I remember when I was attending the Chinese Annual Conference in Kuantan November 2010. It was my first conference with CAC, thus it was an eye opening experience on the way the conference was run. There were some issues about finances! Well, it is most of the time we Chinese always talk about money issues. Well.. I just attend the conference as a practical student, although at times, I would love that STM could brief students like me who are going out for a year practicals.
During a break period at the conference, I was approached by a young Reverend. He told me that the board of ministry posted me to his church! Wow! I thought in my heart. You really get the news fast! And he told me that I was to help in the English Worship in Pandamaran CMC. So it was that time I have to prepare myself to serve for a year as a student pastor in PCMC. As I get prepared I need to do some research on the church that I was going to be serving. So, I searched the website and call a few friends to ask about the condition of the church. To my surprise, this church is different. Different because the English worship doesn't follow the Methodist Conduct.
I was excited as well as afraid of what is to come as I serve in PCMC. Rev. David Boey will always remind me not to speak so much and just do whatever I needed to do. The first week, itself I was asked to be the chairman and help in the Holy Communion which was not so bad. The following week, I am to preach! Wow... And I've prepared my 30min sermon, which STM have taught me to do... "30 mins is more than enough.. 45mins is the maximum length of your sermon" said my lecturer in STM. But it was not the case here in PCMC, when I was about to end my 30mins sermon, from the pulpit I saw one of the leader looking at the watch and I could sense that he say "That was fast, we usually take more than an hour for a sermon."
It was when I first join the pastoral board meeting for the English worship that really give me an enormous shock! It is like 2 different church in a church. The Chinese worship (CW) have the LCEC which is practiced my Methodist Churches. And the teachings in the English Worship (EW) are very similar to the way DUMC taught and they are more towards the Charismatic side. Where speaking in tongues are practiced openly. Sometimes I think they overemphasized the Holy Spirit more than the person in the Trinity that we should emphasize more! I know we need to be spirit filled but without Jesus' sacrifice it would be meaningless! Up to this point I should say that I am quite a traditional Methodist, although I am from an English Church in the CAC circle.
My ministry here in PCMC-EW was mostly serving in the Youth Fellowship and Worship. My year serving here in PCMC-EW have got me attached to the youth. Being with them scolding them and teaching them. Funny thing is that the more I scold the more they are attached to me. Now my ministry here is coming to an end. I will be finishing after Christmas, I just wanna thank God because His grace is sufficient for me. I thank the church for giving me this opportunity to learn and serve with them. All glory give to the Lord.
愛是不保留 Unreserved Love
常聽說世界愛沒長久，哪裡會有愛無盡頭？
塵俗的愛只在乎曾擁有，一刻燦爛便要走！
而我卻確信愛是恆久，碰到了你已無別求：
無從解釋、不可說明的愛，千秋過後仍長存不朽！
誰人受痛苦被懸掛在木頭？至高的愛盡見於刺穿的手；
看！血在流反映愛沒保留，持續不死的愛到萬世不休！
惟求奉上生命全歸主所有，要將一切盡獻於我主的手；
我已決定今生再沒所求，惟望得主稱讚已足夠！
[ Unreserved Love ]
I've always been told love won't endure.
Nowhere can one find love long and true.
The world just thinks love comes and passes through.
"Don't make promise" is the rule...
But I still believe love can last long.
Your unfailing love has made me strong.
You are the one I can depend upon.
Come what may, you'll love me all along!
Who died on the cross and took away my curse?
Great is your love, I don't think I should deserve.
Your bleeding hands proved your love unreserved.
You're my only joy and treasure on the earth...
Giving everything to you is all I pray.
Use my life to serve you truly every day.
I'll hold your hands and give you all my praise.
Let the whole world know your love and grace!
塵俗的愛只在乎曾擁有，一刻燦爛便要走！
而我卻確信愛是恆久，碰到了你已無別求：
無從解釋、不可說明的愛，千秋過後仍長存不朽！
誰人受痛苦被懸掛在木頭？至高的愛盡見於刺穿的手；
看！血在流反映愛沒保留，持續不死的愛到萬世不休！
惟求奉上生命全歸主所有，要將一切盡獻於我主的手；
我已決定今生再沒所求，惟望得主稱讚已足夠！
[ Unreserved Love ]
I've always been told love won't endure.
Nowhere can one find love long and true.
The world just thinks love comes and passes through.
"Don't make promise" is the rule...
But I still believe love can last long.
Your unfailing love has made me strong.
You are the one I can depend upon.
Come what may, you'll love me all along!
Who died on the cross and took away my curse?
Great is your love, I don't think I should deserve.
Your bleeding hands proved your love unreserved.
You're my only joy and treasure on the earth...
Giving everything to you is all I pray.
Use my life to serve you truly every day.
I'll hold your hands and give you all my praise.
Let the whole world know your love and grace!
its july!
Time passes very fast
Yesterday was past
Now look forward for hope
In the future!
Yesterday was past
Now look forward for hope
In the future!
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Prayer Letter 2-2011
Greetings in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
It is coming to 6 months since I started serving in Pandamaran Chinese Methodist Church, and I know God have a purpose for me to be here. I’ve learned a lot through my service here. There are some hard things to learn and some easy. Although sometimes, my philosophy of ministry and Theology was challenged but it is still a good learning experience for me. Most of all I need to be F.A.T in my ministry here! Faithful. Adaptable. Teachable. And most importantly Humility.
A lot of times as I serve here, I am always watching and learning what is needed for a shepherd to do in the church and with the help of the English Church’s pastoral members / leaders they have been guiding me all the way for 6 months now.
Basically, I am involve with the preaching of the word once every month for the English Church and once a month in the Chinese Church Saturday worship. Currently I am doing an exposition on the Letter of Ephesians. It was God’s direction for me to share and do an exposition on Ephesians to further strengthen the faith and doctrine of the church and to teach practical Christian living for the church. I am also involved with visitation to homes and hospitals, which is one of the requirement of being a shepherd.
I am also involved fully with the English Church’s youth fellowship and I’ve setup a small group with the youth for Bible Study which can help strengthen their bible knowledge and by doing so improve their knowledge about God and also have a closer relationship with Him. During youth fellowship time I am always around to help with sharing, bible study for Youth Fellowship. And the coming months I’ll be organizing a Youth Camp and No Apologies® workshop for the youth.
Some other ministries I am involve, leading Cell Group, Praise and Adoration, Teaching guitar, Prayer meetings. Now as I enter to the next half of the year, there are more activities that are coming up. I also praise God for giving me the opportunity to conduct a memorial and funeral service by myself. It was really a time for me to learn although I have seen Pastors conducting it but it was a different thing all together when I am doing it myself. PCMC is constructing a new Church Building and I have the privilege to observe and be involve in the committee in the planning and direction of the project.
With this I will end here. Please do continue to pray for me and my ministry here in PCMC.
Praise Points:
· Thank God for 6 month of service in PCMC
· Praise God for all the learning and experiences in serving
Prayer Points:
· Continue to pray for my ministries
· Pray that God will continue to help and give me wisdom to learn and minister in PCMC
In-His-Service,
Kevin Wong
Pandamaran Chinese Methodist Church
After 2 weeks settling into my new area of ministry! Pandamaran Chinese Methodist Church....
Moving into the apartment and making it my new home for this one year here in Pandamaran! It is a big church with 2 congregations; Chinese and English.. I'll be pastoring the English Ministry congregation here.... the people here are nice and friendly. Hope God will use me to minister to His sheep in PCMC and to proclaim His name here so that people will know that He is God.
Pandamaran Chinese Methodist Church
My office!!
One office just for me to work!!
Me working in my office!
Buloh Kasap Chinese Methodist Church
Year End practicals is here again! When my FE (field Education) director told me that president has posted me to Buloh Kasap, my first reaction was "Where is this place? is it in Malaysia?" Similarly, when i told some of my friends and church members back in Subang Jaya they had the same reaction. One of them heard it wrongly as in bulu kasar!
Buloh Kasap located 8km north of Segamat in Johor. It is a small Kampong with just 3 rows of old shop lots. I took the bus from KL to Segamat, when the bus reached Buloh Kasap, i did not know where exactly the church was, because i was told that the church is just right beside the main road.
Buloh Kasap Chinese Methodist Church, There is no cross or the word Methodist Church on the signboard, thats why i missed it. It is a big bangalow Church shared with the Methodist Kindergarten. I've met with the lay Leader of the church, he was quite hospitable in receiving me but also quite quiet person. I met some of the other church members on Wednesday because there is a prayer meeting at night. the Pastor-in-charge also came for the meeting. Rev. Kok, apparently, was a pastor of the Bentong Chinese Methodist Church, so he knew my Grandparents and my mother. It is a small world.
Rev. Kok, is a nice person to talk to. He communicates with me in English and sometimes in Cantonese, what a relief! Currently, he just mentioned that i need to help in the youth ministry and the sunday school in Buloh Kasap Church. He has yet to give me the details of my ministry here in Buloh Kasap.
Segamat is a very small town, situated north of Johor. From Segamat to JB the capital of Johor need another 2 hours by highway. Amazingly, is that there is KFC, McDonalds, and Pizza Hut in town, but there is no shopping complex that i can hang around. Just like what i had said before i went into seminary, "I will go wherever i am sent! even if it is a small town!" Well, maybe next time i shouldn't say things so quickly!
So what are the challenges that i will be facing in this church?
1. Speaking in Mandarin to the members
2. preaching?
3. Telling Sunday School stories in Mandarin
The Map of Buloh Kasah! (A) marks the location of the church
The Legend of Chen Zhen
Another historical story that uses the name of Chen Zhen in the China story about Japanese invasion... this is more towards fiction!
Will the future be like this?
What will happen in the future of screen technology? this is an artist impression of the future...
will there be virtual church in the future? where everyone can listen to sermons in their own home? kinda like what the animation by Disney "Wall-E". Just think about it when technology is so advance until there is no need to walk or exercise... everything is available at home... everyone will become 'fei-chai' in the future.... a good point to ponder about technology!
A round about Journey
Yesterday (19/9/10) i move around at 4 places.... really long journey! look at the map! it is like one big U turn stretching from PD to KL to Seremban then to STM... from Google Map i re-chart my journey i took yesterday and it estimated that I need 2 hours and 48 minutes to reach back to STM..
Departed from Lukut after Lunch was about 1.15pm... i reached home at 2pm! i think i was driving quite fast! haha.... after that my time was quite limited, i have to send the tumbler to Kelly in USJ 20 then get my things at home and take the KTM to KL station! well.... the route in the map is not the KTM route, it is the normal route by car to KL via Federal Highway! when i reached KL station... i have to walk over to wisma Methodist to meet up with Shearn because we are going back together to Seremban by bus......
I got to make a stop at Wisdom books and bought the Stream of praise new album! hehe.... but it is really a long walk yesterday.. the lady at the cashier commented that my whole shirt was wet with sweat! haha... at the end i reached Terminal 1 at 6pm! and reached back to STM at 7pm!! really one long journey!
The Ministry
Already one year serving in my field education church. Getting bonded with the members there and also help them in their daily walk with God. here are some pictures of the ministry that i did in my practical church.
Preparing to tell Easter stories for easter children sunrise program
Telling easter story
Preaching in PDCMC
Now the time is coming to an end of my second semester and a the stressfulness is being build up to complete the assignments and prepare for the coming exam. Next year i will be sent to another church for my practical for one year. but there is no meeting or orientation or whatsoever for those who are going out to serve for a year. so i am still left hanging on what am i suppose to do in my one year practical!
Back in STM
After 5 weeks holiday.... now i am back in STM for my second semester. This semester I have more subjects which means more credit hours to fulfill! do not know what is installed for me this semester and just imagining the amount of assignments i will have! whoa.... better don think about it! the semester will start with a quiet day! for us students to be still before the Lord and listen to him before the lectures start!
cheers!
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Kota Kinabalu and Mt. Kinabalu trip!
One productive thing that i have done during my inter-semester break was climbing Mt. Kinabalu 4000 M above sea level! it was a gruesome climb but the scenery at the peak was worth the climb!
Broga Hill
Some of my friends advised me on the training that i need to go months before i climb Mt. Kinabalu. but I have got no time to train like climbing up the staircase for 4 hours instead i played basketball in STM. The Saturday when i start my semester break, i went with some of my friends to climb Bukit Broga, somewhere in Semenyih! it is a 400M climb! at least i get a taste of climbing! not sure am i ready after the climb to the top of Bukit Broga!
When i reached KK... time to relax.. get my supplies and play around taking pictures with the sunset! still do not know what was installed for us when climbing Mt. KK
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All packed up and ready to go!! they said that we should carry as less weight as possible!
my bag was the heaviest, 10KGs!!
Group picture at Fei's house in KK in the morning before departing to Kinabalu Park!!
Arrived at outside Kinabalu Park! after 2 hours of travel!!
Timpohon gate!! ready to go after getting our walking sticks!
Group Picture at Timpohon Gate! all full of energy!!
all the stairs.... all the way up!! :)
Still have energy??
Don't give up! climb climb!
At last i reached 3.5km of walk/climb!!
At 4km, just halfway there......
Met a friend.. she was on the way down when i was on the way up!
The higher I go! the stairs become stones!! look at the mist! believe me! its cold!
The higher we went there were no more trees but bushes!
Pendant Hut.... the place where I stayed for the evening before climbing to the peak!
At last reached Laban Rata!!! it was raining at the last 200m to laban rata.... i was all wet when i reached! i started the climb at 9am and reached laban rata at 2:45pm!!
My lunch!! tom yam taste extremely good when i was there! lolz
Training for via Feratta!! with all the ropes and all.....
My personal massager! haha.......
Taken after dinner!!!
Actually i am pointing at the place we are staying for the night... but too blur because of the mist!
I wanted to take some sunset pictures but it was raining :( so i climbed back up to the Pendant Hut and slept! i think it was about 5:30pm, cause have to wake up at 2am to climb to the peak! the night was extremely cold! din get to properly use the sleeping bag.... i did sleep for a bit but the rest of my friends couldn't sleep cause its either too cold or too early to sleep! and it was noisy outside the room with people talking and walking!!
Woke up at around 1:30am get ready to climb to the peak!! it was so dark outside i couldn't take any picture! the climb was adventurous especially near to the sayat sayat check point! have to climb with rope! couldn't see how high it was at night until when we go down the same way in the morning!! believe me... i am surprised how high it was!!
Sunrise... i nearly reached the peak!!
Taken from the peak!! i am above the clouds!! haha....
Thats the peak.... i was on the way down!!
CC and I... above the clouds!
Group picture before Via Feratta!! all tied up together!!
Trust the rope!! it was actually vertical the camera angle make it like flat!
do not look down now!
I have to cross the 2 wires up and down!!
When it was finished... my feet is killing me!! i wore the wrong shoe for the via feratta!! went back to Pendant Hut all were so tired and exhausted we started our journey down at 1.30pm... i was one of the last one to reached Timpohon Gate!! i couldn't believe that there were so many stairs that i climbed up! and after every turn... more stairs...and stairs!! my team and I were cursing stairs and escalators that were not functioning when we went walking around KK..... all of us who climbed have leg muscle ache for at least a week after Mt. Kinabalu trip!!
Tuesday, 8 June 2010
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