MG Ministry Weekend Reflections – Part 1
Praying for the needy in Cambodia, September 2024
This past September over a period of three to five days, various EAST Mentoring Groups (MG) fanned out to neighbouring countries for cross-cultural ministry in partnership with local agencies and churches. The purpose of EAST MG Ministry Weekend is to engage our faculty and students in ministering to the field needs of EAST local partners located within those countries. Below are three reflections shared by Dr Mona Bias, Dr Alvin Tey and Ms Su Panum from their experiences in leading three of these groups.
1. Ministry 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 is no certainty of food for the next meal. Along with being considered illegal, there is a constant fear of repatriation to the country that you have deliberately left behind.
Hopeless and helpless. That is exactly how one father felt over their situation. His family has been waiting for 25 years to be relocated to the USA. The same feeling of displacement and uncertainty enveloped the other refugees.
Alumna Cynthia Oh: EAST and My Writing Journey
I (Cynthia) love to write but I had not imagined myself to be a published author.
The story started in 2013 when I began taking up courses at EAST. With encouragement from my EAST mentor Dr Kwa Kiem Kiok and classmate Ms Boo Hui Ling, I plucked up the courage to do a MDiv in Intercultural Studies, instead of taking courses at random. When I made that decision I had no concrete plans except to equip myself should the Lord call me to missions. I remember that afternoon, having lunch with them at the KKH food court, sweating in my seat thinking,“ What am I getting myself into?”.
Alumna Elizabeth Li: The Most Important Amazing Thing
L-R: Dr Lau Ying Kheng, Dr Roland Tan & Alumna Elizabeth Li
Hello. My name is 「感恩姐妹」”Grateful Sister”, and I am glad to be here to share about my life. I would like to share my journey through two major surgeries, in which I experienced something amazing and totally unexpected!
It started eight years ago. I broke my right thigh at home in 2015. A steel plate was mounted in my thigh and I recuperated at home. While recuperating, I discovered that my ability to express myself was compromised. I could not express what I wanted to express and I thought I was beginning to have amnesia.
Field Supervisors Tea & Field Education Reflections
“What is your impression of EAST at the recent Field Supervisors Tea?” we asked a Field Supervisor (who personally oversees the field education aspect of EAST student).
Here are some reflections by Ms Faye Hohaia, OMF International Assistant General Director who is a Field Supervisor to an EAST student, Thanawat “Off” Wichaphon (Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies [MAICS], 2025).
Having never been to East Asia School of Theology (EAST) before I was not sure what to expect on my first visit, but what I discovered about EAST is worth sharing. EAST is not only based in Singapore and carries East Asia in its name, but it engages in God’s mission in East Asia. Students from all over East Asia are being trained and equipped to be Jesus’ hands and feet wherever they are placed. Students from even further afar in our world are coming to be trained and equipped there too so they can share the good news of our good God in East Asia and beyond.
This is not just a school that simply teaches their students head knowledge about God. Their focus on the whole person and the whole gospel was very obvious from the moment I walked in. The day I visited EAST they were focusing on generosity in hospitality. The students had invited their supervisors to come to a special afternoon tea. They had cooked delicious dishes from their home countries and took great joy in sharing their combined efforts with their supervisors. Hospitality was not just restricted to food; they lead us in a time of worship through song and prayer and then we heard testimony of how God is leading them into a variety of ministries.
Student Council: Happy Teacher’s Day!
On behalf of the EAST Community, the Student Council has sent words of appreciation to their Teachers @ EAST:
To all the Teachers at EAST,
Knowing that each one of you is following God’s calling for your lives, I want to express my deepest gratitude as a student. I’ve witnessed your tireless efforts to provide us with the best possible learning experience, going the extra mile to support those who need extra help. Your commitment to not only teaching your subjects but also nurturing our relationship with God is truly inspiring. May God continue to sustain and to give you strength and joy, so that you cannot help but praise him for his goodness. –Sebastian, Secretary (Student Council)
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