Reflections on EAST Crisis Counselling Course
The EAST Crisis Counselling intensive class was held concurrently online and onsite over eight days from 25 May to 3 June 2022. The class sought to equip the students for effective emotional, spiritual and psychological care to others following times of crisis.
The class was taught primarily by Dr Anne Fallow and co-taught by Ms Karen Zando. Dr Anne has been a Cru staff for 46 years and has served in Asia as a missionary for 15 years. She is with the Vice President’s Global Leadership Team where she has assisted in crisis debriefs, various personal and team assessments. She has also mentored women in leadership across Asia. Karen has served with Cru for 35 years, 17 of which were with Athletes in Action ministering to the athletic community for Christ. She has served with the Global Leadership Development Human Resource team for the last 15 years.
From BOY to MAN
S. Zarni Pyoe Wai Saing (Myanmar) recently graduated with an MDiv in Christian Ministry at EAST 28th Commencement. He is now serving as a pastor in Little Myanmar Christian Fellowship under the All Saints Presbyterian Church.
Back in Yangon, Zarni was ‘king’ at home, pampered by his homemaker mother. Dad was a trainer of NGO workers. “But I had three big bully brothers,” he adds, laughing.
So when time came for studies in 2015, he was “shy a lot.” Compared to older brother Htike, EAST alumnus and outspoken leader, he was a frightened little boy in the Lion City of Singapore. “My greatest fear was people would laugh at my weak English,” says Zarni. “That led to problems like procrastination, missing assignment deadlines, and getting into trouble with my professors.”
But God patiently worked in his life.
Partner EAST to Equip International Servant Leaders
At East Asia School of Theology’s 28th Commencement Service in May 2022, we graduated and sent out another 17 workers to the harvest field. This is on top of the over 500 graduates that we have equipped since we started in 1992. 2022 is a significant milestone as we celebrate 30 years of God’s goodness and faithfulness in equipping Christlike servant leaders for the Great Commission.
Our alumni serve as missionaries, pastors, teachers, church planters, etc. in over 25 countries around the world and are making an eternal impact for God’s kingdom. See the following stories of our alumni with their ministry: Read more
Choong Voon: Renovation of Body, Heart and Soul
Meet a graduate from the recent 28th Commencement – Mr Wong Choong Voon, Malaysian, MDiv in Intercultural Studies and worshipped at Cornerstone Fellowship (Bahasa Indonesia). He is also the recipient of the EAST President Leadership Award and Academic Excellence Award.
Twenty years in full-time ministry, former Cru Malaysia staff, now Chinese Timothy Mission worker who served among slum-dwellers in Semarang, Java, before joining EAST. Choong Voon’s vision is to reach the unreached peoples in Malaysia and Indonesia.
“When I first arrived at EAST, I was all ready for hard work and discipline,” says the Micro-Electronics Engineer by training and EAST Student Council President (2020-21). “But my engine was in a very bad shape.” Years of late-nights, no exercise, and poor diet, he confides, led to an unhealthy body, heart and soul. “These bad habits carried on in my student life.”
The “turning point” came during his second-year school break.
Alumni Taught Mental Health to EAST Faculty
It was a treat for EAST faculty to be taught by alumni Tan Fang Fang and Kelvin Ng on practical issues relating to mental and spiritual health at the Faculty Development Days in May 2022. It was a much needed workshop after two years of the pandemic which has taken a toll on the mental health of many. This applies to EAST faculty as well who had to adapt to profound changes almost overnight in their course content formulation, instructional design, mode of delivery, and mediated mentoring. Fang Fang and Kelvin, who are both serving at Frankel Estate Bethesda Church, facilitated the time by opening up opportunities for honest conversations through case studies on the mental and spiritual challenges that one faces. Principles and best practices gleaned from the Word and Christian counselling were also discussed and explored in the context of faculty.
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