Dear Brethren,
Nias Mission Trip Report 27-29 July 2014
Nias Island
Thank God for another spiritually blessed mission trip in Nias. A team of 7 left Singapore on Saturday 26 July to travel to an Indonesia island called Nias which is off the western coast of Sumatra. Nias Island covers an area of 5,121.3 km2 (about 7 times Singapore island) with a population of about 780,000. Nias was struck by Tsuanami in 2004 and a powerful earthquake in 2005 resulting in thousands of deaths and casualties and also mass destruction in the island.
Safe Travel to Nias
We flew from Singapore to Medan and then had to take a domestic flight from Medan to Nias. Thank God that our luggage weight limit was not exceeded as we had to bring many teaching and craft materials for our 3-day Vacation Bible Class (VBS) to be conducted in Nias. We had a tight limited time to catch the domestic flight when we arrived at Medan. In fact, our names were being called out at the airport and we had to frantically run to the gate to board our domestic flight. The Lord is good that we made it just on time. Upon arrival at Nias airport, it was another 2½ hour of land transport drive to reach to the school where the VBS would be held. Rev and Mrs Famachoic run a kindergarten and primary school in Nias and the VBS was held in their school premises. Rev Famachoic studied in FEBC for a short period of time before. We also stayed together with Rev and Mrs Famachoic in their school premises during the VBS. Living condition is not ideal by Singapore standard but by God’s grace, we adapt well and had no problem sleeping well every night.
Sunday Worship 27 July
In the Lord’s Day on 27 July, we went to a Methodist Church for worship. Our team presented a song item to the congregation of about 80 people. We sang the hymn “Tis so sweet to trust in Jesus” with one stanza in Bahasa Indonesian to encourage the congregation. I preached the message from the text Hosea 8:12 “I have written to him the great things of my law, but they were counted as a strange thing.” Rev Famachoic interpreted the message. Thank God for His help to preach and declared the infallible and inerrant forever inspired and preserved Word of God.
VBS 27-29 July
The Lord blessed us with slightly more than 200 children and youth who came for the VBS. This was beyond our expectation and much more than the materials we had prepared for 150 students. We praise God for every soul that can come to listen to the Word of God. The Lord enabled us with His grace and strength to lead the 200+ VBS students and also provided the resources and wisdom needed to go through every programme in the VBS. We taught 5 messages on the Life of David. Each message comes with a memory verse. The children in Nias were serious to learn and memorise God’s Word. In fact, the older ones could memorise all 5 verses at the end of the VBS. We pray that the Word of God would bear fruit in all the students’ lives. It was indeed a blessed time in the 3-day VBS and also to have a special bonding with all the students and the 4 interpreters for our 4 classes. The VBS started on Sunday afternoon 2pm till 8.30pm and it was whole day on Monday 8am to 8.30pm and on the last day Tuesday it was from 8am to 3pm. We were totally drained out in serving God but our hearts were rejoicing in the goodness of the Lord. Indeed we experienced what the Bible says the joy of the Lord is our strength (Nehemiah 8:10b).
Flight delay in return trip
Our domestic flight was delayed by an hour departing at 7.45am instead of 6.45am. Thank God we were informed of it earlier and made the right decision to change our international flight departing from Medan to Singapore to one day later on Thursday instead of Wednesday at 9.20am. Our sovereign God already knows all things. When I changed my money in Singapore before this trip, I made a wrong calculation to change an extra amount of S$150 to Indonesian Rupiah. God knows this money is needed as we had to stay an extra night in Medan. I am amazed at God’s provision every step of the way. Thank God to enable deacon Teck Beng in Singapore to help us with the change of flight as the Internet service did not work in Nias. God will not fail us when we trust in Him and commit our path to His Hand. All praise to His Name that we came back safely on Thursday morning to Singapore at 11.30am. With God’s strength, I went back to work in the afternoon. Our faith is more strengthened in each mission trip and may the Lord grant us more zeal and desire to serve Him.
Elder John Leong