Pastor's Page

18 May 2008

Link to pdf file

1. The usual team left for S yesterday. Let’s pray for them, for safety and meaningful ministry. A sister from S, A Tin, came down for an eye operation recently. Pray for a good recovery. This is the only good eye she is left with that is functioning.



2. TODAY, we will continue with Joshua 10 at both services.



3. RELIEF FOR MYANMAR – Our brother, Joo Kian, is the country co-ordinator. He is in touch with Pastor Mang Kaih Thang. Pastor Mang and his family are fine but he is not sure about those pastor he trained who are in different places. Joo Kian is remitting money to him weekly so that he can help his church members. We do not want to release big amount at one shot. At the moment, we are still not sure how we should go about helping and we are still waiting for Pastor Mang’s direction to Joo Kian. The Committee on Missions and Committee on Social Concerns are working with Joo Kian and Pastor Mang. Money can still be donated either to COM or COSC, earmarked for Myanmar Relief at the back of the cheque or envelope. Once the direction is received, it will be clearer how we can help Pastor Mang and his church members. It is not easy to rebuild their lives again.



4. GLOBAL DAY OF PRAYER (11th May 08) - by Oon Thian

   About 70 members from GMC joined the 8,000 Christians at the Indoor Stadium for the GDOP. We had a wonderful time soaking in the Presence of God through worship, fellowship, prayer, encountering the Lord in silence and listening to His living Word. God honoured our nation’s calling as the “Antioch of Asia” when prayers were uttered for the nations of the world to become the kingdom of God and there was the unity of Spirit when the participants stood on behalf of Singapore to pray for God’s mercy, protection and blessings upon our nation. It was a heart-warming experience to know that God had answered our prayers!




5. FROM EZEKIEL, KENYA - It has been sometime since we last wrote. All is well with us. We received all your support through Dr. and Mrs. Isaiah, for which we are very grateful.

   Our daughter Ruth is in a boarding High School. Melanie will be reporting back to school on Tuesday next week. Pray with us that the Lord will provide for their school fees for the second term. Dutea is doing well but for the last couple of months she has developed some complications in her reproductive system. We are trusting God to take her for special check up in one of the hospitals in Nairobi.

   The last two months have been peaceful in Kenya. Thank you so much for your prayers and support during the first two months of 2008, when the country was undergoing political turmoil. Many people were left homeless and children left orphans as more than 1,000 people lost their lives and another 350,000+ driven from their known homes.

   Regarding ministry, we are happy to let you know that the Lord has also been faithful and a very present help in our ministry. This year we have ten missionary students from various churches in Kenya with one from North America. They are now on recession but we are expecting them back this Sunday to begin the last leg of their training which will end with graduation on 19th July, 2008. One of the students feels God is calling her to Iraq, the other one feels called to Canada and others have a call to other African countries.

   Last month (April), we went to one of the remote parts of Kenya among the Maasai for a backpack trip where the students cooked their own food, fetched water from the river, did ministry among the local residents, taught farming and planted a demonstration garden to these people whose livelihood is cattle keeping. Then we moved to the next village where there is an orphanage home with over three hundred children and did a youth camp for 60 of their young people. Here too, the students did their own cooking and ministered to these orphans, some of whom are HIV positive. Our students were involved in group discussions with them in the mornings, sports in the afternoons and preaching of the word in the evenings. The children’s home is called Huruma Children Home. Huruma is a Kiswahili word meaning mercy. Mid May, (12th to 18th) we shall take them to another remote village to show Jesus Film but do person to person (door to door) evangelism during the day. There is a small church among these people which has invited us to help them with some outreach to their neighbors.

   As you can see, there is a lot out there that needs someone with a definite call for missions. It is very challenging and sometimes exciting. When we take our students out, we move with safari beds, (safari simply means journey or game tour), mobile kitchen, our own food, and of course personal effects for each one of us. Sometimes we carry our own water for cooking, bathing, and drinking. At the moment, we are hiring a van that can accommodate everyone of our team. But we are trusting God for our own school van in future.

   Finally, we would like you to pray with us for the following items:
   
   

   • Dutea’s medical checkup.
   
   
   
   • School fees for Ruth and Melanie.
   
   
   
   • My trip to Kampala Uganda (10th to 12th May, 2008) - That God will provide my airfare to and fro in good time. I will be sharing in a pastors conference and participate in the Global Day of Prayer on Sunday in their national stadium.
   
   
   
   • Globeserve Council Meetings to be held in Nairobi (June 17 – 20, 2008). Dr and Mrs Isaiah as well as Dr. Tan Kok Beng will be coming for these meetings as they are key partners in Globeserve.
   
   
   
   • Financial provision for the missionaries in training. It costs 20,000 Kenya shillings to train one missionary per month or 200,000 Kenya shillings in a year.
   
   
   
   • God’s provision for a school van for the missionary training center.
   
   
   
   Thank you for praying (Ephesians 6:18-19).




6. THE RECENT HEALING SERVICE – by Oon Thian

   Mr Henson Lim, Dean of the Covenant School of Ministry, was the speaker and this was the second time he ministered at our healing service. He spoke about the wholeness of the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ which encompasses the spiritual and physical healing of the spirit, soul and body. After the message, there was an invitation for all the recipients of the Word to experience the supernatural power of God and many came forward for prayer of deliverance and healing. Some received physical healing when prayed for, some received a supernatural touch from the Lord as they “soaked” in His Presence, some returned with the assurance of the reality of God and some were referred for further prayer counseling with the Balm of Gilead Ministry of our Church. All glory to God!

7. BANANARAMA (@ Blangah Rise Primary School, 27th, 28th May 08) – by Liza Khew – Praise the LORD for the 70 children confirmed joining the camp. By faith we are targeting for 80 -100 participants.

   All glory be to the LORD for those who have been moved by the Holy Spirit to sponsor this event. Part of this sponsorship will be used to absorb the camp fees of 14 children (so far) who are under the school’s Financial Assistant Scheme (FAS).

   The programmes are in place, please pray that I will have good time management as I am now in the process of administrative details, planning, coordinating and buying of logistics needed for games etc. etc.

   Pray for all the people who have come forward to help in different capacities, especially the young people as Group Leaders and Games Logistic Helpers. Please pray for those heading the various segments.
   
   

   • Mervin John – Songs, music and stage
   
   
   
   • Tang Chu Ai – Games
   
   
   
   • Catherine Lee – Token exchanges and prizes
   
   
   
   • Belinda Chan – Food and drinks
   
   
   
   • Mervin Seow, Lee Boon Eng – Emcees and Teaching
   
   
   
   • Lydia Tay – Teaching
   
   
   
   • Liza Khew – Administrator
   
   
   

   Most of all, pray for the Presence of the LORD to be with us as we yield ourselves as willing vessels through which HIS Name may be glorified and the children of Blangah Rise Primary School be blessed by HIS Love.

8. FAMILY NEWS (for prayer)
   
   
   1. Our focus is on Bananarama which is on 27th and 28th May 08 at Blangah Rise Primary School. Pray for the teachers, helpers and children. Pray that God’s love can be sown in the children’s hearts.
   
   
   
   2. Remember Pastor Mang Kaih Thang and other pastors in Myanmar. Pray for Joo Kian, the country coordinator – for God’s leading as to how GMC can bless Myanmar.
   
   
   
   3. The S team is now in B. Pray for journey mercies and meaningful ministry.
   
   
   
   4. Pray for the earthquake victims in China, especially the families of the 900 students who lost their lives. Pray for wisdom to see how we can help.
   
   
   
   5. Peck Yee’s mother was discharged from AH.
   
   
   
   6. Joanne’s husband, Yee Weng Loong, went for a scope on Wednesday to see if there was any blockage in the blood vessels. Pray for his health.
   
   
   
   7. Ezekiel and his family in Kenya.
   
   
   
   8. Soh Lim and Edmund Koh in Thailand.
   
   
   
   9. Ike Kie and Colin in T.