FOUND MY SALVATION IN PRISON / D. Martin, Changi Prison

On 13 April 2012 my life changed forever. I was living in Johor Bahru at that time and working in Singapore. The day started as usual with no hint of what was to come. I woke up at about 2.45 am. to get ready for work. I said my morning prayers, got dressed and started off for the Causeway on my bike. In my backpack were my passport and personal stuff as well as two black packages. I knew these packages contained drugs but not what kind of drugs or how dangerous they were. I only found out it was heroin when I was arrested and charged. I used to travel daily and my friend (or so I thought) asked me to help deliver the packages to his friend in Singapore. This was the second time he had asked me. Did I suspect anything? Looking back and reflecting, maybe I did have a sense of uneasiness but I took it anyway.

Reaching Singapore, I contacted the guy whom I was supposed to deliver the packages to. Just as I handed him the packages and turned to climb back on my bike, I was surrounded by police and arrested. The other guy was also arrested. The two packages contained a total of 906.4 grams of granular/powdery substance which was analysed and found to contain not less than 35.41 grams of heroin This is when the nightmare began. Till today I remember very clearly the cold steel of the handcuffs snapped on my wrists.  I was taken to the police station and interrogated for hours. The police did not believe me when I said I honestly did not know what was in the packages and I never asked my friend either. Looking back now I wonder how I could be so foolish.

I had already been in prison for 5 years and 4 months pending my trial. The court case was such an ordeal with the endless questions I had to answer. While I was in prison awaiting trial, my mum passed away and my dad and sisters came to visit me. It was heart-breaking for me to see the shock and pain on their faces, especially my dad. They lived in Kedah and had to travel all the way to Singapore to see me. It was seeing them that caused me the most pain and at that moment I wished with all my heart I could have turned back the clock. What I did just did not affect me alone but my family too, the people I loved the most.

I received a life imprisonment sentence and 15 strokes of the cane, and the man I delivered the drugs recived the death penalty. I believe only the Lord saved me from the death penalty. I was relieved that the trial was over but a new chapter of my life was about to unfold. I was taken to Changi Prison to begin my incarceration. By that time, I had already served 7 years in remand pending the trial. As I entered the prison, I was fearful and very apprehensive of what to expect as this time I knew that all hope was gone. As the gates clanged shut, I shuddered as the reality of my situation finally hit home.

Suffering from ADHD (Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder), confinement in prison was very difficult for me. My first few days there were a nightmare. I used to have many arguments with the wardens and inmates and my quick temper would often flare up. It is a terrible thing to have your freedom taken away and being told when to eat, when to sleep and just following the rules of the prison strictly with no choice to make your own decisions. It felt like we were robots moving automatically when the bell sounded and doing what we were supposed to do at that particular time.   

I was born into a Christian family and used to attend Bible class, Sunday service and prayer meeting but I attended all these because my family did and it was expected of me, and besides, it was fun hanging out with my friends. Even in Johor Bahru I was staying with a pastor and used to help him out when I was not working. It was a shock to him when I was arrested.

Looking back now I have seen how the Lord was always with me but I chose not to see him sometimes. I did not have much in terms of qualifications but yet I secured a job as assistant manager at a Coffee Bean outlet in Penang. I worked as a waiter in Singapore’s Regis Hotel too, and while working there, I started my own DJ business. So, during my spare time I worked at private functions and this brought me extra income. All this time I did not really have a personal relationship with the Lord. I made so many wrong choices, hanging out with people I knew were wrong for me. Though I used what I earned to help my family rather than enjoy myself, I have no one to blame but myself for the wrong choices I made that eventually landed me in prison. There are always consequences for the choices we make and now I had to face mine.

As I sat alone in my prison cell, I began to see my past flash before me and all the mistakes I had made, uppermost of all-turning away from God. I began to see how much He loved and cared for me. I began to realise that it was His hand on my life that saved me from the gallows. I repented and asked Jesus to come back into my life. That was the turning point for me. His peace came upon me and I spent hours praying to Him. My life changed in prison and I began to have hope and joy again. I began getting along better with the other inmates and wardens. I started attending services and Bible studies. God has been using me in prison. As others here began seeing the transformation in me, I was encouraged to share with them the Gospel so that they too could turn to Jesus and give their lives to Him. Here in prison, I have so much time to spend in prayer. Perhaps this is why I ended up here so I could find my way back to Him. Perhaps, if this had not happened, I would still be making all the wrong choices and moving further away from Him.

Some months ago, my dad sent me a copy of the Asian Outreach Connections and as I was reading it, I noticed that at the end of each article they asked for prayers. I decided that I could be their prayer partner, so I wrote in to Asian Outreach. I did not really expect a reply but was overjoyed when I got one and they welcomed me to pray for them. I found my purpose and I believe God’s plan for me. Asian Outreach has continued to correspond with me and I have been so encouraged by their letters. They accepted me as their prayer partner and I will continue to pray for the needs of the ministry.

God met me in prison and I rediscovered my love for Him. I attend service on Sundays held by Prison Fellowship Singapore and before the COVID-19 pandemic, I used to attend Bible classes every Wednesday. I also have a job in prison and I spend most of my free time reading the Bible. I know God is doing something in my life and I will keep on trusting Him. He allowed me to be caught and sent to prison so I could meet Him here, and I know He has a plan and purpose for my life. Part of that plan was receiving the Asian Outreach Connections which touched my heart as I read the work in the mission fields. I don’t have to be out there for God to use me as even in prison I can still be a vessel for the Kingdom of God.

HEBREWS 13:1-3

“Keep on loving one another as brothers and sisters. Do not forget to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have shown hospitality to angels without knowing it. Continue to remember those in prison as if you were together with them in prison, and those who are mistreated as if you yourselves were suffering.”

 

 

THE HEART OF ASIAN OUTREACH / Peter U | Chairman

A well-known and wealthy man was walking one evening and he bent down and picked a coin from the curb. A lady standing nearby noticed it was a single darkened penny that someone had dropped. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up? So, she asked him directly why he had picked up that dirty coin. A smile crept across the man's face as he reached into his pocket for the penny and held it out for her to see.

She looked at it and said: "United States of America". "No, not that; read further." "One cent?". "No, keep reading." "In God we Trust?" "Yes!" "And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin. Whenever I find a coin, I see that inscription. It is written on every single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust is in God at that moment. I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him”.

2020 has been a year fraught with unimaginable disaster that invaded our lands like an unseen enemy, moving stealthy among us, never knowing where it would strike next. Nearly 10 months into the year the uncertainty and fear still prevail. All of a sudden, COVID-19 went from being something that dominated the news but seemed far away, to something that now dominates our thoughts in every waking moment and feels very real. We are all trying to adapt to this new reality in the hope that the pandemic will end soon, although it is impossible to predict how long it will last and what consequences it will have for all. But in the midst of this pandemic storm God is calling people to rise up in faith and turn to Him, trusting Him completely with our lives.

In a little village in India a couple waited in eager anticipation and though worried about the COVID-19 their hearts were filled with joy. Nothing could rob them of this joy. After six years of praying for a child they were finally going to be parents. Ps Swalsing and his wife Sunitha were so excited and waited eagerly for the day when they would be able to hold their baby and the day finally arrived.  On 3  August 2020, Sunitha gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. As they held their baby, they were so overcome with love for him and thankfulness to the Lord for giving them this wonderful ‘gift’ and they named him Samuel.

The baby was weak and had some breathing difficulties and on the third day however, little Samuel developed a fever and doctors broke the bad news to them that the baby had also developed a lung infection. The hospital, already overwhelmed by the pandemic, did not have the necessary expertise to help little Samuel. They told his parents that there was not much hope and they were doing all they could. Can you imagine how the parents felt? They were shattered and immediately contacted their coordinator, Ps Paul and asked him to pray for Samuel. They too went on their knees to pray, believing that God is in control and only He held Samuel in His hands.

Ps Paul, our AO partner in Chennai immediately texted us urgently to pray and as soon as we received the text, we requested out intercessors, co-workers and donors who were communicating with us on WhatsApp to pray for little Samuel. We are truly grateful and thankful to all of you who prayed with us and some of you who also reached out to help with little Samuel’s medical expenses.   

The hospital wanted to discharge the baby as they could not treat him but Ps Swalsing pleaded with them so they put the baby on life support. However, they warned Ps Swalsing and his wife that this would only be for a few days. So, baby Samuel, continued treatment at the government hospital, and with the funds they received they were able do all the scans, tests at private hospitals whenever needed and most of the medicines prescribed were purchased outside. The hospital held no hope for the baby and they warned the parents that he was not expected to survive. It was a trying time for the couple but their faith never wavered and they kept praying and trusting God for a miracle. Luke 18:27: “Jesus replied, “What is impossible with man is possible with God.”

God began to work a miracle in Samuel and his fever came down and his lung infection began to clear much to the surprise and amazement of the doctors attending to him in the NICU. Two weeks after his birth Samuel finally went home completely healed and well. He continues to grow stronger daily and his parents thank God every day for little Samuel, and like Samuel in the bible, his parents have dedicated their son to the Lord. Ps Swalsing and Sunitha want to give back to God this child that has been entrusted to them and to acknowledge their dependence on God for wisdom, strength, patience, love and most of all to promise to raise their son up in the fear and knowledge of the Lord.

The age of miracles is not over for those who trust in Him. The time of divine healing is here and now and God is moving and acting today. Just have faith and trust in Him, that is all it takes. We pray that He moves in your life and in your needs! We can rest secure in faith that God, who is the God of miracles, hears our prayers; even our prayers for healing. He is an almighty God, not even a sparrow falls to the ground apart from His will. There are so many stories in the Bible of people who had faith and trusted in Him:

John 5:1-17 – “A man who had had an infirmity for 38 years, picked up his mat and walked away a healthy man.”

Mark 7:32-35 – “Jesus put His fingers into the ears of a man who was deaf and had a speech impediment. He sighed, said, “Be opened,” and his ears were opened and he could speak plainly.”

Matthew 9:20–22 – “The woman with the issue of blood had faith to believe that even if she touched the hem of His garment she would be healed and she was.”

 Life is unpredictable and there are ups and downs along the way. When times are good, it can feel easier but when times are hard, it feels difficult and it is even more important to trust God. God’s unchanging character can give us a firm foundation when things feel unsteady and uncertain. Trusting God is more than a feeling; it’s a choice to have faith in what He says whatever your feelings or circumstances would have you believe otherwise.

  

 

God’s Plans and Purposes / Linda Ignatius  | AO worker 

Darlene Zschech of Hillsongs pointed out, in a wonderful talk she gave: ‘The two greatest days of your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.’ This is my story…

When my mother was taken into the labour room to give birth to me there were some major complications. My dad was told that the baby would not survive and my mother’s chance was only 70 percent. My poor dad was in deep shock when he heard that. He had four small children already and they needed a mother and he needed his wife. He begged the doctors to save his wife. In despair he rushed to church to pray, begging God to intervene and save his wife and child.

That was the first miracle in my life. My mother had a normal birth and I was born healthy. Even at my birth, the enemy did not want me to be born but God has His own plans for me. Nowadays in my morning devotion I am reminded of how much He loves and knows me intimately.

Psalm 139:13-17

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place,

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body;

all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.

How precious to me are your thoughts oh God! How vast is the sum of them!”

 I grew up in a traditional Christian home and my parents were God fearing people who loved the Lord and we were very involved with the traditions and activities of the church. I always felt there was more to God that we actually knew. I don’t know why but we never read the Bible although we had a big one proudly displayed in our house. I longed sometimes to know this God not just His mother, Mary or ‘grandmother Ann’ but know him and talk to him directly. I was told at school that if children wanted something, they would go to their mother not their father directly, and she in turn would speak to the father for you. This was the same with God I was told and we were not encouraged to go to Him directly.

 As I grew up from child to teenager and then to an adult, I always felt the strong presence of God in my life. There were many a time when I felt the presence of God lifting me from danger, an unseen hand protecting me always. Though I was keenly aware of His presence I was caught up with childhood pursuits and the struggles of being a teenager. With new emotions taking over and trying to find my place as a young adult, I pushed God further and further to the back of my mind. It became a constant struggle to keep my eyes fixed on God, and to not become distracted by the passing concerns and things of this world.

 God, however never left me or forgot about me. Once I became a mother my awareness of God in my life returned and I sought Him and wanted to get to know Him intimately. Being a wife, mother and working full time has its challenges and sometime the burdens got too heavy for me. Often, I would run to Him crying out for help.  He never failed me. I did not see it then because I waited in anticipation for some sign or big bang miracle but there was none. Yet my problems were solved and I found myself having His peace. I still knew so little of God.

 While working in an airline in the ticketing office in Penang, I came in contact frequently with foreign missionaries and I began to question them on their calling and their ministry. Knowing I was a Christian they would come directly to my counter and my colleagues called my cubicle the ‘missionary corner’. I believe that God was already preparing me for His plans and purposes even back then.

 In life, sometimes we go through significant storms as well. No lightning or thunder, no rain or wind, but significant physical, mental, emotional and spiritual storms. I went through quite a few of these in my life but through it all I know the Lord was there with me, right in the middle of my storms. His presence provided me with hope even in the midst of my fears and even when I suffered from faithlessness, Jesus remained with me.

 I was diagnosed with Thyroid cancer in 1996 and when the doctor broke the news to me, I was shattered and angry. As I sat in the car on the way home, I cried out, “Why me Lord?” The answer I got was “Why not you?” We live in a fallen world and sickness is part of our world but God is our healer. I had the cancerous nodules removed and praise God I did not need Chemo and radiation. I saw the hand of the Lord upon my life and it became clearer that He was fighting my battles for me. Soon after that, I accepted Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I felt renewed and I wanted to develop and have an intimate relationship with Jesus. 

I had met the former secretary of Asian Outreach some time ago. When the then Executive Director Rev Eric Fung came to Penang, I met up with him and his wife over lunch and little did I know that one day I would be working with him. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would move to Kuala Lumpur to live and work. Again, I did not know then what God’s plan and purpose was for me.

 To cut a long story short, I moved to Kuala Lumpur in 2011 to be near my three children who were all working in KL. I knew that God had a plan for me here in KL and while I was on holiday in the UK, I asked the Lord to get me a job in a Christian organization. I told Him I was willing to do anything as long as I could serve Him in some small way. Two weeks after my return, I sat on my computer at home and asked the Holy Spirit to guide and reveal to me who I should contact. The name of Asian Outreach came to mind and I sent an email offering them my services. Within minutes I got a reply asking me to come for an interview and I was hired, a day that changed my life forever.

 I have been working for AOM for the past 10 years and what an awesome journey it has been. Karen Watson, a missionary in Iraq wrote these words which I have come to see in the missionaries that I have had the honour and privilege to works with.

The missionary heart:

Cares more than some think is wise; Risks more that some think is safe; Dreams more than some think is practical; Expects more than some think is possible.

 It has been my privilege to work in Asian Outreach alongside the team here. To see the strength and perseverance of our missionaries and foot soldiers has been such an encouragement to me. I always thought one had to go out there in the mission fields to serve the Lord but I know now that we can serve the Lord in whatever He has called us to do. It’s the heart of Jesus in us. The Lord seeks for a person with a missionary's heart. He tests hearts through asking them to give, pray, go and obey. Where is your missionary heart?

 I have been blessed to work with Rev. Eric Fung, our former Executive Director who saw the capabilities in me that I was too blind to see for myself. He pushed me beyond what I thought was my limit and always encouraged me to go a step higher. Throughout my journey God sent many ‘Angels’ to help me along the way. What a tremendous blessing it is to see or take part in a ministry in which those involved feel deeply loved, valuable to others and significant to the family of God as a whole.

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.”