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!”
