Sare Sarikei children camp & long house missions

The first batch of Indigenous People in Su En Learning Center were baptized

Background   

The Ministry to the Sarawak Indigenous People (MSIP) of the Board of Evangelism has sent Brother Nguang Sii Khing as our missionary in Sarikei for more than 4 years. He and his team have done their best along the way. Before the pandemic, they had already started praying, and during the monthly zoom prayer meeting and sharing of missionaries, brother Nguang mentioned that they would find new longhouses in Sarikei to shepherd. Because of the prayer, the Holy Spirit moved me, brother Nguang and the Sarikei team to survey the longhouses in Petai, Tanah Putih and Selidap and the old Tak Teck Methodist Church. We found that Tak Teck Methodist Church (now Su En Learning Center) was well maintained and could be used as a gathering place. We publicized to the local residents (RH Augustine, RH Janak, RH Serit, RH Sumpun, RH Richard, etc.) to start English and Mathematics classes at Su En Learning Center.

Publicity Results

Our ministry publicity started on October 2021 during our visit to the longhouses or gatherings. The result of the publicity was that the residents responded to the classes. We started English class every Saturday afternoon in May 2022 and later also started Sunday school. We also reached out to the parents of the children.

Contributions of Theological Students of Methodist Theological School

The MSIP also held a short-term mission trip in June 2022, focusing on children camp and finding 20 longhouses in Sare. I also shared the progress of our indigenous ministry with Rev. Wong Teck Suk of the BM Department of Methodist Theological School. Thank God and praise the Lord for her proactive response to send a team of indigenous theological students to do a short-term mission trip at Su En Learning Center in July. We specially arranged for the theological students to conduct first baptism class at RH Richard. Afterwards, they also helped to host a youth camp. Later, Methodist Theological School also sent theological students to do their practical at Su En Learning Center until today. They help shepherd the Saturday Sunday School students, including some teens. These ministries are a great encouragement to the local residents because they see that their own ethnic group also cares about them. Of course, our Chinese churches also have been greatly encouraged by the help of the indigenous theological students.

Sarikei Indigenous Ministry Group Formed

Previously, in February 2022, the Sarikei Evangelism Executive Commission formed an indigenous ministry group (with representatives from various churches) under the guidance of the district superintendent, Rev Ung Sing Hing and the chairman of the evangelism executive commission, Yong Sing Tai. This group works closely with the MSIP, Board of Evangelism. This cooperation is very critical because I have seen local leaders and lay people actively step up and cooperate with our local missionaries.

Involvement of the MSIP, Board of Evangelism

After careful consideration, I also go to Sarikei every month from 2022 with the missionaries to follow up the short-term mission team and the longhouses that the missionaries have come into contact with. Brother Nguang Sii Khing, Lau Hieng Siong and his wife, the team and I are all optimistic about the families of RH Richard. After the first baptism class conducted by theological students, Brother Nguang and I have completed the baptism class training. After they go through about 12 baptism classes, they have some basic understanding of Jesus Christ.

Nyelong Park Methodist Church agrees to start BM ministry

Thank God and praise the Lord, Rev Ung Sing Hing and church leaders of Nyelong Park Methodist Church also agreed to start BM ministry. The baptized adults and children of RH Richard will also belong to the memberships of Nyelong Park Church. Under the arrangement of district superintendent Rev Ung Sing Hing, these adults and children were finally baptized at Nyelong Park Church on the morning of June 11. The following records are made by local missionary Ngu Jing Jing.

Baptism of 6 adults and 6 children

June 11, 2023 is a day full of blessings and commemorative value. Under the blessing of God, RH Richard’s 6 adults and children were successfully baptized at Nyelong Park Methodist Church, Sarikei, by the district superintendent, Rev Ung Sing Hing and Rev Ting Yeng Ping. Thank God for His leading, 6 adults and 6 children were baptized that day. This baptism is a declaration of faith for the residents of the longhouse, and it is also a blessing to them, because it is really a wonderful thing to be able to confess their faith in front of the congregations and testified by them.

After the baptism, RH Richard and group were also arranged to enter the babysitting room on the second floor of Nyelong Park Church, where there was a translator to share the worship sermon in Malay. After the worship service, the members of indigenous ministry group from various churches of Sarikei District, fellow workers of Su En Learning Center, local missionaries and pastors of Nyelong Park Church also took photos with RH Richard and his group.

Afterwards, Brother Lau Hieng Siong, a fellow worker of Su En Learning Center, also invited the missionaries, the fellow workers of Su En Center, RH Richard and his group to the restaurant to have breakfast together. May the Lord also bless Brother Hieng Siong’s dedication as we can have this time of fellowship.

Vision

Please pray for us, we hope that with the efforts of all parties, the English class, children Sunday school, youth class, and the weekly adults gathering that will begin on July 1 will grow stronger, and Su En Learning Center will establish a BM Preaching Center in the future. Next, we will also start the confirmation/membership class. I also pray that the Lord will raise more brothers and sisters and full-time local missionaries to help.

Rev Law Hui Seng & Local Missionary Ngu Jing Jing

14/6/2023