“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has annointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” (Luke 4:18,19)
My Conviction
I am not Jesus and I cannot be Jesus. It will be a great heresy if I proclaim myself to be Jesus the Christ. However, in every sense I consider myself a disciple of Jesus. I dare to call myself one because I responded to Christ’s calling to become one. I am not just a christian or a child of my heavenly father. I am very much a disciple of Jesus who is everything to me. I always tell Him the day I am of no more use to Him on earth, He must take me home to be with Him as soon as possible.
How to be like Jesus?
For now, I treasure my life on earth as he commissioned me to live. I strongly believe that Jesus the Christ called me to be like Him. And I always ask myself in my journey of faith and in my personal relationship with Him, How to be like Jesus, Christ, my Lord? If I am like Him, there must be some ways He made something happen in my life as I submit my life to Him. This is when paragraphs like the following mean a lot to me. I always allow it to become a part of me. I pray that you see it is true in my life.
Apostle Paul has expressed my heart desire for Jesus very much. He prayed for Ephesians in 3:16-21, “I pray that out of his glorius riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” I believe without a single doubt that my heavenly father is blessing me with riches that strengthen me with power throught Christ’s Spirit in my inner being to preach the good news to the poor, the blind, the prisoners, and the oppressed. That divine Spirit who is upon Jesus is also in me! So, I am like Jesus because I am by empowered and filled by Christ’s Spirit to do what is commissioned by God to do on earth. I have all the resources needed to do Christ’s mission on earth. Do you also believe the same?
Jesus must stand up in my life
Nowadays, the more I obey Jesus, the more I feel I have to be like Him. Otherwise, I have no strength, power, faith, love, hope and joy to go on serving Him and be His disciple. I begin to understand much more what Jesus meant by “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) If Jesus is not everything to me; if I am not like Him, I cannot bear fruit at all. I will not have the Christ-like characters that the world need so much. I will not have the power to defeat the devil which try to influence me to quit whenever the goings get tough. I will not have the faith to see visions after visions given by God for the Chinese and indigenous people of Sarawak and persevere to materialize it. I will not have the power to heal the sick and set the captives (those under bondages) free. I would not be empowered to preach, teach and pray to transform lives in the churces and in the mission fields. I would not be able to handle my anger and hatred when I am provoked. I would not be able to resist temptation to condemn people and give up on people who disobey God. I would not be able to forgive my wife and children and brothers and sisters who hurt me.
Jesus has put my sinfulness, self-centredness, egoism and everything that is in me under His control. The list could go on and on. I pray that you see the difference Jesus makes in my life. It is my heart desire and commitment to God in the person of Jesus that by all means Jesus must stand high and tall in my life.
I pray that you will understand why I justify myself like the above when I share with you the historical development of Ulu Belaga mission among the Penan.
Do not miss the Methodist missions among the Penans of Ulu Belaga
I strongly believe that when the Church of God, Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference (SCAC), Board of Evangelism, Sarawak Indigenous People Committee (SIPC) and I myself get right with the word of God (Bible), the Spirit of Christ and the person of Jesus Christ, we fear no evil, no amount of human obstacles and circumstances, no principalities and dark power in the air, no shortage of resources of whatever kind can stop us from going far and extensive for Jesus in His kingdom. May Jesus grant you and me this high level of faith in our individual life and church life. I strongly believe my above passages of theological and biblical justifications enable us to do our missions among the Penans of Ulu Belaga. I strongly believe that God in the person of Jesus and His spirit is very much behind the historical development of Ulu Belaga Penan missions. I pray that as you read this arcticle, you will witness the spirit of Jesus working in the lives of those who love Jesus and obey Him. When I write this sentece my poor imagination help me to imagine lots of these peoples’ in my unimaginative mind and I am so touched and encouraged by them. Emotions well up in me. How can I not be touched by their authentic, genuine love for Jesus? So, when I recall their names, I pray that we are all inspired and challenged by what they have done for Jesus. I am very sorry I cannot recall all the names who made such an impact in the Ulu Belaga missions. It does not mean you are not important in your contribution. May Jesus remember you for your good work at Ulu Belaga.
Rev. Wong Kiu Nguok
The initial stage of our Ulu Belaga Penan missions have everything to do with her. It is very amazing how God put the burden of reaching out to the Ulu Belaga Penans in her heart. The story begins in 2008 or even earlier. She was SCAC Board of Evangelism missionary for a few years at Bakun Hydroelectric dam project site. A retired pastor of SCAC. A pastor who vows to put her retirement into good use for Jesus. She was assigned there for four years to reach out to the Chinese from mainland China.
During her missions to the Chinese in Bakun, she heard of the plight of the Penans. As she worked with the short term mission members from Hwai En Methodist Church (Miri), in reaching out to the Chinese from China, in an outreach meeting, she mentioned that the Ulu Belaga Penan children were poor without clothing and education. This simple statement touched one brother Hii from the mission team to tears. He told Rev Wong in tears that he could not stand people telling him that chilren were without clothing and education. This encounter encouraged Rev Wong very much and it encouraged her to mobilize SCAC to reach out to the Penans. This is one incident that strikes her and causes her to increase her burden for the Penans salvation. Most probably a great vision to make disciples for Jesus among the Penans was born like that. Of course she has been praying much for them.
Also, during her travel from Bakun project site to Bintulu for all kinds of meeting ranging from the local church (Ming Ong Methodist) to the District level meetings, she always travel by one van. The driver (brother Liao) who loved Jesus always told her that he came across lots of Penans in his business dealing with them whom we might reach out for Jesus. I believe God uses a layman like a driver to help Rev Wong to develop a stronger sense of vision for SCAC to reach out. She has been praying and at the same time she made many phone calls to me, telling me (who is the chairman of SCAC board of evanglism) to arrange for a time to find the Penans. I brought the need to the attention of SIPC. Praise the Lord they gave me the blessing to arrange for a fact finding missions among the Ulu Belaga Penans.
For the whole of 2008, I was in communication with Rev Wong and we seemed to have very serious miscommunications over the phone. God forgives me for all these miscommunications. With all sincerity I confess to readers that I am quite poor at communications at all levels. The older I get the more serious my communication problem becomes. Over the phone, she presumed, I supposed by implications of our communication, I would take action to spearhead the mission. On my side, I thought she was so near the Penans, she should be calling the shot. Furthermore, in our telephone conversations, I always told her to locate the Penan long houses and then let me know. That never happened because of miscommunications. However, she persevered and without fail, she would once a while called me throughout 2008 and asked me for the progress. She gave me a contact of lorry driver of food supplies to timber camps but I had great difficulties in finding him. According to her, he will be able to give me more information on the Penan situations. I always told her I could not get him. Finally, I wanted to give up on the lorry driver. Also, then, I realized I had a great miscommunication with Rev Wong. I felt like I suddenly wake up from my sleep and now, only now, I made myself very clear to her that she was to find the means to locate the Penan long houses. I would be waiting for her answers. She also realized our miscommunication towards the end of 2008. She has always prayed for God’s open door to reach out to the Penans of Ulu Belaga.
As I look back now, I believe God, the Spirit of Christ, made us realized our miscommunication and of course that happened for a purpose only God knew why. May be it was for the purpose of making sure that missions among Penans was done according to His timing in everything.
Rev Wong eventually shared with me how God led her to a timber camp manager (who happened to be a Methodist, brother Ling) of Rimbunan Hijau Company in a bus and eventually he led her to see one Mr Ting, an experienced General Manager of the Rimbunan Hijau Company for the timber camps. This brother also happened to be a Methodist, he is also someone whom Rev Wong used to shepheard before. What an arrangement by God! When Jesus Christ, our Lord and master desired His missions to be done among the Penans, of course He would make sure all the relevant people would meet together to accomplish His purpose. Do you believe this? So, if what you are doing is God’s agenda, He will make sure it will be done. He will provide everthing you need. You just need to seek Him and pray and do all the necessary things and wait for His intervention!
Mr Ting promised Rev Wong to give whatever help he can to reach out to the Penans. In November, 2008 SCAC, I called for Rev Wong, Rev Wong Kee Sing (chairman of SIPC), Rev Hii Kong Ching (District Superintendant of Bintulu District), and myself to meet and plan for a visit to a Penan long house which Mr Ting would identify. In that SCAC, we fixed 15th January, 2009, to visit the Penan and to do fact finding mission. It was a crucial decision and a decision that made a difference for Jesus.
First Penan Long House (Long Menepa) Visit, 15th January, 2009
Mr Ting used his 4-wheel drive to bring us to the first Penan long house at Ulu Belaga, Long Menepa. It is located near (5 minutes’ drive) one Rimbunan Hijau timber camp. Praise the Lord for the tuai rumah was very receptive of us and he welcomed us back to the long house to do missions. We were told that only SIB pastor visited them once in a blue moon. There was no baptism yet. We were also told of there were also quite a few Penan long houses at Ulu Belaga. A few names of the Penan long houses in other areas were given to us for our reference as we requested for them. These names become our targets of mission survey in the next trip. We were told that Shin Yang timber company actually built these other Penan long houses.
During our visit to Long Menepa, and our brief interaction with the long house Penan folks, we noticed there were at least 60 doors (each door is about 6-8 persons) and we found very useful information like: their illiteracy; their ability to speak Iban and Bahasa Malaysia (we communicated with them in BM!); many youths and little children and babies; reared dogs to help them in hunting; some can plant padi; most do not have enough to eat; few of them work in timber camps; they do not have the means to send their children to go to the nearest government school few hours of driving distance away, etc.
During the whole journey to and fro Bintulu and Long Menepa, the 4 of us discuss a lot on what need to done after this visit. Especially Rev Wong kept encouraging us to go back and do follow up. She challenged us to pay attention to the Penan children education. We agreed and it looked like, with God’s guidance in a journey like that, a vision to do Penan missions in the area of education was born just like that! We also thought of helping them with food production but that was something for long term plan. Most important point of all, we see the need to do missions among the Penans at Ulu Belaga in that short survey of only one long house. It was a very fruitful fact finding mission. We finally managed to be in contact with Ulu Belaga Penans! We met them face to face and we prayed for them and even promise to come back again. We were told that all the Penan long houses identified were accessible by timber roads! I always call these roads as God has opened them for missions. When there are roads or rivers, no matter who build them, we Christians and disciples of Jesus must see them as roads or rivers for mission. If there are roads or rivers that lead to a settlement of people, it is a sign that God says missions must be done there. I pray that you agree with me with all your heart, soul, mind and strength.
All 4 of us came back excited and we all committed to prayer for God to open doors at Ulu Belaga to do missions. I came back to GMC kept talking about it and even share about it over the pulpit and annoucement. I appealed for Shin Yang staff to step forward to help to locate those long houses which are built by their company. As I prayed about it, the Jesus led me to think of brother Peter Ting, a regular worshipper of Grace Methodist Church, Miri.
My Encounter with brother Peter Ting
During 2009 Chinese New Year, as I did visitation at brother Peter Ting’s house, I just prompt him to arrange an opportunity to meet with Shin Yang boss. I left him with that challenge, and eventually he came back to me and we managed to see his boss, brother Ling Chiong Ping (from Jesus is Lord Church). Praise the Lord, in the meeting brother Ling gave us the blessing to do survey of Penan long houses built by them and the company provided the facility (4-wheel drive, drivers, accomodation, etc) for us to do the bigger scale mission survey of Penan long houses like Long Luhat (Peran), Long Singu, Long Luar, Long Tangau, Long * and Long Watt. Now, we had access to 7 Penan long houses. Brother Peter Ting who organized the trip for us (myself, Rev Wong Mee Ing, pastor Wong Lik Kai, both were the advisors to Bintulu District Commission of Evangelism, brother Liw Hui Peng, the Chairman of Bintulu District Commission of Evangelism, 2 pontential missionaries, Mandy Wong and Wong Hie Ching, both are from Trinity Methodist Church, Kuching) and survey the 4 Penan long houses, except Long Tangau and Long Luar which need to go by river, on 2nd to 4th March, 2009. As for Long Tangau and Long Luar, eventually, brother Peter Ting and I brought another team to go back there on 25th and 26th May, 2009.
These missions survey confirmed one thing, the tuai rumah and Penan adults welcome us to send missionaries to help their children in the area of education. Every long house we visited we saw lots of lovely children and babies. We took photos of them and we publicized at Mukah SCAC Pastors’ School, 16th to19th March, 2009. SIPC produced DVD and powerpoints to appeal for SCAC brothers and sisters to go to Ulu Belaga to do short term and long term missions. Lots of SCAC churches publicize on July 2009 Indigenous People Sunday using the DVDs to pray and to mobilize manpower for the Ulu Belaga Penan missions.
After the second mission survey, SCAC Board of Evangelism and SIPC made the decision (during 15th March, 2009 SIPC and board of evangelism meeting) to send missionaries to Ulu Belaga. We appealed for 14 missionaries, 2 missionaries for each long house to be stationed there to teach the children in the area of education.
We also decided to ask brother Liw Hui Peng to be the coordinator in Bintulu for all the mission teams mobilized in Bintulu and Miri for the purpose of outreach to the Penans at Ulu Belaga. I helped to write and get all the approvals (via brother Peter Ting) from Shin Yang boss, brother Ling to go for short term mission trips of 3 days 2 night by churches to those long houses which we identified.
Praise the Lord, through the help of brother Peter Ting, meetings with brother Ling proved to be very fruitful. He allowed us to send missionaries to go in and stay at the hostels provided by Shin Yang company.
Positive Missionary Reponses in 2009
The spirit of Christ was mightily at work among SCAC brothers and sisters. Not only we mobilize enough mission teams to do follow up on those long houses, we also received responses of especially 4 sisters who committted to long term (Wong Hie Ching, Ting Sung Ngo, 4 years) and short term (Mandy Wong, Ling Fang Fang) missions to Ulu Belaga! This is an excellent testimony of our prayers and faith in Christ. Wong Hie Ching, Mandy Wong and Ling Fang Fang all heard God’s call for them to serve the Penan children during their churches’ Thursday night prayer meetings!
We sent our first long term missionary to Ulu Belaga, sister Wong Hie Ching to go for cross-cultural training for few weeks at Macau in the first half of 2009. Then, she came home to polish her BM by some tuition. She went to Ulu Belaga in November, 2009 and followed by sisters Mandy Wong and Ling Fang Fang in December. Then, in January, we sent in sister Ting Sung Ngo.
Sister Ting Sung Ngo, a retired primary school principal, who heard the calling of God to serve the Penan children when the slides on appeal for missionarie were presented during one Sunday service. Rev Wong Kiu Ngok actually prayed for her response and she even approached sister Ting to go! She is a lay preacher of Zion Methodist Church, Sibu. SCAC board of evangelism put her as the person in-charge at Ulu Belaga. She trains the other 3 missionaries to teach.
At the point of writing, we are in the process of making arrangement to interview one sister Ruth Tan, from West Malaysia, Trinity Annual Conference, Grace Methodist Church, Petaling Jaya. Let us pray that she will also prove to be use by Jesus to bless the Penan children. She responded to God’s calling to serve the Penan children after reading the appeal for missionaries in the Pelita Methodist.
Missions through Education
At the moment, our 4 missionaries are teaching about 110 Penan chidren at Long Watt, and Long Singu. Among these children, 20 are from Long Luar and Long Tangau! They are willing to come by long boat to be taught by our missionaries! I see the hunger and desire and I hear the heart cry of these Penan children for education. And most important of all, for God, Jesus. Though our missions is in the area of education, we definitely do not preaching the gospel to them through christian songs and bible stories. In fact, our mission teams which go there monthly make it a point to preach the gospel in BM. They all the time say that they want Jesus! This was my experience when I preached to them.
Not only we help these Penan children and adults to come to know Jesus, we are praying that through our mission effort, we will stir up their desire to go to government school. And the parents will fee the need and security to entrust their children to the missionaries to bring them to the government school nearby, 2 to 3 hours away by timber truck. SCAC board of evangelism by then, will also mobilize resources to send them to school. Only God knows when are ready to go. No matter what, our missions there is for long term, by faith.
Let us pray that these Penan children who are so much behind, after receiving proper education, many of them will become capable disciples of Jesus and they will in turn bless their own people.
Long Term Development (vision)
God in the person of Jesus has put in hearts of the key leaders of Board Evangelism of SCAC to trust Him for a great ministry among the Ulu Belaga Penans.
(A). Eventually, as thousands of these Penans are resettled in a location or even if they are not resettled, we will make them disciples of Jesus and churches and related infrastructure will be set up for them.
(B). BM speaking pastors will be trained to shepheard them.
(C). Manpower like farming and agriculture specialists would go in as social workers to help them to establish a sytem of food production in the Penan ministry long term development.
(D). We help them to link up with the relevant government agencies to usher in all the necessary helps like the social welfare, skill training, etc.
(E). To see lots of Penan children entering local universities and eventually become pastors, missionaries and professionals in different fields of expertise.
What you can do for Ulu Belaga Penans now
In the name of Jesus Christ, I speak with conviction to ask you to stand up and make a difference for Jesus in the Penan missions.
I have visited the Penan long houses at Ulu Belaga for 5 times! God in the person of Jesus has shown lots of things and He put strong burden in my heart as I pray and serve the Penan people. For very strange reason, I am all the time attracted to Penan children. In fact, my ministry in the last 15 years, I must confess that I am never good at children ministry. However, I was always drawn to mix with Penan children and talked to them, touched them and loved them. Somehow, I just felt that the hope of a better future for Penans lies with the children. My burden is if our church can help them in the areas of education and spiritual needs, you will see a generation of very different Penan emerging in Ulu Belaga.
Are there down to earth souls (faithful disciples of Jesus) out there who dare to make sacrifices for Jesus and invest your life in the life of these Penans? You have everything you need in your comfort zone. You have a bright future. However, I speak with a heavy heart and tell you in the name of Jesus, the Penans have nothing! They have no future. I entered their rooms, they hardly had any belongings; not many people are coming forward to defend their rights as they are not equipped to do so; they are always oppressed in any way you name it; they should have all the land and yet now, they do not know how long they can still stay at their land, etc. They are so powerless. Most of them do not own identity cards and birth certificates. How can they enjoy all the social, medical, economic, political, educational benefits like us!
We need to appeal to you to be on your knees and humbly ask God to send missionaries to Ulu Belaga to serve the educational and spiritual needs of these Penans.
We need to exercise our gift of generosity to give towards supporting our missionaries’ salary. One missionary salary and allowance is about RM1,500 per month.
We need to join the short term mission trips organized by the SIPC to show care and concerns for our missionaries and the Penans at Ulu Belaga. You can give testimonies, tell bible stories, do social concerns work, teach the children to sing songs, play games with them, do health checks, teach on health and hygene, etc.
What is your response to Jesus when you see a mission need like?
Would you tell Jesus, your master, “Jesus, I will be there at Ulu Belaga, as you have expected me to be there”?
Would go to Ulu Belaga Penan long houses and meet Jesus there? I pray that you hear the calling loud and clear.
Rev Law Hui Seng
(Chairman of Board of Evangelism, SCAC
Email: ourgrace@streamyx.com
Tel: 012-8770303)
21st April, 2010
Posted by Teresa Han
