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."