begin to see an unfolding of His sovereign plan in this area. We are actively thinking and praying what would be the next step but the Lord must direct the plans. I believe in the near future we are going to see a new breed of missionaries. These are unusual times and we should expect the Lord to do unusual things in our lives.

 

The pruning would continue as we ask the Lord for another year of increase in 2006. If what is happening in 2005 is an indicator of what is the worst the enemy could do, we can victoriously move into 2006 with the blessings of our Lord. Each time the enemy strikes, we would be drawn closer to the Lord. The enemy needs a ground or place in our lives to operate. As long as we do not allow him entry he is powerless against the saints of God. This is our heritage and the increase would come in ways we do not expect. Our position must be one of faithfulness to Him.

 

May the Lord in 2006 grant you His assurance and His glory to accomplish His work in you to increase in the area of Word Foundation, Outreach, Renewal, Service, Holiness, Intimacy, and Purpose.

 

Blessings,

Pastor Richard Toh

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Noble Pursuit

A gutsy Malaysian gave up his law career to search for the meaning of life. THAM AI MEI has the story (as published in the STAR newspaper on November 14, 2005)

 

Ron Choong

Name: Ron Choong
Age: 45
Hometown: Petaling Jaya
Education:TAR College, Kuala Lumpur; London University, Open University, Britain; Princeton Seminary, New Haven, Yale University, Connecticut, United States
Occupation: Ordained minister and apologist, founding director of Academy for Christian Thought (ACT)
Current base: New York City
Years abroad: Six in Britain, 15 in the United States 

 

CHARISMATIC Reverend Ron Choong is on a quest for truth. To him, religion and science are two fields of inquiry that are inextricably linked. These two seemingly different interests brought him to New York, where he founded the Academy for Christian Thought (ACT) in 2002. 

 

“The academy is a resource facility where people can come to search for information. I lecture on various topics including philosophy, science, theology and how they connect to each other,” he explained. Choong was in Kuala Lumpur recently for a short break. 

 

Hearing him speak so convincingly about his personal faith in Jesus, one is hard pressed to think that Choong didn’t set out to be a Christian minister. This Petaling Jaya boy studied science at TAR College and subsequently took up law at London University in 1984 in Britain.  

 

After graduating with a law degree and another degree from the Open University in Britain, Choong practised international trade law but decided to give up his flourishing career in search of truth for personal reasons. He wanted to test the reality of his Christian beliefs against the reality of everyday beliefs.  

 

As an international student himself, he felt other people wanted to know more about the Christian faith and the meaning of life. He decided to share his faith with international students in New York. “I was not married at that time (he was only in his late 20s then) and I thought that there was no better time to do this. Initially, I wanted to do this for only a few months – find out more about Jesus Christ, get over with it and go back to my career in law,” he said. 

 

Then, armed with “just one suitcase and the Bible”, the brave young man ventured to the Big Apple.  “New York is a very harsh city where everything has to be fast. If you say something, people will challenge you. This is the city where more than 200 countries are represented, the ideal place to test myself in ministry. It was scary at first,” he confessed with a grin. Choong sold off everything he had in London and was without income.  

 

“This was my way of testing my ideas against the ideas of people around the world. My mind was my laboratory and my thought process was challenged everywhere I went.”  

 

In his bid to clarify Christianity, Choong studied the history of Christianity and even took up Latin, German, French, Greek and Hebrew to understand the ancient texts. 

 

“My training as a lawyer helped me to consider counterfactuals, to see the other side of every argument. My science background helped me to understand the power of scientific inference as well as its limitations. Science cannot make judgments, but it helps to explain what we know and predict what we don’t,” he explained. 

 

Once in New York, Choong joined the International Students Incorporated (ISI) – a Christian organisation, and became the director for the New York branch. 

 

“My job was to share the Bible with non-Christians from all over the world. I did that for six years and I had to raise my own salary from donations. I had to invite other Christian friends to contribute so that I could survive,” he added. 

 

In 1996, Choong decided to get professional training in Christian theology and applied for a scholarship at Princeton.“The Princeton scholarship was meant only for Americans but I wrote in anyway, thanks to an encouraging Singaporean professor there,” Choong disclosed. As a result, he garnered a three-year scholarship for a masters degree in divinity. He then continued with an advanced masters in theology at Princeton and graduated in 2000. 

 

In 2002, Choong formed ACT. “I decided to set up ACT because I wanted to study more about other beliefs besides Christianity. Among other events, we give seminars on different topics every month at the Empire State Building and they are open to the public. We are very excited because this year, we won a grant from the Templeton Foundation and this has put us on the map in the field of science and theology,” he said. 

 

Choong is married to Macy’s fashion designer, Lingmei Lin. “It’s healthy for me to have someone from a different world in my life,” he said. “She comes home from work and we discuss the challenges facing corporate America and this enriches my understanding of the human condition from a Christian perspective, helping me develop a Christian world view.” 

 

”I wake up every morning amazed that I do what I love doing, thinking about God’s generosity and the Christian promise, and what this means to humanity.  

“The life of the mind is a great privilege indeed. My job is to share what I have learned as responsibly as possible.” 

Choong’s ministry website is www.actministry.org

 

Editor’s Note: Ron was converted in CBC as a teenager. He became a missionary in 1990. In CBC News Issue 38, you can read of an interview with Ron of his ministry in New York.

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Mum Believes Jesus Heals!

Let me tell you about my cousin Ban. End of last year, Ban had an unfortunate motorcycle accident and fractured his ankle. So he had to move around on crutches with his foot in plaster. Soon, what seemed like a simple fracture ran into problems. The bones would not grow and fuse, thus leaving a gap and unbearable pain at every step. After a few months of no progress, he sought out another hospital for treatment. By August this year, nine months after the accident, he was still on crutches and there was even suggestion of further surgery  (for grafting of the bone). So, after having undergone minor surgery, facing mounting medical bills, surviving on a reduced pay and with no hope of recovery in sight, Ban was desperate. The poor fellow.

 

When my mother heard about Ban’s hopeless condition, she felt compassion for him. Two years ago, my mother had been on the verge of a nervous breakdown – she would be startled and scared at the slightest sudden noise and she had also lost confidence in herself. One afternoon, finding her in pain, I prayed and laid hands on her, after which she had a nap. When she awoke, she told me that she had dreamt of Jesus cleansing her in a river and healing her. From that day on, she recovered completely and regained her former confident self. She even started telling my other cousins about her                       experience. A few days ago, while waiting to see her doctor at Lam Wah Ee Hospital, she was telling a few patients about seeking help from Jesus. Goodness! She was witnessing for Jesus so naturally.

 

So my mum, upon hearing about Ban’s condition, decided to do something about it. Knowing that Ban is a Christian and that Jesus can heal, she set herself the burden of asking Jesus for help. For three days (morning and night) she called on the name of Jesus, `talked’ to Jesus in her own way and asked Jesus to heal Ban. After that she felt satisfied that she had done her part.

 

When I met Ban this morning (October 16, 2005) before church service, he was walking towards me with a smile on his face, slowly but normally, without crutches or plaster cast, but with an umbrella for balance and gentle support. He explained that he is recovering and that the bones had started to grow. What a relief after months of losing hope. My mother was delighted when told of Ban’s improvement.

 

Well, what do you know! An elderly woman without much education, who cannot speak English and never formally learnt to pray, can ask Jesus for help in her own simple way and our Lord graciously answered her prayer. Hallelujah! WOW! Trust my mother, she has experienced it and she has seen it – that JESUS HEALS!

 

Surprisingly, my mother is still not a Christian but I know her heart is with Jesus. I have prayed for her and I know the Holy Spirit is changing her. I know that eventually there will be a breakthrough in this area of her life. My prayers for her continue.

By Steven Cheah

CBC Subang Centre

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Enlarge My Territory...

(Jennifer Lim writes from Nairobi, Kenya)

Be careful when you pray The Prayer of Jabez,

 

“Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory,...”

 

Blessings are nice, may be replacing the old beat up car with a new one, finally getting your own place instead of paying rent, even travel beyond Bangkok, Phuket route for a change,...those are nice....and you probably deserve them....but what about the “enlarge my territory” part, ...do you want it and are you ready for it ?...fortunately or unfortunately the Jabez prayer comes in a whole package.

 

Now, about the part that says “...enlarge my territory...”.

 

We started off manageable, with me volunteering to teach at Sunday School for the Chinese fellowship in Kenya. Before, I know it, I had been elected chairperson of the Kenya Chinese Gospel Fellowship, now how did that happen?...I’m still not so clear. Now, I have to lead the music team, Bible study, visitations, all in the Chinese Language. I must admit at times I cheated (out of desperation)...I memorize prayers! You have to understand, somebody years ago should have told me I should brush up my Chinese, there will come a day I might need it.

 

Well, there’s more...

 

This is a small fellowship without a pastor. As such, my job is to get visiting Chinese missionaries/teams from overseas, so as to give the congregation a refreshing change (from my horrible Chinese). However, this comes with another set of problems, so those who are mission minded, please listen well: Most short term missionaries often start off with certain amount of culture shock. Basically, visiting missionaries are not ready for the realities of living in Africa. They are hardly prepared to minister to a group of immigrants who are struggling with multiple issues of language, culture, economics, etc. The fault of many missionaries is carrying around a ‘romantic’ view of great mission exploits, born of what they have heard or read about the mission field, and preconceived ideas of what they will do, expected results, etc. You see, the intentions are good, but these dynamics often leave things in a worse state. So, part of my job is to repair the damage.

 

But there are blessings too, the group of 30 members are growing in maturity. The strength of this group is in its stability. Serving as a shelter for many a visiting main land Chinese, the fellowship has seen more than 400 come and go. Many take the gospel back to China with them and make an impact on their families. There was one young boy, about 19, who came 5 months ago to train for the long distance Olympic run (Kenya is a good place to train because of the high altitude) Before he left, John led him to say the sinner’s prayer. He later went back to China and joined a sports training school. At the school, he had an opportunity to go on stage to present a speech. He spoke on “The Truth of God”. He received a standing ovation and excited                                                                 

many young people to seek and learn the truth! This is the kind of testimony that gives you energy to persevere when the going gets tough.

 

There are days in the service of God where things can seem repetitive and mundane. Nothing much seems to be happening, and then, wham! God springs a surprise...

 

Suddenly, there is an opportunity to do some works in Congo!

 

One of our members, a businessman, also called John (Yang), went into Congo to look for timber. It was difficult, after years of war, many experts on trees are no longer around. By accident, he managed to locate someone who do know about trees but the person is too busy to go into the forest with him. John Yang found out that this person, a Rev Bulambo Lembelembe, works for the National Church Council of Congo, NCCC (responsible for some 2 million Christians in Congo). The reason he was too busy is because he is working on a project to rehabilitate ex-child soldiers of the rebel forces in Congo. John Yang was very sympathetic because while traveling around on business in Congo, he had been stopped twice by child soldiers (their guns taller than them) who have begun to emerge from the forests. This is because a peace treaty had been signed between the rebel forces and the government, thus ending a 30-year-old war. The long and short of it is, John Yang signed an agreement with NCCC with the backing of our Chinese fellowship to help rehabilitate these child soldiers! Through a combined effort of both commercial and church-led, a rehab center and vocational schools will be built. Timber will be exploited from church owned land to pay for this project. At the same time, there will be development of the land through agriculture and mining. The amazing thing is, some of the ex-child soldiers had prophesied this happening 2 years ago during a prayer meeting! They said some people will come and meet Rev Bulambo Lembelembe at his house and these people who come from Kenya will help them. Nobody believed them at that time as the Reverend had no place of his own and does not know any one from Kenya. Isn’t God amazing!

 

This is a big project for John Yang...a real blessing for him commercially and at the same time, an enlargement of the territory in the kingdom of God! We are excited and hope to lead the fellowship to work alongside him. We can see opportunities of working with other missionaries through using the Chinese church as a base to help these children in Congo. I have already begun contacts with 4C Bible Ministry from Dallas, Free Methodist World Missions and Go International. Much is to be done!

 

                                                                    

It is also of interest that John Lim had asked his company to allow him to stay in Kenya for another 2-3 years, and this even before we knew of this new works in Congo!

 

God is indeed a God who answers prayers, if you are willing, He will enlarge your territory.....

 

... so, pray and then go get ready.

By Jennifer Lim

CBC member living in Nairobu, Kenya, with husband, John, and 2 sons.

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Your Giving…..Touching a Lost World

By Annette Burkette and Manda Roten Gibson

 

God has brought physical and spiritual healing to survivors of the December 26, 2004, tsunami through Southern Baptists, who gave more than $15.6 million for tsunami relief through the International Mission Board (IMB) World Hunger and Relief Ministries. Money went ot aid projects across southern Asia, including food and water distribution, medical supplies, temporary shelter and sanitation.

                Southern Baptists’ gifts also are supporting long-term projects to help these communities recover and rebuild, sid Jim Brown, the IMB’s specialist for world hunger and relief ministries. Every penny goes to tsunami-related ministry. Early in the year, relief gifts helped one Singhalese Buddhist trust Jesus. He was a driver for Sri Lankan Christians working with IMB workers. The Christians were collecting supplies for survivors. When asked, the Christians told the driver why they were there. By day’s end, the Buddhist had placed his faith in Jesus.

                Because Southern Baptists also have given faithfully through the Cooperative Program and Lottie Moon Christmas Offering®, personnel were in a position to respond immediately after the tsunami. They already had relationships with local Christians who helped them see the greatest needs. Disaster relief-trained volunteers rushed to help, too. “We were there early, and we were there with people who knew the language and culture,” said Don Dent, IMB regional leader for work in the Pacific Rim. “We’ve done feeding. We’ve done a lot of medical work. We’ve dug mass graves for villages. We’ve cleaned out houses…We’ve done some building projects…We knew the funds were there because Southern Baptists were responding immediately and generously.”

Opening Doors

                A Buddhist monk watched local Christians help survivors regardless of their religion. He told a pastor, ”I used to turn my head the other way in hatred when I walked by your church, but now I see the real heart of the church.” The monk owned enough land for 10 houses and offered it to the Christians to build for those who lost their homes.

                Tsunami relief opened doors long closed in Aceh, Indonesia – a Muslim stronghold. “The people of Aceh were devastated to the point of hopelessness,” said Rick Kuter, a representative of the Pacific Rim. Kuter said one of their greatest needs was for someone to listen and give them hope.

                “The people are amazed to see strangers from outside of their country who care enough about them to come and work in such adverse circumstances,” said Kuter. “They’re asking why the ‘non-Muslim’ world would care about them and respond at such levels.”

Making a Difference

                Southern Baptist volunteers have shared story after story about what they saw and who they helped throughout the region. One local father and son were living in ankle-deep mud, sleeping on a bed just high enough to escape the water. Despair and hopelessness were on their faces. With the father too old and the son too young, how would they get all the mud and destroyed belongings out of the house?

                A group of volunteers removed every thing. Saving what they could, and shoveled mud. As one of the floors became visible, hope began to replace despair. The son, no more than 12, worked as hard as any adult on the team. By the end of the day, the mud was gone. The father sat speechless, choking back tears of joy for the hope offered him by strangers.

                Muslims in another village invited volunteers to help demolish a heavily damaged building. After the second day, a villager asked a volunteer about his faith. The volunteer replied that he was a follower of Jesus Christ. He asked if his group could pray with the villagers. The villager assumed they would pray in English with their eyes closed. The group, however, prayed in the local language, held out their hands and kept their eyes opened in an expression of respect for the local Muslim culture. Impressed, the villager introduced them as “ones surrendered to God through Jesus.”  

Another group of volunteers traveled to a displaced person’s camp to play with children and show them how to stay healthy by eating good food, taking vitamins and brushing their teeth. Each child was given food, vitamins, a toothbrush, toothpaste and a few toys. The volunteers showed the children they were not forgotten. Their games allowed the kids to have fun. Even in devastation, they laughed and smiled.

                “We are praying that the doors to places like Indonesia and Thailand remain open so that assistance can continue to be offered,” said Kuter.

Doing Follow Up

                In the months following the initial cleanup, Dent expected work “to transition to more reconstruction and development of (local) economies, which is great because there’s a lot of relationship building we can do.” He acknowledged there must be “10,000 volunteer teams that want to come build something.” But he stressed this is no time to build churches – especially in Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist communities carefully watching what Christian volunteers do in their midst.

                “It’s a time to build community centers at schools or housing,” he said. Though mot all can go as volunteers, everyone can bring help and hope by praying and giving, said Pierce Hosmer*, an IMB worker among Singhalese Buddhists. He asked Southern Baptists to pray for those helping with tsunami relief efforts. “We want to act with purpose – not just doing good works, but serving in obedience to God’s will and with His guidance,” he said. “Pray that He would lead and we would listen.”

                “Not everyone is happy that foreigners are in these places,” said Dent. “But Christians

are having an impact. People are overwhelmed that foreigners are coming and helping them. We just ask people to keep praying that the long-term opportunity will ge there. I’m asking people to pray that God will open a door that no man can shut.”

               

*Name has been changed for security reasons.

 

Lottie Moon Christmas Offering® is a registered trademark on Woman’s Missionary Union. Annette Burkette is a freelance writer and home school mom of two children. She and her husband, Tyler, served as International Service Corps (ISC) missionaries with the IMB in Western Europe. They are members of Cool Spring Baptist Church in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Manda Roten Gibson is a staff writer at the IMB. She and her husband are members of Bon Air Baptist Church, and they teach English as a Second Language.

[Article taken from “Life?Answers”

Winter 2005 issue.]

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House of Hope

(Home for the children who survived the tsunami)

Almost a year after the tsunami hit the eastern coast of India, 28 children were adopted through the partnership of Harvest Apostolic Church and CBC. These children were brought to Chennai and housed in a rented premise called “House of Hope.” Many have inquired how the children are faring. Here’s what Jessie, CBC member, married to Pastor Kumar has to share……….

 

 

Jessie Kumar writes from Chennai, India……

 

A typical day in the life of the children looks like this:-

6.00 am - Get up and have a wash
6.30 am - Area cleaning & bath
7.00 am - Morning Prayers
7.30 am - Breakfast
8.10 am - Leave for school
2.15 pm - Younger children (Lower Kindergarten & Upper Kindergarten) are back from school.    They do their homework and then have a rest before the older ones get home.
4.30 pm - Younger children get up, wash and join the older ones
4.45 pm - Older children are back from school, wash up and relax
5.15 pm - Evening Tea
5.45 pm - Studies (homework, revision etc)
7.15 pm - Bible Quiz
7.35 pm - Evening Prayers
8.00 pm - Dinner, wash up and get things (uniform, school bag, etc) ready for next day
9.00 pm - BED time

Initially, I was there at HOH literally day and night! But now that things are up and running, the atmosphere there is more relaxed as the children have settled to a routine. Now, our staff are able to handle and take care of the kids; the day to day running of things, without any supervision. I do however, go in when necessary, when I am busy or almost everyday when I am less busy... just to see the kids and to spend time with them.

There have been lots of changes
Physical Changes: Some have grown taller. Most of them have put on weight! Most family members after visiting the children, reported to their respective pastors that their child looked fair and bright and have put on weight. This is the feedback we get from the pastors.

Skin disease: Some of the children had very bad skin disease when they first came but now ALL are healed!

Healthier Hair: NO more head lice! Two children had brown hair and we shaved them bald, today they have black shiny hair!

Most passed their exams, and few of them got 1st in class!

Present needs
a) Washing Machine
Although we have a lady to wash all the clothes, it would be good to have a washing machine to wash all the bed sheets, blankets and towels, etc. Also during the rainy season, to put washed clothes in the dryer would help the clothes to dry quicker! 

b) Freezer

A freezer would come in handy and that would save shopping time.
Long term needs
Own Land and Building
We went house hunting for approximately 50 houses before we settled at the present premises. Most house owners refused to give their house for children. Finally, one man was willing to give his house and he especially gave it because of the children! Unfortunately, after 6 months - the owner sold the house and has asked us to vacate. The new owner has given us till Nov 25 to vacate the house. After another round of house hunting and MUCH prayer by our staff and church, we found a new house just last week and signed the agreement last Thursday! So, the children will be moving to their new home hopefully by 24 Nov. With all this hassle, we foresee

that it would be wise to have our own land and building. That would cost approximately, RM300,000.

Sponsorship of Children

At the moment only 3 more children need sponsorships. Praise the Lord! At present, we are blessed to see the Lord touching different people, cell groups and churches to come forward (with compassion) to support these less fortunate children, to give them a hope and a bright future by giving them good education. These children will be supported and looked after till they are able to stand on their own two feet, which means providing for them till college and till they are able to support themselves.

Please pray, we just had a phone call from one of the children's father, requesting us to retain his child at House of Hope, this Christmas because the hut in which the government has provided after the Tsunami is now flooded with water due to the recent floods! And about 40 families are now relocated to a school for temporary shelter...
                                                                                                                       Blessings,

                                                                                                                  Jessie Kumar

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Amazing Discovery Days 2005

Wow, how time flies when you are enjoying yourselves! It is already the 5^th year since I started serving in the Children’s Ministry. Every year, we look forward to the Discovery Days with renewed enthusiasm. Jesus said in Matthew 11:30, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

 

This year is no different from previous years. God provided the helpers and made way for a successful and exciting two days, from November 18^th to 19^th. This year, we had more brothers helping and we also broke the record of more than 120 registered children. We invited 30 Myanmar children, between the ages of  6 to 12 to join us. Praise God that everything went like clock-work!

 

Right at the start, the children were welcome to an exciting journey of Discovery. There was worship with action, followed by a skit entitled, “The little maid” presented by the Lower and Upper Primary children. Across the road, at the church house, the children were taught how to bake “mini pizzas.” The younger children learnt how to prepare sandwiches, which were later enjoyed by all at tea time.

 

Discovery Days 2005 children in SS2 – listening attentively

 

Seeing the Myanmar children having so much fun during games was a sight to behold. There was no communication barrier there! In the afternoon, there was an unexpected power failure, but our prayers were promptly answered. Praise the Lord!

 

On the morning of the 2^nd day, a trip to the Pusat Sains Negara was well organized. Later, at the craft session, there were a few emerging artists. The best was left to the last when we explored the children’s creativity through the Recycling Project.. The children had to create full costumes with newspapers! It was truly wonderful to see their creation. Some even refused to remove them even after the judging and prize giving was over.

 

This year, there was a hamper to be won by the best behaved age group. The winniers – the 10 to 12 age group, generously gave their prize away to our visitors from Myanmar, with love. Everyone agreed to this gesture as the Myanmar kids were very disciplined over the two days. They really deserve the prize.

 

This time round, the first time helpers were more tired than the ‘veterans’ but they received an unforgettable experience. I am sure many would want to help again next year.

 

Through the testimony of Sister Pat Wuan, the children learnt of God’s presence and protection to those who love Him. What had happened was, Pat moved her seat a few inches away when her handphone rang. Just then, the heavy speaker, hanging from the ceiling, came crashing down, hitting the ground where Pat’s chair was originally! Isn’t God amazing?

 

Lastly, to those who have been serving for more than 10 years to 20 years in the ministry, with unfailing passion, we look to you as our mentors who inspire us. We look forward to another exciting Discovery Days 2006!

By Helen Tan

Children’s Ministry SS2 Centre

 

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So You Want To Convert?

The international Para-church organization, Campus Crusade for Christ has an excellent definition for witnessing – or sharing the Gospel that says: ‘Witnessing is just sharing Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit, and leaving the results to God.’ How true that is! Many times we want to see the person we are witnessing to, receive Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord there and then itself, and then get upset because that person does not! Well, actually, converting that unbeliever was not our responsibility, in the first place, but that privilege really belongs to GOD alone (Ezek.11:19-20).  

 

This very truth also holds true when we are holding dialogues with our Malay friends. When anyone says that we are trying to ‘convert’ them, we can honestly tell them that is really not our intention, so they really don’t have basis for any suspicions.  What we are doing is just to hold  discussions and an open dialogue with our ‘spiritual cousins’. There is no law against that here in our country. 

 

In fact, just a year ago, our new Prime Minister “Pak Lah” said some very important things that is significant to the Malaysian Christian church. On August 4, 2004, he declared:

“The future of Muslims and Islam, lies ultimately in working with others for mutual enrichment, and not in conflict with them. We cannot advance by building walls and retreating into our shells. We (Muslims) must actively seek out and engage the other, for there is much that we can learn from them.”¹    

 

Here the Malaysian PM, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is himself making a call to both the Christians and the Muslims of Malaysia to ‘be engaged with one another’ so that we can learn from each other. Isn’t that a great thing?

He also made the following statement in the same month of last year at another Conference in Kuala Lumpur:

 

“I believe it is important for the citizens of this country to realize that tolerance of each other goes beyond mere co-existence. It also means engaging with one another, creating and sustaining an open dialogue and building a permanent bridge of co-operation through mutual participation. I come here not just as the Prime Minister of the host country, but as a Muslim who wants to initiate a dialogue with his Christian friends. So that we are able to talk in a world in which it seems increasingly difficult to do so.”² (emphasis added)

 

Here, the PM declares that Malaysian Muslims and Christians must get together in dialogue and open discussions with one another for the good and the future of our country. And this is indeed a great and wonderful opportunity for citizens to engender understanding, tolerance and respect for each other, and at the same time, remove barriers and obstacles that promote hostility and racism in a plural and multi-ethnic, multi-religious society such as Malaysia!

 

Interestingly enough, this whole approach of dialogue above, that our PM is declaring and promoting, is indeed a key part of Islam Hadhari or Civilizational Islam. He is really trying to bridge the Muslims and Christians together on this platform.

 

As for us, Christians, this really is God’s open door for us in the 21^st Century in Malaysia. How else could we deal with and excise the numerous misunderstandings that exist mutually between Muslims AND Christians and have bedeviled our relationship for centuries, right unto this very day?       

So, can YOU do dialogue? That is the key issue here, not trying to convert anybody, but to share and to listen intelligently so that we can have a rewarding and fruitful exchange of religious ideas, experiences and convictions. Then God will do His part, as He always does.

 

Just do not insult their religious beliefs, their scriptures and/or founder, do not hurt their feelings unnecessarily, and you are on the right track on dialogue.

 

Are we going to take up God’s open door for us in Malaysia this century, or are we too blur to make out what the Lord is doing through our leadership today? May God give us grace to become His vessels of blessing to the lost around us.

 

References:

1. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, ‘Muslims and Islam in the 21^st Century: Image and Reality’, Prime  Minister’s Speech at PWTC, K.L. on 4 August 2004.
2. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, ‘Dialogue the Key to Unity of MultiReligious, Multiethnic and Multicultural Societies.’, PM’s Speech for the Commission of Faith and Order of the WCC, Federal Hotel, K.L., 3 August 2004

 

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Letter from Daniel and Levi (Oct.24, 2005)

Greetings. First and foremost, I wish to thank you for your unceasing prayers.  Your prayers have carried us through much of the intensity of ministries in this season. These last 4 months have been very eventful for us especially Levi was away for extended missions in Myanmar, Nepal, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Japan until early August with Samuel and I based in Kansas City. It was at that time that I oversee the International programs with Mexican, Dutch and Chinese that came to be trained in IHOP Missions Base Kansas City and Fall semester Intake of the Forerunner School of Ministry (FSM) with about 70 additional first year bible school students. Samuel has also begun his 3 years old pre-school at Happy Heart Preschool.

 

Myanmar Bible Projects

A.Bible Software

The Burmese Bible is now ready with words and phrases search function on CD version. Beside, there are now 6 online Bibles in Burmese, Tedim Chin, Kachin, Hakha Chin, Cho Chin and Zotung are available online on www.myanmarbible.com. This official Myanmar Bible Society website is built by Levi and maintain from her computer daily. Levi her brothers Andrew and Charles and a software engineer Keith are working tirelessly daily to get many more electronic Bible in Myanmar languages available. Right now, the software is scheduled to launch in August 2006 during Myanmar Bible Day. We are praying towards to 10,000 copies of CD to be freely distributed to Missions Societies that has worked in Myanmar and to Myanmar Pastors world-wide.

 

Home Front:

Levi and I are working hard to reschedule our lives so that we have clear day of rest and family each week. Due to international projects, web based ministry and the 24/7 reality in Kansas City, we have found it difficult for the last 3 months to find a day of rest and family in the midst of our intense weekly schedule. With Samuel beginning to attend pre-school, our morning hours schedule has changed tremendously. I used to have several 8:00am/ 9:00am meetings weekly but is now a scheduling on a constant basis. Samuel is learning discipline through another channel of authority beside us. That is good. As usual, he has many things to say daily and has a lot of opinions. He has begun to pull several witty tricks on us. Recently, we ministered in Marquette, Michigan. God moved powerful in every session turning many hearts back to Himself. On the way back on the plane, Samuel sang loudly on the plane about "Noah building the ark" and "Father Abraham". The passengers were very impressed and they asked him about his age. He said I am 3 years old but they said they thought he was 5 since he was so articulate but Samuel insisted that he was only 3. We had a good laugh.

 

We are still seeking the Lord for what is the best kind of vehicle for Levi. Our van is more than 182,000 miles and showing many signs of problems. Therefore it is not just an issue of second vehicle but perhaps a replacement vehicle if the van gives way at this point. The washing machine that we owned for 2 years is also malfunctioning. Levi is rinsing it by hand most the time after the spinning cycle. I help out where I can but she is doing a really good job getting the family clothes ready every week. I am a blessed man indeed.

 

Prayer Focus:

1. God's protection and leadership over Levi, Samuel and I. Clear theme and focus for 2006. I intend to lock myself in prayer 4-8 hours daily in November 2005.

2. God's continual provision for all daily needs, all the on-going projects in various parts of the worlds and several conferences that we have the heart to help sponsor in Nepal, Malaysia, Myanmar in partnership with the body of Christ around the world.

3. Divine health upon Daniel, Levi and Samuel in the midst of their intense schedule.

4. God's fullness to be released in the Hawaii Missions trip the pre-believers and those that needs to be build up, challenge in the Lord.

5. Spirit of wisdom, revelation and faith for Daniel to continue to serve on IHOP Missions Base leadership in the International Department and FSM.

6. Pray for Levi and Daniel's parents to have opportunity to visit the House of Prayer in Kansas City in 2006.

7. Pray for the power of salvation to visit Daniel's remaining unsaved family and relatives.

 

Thank you.

Daniel, Levi & Samuel Lim

http://www.daniellevi.com

 

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Prayer should be short, without giving God

Almighty reasons why He should grant this or that;

He knows best what is good for us.

---JOHN SELDEN

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CBC’s Mission to China

August 18 – 27, 2005

 

 

With months of preparation, especially on the part of the team taking the Children’s Camp in Guangzhou, and lots of prayer, the 14 CBC Missionaries (for 10 days!) set out on a brave journey to the vast land of CHINA! To save cost, we took Air Asia, flying into Macau at the unearthly hour of 3 a.m., having to spend our night (morning, rather) in the airport, until the immigration opened at 7 a.m., before we entered China proper. BUT, it was exciting. As you surmise, none of us truly had a good night’s rest. Our adrenalin was pumping high, and sleep was far from our reach.

 

Macau immigration to Zhuhai immigration was just a walk across a wide road. Filling in of various kinds of forms got into our way of wanting to get to our destination. At the early hour of morning, our stomachs growled in search for food. Gathered at the huge terminal, we were found by our brothers and sisters, who had waited for us patiently for almost an hour. Our thoughts of sitting down to a hearty breakfast was soon dispelled when bags of buns and drinks were passed around in the two very congested vans, hurtling us out of the town to the country side of Guangzhou.

 

No place for complaints, we were reminded we’re good missionaries! We happily chatted and took in the change of scenery with every hour traveled. Apart from “pee-breaks” the next stop was for lunch. God’s mercy was on us. It was a proper restaurant. The food was great – with soup, chicken, ham, vegetables, and fruits.

 

The less-than-an-hour rest was soon over. Bundled into the tight vans again, we sped to The Farm. Remember the cows CBC sponsored? Yes, we all wanted to see them. But where’s the farm? We drove into dusk, with bones aching and stomachs crying again for food, we finally arrived, only to be told, we have to climb some hills. And no, the hills were not alive (like in Sound of Music) as it started to drizzle. No umbrellas and very little light, we climbed. Up and down. Watch out for the puddles!, cried someone, and, don’t step on the ….dung! Yes, someone did step into some yucky stuff. No complaints, just wipe it off, and smile.

 

Our hosts were most welcoming. They laid a spread for us, piles of green vegetables, meatballs and chicken. Lighting in the cottage style abode was dim (and maybe a blessing for city folks like us) and we were truly humbled at the sight of the stark furnishing. Yet, joy abounded.

 

Dinner over, we saw a cow or two, some goats, and rows of sleeping chicks (as it was past their bed time.) We sang a few songs and prayed for our Chinese brothers, who risk their lives staying in this farm, to serve the Lord. We were touched by their sacrificial examples. All of them were very young but have a passion for Christ.

 

Coming down the hills to our van was more joyful, because our physical as well as spiritual needs were met. Soon, the team had to separate. Team A took the grueling trip of several hours back to Guangzhou, to another farm, where the Children’s camp would commence for another 6 days. Team B journeyed to Meizhou, had 2 hours sleep, and then had to take the train on a 14-hour passage before reaching their destination – Fuzhou. Below are their testimonies and experiences of this China Mission. May the Lord tug at your hearts as you read, and we’ll see you next year in China!

By Pat Toh

 

So Blessed!!!!!

Why Are Short Term Mission Trips Such a Blessing????

(By Norah Hession)

I have been back from the mission trip to China for a week now and I still cannot stop smiling and praising God with a grateful heart for all that He has done.  I started to think about why going on a short-term mission is so special and such a privilege.  Here are a few thoughts.

 

1. FAITH BUILDING.  It takes faith for us to go on a mission trip.  Often small things outside our comfort zone such as the possibility of meeting a cockroach or the thought of not being able to eat the food, weigh very heavily on us.  There are of course cockroaches in Malaysia.  It is more a concern for the unknown.  There could be valid concerns about transport and about safety so we learn to pray and trust God to lead, guide and protect us and this all builds out faith and trust.
2. SPIRITUAL PREPARATION. We are keenly aware of our inadequacies and know we will have to walk very closely with God as we prepare.  I think this is one of the things I value most.
3. STRETCHING.  We may be asked to do things on a Mission trip that we have never had the opportunity to do before. It may be in the  area of teaching, leading worship, children’s ministry, praying for people, eThis can be very scary but as we trust God we are amazed that God can use even us.
4. MOLDING BY THE POTTER.  God may use this time to teach us special things because our spiritual ears will be opened, and we will be more likely to be seeing with spiritual eyes.
5. TEAMWORK.  If we are prepared to be submissive to God we find we can function well within a team and God seems to take delight in taking very different personalities and harmonizing them for His Glory.
6. BLESSED BY THOSE WE GO TO SERVE. Often the Christians we meet on mission touch our hearts by the way they live out their faith.  Often they have few material possessions or comforts but their faith is unshakable.  Persecution and hardship refine them.
7. RESOURCES. We are often amazed to see what can be done with modest amounts of funding.  In India a church planter will have little more than a bible and a bicycle.
8. FUN.  Mission trips are a lot of fun.  Look at the photos see - lots of smiles!
9. GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE. Going on a cross-cultural mission trip will stimulate our interest in and PRAYERS for what God is doing in the world.
10. SATISFACTION. The feeling that God has actually used us to bless others is priceless.

 

So Amazed!

(A Personal Diary)

Teams

Team A (Youth Camp): Pat Shum, Norah Hession, Alexa Ho, Sally Wong, Joyce Wong, Janice Quey, Larry Wuan, Gordon Shum

Team B: Pastor Richard and Pat Toh, Edward and Josephine Wee (former CBC members, now residing in Australia), Evelyn Ong, Alice Toh

 

Thursday 18/08/05

Excited and ready to go. All met at KLIA at 8pm for 10.35pm Air Asia flight.

 

Friday 19/08/05

Arrived in Macau at about 3am. Nothing was open and it was pouring with rain. We tried to sleep on the airport seats until 6.30am. Finally left in taxis for the border at Zhuhai. I was a bit nervous about going into mainland China as I felt conspicuous since there were no other Caucasians to be seen. Met by DC with three Chinese students who had been studying in Malaysia. We climbed into two vans and DC gave us our breakfast – a big bun and a yoghurt drink. I spilt my drink on my trousers.

 

The van was uncomfortable as it was overcrowded with luggage and we felt every bump on the road because there was NO suspension. I was in the back seat. If we leaned forward, the back of the seat would come forward because of luggage stacked behind. And when the van braked, the hand luggage piled high would come forward onto our heads. After four plus hours we stopped for a very welcome break and lunch.

 

Back into the van again, we arrived at the ‘farm’ as light was fading. Our church had sponsored cows for this place. These will provide income as well as a cover for Christian outreach by the local house church. The farm was a 20min walk/climb up a muddy hill in the dark, under a drizzle.

 

The brothers and sisters there warmly welcomed us. A delicious meal had been prepared for us. I didn’t see the cows as it was already dark but others braved the mud to see them.

 

After the meal, we prayed for the workers and then made the descent back to the vans. A tiny lady half my size and about 10 years older helped me down the slippery slope. We tried to be quiet so as not to attract attention. The bad news for our Team A, which had expected to stay the night in Meizhou, was that we had to start back immediately. A journey that should have taken us about five or six hours took eight-and-a-half hours because the windscreen wipers were faulty and it was raining, so the driver had to go slowly.

 

Saturday 20/08/05

Arrived at our Youth Camp `farm’ at 6.30am. We had been up for 36 hours without bed or shower and were exhausted. We were so blessed by our hosts who came out in their pyjamas with umbrellas to meet us. They had been up boiling water for us to shower as they had expected us at 4am. Hot water to bathe came in buckets. We all had sore backsides. We were so happy to shower and rest for a while.

 

The beds were flat, hard, wooden structures with bamboo matting on top. It was like sleeping on the floor, but was very clean. The hard bed made it easy to get up to pray early in the morning and to get into the shower first. There was only one shower for about 30 of us so timing was everything.

 

We were all so happy when M arrived. M is a Malaysian based in Hong Kong who has spent 11 out of the last 12 months in China. She was to be our invaluable interpreter. Sally and Alexa were overjoyed that they would not have to do all the translation by themselves.

 

After a delicious lunch we met the children informally and taught them a few songs. We put up the FOS (Fruit of the Spirit) posters and gave the FOS Bible verses to learn each day. Our camp was only due to start the next day.

 

6 pm: I led the devotion. Used NECF’s 40-day prayer throughout the camp. That night the children watched a VCD.

 

Sunday 21/08/05

Daily timetable:

Quiet time

7.30am: Morning devotion followed by briefing

9am-12pm: Morning session

2.30pm-5pm: Afternoon session

7.30pm-10pm: Night session. Debriefing

 

Alexa led the morning devotion. In between there was quite a bit of one-on-one ministry. This was quite demanding but the children and the workers were an absolute joy in every way so it was a pleasure to be able to pray with them. We had expected a church service in the morning but it all seemed quite informal.

 

Afternoon:- Started the camp with Alexa explaining the nine parts of the Fruit of the Spirit using pictures. Then we taught them the camp song in Mandarin. We all enjoyed the FO S song. By the end of the week we were all marching happily to its lively tune.

Banner workshop: The children and workers enjoyed this. Pat had kindly arranged for eight banners to be made, which we could use and then donate.

Activity: Each group made a set of FOS playing cards. Had three groups: Ren Ai, Ci Le and He Ping (Love, Joy, Peace). Age range: 8-14 years old.

 

Night:- Worship: We were blessed by Alexa and Sally who were both very experienced in this area. Later in the week they encouraged Larry to lead worship.

Teaching: Intro to the FOS, which I taught. Takes time for fruit to grow, etc. Showed packet of tomato seeds as visual aid.

Ministry time: In the three groups each child and worker had needs prayed for.

I prayed for the leader. She said she felt the prayer was prophetic. PTL.

 

Monday 22/08/05

Gordon led the morning devotion. Before worship, teacher XY tested the Bible verses; Lively worship; Teaching: “Fruitfulness” by Pat Shum; Game to put FOS in correct order (red packets); Used Bible verses.

Introduced DRAW YOUR SWORDS. They held their Bibles high at the ‘ready’ and then when given a verse, the first one to find it and read it was given an FOS bookmark. One little girl was always asking, “Which book? Which Book?” in Hakka; soon, she was nicknamed, “Ma Kai Su.”

The youth identified the sins they struggled with, e.g. lying, anger, bad temper. They wrote them on stickers, and each team stuck their sins onto a large cross, made of newspaper. It was very moving!

 

Working on the fiery furnace story from Daniel 9, using puppets

Afternoon:- Used FOS playing cards to play memory game identifying team champions, then had play-offs for points.

“Fiery Furnace” (Daniel Chapter 3) – Showed them cardboard roll and one puppet. Their teacher read the whole of Daniel 3 asking them to think how many puppets they would need to tell the story. Gave out rolls, material, paper, glue, scissors and glitter. Told them to save red, yellow and orange paper for the furnace. They loved the glitter and were very creative in making the puppets.

 

Night:- Following worship, I gave the message “Peace”. Used Fiery Furnace story from Daniel 3 to show the kind of peace that God gives. Joy and peace come from God and not from circumstances. Spoke of faithfulness – that they would serve God even if it meant death for them. Peace in trouble not only in absence of trouble.

Ministry time: Still praying for needs in teams but CBC team moved on.

 

Tuesday 23/08/05

Janice led the morning devotion. After worship, “Wordless Book” was introduced. Sally, Alexa and Joyce taught them the song in Mandarin.

Teaching: Used Wordless Book for sharing the Gospel. I explained up to Green (growth).

Activity: After a break, each made own mini Wordless Book. Sang the song using their mini books.

Bible study using SPACE-STEP method on “Apostles persecuted” (Acts 5:17-31). It became obvious they needed help and a more structured approach, so Alexa helped them: “Look at verse X. Is ….? Or….? Or…..?”

 

Enjoying the “Born Again” Birthday cake!

 

Afternoon:- Each team sang the song using their mini books. M taught them about prayer to complete the green section. Told them about God’s special hotline, i.e. Jeremiah 33:3: “Call to Me, and I will answer you…”

Blue — Holy Spirit to complete.

Special treat: Birthday Cake! BORN-AGAIN BIRTHDAY CAKE. The huge, delicious cake, with candles, was enjoyed by all. The leader there had never tasted cake!

The rest of the time was spent working on puppets and stories. Cries such as “Heat up the furnace seven times hotter” could be heard as they worked on their presentations.

Evening:- Ice-breaker; Worship; Teaching: “Spiritual Growth” by Sally; Ministry time: Again praying for individuals in groups. CBC team moved on. Overran time – ended 10.40pm because of praying for co-workers.

 

Wednesday 24/08/05

Larry led the morning devotion. As ministry time overran the previous night, we decided to have corporate ministry time not team time that night and to invite co-workers to come downstairs for prayer later.

Ice-breaker; Worship; Teaching: “Love” by Pat; Activity from Red Packet; Activity: Bible Study on John 15; Activity: making a fruitful vine.

 

Afternoon:- Completed fruitful vine. Game. Time to work on story for puppet performance the next day.

 

Night:- Worship was very special. Sally and Alexa started free-flow worship, which took off in an amazing way, at first, other adults joined in and later, the children/youth. We experienced a very strong manifestation of God’s presence and holiness. The adults started to weep in repentance. As the Spirit moved all but the very youngest children also started to weep in repentance in the presence and holiness of God. A 14-year-old girl was sobbing in a heart-wrenching way. When asked why, she said, “I am a sinner.” The Holy Spirit had taken over so we abandoned the message for that night.

Alexa explained to the children what had happened so that they would not be frightened. The leaders worshipped with us. There were also some visiting workers from other areas. We ended with a powerful but peaceful worship. We then ministered downstairs to the co-workers.

 

Thursday 25/08/05

Joyce led the morning devotion. Ice-breaker; Worship; Teaching: I taught “Self-control”. Exchanging the rotten fruit (rubbish bags filled with air) for the FOS (large colourful balloons.) This is not so easy in life. It has to be little by little, step-by-step, day by day, by dying to selfish sinful nature. Conclusion: Each team member prayed for the children.

 

Afternoon:- Puppet performance; Prize giving and thank-you’s. Team prizes were given and each child and worker received a cross. It was very emotional when we all joined hands to say our farewells.

 

Evening:- The children entertained us with songs and dances. Fellowship went on until 2am for some. I went to bed about 12am very tired but very happy. Up again at 5.40am.

 

Friday 26/08/05

Had to be ready to leave by 8.30am. Decided to have our thanksgiving in the van so we could have time to say our sad farewells. So strange to leave the venue; it was as if we had been in a time warp, isolated from the outside world. No one in the team had been outside the wall for six days! We were so interested to see what was outside the gate.

 

A short one-and-a-half-hour trip to GZ. Met H from Beijing and went to the hotel to leave luggage and then went to H’s apartment where we met up with Team B. Shared with them our joy and amazement at what God had been doing.

 

Went for lunch. The other team said it was good but our team had grown used to the delicious home-cooked food we’d been enjoying so we did not rate this lunch highly. After lunch, we had the choice of shopping either at a computer market or a mall.

 

At 6.30pm, we met with DC and other believers and went to see a new English Language Centre run by SPT from Ipoh. He took us out for supper. This place offered sea cockroaches (called “Water Boatmen”) and cats. I did not try either of these but had a hot papaya desert that contained some white parts from a frog. I have still to find out which parts.

 

Saturday 27/08/05

I shared a hotel room with Alexa, who was pleased to find someone who did not snore. We were so happy to have a sitting toilet and softer beds. We had a lovely relaxing morning and I really enjoyed the luxury of white coffee in bed courtesy of Alexa.

 

Later, Gordon brought us some grapes and mango. I only started to shower at 11am and this was only because we had to vacate the rooms at noon. We were able to leave our luggage behind while we went shopping. I bought mainly food items to share with cell group members and Bible study group.

 

At 4.30pm, we left for the border. We met a mother and daughter coming to Malaysia for schooling. We had supper at Zhuhai. Mine was an ice-cream. The mother and daughter were delayed one hour by the Chinese emigration because they had changed the time of their Air Asia flight, which was not shown on their booking printout, so they had to wait for the airline to confirm.

 

It was a blessing that we had lots of time to spare as the flight was only at 2.45am. Eventually we took taxis to the airport in Macau. Going over to a hotel for coffee/Horlicks/Ovaltine, etc. and having a general debriefing broke up the long wait for the flight. The plane was delayed by 30 minutes, so we arrived in KLIA at 6.45am. Luggage came through very fast, PTL, so I was able to get back to KL to shower and to testify at church in PJ with the rest of the team. At the 10.30am service, the team gave God all the glory for all He had done.

 

What an amazing, mighty, powerful, wonderful, loving God we serve. What a blessing and privilege to serve him.

By Norah Hession

Shepherd of Shalom 4 SG

 

We are called to missions!

I was so excited to be able to join the CBC team to China; yet, I was uncertain of what I can do there. The team had a few meetings to prepare themselves. The theme chosen for the youth camp was the “Fruit of the Spirit.” We had lots of fun learning the songs in Mandarin.

 

I thank God for friends like Evelyn & David Tang who offered to fetch me to KLIA. Arrived in Macau at 3 a.m. and we have to sleep at the airport until 6.30 a.m. Arriving in China, 14 of us packed like sardines into two vans. In this tight condition, we traveled to the farm, arriving at 7pm. The most exciting part was to claim up and down the hills to see the cows. We walked in the dark. The only light we had was moonlight. The cows were all sleeping in the barn when we arrived. We had dinner there and we had to walk up and down the hills again. We walked by faith and not by sight!

 

We broke into teams after this. One team went to Fuzhou and another team, to Guangzhou. I was in the second team. We slept in the van, traveling in the rain on bumpy roads. The van had a few stops because the wipers went ‘kaput’ along the way. We reached the youth camp at 6 a.m. Our hosts were all ready to welcome us. They carried our bags and prepared hot water for our bath. To my surprise the toilet there is like our kampong toilet. The food they prepared for us was so delicious and abundant. I’m so thankful.

 

The youth camp catered for different age groups. The children were so open and hungry for the word of God. Pat Shum taught them to draw their ‘swords’ – the Bible. Each time the teachers asked who can draw their swords first and read the Bible verses, the child will get a sticker or a bookmark. Larry prepared the ice-breakers and we had lots of fun. You should see how the children worshiped. They just focused on God. The presence of God was so awesome and some of us even have visions and we ministered to the children and co-workers.

 

 

Last day of camp – happy and sad moments, seen with

 Porpor, who gave all her savings for the ministry

 

We are called to missions. We just need to step out in faith.

By Janice Quey

CBC Admin staff

 

HE ANSWERED MY PRAYERS

When CBC planned a mission trip to China in the early part of this year, the Lord impressed upon me that I should go and do my part in helping out. Even though I had this impression, somehow events after that made my final decision a tough one. In particular, my maid planned to go home for good. Apart from that, I also needed someone to fetch my daughters and son from school and tuition. So I prayed to God. God is great ­– He answered my prayers by providing solutions to enable me to join the mission trip.

 

I had been to China on a mission trip in 1999. This time, however, the mission trip was very different. With sisters like Norah Hession, Pat Shum and Pat Toh taking the lead in organizing, meetings were held regularly months before departure. The mission team members, including my 11-year-old daughter Joyce, had to make preparations. We researched on the Internet, prepared the teaching materials, and translated into mandarin the teaching aids developed jointly. Bryan Lee also helped me in doing some of the translations. All these activities got me rather nervous. As the departure date drew closer, I started feeling very stressed and felt I could not deliver what God wanted me to do.

 

I am by nature not an extrovert nor was I comfortable of public speaking. I was, therefore, not very confident of my delivery of the teaching materials. However, praise be to God that on the day I was to teach, I was somehow able to impart the lesson to the children without much difficulty. I attribute this to the strength the Lord had given me and to the various prayers and encouragement of our mission team members.

 

I was also very impressed with my daughter Joyce. She had a compassionate heart and demonstrated care for the less fortunate. Moreover, she could adapt and bear with the difficult situations that the mission team members had to endure. It is amazing that an 11-year-old could go through such situations with so much grace and no complaints. All praise to the Lord our God.

By Sally Wong

CBC – SS2 Centre

 

I Wanted To See Lives Being Blessed

The fact that I could go for the China Mission Trip is in itself a testimony. My second semester of studies in Malaysia Bible Seminary (MBS) was really hectic. I had plenty of assignments that needed to be completed and studies was still going on in school. It was ‘impossible’ for me to go anywhere, let alone China! Well, that which is impossible in the eyes of men is possible with God. The 10-day China trip fitted nicely into the two weeks of my term break, and by His grace, I managed to complete most of the assignments. So, it was a confirmation from the Lord that I should go and so I went, hoping that I would be a blessing to the Chinese there.

 

We went to a small village in Guangzhou where we had been told to conduct a youth camp. It turned out that most of the older youth had gone away for school, and so the plan was changed! Initially, I panicked because all the materials the team prepared beforehand were tailored for the youth. However, we chose to trust in the Lord and continue with the teaching of ‘The Fruit of the Spirit’, trusting that He will still speak into these younger lives. Indeed that was what happened! God is simply amazing. He anointed Sis Norah, Sis Pat Shum, and Sis Sally to teach the children with much patience and great joy for the few days we were there. He even sent a sister from Hong Kong to this camp, to serve as an interpreter for them.

 

All teaching and activities went smoothly, with the Spirit of the Lord moving strongly in the camp, touching each child’s heart, convicting the workers of their need for God, and speaking to us CBC team of our need to reach out more to them. Truly, hearts were hungry for God’s manna. I believe the Lord ministered to them throughout the week, using even us, from a land far away. The Lord is doing a great work in China, and I’m glad that I went, and I rejoice even more because I was blessed beyond my imagination. The children’s recitation of verses, their laughter and tears (they wept in the presence of the Lord when we worshipped together), their active participation in all the activities, their creativity, etc.… there is just so much about them that is very encouraging. Their love for God and for one another inspires me. One more thing that really struck me is that they can pray very well, and they are so generous in their praises to God and to one another. This really touched me. I have learnt much from them to be as such too.

 

Above all else, I thank God for answering our prayers. We wanted to see lives being blessed, transformed and conforming to the likeness of Christ. This was exactly the case! Christ was exalted in the camp, and may He continue to be exalted in the lives of the Chinese. All glory to God!

By Alexa Ho

CBC Pastor Intern

When we pray, believe!

One month before I knew that CBC was sending a mission team to China, the church held a Friday night ‘Praise & Worship’ for the congregation. After the worship session, Pastor Reynold requested those who wished to be filled with the Holy Spirit to step forward. Without hesitation, I stepped out with my wife, Pat Ng. We were both slained in the Spirit and I wept profusely. And suddenly, a voice spoke very clearly, “See the people.” It was only when Pastor Reynold asked if I had heard anything that I realized it was the Holy Spirit who had spoken to me.

 

A fortnight passed and one Sunday, I visited a nephew whom I had not met for a long time. His wife, Veronica, invited me to a sharing by a group of pastors from China. I am not proficient in Mandarin, but decided to attend this sharing with a brother-in-law. There was a testimony of a pastor who had been resurrected by the Lord. He preached to the Chinese people by singing Scripture verses. The video clips really touched my heart as thousands worshipped the Lord in boats and on mountaintops. I was amazed and couldn’t believe my eyes.

 

During one cell group meeting, sister Sally Wong informed us that she and her daughter Joyce were going for the China missions. I was touched by Joyce’s desire to go even though she was only 11 years old. Suddenly, my desire to go began to grow. Then the financial part of the missions came to mind. So, I prayed to God saying, “Lord, if it is your plan for me to go, please provide the resources.” THE LORD IS GRACIOUS, and will always be. God blessed me -  I received the biggest paycheck ever during my six years in the business! Glory to God! I took this as a confirmation from the Lord. Uncertainties then came into my mind, but by faith I told my family and friends that I was going because I knew by then that it was His plan, and not mine. I did not reveal the uncertainties to anyone.

 

The trip turned out well as all the team members were committed and cooperative. They provided me with a lot of encouragement and support. Everything went smoothly except for the journey from Zhuhai to Meizhou, where our ‘farm’ was located, and then to the outskirts of Guangzhou, which took us more than 15 hours by road, not including the three hours we spent in the farm. Once we were at the camp, everything was smooth-going as we had a wonderful leader, Sister Norah, to guide us.

 

The children and youth were very receptive to our sharing – their hunger for God’s Word despite the conditions there, truly encouraged us. Some of them came from as far away as 160km. All of them slept on the floor with only a mat; there was no mattress. We were `locked’ in the premises for six days but never felt bored. However, I felt a bit homesick on the fourth day but this was overcome by the hospitality of the host and her simple yet delicious food!

 

An incident, which was a new experience for me, happened two days before we left China for home. I was asked to worship-lead in Chinese. I selected a few songs, English and Chinese, and was prompted to select a song to welcome the Holy Spirit as I had noticed that we did not feel His presence prior to this. However, when I tried to begin the worship, I found myself tongue-tied. Words couldn’t come out of my mouth. Sister Alexa Ho noticed what was happening and decided to take over from there. As we were singing the second song, the congregation began to weep as the Holy Spirit touched everyone. Glory to God! So we prayed for all of them and everyone felt the Holy Spirit’s presence.

Another incident I experienced was that I was prompted to `adopt’ one of the youth, a girl by the name of Shu Ting. She is outstanding in Scripture knowledge. The day before we departed, she gave me a note and requested that I read it only when I’m back home. However, I couldn’t wait and got Sister Sally to interpret it for me. Wow! She wanted me to be her godfather! Coincidence? I don’t think so. I think God matched us. I found out later that she is an adopted child and does not know who her biological parents are. I also found out that she had a strained relationship with her adoptive parents. I willingly accepted her and informed her the day we left for home. To me, she is a potential leader in the group, and I would like to help her grow spiritually in whatever way I can. The journey will not stop here and God willing, I will be in China next year with my wife!

 

I would like to end with a thought: When we pray, believe, and the Lord will be gracious and answer our prayers. Amen

By Larry Wuan

CBC – SS2 centre

Team B’s Journey

Team B consists of Pastor Richard and Pat Toh,

\Edward and Josephine Wee, Evelyn Ong and Alice Toh

 

 “Fei Ping” (Roti Canai) for China!

 

This trip to China is the fulfilment of a 30-year call I received. Just when I thought God has not heard my prayers, He answered. So, if there is an urge in you to do something for God, be it missions work or anything big or small, do not lose heart as God will hear your faithful prayers and in His own time respond accordingly.

 

My initial concept of missions was to go to a place to preach the gospel. Little did I realise that that was not the case. I can do missions work in any capacity and this would bring glory to God. In this regard, my roti canai-making skill could also be used to do missions work in China. I must confess that I was very encouraged to be informed that my roti canai was going to hit about seven provinces in China. What a humble beginning! And I pray that the roti will be a useful tool to further the gospel of Jesus Christ and that those who consume it will know God and receive Christ as Lord and Saviour.

 

China is a country full of opportunities, especially for spreading the gospel. There is such an openness and hunger for the Word of God. We had opportunities to share Christ with people on the train, in restaurants, shops, with taxi drivers and people on the street, including the blind. My first impression of China is that the Chinese are always chasing after mammon, their god. All the more they should be chasing after our God, the Creator of the universe.

 

August 18, 2005

KL-Macau-Zhuhai-Farm-Meizhou

Journey: 10pm - 2am (28 Hours)

Visited a Farm in Southern China

This farm is partially funded by contributions from CBC members. This farm also serves as a school of ministry. The leader is from Hebei and this school has about 11 students. The school day commences at 5am and finishes at 7pm for five or six days a week. Weekends are spent on vegetable and animal farming.

 

As it was summer when arrived, the weather was very humid, not experienced in Australia or Malaysia. The students on this farm live in poverty but I know they rejoice in the Lord in their hearts. I could sense the passion and love they have for God.

 

At the farm, Josephine was informed by one of the leaders that some of their Bible-school materials were seized by the authorities. Our brethren live in constant fear of being nabbed by the authorities. As there are not many Christians in the village, they run the risk of being reported to the authorities by any of the villagers. However, the Lord’s protection, love, wisdom and strength are with them. One of the conditions for the visit to the farm is that we are not allowed to take any photos. I foresee that these students will graduate as very strong disciples of God.

 

August 20, 2005

Meizhou-Fuzhou

Journey: 14 Hours’ Train Ride

We had about two hours’ sleep including having to clean our sticky bodies before departing from Meizhou at 5am for a 14 hours’ train ride to Fuzhou.

 

During the journey, we had ample opportunities to share the gospel with our fellow passengers. Pastor Richard shared with a backslidden Christian from Fuzhou. Others in the team were busily sharing with the other passengers. I prayed over three Buddhist monks while they slept, that Jesus Christ would appear to them in their dreams. Generally, the passengers were very friendly and they were interested to know more about us – foreigners – where we hailed from. They were amazed that some of us could speak Mandarin, Fuzhou, Hakka, Hokkien and Cantonese.

 

 “Fei Ping” making in progress

The Chinese students renamed roti canai to “fei ping” – flying biscuit

 

At the Fuzhou train station, our contacts took us to our accommodation near the university. I was slightly discouraged when told only one person will be learning to make roti canai and that the training time will be cut short to two days. But God is in control. After the church service, He sent about 10 persons to be trained in roti canai-making. The missionary friend there further encouraged me that the roti was going to hit seven provinces. Praise the Lord!

 

Lesson Learned: Ecclesiastes 12

13      Here is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is the duty of every person.

14      God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

 

God has asked me to fear Him and obey His commands. His command was to go to China to impart my skill in roti canai-making to the locals there. There was no need to worry about who was coming to learn or how many I will be teaching. He desires my obedience and submission. His Holy Spirit will manage the situation.

 

Visit to the Massage Parlour

As all of us were very tired from the long hours of travelling, in the evening, we visited a massage parlour where most of the masseurs were blind. God was so good. Even in the massage parlour we were able to witness to the masseurs. Josephine, who was the most fluent in Mandarin, did the interpretation and praise the Lord, one of the blind masseurs accepted Jesus and said the sinner’s prayer. He further informed us that he would be getting a Bible in Braille so that he can start reading the Bible.

 

We were very excited and so the next day we went back to the same massage parlour hoping to share with the other masseurs, especially the lady boss. She did not accept Christ but we prayed a prayer of blessing for the blind masseur who had agreed to consider what we had shared with him. I believe the Holy Spirit is working on him and the lady boss.

 

August 23, 2005

Visit to Xiamen

Apart from the mission to teach making roti-canai, we were also to take time to relax. As it turned out, the joy and fire of being able to witness for God extended to our tour guide, shop assistants and tour buggy operators. On a tour to one of the islands, a 20-year-old shop assistant prayed the sinner’s prayer and received Jesus into her life. We know hers was a genuine decision as she asked Josephine whether she should stop worshipping the idols at her house. Josephine said yes and advised her to let one of her friends know that she has accepted Jesus. Our concern on follow up to this new believer was amazingly taken care by God. We met up with the pastor of the largest cell church in the Fujian province (10,000 members) at a leadership-training seminar in Meizhou. This pastor agreed to connect her with one of his cell churches in Xiamen. Glory be to God.

 

 

August 24, 2005

Visit to Meizhou

The initial plan of our visit to this Hakka city was to relax and to do some shopping. But God had other plans for us. I was asked to demonstrate and teach the restaurant chefs how to make roti canai and to take a small section of the leadership seminar. Pastor Richard taught Christian Leadership while Pat took a slot on DISC personality profiling and Modalities of Communication.

 

It was in Meizhou that we learned about the immediate needs of the Christians in this part of the world. We had the privilege of meeting up with the pastor of the largest cell church in Fujian province. It was also here that we were much humbled to see that in the midst of persecution from the authorities, these Christians have remained passionate, committed and dedicated to the Lord Jesus Christ. They really love God.

 

When asked, the pastor informed me that he has about 200 leaders under him and that his church needs two things urgently:-

1)       Leadership training in systematic theology, including how to prepare sermons;

2)       Financial support as each of his pastors require RMB500 per month to live on. Any financial support from other Christians will free them from having to seek part-time work for their livelihood and will enable them to devote more time to caring for the people in their churches.

 

Praying for the two needs since returning to Australia, God led me to share the blessings of this trip with the President of Christian Outreach Centre. He immediately agreed to provide financial support and instructed me to set aside an amount from his pay.

 

I shared this need with my son and my cell group and they also have agreed to provide some support.

 

August 25, 2005

Visit to Guangzhou

We spent two nights in Guangzhou before flying back to Malaysia. In Guangzhou, the whole team met up with a Malaysian businessman who runs a language school there. We were very encouraged to hear that he is setting up a Malaysian food court in his school, where roti canai plus other Malaysian dishes will be sold.

 

Conclusion

This visit to China revealed these:

·         We do not have to have special skills to do God’s work in China. God always only looks for a willing and obedient heart;

·         We have met with spiritual giants. God’s spiritual giants are people who have undergone tremendous suffering, sacrifices and persecution for God yet have remained very passionate and committed to their calling;

·         We have seen how God has opened up new opportunities to do missions work in China through the establishment of business connections with Christian businessmen;

·         The Chinese are very interested to know more about the outside world and this interest provides great opportunities to share the gospel with them. We have tried it and seen fruits and strongly believe you can as well; and

·         We are challenged to do more missions work now than ever before.

 

By Edward Wee

A former member of CBC before he migrated to Australia.

Edward is married to Josephine and they have 2 sons, Joseph and Joel.

 

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CBC Puchong’s Mid-Autumn Festival

 

The weekend before the event, men and male youth from CBC as well as the community’s football club spent a Sunday afternoon putting up mini electrical lanterns in the Pusat Bandar Puchong’s lake garden grounds. And a week after the event, these industrious menfolk took them down. A big thank you to the men and youth as well as the many Puchong CBC members, including intercessors, who contributed their time and effort to make the day enjoyable for the community we were serving.

 

This year, the power source for the electrical mini lanterns came from the park’s recycle centre, the public toilets and the lights for the basketball court. In previous years when the festival was held at the smaller park, electrical power was sourced from Elder Swee Tshung’s house.

 

Personally, the highlight was when I secured a 30cm Ty teddy bear dressed in a sweater. My father-in-law had wanted to leave and passed me his gift voucher. A snaking queue soon formed as voucher holders got wind of the teddy bear gift. My mother-in-law, who helped long and hard to get the paper lanterns ready for giving to the children, was presented with a teddy bear in a lacy cape in appreciation of her contribution. So I got to keep my sweatered teddy. It is no secret that Malaysians love getting free items and Ty teddy bears make such adorable gifts.

 

I was told that the free dinner was also very laku (Malay and Northern Hokkien for popular by demand). The many who came in droves to pick up their free food meant that the folks packing the food had to work really hard and fast.

The lantern competition saw stiff contest for its first prize. The first two prizes were almost works of art – the winner was a silvery mobile of birds made from aluminum cans and the first runner-up was a Coke cans-pieced-together dragon. They were pretty breath-taking effort by the contestants. Looking through the competition I noticed a lantern made of translucent-plastic egg cartons, which I thought was an inspirational use of something so commonplace.

 

My father-in-law Mr Chai Teng Kooi, a Chinese history buff, won the written Chinese quiz organised by our church Chinese-speaking service. It comprised riddles for which most of the answers were Chinese historical personages. That my father-in-law won was not surprising as something like that is right up his alley.

 

For the fleet-footed, there was the football penalty kick to contend with. Youth and adult from the newly formed Wawasan 3 football club enthusiastically mooted and organised this. Besides this, the community’s basketball association held a competition at the park’s two basketball courts, with prizes awarded to winners. There was also a scavenger hunt that had clues hidden around the park and surrounding area.

 

A rousing display of Chinese-drum skills by Catholic High School students completed the feel for the evening. This was accompanied by a student demo of the Chinese yo-yo.

 

Adults were entitled to participate in the mooncake-eating competition while the children had an ice-cream-eating equivalent as well as a sand art competition. Children were also given a free paper lantern each for the night, while stocks lasted.

 

What might well be the highlight of the evening was a recital by students of Bumble Bee music school. Proud parents came to witness their children’s public performance in an outdoor festive environment.

 

Other crowd pullers include the free health screening for cholesterol, blood sugar, blood pressure, heart rate, lung capacity as well as a hearing test. Early birds who registered for the evening got a copy of The Sun as well as The Edge’s Personal Money.

 

The last item of the day was a karaoke session organised by senior citizens from our church and from the community. The senior citizen organisers are from the regular karaoke senior citizens’ group based at the Wawasan area’s Bumble Bee music school. The karaoke session showcased bathroom singers and other non-professionals who simply love singing, with prizes thrown in as a reward for participation.

 

For this Mid-Autumn fiesta, CBC partnered with Anne Tan of event organiser Moves & Shakes Sdn Bhd as well as with other sponsors.

 

All in all, the event was a success as attested to by the huge multiracial crowd that came. More importantly, CBC connected with the community through our efforts in putting up this event. It was also a learning experience for Puchong CBC as this year’s mooncake and lantern fiesta was on a larger scale than in previous years. Although there were hiccups here and there the crowd seemed not to have minded as they probably had a whole lot of fun, not to mention freebies to enjoy or take home.

 

By Chew Juliane

Pictures by Ian Chai

 

 

In the background are the mini electrical lanterns strung around the park. From left, the first-prize winner of the lantern competition, my father-in-law (who won the Chinese quiz), and Chinese drum-playing.

 

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CBC’s ministry amongst the Myanmar people in Malaysia

(An interview with Senior Pastor, Richard Toh)

 

When did CBC start this ministry to the Myanmar workers in Malaysia?

I first visited Myanmar in December 2001. I went with Daniel and Levi Lim, and Pastor Koh of Reservoir Garden Baptist Church. We conducted a Cell Church Conference in Rangoon. That was when CBC got involved in the ministry to the Myanmar people.

 

How did the ministry develop from that time?

Back in Malaysia, CBC started by supporting a Myanmar pastor by providing him free accommodation as he ministered to Myanmar workers in the Klang Valley. We noticed through time, the ministry grew dramatically as more and more Myanmaris arrive in Malaysia.

 

Two years ago, I realized there was a pressing need to gather the pastors and full-time workers together. I organized 10 pm meetings (since most of them work till rather late) on a regular basis. These meetings normally end with a meal together. I noticed the Myanmaris like rice and veg more than meats! Initially shy, they now share quite openly their needs of the ministry.

 

What results have you seen in the past years?

There are more than 14 ethnic Myanmar groups here in Malaysia. In the past, they were competing with one another in the ministry. Since most of them are Baptists, I urge them not to operate independently, but to co-operate and unite to fight the common ‘enemy.’  This way, everyone’s ministry will grow. I thank God that there has been lots of networking in the past years and they even interchange pulpits.

 

What are the difficulties faced by the Myanmaris?

Most of these Myanmaris are refugees, as many run away from an oppressive government to Malaysia. In our country, they face the harassment of the police constantly. In the eyes of the authorities, they are illegals. Hence, many of these refugees choose to hide in the jungle. Recently, many of these camps were raided by the police. To avoid such harassment, it is common for the Myanmaris to pay ‘fines’ to the police. If they don’t, their camps are destroyed.

 

How can CBC members help the refugees?

1.        It is very frequent that we encounter Myanmaris in eateries. Some of them have learnt our local dialects and can communicate fluently. Give them tracts and make conversations. We can build good relationships and win them for Christ eventually.

2.        Whenever there is a raid at their camps, CBC always asks for help from members to give clothes, food and money. So, the next time you are asked to help, please step forward to render your service.

3.        What these people need is our prayers. Pray that the refugees will be accepted by third countries soon.

4.        While they are in Malaysia, pray for opportunities to hear the Gospel and they will accept Christ as their Savior. Pray that churches will open their doors to them, even though they do not speak the lingo. They need a place to worship and fellowship.

 

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Kota Damansara – A journey of faith – Part 1

The vision to start a new outreach point in Kota Damansara (KD) was given to me about 3 years ago in March 2002.  I had this calling to come out of my comfort zone to plant a new outreach point in KD. At that time, the residential areas were not fully developed and many areas like Section 5, KD was still undeveloped. We organized prayer drive to pray on-site and around KD. Having surveyed the area we started looking around for a suitable premise, but none was available.  In June 2003, prayer intercessors’ group for the outreach in KD was also launched.   The group comprised members who would eventually become the KD outreach core members.  The prayer group met twice a month, once in SEA Park and the other, at Fang’s residence in Sunway Damansara.

 

From the very beginning, God began to speak to us, telling us, among other things, to step out in faith, that we were standing at the brink of a fast flowing river and we had to make a decision to take the plunge.

 

In March 2004, God suddenly made available two adjacent shop lots in Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara.  The shop lots were owned by two different persons. To our amazement, when we met with the two owners, they found that they were old friends. They had been approached by many buyers with better offers, but when they realized it was a church that needed the property, they felt the peace to sell to us and even agreed to give us at a total discount of RM 90,000.

 

Praise the Lord, in April 2005, approval for the consent for transfer of the first shop lot was given by the State Government. We experienced a delay of funds coming in (a test of our faith!). After much prayer by the KDOT intercessors and the church leaders, the Lord would have us trust Him, to go by faith and believe He will provide for His church. We also agreed to involve the whole church in this Faith Project. The approval for consent to transfer of ownership for the second shop lot was obtained in July 2005. 

 

God’s faithfulness was evident when, within the period of 6 months from July 2005, a sum of RM 1.9 m was raised, some by outright love gifts and others through members’ lending. At the same time, the two sellers have graciously given to the church the time to settle the balance and forego their right to demand late payment interest.

 

This journey of faith had taught CBC members how to give sacrificially, and to be involved in the work that God is directing us.  At the time of writing, just another RM335,000 is needed to settle the balance owing to the seller. We continue to trust God to provide the funds. We thank all members and friends who had joined us in this journey and we pray for your continued support. We are also praying for God’s direction on the strategy for KD Centre as we want to make sure this is God’s church, God’s ministry, God’s work, and God has given us the privilege to join Him in where He is working.

 

To God be the glory, honour and praise!”

By Pastor Reynold Lim

Pastor of SS2 Congregation

 

All things were created through Him

and for Him.” Colossians 1:16

 

The tiny Baby in the manger is the

Mighty CREATOR of the Universe!