A group of students from Faith Community Bible School (FCBS) visited an island off Batam as part of their training and to minister to the islanders. Here are some testimonies from the students:
We went in faith, without any idea of what to expect, as the pastors had deliberately kept the location a secret in order to train our flexibility.
Orphanage Visit
At the island, we visited an orphanage set up by a Malaysian Christian couple. As we were informed late, we could only start planning for the programme the night before. We presented simple action songs like "Jesus You Are My Lord" and played simple games like "Scissors, Paper, Stone". Despite minimal preparation, our actions brought much joy to the children, and the children ushered in the presence of God strongly, wowing us with their openness and willingness to interact.
Upon reflection, I wondered why the children there were so much more open and easily engaged as compared to the children at GKidz? I also wondered what is most important to these children? (As aside from the gospel, these children have a future to work towards, to study hard for.)
I thank God for the opportunity to personally pray for some of the girls before we left; to declare words of faith into their lives and to hug them before we left.
Meals
Despite our tight meal budget of S$1.00 per person for breakfast and S$2.00 per person for lunch and dinner, we had wonderful, creative meals prepared. Every meal was cooked with so much love, with so much careful planning that our tummies were incredibly blessed!
Sharing and Fellowship
What started as a spontaneous H.T.H.T (Heart-To-Heart-Time) on the last night turned out to be a very special time of testimony sharing till 1.30am. Every testimony shared was so powerful and we ended the night gathering in a circle, holding hands and praying for one another.
Word and Ministry
Pastor (Uncle) James Sng who was with us during the entire trip, shared a word on both mornings of the trip, and each felt as though God was speaking powerfully to me about servant leadership. They humbled me, gave me a new perspective on leadership and service and made me cry out to God for "What's next?"
This trip to Batam made me raise several questions like "What is poverty?", "What is happiness?", "What is it that they have that I have been missing out on?" and "What is it that I have that they have been missing out on?"
All in all, the trip was an eye-opening and thought-provoking experience. I thank God that despite the gathering of dark clouds, it never rained at all throughout the trip.
Janice Tan
Before I left for the trip, I did not know what to expect. Being the only cook in the team, the first challenge I foresaw was to cook for 19 people with limited utensils. It would definitely require systematic planning and good cooperation, but we achieved it with good teamwork.
But even so, we did encounter obstacles, one of which was encountering a faulty rice cooker while preparing for breakfast, so we changed to cooking rice in a pot. This taught me to never be complacent, and never assume a simple task will run smoothly.
At the orphanage, I was very touched as I sensed the powerful presence of God. I was very impressed with the children's participation and confidence. Even though we had only a short time of fun together, I could see that they couldn't bear to see us go, and I felt happy and blessed.
Through Pastor James' teachings, God revealed something specific to me. Overall, it was a fruitful trip. Praise God!
Joreen
Women have the same freedom to obey God as men do – to evangelise, plant churches, preach and be in the mission field. Praise God for raising holy women to do wonderful things in serving Christ. Thank you Pastor Catherine and Pastor Kang Ying for organising this mission trip to Batam. I was blessed because I came.
"I can do things you cannot, you can do things I cannot; together we can do great things."
- Mother Teresa
Doreen Ong
Before the trip, I was unsure of what to expect, but as I went, through the sessions taught by Pastor James Sng, I gained a better understanding on how culture affects the way we live. With that, we set off to an island that was pretty much isolated and still developing. As I walked around in the villages, observing their way of life, it made me feel that actually we are so much richer than them. Not because we have a lot of possessions, but because we have the gospel. That alone is worth far more than gold.
The next place we visited out of the island was an orphanage called "House of Shalom". Truly, children are a blessing from God and these little ones brought about childlikeness in me as we played and sang with them. They may not live in a condition like ours, but as they knew God, I could see how their lives were different from the way they talked and behaved.
This trip showed me the importance of sharing the gospel and how simple acts of kindness could impact others. I also thank God for the fun and joy we had in cooking, sharing and singing too! Hallelujah!
Darence
What left an impression on me was seeing the children there carefree – playing with sand, making patterns out of matchsticks, running and cycling along. Along the way, I was greeted by several children, which made me feel welcome on the island.
During the orphanage visit, I was moved by the Spirit of God as I was praying for the children. I sensed the presence of God strongly and felt that God was very concerned for His orphaned children on earth as written in John 14:18, "I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you."
Jenny
After the visit, I appreciate my HDB flat and government more than before. I also reflected if having a mindset of efficiency and continuous improvement is always beneficial for all communities.
The visit to the orphanage brought back memories of my last visit more than 12 years ago. As my teammate, Alex, prayed for a young teenager, I saw her tear, and as my other teammate, Darence, interacted with a pre-schooler, I saw a smile break out on his face. I saw aspirations in the eyes of the fatherless as they shared their dreams, and I desperately wished that they could have proper families to love and care for them. Together, we as FCBS students worked as one to bring the children a moment of joy.
I will continue to contemplate Pastor James Sng's question – "What do we want to be known for?" (2 Kings 3:11) and "What are we here for?" (2 Kings 7:3)
Ernest Lee