The Difficult Questions

One brainstorming afternoon, five interview sessions, three full days of video edits, across six different congregations, in various languages and dialects, and countless emails later, this video finally went live during our church's missions weekend last month.

Our first video was a series of interviews with our missionaries, this time we wanted to hear from YOU. We think that our church is a missions-minded church, but how much do we really know? Do we even know what missions means?

We have received very kind words (and much laughter) on the video, and many requests for the actual answers to the "Do You Know" questions. So for everyone's info, our church's missionaries are Chin Leong & Alice, Doris & Alvin, Vincent & Judy, and Siew Ling. Our missions coordinator is Adrian (he cried a little when he realised how few people knew him), and our missions budget for 2010 is $530,000.

The interview sessions proved to be a humbling and refreshing (and sometimes baffling) experience for us on the missions editorial team; some answers we expected, many we did not, but all of which gave us a greater insight into the church as a body of Christ. A huge shoutout to all the interviewees (even those whom we did not choose to feature due to lack of time and variety)... THANK YOU for taking time out of your busy schedules to do this. We know it was harrowing for some of you, but you have all been a STAR in your own way, and God bless you for your courage and honesty. :)

At the end of the day, we were never really looking for the right answers, only that the video would help us to ask ourselves: What is our role in The Great Commission? What have we done today with the opportunities and resources that God has given us?

We hope this video challenges you as much as it did us. :)

Big Welcome! :)

While it seems that this blog has been around for some time, we've kept pretty quiet about it so that we could slowly work on its contents and design, leading up to the missions weekend in church. Since its official launch over the past weekend, we have seen our page views spike drastically, so WELCOME! ;)

We have received some really nice comments since then about the new newsletter and the video that was shown during the main services. Thank you all for your kind words. Keep them coming, and let us know what we are doing right, and what we can do better. What was your response to the message? What would you like to see in the blog/newsletter? What do you think our next video should explore? We won't be able to please everyone, but we will value every single input for future efforts!

At the same time, keep your contributions coming in, either through the missions committee, or you can send it to us at missions [DOT] editorial [AT] gmail [DOT] com! Space in the newsletter is limited, but the blog is not. ;) If you would like to contribute your skills and be part of our team, we'll be glad to get in touch with you as well! We had a lot of help along the way, so a big thank you to all those who helped us with the newsletter and the video, sometimes on very tight deadlines, you know who you are! ;) We need all the creative energy we can get, and are particularly looking out for Chinese editors/translators and print layout artists.

Lastly, for those of you who missed it, here is the newsletter (English and Chinese versions) for your reading pleasure. We already have requests pouring in for us to upload the video, which we will do in our next post, together with the correct answers to satiate you curious cats, so keep checking back for updates! :P

Cambodia Children's Camp 2010

During the September school holidays, a team of about 60 people (including three of us from the editorial team!) headed up to Sihanoukville in Cambodia for only the second combined children's camp. About 300 children from NHO's nine orphanages gathered for a time of worship, bible study, fun, games, fellowship, culminating in an emotional baptism at the beach.

Singapore team at the airport eagerly awaiting departure to Cambodia

Sis Juliana shared this testimony after returning home from the camp:

I have been involved in the work in Cambodia since going for the first children's camp back in 2006. It proved to be an unforgettable experience, and I was filled with so much joy serving the children. My life was changed from that trip onwards, and I have never looked back since.

In my interactions with the orphans, I realise that they are all seeking love and direction in life. Most of them have experienced much rejection and have gone through a lot of hardship, even at this tender age. Apart from material provision, their hearts are crying out for a caring touch, a loving hug, a human face. God calls pure religion as reaching out to widows and orphans, and I believe this is where we can be obedient.

A friendly smile and loving hug, and a shirt full of yummies! ;)

Hudson Taylor once said: “God's work, done in God's ways, never lack God's provision.” From the start of this trip, I began to see the wisdom behind these words. Even before we set off, my part-time helper passed me a love offering from a friend of hers, because she was touched to hear what we were planning to do on this trip. I was so pleasantly surprised by this: truly God can touch anyone to give, even when we least expect it! In the months leading up to the trip, sponsorship also poured in for coloured pencils, towels, toothbrush, rulers, water bottles, cash, chocolates, candies, etc.

Distribution of kits to the kids

Upon hearing that we were organising the camp for orphans, the owner of the resort (also an orphan himself) was also extremely touched by what we were doing. He gave us a special discount for our stay there, and provided us sumptuous meals and tea breaks with extra treats for the children.

Treats for everyone!

We split the children into different age groups for the teaching sessions, and I was involved in the MasterLife training for the caregivers and the older children. I was humbled to see how hungry they were for God's word. The sessions were filled with excitement and enthusiasm, with heartfelt, honest emotional sharing from the children and adults alike.

MasterLife session with the older children and caretakers

The massive logistics and budgeting tasks aside, I was just so happy to see how the children have grown from the last time I saw them. In the children and the caretakers, I saw so much joy and the amazing transformation work that God has done in their lives. I was incredibly blessed to spend time with my sponsored son, and to witness other sponsor parents meet their sponsored children, some for the first time. To see the smiles and excitement in their faces is something extremely overwhelming and heartwarming all at once.

Group shot with the kids! :)

You can check out more on the work in Cambodia via their new website here!

Missionary Updates from Thailand

Vincent & Judy are our missionary couple who are serving in Thailand. Vincent has been there since April 2004, and Judy joined him in February 2009, shortly after they were married in Singapore. Regular updates can be found on both their blogs.

About four weeks ago, the cell group in Gu Thong village received a visitation of the Holy Spirit. Four ladies who attended cell that day received the baptism of the Holy Spirit and broke out in tongues. Among them were new believers and long-time Christians alike.

Cell group in Gu Thong village

For three months, they have been searching for a suitable language teacher for Judy. After praying, the Lord graciously led us to meet up with Ajarn Angul, whom she has started lessons with. She will also be receiving instruction in Christian Communication with a fellow Christian to learn the necessary language for communicating spiritual topics. It is Judy’s hope that as she embarks on this season of intense language studies, she will be able to apply and retain the vocabulary and language components in every aspect of daily Thai living.

Even though Vincent has never been trained in children’s ministry,God has been faithfully blessing this work and causing it to grow. Already we are starting to see a regular stream of children ranging from the age of four to eleven. Each Tuesday the children are given craftwork to do, taught to sing Christian songs, and then told a Bible story. It is Vincent’s hope that this ministry will plant seeds in the lives of the children to know God personally.

Children's ministry in Nong Weng village

You can help to pray for:

1. Vincent and Judy’s health and physical well-being to keep up with the demands of their ministry
2. Clarity and guidance from the Lord in reaching out to the youths and building up relationships with them
3. Continual protection over the work in Gu Thong Village, that cell members consistently pray in tongues and to grow up in the knowledge of the Lord
4. Children in Nong Weng Village to receive revelation of the Lord, that they may know Him more
5. Judy to persevere in learning and applying Thai, that she will be single-minded in pursuing excellence in the Thai language

Miracles in Batam

Pastor Edward led a team of short term mission trippers to Batam, Indonesia. Apart from seeing growth from their previous trip there, they also saw first-hand miraculous healings by God over the people there:

We visited and prayed for the sick, which included those with colon cancer, heart problems, broken arms and legs. There was a brother who suffered from stroke, and when we first met him, he could not even bend his fingers. After we prayed for him, he experienced God's miraculous healing and started lifting his hands and praising God! Barren women that we prayed for in our last visit are now in advanced stages of their pregnancies.

In one of the services that we attended, people were so moved by God during the altar call, that many came forward weeping. It was an awesome time of communion with God.

Finally, we also met a brother who was in a car accident during a thunderstorm. Many had tried to spread the gospel with him to no avail. However as we shared with him of how God has preserved him from death, he was moved by the Spirit to salvation!

Sister Mavis Ho had this to add:

Overall, the Batam trip was indeed an eye opener for me as it was my first trip there. It was great to be surrounded by God’s people and as we sang and prayed earnestly. We also prayer walked at the new land parcel slated for a new church building, and made many house visitations.

The trip reminded me that my own problems are not the biggest things in my life, only Jesus is. I am also more mindful of the needs of people around me now, and also more confident that I can help others and how God can use me to help others.

Praise and worship in Batam

Harvest Time in Lapu Lapu

Earlier in June this year, a group of mission trippers got to see the fruit of the work that was started there from scratch three years ago.

Deacon Victor's connection with Pastor Cleto in Lapu Lapu, the Philippines, proved vital in expanding the church there, and extending their reach to the lost. What has followed is the church building, two bible schools, and two ARISE kindergartens (as with the ARISE kindergarten here in COS(BT)).

The church in Lapu Lapu now has 200 people attending two services every Sunday, with the vision to grow it beyond 500. 22 pastors have graduated from the bible schools and are now actively pastoring 18 churches throughout the region of Visayas. Another 18 will be graduating this November.

Sis Elizabeth Lim shares her experience:

I felt really comfortable in the Philippines even though it was my first time to the country, because of the hospitality and friendliness of the Filipinos, in particular the pastor and his family. On this mission trip, I did not need an interpreter, unlike in many other countries. I could express myself freely, accurately and directly to the people in English. They could understand me without any problem, and that was a real privilege for me.

I never dreamed that I would have to do any preaching, but by the grace of God my preaching during our first Sunday service was very well received. I have concluded that our church has done well in feeding us with God's word, therefore we can in due course use it to bless others in the mission field, and to make disciples of all nations.

Lapu Lapu is a beautiful place with beautiful people, and I praise God that the church has matured and multiplied so quickly.

Heartbeat of God

After months of preparation, we have finally begun the work on our next video production. On our previous project, we were tasked to put it together in about two months -- from the time that the team was formed to when the video was to be shown during our church's Missions Week -- which was insanely tight, to say the least.

This time, we hope to give ourselves a little more room to breathe, juggling this with our respective full-time jobs, and perhaps manage to have some fun along the way. ;)

For posterity's sake, I wanted to post our previous video up. This video was shown in all our church's congregations earlier in March, with the intent to give a light-hearted insight into the lives of our missionaries, and what they do so far away from home.

There's always room for improvement, but speaking as someone who's never been involved in a media project other than print, it was extremely fulfilling to see this come into fruition. :) We had so much fun interviewing the missionaries as well, and I believe I speak for the rest of the team when I say that they have inspired us. Our upcoming video aims to do something different, so look out for it in a couple of months, but for now, here's an intro to the people who are Making A Difference.