Ministry Update July/August 2015

So here it is – end of July – into the second half of the year. It has been a busy month with back-to-back travels since the Raya break. After a visit to the OA villages, I travelled back to Gopeng for the “ordination retreat” – yes, I m amazed at the turn of events. Never anticipated embracing a conservative church structure – serving God is serving God – somehow, the Anglican DWM will commission me as “deaconess” later in the year in October. What is this, you ask me…I hv no idea. I only know that certain senior colleagues told me to go for it bcoz it will put me in a “better” salary scale; the bishop told me it will give me access to more resources to develop the BM theological education ministry. Apart from that, I really do not know what it is for – maybe granting me a “title” I will never use.

I’m now in Ipoh teaching a class in OT Survey to the certificate/diploma students n the classes will stretch through 8 sessions. In order to save cost, I hv decided to stay in Ipoh over the weekend n visit the BM/OA church services too. It has been quite an anxious experience prior to my travel to Ipoh. It was a bit dramatic too. Driving back home from church service on Sat., the temperature of my car suddenly started to escalate. It kept climbing n climbing; n I got more n more anxious to the point that I was expecting to find smoke rising from the bonnet when it hit the red zone. I obviously prayed anxiously n shortly later, the temperature returned to normal. When I reached the workshop, it was already back to normal. Bcoz it was late in the evening, nothing can be done till Mon morning. Not wanting to take any risk of a breakdown on Sun., I was “stranded” at home on Sunday. Early on Mon morning I drove to the workshop, expecting prompt repair to enable the car fixed on time to drive to Ipoh later in the afternoon. The repairs were done promptly except the replacement of a leaking water tank. No replacement was found n final option is to order from KL which will take 2 days’ delivery. I was planning to travel to Ipoh by bus the next day, not wanting to postpone class for another day. There are some students needing this class credit to graduate this year. Then a phone call came from the workshop that they finally found an unlikely fit from a huge SUV – Mitsubishi Storm – to install the water tank! Praise God – as the mechanic relate to me his relief in finding a solution at the last minute, I kept praising God. He insisted it was luck, I insisted it was God.

So, here am I – teaching the night classes n “working as usual” during the day – except that I can wake up at 9am n still be “on time” for work – the desk just beside my bed. I hv built good enough a rapport with YMCA Ipoh that as much as possible, I will occupy the same room each time I m in town – Room 101.

Returning Penang after 1^st week August, I hv a whole full week in Penang before “leaving on a jet plane” for one n a half weeks. With the half week (last week of Aug) wrapping up in Penang I will be on the road again to Ipoh for a meeting on 31^st Aug, then returning Penang on 1^st Sept the next day, will fly to MEC in Miri. For the next (approx) 4 weeks I’ll be in Penang to repeat the class in OT Survey to students in SAM Penang. Then October is another month of back-to-back travels: Ipoh for a full week of intensive class (dip/MMin module); missions conference in Chiangmai; STM Convo in Seremban. Settling down on the 3^rd week of Oct., I should wrap up the concluding classes for SAM Penang. Nov/Dec should be more relaxing as preparations gear up towards Christmas.

SAM Penang had launched its “extension center” in Sungai Petani. Due to time constraint, we can only hold classes once a week, thus, dragging each module through almost 3 months. So, the likely schedule for next year will see:

SAM Ipoh certificate night classes: 3 courses

SAM Ipoh cert/dip night classes: 2 courses

SAM Ipoh dip/MMin intensive day classes: 3 courses

SAM Penang cert/dip night classes: 4 courses

SAM Penang (SP) cert/dip night classes: 3 courses

Kindly uphold us in prayer as the School progresses. It is always your partnership that enabled us to progress n continue. It is also your partnership that motivates me in ministry. There will be one diploma graduate from SAM Penang this year n 5 certificate graduates from SAM Ipoh.

Once again, thank you for your partnership in ministry. I truly n greatly appreciate your partnership in this challenging n exciting journey.

Ministry Update June/July 2015

It was a familiar smell as I drove across the Penang Bridge early in the morning. It must have been more than a decade since I regularly drive across the Bridge so early in the morning. I remember that working in the manufacturing capacity meant going to work when the moon was still in the skies and returning from work when the moon came out to shine at dusk. I seldom had the opportunity to soak in the scorching sun and seized all the opportunity to do so when the lorry carrying the parts I bought was “stuck in customs.” Ahhh…those were the days, the factory days.

I was in the manufacturing concern for about 7 years, then a year in a private Chinese school, before entering ministry. That was 15 years ago. Even with 15 years of “full time ministry” I felt there are still much to learn; simply because God made human beings so complicated. But as I recalled the person I was, I can honestly confess that I have “managed to leave” quite a bit of the fallen nature behind. And that was no easy task. Naturally a task-oriented person, I had to go through the tedious work of unlearn and re-learn to be a “peoples person.” Yeah, yeah, I know I still have a long way more to go. But I hope I have made some progress.

June had been a busy month. I’m back in my office in Penang but will soon embark on a series of travels. I sort of look forward to that as I’ve grown to be someone who cannot “quite stay put in one place for long.” I m teaching a class on “Religions in Malaysia” in SAM Penang. It is an overview of the major religions in Malaysia to give an understanding of what its adherers subscribe to. This will help to formulate the worldview/thinking pattern to understand people of other faiths. I feel this is important as Malaysians today often misunderstand each other from various ethnicity n religious backgrounds. SAM Penang “extension center” or “branch” in Sungai Petani will start later in July. It will start with the course in “Intro to NT” by Rev Khor KH and will stretch through 7-8 weeks with 2.5 hours classes once a week.

On the Raya break, I will bring a team from COR, Butterworth to the villages. Returning on Sunday, I will travel to Gopeng the next day for the “ordination retreat” till Wednesday. Following this is an 8-day course in Ipoh (Mon-Fri, Mon-Wed). So, I’ll be spending more time in Ipoh/Gopeng this month. Yes, I’m looking forward to Aug as I’ll be traveling to London for abt 10 days in mid-Aug.

This year, SAM is expecting to graduate 4 certificate students n 1 diploma student. The diploma student will be the first graduating student from SAM Penang. The leadership of SAM Northern Centers is also in the process of re-negotiating with STM so that the OA students pursuing their BTh in STM can be permitted to do some courses within the close proximity of their villages. This will help reduce cost/travel time.

Do pray for us as we continue to develop/improve the BM theological education ministry in Malaysia.

Thank you for your prayers and partnership in ministry.

SB