Ministry Weekend Reflections Part 1

 

 

From the 12-16 September, various Mentoring Groups (MGs) from EAST ventured to our neighbouring countries to minister to various groups of people there. Below are three reflections shared by Dr Mona Bias, Dr Alvin Tey and Ms Su Panum from their experiences in Malaysia and Cambodia.

Three Days Among the Refugees (Dr Mona Bias)

 Imagine for a moment that you are without citizenship in any country. There is no chance for a good education, employment, or even of a promising future. On a daily basis, there’s no certainty of food for the next meal. Along with being considered illegal, there’s constant fear of repatriation to the country that you’ve deliberately left behind.

Hopeless and helpless. That’s exactly how one father felt over their situation. His family has been waiting for 25 years to be relocated to the U.S. The same feeling of displacement and uncertainty envelope the other refugees.

Our Mentoring Group just had this opportunity to interact with some of these refugees in a nearby country. We worked with a team that has a school for children, teaching some of their sessions. For values formation, we dramatized the life of Joseph. On one of the evenings, we visited the families of some pupils and heard their stories.

Transitioning from the stories, the Lord enabled the team to share the Gospel to two families from another faith. One family came to worship with us that Saturday—with believers from their own country.

This experience made us deeply aware of the plight of any refugee. It is heart-wrenching. We are challenged to pray for them, especially for their citizenship in heaven. As well, we are to extend kindness to those in need who are within our reach, as also with refugees or foreign workers in our own counties. See Leviticus 19:33-34.

 

Reflection on MG Ministry Weekend (Dr Alvin Tey)

Our MG travelled to Cambodia for ministry with Operation Mobilisation (OM) Cambodia and The Grace Church in Koh Dach.

The highlights of our trip included:

1. Visiting a slum with OM Cambodia, where we interacted with the residents and prayed for them. It was heart-breaking to hear how some families sold or were thinking of selling their children for USD$2000-$3000 just to survive.
2. Assisting OM Cambodia in their children’s ministry, by helping to pack milk and bread for the children and rice to needy families. It was encouraging to see about 200 children and parents hear the gospel of Jesus Christ preached to them.
3. Helping OM Cambodia in packing and moving furniture for their base relocation.
4. Visiting the Grace Church, which is the church of our EAST alumni Chakriya and Rachana Sok. We participated in the Sunday service, and visited and prayed for church members in their homes.
5. Having meals and great fellowship with OM Cambodia and The Grace Church members, and also going on a Mekong River cruise and visiting the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum.

It was a deeply meaningful time for our MG, seeing God’s work in Cambodia.

 

Ministry Weekend Reflection (Su Panum)

We went to Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and served at three ministry locations: Kindergarten Methodist School of Cambodia (13/9), Youth Center: Passing on Knowledge Organization (POKO, 14/9), and Abundant Life Church (15/9).

At the Kindergarten, we shared the bible story with about 150 children, aged 3 to 6, and 13 pre-believing teachers through skits, songs, dance, arts and crafts, and games. We praise God for the work of the gospel in the hearts of these young Cambodians and their families at this school. Buddhist families have entrusted their children to the Christian school, recognising its positive influence on the children’s lives and character.

At POKO, we engaged 34 young people on the subject of identity, directing them toward finding their true identity in Christ through a skit, songs, dance, and personal testimony. We concluded with a gospel invitation, and seven youths responded by praying to welcome Jesus into their lives.

At Abundant Life Church, we shared a personal testimony and Sunday message, encouraging them in their faith journey and commitment to the Great Commission.

Through these engagements, we witnessed a nation torn by hopelessness finding hope, darkness turning to light, death to life, hatred to forgiveness through the blood of Christ. Now, the life of Christ shines from the young to the old, celebrating His name and make Him know to the nations.