A Methodist Missions Society team visiting a village in East Timor. - MMS picture by ROBERT CHEW.
By QUEK KOH ENG
THE Methodist Missions
Society (MMS), in partnership with Transformation Alliance, a
Singapore church grouping, is starting to extend care and love
to the people of East Timor.
It is reaching out to the people
in Emera District (see map). There are 498 villages (known as
"sucos") spread out in 13 districts. Each village comprises
10 to15 smaller clusters called "aldeias". Emera District
consists of five Sub-Districts with Gleno as its new capital (a
region famous for the production of coffee).
The MMS plans to adopt these strategies:
1. To adopt a holistic approach to missions in an underdeveloped
country. It aims to help relieve poverty, hardship and build capacity
for livelihood that runs alongside the preaching of the Gospel,
making disciples and plantingchurch.
2. To take a long-term commitment in community development and
focus on training the youth and young adults, who constitute at
least 50 per cent of the population.
3. To form a strategic alliance with mission agencies which have
already established holistic ministries in East Timor.
4. It is only in a partnership approach with the Timorese right
from the beginning of any community project that the community's
sense of ownership, responsibility, self-reliance, and capacity
can be developed.
5. It is important and beneficial for us to establish communication
and understanding with the Catholic Church to share the love of
Jesus.
By anchoring Emera District, the MMS hopes to bring more churches
to adopt one of the villages and to start work mainly with the
children, youth and women. It will initially focus on Gleno (suco),
capital of Emera District, located in Talimaro a Sub-District
of Emera Kota. In addition, it will adopt two villages at the
outskirt of Gleno:
a. Moris Foun or " New Birth/Life", which will be adopted
by Living Hope Methodist Church, and
b. Nunusua, named after a "gum tree", which Paya Lebar
Chinese Methodist Church will consider adopting.
Another village, Morobo Village in Railako, is under consideration
for adoption by Mar Thoma Church. In the meanwhile, Mar Thoma
Church will assist us in educational and medical ventures.
In the short term, the MMS will focus on:
" Conducting English language teaching via the Radio Station
ministry for the whole Emera District;
" Conducting English classes in the two villages of Talimaro
via teams of teachers from Singapore (twice a year). The target:
school-going children and youths;
" The formation of a Youth Centre for teaching English, computer
classes, etc. There will also be the Sports Outreach and reaching
out through The Girls' Brigade and the Boys' Brigade; and
" The launching of medical and dental services in the two
villages of Talmaro and Gleno (twice a year).
In the long term, it will:
" Plan a Vocational Mission School offering technical courses
e.g., electrical, plumbing, machinery tools, and book-keeping,
to equip the youth with technical skills relevant to the economy
of the nation;
" Start village/cottage industries to help the women with
income-generating work, e.g., mushroom-farming, FAITH garden,
weaving-cotton etc; and
" Make Christ-like disciples via evangelisation activities.
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Let us be Good Samaritans to East Timor Provide the care the country needs so desperately |
The Methodist Church in Singapore
is praying for the people of East Timor and that peace and stability will prevail in the country.  A group of villagers enjoying the fresh air and the environment. - MMS picture by ROBERT CHEW. |
East Timor needs an encounter with Jesus, the Way, the Truth and
the Life. Hence, a critical need is to saturate East Timor with
Great Commission churches.
It is God's nature to care for the afflicted, poor and oppressed.
In Psalm 68:5, it says of God: "A father of the fatherless,
a defender of widows, is God in His holy habitation." That
is the character of God. He is a father to the fatherless and
a defender to the widows."
Then in Psalm 103:6, it says: "The Lord executes righteousness.
And justice for all who are oppressed."
Come and join the MMS in this exciting journey. What does it mean
to love people who are in need? Good intentions alone are not
enough! We need to put love into action and that means to love
your neighbour, East Timor. Putting love into action is giving
to the Lord so that we can make a difference.
Christian giving is the grace of God at work. God wants to express
His character through us (1 Chronicles 29:11). Christian giving
is a choice of faith that is not manipulated by emotion or the
need for social approval. Giving is an expression of a Christian's
thanksgiving to God for His surpassing grace and a means of supplying
the needs of God's people so that they in turn will be encouraged
and will praise God (2 Corinthians 9:12-13).
As God's stewards and His church, we are accountable for every
talent, time and treasure that God has entrusted to us - which
we are to use to serve others faithfully (1 Peter 4:10).
We must first offer ourselves to the Lord and then to others in
keeping with God's will (2 Corinthians 8:5).
No matter where we may already
be involved in regional missions, we can do more. We can go the
extra mile and be East Timor's Good Samaritan to give the country
the attention it deserves and the care it so desperately needs.
To "sow" in biblical times was to take some seeds in
one's hands, to "let them go" so that they could scatter
in the places where they might grow. The growing of the seeds
and the harvesting is not our business - that's God's. Our business
is to take the seeds that are in our hands and simply let go of
that which we know belong to God.
Will you begin "sowing" in partnership with MMS for
God's people in East Timor?
Quek Koh Eng is the Home Director of the Methodist Missions
Society.
He made two exploratory field visits to East Timor in May and
October last year, and subsequently a trip to confirm the adoption
of the villages and ministry work in the first week of May this
year. These field trips have left him a deep impression and understanding
of the challenges in relation to the country's strengths, weaknesses,
opportunities and problems facing the Government and the people
of East Timor.
QUOTE:
LOVE IN ACTION
'What does it mean to love people who are in need? Good intentions alone are not enough! We need to put love into action and that means to love your neighbour, East Timor. Putting love into action is giving to the Lord so that we can make a difference. Christian giving is the grace of God at work. God wants to express His character through us (1 Chronicles 29:11).'