I am GGoodd;;adventist.org.my/data/Vision_Issue200408.pdfC O N T E N T S PEM President’s Message...
Transcript of I am GGoodd;;adventist.org.my/data/Vision_Issue200408.pdfC O N T E N T S PEM President’s Message...
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
Adventist World News
Foods and Their
Healing Power
Official Newsletter of Peninsular Malaysia Mission I2 Aug 2004
Peninsular Malaysia Mission of Seventh-Day Adventists 22-1, Jalan 2/114, Kuchai Business Centre,
Jalan Kuchai Lama, 58200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Tel > (603) 7984 7795 Fax > (603) 7984 4600
Email > [email protected]
Website > www.sdapem.org
For
Internal
Circulation
BBee ssttiillll,,
aanndd kknnooww tthhaatt
II aamm GGoodd;;
II wwiillll bbee eexxaalltteedd aammoonngg tthhee nnaattiioonnss,,
II WWIILLLL BBEE EEXXAALLTTEEDD IINN TTHHEE EEAARRTTHH..
PPssaallmm 4466::1100,, NNIIVV..
~~ MMeessssaaggeess ~~
Vision 2 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess. Hebrews 10:23, NIV.
MMeessssaaggee ffrroomm tthhee PPrreessiiddeenntt ooff PPeenniinnssuullaarr MMaallaayyssiiaa MMiissssiioonn ((PPEEMM)),, PPrr FFrraanncciiss LLaajjaanniimm
BBeloved 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
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 14:28-30.
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.��
MMeessssaaggee ffrroomm tthhee DDiirreeccttoorr ooff PPEEMM CCoommmmuunniiccaattiioonn DDeeppaarrttmmeenntt,, PPrr TTeerrrraannccee SSiimm
BBeloved 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!��
Pr Francis Lajanim delivering a speech at the PEM
Combined Camp, Malacca.
~~ GGoooodd ��eewwss ffrroomm PPEEMM CChhuurrcchheess ~~
There is neither Jew nor Greek…for you are one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28, NIV. Vision 3
UUnniittyy in the Warmth of Fellowship ~ 1
st PEM Combined Church Camp Meeting,
June 4-6, 2004 ~
WWith God’s grace, more than 600 members from churches
around Peninsular Malaysia flooded Malacca to attend
the 1st 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.
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!��������
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!��������
Special presentation by Penang English Church.
Baptisms during the PEM Combined Camp.
~~ GGoooodd ��eewwss ffrroomm PPEEMM CChhuurrcchheess ~~
Vision 4 For He who promise is faithful. Hebrews 10:23, NIV.
JJooyy ooff tthhee nneeww SSkkuuddaaii CChhiinneessee CChhuurrcchh
PPr Janssen New shared with us the celebrated upgrading of
Skudai Company to Skudai Chinese Church (a new church
building).
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
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 Bahasa-
speaking 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 fund-
raising 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.��������
Pr Janssen �ew (left) and Pr Francis
Lajanim marking the birth of Skudai
Chinese Church!
Special presentation by the youth.
Baptism candidates.
~~ GGoooodd ��eewwss ffrroomm PPEEMM CChhuurrcchheess ~~
He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. Psalm 62:2, NIV. Vision 5
Pr Peter Foo (left) presenting a candle to one
of the children in turn to lit the candle of
pledge and law.
PPaatthhffiinnddeerr IInndduuccttiioonn SSeerrvviiccee ~ by Tan Weoi Siong, Pastoral Intern of Klang Chinese Church Group ~
KKlang 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.
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.
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.��������
GGoooodd ��eewwss from Ipoh Chinese & English Churches
PPr 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, 1st 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 2nd 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!��
Pr Terrance Sim (left), Pr Sonny Khoo, Pr Peter
Foo and Mr Gan Say Guan at the ceremony.
~~ GGoooodd ��eewwss ffrroomm PPEEMM CChhuurrcchheess ~~
Vision 6 Come, let us return to the Lord. Hosea 6:1, NIV.
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,
08000 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.��������
~~ GGoooodd ��eewwss ffrroomm PPEEMM CChhuurrcchheess ~~
You are the God who sees me. Genesis 16:13, NIV. Vision 7
GGoooodd ��eewwss from Petaling Jaya Chinese Church
~ by Pr Peter Foo ~
DDuring 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 18-19 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.��
Pr Francis Lajanim (left) praying at the ground
breaking ceremony at Petaling Jaya Chinese Church.
~~ GGoooodd ��eewwss ffrroomm PPEEMM CChhuurrcchheess ~~
Vision 8 To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are His. Job 12:13, NIV.
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 2000.
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 2002.
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 48 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 45 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 2007. 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
emailed to be by a friend,
Kelvin, it is thought provoking
and I hope it is to you too!
~~ GGoooodd ��eewwss ffrroomm PPEEMM CChhuurrcchheess ~~
Peace in Heaven and glory in the highest! Luke 19:38, NIV. Vision 9
VViissiitt ttoo tthhee HHaannnnaahh HHoommee
ffoorr tthhee OOrrpphhaannss ~ by Mrs Ruth T John, Klebang Church ~
TThe 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.
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.��
MMaajjlliiss PPeerrppiissaahhaann PPrr && MMrrss PP BBeennjjaammiinn ~ by Pr Edwin Philip ~
PPada 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.��
OOn 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.��
Women gather after church service and have
prayer meeting.
Mrs T John telling the story on Jesus’s second
coming at the Hannah Home.
Children having their meals at
the Hannah Home.
~~ IInnssppiirraattiioonnaall ~~
Vision 10 Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. Psalm 107:1, NIV.
HHooww II wwaass ssaavveedd
bbyy oouurr LLoorrdd aanndd SSaavviioouurr ~ by Mr Prakash T R, member of
Kuala Lumpur English Church ~
II 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
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 re-
baptized 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.��������
~~ VVaarriieettyy ~~
Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge. Psalm 16:1, NIV. Vision 11
SSoul 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.
‘I Still Believe’ is their 1st 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) 250 8234 or email him at
I will �OT work! ~ A children story shared by Mr Cevin, Choir Director and Youth Leader of Petaling Jaya English Church ~
IIn 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.
Soul
II ‘I Still Believe’
Soul
~~ AAddvveennttiisstt WWoorrlldd ��eewwss ((SSoouurrccee:: AAddvveennttiisstt ��eewwss ��eettwwoorrkk)) ~~
Vision 12 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Matt 6:34, NIV.
KKiinngg--ssiizzee EEvvaannggeelliissttss PPrreeaacchh ttoo PPeeeerrss (Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia)
WWith 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.
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.
4000 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-year-
old 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).
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."
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!
Committed and visionary juniors and teens.
One of the attractive teen postcards.
~~ SSppeecciiaall FFeeaattuurree ~~
The righteous will never be uprooted…Proverbs 10:30, NIV. Vision 13
Daniel Was A Child Of God C 4/4 ~ by Mrs Leong Fai ( for children) ~
5. 5 3. 3 / 5 . 5 3 .
Daniel was a child of God;
3 / 1 . 1 2 . 2 / 3 .
He prayed three times a day.
5 6 . 6 / 1. 6 5. 5 / 3 .
Like Daniel I will be God’s child;
1 2 . 2 / 3 . 2 1 - //
To Him I ‘ll always pray.
~~ IInnssppiirraattiioonnaall ~~
Vision 14 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him. Lamentations 3:25, NIV.
4:11 : “ , .
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~~ FFooooddss aanndd tthheeiirr HHeeaalliinngg PPoowweerr ~~
With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible. Matthew 19:12, NIV. Vision 15
GGrraaiinnss,, ffrruuiittss,, nnuuttss,, aanndd vveeggeettaabblleess 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 (1827-1915)
*FOODS FOR THE EYES
TThe 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.��
AApricot, 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.��
SSpinach, 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.��
MMango is one of the richest
fresh fruits in provitamin A and
it is also rich in other
antioxidants vitamins such as C
and E.��
OOrange 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: 603 9287 8272).
Information published in this
page serves only as a guide
and does not guarantee any
prevention or cure.
~~ AAbboouutt SSeevveenntthh--DDaayy AAddvveennttiissttss ~~
Vision 16 For God does not show favouritism. Romans 2:11, NIV.
TThe 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: www.seventh-dayadventist.com
UUpcoming 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.
4. Sep 3-4: 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 12-14: 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: Pr Terrance Sim and Pr Francis Lajanim
Editor: Jessica Thai
Printers: 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 www.corbis.com
~ 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 emailing a short write-up with or without pictures to
the editor at [email protected] or post to 57, Jalan Medan Midah, Taman Midah, Cheras, 56000, Kuala
Lumpur or sms to (013) 421 0119.
~ 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 email the editor.
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 Flame is the shape
formed by 3 lines encircling
an implied sphere. The lines
represent the 3 angels of
Rev.14 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 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 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.