Official Newsletter of Peninsular Malaysia Mission I1 May 2004

Transcription

1 V i s i o n Official Newsletter of Peninsular Malaysia Mission I1 May 2004 Behold, I am coming soon! Revelation 22:12, NIV 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 MISSION STATEMENT We, the Seventh-Day Adventist Church exist to preach the gospel to prepare the people in Peninsular Malaysia for Jesus Christ s second coming, by ministering to their physical, mental, social and spiritual needs through in-reach and outreach programmes of the church. VISION STATEMENT To prepare our members for Jesus soon return and with united spirit evangelize the whole of Peninsular Malaysia. P E M D I R E C T O R Y President Secretary Treasurer SS Ministry Personal Ministry Voice of Prophecy Francis Lajamin Terrance Sim Belden Goodenough Sam Govindasamy Message from the office of the President of Peninsular Malaysia Mission (PEM), Pr Francis Lajanim Beloved Members of SDA Church Peninsular Malaysia! Unity is a high priority with Jesus. It was painful to Him that the disciples were still arguing over who would be the greatest among them even after they had been with Him for almost three and a half years and He had told them the He would soon die for them. From the passion of Christ priestly prayer (John 17), Christ prayed for unity. He prayed for the unity among His disciples (Vs. 11). Amid His sufferings, and being daily rejected of men, Christ looks down the lines two thousand years to His church before the close of earth history (R&H, Nov. 8, 1856), He prayed for you and me (Vs. 20) that we may be one even as Jesus and the Father are one. Why? That the world may know and believe God had sent Jesus His Son to be man s saviour and Lord. Unity is a powerful force in the world. Unity helps us overcome the insurmountable, reach the unachievable. The anointing on any one of us is not as powerful as the anointing on all of us. We can do together so much more than any of us can do alone. Unity brings to us all the power to make the impossible possible by God s grace. Jesus promised that when He went back to heaven He would send the Spirit with its general and special gifts. Ephesians 4 lets us know that the gifts were to bring about unity of faith and to solidify doctrines so that believers are not tossed on the waves of uncertainty. When the disciples joined together in unity, their ministry was filled with power and the gospel quickly spread abroad. Ministerial Stewardship & Trust Services Youth & Pathfinder Health Ministry Education Family Ministry Women Ministry Children Ministry Shepherdess Spirit of Prophecy Communication, Public Affairs & Religious Liberty Global Mission, New Work & Adventist Laymen Service & Industries Leong Fai Alex Rajakumar Jimmy Chong Sonny Khoo Thomas Chin David Leoh Matthew & Jennie Mambu Helen Chin Ng Saw Kheng & Renita Edward Tam Man Lin Dennis Ng Terrance Sim Francis Lajanim Unity is the strength of the church and it takes the indwelling of God s Spirit to bring this about. The Spirit of God alone can bring about this oneness. Truth is basic to real unity. Jesus prayed, Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth (Vs. 17). Ellen White commented, God is leading out a people to stand in perfect unity upon the platform of truth. Christ gave Himself to the world that He might purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. This refining process is designed to purge the church from all unrighteousness and the spirit of discord and contention, that they may build up instead of tear down, and concentrate their energies on the great work before them. (TM Vol. 4, p. 17). The following Quotation from the Signs of the Times, April 20, 1891 is timely: It is the same today as it was in the days of Christ. As the disciples were brought together, each with different faults..so in our church relations we find men and women whose characters is defective; not one of us is perfect. But in Christ and through Christ, we are to dwell in the family of God, learning to become one in faith, in doctrine, in spirit, that at last we may be received into our eternal habitation. We shall have our tests, our grievances, our differences of opinion; but if Christ is abiding in the heart of each, there can be no dissension. The love of Christ will lead to love of one another, and the lessons of the Master will harmonize all differences, bring us into unity till we shall be of one mind and one judgment. Strife for supremacy will cease, and no one will be disposed to glory over another, but we shall esteem others better than ourselves, and so be built up into a spiritual temple for the Lord. United to Serve is the theme chosen for PEM 22 nd Triennial Session. Let us pray for wisdom, kindness, firmness, and above all for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit as we press together in love and unity, encouraging one another to advance with the Lord s work of saving souls in Peninsular Malaysia. We longed for the soon return of our Lord and Saviour. We want to go home with Him. I beseech all of us, members of SDA Church Peninsular Malaysia stand united to serve by God s Grace. Vision 2 For we walk by faith, not by sight. 2 Corinthians 5:7, NKJ.

3 1 st Formation of Pathfinder and Adventurer Club in Klang SDA Chinese Group ~ by Tan Weoi Siong, Pastoral Assistant of Klang SDA Chinese Group ~ The pioneer group of Pathfinder & Adventurer Club of Klang SDA Chinese Group at Taman Tasik, Shah Alam (1 st field trip). The members of Klang SDA Chinese Group were very keen to form this Pathfinder and Adventurer Club since 1999, especially our Church Elder, Mr Gan Say Guan. He is a retired teacher and a scout leader/instructor who used to teach the Chinese Language at some of the Chinese Primary and Secondary Schools in Klang. By the grace of God, we established our 1st Pathfinder and Adventurer Club during January 2004 with the support and help from our Klang SDA Chinese Group members. Two months after the inception of this Pathfinder and Adventurer Club, some of the leaders decided to have a field trip on March 14 at Taman Tasik, Shah Alam. Accompanied by the parents, more than 17 youths and children joined our Pathfinder and Adventurer Club. With the blessing of God, this field trip was successfully planned and the attendance was impressive. The youths and children have learnt a lot of things throughout this trip. It was a good and encouraging start, and besides that, this Pathfinder and Adventurer Club will help to advise the youths and children to make good decisions as all the decisions they make will affect their spiritual, mental, social and physical growth. We would like to thank Peninsular Malaysia Mission, especially the Youth Department, for giving us the support and help always. Tan Weoi Siong (left) & Mr Gan Say Guan. May the Lord continue to guide these youths and children as they grow in faith, truth and spirit Taman Tasik 17,. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8, NIV. Vision 3

4 The big group at You are the Little Light camp. The participants with the Bomba. Big things happen with small effort at Kuala Selangor New Work ~ by Pr Lawrence Francis of Kuala Selangor ew Work ~ Kuala Selangor New Work organized a camp from Mar 5-7 at Di Palma Inn in which all the Indian Churches in Klang Valley participated. Around 100 people turned up. The theme was You are the Little Light. We had St John s Ambulance to demonstrate first aid care and the Bomba to show us how to use the fire extinguishers. Top management of some big companies also came to share with us their management tips. In the night, we distributed groceries to some welfare homes around the area and at midnight, we adjourned to the fun of watching fire-flies! During this camp, two people were baptized by Pr Benjamin. These newborn babies are currently attending Shah Alam Church. 5,000 health and spiritual tracts were distributed by the members during this camp, and praise the Lord, after a week, one lady responded! She is Selvi and her family are coming to church with her to worship with us! On Mar 27, we had a special service showing Passion of Christ during divine service. This film is about the last twelve hours of Jesus Christ s life. It was also a combined service and around 0 people benefit from this heart-warming show. Editor: Below is something interesting Pr Lawrence shared when he was preaching at Petaling Jaya English Church on April 10. A man was given a horse and the command for the horse to go forth is Hallelujah, and the command to stop is Praise the Lord. Hallelujah the man said and happily he rode along the beautiful scenery of the forest, he got very excited and could not remember the command to stop. He screamed out all kinds of words trying to stop the horse and as the horse neared the edge of the cliff, the man suddenly remember the command Praise the Lord, and the horse halted. To his elated relief, he thanked God by saying Hallelujah! The happy children at the swimming pool. (Story on page 6). Mrs James Edward (center), the winner of Who wants to be in Heaven. (Story on page 6). Vision 4 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord. Psalm 134:2, NIV.

5 State of the Art Communication Seminar Pr Terrance Sim, the Director of PEM Communication Department organized a communication seminar on Mar at Selesa Hillhomes & Golf Resort in Pahang. About 25 communication secretaries from Peninsular Malaysia churches attended this informative seminar conducted by Pr Simon Siew, the Union Communication Director. Pr Siew delivered several effective ways of communicating and how to maintain good public relations in the church. He stressed that in order for us to let people understand how great our God is, it is vital that we present our conversations about Jesus in the right manner. These materials are stored in CD and given to the participants. The other beneficial factor learnt was about evangelism through MS PowerPoint presentations and how we can use this state of the art technology to enhance the gospel ministry. Empowered to Lead Women Ministries The Japanese performing their famous fan dance. Ladies Empowered to Lead from Malaysia, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Guam, Indonesia, Philippines, Empowered to Lead was what every woman went Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China and Korea. home with after attending the Bi-Division Women Ministries Convention held in Kuala Lumpur from Jan More than 500 delegates from the Northern Asia Pacific Division and Southern Asia Pacific Division attended this once-in-5-years convention. The women shared with each other about their cultures, paraded in their national costumes, had small group discussions and cultural show. They were briefed on how to study the Bible, conduct personal devotions, to lead effectively, good public speaking, how to apply natural remedies and how to prevent diseases. Mrs Helen Wong-Chin is PEM s Honorary Women Ministry Director. 1 st Stewardship Summit This summit stressed on the Lordship of Christ, which is the holistic approach of living a faithful stewardship lifestyle. The participants (and us) are reminded that stewardship refers to a lifestyle rooted in Jesus Christ, walking in partnership with Him and acting as His agents in managing the things He has entrusted upon us. The topics covered were Biblical Stewardship, Stewardship Journey, Highlights of Spiritual Leadership, Ingredients for Effective Stewardship Strategies, Increasing Discipleship in Stewardship and Tithing. This successful summit was held at Crystal Crown Hotel of Petaling Jaya from Apr 1-3. Around 90 delegates attended and the speaker was Pr Abner Roque, Stewardship Director for Southern Asia Pacific Division. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Matthew 5:9, NIV. Vision 5

6 Good ews from Peninsular Malaysia Churches... Alor Setar Church, led by Pr Dennis Ng, had 2 baptisms. The candidates were baptized by Pr Joshua Gan February this year. Currently, Pr Dennis is actively giving home studies and more good news are to come! Mrs James Edward of Penang Indian Church reports the 1 st Vacation Bible School held from Mar for all the Northern Indian Churches! About 20 children including those from church, enjoyed from the many interesting activities conducted. The children were taught Bible studies, learnt handicraft, cutting and pasting of Bible characters. They also had outings to the Youth Park, Batu Ferringihi Beach, largest Fish Aquarium and later on to the swimming pool. On Mar 20, there was an exhibition of the children s handicrafts and the parents are invited to watch their children present what they had learnt. Recently, the Sabbath School Department launched the on-going Bible Quiz sessions, Who wants to be in Heaven. The members are to read 5 chapters a week, and answer the questions asked about the content during the quiz sessions on Sabbath. They just had their prize distributions on April 10. On the second quarter, they are concentrating on the books of Exodus and Leviticus with the theme, Wheel of Heaven. Dr Looi of Penang English Church reports that the project, Penang Outreach, which was launched on Feb 28 by all the Adventist Churches in Penang with Pr Francis Lajanim, is progressing well. The Penang island was divided into about 12 zones and each of the churches was assigned 3-4 zones to distribute tracts to every home in every street. Each tract bears the name and telephone number of the coordinating center which is located in a shopping center. Thus far, about 50% of the island is covered. The plan is to distribute tracts every 4 months with different theme each time. We recognize the time in which we are living in and the gospel invitation has to be given persistently until probation closes. Please pray for this project and more souls to be won! PEM contributed RM5, to the Heart Patients Fund of Penang Adventist Hospital during their fundraising dinner on Feb 7. Pr Tan Meng Cheng of the Ipoh Churches is very happy that on Feb 21, sister Ivy So was baptized. She is a teacher in training from Ulu Kinta Maktab Perguruan. It was a joyous occasion as her non-sda parents came to witness her baptism performed by Pr Simon Siew. Pr Tan would like to thank the church members, especially Ipoh Chinese Church for their continuous prayers and support. It was good news to see one more soul won into the kingdom of God. We pray for sister Ivy s continuous growth in Christ. On Apr 24, there was a 1-night musical evangelist programme for the public held by the Ipoh Chinese Church. More good news to share in the next issue! Teluk Intan Church celebrated their 70 th Anniversary during Oct With the support from PEM and church members, they were able to renovate their worship building. During the celebration, they invited all the pastors from Perak, PEM officers, friends and a politician from the Parliament to officiate the renovated building. Currently, there are plans to operate a kindergarten and they are busy raising funds by organizing many activities. Another good news is that Pr Johnathan Muthal is expecting baptisms in May! Kota Bahru SDA Church had 6 baptisms on Mar 20 by Pr Chan Chong Kee who is currently in AIIAS, Philippines, with Pr Terrance Sim, Pr James Edward and Pr Edwin Philip undergoing their Master of Ministry studies. They will be back beginning of June. Kuantan Church started their kindergarten this year, kindly pray for its success! Vision 6 Shout with joy to God, all the earth! Psalm 66:1, NIV.

7 ...more Good ews from Peninsular Malaysia Churches... Praise the Lord that the Banting Church will be moving to a new premise of worship in August. PEM has recently bought one of the lots located at Sunggai Manggis. Pr Edwin Joseph expressed his heartfelt thanks to PEM and the church members for helping in raising funds generously. On Mar 20, they had 3 people baptized by Pr Benjamin, they are Mr Arul Johnson, Mr Dave Moses and Mr Danny Moses. We seek prayers for these young men to carry with them the torch of fire in sharing the love of God. Kuala Lumpur English Church had a jumbo sale on April 10 to raise funds for the Pathfinder Club. Petaling Jaya English Church had the privilege of having the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra performed in their church on Jan 31. They also had a gotong royong to clean up the church and its compound on April 11. It was lots of sweat and lots of fun! After 49 years, Petaling Jaya Chinese Church is going under renovations and is expected to finish by mid Oct. They are planning to get new furniture fittings and aiming for opening ceremony by the end of this year. Pr Francis Lajanim had dedication of the Church Ground Breaking Ceremony for the new church building on Apr 18. In Seremban Church (Bahasa speaking), they had 6 baptisms on Mar 13. Pr Rubil Pamajah is very excited about the baptisms and is very active in giving Bible studies, winning more souls! After much fund raising and support from PEM, Pontian Church purchased a multi purpose hall in Aug It is currently used for evangelistic programmes, kindergarten assembly, kindergarten graduation, New Year gatherings, activities for the children, youth, church members and senior citizens. Today, the kindergarten at Pontian Church is well established with nearly 400 students including Nursery. An alumni club was set up last year and a purposeful project is being carried out currently. This project is about an alumni will be rewarded with RM5 per A in any subject taken in primary or secondary school. The purpose of this project is to maintain continuous contact with the students and their family. The church will persistently let them know more about Seventh Day Adventist beliefs. Many programmes are conducted like having educational seminars, talks on how to handle exam stress, etc. Last year, about RM3, was rewarded to the students, this year, the kindergarten estimates RM7, to be rewarded! On Apr 25, through Pr Janssen New s friendly constant contact, the vegetarian shop in front of the church has gladly agreed to donate this one day s sales topontian Church s Community and Education Fund. Good news from the new Skudai Church will be on the first Sabbath of July. There will be a celebration of the new church building with thanksgiving and baptism. Another plan for this church is to operate a Daycare. Pr Janssen New organized a Health Camp at Port Dickson from Mar for the Pontian and Skudai Churches. Over at the camp, the campers learnt a lot about the health concepts taken from NEWSTART: N for Nutrition, E for Exercise, W for Water, S for Sunshine, T for Temperance, A for Air, R for Rest and T for Trust in God! On the first day of Chinese New Year, both churches combined with Johore Church went to distribute mandarin oranges and angpows to the people in Johore General Hospital. They also went to one of Skudai s orphanages to distribute school bags, colour pencils, pencil boxes, etc. to the children. Many visitors and Bible interests went along with this charitable activity. Praise be to the Lord, to God our Saviour, who daily bears our burdens. Psalm 68:19, NIV. Vision 7

8 Many Hands One Mission ~ ~ Vision 8 It is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High. Psalm 92:1, NIV. Pr Khoo 2004, 4 10 ( ) ( ) 2, 4 18 ( ).

9 For the first quarter of 2004, the youths of Kuala Lumpur Chinese Church have focus their theme to be Serve the Community with all their hearts and effort. They want to carry out community service in the likeness of Christ in the hope that other youths will follow suit. During one of the Sabbaths in Feb, combined with the Petaling Jaya English Church s youths, they had a choir presentation and Pr Khoo was the key speaker. The youths were encouraged to exemplify Jesus love to the people around us. They went on to celebrate with a graphical Adventist Youth cake with Many Hands, One Mission as seen in the picture on the right. They visited the Ms Tan Hui Voon and Mr Donny Tan old folks home with some friends (top left picture, 3 rd from the right, front row and 1 st from left, back row respectively). from outside of church. This to further demonstrate Jesus care and love for people. They also held many activities including leadership seminars, education talks, self-grooming programmes, technical and science talks, etc. This second quarter of 2004, the youths will focus on Closeness with God. They will hold programmes to enhance their relationship with God. Pr Leong Fai will be one of the speakers they will engage to give them training. On Apr 17, they had a programme about knowing your own temperament. Other events include volunteer training, car-washing exercise to raise funds, visiting the old folks home, etc, will be installed. More good news to share in the next issue! Be exalted, O Lord, in your strength; we will sing and praise your might. Psalm 21:13, NIV. Vision 9

10 A Widow s Prayer, ANSWERED! ~ by Mrs Meena Sam, Pr Sam Govindasamy s wife of Puchong Indian ew Work ~ Come, let us return to the Lord for He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds. After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence. Hosea 6:1-2. Aunty Taro s door is one home in which you can find easy entrance in the neighbourhood. You can always be assured of a little rest and a cup of water, anytime you go. So when I finish my women ministry s visitations, hers will be the last home for me to sit and feel at home. her neck and stitches on one side of her lips leading to her neck. She was trying to speak in sign language but her voice was audible enough. Her bedside was surrounded by relatives and I longed to pray for her. Being a Punjabi, she was scared of rejection by her people if she becomes a Christian. Now she again told me I believe but my people don t, go home and pray for me. Again news came that her condition was very bad. Upon seeing her at the hospital, I was worried about her salvation. She held my hands and cried, throwing all cautions to the winds, I held her hand and asked her to repeat a prayer after me. In a soft voice she prayed after me and then I assured her that God is in control. He is the greatest doctor in the world. She looked relaxed and committed to God s will. The relatives did not say a word even though they knew we were Christians praying to Jesus on Aunty Taro s behalf. After a short absence, I went to see Aunty Taro as she has often called, she told me to pray as she has an appointment with the doctor. There was a swelling by the side of her neck and the doctor wanted her to be operated. Opening the Bible, I turned the pages for a promise that she may go with peace. The above verses caught my eye. As positively as possible I comforted her with the verses. Even though a twinge of feeling asked me if I am appearing to be presumptuous in claiming that promise. Again I told myself who am I to worry about that for God cares for the widows? On Mar 9, she was admitted in the University Hospital and was operated. A neighbour met me and disclosed the news that Aunty Taro s condition was bad, the doctors have given up hope, her cancer appears to have advanced. Over the years, our Wednesday prayer meeting had all the names of interests in the community of Puchong Indian New Work. Her name had gone before the Lord and that day I went home to pray for her. Upon visiting her at the hospital, I found her with a swollen face and a bandage around Aunty Taro (left) with one of the doctors at University Hospital. offering for the Lord. I continued to pray for her at home. Then came the news that she has passed the critical condition and is coming home. We praised the Lord for His mercy. The doctors were happy for her. She is home with her adopted daughter of ten years. Being over 70 years, she was worried for her daughter Ranee. We prayed and thanked God and I told Aunty Taro that the Lord has spared her life and Jesus loves her, she is fully cured and quickly gave a thank God cares for the neighbour in our community and has revealed Himself that many may know the love of Jesus. She was very happy to share with others what Jesus has done for her. She submitted a hospital photo for this newsletter. Indeed our God is the Father of the fatherless and defender of widows. Psalm 68:5. Please remember her in your prayers that she may find the courage to brave the opposition of her people to join God s people. Vision 10 Buy the truth and do not sell it; get wisdom, discipline and understanding. Proverbs 23:23, NIV.

11 Good ews from the Shepherdess Department ~ by Mrs Leong Fai, Director of Shepherdess International ~ Happy pastors wives with Mrs Leong Fai standing on the right, front row. Excellent enthusiastic group--voice of Youth. On Nov 5, 2003, a camp was organized in Port Dickson for all the pastors wives. It was a good training camp as all the wives got to know a lot of things they can do to support the church work. They also took this great chance to catch up with each other. They will meet again from Jun 3-6 in the Malacca Camp for further discussions and training. The Penang Chinese Church is especially proud of their Voice of Youth group as this group independently delivered an excellent programme in church. These youths took care of everything including planning of the Red Crescent Society with the church members. programme, choice of speakers, leaflet preparations, LCD image projections, ushering, etc. We pray for their continuous faithful enthusiasm in spreading the good news to the people. Mrs Leong Fai had the privilege of inviting the Red Crescent Society to train the church members on First Aid care. It was a 3-month long class and everyone passed the test and received certificates. The celebrated graduation was held on Feb 22. There are more health talks on Apr 30 and May 1 in Nibong Tebal, Penang. More good news reports in the next issue! The Adventurers are learning an action Bible song during worship. (Story on page 13). Parents-Child Gathering, group photo in front of Farlim SDA Church. (Story on page 13). Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Matthew 5:8, NIV. Vision 11

12 Impact Thailand ~ by Pr Sonny Khoo--World Conference on Youth & Community Service, Bangkok Dec 30, 2003 to Jan ~ This event had gathered a total of 1,300 young people and those young at heart from over 70 countries under the theme Many Hands, ONE MISSION. The World Youth Department of our General Conference has decided that from now on all youth community service project will all be known as Impact programmes. So if we are having community service in Ipoh, we ll call it Impact Ipoh. Sister and Brothers from Malawi at the World Youth Camp. In Thailand over the last New Year, we had gathered to celebrate and serve in Impact Thailand. PEM had 24 representatives. This included 3 pastors, Pr Peter Foo, Pr Tan Meng Cheng and myself, one elder and his wife Dr Edward and Shanti. The youths were mostly from Penang Adventist Hospital Church, and I really got to commend Ipoh Chinese Church for sending five youths, Farlim and Petaling Jaya English Church for sending one each and Kuala Lumpur English Church, two. Our youths and leaders started out by train or buses afternoon of Dec 28 and travelled nearly 2 days to reach Bangkok. They were understandably very tired when they arrived but they were all smiling still in spite of the body aches and some had the flu. Over the next 4 days, we fellowshipped with our brothers and sisters from PEM and the rest of the world, attended lectures of our choice and hearing from those wonderful speakers, who were handpicked from the General Conference (GC) and Divisions, present topics from nearly any subject. For example, Dr Alan Handysides, Director of GC Health Ministries spoke very candidly about sex and his class was a hit! It was filled to the brim literally. Really, we were really spoilt for choices. The Conference main Speaker Dr Jose Vincente Rojas (Director of NAD Volunteer Ministries Network) is a gifted and anointed preacher and presented his topics passionately and eloquently and mesmerized everyone, and I mean EVERYONE. He holds to a firm belief that the time for the fulfillment of Joel 2:28 had come. The Pr Sonny Khoo (left) with Dr Jose Rojas. Dr Steinbakken (3 rd from left). dreamers and visionaries spoken of in scripture has risen. He points to a growing movement in North America in which over 52,000 youths are mobilized for outreach evangelism. His vision for the next five years includes the objective of an even larger network of missionary volunteers of all ages experiencing the power of God as they serve in communities both here and abroad. In the afternoons, we had visitations to tourist sites. In the mornings, we had some more spiritual food from another gifted speaker Dr Richard Steinbakken whose gift in disguises & makeup really made a difference to his visual presentation. All throughout our adventure we sampled each other s cultures and differences and learned to appreciate that God really has a large family in Adventists worldwide who are so different yet united in the theme of this conference. The youths in PEM really enjoyed this experience and testified (I got it on VHS tape) that if they had any doubts before, it s all dispelled and if they had expectations, it was beyond their imaginations. God is so good and I look forward to being with our youths again and I encourage as many as possible to prepare to go together for Impact St. Louis in Vision 12 An honest answer is like a kiss on the lips. Proverbs 24:26, NIV.

13 Farlim Adventurer Club (pictures on page 11) ~ by Pr Sonny Khoo, Director of Youth and Pathfinder, and Ms Maria Sangkong, Director of Farlim Adventurer Club ~ This club started in June At that time sister Maria Sangkong, who is currently attending Petaling Jaya English Church while upgrading her studies in Kuala Lumpur, was the Director of Children Ministry in Farlim and the only one who had a strong Pathfinder background. During the early days of recruiting, it wasn t easy. Farlim members were literally knocking from door to door in their community where the neighbourhood was mostly Buddhist of Chinese decent. They encountered stiff resistance. But yet they didn t give up. I would like to continue in sister Maria s own words: The youth and personal ministry of Farlim Church did not give up. We pressed through prayers and fasting. Thank God, now we have 20 children enrolled in the Adventurer Programme. God is very happy to have committed and talented people labouring for him. But even more so, God is happier to have people who are humble, teachable and willing to serve Him. I am proud of my co-workers in Farlim Adventurer Club. They started with zero knowledge of Adventurer and Children Ministry. Now we are almost at the same level! The theme of our Adventurer Club is Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. This saying is very positive. The training in which Solomon enjoins is to direct, educate and develop. In the last few months indeed God has blessed us with fruitful labour. The soil souls are softening and accepting truth while barriers and prejudices are removed through Adventuring. We have one family who has already accepted the Lord. Another single mother asked for Bible study and the rest, when we visit their houses, they don t mind to kneel down and join us in prayers. This year we have 35 children registered into the club and coming regularly every Sunday afternoon. Our future dream and aim is to have a group of youth and children, moulded into the likeness of Christ in Farlim Church. This is our prayer, that we can enlarge God s territory in this strong Buddhist community, so that God will be honoured and He will come soon to claim us home. Praise and Glory directed to our Loving Lord Jesus. He has made it possible for us to be his co-laborer. Please uphold us in your prayers. Vision of the Youths ~ by Pr Sonny Khoo at the Bahasa Malaysia Speaking Youth Camp In Port Dickson Mar 5-7, 2004 ~ The participants began trickling in from 3pm on that rainy Friday afternoon and by the time all the participants had arrived, it was 3am early Saturday morning. This didn t stop the programme proceedings as planned that Friday evening. Yet for all the delay, the participants all rose early on Sabbath and we had a total of 117 persons though the registered number was 94. The youths who came comprised of those from 5 Bahasa Malaysia (BM) speaking Church and 1 English Church. Our speaker was Dr Hiskia Missah, the Youth Director of our Division, and he spoke on the Vision of the Youths as well as on the topic of Relationships. He inspired the youths on his Salt of the Earth sermon. He interacted and met the needs of our BM speaking youths. The food was good and the fellowship better. On Sabbath afternoon Dr Missah also baptized Johnson who was from Megah Ria Church. It was in the open sea and many people were around and the other group who was from the Baptist Church cheered when he was baptized fully immersed. It really was a good witness to Christians and pre-christians alike. We take this opportunity to thank the Mission for the RM2, Language Group Subsidy and am glad to report a profit of RM2, thereabout which will be ploughed back in the youth work in PEM! Apply your heart to instruction and your ears to words of knowledge. Proverbs 23:12, NIV. Vision 13

14 Serving in China ~ by a Christ-centered Seventh-Day Adventist ~ Ephesians 4:11-13 tells us, And He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; Why? For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Until when? Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: What is your profession? In what area have you received training and education? Are you using it for the perfecting of the saints? Do you long for your church to come into that unity of faith which Paul so lovingly describes? I remember my last year in secondary school when I was deciding what field of studies I should pursue in college At the time, I was preparing for baptism, and the Bible studies I received convicted me of the nearness of Jesus soon return This led me to choose a profession which would put me in the field quickly, Nursing Through my college years, I thank the Lord for impressing upon me this motto: My first career is soul-winning Nursing is my form of tent-making Upon graduating from Loma Linda University in 1999, I embarked on what turned out to be a full-time education in the school of Christ Working full-time as a registered nurse in Loma Linda University Medical Center, I thrived upon opportunities to minister with my patients Each summer, I took time off as a nurse, in order to sharpen my missionary skills It was incredible to have a supportive nurse manager During my 3 years at Loma Linda, the Lord opened doors for me to be trained in Bible work, colporteuring and the natural remedies Little did I realize that He was preparing me for service in China When the doors to work in China miraculously opened May of 2002, a dear friend counseled, You will be offered the wine of Babylon Remain faithful You wiillll bee offffeerreed tthee wiinee off Babyyllon. Reemaiin ffaiitthffull. Trrutth iiss rrapiidllyy grrowiing, yyeett sso iiss eerrrrorr. How prophetic these words have been! I praise God for the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy, which have been my comfort and guide these 2 years in China My role as a clinical nursing consultant and liaison has been fraught with temptations and eternal opportunities! The Lord has helped me to understand the stories of Joseph and Daniel as never before Each morning I have learned to cry out, Lord, give me a burden for these souls today! Yes, China is still a Communist nation Thus soul winning simply occurs through the consistent daily life As I make. friends, they begin to ask questions, and I eagerly point them to the. Word How essential it is to be storing His word in our hearts! Yesterday, I invited a colleague out for lunch She has been asking many questions about my faith and lifestyle I can sow, but only He can cause the increase! Also, it was so exciting to see one of the waitresses at this restaurant I had first mether when I came to the same restaurant this past Christmas At that time, her face was covered with an irritated rash I asked her if she had any aloe vera in her room, and shared with her the wonders of God s creation Yesterday, her face was smooth and beautiful She sought me out and exuberantly shared how, she had done as I had. instructed three months before She was so grateful! I was elated I am asking wisdom of our Father, that when I return to this restaurant, how may I bring her yet a step closer to Jesus? Pray for this nation Truth is rapidly growing, yet so is error May each one of us be growing into that perfect man, even into the fullness of our loving Saviour, Jesus Christ Editor: I met this writer while studying at Southeast Asia Union College, Singapore. Though she is my junior, I admire her spiritual maturity. Her s never fail to praise God for every good or unpleasant thing that had happened. Her sharing of her experiences and new findings are always uplifting to the soul. Not a word of criticism, lament, gossip, always serving, sharing and praising God is what best describe this admirable twenty-something (only!) spiritual Seventh-Day Adventist enthusiast. I hope after you read about her testimony, you will too, like me, share her positive spiritual passion! Vision 14 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5, NIV.

15 Eggless Honey Cake ~ by Jessica Thai, member of Kuala Lumpur English Church ~ Ingredients 1. Soy Milk 350ml 6. Self-rising Flour 300gm 2. Castor Sugar 200gm 7. Soda Powder 15gm 3. Salt 2gm 8. Nibbed Almond 20gm 4. Honey 30gm 9. *Pumpkin Seed 20gm 5. Corn Oil 210ml *Pumpkin seeds are the richest plant source of zinc, a mineral that is essential to immune system function and for growth, wound healing and sense of taste. Method (Do not try this recipe if you are allergic or sensitive to any of the ingredients used.) 1. Heat up Soy Milk, add Castor Sugar and cook till dissolve. Mix in Salt and Honey (using a wooden spatula). Set aside to cool. 2. Mix in Corn Oil till well incorporated (use a whisk). 3. Add in sieved Self-rising Flour and Soda Powder. Mix until smooth and well blended. 4. Pour the batter into a greaseproof paper lined 9 round cake tin. Sprinkle Nibbed Almonds and Pumpkin Seeds on top. Bake at the bottom rack of the oven for about 60mins at 180degrees. (Use a cake tester and pierce into the center of the cake, if the cake tester comes out clean, the cake is done). 5. Unmould immediately once baked. Serve. **Oatmeal (Recipe excerpt from Encyclopedia of Foods, available at Adventist Book Centre, Kuala Lumpur.) Ingredients (serves 2 adults) 1. Rolled Oats 100gm 3. Water 500ml 2. Apricots 20gm 4. ***Millet 1tsp Method (Do not try this recipe if you are allergic or sensitive to any of the ingredients used.) 1. Boil the Rolled Oats together with Millet for about 20mins (until thick), add in Apricots. Serve. **Oatmeal is recommended to strengthen and balance the nervous system, as carbohydrates and vitamins found in oats are an excellent fuel for the neurons. ***Millet is a grain that has one of the most complete protein. It has significant amount of iron, lecithin, and choline, which helps keep cholesterol in check and stop the formation of certain types of gallstones. Then God said..i will give you every seed..they will be yours for food. Genesis 1:29, NIV. Vision 15

16 Seventh-Day Adventists Believe Seventh-Day Adventists believe that the Godhead, or Trinity, consists of the Eternal Father; the Lord Jesus, the Son of the Eternal Father; and the Holy Spirit, the third Person of the Godhead. We believe the Good News that God has reconciled man to Himself in His Son, Jesus Christ. We believe eternal life begins now, by faith in Christ; by accepting His life and death in our place. We believe in God s power through the Holy Spirit to transform us into His likeness, as we daily behold Him in His inspired Word, the Holy Bible. Seventh-Day Adventists believe that maturing Christians affirm and follow the teachings of the Holy Scriptures not to obtain favour with God, but as the natural response to His love. Implications to this belief include, among other things, observance of the seventh-day Sabbath, commitment to healthful living and faithful support of God s work through tithes and offerings. We also anticipate with joy Jesus soon return to this planet to resurrect and receive His family of believers of all ages. As a worldwide movement, Seventh-Day Adventists are committed to humanitarian service, to Christian education, to sharing the Gospel freely with all men and women, and offering our warm Christian fellowship to all. Upcoming Events around Peninsular Malaysia 1. Jun 3: Shepherdess Gathering in Combined Camp, Malacca. 2. Jun -6: PEM Combined Camp, Malacca. 3. Jun 18-19: Trust and Will Seminar, Kuala Lumpur.. Jun 26: Spirit of Prophecy Meeting, Kuala Lumpur. 5. Jul 9-10: Family Worship, Penang. 6. Jul 16-18: Advance Adventurer L. Training, Johore. 7. Jul 23-2 : Institute of Christian Ministries, Kuala Lumpur. 8. Aug 8: Mid-Triennial Review, Johore. 9. Aug 26-29: Chinese Pathfinder Training Camp, Port Dickson. 10. Aug 28: Spirit of Prophecy Meeting, Johore. 11. Sep 3- : Stewardship Educators Seminar, Kota Baru. 12. Sep 3-5: Women Ministries Spiritual Retreat, Kota Baru. 13. Sep 10-12: Teachers Training (Tamil), Ipoh. 1. Sep 18: World Pathfinder Day, Peninsular Malaysia. ~ 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 Jumbo Printing ~ Many thanks to all who have contributed to this newsletter, Vision, especially Mr Yandsen for translating in Chinese and Mr Peter Govindasamy for scanning the pictures. ~ Picture on cover page, courtesy of Pr Matthew Mambu, special thanks to him. ~ 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 ~ 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 Therefore I will praise you among the nations, O Lord. Psalm 18:49, NIV.