MG Ministry Weekend Reflections – Part 1

 

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.

Our MG 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. We are reminded of God’s command to His people in extending kindness and hospitality to foreigners in our midst (Leviticus 19:33-34).

2. Ministry to Needy Families – 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:

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 US$2000-$3000 just to survive.

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.

Helping OM Cambodia in packing and moving furniture for their base relocation.

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.

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.

3. Days of Gospel Ministry – Ms Su Panum

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

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 positively to the good news of God’s sacrificial love.

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 sacrificial love of Christ. Now, the life and love of Christ shines from the young to the old, celebrating His name, and making Him known to the nations.

 

Read the second part of our MG Ministry Weekend Reflections here!