Official Newsletter of Peninsular Malaysia Mission I2 Aug 2004 C O N T E N T S. For Internal Circulation. PEM President s Message

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1 Official Newsletter of Peninsular Malaysia Mission I2 Aug 2004 C O N T E N T S PEM President s Message PEM Communication Director s Message SDA Logo and Its Meaning Unity in the Warmth of Fellowship I will NOT work! Soul II Soul I Still Believe Serving in China How I was saved by my Lord & Saviour Klang Pathfinder Induction Service Quality Education in an Exotic Land Mission College Isn t it STRANGE? Visit to The Hannah Home Will You be the ONE to Show Us the Saviour Dorcas Club Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I WILL BE EXALTED IN THE EARTH. Psalm 46:10, NIV. Adventist World News Foods and Their Healing Power For Internal Circulation Peninsular Malaysia Mission of Seventh-Day Adventists 22-1 Jalan 2/114 Kuchai Business Centre Jalan Kuchai Lama Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Tel > (603) Fax > (603) > sdapem@po.jaring.my Website >

2 ~ Messages ~ Message from the President of Peninsular Malaysia Mission (PEM), Pr Francis Lajanim Beloved brothers and sisters, The Word of the Lord is always wonderful. It is my privilege and honour to share God s Word from the experience of Nehemiah. As I was reflecting from the experience of Nehemiah during my devotion, I discovered the following spiritual insights: He went to approach the king. He had been praying for this event to take place. He had been praying for the king as well. He planned carefully for his request and speech. That day he felt the Lord s work became his work. He waited on God for his strategy and plan to mature by keeping on an intercessory prayer. We often feel that praying for something not realized immediately is a waste of the Lord s resources. However, we must look at it in terms of its end results. Waiting is wisdom as we trust the Lord patiently. We must pray persistently. As a result of waiting and careful planning through intercessory prayer, Nehemiah s strategy and plan became mature, urgent, bold, and detailed. He found out what God wanted him to do and he knew exactly what he needed. He Pr Francis Lajanim delivering a speech at the PEM Combined Camp, Malacca. was willing to take the risk of doing and accomplishing God s work. His detailed strategy plans include goals, expectations and plan of actions. Nehemiah received the king s approval, provision, and protection. The Word of the Lord tells us that God was with Nehemiah all the way. By God s grace, Nehemiah was able to accomplish the task of rebuilding Jerusalem as he trusted the Lord completely. I would like all of us to ponder on the word of Jesus found in Luke 14: To accomplish God s task in PEM, we need to plan and work together in unity by God s grace. This is my humble plea. Message from the Director of PEM Communication Department, Pr Terrance Sim Beloved believers and fellow workers, The PEM Communication Department owes you a lot for publishing a regular newsletter. We did encounter many obstacles and difficulties. Nevertheless, many thanks should go to those who had contributed to the revival of our Mission newsletter! We acknowledge that newsletters play an important part to motivate the growth of the church, eventhough it is difficult to gather enough news and information for the publication, the Communication Department strife hard to come out with a newsletter on a quarterly basis. As we are in a team, the Mission and local churches work together to do a few things for the smooth continuation of the newsletter. We would like to request each church to appoint a Communication Secretary. The Communication secretaries can help to report the activities of their churches to the Mission Communication Department. Pastors may help to gather testimonies of their members or share their unique pastoral experiences with us. Our Departmental Directors who are always traveling to different localities conducting training seminars, can easily provide us helpful information. It is our prayer that the Communication Department will continue to receive your support and the newsletter will continue to play its role in the growth of our church. Let s serve each other and share the blessing together! Vision 2 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess. Hebrews 10:23, NIV.

3 ~ Good ews from PEM Churches ~ Unity in the Warmth of Fellowship ~ 1 st PEM Combined Church Camp Meeting, June 4-6, 2004 ~ With God s grace, more than 600 members from churches around Peninsular Malaysia flooded Malacca to attend the 1 st PEM Combined Church Camp. It was for one good reason: to celebrate unity in the warmth of fellowship. To fellowship among each other of different language groups: Indian, Chinese, English and Malay. To share their special talents of performing special music. To worship together. To share testimonies with each other. To share the happiness of baptisms. To dine together, to play together. Special presentation by Penang English Church. To join in the warmth of fellowship, guest speaker Pr Alberto C. Gulfan, President of Southern Asia-Pacific Division and SAUM President, Pr R.W. (Bill) Townend were there at the camp. Pr Terrance Sim was also ordained at the camp, a big congratulations to him! May unity be embedded in your Christian fellowship experience! Baptisms during the PEM Combined Camp. KOTA BHARU CHURCH: Pr Chan Chong Kee shared with us about a club set up at the church by the women: Dorcas Club. This club is specially catered for the ladies where they hold an event each month to motivate, encourage, help, share, fellowship, etc. among themselves and their invited guests. They just had a vegetarian cooking class in June to encourage healthy diet in the family. They are currently planning for a health talk. The church also organized a Family Day outing to the gardens. The members and friends took the chance to get to know each other better. They had lunch then Bible games. Another good news Pr Chan is very happy to share is that earlier in the year, one of the church members gladly helped out financially in the renovations of the church. New and modern lightings were put up, the ceiling was done up with new roofing and paint-work was carried out. Pr Chan is also very thankful to all the church members who worked together in unity to beautify the church. One interesting aspect of this church is that the members speak in Hokkien, Mandarin and Malay. KUANTAN CHINESE CHURCH: Pr Ngo Kim Chai shared with us about a Health Check-Up Session. This Community Service took place on Apr 25 at the church venue. The public was given blood sugar test, blood pressure test, cholesterol check, health and diet counseling. Our health messages were shared with the public successfully. On the World s Baptism Day, 3 people were baptized at Balok Beach. The new kindergarten set up earlier this year is running quite smoothly with God s grace. They have 10 students at the moment and there are more registering. Please pray for this project. On July 11, another community service was carried out in which an education seminar was conducted for the parents and children. Plans for Adventuring is also on-going! There is neither Jew nor Greek for you are one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28, NIV. Vision 3

4 ~ Good ews from PEM Churches ~ Joy of the new Skudai Chinese Church Pr Janssen New shared with us the celebrated upgrading of Skudai Company to Skudai Chinese Church (a new church building). Pr Janssen ew (left) and Pr Francis Lajanim marking the birth of Skudai Chinese Church! Special presentation by the youth. On July 3, the Grand Opening Ceremony combined church worship marked the solemn moment of joy for all church members (from Ulu Tiram, Muar, Skudai, Pontian), friends and guests. There were also delegates from Thompson and Jurong Chinese Churches (Singapore), Malacca Church and Johore Baru English Church. The greater news is that there were 9 baptisms from Skudai and 2 baptisms from Kulai by Pr Terrance Sim! Another good news to share, in early June, the Kulai and Skudai Churches had a combined camp at Kangkar, Kulai. There were about 40 Pathfinder campers. The campers were taught the survival skills right out Baptism candidates. in the wild woods: to cook without oil, without pot, without matches nor burners to bring on the fire. If you are curious about how they survived join the Pathfinders! MALACCA CHURCH: A special Voice of Youth Evangelistic Crusade was held in June running for 2 consecutive weekends. This successful crusade brought a lot of new interests and baptism was conducted recently. Currently, these new-borns are still receiving Bible studies and continuing to study on the books of Daniel and Revelation. One other good news is that the church is drawing a lot of interests from the Malacca army camp. This Bahasaspeaking group is swelling by the great numbers! RM1.00 vegetarian set lunch is one of the most innovative ways to attract the public to know more about health. This every Sunday deal is brought about by the Bukit Rambai Health Farm, Malacca. This set lunch brings about a complete meal. Patrons are also taught about our health messages. If you want to know more about it, visit Malacca on a Sunday and have your dollar worth! TELUK INTAN CHURCH: Pr Johnathan Muthal shared with us on How to Conduct Small Group Meetings. They held a seminar for the church members on how to conduct effective cell groups in their homes to win more souls. Pr Sam Govindasamy and Pr David Kumar are also actively involved in this project which they are bringing to the Klebang and Taiping Churches. On July 25, they had a fundraising programme to raise funds for their kindergarten. An evangelistic meeting was also held in late July. More good news to share next! KUALA SELANGOR NEW WORK: From the previous issue published in May, we read about Ms Selvi being the new interest in Kuala Selangor, praise the Lord that she is having prayer meetings in her house every Friday now! Pr Lawrence Francis also shared with us about cell group meetings in each member s house. They conduct a short and uplifting meeting for about 45mins each time. Vision 4 For He who promise is faithful. Hebrews 10:23, NIV.

5 ~ Good ews from PEM Churches ~ Pathfinder Induction Service ~ by Tan Weoi Siong, Pastoral Intern of Klang Chinese Church Group ~ Klang Chinese Church celebrated its Pathfinder Induction Service on the early morning of May 30. It was one of the happiest occasions for the Church Leaders, parents and children. Even the Nanyang Chinese Newspaper publicized about it. Pr Terrance Sim (left), Pr Sonny Khoo, Pr Peter Foo and Mr Gan Say Guan at the ceremony. This special service symbolizes the official admittance of the children into the Pathfinder Adventurer Club. The ceremony includes citing and explaining of pledges and laws. Candles are lighted by the Pathfinders to represent that they accept these laws and will practise them in their lives. The first batch of 10 children and 8 youths were admitted. Pr Sonny Khoo blessed them with God s message, Pr Peter Foo presided the Candle Light Ceremony while all of them including Pr Terrance Sim joined hands together to light the candle of Foundation, Pledge and Law. Pr Peter Foo (left) presenting a candle to one of the children in turn to lit the candle of pledge and law. The Puchong Pathfinder Club joined them and presented and hand-signs song. Refreshments were served for all participants and visitors to mark the end of this auspicious occasion. Good ews from Ipoh Chinese & English Churches Pr Tan Meng Cheng shared the good news from the 1- night musical evangelistic programme on Apr 24 (picture on the right top) is that the attendance was amazingly full to more than 100 people! They had LCD projections to present God s Love, in which, is the theme of the night. Many friends were invited and the church members were very happy having this chance to mingle and share with them about Jesus Christ. Light refreshments were served as well. On May 2, they had a 1-day camp in Cameron Highlands (picture on the right bottom, with Pr Tan on the right, 1 st row). This camp brought the church members and their family members to enjoy God s creation the great nature of the Strawberry Farm, Cactus Farm and the cool non-city green surroundings. On the 2 nd Sunday of June, both churches had a fun tele-match activity. The main purpose of this event is to foster better relationships between the church members. They had much enjoyment with hola-hoop, tug-a-war, water games, etc. The champion was the green team! He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:2, NIV. Vision 5

6 ~ Good ews from PEM Churches ~ PENANG INDIAN CHURCH: Pr James Edward shared the special programme of Father s Day. The church members and their relatives had an unconventional Sabbath worship. They worshipped among the great nature in Youth Park! T-shirts were given to guests and the fathers. The interesting Bible Quiz session Wheel of Heaven, is still on-going and it has continue to stir more attendance for Sabbath School. PUCHONG INDIAN NEW WORK: We read about Aunty Taro in the previous issue published in May, here s the latest unlikely update by Mrs Meena Sam. But the desire of the righteous will be granted. Proverbs 10:24. Aunty Taro is a woman of no small means. Her home was the shelter for abandoned, battered, lonely women. Her food was shared by those who were hungry. When you step into her humble house, you will feel a sense of belonging, no matter who you are. The people of the community came to her for financial aid and Aunty Taro has lent to many. She forgave those who could not return. In short, love was there. She set her house in order, a will was drawn and all her properties were given to the people of her family. Ranee, Aunty Taro s adopted daughter, was given an inheritance, and she was to return to her biological mother. Aunty Taro s sickness relapsed and she passed away recently at the age of 79. She left making peace with God and man. PONTIAN CHINESE CHURCH: Good news of baptisms to share in the next issue! The well-established popular kindergarten held a special Parents Day in June. About 200 parents attended. Pr Peter Wong was the special speaker and he shared with the parents about education. Information about the latest education methods and how to bring up a child were presented. SUNGAI PETANI NEW WORK, KEDAH (Shared by Pr Sonny Khoo): Sungai Petani (SP) New Work started as it is quite a distance for the members in SP to travel to Alor Setar, at that time the nearest church (led by Pr Dennis Ng) for them. The service is ran in the home of Frankie and Hencey Chim at 201 Lorong Desa Jaya 2/9, Taman Desa Jaya, Fasa 3, Sungai Petani, Kedah. The group is first started with about 3 regular families (picture this page), namely Frankie's, Miko & Lipon & Lim Peng Khiang & Peng Peng. Now, however; the group has grown with the addition of new families. Daulin & Regina from Sabah is now in SP, Daulin working for Petronas and his family accompanying him. Just last Sabbath I was there in SP working out with them their greatest concern, that was evangelism, the setting up of a church as a future goal and the tools which they could use to accomplish this aim. The "ADVENTURER" programme was introduced to them as an evangelistic tool for SP and they were given the manual which they have agreed to implement, especially since they have many kids in their church. By the grace of God we will see the club set up very soon. Pr Francis Lajanim also went up to SP to conduct the week of prayer. Baptisms were performed at the end of July. I could see that this group of people in SP are committed and that they too requires our prayers. Let us be together with them as they work in SP for the Lord. PETALING JAYA ENGLISH CHURCH (Shared by Pr Sonny Khoo): Petaling Jaya English Church has been in Adventuring for a pretty "long" time now. They had their Induction on May 22 under the leadership there, namely Cyndy Saw, Jane Yap & Shirley Chong together with all the rest of the church members who supported by sending their children. Their church is better for it and the Adventurers and their families are blessed by the Club. They have been very supportive of the programme and currently one of their leaders, Mrs Jane Yap is waiting to expand into Beavering as well. And as God would have it, the timing is wonderful as their new intern minister is an active Pathfinder himself. Keep up the good work people and God bless you all. Our prayers are also with your Club. Vision 6 Come, let us return to the Lord. Hosea 6:1, NIV.

7 ~ Good ews from PEM Churches ~ Pr Francis Lajanim (left) praying at the ground breaking ceremony at Petaling Jaya Chinese Church. Good ews from Petaling Jaya Chinese Church ~ by Pr Peter Foo ~ During April, the Petaling Jaya Chinese Church had their Ground Breaking Ceremony. They are tearing down the 50-year-old building to rebuild a new church building. Currently, construction is going on and it is expected to be completed by year-end. On another occasion, the church had a Voice of Youth outing to Genting Highlands in late April. It was a good outing where the youth took this opportunity to foster better ties among themselves. Pr Foo also share with us about the Happy Cup Sports Day which took place on Aug 1 (more good news in the next issue). It is a sports event among the Klang Valley Chinese Churches where games like badminton, table tennis, basketball, swimming, archery and tele-matches took place. Another good news is that the Master Guide training for all Klang Valley Chinese Churches started on Jul 12, every morning from 8:15am to 9:45am at Puchong Chinese Company. PENANG ENGLISH CHURCH: Dr Looi gave us an update on the Penang Outreach project. After the launching of this project for about a few months now, the center had about 40 interests. Mostly Christians of other divisions dropped by and collected some tracts. The tracts include Pathway to Health, Daniel and Revelation, etc. They are also planning to have a Video Seminar on Bible prophecies/end-time events specially for these interests. Another plan is to distribute tracts again which carry more impacting titles. Please pray for this project. On the other hand, Mr Ho Soon Cheng shared with us about the Prayer Meeting he initiated every Wednesday evening. Little pamphlets with prayer quotations from the Bible are distributed in church to encourage members and friends to attend the meeting. The response is very good with about 30 to 40 people actively attending the meeting. The meeting has an interesting arrangement whereby they have worship in songs to start off, short testimonies to follow, short sermon and lastly end with a 20mins conversational prayer. The conversational prayer applies the rule of KISS (keep it short & simple). There will be a team leader to start off praying for forgiveness from God and thanksgiving with 3 sentences, then the next person intercedes and continue to pray with 3 sentences. They will pray for each others needs and for other people with other needs. He is also heading the Myanmar Outreach Committee. This committee takes care of our Myanmar brethren and keen interests who work in banana plantations in Kepala Batas. Myanmar Bibles are given to them and their transportation fees are subsidized by the church. Currently, quite a number of Buddhists are attending the church. Another programme he shared with us is Intercessory Prayer after divine service. A team will stay back and pray specially for the prayer requests for that day. Usually, the team comprises of church elders and the Prayer Ministry Committee Members. KUALA LUMPUR ENGLISH CHURCH: On Jun 25-26, the church held a Spirit of Prophecy Seminar by Elder John Brereton, Union Publishing Director. There are also baptisms in July, more good news next issue! Pr Matthew also shared with us about his Family Life seminars held all over Peninsular Malaysia. He had one in Alor Setar on Jun where quite a number of non-sda couples attended. Topics presented were: Three Biblical Secrets for Happy Marriage and Who is the Boss in My House? Petaling Jaya English and Taiping Church also had this similar seminar. Currently, he is traveling to the other churches to share this seminar with members and their friends. You are the God who sees me. Genesis 16:13, NIV. Vision 7

8 ~ Good ews from PEM Churches ~ GOOD NEWS SHARED BY PR SONNY KHOO: On the beautiful Sabbath morning of Jun 26, Petaling Jaya English Church witnessed the handover of pastoral duties by Pr Abel Bana and the introduction of their new ministers, Pr Matthew Mambu & Pr Petrik Andrews. Pr Matthew will be practically now the man in charge of the whole Klang Valley English Churches, which comprises of Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya & USJ. Pr Matthew will be supervising Intern Pr Petrik Andrews who has just graduated from Muak Lek College this June and is on his first assignment in PEM. A little more about Pr Matthew. He holds an MA in Education from AIIAIS which he received in year Originally hailing from Sarawak Mission, where he last served as Principal of Ayer Manis School, he came to PEM in June 1998 and was Penang Adventist Hospital Church pastor till 31 Dec Since then he has been pastoring Kuala Lumpur English Church till the present development. He is also serving as the part time director for Family Ministries in PEM. He is now 8 years of age. Pr Petrik Andrews, interning under Pr Matthew has much to gain under this internship and serving Petaling Jaya & USJ English Churches will be a challenge that will hone his skills and build him for future ministries. He is years old. The outgoing minister, Pr Abel Bana will be going to AIIAS in the Philippines to do his masters programme. He is expected to complete and be back to serve by July Pr Abel is a very likable and loving minister as proven by the love his members have showered upon him in his short 10-month internship. He is 28 years of age. We wish each and everyone of our three ministers the very best in their ministries and your prayers are solicited for them. GOOD NEWS SHARED BY MRS JENNIE MAMBU: The Family Ministry Department carried out a Parenting Seminar in Penang, the Northern Region. It was conducted by Drs Sally and CY Phoon. The attendance was impressive with about 120 people. The greatest surprise was the seminar was mainly for parents but the children (picture in this page) came to support their parents! The children played a great part because they gave inputs to encourage their parents to improve on their roles of being parents. PETALING JAYA ENGLISH CHURCH: They had a special divine worship on Jun 26. It was the Women Emphasis Week then. Will You be the ONE to Show Us the Saviour was the theme for that special day where the divine service was solely conducted by ladies. The ladies were given scripts provided by the General Conference to deliver to the congregation. They also dressed authentically to enhance the true stories narrated. The stories covered a leper, a woman facing the reality of AIDS, a working professional, and a lady of different faith. The summary of these stories is to remind us that everyday we are faced with different situations and can we be the one to show them Jesus. We can, by not being discriminating or we can share the health messages that our church teaches. KLANG BAHASA MALAYSIA CHURCH GROUP: Pr Francis Lajanim conducted baptisms in the middle of May and he reported that there are many more interests there! ISN'T IT STRANGE how RM20 seems like such a large amount when you donate it to a church, but such a small amount when you go shopping? Isn't it strange how 2 hours seem so long when you're at a church, and how short they seem when you are playing a game? Isn't it strange that you can't find a word to say when you are praying, but you have no trouble chatting with your friends? Isn't it strange how difficult and boring it is to read one chapter of the Bible, but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a popular novel? Isn't it strange how everyone wants front-row-tickets to concerts or games, but they do whatever is possible to sit at the last row in a church? ISN'T IT STRANGE? Editor: Isn t it Strange is ed to be by a friend, Kelvin, it is thought provoking and I hope it is to you too! Vision 8 To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are His. Job 12:13, NIV.

9 ~ Good ews from PEM Churches ~ Visit to the Hannah Home for the Orphans ~ by Mrs Ruth T John, Klebang Church ~ The members of Klebang Church, Women Ministries Department had organized a trip to Hannah Home for orphans. There are about 45 children in the home. A group of women and few church elders together with the pastor took part in this event. A short story about Jesus s second coming was told using pictures file. The meeting was ended with a prayer by Pr T John. The children were served food prepared by the Women Ministry Department. Women gather after church service and have prayer meeting. The Women Ministry Department also hold their gathering every Saturday after church service. During the gathering, they will always remember to pray for the Mission Officers, all PEM Churches, members and friends. God has listened to our prayers and has done a lot of miracles in our lives. God has given a lot of blessings to our families and we need your prayers for our department so that we can continue to do more God s work. Mrs T John telling the story on Jesus s second coming at the Hannah Home. Majlis Perpisahan Pr & Mrs P Benjamin ~ by Pr Edwin Philip ~ Pada Mei 15 & 16, satu majlis perpisahan untuk Pr & Mrs Benjamin telah dijalankan di pantai Morib, Banting. Majlis ini telah di anjurkan oleh semua gereja India di Lembah Klang. Dalam Majlis ini di hadiri seramai 80 orang peserta daripada gereja Banting, Klang, Shah Alam dan Kuala Selangor. Dalam majlis perpisahan ini juga 2 orang telah di baptiskan oleh Pr Benjamin yang terdiri daripada gereja Klang dan Shah Alam. Dalam majlis yang gilang gemilang ini banyak aktiviti telah dijalankan seperti drama, komedi dan pelbagai permainan termasuk permainan pantai. Pr & Mrs Benjamin telah diberi penghormatan besar di atas jasa dan pengorbanan mereka selama berkhidmat di gereja-gereja di seluruh Malaysia khususnya gereja-gereja tamil di semenanjung Malaysia. Di akhir majlis ini sesi gambar juga di ambil sebagai kenangan. Children having their meals at the Hannah Home. On May 15 & 16, a farewell party was held for Pr Benjamin at the beach at Morib, Banting by all the Klang Valley Indian Churches. 2 candidates from Shah Alam and Klang Churches were baptized. The members and friends also enjoyed the fun games at the beach. Pictures below. Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest! Luke 19:38, NIV. Vision 9

10 How I was saved by our Lord and Saviour ~ by Mr Prakash T R, member of Kuala Lumpur English Church ~ I am glad I have this opportunity to share my testimony on how I was saved by our Lord and Saviour. Emily was always there telling me about the Lord for the past 20 years. I was also exposed to this during my childhood days through my mother s side of the family. I joined them to church, more of an outing than anything to do with the contents of the Bible. Over the growing years I was exposed to the various beliefs such as Hindu scriptures, prayers, meditations with various spiritual teachers. It showed me how to reach a higher level. A lot was involved in pleasing people than one to one with the Creator. I began to move away and felt it was not for me and maybe I was not good enough to be spiritual. Or only certain group of chosen people can do this. I began to look at different ways people talk or behave about looking for God. I was made to belief that He is in different forms and we can experience Him in ways only they can show me. So I began trying it out and saw light/music/floating feeling and chanting words to awake your senses. While it worked for a while then it did not work anymore, reason was not practising enough. I began to wonder if they was really a so-called Creator and joined the shipping industry which kept me away from this topic. The Lord did not give up hope on me and guess what the first engineer I was put under was a SDA! He used to have problems with the chief engineer when it came to Sabbath and he refused to work and stayed in his cabin and read the Bible. I used to cover for him till he left the ship. We did not talk ~ Inspirational ~ much about what his belief was, I was young and wild. Emily would still write me letters and keep sending flyers which end up in the bin, friends always tell me I get thick letters from my girlfriend but I only knew what was the contents. I left looking for God and only prayed when I get in trouble or talk about Him when the situation permits. When I decided to return and work in Malaysia, Emily was by my side and she started telling me about the Lord all over again. This time I was the one who drew her out of her belief and stopped her even going to church with the excuse that if she loves me then she has to follow the way I look at things. This was going on for some time and material things became my goal and to make it in life. I attended church with her a few times just to please her and never even believed what I heard in church. Anyway, something deep inside always kept talking/telling me to come back to worship the Creator. Emily and I started talking about what she follows and believes. I started telling her about what I knew about life and different ways to reach God. I have also taken her for meditations/talks by other denominations. One morning I decided once and for all to find out and prove her wrong. I decided to read the book, Great Controversy by Ellen G. White. As soon as I started I could not stop even she got worried. I would read till the wee hours trying to find ways to prove her wrong. I did a lot of research against other beliefs. Slowly but surely the Holy Spirit began answering my questions. I was hooked and now I wanted to know more and attended the talk by Brother Moses. This opened a totally different way I understood life and my Creator. Emily was very happy but was not sure if I were only taking down notes and then go after her to explain on how/why/what I started talking to my friends and family about this. I did not stop and wanted to be very sure and even began having Bible lessons done in my house which I did not allow before. Then things began to change with me, which was a good thing but friends were concerned losing their friend to Christ. I kept my stand and wanted to move forward and save my soul. I stood firm to my keen interest and kept reading and praying to the Creator to show if this is the right path. He answered every question I had and then I knew deep inside that this is not by chance but by God s grace. When things got better, it turned around, I started losing contracts without any reason. There is a saying that if you get close to God, this happens. Well, Emily and I spoke about this and agreed that if we have God on our side, nothing can harm us. We kept on having Bible studies and Emily wanted to get rebaptized with me which she really looked forward to. We also decided that whatever comes or happens we will trust the Lord. About a month later, Emily was found to have cancer, and if it was not for the Lord s love and trust, I would not have taken to this news. Seeing Emily s belief stood as a rock, I prayed and asked the Lord what is going on with us. A small voice inside me said do not worry but leave it to the Lord. So I did and this kept me going forward and now learning what is the meaning of life on this world without the Lord. Many things came into my mind but with the help of our members and pastors, they kept me always holding onto His promises. It has been almost one year now without my companion, Emily, who stood till the end with the Lord. I was baptized on Sep 6, 2003 and now it is my duty to get closer to my Lord and Saviour. Vision 10 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. Psalm 107:1, NIV.

11 ~ Variety ~ Soul II Soul the original SDA group from Petaling Jaya English Church, comprises of 4 young, handsome, promising, enthusiastic, committed, talented men. These gifted singers started out as a special presentation 2 years back and thus grew into a group that serves by praising God in songs of worship. They play and write their own songs. The lyrics are down to earth, interesting and easily identified. Soul II Soul I Still Believe I Still Believe is their 1 st spectacular album and you may want to have it for yourself or give it to someone as a gift. Get it today to find out who these young SDA singers are by contacting Mr Cevin at (016) or him at cevinrand@yahoo.com I will OT work! ~ A children story shared by Mr Cevin, Choir Director and Youth Leader of Petaling Jaya English Church ~ In Africa, 150 years ago, on one sunny morning in an open market, there was an auction. It was not a normal one, as it was auctioning men and women for slavery. 150 years ago, this cruel practice was seen as legal as selling potatoes or apples in any market. As the auctioneer was parading his "goods" and labeling them with prices, there was this young, strong-built African man who was obviously reluctant and proudly announcing his disapproval of being sold, even worse eventually becoming a slave for his entire life. He was heard shouting " I will not work!" during the whole session. With his hands clasped tightly around his chest together with his nose lifted and framed with his proud face, it was really not a good way to market himself out for the auction. One elderly Englishman seem to be interested with this young, rebellious lad. He was looking around, trying to see if he was going to be sold, and what will be the price for this arrogant will-be slave! To his amazement, when this lad was auctioned to the public, a mass of people seem to be very impressed with this arrogant lad as the price of this young African was rising every minute as everyone was bidding for him. The price was really astronomical for a young, arrogant African lad! Finally there was a bid coming from the back of the crowd. It was seem to be an unthinkable high price for a slave! As everyone was dumb-struck and gasped at the new bid, the auctioneer happily closed the deal as he was awfully happy with the final price for the lad. It was a super bargain for him. To everyone s amazement, the quiet elderly Englishman who has never bid anything since the start was the one who made the last bid. He solemnly paid the price, took his new, arrogant slave, who s still shouting "I will not work" unceasingly throughout the ordeal, and brought him to his horse cart and started riding home. Nevertheless, the lad kept on saying " I will not work", proudly proclaimed to his new master he will never surrender to any of his master s wishes! As they reached a small house that reside beside another bigger and handsomely built house, the new master stopped and said "You can go down now. We have reached home!" He instantly answered "I will not work". With his calm face and serene eyes, his master looked at him and said "This is your house, you can do whatever you want with it, as long as in the evening you come to the bigger house and have dinner with me." This was getting more confusing to the African lad as no slaves will be entitled with a house. They will always sleep in the slave bunker or even the stable with the horses or cows. Nevertheless, he still said "I will not work", but with less conviction and arrogance. Finally, the new master replied "Son, I bought you not to become your master, nor to become your employer. I have bought you to set you free." Immediately the young African lad fell down to his knees, and with his tears of joy and face of gratitude, he said "Sir, I can't accept this offer as I am not worthy of it. But be as I am, I will humbly become your most loyal servant and your friend as long as I live" Friends, someone else has bought you from your slavery, your burdening life and even your eternal death. He has not bought it with gold nor silver or any richness known by man, but by His own blood to set you free from your bondage, so that you can be His friend for the rest of your eternal life. He is our Lord, Jesus Christ. Editor: You can share this story with your kids or friends as it is a good reminder to us. Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. Psalm 16:1, NIV. Vision 11

12 ~ Adventist World ews (Source: Adventist ews etwork) ~ King-size Evangelists Preach to Peers (Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia) With 2004 being the Year of Evangelism for the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church, children at the Port Macquarie, New South Wales, congregation are showing the way. The children chose the topics and were involved in all aspects of the planning. "The subjects were not only relevant to children," says Pr Lawman, but adults as well." A public evangelistic campaign entitled "The God Factor" was conducted by 10 to 15-year-olds in the new church building over four consecutive Saturday evenings in May and June. "This outreach series was a project of our very committed and visionary junior and teen Sabbath Schools, although the whole church community gladly supported it," says Pr Justin Lawman, who leads the congregation youth-oriented postcards were distributed and the events were widely publicized in the local newspaper. Months beforehand the junior and teen Sabbath Schools organized a prayer list, and then personally invited their friends from nearby schools. "The target age group was the 10 to 15-year-olds," says junior Sabbath School leader Trish Campbell, "but parents were also welcomed with open arms." And they came. The average attendance over the four nights was 135, 40 of whom were not church members. According to George Smith, principal of Port Macquarie Adventist School (PMAS), "About 70 percent of our students come from non-adventist homes. Quite a few came to 'The God Factor,' and some brought their parents too." Pr Lawman adds, "There were people there who had never set foot in our church before." At the conclusion of the meetings, Jacob, an 11-yearold who attends the Adventist school but not the church, commented, "One of the things I learned was how to get to heaven. And I came really close to God. I've never really been close to God before, and it felt really cool." Two young people preached each week for 7 to 10 minutes each. Topics included, "God R U really there?" (Prophecy), "Why do bad things happen to good people?", "What do I have to do to get to heaven?" (Salvation), and "A future without fear" (Second Coming). Committed and visionary juniors and teens. One of the attractive teen postcards. Each programme began with a praise and worship service conducted by the young people and accompanied by a 12- member junior and teen band. Other regular features, all conducted by young people, included a quiz (with prizes), a bracket of "Whacky but True" facts, and a short dramatized sketch related to the night's topic. At the close of each meeting, everyone was invited to the school hall for two hours of recreational activities and food. Three days after "The God Factor" concluded, students in the Years 5 and 6 classrooms at PMAS were invited to write down their thoughts on the programme. Ten-year-old Peta wrote, "I learned to know God better," while Zac, 11, said, "I don't need to worry, because God is always by my side." All the children who helped lead the programme now have a new focus in life as expressed so well by 11- year-old Lara. "You feel good inside with the feeling that you are sharing God's love with others." "It doesn't matter if you are scared about doing it," according to Anita,11, "God helped me through and I didn't freak!" And Lachlan, 14, adds, "We all appreciated Pr Lawman's help too." Reviewing the series, Campbell says, "From responses on returned quiz cards, it's gratifying to know that many lives have been touched--especially those we've been praying for--and many decisions made for Christ." Pr Lawman adds, "We now have a number of interested people to follow up." Editor: Hope this enlightening article inspires you of children evangelism. This can be a sample of event that we, in Malaysia, can organize! Let s IMPACT the children! Vision 12 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Matt 6:34, NIV.

13 Daniel Was A Child Of God C 4/4 ~ by Mrs Leong Fai ( for children) ~ / Daniel was a child of God; 3 / / 3. He prayed three times a day / / 3. Like Daniel I will be God s child; / // To Him I ll always pray. ~ Special Feature ~ The righteous will never be uprooted Proverbs 10:30, NIV. Vision 13

14 4:11 :,...?,,.?,,,.??,.,,..., : ,..,.,,., ,.,..,..,,, ~ Inspirational ~,.,.,,. a,.,.,..,.,.,.,,....,. Vision 14 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him. Lamentations 3:25, 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 vigor of intellect, that are not afforded by a more complex and stimulating diet. ELLEN G. WHITE North American writer and educator ( ) *FOODS FOR THE EYES The eye is one of the most amazing organs in the body. All the muscles of the eye are in constant movement to carry out three simultaneous functions necessary for vision: Exploration of the field of vision. Opening and closing of the pupil according to the light available. Modification of the curve of the lens of the eye according to distance of the viewed object, thus bringing it into sharp focus. Carrots, together with alfalfa greens, are the food richest in provitamin A, which makes them a true dietary medicine. Carrots are also very useful in diseases of the retina and of the eyes in general, skin disorders, gastritis, excess of gastric acid, colitis and in the prevention of cancer. Preparation and Use of Carrots Carrots can be taken raw in salad or dressed with lemon juice. It strengthen children s teeth. Carrots cook well together with potatoes and other vegetables. Carrot juice makes a refreshing, delicious and nutritious beverage. Apricot, gives sparkle and beauty to the eyes. Apricot has a low calorie content which makes it an excellent part of weight-loss diets. It has an alkalizing effect because of its richness in alkaline mineral salts. It is particularly noted for its low sodium content and its high levels of potassium. It is also an important source of protein and iron, and most importantly provitamin A. Apricots are recommended in cases of conjunctional dryness, chronic irritation or itching of the conjunctiva, loss of visual acuity due to retinal atrophy, and night blindness. Preparation and Use of Apricots Taken fresh and ripe without skin as pesticides are used in the farms. Unless it s 100% grown organically, then it s safer to consume. Taken dried. Made into marmalade. Spinach, in addition to providing strength to muscles, it protects the retina. It is very rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, two carotenoids that prevent vision loss because of degeneration of the macula, the most sensitive point of the retina. This disorder is the most common cause of blindness among the elderly. Spinach also contains vitamin A, C, folic acid, magnesium and iron which are good for the eyes. Preparation and Use of Spinach When spinach is tender, it may be taken raw in salads. Stored frozen as it can be kept year-round. The ideal method is to steam it as it preserves most of its vitamin and minerals. Can be a great fresh juice. Mango is one of the richest fresh fruits in provitamin A and it is also rich in other antioxidants vitamins such as C and E. Orange is rich in carotenoids, vitamin C, and other antioxidants that protect the retina. Additionally, it contains flavonoids whose action protects the capillaries and improves blood flow to the retina. *Source: Encyclopedia 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. With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. Matthew 19:12, NIV. Vision 15

16 ~ About Seventh-Day Adventists ~ The Open Bible forms the base of the design and represents the Bible foundation of our beliefs. It is portrayed in a fully opened position suggesting a full acceptance of God s word. The Lines at the top of the design suggest a continued upward momentum symbolizing the resurrection and ascension to heaven at Christ s Second coming, the ultimate focus of our faith. The Cross s symbol, representing the gospel of salvation, is positioned in the center of the design to emphasize Christ s sacrifice, which is the central theme of our faith. The Flame is the shape formed by 3 lines encircling an implied sphere. The lines represent the 3 angels of Rev.1 circling the globe and our commission to take the gospel to the entire world. The overall shape forms a flame symbolic of the Holy Spirit. The choice of the Church's logo reflects the core values that Seventh-day Adventists are committed to. The foundation is the Bible, the Word of God, shown open since its message must necessarily be read and put into practice. Central to that Biblical message is the Cross, and is also central in the logo. Above the Cross and the open Bible is the burning flame of the Holy Spirit, the messenger of Truth. It is our hope and prayer that though this logo is a very simple picture of the foundation of Adventist beliefs and values it may be a recognizable symbol of the Adventist message to the world. Source: Upcoming Events around Peninsular Malaysia 1. Aug 8: Mid-Triennial Review, Kuala Lumpur. 2. Aug 26-29: Chinese Pathfinder Training Camp, Port Dickson. 3. Aug 28: Spirit of Prophecy Meeting, Johore.. Sep 3- : Stewardship Educators Seminar, Kota Baru. 5. Sep 3-5: Women Ministries Spiritual Retreat, Kota Baru. 6. Sep 10-12: Teachers Training (Tamil), Ipoh. 7. Sep 18: World Pathfinder Day, Peninsular Malaysia. 8. Oct 2-3: Children Ministry Certification, Kuala Lumpur. 9. Oct 8-9: Institute of Christian Ministries, Kuala Lumpur. 10. Oct 11-16: Youth Alive, Kuala Lumpur. 11. Oct 15-16: Trust & Wills Seminar, Johore Baru. 12. Nov 12-1 : Indian Pathfinder Camporee, Selangor. ~ 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: Pr Terrance Sim and Pr Francis Lajanim Jessica Thai Inter-Centre Point Sdn Bhd ~ Many thanks to all who have contributed to Vision, a quarterly official newsletter of PEM. ~ Centre picture on cover page, courtesy of ~ 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 For God does not show favouritism. Romans 2:11, NIV.