Myanmar-Indo Mission Trip Reflection
During the December break when many students take the opportunity to return to their homelands to visit family and friends, there were three North East Indian students Athem, Achui, and Themreiso who decided to spend some time ministering to Myanmar refugees at the Myanmar-Indo border to help meet physical needs and share the love of Jesus Christ with them. Below are reflections by Athem, a leader and organiser of the mission trip, and Themreiso as a team member.
“I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to serve Myanmar refugees at the Indian border, who have fled war and poverty. Despite their circumstances, I saw them as individuals with dreams and aspirations, just like us. However, their situation has left them vulnerable physically and spiritually. During this trip, I witnessed God’s remarkable power in several ways. He provided for our financial needs, protected us amidst danger, and saw God supernaturally moved hearts in response to the good news of Jesus Christ. Praise God for those who accepted Christ as their Saviour which constitutes 90% of whom we ministered to.
November 2024 Intensive Class Reflections
During November 2024, two intensive classes were held at EAST – “Intercultural Communications” course by Dr Alvin Tey and “Exposition of Hebrews” course by Dr Gilbert Soo Hoo.
Below are two reflections by students who attended the “Intercultural Communications” class. The first reflection is by Mr Tan Jing Fei, a Singaporean final year Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies student whose undergraduate degree is in law. The second reflection is from another final year MA in Intercultural Studies student who hails from Mongolia. Ms Nurjanar Shampan or “Nuugii” as she is commonly known shares her insightful reflection on her culture.
Ruth Po Gay: New Student’s Testimony of Healing
L-R: Blessing (cousin), Joel (father), Ruth, Thablay Wah (mother), Naomi (sister)
Ruth Po Gay is a newly enrolled student of EAST who has officially started her Graduate Diploma in Christian Ministry on 3 January 2025 with an orientation at EAST. However, she has a powerful testimony of God’s workings in her life since she has arrived in Singapore last October. Her heartfelt sharing is below.
Over the past years, God has been molding and teaching me through the most challenging season of my life, where I even doubted my existence. While working full-time in 2023, I served in outreach programs in Kwin Baw Village, a predominantly Karen community in the Delta region of Ayeyarwaddy in Myanmar. During these mission trips, I simply helped among those sharing the gospel, teaching Bible lessons, and leading songs. This is when God placed a burden on my heart to serve by reaching out to children with limited access to education, sharing the gospel, and strengthening their faith. Although I have a passion for reaching lost souls, I struggled to submit to Him wholeheartedly and was confined in my own fear. I was so focused on myself and my plans, trying to fit God into them. While my heart was in the right place, my attitude was not.
Faculty Development Days Reflections
At the end of each semester, EAST faculty come together to learn and grow as educators. The recent so-called Faculty Development Days was held with a dual focus on “Distance and Online Theological Education Competence” and “Nurturing a Disability-Inclusive Seminary” for the two days respectively. Below are some reflections by two of EAST faculty who were in attendance.
Reflection of day one by Rev Derek Atkins
I found the Distance and Online Theological Education Competence (D/OTEC) session very insightful. Ever since the Covid pandemic, there has been an explosion of distance and online classes of every kind, including among theological schools such as EAST. As we work toward utilizing this teaching method more effectively, it is helpful for us to consider what methods will help us deliver effective theological education in an online environment.
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.
EAST Library Catalogue
EAST Populi
National Library Board eResources
The Digital Theological Library
