PLMC Stories
痛苦中的安慰 – 胡秋萍姐妹见证
我虽然行过死荫的幽谷，也不怕遭害，因为你与我同在；
你的杖，你的竿，都安慰我。(诗篇 23:4 和合本 )
24年12月22日，我在停车场不慎摔倒，后脊椎骨和头向下冲击跌倒，顿时疼痛袭遍全身。过了很长时间，我先生才可以扶我起来慢慢走回住所。我原以为休息一下就会康复，哪知隔天凌晨腰椎间盘疼痛难忍，我们立刻去了盛港医院紧急部门看医生，照了x光片得知脊椎骨第十二节有裂痕(Hairline Cracks )，于是医生为我打了强力止痛针和吃强力止痛药。
药物的副作用使我没胃口进食。连续两个星期，每次半夜下床去如厕时，腰部神经线都撕心裂肺的痛。这过程需要最少半小时，并且痛到全身大汗才能站起来。因此，每晚上床睡觉时，我心里都恐惧害怕。于是我立刻转向神，呼求阿爸父挪去我的负面想法，让神的平安覆盖我！每次在疼痛中，我唯有呼求阿爸父，救救我！非常奇妙，每一次我呼求阿爸父时，都感觉到有一股力量扶持、安慰我。感谢有主，祂确实是我随时的帮助，祂的杖和杆在困苦时都安慰扶持着我！
圣经说，神使万事互相效力，叫爱神的人得益处！事情发生在圣诞节和农历新年期间，过去几十年里，这双节期间我会非常忙碌，忙着做糕饼、繁杂的年菜，很少停下脚步。然而，疼痛使我今年必须完全停下忙碌的脚步，每天倚靠、仰望主的恩典。藉着这次的经历，神要我学习的功课是：休息、忍耐、等候。虽然至今我仍在康复中，不能久站立或行走太远。但我每天都仰望祂的恩典，经历祂的医治，並相信祂必按着祂的时间使我完全得痊愈。
我要感谢亲爱的天父时刻与我同在！我也要感谢主赐给我好的先生，对我无微不至的照顾，也通过教会的牧者、弟兄姐妹和小组组员来探访慰问我，也为我祷告。这些都带给我无限的暖意和力量。感谢上帝，感谢活石大家庭，荣耀归主！阿们。
Engaged and Ready to Say YES to Missions by Missions Team
We are grateful to our Lord Jesus for a good turnout of about 230 participants for the Missions Engagement Event on 26 Oct 2024.
During the first session, Missions Director Scott Tey spoke on the call for believers to do missions:
He told them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into His harvest field.” – Luke 10:2
From this verse, he added, there are three very important points to from Jesus’ call:
- Jesus is the Lord of the Harvest!
- The harvest is plentiful, while the labourers are few.
- Pray for the harvest, and for more labourers.
Scott added: “To achieve the extensive mobilisation of PLMC to missions, we need to pray for the Lord of the harvest to convict and we need to pray for the empowerment of the Holy Spirit for the missions endeavour of PLMC.”
The session closed with time spent praying for God to move in the hearts of His people, so that they will say YES to Missions, which is the tagline for our Year of Expansion.
During the second session, Lucy Lo shared about what to expect on a Missions Exposure Trip (MET) while Sim Ting covered what Short-Term Missions Trips (STM) are like. Members who had gone on MET previously also talked to the participants about their experience.
Having gone on Missions trips as a cell group and family, Desmond and Meilian Chung said: “Serving in missions enables our children to learn how to be a blessing to others through the act of giving. When we give our money, time and talents, we give a bit of our own selfishness away in the process. We become less self-focused and more ‘other-focused’.”
Another member, Francis Lee, shared how God has used him in Missions in the last couple of months since he retired from work.
“Every challenge is an opportunity to glorify God. Pray to ask God what He wants you to learn from it,” he said.
Three workshops followed, which were well attended. The one with missionaries and missioners helped participants understand the essence of missions and the missions endeavour of PLMC. The second workshop focused on working with refugees. Participants went through some simulation scenarios to gain a better understanding of the plight of refugees. The third workshop showcased the ministry of ElShaddai which prompted a number of participants to show interest to go on an MET to serve in this ministry.
In John 4:35, Jesus stated: “Do you not say, ‘There are still four months until the harvest’? I tell you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are ripe for harvest.”
The call to action here is a strong reminder that the time for missions is now. Let’s say YES to Missions!
Prepare to say YES to Missions with the training programmes here. Check upcoming Missions Exposure Trips here.
God’s Perfect Timing by Su Mei Lenden-Hitchcock
It was day 8 post-tonsillectomy and I was frustrated. For a few nights now, I had been unable to sleep at night. I would be utterly exhausted and struggling to stay awake but the moment I turned off the light and lay my head on my pillow, I would be wide awake. I had been taking melatonin to help me sleep, with limited success. That night, I was fed up and didn’t want to take it.
After tossing in bed for almost 2 hours, I decided to sit up and scroll through Facebook. About 20 minutes later, I felt a lot of thick saliva in my throat. I thought I had better check as I had suffered a small bleed earlier in the morning. True enough, my throat had started bleeding again. I quickly sucked on some ice and the bleeding stopped. Less than 15 minutes later, the bleeding restarted. I didn’t want to go to A&E because I figured it would stop again soon, but I felt a sudden sense of urgency to get to A&E. As I prepped my bag, I realised that the blood wasn’t stopping and I just kept spitting blood whenever there wasn’t any ice in my mouth.
I rushed to A&E, where the doctors tried to cauterise the bleed to avert the need for an operation. However, the ENT doctor could not stem the flow of blood. Whenever she cauterised one area, another would open up and bleed again. The specialist surgeon was called and I was prepped for emergency surgery.
Other than constantly spitting out a lot of blood, I was generally feeling ok. But just as I was about to be wheeled in to surgery, I suddenly felt woozy. Everything looked a bit grey and grainy and I didn’t feel good.
As I lay down on the operating table with the oxygen mask, I could feel the blood pooling in my throat and prayed for God’s protection because I didn’t want to leave my children (Isaac and Iva) without a mother.
When I awoke after the surgery, I was told that just before I went under general anaesthesia, the bleeding suddenly became severe. Within the short time between intubation and finally cauterising that troublemaker of a blood vessel, I had lost 500ml of blood from a tiny hole.
It was only when I was discharged that the gravity of the situation hit me.
It had taken 30 minutes for the specialist surgeon to get to the hospital and for the doctors to prep for my surgery. Had I gone to the A&E a little bit later than I did, I wouldn’t have been in surgery to stop the bleeding in time and would have lost even more blood.
I had been so frustrated with God for not giving me sleep the previous few nights. Yet if I had taken melatonin and it was effective, I might not have woken up in time.
I felt the weight of God’s protection, grace and mercy over me. In protecting me, He showed me His immense love for my children too, whom I value very much. This incident was also a reminder to me that God is always good. Even when He does not answer my prayers for simple things, He has a good reason for it. The original date of my tonsillectomy had been postponed from August due to a bout of tonsilitis. This was also His mercy because if I had done the procedure as planned, this post-op bleeding would have required me to take no pay leave from the school where I teach, as it was not yet the school holidays. All these things I could not see except in retrospect.
This incident drove home the message of His grace, sovereignty and goodness over my life. Indeed His goodness, mercies and grace abound. All praise and thanksgiving to Him who is most High.
Serving with Excellence by Geraldine Yeo
October was when Paya Lebar Methodist Church celebrated the ministry of lay Christians, who are answering our Lord Jesus’ call for His followers to serve, just as He Himself did.
Festivities kicked off on October 6, with the Children’s Ministry presenting a rendition of the all-time favourite, Jesus Loves Me, during the Celebration Services, in praise of whom we serve. Fun and games awaited the little ones at the Haven. The Youth Ministry played games and invited members to share words of wisdom as a blessing for the next generation.
The Ministry to Young Adults set up a coffee and chat corner while our Filipino family blessed us with song and dance. The Prophetic Art exhibition drew a steady stream of visitors who were blessed by the works that married prophetic wisdom and creative expression. Members also lent strong support to the Purple Parade and its message of inclusiveness, snapping up carnival tickets and limited-edition merchandise.
On October 13, the Worship & Music Ministry took centre stage, with The Psalters Choir and worship team leading us in deeper praise and adoration of our Lord during the Celebration Services. The Audio team and His Media were out in force to share opportunities to serve, while Communications team recorded content for upcoming social media posts. The Cell Ministry and Men’s Ministry shared about their programmes while blessing congregants with a variety of delectable snacks and balloons.
The third week was largely about Missions, with the soft launch of the Year of Expansion during the service. Worshippers received globe savings banks so they could be reminded to pray for missions and save up for mission trips. Country-specific prayer cards and snacks were also shared with congregants. Also showcased were the courses offered by Discipleship & Nurture as well as Pastoral Care & Spiritual Formation. Both ministries also shared their need for course facilitators and members to visit home visits.
Bringing Laity Month to a rousing close were the Ukulele and Line Dance teams from the Glowing Years Ministry who thrilled onlookers with their presentation. The Outreach Ministry and the ladies of the Women’s Society of Christian Service shared opportunities for worshippers to be a blessing to the less fortunate, while Family Life Ministry showcased its programmes to strengthen marriages and families to impact the next generation.
Praise the Lord for His faithfulness to PLMC, enabling us to grow our ministries and going with us as we seek to bless the community within and outside our four walls. May we continue to be faithful in love and good works for His glory!
Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:58 (NIV)
Men in Engagement Retreat 2024 By Marcus Ang, Chairman of Organising Committee
The Men’s Ministry Retreat 2024 was held on the 31 Aug 2024 at the Jordan Hall. The event drew 60 participants and was well-received. The theme of the retreat was Men in Engagement.
The event was under the cool and engaging control of James Tham as our poised host/ He was also heavily involved in the planning and execution of the retreat. Kicking us off with the opening address and prayer was Chong Soon Fook. We were then spiritually led into worship by our worship team of Ezekiel Ang, Emmanuel Ang and Michael Aw Yong.
The first speaker was our beloved Director of Outreach Eugene Cheong. He spoke on Men in Engagement, and we were all enlightened on how we as men have gifts to reach out in Power and Love. Our next speaker was Jason Wong, founder of Dads for Life and the Yellow Ribbon Project. Jason pointed us to the tip of the iceberg as he spoke on ‘Men and the Family’. He challenged us men to be in tune with God and to receive forgiveness, healing and restoration from the tree of life (the cross).
The speakers rounded up the evening with a fireside chat where questions and feedback was gathered and addressed with Slido. The Q&A session was engaging and many of us wished we had more time for it. Phototaking was then followed by a sumptuous buffet dinner.
The retreat offered us a glimpse of the wonder of how we as men could influence our loved ones and community to be all that God intended for us to be. We are blessed, so may we bless. To God be the Glory!
Special thanks to Cell Ministry Director Samuel, Senior Executive Justin Hu and the organising committee.
God Sees and Heals by Tina Ho
At the 9am English service on 1 September 2024, Brother Kwang Meng was giving the Word of knowledge when he mentioned someone has a growth on the right side of the neck. I was shocked to hear it and said to myself, “ Wow! Spot on!”
I had gone for a heart MRI in July. The doctor said my heart is beating well and strong. The only thing was that they had found that my right thyroid was enlarged. The doctor referred me to the Ear, Nose and Throat department and ordered a scan before my appointment there. On Monday right after the service (2 September), I was told that the scan results were clear. The growth was nothing but soft tissue which can go off by itself and there was nothing to worry about. I was curious and asked the doctor, “How sure are you?”
She mentioned that the images of the scan are different from that of cancer. She added: “I don’t need to see you again. You are discharged!”
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord! He is always with me and beside me. He is greatly to be praised.
Thank God for sending the message through Brother Kwang Meng and thank you all, my church family, for your prayers.
