Well ok...i know this post is old..very old..i totally forgot to post it last year..well my frens..its better late than never rite...=)
Its been almost two
months now since i left Hadyai, Thailand, 7 months since i left home. I’ve
started my new journey, my new chapter and i am very excited to see how God
leads me from here. It was never easy for me to leave my comfort zone, to leave
everyone i loved behind to a land where i don’t even understand their language.
But i know God has a special plan for me and leaving home was part of it. My
7 months in Thailand was indeed a very special experiences that i will cherish forever.
It was a time of learning, self discovery, and drawing close to my Lord and
saviour Jesus Christ. I had a journal last year title, The Beginning of Me. I
thought it would be a good title has i was about to start a new chapter in my
life. I thought i knew myself and wanted to see how far i can go the distant.
But God had a diff plans altogether. He simple had to struck me hard and make
me realized that i am nothing before him. Thats when i truly discovery myself.
Who am i? I am Jonathan, and i belong to Jesus. That is my identity. How could
i not see it all this years? And why must i discover it only in Thailand? I
believe god has his ways, and its best we don’t question them. Even if we do,
we won’t be able to understand it.i realize God has a very special plan for me,
and that he wants to use me to make a change. I know right there and then that
if i let go of this opportunity, il never get it back. So i gave in to God’s
plan. And have never look back since. 7 months have passed. And i’m now in Seremban,
serving TMC Seremban under the care of Rev Sandi.
I know i’ve given my life to
do missions. I felt that it would be a waste of time putting me in a church. It
felt like il be bind with the church system for no reason, so i thought, but
man i was wrong. Its only my 3rd month here and i’ve seen the side
of a church which i’ve never saw.i believe everywhere is the same. Ask any
pastor and he will sing you a song of the church he’s serving. I now know life
is not as it seems. Being a follower of Christ is never easy. And im witnessing
it every single day. Everyone has issues. Everyone has pain and hurts which
they cant hold on all by themselves. We all are fighting for our own survival
here on earth. What is the duty of the church? How important is a personal
touch, and care? I realize it all here. I came here without any expectations.
For one reason, i felt i was going to waste my time here, but the other reason
was i know even when il be wasting time here, il be learning something, and i
wanted to make sure i absorb whatever i can. Well i was surely so very wrong
about me wasting time here but i was so right that il be learning. Everyday i
am learning more and more about missions. And i realized once again that
everyday we waste not sharing God’s love, we are losing so so many opportunities to
increase His kingdom. What does missions got to do within a church set up? Well
i don’t know much but all i can say about missions is sharing God’s love that
he showed to us, the redeemed. And we are in return, should share that love to
his lost children. But the people in the church are already saved. Why waste
time here? This was the 1st question
i ask myself. my answer, after just three months,are they really save?
whether save or not, we face the world everyday. And the world we know and
loved so much is full of corruption and sin. And we are all bond in it. Being
in the church, ministering with pastor, all the visitation, prayer, and studies
really does make a change, and i am seeing it as a big mission field. It is a different
mission field but still a mission field. And i thank God for making me realized
this. I took a stand as soon as i reached here. My stand, have no expectation
what so ever. I want my time here to be a a very meaningful time and and i
leave TMC Seremban, i want to leave with so many lessons which will help guide
me through any rough times i may face in the futurewhile serving our God. I
stop writing my journal, the beginning of me long time ago. I’ve switch my
sights from myself to my God. All i want is His mighty hands to guide me
through, leading me to His cross alone.
K
aneh is the other student pastor entrusted to Rev Sandi for the year. I’ve
known aneh and his wife, Karen akka for a long time now. First of all, it was
surely God’s intervention that brought aneh and myself here. We were both not
suppose to be here, but for some reason, God wants us to be here. I could not
have ask for a better housemate, and a fellow brother to learn how to serve
God. Aneh is so experienced in our conference, especially with the youths and
the church dynamics. Im truly blessed because not only im learning from Rev
Sandi, I am also learning from aneh every single day. Aneh is a married man
with a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. As a son and husband he has his
duties which he needs to fulfil. But aneh gave it all up to serve god. And for
that i am sure God will look after his family. Seeing aneh, and being with him,
i realized that i have a long way to go and i need to be prepared for all that.
Being a pastor, or a student pastor was never going to be easy, and k aneh is a
perfect example. He needs to look after his family plus give all his time to
serve God. I don’t know exactly how it feels, but i know im not prepared for
all that. it is only by God’s grace aneh is standing firm. Praise God
Rev Sandi is the pastor in church of
TMC Seremban. Pastor is also the DS of the southern district. Well we know what
the say, with great powers, comes great responsibilities. Pastor Sandi is like
a machine that never stop working. I don’t know from where he gets his energy,
but i am so amazed to see pastor work so hard in everything that he does.
During my time in Thailand, when we got to know that il be send to TMC
Seremban, Jesu aneh, Uncle Sam and Uncle Jayaraja expressed their delight. They
all told me that i will be in save hands and that pastor was also a mission
man. Pastor sandi and his family have
been so so good to me and k aneh. They are our only family here in seremban.
And i really thank god for blessing us with such wonderful people. Pastor sandi
makes me feel like giving my all when im already trying my best. We can never
sit and relax around when we’r called for something great. Thats what i feel
when i am with pastor. God has a purpose for us, and till we achieve it, we
cant take anything lightly. Its a serious ministry we are in and pastor sandi
makes k aneh and myself see the seriousness in serving our god. Pastor is
always on the move, and being in a big church does not make things any easier
for pastor. But he still faithfully serves God and he’s call. I pray and hope
that i can be able to serve god in the same way. I see that god will bless us
if we faithfully serve god. And god has been faithful to pastor Sandi. Being
with pastor makes me feel so excited to know our god more because pastor is
also a man who is very knowledgeable. I like being with him because there’s
room for me to provoke my thoughts and the understanding i have of the things
around me and therefore giving me a better understanding of God, life and
everything that involves. K aneh and myself feel that the best place to be in
seremban is with pastor. And we never want to miss any opportunity of learning
with pastor Sandi. I believe god has sent me to the right place, and i believe
that god will use pastor Sandi to help me understand my call better.
Why am i here? Because i answer
god’s invitation. Do i regret it? Never! I am never going to look back. God has
being so faithful in blessing my family, leading us through all the hard times.
He’s hands was upon me, even when i let him down so many times before, He
choose to use me. I am nothing before my God. Not worthy of his call. He can
easily do everything he wants without any help, but he still ask if i can do it
for him. Thats how much my god loves me and trust me. I love my God and i know
nothing can ever take God away from me. He’s my 1st love and i want
to forever be faithful to Him. God has been leading me in a very special way.
From who i was before, to Thailand, and to Seremban. He was leading me all the
way. There are times when il be discourage and let down, but i know i am not
alone because my god is standing right next to me holding me from falling. My
mother shared with me something very recently. He advice me not to hold on to
him because when trouble times hit, we tend to let go of Him, but ask God to
hold on to us. And thats what i have ask God. I want God to hold me and never
let go. Serving him and reaching out to his lost children is all that i ask
for. It was hard to settle down here, it was totally a different set up from
Thailand. But God has bless me with so many wonderful people to look after me
and care for me. During trouble times, God is also showing me there’s a ray of
hope and joy when we serve god. And the peace i have in serving my god can
never be compare to anything. I pray and ask God that he will guide me through
hard times and that il not get easily discourage but i will stand firm in
serving god, making a change because my god who called me is faithful.