First Week in August

My son and his wife had left Sabah to return to New Zealand. They were back in Kota Kinabalu for three weeks. And the first week of August is about to be concluded. It's been amazing week, but the struggles of church life remain. In the elders' meeting, I told them that with the pastor gone for one week (last week I preached in another SIB church) and I did not attend the rehearsal, it was reported to me that the music was way too loud.

I told my elders, whether I needed to be there all the time and how come senior leaders dare not tell the musicians and singers to tone down the volume? I know the answer, people just don't want to be the "bad guy" or offend others. I felt it is as if they had understood nothing, none of them. It was pretty tough what I said in the meeting but it had to be said. 

But preaching in another church last Sunday was an awesome experience. The song leader was great and I led a song of response after the sermon and it went great with the worship leader, singers, tambourine dancers, great musicians all doing their part in the Lord's service. 

Perhaps it was good that I ministered outside from time to time. I received another invitation for the the fourth week of August and the fifth week (this August we have 5 Sundays) I am travelling to a faraway village into the interior of Sabah, near the Sarawak and Kalimantan border. 

Out of 250 church members in this SIB church last Sunday when I asked whether anyone knew where Alutok was, one hand was raised. In fact, we have one church member who is from that same village that I visited on my 32nd birthday in July 1996. I thought of visiting them next year but the Lord opened the door of ministry sooner and it is in my bucket list to preach again in 50 out of 120 SIB churches that had previously invited to preach. It is now the 6th or 7th church that I had gone to in the last couple of years and I trust the Lord that before I turn 70 I would have reached all 50 churches and preach to the next generation and declare God's power to them.