fresh start

I received a call from Jeslyn Koh out of the blue towards the end of September.
She graduated from EAST this summer and is now serving as a social worker.
"Help me in a project?" she asked.
We met for coffee and she told me what she was doing at PingYi Secondary School, a government school in the east.
"We run an after-school program for students with esteem and discipline issues," she began. "How about coming to give a talk on dressing and colors? The kids will love it."
The "kids"--I discovered on the day I went--weren't anything I'd expected.
Everyone of the 14 who showed up looked like any well-fed, well-pampered kids you see in the malls in Singapore. There were 4 Malays and 10 Chinese--girls and guys--and they were all between 13 and 15 years old.
A few remained silent throughout my presentation but most were willing to participate.

I was surprised, I must say, when everyone told me the average amount of sleep they had was four hours per night--"computer games" being the main reason.
It was GREAT watching Jeslyn, our alumnus, in action.
The kids were comfortable with her; even the silent ones lingered for refreshments after the meeting.
Though she said she's still "new" to the job, she seeme dlike a "pro" to me.
"The training at EAST gave me convictions to do what God has called me to do," she added.
"And it's great to know I could always call on the school for help and support whenever I need it."

THE MAESTRO IS IN

Last week we had a treat at EAST's chapel.

Musician extraordinaire Alvaro Sanchez visited us and led us in worship, performed, and shared about his journey of faith.

Alvaro, a native of Columbia, has played the guitar literally before kings and authorities, including the Queen of England and President Nathan at our very own Istana.

Five years ago, he gave up a promising career in music to answer God's call to Singapore--to perform, share his music, and teach about 'true worship'.

It was such a joy watching the maestro handle his guitar and harp--effortlessly.

Yes, the harp--"If you want to go to heaven, you must enjoy the harp" he quipped--such heavenly music it produces.

While everyone enjoyed the mini-concert, it was his sharing about what it means to truly worship God that touched our hearts.

"Every day we see, hear, and feel things that are filthy in the world," the father of two shared, "it is in worshipping God daily, coming before Him face to face, that we find purity and cleansing."

PS: Alvaro will conduct music seminars at EAST in the near future.

a night of colours

Tunji, who comes from Nigeria, is one of our new students this school year.
After watching the recent National Day Parade, he penned the following poem.
A vet by training, Tunji and his wife served as missionaries in the Seychelles for five years before coming to EAST.
Enjoy.

A Night of Colours

Date is 9th of August. The sun is just setting.
Waiting to see what the noise about the NDP is all about.
“Could it really surprise me?” I quietly wonder to myself.
“I don’t think so.”

One after another they filed out.
With the precision and the accuracy that the occasion demands. Soldiers, Navy, Air Force and the Police.
Even the Civilians were not left out.
All in their well tailored uniforms.
“Well, nothing new.”

Then the ruling class; the MPs, the cabinet. All in white.
It seems the day is a national pride.
But the best is yet to come.

Young and old; harnessing the power and the beauty of the elements of the water, earth, fire and sky; to produce a magnificent display that must have gulped thousands if not millions of not just $
but man-power and man-hours.

Nothing but amazing. Ecstatic. Breathtaking.
But beyond all that, it is nothing but human ingenuity;
harnessing the creativity that is in us
to produce such a splendid performance.

WOW! The human mind is capable.
New ways abound.
Possibilities is the word (Sorry, the theme).

The sights. The sound. The astronomical display.
The colours. The beauty. The fireworks. The glory.
If all these are the human mind at work,
How much more the “Mind of Christ”?

Then the curtain drops,
but not until fire and brim…(sorry, fireworks) fell
and then the final charge, subtly through a song:
“Will you dare to find new ways?”

Hello from vancouver!

Lim Chin Leng, our former EAST student council president, and his wife, Lisa, are now in Vancouver to spend a quarter at Regent College. Here's a recent letter from them:

Dear Friends and Family at EAST,

How was the orientation and first day at school? We hope all of you are well!

We just ended one week of studies at Regent College in Vancouver. The classes here are very different from EAST and frankly, we miss all of you!!!

Quite a few things happened when we first arrived.

The Korean raw crabs we took during our retreat at Sarang Ministry Centre (during CM) took revenge on Lisa by giving her a lot more rashes.

I had some cold sores around my mouth and they hurt whenever I tried to eat.

Then our camera fell into the water was destroyed (thankfully we have a backup camera).

Add all of that with jet lag and the pressures of daily assignments; we were very tempted of giving up and dropping the classes!

But God has been faithful.

With the prayers of friends and family, Lisa is recovering from the rashes (but she still feels the itch sometimes).

My coldsores are gone, and we took this weekend to catch up with our sleep and homework.

Lisa's cousin and nieces who stay in Vancouver are also very sweet and they have been a great blessing to us.

We are also starting to enjoy the classes on 1 Corinthians and Joshua, as well as the scenery here.

Do take care as you begin the 1st Quarter in school!

Some of you might still be tired from the Internship and we pray that God will strengthen you for the challenges ahead.

We also want to extend a very warm welcome to all the new students at EAST.

We pray that you will enjoy the learning and the community there.

Joshua 1:9 Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

Write when you can.

We'll see you all again when we join you again during the 2nd Quarter. God bless!

In His love,

Chin Leng and Lisa

CM 2007

During the last week of June, around 50 of us from EAST joined 15,000 university students, youth ministers, and staff of Campus Crusade worldwide for CM 2007.

CM is a mission conference held in Busan, Korea, to raise laborers among the world's powerful percent for the world's harvest.

What a week!

We were treated to the world-renowned Korean hospitality.

We heard some of the most powerful speakers at the devotionals, workshops and night challenges.

One evening, Honey Lee, Miss Korea 2007 and second runner-up at the recent Miss Universe, visited us and shared her journey of growth in the Lord.

God's Spirit was among us as we--from no less than 125 countries--worshipped the Lord in unity and spirit, prayed for one another, and rejoiced in God's working among us worldwide.

The EAST team had a blast at the exhibition booth.

Every day, hundreds came by our table to collect materials, ask questions and try our coconut candies, durian sweets, dried orange peels and mangoes.

(Some Europeans asked, "Do you have tooth paste?" after trying our durian sweets. Btw, we told them not to try but they insisted.)

We also had a wonderful time of reunion and sharing with 30 alumni of EAST during a lunch meeting.

Those among us who were in Seoul for a week of internship before CM had a great time, too, ministering among churches and cell groups.
"We visited the sarambang--agape houses where staff and disicples lived together--and enjoyed the warm fellowship," says Dr Mah Yeow Beng.
The same team also participated in the Beggars' Outreach after CM.

Over two days, they visited several villages for outreach and saw God's provision every step of the way (participants of Beggars' depend solely on the hospitality of their contacts for accomodaiton and meals).

"It was the highlight of our visit to Korea," says Grace Estrada (Philippines).

saying goodbye

Last week, we started saying, "Goodbye" to this year's graduation batch. Most will return to their home countries in Korea, Cambodia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and, of course, Singapore, for minsitry; a few are headed for the mission field in Japan, India, and the Middle East.

The commencement ceremony on 18 May was well attended. More than 500 relatives, church friends, and supporters packed the hall at Bethel Presbyterian.

Some flew in from Korea, Taiwan, the USA and Cambodia to attend the ceremony. It's great to know so many people love you.

Well, our dear graduates, congratulations.

You have done well--to have completed the course, passed the exams, and run the race faithfully.

Don't forget the lessons you've learned.

David, I was touched when you said EAST taught you to be a better servant leader, husband, and father.

Jonathan, you said you were impressed by the life of Dr. Ho and want to be a caring leader like him. May God grant you your heart's desire.

Naleng, you're such a trooper, having overcome all odds to get this far. You've always moved us by your strong spirit. Continue to be strong.

Jesyln, Wan Jee, Catheirne, and so many others. Thank you for sharing how God showed you His love and provision while at the school, and how you learned so much from the multi-cultural community at EAST.

PS: Catherine, your Singlish is even better than mine.

As you go to your respecitve ministries, know that our heart and prayers are with you.

Take care, God bless, and don't forget to remember us.

Great Environment for Learning

Long before her last class this May, Bay Wa Jee (second from right)already knows she will miss EAST.

Top on her “miss” list is “the nurturing community of faculty and fellow class-mates”. “I enjoy their encouragement as well as courageous rebukes,” she says.

Before she came to EAST, Wan Jee attended a workshop by “Ministry Matters” on “Choosing A Bible College”. She discovered that, for her, a key criterion is an environment that would nurture her passion for the mission field. For the former stinter with Overseas Missionary Fellowship in Tokyo, that field is Japan.
“My Japanese classmates, namely Taka, Eri and Shinji, and former missionary to Japan, Casey Lok, helped to keep my vision—and Japanese language—alive,” says Wan Jee.
“And the diversity of culture—we often have six or seven nationalities in any one class—has given me the cross-cultural training I need when I serve in Japan [with OMF] later this year.” (In the above picture, Singapore, Malaysia, Korea, Myanmar, Taiwan ROC, and Japan are represented.)

Aside from the cross-cultural community, Wan Jee knows she will also miss the soaking into God’s Word, and mental and spiritual sparring with her classmates every day.
“Here we all know one another by name,” she says.
“We share the same love for the Lord and the harvest field.
“It’s a great environment for learning.”

BATAA & GANAA, WELCOME!

Bataa, who just arrived at EAST, represents one of the earliest groups of believers in Mongolia when it opened its doors to the world in the early nineties.

More than 70 years of communist rule had left the people hungry for economic expansion and spiritual things.

Bataa became a believer "by accident".

While traveling back from town one evening with two friends (the teenagers had planned to watch a 'bad' movie but the theatre was closed), he chanced upon people lining up along a street.

Curious, the boys joined in, and it turned out to be an evening church service the queue was waiting to attend.

Cut the long story short, he and his friends accepted Christ at the church.

Bataa was discipled by a Campus Crusade worker at university; and upon graduation, heeded God's call to join Campus Crusade as a full-time staff.

He spent a year in Singapore in 1997 to undergo new staff training and returned to his country to lead the student ministry.

Today, Bataa is back for theological training at EAST.

This time round, he came with his entire troop: his wife Ganaa, and two daughters Misheel (4) and Nanuun (3).

His dream is to be used by God some day to train his countrymen in the Word.

Over dinner at Pizza Hut, I asked how the family was adjusting to Singapore.

"At first my gals kept asking, 'Why is it so hot?'" said Ganaa.

"But now they're just happy to go swimming, and wear light clothes every day."

Their favorite place in Singapore so far? "The zoo!" was the uanimous reply.

Now that they have settled down nicely ("thanks to the help of many people"), Bataa is ready for serious business.

"Going back to school after 10 years hasn't been easy; but I'm enjoying the classes," said Bataa.

Placing his right hand on his left chest, he added,

"And here, the professors teach with heart.

"I love that."

"Fay's friends very good!"

On Dec 19, the village of Plentong in Johore Bahru, Malaysia, was devastated by the monsoons.
Forty-seven roads were closed and more than 150,000 lives were reported to be affected.

Plentong is the hometown of one of our students, Fay Yong.

"My family's coffee-shop and laundromat had waters reaching three feet high," says Fay.
"My uncle's home, along the same street, had waters as high as seven feet; almost everything was destroyed."

In response, EAST students and faculty took an offering which amounted to S$1,250.

"My family was very moved," shares Fay.
"Though they're non-believers, my parents wrote a thank-you note that ended with 'may the presence of Jesus Christ be with you all.'"

Fay believes God has used the family at EAST to help open her parents' heart to the Lord.
"They're telling people,
'Fay's friends very good.'"

COMING HOME

This week Didymus Ramshang from Manipur, India, is back for a visit.

It was such a pleasant surprise to see him suddenly appear at chapel on Wednesday.

In case you're wondering, Didymus (Mus or Amus to his pals here at EAST) graduated last year and is serving the Lord with Church-Based leadership Training (CBLT), in North India.

The para-church group trains pastors, church workers and missionaires to reach out to unreached people groups in India.

(Did you know of the almost 7,000 unreached people groups of the world, 2,327 are in India?)

I'm so glad some of our graduates are directly involved in discipling workers who will reach these people.

Back to the chapel, I saw Mus crying at the first song.

When I talked to him later, he said he was "just so happy to be back."

"Yes, I shed tears because sitting here brings back so many wonderful memories," he said.

"I grew up here, I learned very important lessons here, I made some life-long friends at this school. You can't imagine how much I treasure the time I spent here," he added.

"I really miss this school.

"This is like coming home."

SPRING CLEANING

Yesterday we had 'spring cleaning' at our school.
Everyone--the faculty, office staff, students, and the two kids of Chun-Suk who were having their Korean school break--chipped in.

I must say 'spring cleaning' is a GREAT idea.
There's something about getting rid of dirt together that bond people.
And it's wonderful to come back to a cleaner school.

This, by the way, was our second spring cleaning exercise this year.
Last month faculty and students went to an old folks' block nearby to help 15 households clean their units.
Most of these old people live alone.
The lady our group visited is a widow whose husband died five years ago.
"Better don't trouble my children," she said.

Paul Park and James Na washed her windows, Roland scrubbed her kitchen, Benson mopped her floor while I sat and talked to her (hey, the guys insisted, ok?).

Found out one of her sons is a believer. But she's a Taoist.

Before we left, we had Siew Hong, who's a nurse by training, come over from another unit to look at her swollen wrist.
Then we prayed for her and left.

Training Leaders for the Global Harvest--
that's the dream of EAST.
A leader is a servant.
Humble.
Willing to get down and dirty.
Loves people.
Spring cleaning--

does its job.