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Volume. XXXIV, No. 41 Batam Missions (Part 1) Editor’s Note: This week’s article is the first of a series on our Missions Team’s trip to Batam in January 2020.
The Great Commission
The Lord Jesus Christ, before He ascended into heaven, gave a command to every believer and church to be involved in “The Great Commission”. Matthew 28:18-20 “18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. 19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
Since the year 2000, except between 2008 and 2017, Hope B-P Church has been sending missions teams regularly and frequently overseas. On a few occasions, these included doctors and dentists who provided treatment to the poor in Cambodia. Even before the Lord’s death, He had sent mission teams. One of these is recorded by Luke (10:1-20) and on this occasion, the Lord sent seventy of His disciples, in pairs, to places where the Lord would later go, to prepare the people to receive the Lord’s Gospel. Hence, there was precedence for mission teams!
The Lord commanded, and so, in obedience, we went!
Missions Team to Batam
A team of 12 went to Batam from Singapore by ferry in January 2020. This team consisted of Elder Michael & Sis Alice Lee; Sisters JL and YP (16-21 Jan); Bro CT & Sis JTan with their son, E (16-19 Jan); Bro WK & Sis AK with their children, J and B (18-21 Jan); and Bro RN (16-20 Jan). Bro CT & Sis JT attended Hope BPC in the mid to late 1990s. Their son, E, was 4 years old, and the youngest member of the team.
There were a few of us who had been to Batam since 2008 when we began to support a Bible-Presbyterian Church there. These included Pastor Ki, Elder David Yeo, Bro NJG and a few others.
Our church had always allocated annual funds for the Lord’s work there from 2008. After a visit and an assessment by Pastor Ki and Elder Michael Lee in early 2019, the Missions committee recommended that our church should be more pro-active in our involvement. In 2019, our church, through the blessed giving of our brothers and sisters, had contributed 10 new computer laptops for the primary school, and costs of fence repairs for the same school. This year we also provided computer parts to this school through the generosity of a member of the team.
What do we know of Batam?
Batam is situated in the Indonesian province of Riau Islands and is the largest city. The capital of Riau Islands province is Tanjong Pinang. This province, with a population of just over 2 million, situated just south of Singapore, is comprised of 1,796 islands! The island of Batam is just 20 km south of Singapore’s south coast. Batam’s administrative area includes the three main islands of Batam, Rempang and Galang. These three islands, connected by short bridges, are grouped together and are collectively called Barelang. Batam island is urbanised and is where industries are concentrated, whereas the other two islands are rural in character. Batam’s population is about 1.25 million.
The majority of the people in Batam are Muslims. Christians form the second group, followed by Buddhists and Hindus.
How did we get involved in Batam?
Nothing happens by chance! The sovereign God directed us there.
In 2008, the late Rev Patrick Tan invited Hope BPC to help a church in Batam city. This led Pastor David Weng and Elder David Yeo to visit Evangelist (Ev) ALP in 2009. From then on, Hope BPC began to help with annual allocation of funds but did not send an official missions team till January 2020.
Who is Evangelist ALP?
Ev ALP, a FEBC Singapore graduate (1993-1997), started Filadelfia B-P Church in 2004. This church has three deacons – A, K and T. Deacon A is Ev ALP's husband. They have three children – HA, M and O. H started work as an intern doctor on 23 February in Semarang’s Soewondo Pati Hospital (Central Java). M is about to enrol in university to do an engineering course, and O is still in primary school.
To be continued………. |
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