~5 min read
Ps Paul Cheng
Psalm 133:1
“…to send me there so we could all meet in person…”
Dear Bethelites,
Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! (Psalm 133:1)
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, I used to visit our Myanmar mission churches. Shortly after the start of the pandemic, Myanmar entered into a civil war between the military government and the various opposition factions. Thus, since then, I was unable to visit our mission brethren, except to meet the mission pastors via our weekly Zoom online prayer meeting. Praise be to God who had made it possible not only for me to physically meet our mission pastors, but including their families too. His provision came through the generosity of Calvary Tengah Bible-Presbyterian Church who invited both the families of Rev Biak and Rev Lian to attend their annual family camp at Hyatt Place, Johor Bahru, Malaysia, from the 8th to 12th June 2025.
When I first heard of our brethren from Myanmar visiting Johor Bahru, Malaysia, I requested for Bethel’s session to send me there so we could all meet in person (before and after the church camp). The purpose is twofold; firstly, to have fellowship with them after a lapse of more than five years, and secondly, to discuss matters pertaining to our Myanmar missions.
Both families, which consisted of ten brethren, took a flight from Myanmar to Kuala Lumpur, and thereafter, they travelled by bus to Johor Bahru. Except for Rev Biak and Rev Lian, it was a first-time experience for the rest of the family members; first-time travelling overseas, first-time travelling on a plane, first-time visiting Malaysia, first-time attending another church camp, etc.
Being a Singaporean, I am very familiar with the neighbouring Johor Bahru. So, I was assigned to host them throughout their stay. I booked two apartments which were located right above a shopping centre named KSL. It was very convenient as there were many eateries where we had our meals and shopped for our daily necessities.
On the first day, I met the brethren at Larkin bus station where we took three “Grab” vehicles (Grab is similar to Uber) to the apartments. We were all happy and excited to meet one another after such a long time. We had a sumptuous meal at a hawker centre where we got to taste the local cuisine. In the following days, I brought them to visit places like Chinatown and “Pasar Malam” (or night market), etc.
The mission pastors and myself spent a lot of time discussing the Myanmar missions. As most of you are well aware, Myanmar has been plagued with many trials; first it was the Covid-19 pandemic, followed by the civil war, and then the recent devastating earthquake. Many lives were lost, and countless families were displaced! The military government had issued a mandatory law to conscript any male or female between the ages of 18 to 35 to fight in the civil war. Failure to comply would mean imprisonment!
God is gracious to protect our mission churches, and to date, none of the young people have been conscripted to fight in the battlefield. Due to this dire situation, our Truth Theological Seminary had to go into recess as the military government could possibly raid the college and arrest the young people. Most of our college students are between “eligible” age groups to be conscripted.
Many people had suggested for Rev Biak’s son, Timothy, who was aged 24, to join FEBC to avoid being conscripted to fight in the civil war. But both the parents and Timothy felt that to study at FEBC is a higher calling and should only be based on God’s call. For three years, Timothy had resisted the proposal to study at FEBC until the Lord graciously convicted his heart to study theology and serve the Lord full-time. Subsequently, he applied and was accepted by FEBC, and by God’s providence, his student visa was approved. He will be starting his first semester this coming July 2025. Praise be to God!
The common understanding amongst the Myanmese is that this civil war will go on for a long time. It will be like a period of “hot and cold” which means there will be intense fighting followed by cease-fire, then the fighting will resume, and this vicious cycle will go on and on.
As the saying goes, “When the elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers!” By way of illustration, the children are like the “grass” and they are most vulnerable. Tragically, some children were orphaned as their parents were killed, others were being exploited due to the political upheaval, yet others are being human trafficked to other countries to work and worse still, as sex workers. Parents are pleading for the churches to help save and protect their children from this carnage. Therefore, the main focus of our discussion was centred on how the church can play a part in helping the innocent children caught in the crossfire. We were prayerfully considering if it is God’s will for us to start a children's ministry to reach out to the orphans and the children at risk.
I have yet to discuss this matter with the session, but I had the opportunity to speak briefly with Pastor Stephen Khoo who was very keen about the children's ministry after learning about their sad and tragic plight. Please pray about this matter most seriously, and ask the Lord to lead us in making the decision moving forward.
I spent a couple of days with my dad whose dementia is deteriorating rapidly. Though he still remembered me, however, on numerous occasions he could not remember my name and even addressed me as “his father” or “his nephew.” Deep down in my heart, I knew it was only a matter of time until he would not remember me at all. This is the sad reality of dementia! As I bade farewell to him before returning to Melbourne, it was most painstakingly difficult, especially when he said to me, “When will I see you again?” How I wish I could stay by his side to take care of and minister to him. But I knew God had a higher plan and calling for me to return to pastor Bethel BP Church. As painful as it was, I prayed to the Lord, “God, you are indeed a better ‘Father’ than all of us, and you have a sovereign plan and purpose in all things. Thus, I humbly entrust the care of my dad into your loving hands, and may thy will be done.” With that, I left Singapore with a renewed passion and desire to continue the work that God wants me to accomplish. I am happy to be back home, and I look forward to meeting all of you again!
With love in Christ,
Pastor Paul Cheng
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