FROM THE HEART OF ERIC FUNG / Executive Director, Asian Outreach Malaysia

GOD USES US DISPITE OUR FLAWS

This year has been a gruelling year for me as I was required to travel the length and breadth of the country to minister in the local churches. Driving outstation during my younger days was something I looked forward to but when age catches up I find it stressful as it saps my energy and for longer distances I have to make several stops . The field trips are demanding due to the harsh environments and the ministry problems and as I reflect over the years I can truly say: ‘Only God’s grace has seen me through.’ The only reason I am able to do what I have been doing for the last 30 years is through God’s strength and love for the unsaved from the injustice they are suffering and the poor. The other motivating factor is that God has given me all of you to give me moral and prayer support. In this 30 years  I have seen thousands upon thousands come to the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and many more lives have been reached, touched and transformed in the their spiritual, physical and mental being.

I returned from Cambodia on the 24^th of October and while there I fell ill with high fever, chills and body aches. The programmes for my visit had already been arranged so I could not cancel and had to carry on though all I wanted was to get back to bed. Even after my return I continued to be ill and on the 2^nd November I was hospitalised for three days to treat a lung infection. Praise God I have fully recovered. My spirit is ready to scale new mountains but my body is dragging its feet. In my course of reading I came across this short story that inspired and encouraged me. No matter what our circumstances are, God will always find a way to use us for His kingdoms glory, if we are willing.

Acts 9:15 “But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.”

A water bearer in India carried water daily in two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole that he carried across his neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water while the crack pot always ended up half full only.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments, perfect for which it was made. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection and miserable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it had been made to do. After some time, feeling like a failure the crack pot spoke to the water bearer: “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you. I have been able to deliver only half my load because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house. Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and you don’t get full value from your efforts,” the pot said.

The bearer smiled and said to the pot: “Did you notice that there were flowers on your side of the path but not on the other pot's side? That's because I have always known about your flaw, and I planted flower seeds on your side of the path. Every day while we walk back, you've watered them. For two years, I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

Never doubt your value to God and how you can be His vessel, no matter how ‘cracked’ you appear to be. You know most of our foot soldiers are lowly educated man and women, simple in their ways and live simple lives. They live by faith, that God will provide their every need for their family and ministry. What sets these men and women apart is their faith in God and their desire to serve Him? They do not focus on what they lack but are fully focused on what God has called them to do.

God has been so faithful to them and the miracles, signs and wonders they have experienced is simply amazing. Now with the rise in persecution it cannot be easy for them but they have never once complaint or grumble that life is too hard or they want to give up. 

Our foot soldier in India, Ps Praveen encountered a lot of trouble with a villager who hated Christians. He would constantly shout at Ps Praveen whenever he saw him, even walking on the street to curse and swear at him. He vowed to drive Ps Praveen and his family out of the village. Ps Praveen never answered back or retaliated in any way, but would pray for this man while he was being shouted at and cursed. The man never saw anger or hate in the Pastor’s eyes and slowly he began to change and became curious to know the God Ps Praveen loved and served, the God that teaches tolerance and love. It spoke volumes to this man who would expect anyone who was being tormented to either retaliate or leave. Today that man has accepted Jesus and Ps Praveen was overjoyed to baptize him. 

Ps John Ramesh whose ministry is reaching out to the special peoples group in India must have often felt how he could, a simple villager, reach out to people so entombed in their own faith. He has seen their stand with regards to their faith and how extreme they were, not only in India but all over the world. He read about the atrocities they were doing all in the name of religion, he wondered how he was going to save them. He knew he had a daunting task ahead of him but he was determined to do it.

 One day he met a man at the bus stop from this special peoples group. He looked extremely upset and worried. Ps John felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit to reach out to this man and he did. The man, his name was Khadhar, poured out his heart to Ps John. He married his daughter to a young man a few months ago and had to give a dowry to the young man’s family, as was the custom. He was unable to fulfil that promise of a dowry and his daughter was sent back to him and his family. This was a terrible shame for his family and he still had a younger daughter yet to marry. He was just too poor to provide his daughters with a dowry and this was a heavy burden for him.

Ps John shared with him about Jesus and prayed with him challenging him to pray to Jesus and believe that Jesus would help him. There and then Khadhar began to pray and ask Jesus to come into his life and help his family. Ps John kept meeting him and praying with him. Within a week his son-in-law came to the house to take his wife back home. He assured the father that he loved his daughter and no dowry was necessary. The father could hardly believe it.  A week later a family approached him for the hand of his youngest daughter and they also told him that a dowry was not necessary. That day Khadhar gave his heart to Jesus because he knew that God had worked a miracle for him.

Powerful testimonies like these about the miracles that come from God and how people are witnessing first the reality of the Kingdom of God, more and more are accepting Christ.  These Foot Soldiers greatest desire is to be used by the Lord to bring in a great harvest of souls and to give God all the glory. God can use anyone for fulfilling His purpose, if that person chooses to be useful to Him. God has blessed everyone with one talent or the other. Some have the gift of being a listener, encourager, writer, prayer warrior or financial supporter for the Lord’s work but we must be willing vessels.

As I mentioned before not all of us are called to preach or go to the mission fields. Some are given the task to pray and others the privilege to give and support the work of the Kingdom. Whatever we are called to do, let us do it with a willing heart and out of love for our Saviour.

Rom:10:14 “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”  

FROM THE HEART OF ERIC FUNG / Executive Director, Asian Outreach Malaysia

BEING AN AARON AND HUR

Exodus 17:12

“When Moses’s hands grew tired, they took a stone and put it under him and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur held his hands up - one on one side, one on the other - so that his hands remained steady till sunset.”

In Exodus, we read that when the Israelites were fighting against the Amalekites, Moses stood at the top of the hill with the staff of God in his hands overlooking the battle. As long as Moses held up his hands the Israelites were winning but whenever he grew tired and lowered his hands, the advantage shifted to the enemy. Then Aaron and Hur came along and held up his hands so that it remained steady until sunset and Israel won the battle. Although Aaron and Hur did not play as prominent a role as those at the forefront of the battle, their steadfast support behind the scene has helped win a war. To me, they are the true heroes of this story.

Here in Asian Outreach, we continuously seek to fulfil the great commission by bringing the gospel to every tongue and tribe that have yet to know Jesus Christ. While God has always been faithful, I must admit that it is a daunting task for our battle is not just against physical challenges but also against the principalities and powers of darkness. As I reflect on my 29 years of service in Asian Outreach, I thank God for the many Aarons and Hurs in my life. Every time the task seemed impossible, God would bring along the right people to partner with us and support us in prayer. Without these wonderful partners, it would not have been possible for us to accomplish all that the Lord has called us to do.

In 2006 I went to Nepal and saw children scavenging in the rubbish dumps, fighting with stray dogs and cows for every scrap of food they can find. I was shocked and moved to tears. The Holy Spirit impressed upon my heart to do something about the situation but I had no idea how to begin. There were so many children roaming the streets and I didn’t have the resources to feed, clothe and shelter them at all. Nevertheless, I obeyed God’s calling and together with the wonderful partners he sent, started a food sharing programme and drop-in centre. After some time, we were able to set up a proper home for the children and give them the opportunity to go to school. In this safe environment, many of the children grew to know and love the Lord and many more were saved from the streets day by day.

Romans 12:4-5

“For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.”

I would like to share with you the following report by Pastor Maniraj, our foot soldier in Theni, Tamil Nadu who has been tremendously blessed by your partnership. He needed a church to house the growing congregation and God directed him to build one on a land situated between the high caste and low caste community.

The people in the village take the caste system very seriously. Low caste people are not allowed to be in the same vicinity as the high caste people. God told him that the church would be the “bridge” that connects the Christian believers in both castes to come together as one. No one has ever attempted this before. The higher caste Hindus absolutely could not stand being anywhere near the low caste Dalits. Nevertheless, in obedience, Pastor Maniraj started to build the church as the Lord commanded.  The high caste Hindus tried to prevent the authorities from granting the approval to build the church and when they were unsuccessful, watched and waited to find fault with the building.

Due to lack of funds, Pastor Maniraj together with his wife and a few church members started to build the church brick by brick with their own hands. They had to walk one mile each way, in temperatures as hot as 40⁰C, carrying water, and bricks, sand and cement bags on their shoulders to and from the construction site. They never grumbled or complained. Instead their praises and thanksgiving to God can be heard for miles around. One day a Hindu in the village offered them a push cart to ease their burden. This helped to reduce the number of trips. After some time, non-Christian neighbours started to help with carrying water and other minor tasks. Pastor Maniraj was amazed that God could even use non-Christians to help him. It is a testimony for those who serve God that He is a faithful God and when we obey His calling, He will take care of our needs. Slowly, Pastor Maniraj started to share Christ with those who came to help and many in the village came to know the Lord.

God has called all of us to participate in the great harvest. While most of us could not be at the forefront like Pastor Maniraj and the other foot soldiers, we can be the Aarons and Hurs to support those in the field. I urge you to continue to partner with them through prayer and the giving of your time and resources. By doing so, we are investing in millions of lives and giving them a chance of salvation. The Lord sees our faithfulness and will bless us according to His riches in heaven.

All of us in Asian Outreach is grateful to God for meeting our needs and for a fruitful ministry thus far. Your generosity and support throughout the years have indeed been an encouragement to spur us on towards greater works. Many of you gave out of your own needs and I want to assure you that your giving is not in vain. Our track record shows that we are prudent and good stewards of the resources that God has blessed us with and every dollar that comes in goes to the field. In the coming months, pray with us as we continue to trust and obey God.

Romans 10:13-15

“For Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

THE MOVE OF GOD IN BHUTAN

Kikon Lotha/AO partner in Bhutan

We praise God for the foot soldiers in Bhutan who, in obedience to the Great Commission, have gone into the "regions beyond" with the Gospel of Jesus Christ even at the price of persecution. God has raised up faithful foot soldiers as His instruments to carry out His plan. The foot soldiers in Bhutan work tirelessly to take the message of God’s love and salvation to the lost as they desire that every Bhutanese come to know Jesus so their lives can be transformed forever. Although there are no violent attacks on Christians, they do face persecution through discrimination by the government and society. Christians live out their Christian lives underground and church buildings, Christian cemeteries or Christian bookstores are not allowed. As one Pastor said, “Once the government discovers that you are a Christian, nothing will be free for you as all the perks of a Bhutanese are stripped.” Although Christians are allowed to practice their faith in private homes, evangelism and Christian gatherings in public are prohibited.

Life is hard for the foot soldiers in Bhutan because they never know who they can trust as the authorities have spies everywhere. In 2015 Pastor Tandin was arrested during Sunday service for playing a music video of the song “Above All” to usher the people to worship when a neighbour reported him. Police also seized his computer and found a schedule in Tandin’s hard disk revealing his plans to show three Christian movies in the days to follow. They say the attempt to show these films without permission is punishable by the Penal Code of Bhutan. He was sentenced to 3 years in prison.

Despite concentrated efforts to curb the spread of Christianity, the efforts of the foot soldiers have not been in vain. House churches are being established and many remote villages are hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  God continues to raise up men who are willing to risk even their lives for the sake of the Gospel. We hardly receive any news on social media about the miracles taking place in this tiny Himalayan Kingdom but God is moving powerfully through the work of the foot soldiers and lives are being transformed through the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

Leah Chhettri, a Bhutanese woman had suffered from a heart condition which became quite serious. The doctors in Bhutan recommended that she go immediately to Calcutta for open heart surgery.  Leah was plunged into depression and fear that she would die before she could go for the operation. Finances for the operation was another problem too and she became more discouraged. She heard of a pastor in Likithung who could pray for her healing and his God would listen and help her. So she went and sought him out and she and her husband met Ps Lazarus who was filled with compassion when he heard her problem and he began to share the Gospel and about the love of God, His peace and His healing. Leah asked Ps Lazarus to pray that she would be healed without an operation. She continued to pray with Ps Lazarus and listen to the Word of God and she accepted Jesus as her Lord and Saviour even before she was healed.  After a month had passed Leah went to the hospital and to the amazement of the doctors her Eco test results revealed that her heart was in good condition. The doctors were baffled but Leah knew that Jesus had healed her and she was filled with joy.

A month later, Leah and her husband stood on the banks of a river near their village and under the pretext of having a picnic (to avoid detection that baptism was taking place) Leah was baptised. In the month of January it was very cold and the water in the river was freezing cold. Leah’s husband was concerned for his wife as she was still quite delicate even though she had been healed and Ps Lazarus encouraged them to have faith in Jesus and trust Him. As Leah walked into the river holding tightly to Ps Lazarus’s hand her husband saw Jesus standing between Leah and Ps Lazarus and he immediately fell on his knees in awe. After the pastor submerged Leah in the water and brought her out in just a couple of seconds they found to their horror that Leah was cold and unconscious and there was no pulse. Leah’s husband and everyone present rushed into the water and were crying and pleading for Leah’s life.  But that moment was to give God glory and honour. Leah opened her eyes some 6-8 minutes later to see them all crying around her. Her face glowed and she shared that the minute she went into the water she saw a bright blue beautiful light and her spirit soared up toward the light and she felt the presence of God. She wished she could have stayed longer but she had to return back. She still is a walking testimony for God and her whole family have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.  There are so many more miraculous signs and wonders that are occurring in Bhutan and many are coming to the Lord.

Recently a church member of Ps Lazarus gave birth to a premature baby (the mother was in her 7th month of pregnancy when she went into labour) and the baby was in a very critical condition. Doctors told the parents that the baby had very little chance for survival. The parents immediately called Ps Lazarus to pray with them. Ps Lazarus prayed over the baby for God’s blessings, healing and strength and the Lord healed that baby. The baby who is 3 months old now is strong and healthy. Praise the Lord!                                  

        

The foot soldiers urgently need our prayers and financial support. God has a great task before them and if we don’t support them who will take their place to go? Will you answer that call to be a sender or a supporter?  Will you help our Bhutanese foot soldiers fulfil the Great Commission in their nation? Our Lord’s cry for the world is getting louder and more urgent. His heart is yearning for the lost to be saved.

Romans 10:14

 “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?”

FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU

Ps Paul Silvanus - AO partner in India

Jeremiah 29:11

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

God has a plan for each of us. We may not always understand His plan, but we still need to be obedient as we try to fulfil it and as the prophet Micah says (Micah 6:8) "What does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God"

The middle age couple had been childless for many years. Desperate, they turn to the only god they knew at that time and vowed that if they were granted an heir, they would dedicate him back to the god. After some time, the wife conceived and bore a male child whom they name Munirathnam, after the Hindu god they prayed to, and true to their promise the child was dedicated back to the god.

According to Hindu custom, a child dedicated to a god is not allowed to cut his hair until he has reached adolescent. Hence, when Munirathnam came of age, his parents held a grand ceremony and took him to the temple for his first haircut. After his head was shaved, they noticed a big lump protruding from the base of his neck. Later, doctors confirmed that it was a tumour but they were told that nothing can be done about it. Once again, they sought the help of their gods and took Munirathnam to many temples and mediums but to no avail.

At that time, Munirathnam’s grandmother who is a born-again Christian persuaded his parents to let her take him to church. She also started to read the Bible to him every day and fasted and prayed fervently for God to heal him. After one week, the family noticed that the tumour had reduced in size. By the end of the second week, it has completely disappeared! It was then that Pastor Munirathnam Selvaraj and his entire family accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

Desiring to serve God, Ps Muni attended the Chennai Mission School. After graduation, he was posted to the village of Dalit in Pannur which is a substation of Andha Pradesh where he grew up. As it was a pioneering ministry, conditions were extremely challenging. The church, which is also his dwelling place, was a small thatched roof structure which he built with his own hands.

One day while he was fasting and praying for God’s guidance, a woman with a big stomach came to him and requested for prayer. At first glance, he thought she was pregnant but she explained that she has been living with a huge tumour in her stomach for some time but could not afford the long trip to the hospital to seek help. To make matters worse, upon the discovery of her illness, her husband left her for another woman. Filled with compassion, Ps Muni prayed for her and immediately she fell to the ground, rolling and vomiting blood until she passed out. Eventually she woke up and left.

The next day, he heard a big commotion outside his house and upon checking, was terrified to see a large mob marching towards him. He stood there trembling with fear, trying to figure out what went wrong. Suddenly, the crowd parted and the woman he prayed for the day before came forward and pointed to him saying in a loud voice “This is the man who prayed for me and his God has healed me”. That day 75 people accepted Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.

Ps Muni’s testimony is a classic example of God’s divine and unique plan for each of us. Who would have imagined that a child dedicated to a Hindu god can one day be used by the Lord in such an awesome way? Trusting that God will make a way, Ps Muni obeyed His calling and took the Gospel to a place where no one went before and God honoured his faithfulness by making ‘rivers appear in the desert’.

God has created us for a specific role in this world. All He requires from us is to trust and obey. Proverbs 3:5-6 says “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths”. And therein lies the secret of all the notable men and women of God. They trust Him explicitly.

Prayer Points

1. Pray for the cultural barriers of the caste system and Hinduism to be overcome
    by the Gospel.

2. Pray for justice and hope in a nation plagued by oppression, poverty, and disease.

3. Pray for missionaries to stay focused on God and His plans above all else.

THE LONG UNAI REVIVAL

Ps Benny Ng - AO Sibu coordinator

Long Unai is the last village of the Belaga District in Sarawak, about 3 km from the border of Kalimantan. The people there comprise of the Penan and Kenyah tribe. The Penan there were the very first Penan tribe to have settled down from their nomadic lifestyle 40 years ago. The nearest town from here is Kapit (3 hours away from Sibu by speed boat) which is a 9-hour drive through the timber trails and 5-hour ride in an express ferry. Almost 75% of the people here are without any birth certificates or National Identity cards due to the long journey and high cost to travel to the main city to register the birth and secure an identity card.  I was in Long Unai 6 years ago for a pastor’s retreat and went back 2 years later to help to start the Christian kindergarten there under the Borneo Evangelical Church. A month after the school was started, government official came to ask the church to hand over the kindergarten to them but the church declined the offer even though the financial gain would be very much higher and future development will be guaranteed. The church – when first started – were strong in their faith but there were not many evangelist or pastors willing to go regularly to mentor them due to the remoteness of their area, so eventually they fell back into their old pagan ways.

Since late September, a revival took place here when some church members started to repent and stop activities that displeased God. Some of the young people still smoke and drink and the older folks went back to animistic practices. The peak was in early October when a group of pastors went over to conduct a revival meeting. That night, one of the pastors, who used to pastor them here a few years ago started to apologize and ask for forgiveness from the church for all the wrongs he had done and for all the rights he has not done during his time there. There was silence and people started to cry and ask for forgiveness among each other and from God. Many were confronted with idolatry issues during that night through the power of the Holy Spirit that enabled the pastors to see things beyond their abilities.

People were told that they kept charms and idols which were hidden in certain secret places.  Initially they tried to deny this but when the places were revealed through the Holy Spirit they confessed and repented. One person was told that the wok in his household was used before to cook human heads but he strongly protested and denied that. However, when asked where the wok originated from, he confessed that his parents dug it from an ancient ancestor’s grave! The wok was traced back to the head hunting period where it was used to cook human heads that was chopped off from their enemies.

Other signs were that many started to receive special gifting such as speaking in different languages. Two young men could pray in Arabic and fluent English which they couldn’t even speak before that. Others received gifting like seeing signs, wonders and dreams.  Borneo Evangelical Mission sent a team to do some documentation and they too were ministered by the Holy Spirit there. The team also conducted meetings to teach them to differentiate true spirit and gifting’s that came from God. They stressed unity in diversity as there were signs that some of those who received the gifting started to be confused and some became proud.

The people there were so hungry for the Lord and would come to the church for the Prayer Meeting hours before the meeting started because they felt the anointing of God was in that place and they wanted more and more of it. Only a handful of people remained disobedient to the Holy Spirit and continued to live the pagan lifestyles even though they called themselves Christians. Although this revival stated first in September 2016, God is still manifesting his glory and awakening in the people there today. I was told that there will be 10 young men and women who have dedicated themselves to serve God and will be enrolled in Belaga Bible School next year.

July 2016 marked our 13 years of ploughing in Sarawak, East Malaysia. I still remember back in early 2005, when God first showed me an indigenous people group and asked me to serve them. Daily, I saw them toiling under the sun in construction sites, many of their children did not attend school, in the evening after work, they drank and gambled at the makeshift living squatters that was without electricity and clean running water but worst of all they were lost without Christ! For six months, I wrestled with God during my devotions in the morning walk to a point that I began to bargain with God. How could I serve them, I am just a poor missionary! His reply was, “Do not be afraid for I am with you. Step out by faith like Joshua, cross into the promise land but take the step of faith to venture into River of Jordan.“

From the beginning of 2016, we have adopted the attitude of waiting upon the Lord’s leading in His ministry. God has revealed more hidden treasures in this land as we gained more talents in hands and are commanded to earn more talents in areas that we never thought we were able to do. He revealed to us to move and embark on another level of ministry that is to delve deeper into the indigenous ministry. The needs and space to develop this were enormous, like the verse ‘the harvest is plenty but the workers are few’! Today, there are many places without shepherds and the Gospel needs to be preached. There are many pastors and faithful servants of God labouring in the interiors with small salaries; serving without pension or social security fund and even insurance! The Bible schools in the interiors also lack hardware and software. Over the years, we have experienced many new graduates leaving the ministry or struggle in their ministry due to inadequate training and counselling of healing and deliverance. 

I realised that many uphill tasks are needed to see change happen! The importance of partnership with churches and Christian communities to help them to grow and be able to self-sustain and help others is part of the plan.  Setting up of more social ministries like kindergarten, drug rehab, children and old folks homes among the native Christian circles are vital judging from the proactive actions of other zealous parties and religious groups. Join me to pray for the Lord of the Harvest to send more workers into the remote areas of Sarawak to spread the fire of revival to other villages and towns. Many in the remote interior have still not heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ and we must endeavour to rectify this. We need to rise up as there is an urgency to fulfil the Great Commission in Sarawak.

Romans 10:13-15

How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?  And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

TESTIMONY OF PASTOR NENA

Ps Nena Ibanez/AO Partner in Tacloban Ministry, Philippines

I was born in Lloilo City, Molo, in the Philippines and my parents were saved and accepted Jesus when an American missionary came to our church to preach. I was about 7 years old then and when I heard the Gospel of Jesus Christ I knew I wanted Jesus in my life. My parents were so excited to share the Gospel to everyone they met so at a young age my siblings and I often followed my parents when they went out evangelising. I grew in the Word and in my love for God by listening to them as they shared with others.

We were not rich and our parents worked hard to support us but we were happy. All this ended when my dad passed away suddenly followed by my mother just 4 years later. Our whole lives changed then. My brothers, sisters (8 of us siblings) and I moved to live with my older married sister in Cebu as we were too young to support ourselves or live on our own. My sister and brother-in-law were both in Bible school then. The stress of having us all live with them and having to support us was too much for my brother-in-law and he started to back-slide, quit Bible School and began drinking alcohol every night. It was a terrible time for us as he came back drunk every night, filled with a rage against us and would threaten us with a knife. It was a nightmare experience for us and I prayed and cried out to the Lord to help us. Often my siblings and I had to run for our life and hide in the streets at night till my brother-in-law fell into a drunken sleep. But I felt the presence of God always protecting us. When he tried to force my sister to give up serving God or have anything to do with Christianity she finally left him taking her son with her rather than give up her faith in Jesus Christ. 

The Lord answered our prayers and sent us an American missionary couple who took me and my sibling under their wing, helped us to finish our elementary and high school education so we could pursue God’s call in our lives. Out of the eight of us, four of us went to Bible school and entered full time ministry. But our trials were not over yet. Within a period of 4 years I lost 3 brothers to cancer, my youngest brother at only 23 years old. It was a sad time for us but I found comfort in the Lord and found my peace in Him.

I always knew I wanted to serve God full time so after finishing my High School I entered Bible school and then entered the Asia Pacific Theological Seminary in Baguio. I thank God that He provided my every need and supplied all the finances I needed to finish my studies. I sought the Lord earnestly asking Him what was His plans for me as I wanted to be totally obedient as to where He wanted me to go. In 1987, after graduating, God opened a door for me to teach in a Bible school in Leyte. I was going to a place far from my family where I did not know anyone but I responded to God’s call and went. I knew the Lord would be with me and I was not alone.

I was a full time faculty member of Zion Bible Institute, Palo, Leyte and was also involved in outreaches, bible studies and children ministries. Together with a team in Bible School we planted a church in Palo, Leyte. After many years, I started pioneering a church in Sta. Fe, Leyte by doing children's ministry and not very long the parents of the children also wanted to have Bible studies. 

Thank God that after a year He provided a church building and I became the full time pastor. Later the Word of God continued to spread and we were able to start a second church in barangay. San Roque and now the Lord also provided a church building in this barangay.

Besides my pastoral duties at my church I also teach Bible Study and lecture in conferences and seminars for pastors, teachers, women, youth and children. Praise God he has given us an opportunity to teach Christian values in an elementary school and high school. The Lord has also put a special burden in my heart to minister to children abandoned by their parents. In the Philippines, of the 1.8 million children in the country, more than 1% of its entire population are “abandoned or neglected”, according to the United Nations’ Children's Rights. Some are victims of extreme poverty; others of natural disasters and armed conflicts in the country’s troubled south. Yet the country’s adoption bureaucracy is so tangled up in paperwork that scores of aspiring adoptions take too long to be approved and abandoned children are left to grow up without parents. I have personally taken in two kids to live with me since they were abandoned at one month old (a girl) and a 1 year old (a boy.) These two children have been such a blessing to me and I thank God for them every day. They are now 12 and 14 years old!

Praise the Lord for wisdom and knowledge and strength that he gave me to be able to cope with the demands and problems in everyday life. Though sometimes I feel weak physically with the needs around me and discouraged, but I know I am not perfect and I know God doesn't expect me to be perfect. Praise the Lord he always reminds me that though I am weak he is strong and His power is shown best in my weakness. Every day I remind myself that my ministry is to be the hand of God to reach out to those who are hurting, to the weak and needy people around me. God is really good and every day is a miracle seeing that He provides for our needs and protection. God continues to heal the sick, mend the broken hearted and heal relationships. What a blessing to know that God is working in our midst.

I would like to thank Asian Outreach Malaysia for coming into my life through God’s divine appointment at the right moment when my need was greatest. It was after Typhon Haiyan had struck and left its trail of havoc and destruction in Tacloban  that Ps Eric came to see how he could help my people. Thank you AOM and the donors so much for all of your prayers, financial support and for extending help to us. May the Lord richly bless you in return and prosper the work of your hands.

ISAIAH 58:10-11

“…and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed,

then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The Lord will guide you always.”

GOD’S PLANS FOR HIS CHILDREN

Pastor Zacchaeus Tran

I was born in 1965 into a family of 12 children and I was the 8^th child. In my hometown of Ky Phu Commune, my parents were the richest people in this community. We lacked nothing and there were servants to do everything for us but my parents did not know God.

When I was 9 months old I became seriously ill. My body was very skinny; my belly was swollen as I had difficulty moving my bowels; my whole body was filled with scabies... My parents took me to the biggest hospital in Da Nang with the hope that doctors would heal me, but as days passed my condition became worse and my parents were told to take me home. The doctors had done all they could but there was no hope. They told my parents that it would be better for me to die in my home surrounded by my family.

My mother was heartbroken to see my ravaged body, lifeless and in pain. She cried out daily, “My God! Please save my son! Please save my son!” She did not know which God she was crying out to but believed there was a God out there who could help her son.

That night, my mother had a dream that she was attending service in church. After the service was over, she saw the deacon of the church by the name of Quang walk up to the podium and introduce a new pastor, Pastor Le Van Tu, who would be taking over the leadership of the church. My mother woke up wondering why she was dreaming of a Christian church when she did not believe in Christianity. Believing it to be a sign she took me to church on Sunday and was shocked to recognize that it was the same church as in her dream. She had never been inside before so how could this be! She was so amazed and excitedly she took me to the pastor to relate her dream to him. The pastor said: “This is the will of God for you to know that He can heal your son. I cannot do any miracles, only God can.” Then the pastor laid his hands on me and prayed for healing as well as for my parents to know the Lord.

After the pastor prayed for me, I went home and the next day I began to feel healing taking place in my body. The scabies gradually dried up; I started having regular bowel movements and this helped make my belly flat. I no longer cried much and could sleep well. One month later, I was completely healed and I could play like other children.

 After God healed me, my parents led all my siblings to church to receive Jesus Christ and made a commitment to worship God alone, and then my mother requested that I be dedicated to the Lord. I lived a happy Christian life filled with joy and peace but there were difficult days ahead with the coming of the Vietnam War in 1973. As the war continued, we had to move to a different province where we found a church which my family and I attended regularly.

However, all this changed in 1975 when the communists won the war and united North and South Vietnam. Christians were told that they were not allowed to worship God and soon the persecution of Christians became violent. Many believers gave up their faith and sadly so did my parents. Going to church, praying to God or reading the bible were all forbidden; eventually Christ faded from our lives.

As time passed, and growing up in a communist culture, Jesus Christ was replaced by Marxist political ideology and I no longer trusted in God and all His works. We were taught that “only man is lord of the universe, anything that took place in the universe is the effort of man not God".

As we drew away from God and relied on ourselves and our own efforts, our lives changed drastically for the worse. Our business failed, our culture and language changed and there was an emptiness inside me that I filled with drinking and gambling. In 1990, desperate and broke, I moved to another town where I lived with a friend who taught me lacquer art.

Living away from home, I was homesick, especially when Christmas came and I heard Christmas songs like "Holy Night”; I remembered my childhood and the times when I used to worship God. I realized how much I missed God! How happy I was then. But I felt ashamed to face God now having abandoned Him a long time ago. I was sure He, too, would reject me now.

On the night of December 23th, 1993, I had a dream that I was walking in the church in my old hometown. As I stood there admiring the decorations, I suddenly heard voices echoing in the church, saying, “Destroy this temple and rebuild.” This statement was repeated three times. I looked around but could see no one. I asked myself, "Why must such a beautiful church be destroyed?”

The next morning, I walked into a church and asked the pastor about my dream. After listening carefully to my dream, the pastor told me that it was the voice of God. He said, “God wants you to destroy your sinful life and rebuild your Christian life.” I suddenly found myself trembling before God. The pastor cried and prayed for me.  I knew God had forgiven me and from that day on, I went to church and rededicated my life to Him.

In 1995 I married an unbeliever. My wife was an ancestor worshiper who would burn incense to worship her ancestors and other gods. I was very sad and prayed to God every night that God would save my wife and her family. My mother-in-law was against Christianity and would always refuse to eat anything I had bought. I was patient and loving towards her, and one day, she asked me to take her to my church so she could see who my God is.

I was overjoyed and brought her to church and on that Sunday she received the Lord. Later on my brother-in-law also received Jesus Christ. Eventually my wife and her whole family gave their lives to Christ. In 1996 after receiving bible training, I gave my life into the service of God as a pastor.

In summary, God knew me when I was a child and He knew the plan He had for my life. Even though I abandoned Him, He never abandoned me. Throughout my life I know now that God never once gave up on me but was waiting patiently for me to return to Him. Like the prodigal son, praise God, I did. I thank the Lord for His mercy and grace!

I want to thank Asian Outreach for their financial support that has enabled me to reach out to so many who are hungering after God.

Matthew 5:6

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled."

I WILL BE JOYFUL IN GOD MY SAVIOUR

On 28 November 2016, as I stood at the foyer waiting for the pastors to register for the Retreat  I was approached by the Indian concierge on duty who asked me what retreat are we organizing and why it was all Indians only. I told him it was a Christian Tamil Speaking Family Retreat for the Tamil pastors and their families. Looking into the foyer he then asked me who was the ‘Chinaman‘ there that I was talking too so I told him that was the organizer of the conference, Pastor Eric Fung and you should have been there to witness his facial expression “What! A Chinaman organizing something like this for Indians! I told him we are Christians and we are all one  in the family of God. 

 27 pastors and their families attended a 3-day/2-night Tamil Speaking Pastors Family Retreat in Penang at the Rainbow Paradise Hotel. The participants were pastors from small churches with a membership of 50 and below. AO Malaysia has always had a heart for pastors of small churches and have wanted to encourage and to bless them for their faithfulness and diligence in their pastoral ministry despite all the discouragement and hardship they face in the ministry. Most of these pastors have made great sacrifices for their congregation at the expense of their families sometimes. The pastor carries the responsibility to take care of himself, his family and his church.

The response we received from the two previous retreats in 2009 and in 2012 was overwhelming and every one of the pastors who attended with their families were so encouraged and blessed and many shared that it was the first time they could have a holiday as a family. It was so heart-warming to see how the families enjoyed their time together and draw closer as a family. One of the best things a church can do for their own spiritual health is allow their pastor the time to take care of his family. The retreat gave the pastors quality time with their families and at the same time be encouraged, challenged and motivated.

The Tamil pastors and their families were excited and happy to be there and there was an air of comradeship and a family atmosphere prevailed. Some knew each other and those who did not quickly forged friendships and the gathering was very informal and warm. The pastors themselves organized a praise and worship team and what an awesome praise and worship it was. Praise God for the worship leaders and musicians. The anointing of the Holy Spirit was very evident. Thanks to donors who partnered with us for this retreat, we were able to bless each child there (15 children) with a love gift and reimburse the pastors for their transportation. None of them expected this and many were so overcome emotionally when we handed them their gifts.

Our speaker for the camp was Ps Paul Silvanus, AO partner from India and an anointed and gifted speaker. Familiar with the struggles of small churches, having over 110 church planters that he has sent out to the various mission fields in India, he encouraged, motivated and challenged them. As one participant told us “He rekindled the fire within us for God’s work that we had allowed the fire  to slowly die down as we became overwhelmed dealing with the challenges facing us. Our focus had shifted from what God has called us to do.”

Ps Persis, one of the participants  shared with us that when he received the invitation he prayed about it and the Holy Spirit spoke to him and told him to go promising him that he will be refreshed and blessed. Obediently he signed up to attend and he felt the peace of God in his heart. After the retreat he felt so blessed and thankful to Asian Outreach for honouring these Tamil pastors in such a way, something no one had ever done before for them.

Another participant, Ps Zech who was in the music team shared, “Sometimes we pray and think people will answer our prayers or maybe the church will because we are overwhelmed by the challenges we face. During the retreat we were reminded that only God can answer our prayers and bless us and we need not depend on people because He is all we need.”

One of the pastor’s wife shared another powerful testimony; a few months ago when she and her husband visited Penang they were invited by their friend who was staying in Rainbow Paradise Hotel (The same hotel where we had our retreat) to visit him so they went up to his room for a chat. The minute she entered the room she fell in love with the wonderful view of the sea from the balcony. As she and her husband stood soaking in all the beauty of that scene she whispered to her husband that she wished she would have an opportunity to stay at this hotel and have this same view. Her husband told her to pray and God would give her the desires of her heart. She had forgotten the name of the hotel where she had visited her friend but when she and her family stepped into the foyer of the hotel on 28 November she immediately recognized it and was so excited. Silently she thanked God and continued being excited. They checked in and were given their room key on the 24th Floor. As they entered their room it suddenly dawned on her that this was the same room where her friend had stayed and rushing out to the balcony she immediately recognized the view. That night after they had retired to their rooms the family sat in the balcony and worshipped the Lord, giving thanks for answering her prayers.

Asian Outreach would like to thank all of you who partnered with us to give these 27 pastors and their families from Selangor, Perak, Kedah and Penang a refreshing and wonderful time. Many felt renewed and as one pastor mentioned he felt like a weight was lifted off his shoulders and he felt transformed. Overall they felt the tangible love of God and were comforted that they were not alone. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Alex Ooi, the event planner and Ms Belinda Ong (Director of Sales and Marketing) and the Rainbow Paradise Hotel staff for their dedication and service to ensure all our participants had a wonderful time during the three days. All the participants felt pampered and enjoyed overflowing food. Thank you Rainbow Paradise Hotel for a job well done.

Proverbs 11:25

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed.

The Pastors having a time of fellowship during dinner

The youngest member of the music team:Ekroy, 8 years old (Ps Joseph Sivakumaran's son)

                                           

Atime of praise and worship

                   

         

A HOPE AND A FUTURE/by Rev Eric Fung

At 10, Maung Aih Oo is like any other girl her age. She loves to draw and dream of becoming an artist one day. Such dream would not have been possible 5 years ago. She was living on the streets, had no recollection of who her parents were and don’t even know her own name. A kindly policeman found her scavenging for food at the marketplace and brought her to the New Generation Home run by Pastor Abraham and his wife. Under the loving mentoring of the Pastor and his wife, she slowly blossomed into the lovely young girl she is today, full of hope and joy. At the Home, she found something far more precious than just a full belly or roof over her head – she found Jesus Christ. In Him she found forgiveness, freedom from sin, a hope and a future.

Maung Zin Min, now in Grade 5, shares a similar story. She was abandoned in a train before her first birthday with signs of abuse and a deep cut in her neck. No one has any idea where she came from or who her parents were. She was sent to the Women’s Federation Centre but, being not an orphanage, they cannot keep her. She was then brought to the New Generation Home to be cared for by Pastor Abraham and his wife. When she first came to the Home she was frightened and insecure but one day she encountered the redemption power of Jesus Christ and it transformed her life.

 

     

13 year old Cing Sian Huai lost her beloved father and her home during Cyclone Nargis in 2008 and her whole life changed drastically. Two years later her mother eventually remarried and her new step-father did not want her so one day her mother took her far away and left her at a preschool. Teachers took turns to look after her but they themselves had families of their own so she was sent to the House of Hope. The love she received there and having come to know the Lord has changed her life and given her a new purpose. She is a good student and studies hard winning the prize for best student last year.

Sarah Cing Cing, a 12 year old Muslim girl is also another victim from Cyclone Nargis. She lost both her parents and her neighbour took her in but could not afford to keep her so she too was sent to the House of Hope. She knows that it was the Lord who brought her to this Home so she could come to know Jesus as her Lord and Saviour. She declares that she is now a child of God.    

At present, there are 55 children in the House of Hope and 76 children in the New Generation Home. Majority of them are from the neighbouring states of Kachin, Chin and Rakhine where prolonged warfare has torn the land apart. Many have been abused, forced into drugs and slavery and the list goes on. Myanmar has the largest number of child soldiers in the world and this number is growing at an alarming rate. Both the national army and opposition recruit children as young as 11. Over the years, many Christian organisations have worked hard to rescue as many boys from this environment as possible. All the children that came to the Home were broken beings – emotionally traumatised and physically underdeveloped.

It took a lot of patience, love and discipline to help these children overcome their situation. Above all, it is faith in God that kept us going. Many have accepted Jesus Christ and it is a humbling experience to witness the transforming power of God at work in them and through them. Some excelled in their studies, coming out among the top 5 in their class; others hope to enter universities and one even dream of becoming a future leader where she can give back to society by helping to eliminate poverty and hunger. They are excited about their futures and now dare to dream about their futures and thanks to you they now surely can. More importantly, all of them hunger for the Lord and is eager to serve Him.

During worship time in the evening, watching these children with their eyes closed, smiles on their faces and hands lifted up in praise to God, I am filled with a sense of God’s immense love for us. It is truly an awesome sight. Every child deserves a “safe haven”, to be free and to grow up without fear. It is thanks to your support and generosity that we were able to offer this to so many children. My prayer for these children is that every one of them will have the opportunity to have a good future and live Godly lives so they will be powerful witnesses to others around them. As I mentioned before not all the children are orphans and those who have family have been witnessing to their families and some of them have also come to the Lord. Will you continue to partner with God and together with me help to transform a whole generation for the glory of His kingdom?

I was in Myanmar in December and the children have insisted that I convey their thanks to you for all that you have done for them.They are indeed grateful that in Christ you have given them a hope and a future. 

Matt 18:2-6

He called a little child to him, and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.