Mission Trip

When the Principal of the Bible College that invited me to teach an intensive course on Johannine literature asked me how I felt about returning to the Campus after 2 years, I told him that I took it as a mission trip. In fact, I stayed in the same house I stayed for two years called the Maroon house, next to the Hostel. But the same problems persisted like there was no running water the next day after my arrival last Sunday until I left this morning. It was a trial but I persevered as someone fighting in a war. When you are on a mission, you make do with what you have and never complained. I only asked the student to fetch me water on the last day of lectures as all my water containers were all dry.

I gave a 4-hour lectures during the day and a 2-hour lecture at night with long breaks in between. My voice was coarse by the 3rd day and I drank hot lemon and on occasions green tea to get the best out of a long week teaching marathon sessions. I taught five books in all including the Gospel of John and the book of Revelation in the last three days. I did not go to the town centre in Ranau until the last day when a former student invited me for a meal at one of the new cafes near Ranau. He is doing very well in home village, pastoring the church there and with his agricultural and marketing skills he told me that the church's finances had never been better even during the pandemic. 

My predecessor who pastored the church I just left in KK happened to be at the College for a visit and we shared how the KK church's finances were strong. But his current Keningau church is not doing too well. I did not want to claim credit for my former church's finances so I said in front of the faculty that it was my predecessor's hard work that laid the foundation for growth. A simple answer to why the church's finances grew during the pandemic comes down to the pastor taking the lead in ministry, in courage, in pastoral care of the flock and in opening the church's doors and members returning in droves every time when we opened. To God be the glory in Christ Jesus and in the church.