Testimonies from the recent mission trip to Kuching
Dearly Beloved Brethren,
I want to thank God for the recent Kuching mission trip that we went to organize for a 2-day 1 night Church camp 26-27 March 2011. After which, we stayed on to join the Calvary Kuching BP Church for their Monday night prayer meeting on 28 March 2011. The entire Kuching Church of 11 brethren came for the camp which was held at a beach resort at Sematan, which is about 2 hours drive away from Kuching city. I want to share some spiritual lessons learned from this mission trip.
Evangelistic Church
Though the Kuching Church has only 11 members, they brought 5 new friends to the camp. Including the 5 of us from Singapore, we had a total of 21 people in the camp. Hearing their testimony, I know they have tried hard to invite friends to come to the camp. There were rejections they faced which caused them disappointment. Nevertheless, God is good to touch a family of 4 and another old lady to come for the camp. The new family had backslided and not attended Church for a few years. In God’s wonderful way and time, we organized this camp so that God’s Word can touch this family to come back to Him.
A Sick Member
I am touched that a sister in her early 20s from the Kuching Church who was recently found to have cancer came for the camp. She had already undergone 3 sessions of chemotherapy and lost all her hairs. Yet she was cheerful and willing to come to the camp to learn God’s Word. I noticed she was very diligent to copy notes when the messages were preached. Sick physically yet strong spiritually to seek the Lord. It is also commendable to see the small Church very supportive and caring for her.
Transparent Fellowship
We have discussions after each message to allow members to share and pray for each other. The sharing was not superficial but came from their hearts. A member shared his struggle with smoking having been a chained smoker all his life. He knew his Christian testimony is affected when he is tempted to smoke but the struggle was real in him. We encouraged and prayed for him.
Our Singapore Team
In every mission trip, I trust God to touch hearts to come and serve Him. God has never failed that we will always have sufficient people to serve Him as needed in every mission trip. In this Kuching mission, God touched the 5 of us to go. In God’s providential way, each of us comes with different gifts to serve the Lord to make the team complete. God knows and provides the right people. We did a nice campbook and taught the Book of Nehemiah with power point slides in 3 messages. Every mission team member has a role to play and thank God that we can serve Him with His strength. I always tell the team pray more and prepare our hearts to serve God. We just had one meeting together and other times, we communicate by email. All glory to God – He will never fail us when we serve Him faithfully and humbly. He will provide our every need as we serve Him.
New Mission Doors May Open…
I am excited that there may be new opportunities for us to serve the Lord in Nepal and Myanmar. Pray that God will lead and open the door for us in His will. May the Lord use us to touch some lives in every mission trip and souls be saved. Pray for us in our next mission in July to Vietnam to organize a 3-day VBS for about 100 children.
Elder John Leong
God is a Great, Big and Wonderful!
Thank God for giving me the opportunity to go and serve God at Kuching Church. Thank God that I have the means and time to go Kuching. It really has been awhile since I was able to go to other mission field so I thank God for bringing me to Kuching to minister to the fellow believers there. Thank God for enabling the team to conduct a church camp there, this being Kuching Church’s second camp. Thank God also for enabling me to teach one of the lessons.
The Kuching Church is a very young church (3 years old) and most of the members is of similar age group as Tabernacle Chinese congregation. This gave me a familiar feeling of being at our own Chinese fellowship. Despite being a young church, I thank God that the church is showing signs of growth and vitality. The brethren are showing care one for another, encouraging each other in the faith and showing concern for the things pertaining to the church (church building and a need for a full time minister). Although I do notice certain issues which needs to be changed and improved on (both in their personal life and for the church), they are trying to change and improve for the Lord and this brings much encouragement and joy in my heart.
God willing, I hope to go and minister to the Kuching brethren again. Indeed our God is a great, big and wonderful who takes care of His children in Singapore and also in Kuching!
Deacon Nick Phoon
I pray that God will use me ……
I thank God for the opportunity to go for this Kuching mission trip. As it is the first time there, I did not really know what to expect, but thank God for guiding and helping me through.
I see the struggles of the church there. Being small in number, it is hard for the church to grow as they do not have a preacher or pastor full time over there. Preacher Ling comes from Sibu 3 times a month to preach to them. On the forth week, they will listen to cassette which Preacher Ling sends them. Also, they lack pianist and have no children ministry. They have only 1 chairman, the same every week. Their only additional fellowship is their weekly prayer meetings. Their place of worship is at level 3 of a building, and it is not exactly conducive as level 2 is a massage parlour. It is really tough for them, especially when their faith is young.
Yet I not only see the problems, I also see how God leads and provides for them and for this family camp. God made the 2-day 1 night camp possible, providing for our every need. God is gracious in granting us the venue and merciful in granting us safety in traveling. Through the camp, I see they have close fellowship and support for each other, showing care and concern for one another. I see their desire for God’s Word and desire to grow. I see them trusting and persevering, not wavering. God truly preserves and guides them, keeping them in the faith.
And I see myself. Truly I am much more blessed compared to them, but am I using the blessings I have for God’s glory? How often I murmur, complain and whine about little things. I ought to be thankful and thank God for His provision instead of questioning my circumstances. And all the more I should be active in using what God has graciously bestowed upon me for His work.
I pray that God will use me, though unworthy I may be. And I also pray that more will be willing to be of use by God to serve Him, be it in our own church or in mission work. Seeing that we are much blessed, shouldn’t we try to be a blessing to others as well?
Brother Bo Hao