Lawas Outreach

The Lawas Outreach 7 - 13 June 2009 was planned after the cancellation of the Phang-Nga Outreach, Thailand. (Pro 16:9 We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.) I guess that God knew what He was doing after all and I needed to trust Him in every situation.

The planning started many months before June, I was trying to co-ordinate the logistics, transportations and possible ministry opportunities in Lawas together with Pr Sumping Gawan, a friend we came to know during his stay in Penang with his wife Elizabeth and two sons, Evan and Aaron. Planning this trip was exceptionally difficult due to the unpredictable culture of the people in Lawas, Pr. Sumping always tells me over the phone "don't worry about anything... just come." Being an "ahead of time planner" I have to again trust God with the unknown and unforeseen.

As we depart on the 7th of June, events just fell into place as if God was a few steps in front of us! We arrived at Kota Kinabalu the 1st day and was pick up by Richard Sigar, a man with a few words but gentle as a dove. He drove us pass the border of Sabah to Sarawak and we arrived at Maktab Injil Malaysia in the evening. It took us 3 hours but it felt short because the journey to Lawas was painted with beautiful scenery of the Boneo continent.

We were welcome by Elizabeth and her 2 sons and we stayed at her house for the night. The girls Sarah Khoo, Joyce Lim, Tricia Yeoh, Tania Loke, Sharon Leow, Sarah Wong and my wife all squeezed into one room while Jin Ji (the only guy in the team) and me shared a big room to ourselves.

We were transferred to 4 different villages during the next four days, the first is Kg. Pengalih, second Kg. Air Terjung Batu Empat (one of the most exiting place for me), third Kg. Meriting and finally Kg. Baru. In all the four villages we were largely involve with the evening services. I preached every night while the team did their dance performance, skid and shared their testimonies. Jin Ji even had the opportunity to translate one of my messages and 2 testimonies. We were bless with some interesting adventures too during our stay in the villages, swim in the river and waterfall, took a river boat ride, saw the mangrove and enjoyed the breeze beside a huge river.

One of the things I've experience, or maybe learned the most came from the hospitality of the Lun Bawang people. Everyone is over kind, loves to shake our hands and fed us generously (six meals a day). I don't remember any time that I have felt a little hungry at all! The Lun Bawangs makes me feel as if they were close relatives... well, maybe a bit closer, even though I was a complete stranger.

I will try to be hospitable from now on and value relationships above task. "We cannot serve God unless we serve people, we cannot serve people if we don't have time." I asked the team to define "success in life" in comparison to the Lun Bawangs, for me, they are much more successful then a business man living in a high class apartment in Kuala Lumpur. Most of the people have lands, sufficient food, big houses, and most importantly, great relationships and strong families.

The only thing that was difficult for me was the humid weather that causes me to sweat constantly. Ha ha, if God sends me to Lawas, the first thing I would purchase is definitely an air-con!

Another significant lesson I learn from this trip as an outreach leader is that communication is so crucial, knowing my teammates and helping them all the way through is not an easy task. I'm the one who would always wake up first and go to bed the last, my mind is always analysing upcoming ministry, people, food, money, safety, solutions to complains and problem, etc, etc, while preparing my message mentally the same time. All this has brought me a tremendous appreciation for my DTS leader Chad who at the age of 23 when he took team of 20 people to Thailand and Bangladesh for 2 month. Through this I've also learned the leadership of Jesus that is to constantly love, serve, rebuke, correct and ministered without rest, but with the strength drawn from the Father. What can we do without Him.

We head back to Kota Kinabalu on the 12Th and was bless greatly staying in a nice apartment with AIR-CON and a swimming pool. Pr. Smping and his family came with us and we spend the day together. We woke up early on the 13Th and flew back to Penang at 7am. Saying good bye is never easy after such hospitable and genuine relationships. But, in the Iban & Lun Bawang culture there is never a "good bye" but "I'll see you gain..."