HEART OF ASIAN OUTREACH / Peter U, Chairman

Half of the year 2021 has gone by and COVID-19 is still determining our lives. We have seen our world broken and fall into despair. Endless days of bad news, testing and trying us. But, as we open the Word to Psalm 51:12 “Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” We ask God to let our passion for life be restored, tasting joy in every breakthrough He brings us and we ask Him to strengthen us so we may stay strong when it feels like we are sinking under. We seek comfort, faith and hope. As believers of Jesus Christ, we must be that HOPE for the nations and reveal the joy of the Lord to those who do not know Him.

We can look positively upon the lockdown rules to stay home as meant to be a time of rest not only for God’s creatures but for the land. (Already air pollution is down in many parts of the world). A time for God’s distracted and self-absorbed creatures to remember that we are first and foremost recipients—and not the creators—of all that is good in our lives: the land, rain and sun, family, friends, work, and most of all God’s grace and provision. It need not be a time of despair but a time of seeking God and asking him “What is my purpose Lord in this season of lockdown?”

We praise God that we have been able to partner with a new ministry in Cebu and will be working with Ps Josephine (Her ministry and testimony is featured in this magazine). We are also pleased to be working with Ps Kikon in Siliguri again and partnering with him in his new ministry, Equip Church Ministry. (His ministry in featured in this magazine too) We look forward to expanding the Kingdom of God in these areas and ushering more souls into the Kingdom. 

In Chennai and in the other districts of India the Foot Soldiers are sharing the joy of the Lord and going about their work quietly bring hope and God’s love to those who are forgotten by society – the elderly, sick and the very poor. They are the nameless sea of faces that are struggling to survive. While India has struggled with hunger and poverty for decades, the pandemic has certainly taken the situation to a deepening state of affairs. For Ps Paul and his team, they know it is not possible to change the world for everyone ... but if they can change the world of one person by giving them hope and showing Christ love, then let them be the instrument.

Rani Rajamani is a widow with one school going son and a teenage daughter and Ps Paul has changed their world. Her husband had passed away and she used to sell fresh flowers on the street to earn a living but the pandemic took away her livelihood. The three of them were starving and had gone a few days without food, eating only morsels they could find. Her heart broke to see her 2 children and she would often go without so they could eat. Walking on the streets begging and looking around for food she was tired and desperate and then a hand reached out to her. The man looked upon her with love and compassion in his eyes and she knew she had found Hope at last. That night her family could have their meal together, though it was probably just dhal and rice, they relished every mouth they took. Now every month she is given food supplies and she is so grateful to Ps Paul and his team. She wanted to know what made these people want to help her and why they were so kind and they shared the Gospel with her. Her whole world was changed when she heard the word and experienced the Love of Jesus. She and her children accepted the Lord and were baptised.

Ranni Amma, a 70-year-old widow, lives in a slum alone having being deserted by her family. She used to work as a domestic worker, but now because of her age no one is hiring her for work. Due to lack of food her health has deteriorated and she has no one to turn to. Hope came to her when a co-worker saw her distress and reached out to her and now, she too has been adopted into their grocery scheme and is given monthly groceries for her survival. An act of love and kindness has changed her world – her life matters and someone cares.

Gandhi Amma is another poor lady living in the slums. Deserted by her children and with an ailing husband she had to work to support both of them. Then COVID-19 happened and the shops where she used to work as a cleaner were forced to close down. Robbed of their livelihood and any hope they had for survival she was desperate until the team heard about her plight and are now helping her with monthly groceries. She and her husband have since accepted the Lord and she is a soul winner, testifying to all who will hear about the love of Jesus.

Everybody in the slums is in the same boat just like you, fighting for survival. It’s a survival of the fittest and the elderly and sick are often forgotten. Some of the children who have been able to move out of the slums have distanced themselves from their parents and their former lives in the slums. Many are third and fourth generation in the slum and some fight and claw their way out of this vicious cycle of poverty others just accept it as their destiny and cannot find their way out. Kids growing up there only see the occupations around them, so they don’t know of other alternatives and even if they do learn about a different alternative – they don’t know how to get there.

Hope comes in many forms to the poor people. Hope brings them love and the knowledge that their life matters to someone. They come to see the tangible love of God through those who reach out to them to help them and yet expect nothing in return for themselves. Jesus instructed his followers to change the world in his name by embracing two very important commands: the Great Commandment and the Great Commission. We are to love God and love our neighbours as ourselves (Matthew 22:37-39), and we are to go and make disciples of others who will do the same (Matthew 28:19-20). Giving them hope and loving them in the process leads them to Jesus and transforms their lives forever. He is God of the slums too.

James 2:18

“But someone will say, “You have faith; I have deeds.” Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.”

 

Prayer Points

1. Pray for the safety of Ps Paul and his team from COVID 19 as they go around the slums.

2. God of Justice, open our eyes to see you in the face of those in poverty and open our ears to hear

    you in the cries of those in need.

3. Remind us Lord that what we do to the least ones, we do to you.

 

 

Vietnam happenings / Ps D, Vietnam Leper Ministry

Like everywhere else, the leper centers also were affected by Covid-19, and since 2019 we have not been able to visit the centers regularly. We only managed to visit the Thai Nguyen and Phu Ly centers. There were a few deaths during this year’s lockdown period. The lepers died because of various complications as well as old age. Five patients from Thai Nguyen passed away; three of them were believers and had been baptized. Two from the Phu Ly center were also believers. Praise the Lord for saving these precious souls.

We were not able to do our usual summer programs with the children of the lepers; however, we organized bible studies, various games and outdoor activities like swimming for them. The children are always happy to participate and we show them that we care for them no matter who their parents are. Praise God that seven children accepted the Lord during the summer events.

In spite of the hardship families of lepers’ face, six students have overcome all odds and are now studying in the university. We praise the Lord for blessing them with this opportunity. Four of them are in Hanoi and two in Thai Nguyen.

Lepers are ostracized still but God loves them and sees their struggles. One testimony that I would like to share with you reminds us how we never know when and how God will answer our prayer but, regardless, we need to continue to trust and leave our prayer requests in God’s hands. Hien (our co-worker) and I prayed for a student and his grandfather (a leper) for the infilling of the Holy Spirit about four years ago. His grandfather was baptized in the Holy Spirit but nothing was heard from the student again. Recently, he contacted me to ask for a Bible as he is now at a university in Thai Nguyen. When asked, he mentioned that his teacher who is a foreigner has continued to share the Word with him and he is now a believer who attends church regularly. Thank God for His faithfulness. We sowed the seed and another Kingdom connection watered it and helped it grow.

During the summer, we also managed to share some gifts with the lepers at both centers. Thank you for your support because they were really in need of support as they have felt lonely and isolated. They were so happy to see us. Though they are mainly segregated from the outside world for most of the time, they did have some family and friends visit them. However, due to Covid- 19, many people stopped visiting them out of fear and also because there was an increase in the number of Covid cases. Interestingly, we’re noticing that people have started using the term 'leper' to describe how they feel as they navigate life during this pandemic - keeping distance from people, being unable to leave their home or do the things they usually enjoy. People are discovering that this new way of life of having to self-isolate can be very lonely at times.

This year (2021), restrictions due to Covid-19 were once again reimposed during the lunar new year season. As a result, we could not celebrate with the lepers. We managed, however, to make last-minute visits to them before the lockdowns took effect. The staff at the centers were quite reluctant to receive visitors but we succeeded in persuading them to allow us in for just a short while to drop off the new year gifts and wish the lepers all the best for the new year. We would like to share with you the testimony of this wonderful woman of God:

Aunty Nguyen Thi Nhi, 87 years old, had a heart problem and was admitted to the hospital for treatment. The doctors said her heart was very weak and the family were informed that she did not have long to live. A heart operation was not an option as she was too old and weak. Her granddaughter, who is a student at the Hanoi University and goes to a church in Hanoi, prayed for Aunty Nhi. While she was praying, the Holy Spirit caused her to pray in tongues for an hour and she cried for a long time. She didn’t know why she felt that way but continued to pray. After that, Aunty Nhi was sent home to die. I visited Aunty Nhi with her granddaughter. Her granddaughter stayed home to help and continued to pray for her daily. God worked a miracle. Aunty Nhi became stronger and stronger and now she enjoys good health and can walk around the village! Praise God!

At a time when the world seems to be filled with fear and uncertainty, let's make sure that we treat people affected by leprosy with dignity and understand the struggles they face. I think our own isolation has given us an insight as to how they must feel.

Psalm 147:3 “He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. “

 

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.”

 

Victory Bible College / Rev Dr John Thoung, AO Coordinator

Victory Bible College was founded in 2008, and by God’s grace it has been 12 years now since we opened. I thank God for His faithfulness and leading us all these years. Though we faced many challenges, God was always with us. This year we celebrated our 11th graduation ceremony. Many of our former students have been touched and changed through this small Bible College and have been going out to reach the unreached.

The Vision from the Lord

I have been preaching the gospel since 1989 while I was a teacher at a government school in my village, but I became a full-time minister in 1994 after studying in a Bible College. I never imagined that I would be a Bible teacher. While praying one day, I felt the Lord speaking to me to start a Bible College but I was unsure at first, so I prayed seeking clarity as to whether this was His plan for me or was it my own desire. The Lord put a burden on my heart to reach out to the young people who were living without a purpose in life because in our country if you do not pass matriculation, there is no more hope for further education. The Lord put this vison in my heart time and time again and I knew it was His leading and plan for me to start the Bible College. I had no qualifications, no money, no house and I wondered how all this would happen. But I never gave up and told the Lord that He would have to help me and I would obey Him. I consulted with some friends but they were very negative and not encouraging at all. Instead they discouraged me saying that I did not have the money nor the qualifications and I had no experience in running a Bible College.

 Obeying the Lord

After praying and seeking the Lord, I was determined to obey the Lord and my first purchase for the Bible College was two cooking pots, one for rice and one for curry as I had to provide accommodation and meals for the students. At the beginning, it was very difficult for I had to share my home with the Bible students, living with me and my family, because the students were mostly from other states. I had no funds but the Lord provided for everything we needed and sent people to help me both in seeing to the expenses of the college and for teaching the students. I am truly grateful to the faculty staff who have been helping me since the early years to teach the students without receiving any payment. Now we can accommodate 30 students every year and train them for the ministry. I also thank my wife and family for sharing my vision and for all the sacrifices they made to fulfil this vision.

 Courses offered

We offer a 4-year course for Bachelor of Theology and a 2-year course for Diploma. Our motto is:

“To Prepare God’s People for the Works Service” (Ephesians 4:12).

 Accomplishments of the College

The students come from different parts of our country. So far, there have been 70 graduates and all of them have gone into ministry. Some of them are pastoring churches; some have become church planters and some lecturers in Bible College. Most of my lecturers are my former graduates. Ps Jolly Aung, my former student, is now Field Director for Missions and Ps Victor Lian is our Academic Dean of Victory Bible College. He and his wife also manage Shalom Home for abandoned children. Ps Soe Moe Naing is doing ministry at Kukosu village in the Delta area, where no one has heard the gospel before. Ps Nar Tawng is doing ministry in the Nangah area, a very undeveloped area which takes seven days to reach from Yangon. We are getting more students from that region now. We hope to train them so that they will return to share the gospel with their people. Ps Aye Taw Say is doing ministry along the Sami border of Rakhine and Chin where there is an ongoing civil war. Ps Aung Aung Win is doing ministry in Rakhine, another area where the war is ongoing. The situation for both these pastors is dangerous and challenging for them, as it has been for the people in these areas. The people there live in poverty and are suffering greatly as a result of the war. Sharing the gospel in these areas puts them at risk, so they have to be very cautious. Brother San Thang and Sister Cherry Pan Khine are doing ministry in U Chit Pin, border of Rakhine and Mangwe.

 There are many more cases I could share with you but due to space constraint I have just named a few. These young people serve the Lord through social work, through teaching students, church planting and house-to-house evangelism. Though this Bible College is small and seemingly insignificant, many souls have been added to the Kingdom of God due to the efforts of its students. We pray we are able to send out more young people to reach the unreached and to plant churches in the future.

Challenges and Difficulties

Our Bible College still lacks space for accommodation and study rooms and we are praying for God’s provision to extend our Bible College. The students are still staying with my family and there is no family time for us but my family does not complain for they understand the situation. The students are from remote villages and are too poor to pay the school fees, let alone accommodation and food costs. Pray with us that we will be able to find sponsors for our students. I simply cannot turn them away if they cannot afford to pay. After completing the course, some of the students are committed to doing church planting in their villages but the College is not able to support them. If any one of you is interested in getting involved in this area, please help them – for when you extend a helping hand, even though you yourselves cannot go to the mission fields, you are there with them.

 If you have the gift to teach and train, we would like to invite you to come and impart to these young people your knowledge by teaching them English and Bible Studies. You are indeed welcome to share your gifts to equip them for ministry. We need partners in the ministry, therefore, come and minister to us. We are co-workers in the Kingdom of God; let us join our hands together and serve the Lord.

Isaiah 6:8

Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!"

 

 

 

Shalom House – Yangon / Ps Victor Lian

My name is Van Thawm Lian @ Victor Lian and I was born in 1981 in Tang village, Falam township, Northern Chin State, Myanmar. Unfortunately, four days after my birth, my father passed away. I had no siblings and it was just me and my mum. She tried her best to provide for me but life was hard for her, and eventually, she remarried when I was two years old. Her new husband objected to her bringing me to his home, so I was sent to live with an uncle and I lived with him till I was 18 years old. My uncle had four children of his own and he himself was poor; hence life was a real struggle.

 When I reached my 18^th birthday, I left his home and decided to look after myself and not be a burden to anyone. I struggled to find a job and there were times when I did not even have money for food. I felt so helpless, angry and disappointed to have lost my father because losing him had caused me all this misery. I really did not know what to do and I felt utterly hopeless. Unexpectedly, one of my friends invited me to attend a Christian Youth Campaign and, unwillingly, I went. It was during this time that I heard about Jesus and what He did for mankind and I felt hope stirring inside me. I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord. I still remember the date and year of my life’s turning point, which was on 16/4/ 2004. I realized then that I have a Father who would never leave or forsake me and would be there for me because He loves me. It was a wonderful feeling and for the first time I had peace. I had found my Father.

Vision for Shalom Home

My perspective of life totally changed after receiving Jesus Christ. I had only one desire, that was to help the fatherless and the orphans and to give hope to the hopeless, like how I had been once. Receiving Jesus Christ into my life convinced me that the pain and bitter experiences which I had gone through have led me to have a heart to help these children. My desire was to give children back the joys of childhood, build their lives spiritually and give them a chance for a better future through education. We want to empower them to reach their full potential. In 2006 the Lord gave me another unexpected opportunity to study His Word and I did a Bachelor of Theology course at Victory Bible College, which took me four years to complete. After completing my studies, I was given an opportunity to serve the Lord for one year at Victory Bible College as a warden.

The Lord blessed me again with an opportunity to further my studies in India and I earned my Master of Divinity course in three years. I kept praying and seeking the Lord for what He had planned for my life.  In 2015 God clearly spoke to my heart: “I want you to be the hope for the hopeless”.  The Lord put in me a passion for the fatherless and orphans. I wanted to run an orphanage but I had no idea how to start and I delayed in doing anything for two years. All the while, in my heart, I felt like I was not obeying God.

 Finally, the Lord strengthened me and I started the orphanage on 12 March 2018 with two children; the Lord has added more children and today, we have eight altogether in our home. We called our home Shalom Home because we want the children to experience the Peace and Provision of God which I have been experiencing ever since I accepted Jesus into my life. I believe what our Lord Jesus says in Matthew 11:28, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  My wife Nan Ci Oo considers helping these children as one of the greatest privileges in our life for it is written in the Bible, Psalm 82:3, “Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; maintain the rights of the poor and oppressed.” The greatest service we  can do for our heavenly Father is to be kind to one of His Children. To quote Andy Stanley: “Do for one what you wish you could do for everyone.”

About the Children

The children range in age from 8 to 15 years; they come from different backgrounds. Some of them are orphans while others have parents who are not able to take care for them because of extreme poverty, or being a single parent, or because of a disability of either parent. The children are from different parts of Myanmar though they belong to the Chin ethnic group. Each child has a unique story on how they became part of the family at Shalom

Home.

1.        Mi Mi Htwe (15 years old) and Deborah (13 years old)

They are sisters and they are from Hpa Kant, Kachin State. They lost their father at a very young age and their mother, a single parent, is unable to support them, so she sent them to Shalom Home.

3.        Tang Tun Thang (12 years old)  and Ro Ti San (10 years old)

These siblings come from Matupi, Southern Chin State. Their parents are still alive but they have no work and are unable to provide for their children.

5.       Mo Le Win (10 years old) and Aa Shi Chiang @ Sai Lone (8 years old)

Brother and sister come from Hpa Kant, Kachin State and their father is Chinese and mother is Chin. Both the parents were involved in drug trafficking and were drug users themselves. The children were neglected, abused and had to fend for themselves. When their parents were caught and jailed for 23 years, the children’s relatives sent them to Shalom Home.

7.       Val Nai Sang (11 years old)

He is from Kalaymyo, Sagainsg Division. His father passed away when he was eight months old. Some years later when his mother remarried, his stepfather hated him and abused him physically and verbally.  He suffered terribly at the hands of his stepfather with severe beatings on a daily basis and other forms of torture. The villagers could not stand to see him suffer and urged his mother to send him away. We were informed of his situation by the neighbor’s, and so my wife and I went to see his mother and she agreed to let him come and live with us.

8.       Khrih Hlawn Sui (9 years old)

She is from Tlortang village, Falam township, Northern Chin state. Her mother has been suffering from a disease for many years and is often in and out of hospital. Her father struggled with caring for his wife and daughter. They were also very poor and whatever they earned went on the mother’s treatment and medication. When he could not manage anymore, he sent her to us.

We thank Asian Outreach for supporting us financially and for praying for us. Every child has a right too to grow up and dream of a better future; Asian Outreach is part of their lives now, enabling us to reach out and help these children. We are so grateful for your partnership and together we will Reach, Touch and Transform the lives of these children by giving them a hope and a future. God bless you.