Alumni Gordon & Diana’s Life and Ministry
EAST Alumni Gordon & Diana with friends at Reunion Dinner 2022
What is a “Safe, Sound, Sleeping Place (S3P)” for Kok Meng and Diana? No, it’s not their bedroom nor their home but a special shelter. Read on about the husband and wife alumni of EAST who ministers cross-culturally in Singapore and beyond!
- Can you (Diana) share how different it is spending CNY here (in Singapore) as compared to back in Shanghai or with your parents in your hometown in Anhui?
Of course, there is no firecrackers in Singapore! In Anhui, my hometown, we still can play with fireworks and firecrackers. My niece loves it. In the past, I would travel from Shanghai to Anhui for reunion dinner with my parents and sisters’ families. My sister and I would go to nearby village to buy CNY snacks and goodies. My hometown is a mountainous area near Huang Shan – my niece and I love hiking in the mountains during CNY. On the first day of CNY, my family normally joins the local church for service.
Alumnus Yutaka Gakiya – Shy Person to Ordained Preacher
Rev Yutaka Gakiya’s Ordination at Sakai Evangelical Church (October 2021)
EAST News caught up with Rev Yutaka Gakiya who graduated last May and has since returned to serve in his home church, Sakai Evangelical Church, Osaka. He was ordained as a Pastor in October 2021. It was a significant milestone for Yutaka as the ordination denotes the official start of his duties and responsibilities as a minister of God’s Word. It was also a proud moment for his father, Rev Akira Gakiya, who is the Senior Pastor of the church to witness Yutaka following his footsteps in serving God full-time.
Update from Senior Alumni Rev Simon & Hannah Son
Rev Simon & Hannah Son
EAST News caught up with Rev Simon & Hannah Son through a Zoom interview recently. Both Simon and Hannah graduated from the inaugural class of 1995 when EAST was established in 1992, with a Master of Divinity degree and Partners-in-Ministry certificate respectively. Although Simon and Hannah are both Korean Campus Crusade for Christ (KCCC) Staff, they had undergone their Great Commission Training Center (GCTC) days in Manila back in 1984, having to learn English which was not their native tongue. After that, they pioneered the student ministry in Hong Kong where they had to learn yet another language, Cantonese. They were missionaries in Hong Kong for six years before Dr Victor Koh invited them to equip themselves for further studies at the newly established EAST in 1992. Simon had to complete a year of English preparation in 1991 in Singapore before beginning the course at EAST in 1992.
Alumna Esther on Life Lessons at EAST
Alumna Esther & Family
Esther is an EAST alumna who graduated with a Master of Divinity in Christian Ministry in 2017. She came from Indochina to be equipped at EAST. She came as a single lady and has returned to her home country married, and now has a son Josiah who is turning three. Together with her husband, they are pastoring a local church of over 40 members. Below is an interview of her experience at EAST, some life lessons and prayer requests.
On DMin Program and Thinking Critically: Samuel Kim
L-R: Eunsu (12), Jinny, Yejun (15), Samuel Kim
EAST Alumnus Samuel Kim SeongMin who graduated with a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies in 2013 has enrolled in EAST-AGST-Alliance’s Doctor in Ministry (DMin) Program in 2018. In the short interview below, he shares his DMin journey – what led him to take up the program and how it has benefitted his life and ministry so far.
Q: Since your graduation from EAST, what made you decide to embark on the DMin program organised by EAST and AGST Alliance?
A: I have had the most meaningful and prayerful moment when I spent time of study at EAST. I was refreshed and strengthened by God, fellow students and faculty there. Upon returning to Korea, I spent busy times adjusting back and leading ministry. Also, I was gradually exhausted. I usually taught the Bible to students in small groups, led the ministry, but my heart longed for restoration. Then I heard about the DMin program and one of the seniors suggested that I joined the program. I thought that if I studied, I would be busier than now, but on the other hand, I also expected that I would be refreshed and grow more. If I grow more, I have the belief that I will be able to better serve my ministry. Not only that, but I also thought it was an opportunity to contribute to Korean Campus Crusade for Christ (KCCC), the organization I belong to. So, I applied for the DMin program.
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