Ellen G White had uplifting comments on these verses.

Transcription

1 Official Newsletter of Peninsular Malaysia Mission I5 Jun 2005 C O N T E N T S PEM President s Message Priya saw God working amidst her trials God is STILL at Work Samuele Bacchiocchi Seminar 1 st Memorial Anniversary of Mrs June Prabhakaran 3 rd Mission Wide Malay Retreat How to Stay Young?? Bi-Mission Chinese Youth Congress Remarkable Truth Europe: Church president encourages Adventist Youth to Become Owners, Take Responsibility in Church 27 Beliefs of SDA Precious Souls Foods and Their Healing Power Blood Donation Trust Services Summit Friendship Evangelism Free Internal Circulation but the greatest of these is LOVE. 1 Corinthians 13:13, IV. : Peninsular Malaysia Mission of Seventh-Day Adventists 22-1, Jalan 2/114, Kuchai Business Centre, Jalan Kuchai Lama, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel > (60) Fax > (60) > sdapem@po.jaring.my Website >

2 M e s s a g e Pr Francis Lajanim at the ground breaking of Petaling Jaya Chinese Church. from the President of Peninsular Malaysia Mission (PEM), Pr Francis Lajanim Beloved Brothers and Sisters in Jesus Christ: Let us praise God for His wonderful words, The Holy Bible. As I spent time alone with the Father again, He showed me precious spiritual insight through His words found in John 15:1-12. I have preached from these passages of scriptures many times in the past and have been blessed in many ways but recently these words of the Lord spoke to me again in a way like it never did before. As I share some of these insights, may the Lord richly bless each one of you! We can experience joy in our life by daily abiding in Christ. John 15 is about relationships: Our relationship with Jesus (abide in Me Vs 4), and our ~ Messages ~ relationship with one another (love one another Vs 12). There are three things we must remember everyday: I am a branch (Vs 1) and I must not try to be a gardener as in this passage God is. I will be pruned (Vs 2-3). Pruning is necessary and hurts at times. And lastly, I must abide in Christ (Vs 4-) for if not I am just a useless branch. Ellen G White had uplifting comments on these verses. She said that we have been purchased through Christ, and we are within the bounds of His mercy; for in His mercy His arm encircles the whole human race. Every branch that bears fruits, He purged it, that it may bring forth more fruits, and our fruit-bearing testifies whether we are really abiding in Christ (MS 85, 1901). In another comment, she said that the connection of the branches with one another and with the vine constitutes them in unity, but this does not mean uniformity in everything. Unity in diversity is a principle that pervades the whole creation. While there is an individuality and variety in nature, there is oneness in their diversity; for all things receive their usefulness and beauty from the same source. They all draw nourishment from the same source; they drink in the same life-giving properties. So, each branch of the True Vine is separate and distinct, yet all are bound together by the same parent stock. They can be no division. They are all linked together by His will to bear fruit wherever they can find place and opportunity (RH Nov. 9, 1897). Mrs White further says that a union with Christ by living faith is enduring; every other union must perish. They must submit their own will to the will of God (ST Nov. 29, 1910). In summary, may I humbly invite all of us, God s people in PEM, to abide in Christ daily in total surrender that His joy might remain in us and that our joy might be full so that we may live and serve Him to declare His Glory. God richly bless us ALL! Ms Chlovia Chin, the princess of Mr and Mrs Thomas Chin. God has been very good to us and the above is the evidence of His goodness. Born in Penang Adventist Hospital on May 11 at 3.94kg (8.67lbs)! See pg 1 and learn how to stay young from Mr Chin! On May 14, Mrs Joshua Gan of Penang English Church also gave birth to a princess, Ms Joaina Gan, congratulations to her and her family! Pr Janssen ew, left, presenting a Baby Dedication Certification to Skudai Chinese Church s Head Deacon on May 7, 005. Vision 2 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, 1 Cor 13:1, NIV.

3 ~ Good ews from PEM Churches ~ KLEBANG SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH: Pr David Kumar Arumugum shared with us about a Blood Donation Drive carried out by the Klebang Adventist Community Service Centre on Apr 3. The drive was held at the Klebang Estate Tamil Primary School from 9:00am to 12:00noon. This drive was a joint effort among the Blood Bank, Ipoh Hospital, Tamil Youth Bell Club, Chemor and Indian Progressive Front Party, Tambun Division. The drive began with the arrival of the Blood Bank team from the Ipoh Government Hospital. The team consisted of a medical officer, a senior hospital assistant, a lab assistant, a few nurses and a few transportation personnel. The church members and a group of Pathfinders who had arrived there earlier welcomed and helped them in arranging the place. Later on, donors arrived one after another to donate their blood to save lives. There were more than 30 willing donors; however, only 10 were qualified. During the drive, Pr David presented a Powerpoint presentation on Blood Donation Awareness covering topics such as who are eligible and who are not to donate blood. At noon, their chief guest, YB Dato Haji Nadri B Haji Ismail, DPMP, PMP, AMP, PPT, the ADUN of Manjoi Area, arrived to declare the closing of the drive. The donors were presented with certificates by the YB. During the YB s speech, he thanked the Klebang Seventh-Day Adventist Church for being a caring community, and also thanked the organizations for supporting this drive. Light refreshments were served to everyone at the end. Picture below showing the whole group. FARLIM CHURCH, SHARED BY MS MARIA SANGKONG: Praise God that the church has started its Children Sabbath School Class! The class is headed by Dr Esther Cheng, who is also in charge of the Sabbath School Department. During the first class, some Adventurer Club members and newcomers came. It was indeed a blessing to have young children around the church when most of its members are adults and old folks. Please pray for these young jewels so that they will remain in the church, together with their non-christian parents. Praise God again! The church revived its singing group, after a 2-year break due to lack of committed members. A newly baptised member, Joewyn, and I initiated the formation of this singing group. This baby singing group called itself as BEHOLDER, echoing what Psalm 17:15 says, "As for me, I will behold, THY face in righteousness, I shall be satisfied when I awake with THY likeness". It is the members' longing to be more like Jesus.. " By beholding we shall be changed. We pray that through our newly formed group with almost no experience, people may see Jesus through us, and they will be encouraged to BEHOLD His face and character. For we believe, besides a melodious voice, a song can penetrate through to the weary souls only when Jesus is involved and His angels are at work together. Please support us in prayer. KUALA LUMPUR CHINESE CHURCH: Elder Jimmy Chong shared with us the good news that on Nov 28, 2004, after undergoing months of Bible Studies conducted separately by Pr David Leoh, himself, and Deacon Yip Siew Mun, 4 precious souls were added to the family of God. On that Sabbath morning, Elder Chong delivered a Powerpoint presentation on the Dynamics of Baptism while Pr Leoh presided over the baptismal vows after that. A Sundown Worship was held the following evening after which the baptism ceremony of the 4 candidates was conducted in the swimming pool of the condominium where Elder Chong lived. The grand occasion was witnessed by around 55 friends and relatives. It was followed by a BBQ dinner at the poolside in celebration of the new born babies in Christ. Please remember them in your prayers that they will continue to grow in grace and knowledge of His wonderful love. Please see pictures on Pg 4. I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 1 Cor 13:1, NIV. Vision 3

4 ~ Good ews from PEM Churches ~ IPOH CHURCH: Pr Tan Meng Cheng shared with us about the Voice of Youth Camp held on 12-14, Mar at Tapah Sufes Campsite. The active Ipoh Adventist Youth arranged a wonderful programme and many visitors got to know more about our church. Pr Ngo Kim Chai was the main speaker. They had Talent Night, tele-matches, youth talk, campfire, etc. PENANG ENGLISH CHURCH: Mr Ho Soon Cheng has been actively involved in the Myanmar brethrens outreach, and thus, praise God that his faithful work finally bore fruits, and this is only the beginning! Below is a testimonial letter (translated by Sister Ruby) written by Mr Saw Pan Khaing upon returning to Myanmar, addressing all the church members in Penang English Church:-- Mr Saw Pan Khaing, he is a regular guitarist at the Penang English Church. By the grace of God, I arrived home safely. I will never forget the good things that you all had done for me. I want to thank all the church who members had contributed financially to me before I came home. Otherwise I really did not have any extra money to take home. Our family expresses our sincere thanks to all of you. We pray that God will bless each and everyone of you. Please do not forget me. And remember me in your prayers. I miss all of you and think of you all very often, especially on Sabbath where we used to meet together for worship and then followed by lunch. I remember the good food and your love that you all showered upon me and my friends. I wish I could see you all again, but I know that it is most impossible for I cannot afford to travel to Malaysia, and I understand that you will not be coming to Myanmar. However, when Jesus comes back, I hope we shall see each other again in Heaven, this is my prayer. Now, I plan to do my own business, because I want to be faithful to God. Please do remember our family in your prayer. Currently, Mr Ho and some other members are continuing in ministering to 14 Buddhists and 6 SDA Myanmar brethrens from the plantations. Just some time back, Sister Viji taught them how to make sandwiches, and Sister Mei Huey taught them to sing in English. The Myanmar brethrens had been presenting special numbers during divine service in Myanmar language as well as in English. FRIENDSHIP EVANGELISM IN BANTING SHARED BY MRS MEENA SAM: Pr T John and his wife, Ruth, have a gift of Welfare Ministry. Recently, they had baptisms! A very challenging situation arose when a family decided to accept Christ. Being introduced to the gospel of Christ, the family realized that revolutionary changes must take place in their lives. They had to discard and destroy the idols and removed the jewelleries which was a mark of prestige in their lives before knowing Christ. Like Zacchaeus, the father had to stop the lucrative money-lending business. They also decided that their children should look for Saturdays-off work. The Lord honoured the prayers of this staunch Hindu family. Now, they are rejoicing in the Truth that has set them free, looking at life from a complete different angle. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:36. Praise the Lord for the way He has led this precious family where countless ones in the past have balked at the idea of giving up their caste and their identity in the Indian Community. God has worked on the hearts of souls steeped in superstitions giving a grand victory to the Cross of Christ. Now, Ruth is working with 9 families in the learning of the Truth. Her friendliness and hospitality had brought bountiful souls for the Kingdom. May God bless Pr and Mrs T John s ministry! 4 precious souls in their baptism robes, with Elder Jimmy Chong second from right. Please see good news on Pg 3. Pr Leoh, right, performing the baptism on one of the candidates. Please see good news on Pg 3. Vision 4 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, 1 Cor 13:2, NIV.

5 ~ Good ews from PEM Churches ~ MALACCA CHURCH: Pr Andrew Hau shared with us about the Agape Youth Camp held at Pulau Besar on Jun The main organizers were a couple of doctors from Penang. The church members of Malacca Church were very supportive in the aid of the arrangements for the success of this event. They had to deal with registration, collections of fees, sourcing for materials, etc. PENANG TAMIL CHURCH: Pr C James Edward shared with us about an all-night prayer the church members had from Apr 30-May 1. The group consisted of around 20 people and the prayers started from 9:00pm till 5:00am. They prayed for each others needs and anything they would like to pray for. On May 27-29, the Indian Churches Camp held at Port Dickson took place with about 250 people attending. They had Pr Daniel Devadhas, the Secretary of South Indian Union as their special speaker. The theme was God s Final Call. KULIM TAMIL CHURCH: Pr C James Edward also shared with us about the 1-night prayer they had on May 21. Upon church members request, the church would hold this special prayer night once a quarter, if not, once every 6 months. They had a Mother s Day special service on May 7. During this service, mothers were given gifts and recognition for their efforts in church. The gentlemen in the church were in charged of the potluck that day! Another outreach programme Pr Edward is working on is the weekly women s evening meeting. They would gather in different houses each week to share the message of God. For the past 5 months, Pr Edward conducted cell groups every Thursday and Friday nights at Hong Seng and Tanjung Bungah areas. Each group consists of about people. Please pray for his ministry. SKUDAI CHINESE CHURCH: Pr Janssen New shared with us about a yearly Family Day event that took place on May 1. This evangelistic activity brought about 100 people, mostly non-sdas! Further, for 4 Friday nights during April, the church had Elder Timon Tan to conduct a Literature Evangelist Training on how to sell books. Another good news is that Sunday churches are inviting Pr New to conduct health seminars. This invitation has allowed Pr New to share and spread Adventism. PONTIAN CHINESE CHURCH: Pr Janssen New shared about a very successful health talk conducted by Elder John Ng and attended by people on Apr 30. Following the health talk, on May 1 about 130 people turning up for the free health screening. Once again the community at Skudai benefited from our Adventist health messages! On May 15, the kindergarten held a Parents Day. The children had talent performances, singing presentations, reciting of poems, etc. A fellowship lunch was provided to all. On May 27-29, an Evangelistic Camp was held at Gunung Rambai, Kluang, specially catered to the senior citizens. Another good news is that Pr New is also invited to conduct talks in Pontian by Sunday Churches. On May 22, he was invited to speak at the Family Camp of Pontian Christian Church where the campers comprised of Buddhists and Christians from other denominations. MRS AMY CHUNG OF SKUDAI CHINESE CHURCH SHARED: President of SAUM, Pr Bill Townend and his charming wife visited Skudai Chinese Church on April 16. Pr Townend s sermon on God s Forgiveness brought peace and new zeal to all who listened to him. He used 4 Bible texts illustrating that God forgives us as many times as we asked for. But the danger is: do not overdo it by sinning willfully. Pr Bill Townend, centre, with all the members and visitors at Skudai Chinese Church. The fun excitement at the Bi- Mission Chinese Youth Congress held in Penang. Please see Pg 12 for write-up in chinese. and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 1 Cor 13:2, NIV. Vision 5

6 ~ Good ews from PEM Churches ~ The new Petaling Jaya Chinese Church s worship hall complete with state-of-the-art acoustic system. PETALING JAYA CHINESE CHURCH: The church had its long-awaited church opening on May 15. The opening started at 10:00am with more than 200 wellwishers. A sumptuous lunch was prepared for everyone! Please see pictures on Pg 11 and 13. CITY-WIDE EVANGELISM: A very successful event held at the International Youth Centre, Cheras, from May It had Gospel Presentations of the Revelations in Prophecy presented by Pr John Bradshaw, a New Zealander residing in the US. Health seminars were also conducted. TRUST SERVICES SUMMIT: Held at City Villa Hotel on May 5-7. All participants were affirmed of what they should do in order to be a good steward for God. Very valuable information were presented. Topics included The Crowning Act of Stewardship, A Christian Perspective of Money Management and How to Prepare a Christian Will?. PETALING JAYA ENGLISH CHURCH: On Apr 9-10, the Young Working Adults, comprising of 13 people, including Pr Petrik Andrews, had a fantastic and amazing trip to Fraser s Hill. They rented the spacious and cooling Johore Bungalow which offered mouth-watering food! Interesting Team Building games were conducted, intensive views and visions were shared. Those of you who are young and working, please look for Kam Soon or Yim Khim in church to check out what exciting outings they have lined up. You will be missing out on a lot of fun, intellectual and spiritual enhancement, if you do not join them just for once. Join to believe! Join to live! A Car Wash event was held on Apr 24 from 8am onwards. It was a fruitful effort where car owners paid RM25 minimum per wash. On May 7, a special Mother s Day programme was lined up during Sabbath School. Mothers were thanked for their hard work in keeping the family united, for taking good care of their husbands and children, for contributing to church, etc. Children expressed their gratitude towards their mothers on that morning. Big red roses were given to all mothers, and a cake cutting ceremony was held. May 21 was the Adventurer Investiture Day with the theme Go for Jesus. The children received their badges on that day. Each badge indicates one activity or exercise they have successfully completed. A Family Picnic was organized on May 23. The convoy met at 8:00am in the church to proceed to Sungai Chongkat, some 45mins drive from Cheras. Among the picturesque scenery and refreshing flowing streams, the families had a good fellowship with revitalizing laughters! On May 29, an interesting Stress and Anger Management Seminar was conducted by the US team of Evangelists. GOOD NEWS SHARED BY MRS LEONG FAI, THE SHEPHERDESS COORDINATIOR: Praise the Lord! I saw many energetic young people attending the Bible Study training in Klang BM Church on Mar 12. There were 32 young people who attended the training. Materials presented were sourced from the book of Judges. Pr Rubil is the church pastor. On Apr 25, a blood donation drive was carried out at the Ue3 Shopping Complex, Cheras. 112 packs of blood were collected from 11:00am to 3:00pm. Many pastors and church members participated in this drive. Blood Donation Drive at Ue3 with Mrs Leong Fai on the right. Sabbath School session at Bukit Jelutong Indian Church. Bible Study session at Klang BM Church. Vision 6 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, 1 Cor 13:3, NIV.

7 ~ Good ews from PEM Churches ~ For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them. Mathew 18:20. ~ by Mr Ras Theron, one of the pioneer members of Queenstown SDA ~ Down under in Queenstown, New Zealand, one of the top tourist destinations in the world, we love the above Bible verse, as we truly are few in numbers. Our Seventh Day Adventist group is known as the Remarkable Truth. The name comes from a beautiful mountain range that surrounds the area and the truth we are glad to share about Jesus our Saviour. Our Church was initiated by brother Soon Cheng, and we had our very first meeting on Jun 14, So, what started off with three regular members, we now have nine regular members plus a few visitors every now and then. Living in a town where people are here today and gone tomorrow requires creative witnessing. From one to nine members (including a Pastoral couple from a nearby town), we give praise to God for our members. At the moment we meet in various homes and enjoy a casual worship style. We all get involved with lesson studies and talks. The Internet is a useful part of our worship as we download sermons and Karaoke for our praises. As there are always many tourists in town we often have visitors joining our services from all over the world. We often enjoy lunches together and in the winter months enjoy after Sabbath socials skiing on our beautiful mountains. Every Thursday evening at 8pm we meet for prayers. Our vision for 2005 is to set up a library collection of inspiring videos and DVDs that we can share with interested people. We have been blessed with some funding to assist this Project and look forward to positive results. Priya saw God working amidst of her trials ~ by Pr David Kumar Arumugum, District Pastor of Klebang and Taiping Church ~ Geetha Priya David, daughter of Klebang Church Elder, Mr David Katherason, was not happy when she was first told that she had to join the National Service Training Programme. In fact, her whole family was not happy about it. The reason was because she was not very healthy since the end of last year. Her parents tried their level best to apply for exemption but they were unsuccessful. So, Priya, after lots of prayers and support from her family and church members, decided to attend the said training despite her dislikes and health condition. She was part of the first group, 2 nd series, year She attended the National Service Training Programm from Dec 11, 2004 till Mar 6, 2005, at Sentosa Camp, Sungai Cincin, Chenderiang, Tapah, Perak. During the 3 months of training, she went through a lot of trials and temptations. First, the Sabbath. She had no excuses for avoiding the trainings falling on Sabbath. Therefore, she had to participate in the programmes. But sometimes she would be excused for being unfit. At those moments she would thank God for allowing her to keep the Sabbath and would remain in the dorm. Other times, she would have other opportunities like going for community service during Sabbath. Though it was not a completely worship related activity, she would still thank God that she was able to witness for Him through the activity. Now she is back from the training. She learned a lot about life and God. She recalls her days during the training and says that God was very good and indeed really good. And she further said that without Him, the training would be impossible. On her passing out day, her family and I went to receive her. Picture below: Taken when Priya was out for community sevice project during the National Service training. She is second from right with a Bomba officer in the centre. Currently we are also looking for a larger venue that will allow for easy parking, growth and advertising. Please remember our church group in your prayers and should you ever pass this way, we would love to make more friends in Jesus! but have not love, I gain nothing. 1 Cor 13:3, NIV. Vision 7

8 God is STILL at work ~ Love and peace, by Ms Maria Sangkong, ursing Lecturer at Penang Adventist College of ursing ~ Greetings in the name of the Lord. Well, what shall I say this time hmm, I do not have any cute things to share or stunning news for you to read. But I have witnessed BIG things happened, and all because it started with a right beginning, with GOD Himself. Do you agree with me if I said, God is consistent, serious of what He is doing, and is still at work even without us seeing the power, much like during the time of the apostles in the Book of Acts. The Bible says. delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desire of your heart not only that, He will implant the desired outcomes of our desire, and He will be at work to make it as a reality. I wanted to be a teacher for so long since I was a teenager. I do not know why, but I ended up taking Basic in Business and Management in Wood Technology just after I finished my Form 5. Then I entered the nursing profession which had caused me to wonder further what God has in His mind for me to go around in the wilderness, like the Israelites, without arriving to my destination in life. I was confused, and unfocussed. ~ Testimony ~ About 2 years ago, God had opened the door for me to study again, something that I did not think of during my first 4 years after I was qualified as a Registered Nurse. Guess what, I was accepted to join a course in the Medical Centre of University Malaya, Methodology in Teaching. I was to learn specifically on how to teach effectively with the application of education psychology. Miraculously I managed to finish the course without breaking the Sabbath despite exams and classes falling on the Sabbath Day. It was all because of God. Life could never be the same again after I came back from my studies; my knowledge extended, personality changed, status changed and my aim in life changed. Only one thing did not change, my desire to serve the Lord with the little ability I have. I have seen miracles happened since I joined the College of Nursing in Penang Adventist Hospital. Let me share a recent one. After I completed my classroom assignment, I was assigned to go up to the wards to supervise students on their competency in the clinical area. Having many different levels of students and coaching them at the same time is really challenging. During the 2 nd and 3 rd week of April, I was assigned to the Medical Ward. One of the characteristics of the patients warded in the Medical Ward, is that they are bed-ridden, with some just there literally waiting for their time to rest in peace. We had a few patients with confirmed D.I.L (Death in List). One particular patient was on oxygen support, big-sized, about 100kg with swelling almost all over the body. Having been on bed for sometime, the perineal area was very sore, red and the sacral area (buttocks) was already showing signs and symptoms of skin breakdown. The patient has Diabetes Mellitus, and heart failure with compression fracture of the Lumber (Back Bone). I was very afraid to assign freshies to nurse this patient because I was afraid that they could not cope with the heavy load to nurse a patient who does not respond at all. The patient hardly opened her eyes, did not respond to calls and so on. This patient also had intravenous line, only on fluid diet without milk. Anyway, at last, I assigned the freshies to this patient with 2 other seniors. My students continued their tender loving care to this patient everyday. They gave bed bath, oral care, turning accordingly, back massages, you name it TOTAL NURSING CARE! Actually, this patient captured my attention, which I did not know why. So I started doing follow-ups with my students, especially during the second week. I was there just to facilitate the students carrying out their procedures, and of course planned the patients care with them. You may think this story is just an ordinary story, after all, hospitals are filled with dying patients. Continued on Pg 9 Vision 8 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 1 Cor 13:4, NIV.

9 ~ Testimony & Good ews from PEM Churches ~ continued fr. Pg 8 GOD IS STILL AT WORK! The last 3 days of that week, the patient s perineal area was not so sore anymore, the patient was able to open her eyes. She could lift up her hands. Although she is still on oxygen support, she was able to talk and communicate her preferences in treatment, which signified that she is still interested to live again and is willing to participate in her care. She could even recognize those people who were nursing her. Amazingly, she could stand up for a few minutes when we transferred her from bed to a deck chair. Later on, she was allowed to have porridge from just clear fluids, and she was tolerating it well. When I asked her how she was doing just before I went off duty, she smiled and answered Ho, in Hokkien meaning she s doing fine. In the afternoon, when I had post conference with my students to do some reflective learning for that day, I asked if they were happy with what they had done to their patients that day. All of them smiled and agreed that they had done a wonderful task for their patients. I highlighted this particular patient and asked the nurse who had looked after this patient to present her as a focus of study for that afternoon. Indeed, all of my students were happy and agreed that this patient was progressing well, only in about 3 days, the situation was turned 18 degree, from a dying patient to a patient who can respond and tolerated treatment well. One of my Muslim students approached me and confirmed that she saw a miracle that day. What happened? Who has restored the patient s health? Indeed the message at the entrance of the Penang Adventist Hospital GOD HEALS, WE HELP is active and true. As my usual prayer every morning is breathed with my bended knees. God again has used me today to bless others and to radiate His love. God has answered my selfish prayers many times, and I cannot thank Him enough for His bountiful blessings. GOD IS STILL AT WORK. I like my profession after I qualified as a Registered Nurse, but I take it seriously and love it even more after I became a Nurse Educator. I found that if there is one thing a teacher must posses in order to become a good teacher, it is not by having good grades and popularity while she is having her training, but it is to practise what she preaches. And we can only do this if what we preach is actually our own lifestyle, meaning we do not have to pretend to be good, present ourselves just as we are. I am still learning how to have a human heart, a heart of a flesh and not a stone. If God did not lead me thus far, I cannot see all these beautiful manifestations of His work. He is faithful, timely, and knows exactly what He is doing. My brethrens, we do not have to ask for fire to come down from heaven in order to see miracles. It can happen in a small way, unnoticed and simple, but for sure, God is still at work and He is not tired of revealing Himself to those who seek Him diligently. May we continue to walk humbly with faith and not by sight, this is my humble prayer! 1 st Memorial Anniversary of Mrs June Prabhakaran ~ by Tay Cheng Eng of Penang English Church ~ The family of CV Prabhakaran held the 1 st memorial anniversary for Mrs June Prabhakaran nee June Choo Lan Kiaw on the May 13 at their residence at Butterworth. Mrs Prabhakaran was a member of Penang Seventh- Day Adventist Church. Our church members together with the Anchormen (God-given musical talents from Penang SDA church) were invited to the anniversary. It was well attended with over 1 relatives and close friends of the family. The invited guests and the family were richly blessed by the singing of our Anchormen and with the hymns in their hands everyone was able to sing along. Pr Joshua Gan gave a short sermon. He preached that death is, but a short break towards our final destination, heaven. Quoting Revelation 14:13 Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours, and their works follow them. In closing, Pr Joshua Gan offered a prayer for CV Prabhakaran s family. It was indeed a good witness for our Lord. We showed that we also love and miss sister June Prabhakaran as much as her family members and friends did. Please see picture on Pg 13. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, 1 Cor 13:5, NIV. Vision 9

10 Samuele Bacchiocchi Seminar Penang SDA English Church April 21-24, 2005 ~ by Dr Dicky g ~ ~ Good ews from PEM Churches ~ From April 21 24, 2005, Penang SDA English Church invited Dr Samuele Bacchiocchi, a retired Professor of Theology and Church History, Andrews University, to conduct a series of outreach cum revival meetings in Penang. The 1 st -day programme held at Crown Jewel Hotel had 95 participants, majority of them were non- Adventists. Amongst the participants were a few ministers of other denominations, including a lecturer from a local bible seminary. Later in the evening, April 21, the Sabbath Enrichment seminar series began in the church. The church was filled to the brim with more than 200 people, including some of those non-adventist Christian friends who had attended the day meeting at the hotel. Dr Bacchiocchi is a captivating speaker, making good use of the Visual LCD projection of colourful slides to illustrate his lecturers. The lecturers he shared in Penang were: My Search For The Sabbath (his conversion story), Sabbath As A Time For Service, From Sabbath To Sunday (his research published in his book, historical evidences of how Sabbath was changed to Sunday done in the Vatican University in the 70s). Sabbath Under Cross Fire (why there is so much controversy about Sabbath; yes, Sabbath has no rest!). Marriage Covenant (the Biblical principle of marriage that can save us from heartaches), and lastly the most current topic of The Future Of The Papacy. Dr Bacchiocchi is also a prolific writer and a researcher. Many took advantage of the special offer on his books and bought them to study deeper into the topics, which were highlighted during the meetings. We gave praise and thanks to God for His leading in this event. Dr Samuele Bacchiocchi. Penang SDA English Church filled to the brim! Dr Bacchiocchi sharing about the Sabbath using captivating slides. Vision 10 Lectures held at the Crown Jewel Hotel, Penang. Dr Dicky g, front row, right. it keeps no record of wrong. 1 Cor 13:5, NIV.

11 ~ Testimony & Good ews from PEM Churches ~ Ir Chuah, right, with his wife and son at the opening of Petaling Jaya Chinese Church on May 15. Second from left are Mr and Mrs Wang Yong Cheng. Ir Chuah is very happy to have Mr Wang, his nephew-in-law, to attend this auspicious occasion. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 1 Cor 13:6, NIV. Vision 11

12 ~ Good ews from PEM Churches ~ Mother U are my first nurse, Mother U are my first physician, Mother U are my first friend, Mother U are my first teacher, Mother U are my first pastor, Mother U are my everything on earth. The above poem is written by Pr David Kumar Arumugam, he wishes all mothers Happy Mother s Day! 3 rd MISSION WIDE MALAY RETREAT SHARED BY PR RENIE UBARA, SUNGAI PETANI CHURCH: It was held at the Panoramic Gunung Jerai Resort, Kedah from Apr The theme was Spirit-Led Lifestyle. About 130 participants, including children participated in this spiritual event with 70% of them being ladies. Regardless, they seemed to come for one great purpose, to enhance their spiritual lifestyle. The participants had Dr Ellen as one of the facilitators throughout the much-anticipated event. She stressed a lot on how women were able to become exceptional in the society, not only mentally, emotionally, socially but also spiritually. Other than touching on self-image that rooted with Christian-life, communication or rather relationship was one of the topics discussed and highlighted. The three days gathering had given a lot of guidance and blessing to all. It was even more meaningful with the presence of Dr Missah and Pr Terrance Sim as the speakers. Hopefully, they will be more enriching camps like this one in the future that can enlighten the very essence of faith for the church members! Please see picture on Pg 14. ~ by Ms Chew Yan Leong of Penang Chinese Church ~ Vision 12 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always preserves. 1 Cor 13:7, NIV.

13 ??HOW?? to stay young!! ~ contributed by Mr Thomas Chin of Kuala Lumpur English Church ~ ~ Variety and Good ews from PEM Churches ~ 1. Throw out non-essential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctors worry about them. That is why you pay them. 2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. Keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches. The super-talented God-given musical talents from Penang English Church, the Anchormen, presenting a number at Mrs June Prabhakaran s 1 st Memorial Anniversary. Please see write-up on Pg Keep learning: Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's! 4. Enjoy the simple things. 5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with him or her. 6. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. LIVE while you are alive. Another group of super-talented God-given musical talents from Petaling Jaya Chinese Church, presenting a number at the church s opening on May 15. otice the huge floral arrangement of lilies, making the occasion even more memorable and lovely! 7. Surround yourself with what you love: Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is. 10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity, and mean it! The official opening of Petaling Jaya Chinese Church by Pr Francis Lajanim, 2 nd from right, with Pr Terrance Sim on the left, followed by Pr Leong Fai with Pr Peter Foo on the right. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; 1 Cor 13:8, NIV. Vision 13

14 80 th Anniversary Commemorative Music CD ~ by Ms Lim Mei Huey, Organizing Chairperson of the 80 th Anniversary Celebrations ~ In conjunction with the 80th Anniversary celebrations in our church, Penang English Church, a special commemorative music CD was produced featuring all the many musical talents from the various churches in Penang. From the Penang English was the Anchormen, Joyous Tribute, Friends, Youth Choir, Children Choir and pianist Stephanie Looi. From Penang Adventist Hospital Church, there was Orient Acapella, Crucified with Jesus and the Remnant Singers. The Penang Chinese Church Youth also participated with a song specially composed by themselves. After many hours of rehearsals and recording time at the studio, finally, the CDs were out in time for the 80th Celebrations. With the kind support of the church members and friends of the church, RM4, was raised (after deducting costs). This collection was pledged to two homes for abused and neglected children. On Mar 26 Sabbath morning, we invited the children from the Children Protection Society together with their two leaders Puan Nawiza and Suria and also representative from Rumah Seri Cahaya, Ms Annie Ang, to join us for worship and to receive their cheques of RM2, each. About 15 children came. They were blessed by the Easter Musical program put up by the Music Ministry. After that, they attended Sabbath School with the Penang Tamil Church. They then joined us for fellowship lunch where they took time to fellowship with the young people from our church. During this time, our children presented them with a pair of shoes each. Seeing the children come to church probably for the first time and hearing about the love and sacrifice of Jesus was very rewarding. The smiles on their faces and the appreciation they showed to us made all the hard work in completing this project all so worth it. Many thanks to those who had supported in small and big ways. My special thanks to Julie Tan who put in so much effort to arrange everything with the homes. Please see pictures this page. ~ Good ews from PEM Churches ~ Baptisms at the 3 rd Mission Wide Malay Retreat. Please see write up on Pg 12. Vision 14 where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge,...1 Cor 13:8, NIV.

15 ~ Foods and their Healing Power ~ Grains, fruits, nuts, and vegetables constitute the diet chosen for us by our Creator They impart a strength, a power of endurance, and a vigour of intellect, that are not afforded by a more complex and stimulating diet. ELLEN G. WHITE North American writer and educator ( ) *FOODS FOR THE BLOOD Iron is found in the following: Red Beet, gives a cheerful note to salads and potato dishes. Preparation and Use of Red Beet Fresh Juice. The flavour of beet juice is unpleasant and may be mixed with other juices or sweetened with honey to make it more palatable. No more than 50 to 100ml should be drunk at a time to avoid indigestion. Grated Raw. Beets prepared in this way may be dressed with lemon and oil. Boiled. Cooked beets are more digestible. They should be boiled for at least an hour. They are easier to peel if dipped in cold water while they are still hot. Lemon cleanses and regenerates the blood. Preparation and Use of Lemon Fresh Juice. Because of their high acidity, lemons are not usually eaten as fruit; only their juice is consumed. It is important to include the peel (if it is pesticidefree) because many of the aromatic terpenes, which have great medicinal value, are concentrated in it. Dressing and Seasoning for various dishes: Lemon juice improves the flavour, digestibility and properties of all green leafy vegetables, rice and legumes. Alfalfa, a littleappreciated food of great value. Preparation and Use of Alfalfa Alfalfa Sprouts. These recently germinated sprouts are eaten raw in salads and sandwiches. Leaves. Tender alfalfa leaves can be eaten raw in salads. They are usually cooked, much as chard or spinach, in soups, omelettes and croquettes. Pistachio, the most ironrich nut. Preparation and Use of Pistachio Toasted. Pistachios are usually eaten lightly toasted. Excess salt must be avoided. Pistachios are very much appreciated preparing desserts and icecream because of their exquisite flavour. Watercress purifies the blood. Raw. In salad, seasoned with oil and lemon. Watercress must be very tender, since once they have flowered they become very tough. No more than 50 or 100gm should be eaten at one time. As a condiment, finely chopped over potatoes or pasta. A few leaves may also be used to add flavour to sandwiches. Cooked. They lose part of their properties and flavour, although some individuals tolerate them better. They may be used in omelettes or vegetable soups. *Source: Encyclopaedia of Foods (available at Adventist Book Centre, Kuala Lumpur, contact: ) Information published in this page serves only as a guide and does not guarantee any prevention or cure And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. 1 Cor 13:13, NIV. Vision 15

16 ~ About Seventh-Day Adventists ~ The 27 Fundamental Beliefs of Seventh-Day Adventist (Source: 7. The Nature of Man: Man and woman were made in the image of God with individuality, the power and freedom to think and to do. Though created free beings, each is an indivisible unity of body, mind, and spirit, dependent upon God for life and breath and all else. When our first parents disobeyed God, they denied their dependence upon Him and fell from their high position under God. The image of God in them was marred and they became subject to death. Their descendants share this fallen nature and its consequences. They are born with weaknesses and tendencies to evil. But God in Christ reconciled the world to Himself and by His Spirit restores in penitent mortals the image of their Maker. Created for the glory of God, they are called to love Him and one another, and to care for their environment. (Gen. 1:26-28; 2:7; Ps. 8:4-8; Acts 17:24-28; Gen. 3; Ps. 51:5; Rom. 5:12-17; 2 Cor. 5:19, 20; Ps. 51:10; 1 John 4:7, 8, 11, 20; Gen. 2:15.) To be continued in the upcoming issues of this newsletter, Vision. Upcoming Events around Peninsular Malaysia 1. Jul 1-2: Children Ministry Leadership Training, Kuala Lumpur. 2. Jul 8-9: Friendship Evangelism, Kulim. 3. Jul 8-10: Personal Ministry: Seminar & Certification, Kuala Lumpur. 4. Jul 10: Talent Development Workshop, Perak. 5. Jul 10-15: Workers' Meeting (NEWSTART Programme), Penang. 6. Jul 15: Shepherdess: Computer Training & e-home, Penang. 7. Jul 22-24: Pathfinder Staff Leadership Training, Kuala Lumpur. 8. Jul 23-24: Marriage Enrichment, Sungai Way. 9. Jul 29-30: Friendship Evangelism, Taiping. 10. Aug 20: Stewardship Emphasis Sermon/Seminar, Kuantan. 11. Aug 21: Chinese Youth: 3rd Happy Cup Sports Day, Subang. 12. Aug 22: NEWSTART, Penang. 13. Aug 29-Sep 1: Shepherdess: Bible Doctrine Course 1, Kuala Lumpur. 14. Sep 9-10: Parenting Seminar, Muar. 15. Sep 17: Stewardship Emphasis Sermon/Seminar, Ipoh. ~ Information published is correct at press time; however, dates may subject to changes without prior notice. Please seek your pastor for confirmation and further information on the events. Advisors: Editor: Printers: Circulation: Pr Terrance Sim and Pr Francis Lajanim Jessica Thai Inter-Centre Point Sdn Bhd Peninsular Malaysia Mission (PEM) ~ Many thanks to all who have contributed to Vision, a quarterly official newsletter of PEM. ~ Pictures on cover page, courtesy of Inspired by Pr Matthew Mambu s sermon preached in Petaling Jaya English Church on April 30, 2005, on Love. ~ Articles have been edited to suit the alignments. ~ You may have noticed some of your church s happenings/events are not published in this newsletter, Vision, next time you may want to help your pastor by ing a short write-up with or without pictures to the editor at eightp@tm.net.my or post to 57, Jalan Medan Midah, Taman Midah, Cheras, 56000, Kuala Lumpur or sms to (013) ~ If you have any constructive suggestions or would like to share your testimonies, uplifting spiritual visions, recipes, spiritual stories, poems, or anything inspiring to the soul with other readers, kindly the editor. Vision 16 But the greatest of these is love. 1 Cor 13:13, NIV.