PLMC Stories
A Time to Commune with God By Chua Chor Ling, Samuel Lim & ZH Cai
Three participants share how they sought and met with God at the recent Tending the Soul silent retreat (29 May – 1 June).
Chua Chor Ling
The retreat was a much-needed respite and the first time in many years that I was able to have time alone for days at a stretch with the Lord. Before the retreat, my mind was constantly preoccupied with the endless lists of things to do both at home and at work leaving me fatigued, both physically and spiritually. I was looking forward to a much-needed rest, spending time alone with the Lord and seeking His direction for whatever is ahead.
My first night was far from restful. The Lord brought to mind burdens I had been carrying, including things that I had put aside and tried to forget. I spent the night sobbing as tears flowed uncontrollably. It was a very difficult night and totally unexpected. I was looking for rest but ended up feeling even more tired!
The next day, during the one-to-one session with the facilitator, I realised I needed to release my burdens before I could receive from God. As I read 1 Kings 19 later, I was reminded of how when I was seeking God’s voice in my busy days, I felt distant and could not find Him. Just like how God’s voice was not in the great and powerful winds, earthquakes and fires in my busy life, I needed to find a quiet place and be still to hear God’s “gentle whisper”.
I enjoyed walking the meditation labyrinth at the retreat center, where God told me many times to trust in Him even when my path seemed to lead me away from my goal. All I needed to do was to take one step at a time, stay focused on the path He has for me and surely, He will lead me to my destination.
He also showed me a cracked section in the path, where a tiny plant was growing out. “You only see the cracks, but I see opportunity for new life,” the Lord said to me. I was taken aback by how true it was! I had been so preoccupied with doing things right and often beating myself up over my inadequacies. Yet God showed me how the “cracks” in me actually allowed opportunities for me to grow and bear fruit. God is so good indeed in His unfathomable ways!
God continued to speak to me through many wondrous and amazing moments during the retreat—that I could always depend on Him, to remember to slow down in my daily life, and to just praise Him whenever I get impatient.
By the end of the retreat, I felt very well rested spiritually and mentally. God led me to mold a little camera as a reminder of my retreat experience. Just like a camera taking photos, each moment captured is unique and will never be exactly the same again when the moment has passed. In order to capture the God-moments , I need to have my lens focused on Him, to be receptive and ready with my finger on the shutter for the moments that God wants to show me, to be well rested and recharged like the camera battery, and to have my memory card emptied just as He lifted and emptied my burdens, so that I can fill it (myself) up with all the wonderful new moments that He is going to show me.
Thank you, God, for a most wonderful experience. You have showed me so much love and taught me even more! This retreat far surpassed my expectations. God really knew what I wanted and needed even without my asking. I am also thankful to my cluster, cell and workplace fellowship for keeping me in prayers. I look forward to the many more moments that God will continue to show me in the future!
Samuel Lim
I was in a period of transition between jobs, and came with the intention to hear and seek God’s direction with regard to my career and a particular request in my personal life.
The time of silence was unfamiliar and uncomfortable at the start. All I could hear were my own thoughts playing inside my head. However, this made me more conscious that I had come to the retreat with much restlessness and anxiety on the inside, even though I was physically rested. That evening, while walking the grounds of the retreat centre, I conversed with God and could not help but lay down these areas causing anxiety before God in prayer. As i was gazing into the night sky after praying, i felt an inner impression : “Have faith and trust God”. I instantly knew that this was God’s voice speaking to me for my situation.
I felt more “settled” into the time of silence the next day and there was a certain clarity in my mind, as the thoughts from the night before were no longer re-playing in my head. I learnt that we often need to go through a process of “de-cluttering” or “emptying” before we can fully receive God’s love and what He has for us. While taking a walk in the garden that morning, an impression came into my mind that my restlessness was caused by worry about certain events in the future that were outside my control. This must have been the Holy Spirit revealing this to me, and I immediately surrendered these events to God in prayer and felt a sense of relief.
As the retreat drew to a close, I realised that I had learnt to hear and recognise God’s voice speaking to me, which I could have overlooked in the busyness of life. I also cultivated a posture of prayer by learning to bring my requests before God regularly. I came back from the retreat comforted and my relationship with God strengthened during these four days.
ZH Cai
This retreat experience was the second time that I had attended a 4D3N silent retreat. I was very much looking forward to this time away from the busyness of life, into the quiet and tranquility that I have not been able to experience elsewhere.
Coming to this retreat, I had some concerns that I had wanted to bring before the Lord and wanted to seek Him for a sense of direction and clarity. This was particularly in the area of my career trajectory and whether I should pivot out into something quite different altogether. Having had an experience during last year’s retreat, where I had sought the Lord for similar things and received a word to simply trust Him, I had a sense that God would give me a similar response.
Yet, God in his sovereign wisdom chose to respond quite differently and far more explicitly this time. Through the time of meditation and reflection upon both His Word and the book, Every Good Endeavour by Timothy Keller, I ended up leaving the retreat with a far clearer and sharper sense of what God had purposed for the next season of my life. I also left feeling a deeper sense of peace and with a renewed perspective of the meaning of work.
All this was only possible because of the calming and quiet environment that was offered at the retreat centre. It truly is a place that offers a very unique opportunity for us to be still and quiet before the Lord – for our souls to more easily find the rest it so desperately craves in the midst of a constantly noisy and overstimulated world. I was certainly thankful for this opportunity and have every intention to retreat annually and intentionally care for my soul and spirit man.
Chang Qing Outreach
– Lung Talk
长青外展 – “帅医生讲肺话”
PLMC’s Livingstones Mandarin Service often hosts outreach events through its various ministries to share the Gospel and spread God’s love to pre-believers. On the morning of 29 June 2024, in partnership with other ministries, 长青 Senior Fellowship held an outreach event, “帅医生讲肺话”, which included a talk on lung health.
Praise The Lord! Some 125 people attended this event, of whom a quarter were invited guests. We kicked off by welcoming newcomers, followed by a warm-up exercise which was accompanied by an upbeat tune. Radiance and laughter filled the room as the congregation moved to the rhythm of the music. It was fun indeed!
Then came the sing-along of worship songs to adore and praise our Lord. Thereafter, the guest speaker, a pulmonologist, gave an informative talk on the respiratory system. This was so well received that after his talk, there was a lively Q&A session with a flurry of queries from the audience. There was also a quiz with attractive prizes.
The most important segment of the event came, when Mandarin Service Director Judith Ng shared the Word centred on Ps 139. She also explained how one could secure salvation through Jesus Christ.
By the grace of God, her sermon touched the hearts of many and five persons accepted Christ! Praise the Lord! There could also others who could had quietly offered their hearts to God. It is our fervent prayer that these new believers will grow in Christ in the coming days.
Of course, the whole program could not end without exclusive door gifts and a sumptuous lunch, where members and guests enjoyed a time of meaningful and joyous fellowship. Indeed, all attendees were abundantly blessed and touched by the Holy Spirit that day.
To God Be The Glory!
长青外展
2024年6月29日上午，在与其他事工的合作下，长青举办了一场主题为“帅医生讲肺话”的外展活动。共有超过125人参加了此次活动，其中四分之一是受邀的嘉宾。
活动一开始，我们欢迎了新朋友，然后进行了一场伴随着欢快音乐的热身运动，大家都玩的很开心。接着，我们一起唱了敬拜歌曲，敬拜我们的主。随后，特邀嘉宾，一位肺专科医生，进行了关于呼吸系统的精彩讲座。讲座受到了大家的热烈欢迎。讲座结束后，观众们纷纷提出问题，医生一一解答。活动中还进行了有奖问答，参与者赢得了丰厚的奖品。
最重要的环节是雅春传道的分享，她以诗篇139篇为中心讲解了的神的话语，并解释了如何通过耶稣基督获得救赎。在神的恩典下，她的讲道触动了许多人的心灵，有五个人公开接受了耶稣。我们确信还有一些人默默地将心献给了神。我们热切祈祷这些新信徒随着时间的推移会在基督里成长。
当然，整个活动的最后少不了丰盛的午餐与精美的礼品。在午餐时间，成员和嘉宾们愉快地交谈，享受着有意义的交流。随着活动的结束，我们确信所有参与者都得到了圣灵的丰盛祝福和触动。
荣耀归于神!
God’s Word through Prophetic Stone Painting by Abigail Teo
My encounter with God through prophetic stone painting began during my Crossover in Secondary 3 leading the Primary 6 to the Youth Ministry. This was in 2019 when prophetic painting seemed only like fun and games to us teens. We would pray and ask God what was on His heart but turn to apps like Pinterest for ideas to reference and copy.
During the Crossover, we laid the completed painted stones along our makeshift Jordan River and one by one we would pick a stone in faith that resonated with us. I picked a stone with a painted rainbow with the words “The rainbow represents my never-ending promise” written on it. I knew this verse Genesis 9:16 where God said He would remember His covenant between Him and all living creatures of every kind, a covenant promising His everlasting and living presence in us.
Then 15 years old, I was unable to grasp the depth and breadth of the meaning of the verse. I wondered… what covenant? What promise did He give me? Little did I know that He promised to journey with me through my valleys and assured that He would never forsake nor leave me at all times.
In my growing years, I struggled with fear, rejection, abandonment, loneliness and failure in many aspects of my life. The turning point came with the Holy Spirit’s manifestation when I saw that dusty painted stone rainbow parked in a corner of my room five years later. Somehow it captured my attention that afternoon. I was feeling anxious and overwhelmed as I was rostered in the band to play drums that weekend.
God has gifted me a passion for music and I yearned to serve and worship Him. My fear is that I’m not good enough! Yet.., over the years, I’ve been given opportunities to serve and play drums in many ministries such as Silver Boxes, Youth and Filipino Services before advancing to the band at the main service.
I do feel inadequate in my drum skills and had started off poorly – once, the video camera had even captured me carelessly dropping my drumsticks while playing, much to my horror and embarrassment! I am thankful for some great leaders/mentors in our church family like Uncle Alex, Uncle Tach and Uncle Jamin who built me up with so much TLC, encouraging and comforting me, giving me constructive feedback to better myself. The church family has given me a safe place to be nurtured and refined so that I can draw close to God.
And I am thankful for the inscribed stone painting of God’s promise of His presence in life’s challenges. I have gained much confidence in my drum playing now. Working in partnership with the Holy Spirit has made me realized that it is not through my effort alone, but that every good and perfect gift truly comes from heaven above.
Prophetic stone painting is now not just about a simple art activity to me but also a powerful tool to edify and encourage. It reminded me of a truth that I did not see immediately but experienced many times over since.
Thank God I’m Now Pregnant! by Nishanthini Tharmarasa
For over a year, my husband and I have been trying to conceive a child but had not been successful. Our hope began to wane, and the emotional toll was significant.
One Sunday, I attended church feeling particularly disheartened. During the service, the pastor and the congregation prayed for a couple who had been trying to have a baby for five years. I saw this as a sign and prayed fervently for my own situation.
As the entire church prayed, I poured my heart out to God, crying and pleading for His blessing. I visualised the joy and gratitude I would feel if I were to become pregnant. That moment of prayer was incredibly powerful, and I felt a renewed sense of hope and peace.
Miraculously, the following Sunday, I received the joyous news that I was pregnant. I was overwhelmed with gratitude and disbelief at how quickly our prayers were answered. This experience has profoundly strengthened my faith and made me realise the power of collective prayer and God’s responsiveness to our deepest desires.
I now understand that when a community comes together to pray, God listens and acts. This journey has been a testament to the power of faith, prayer, and the support of a loving church family. I am eternally grateful for this blessing and for the prayers of everyone who supported us. My story is a reminder that God hears us, even in our most desperate times, and that miracles can happen when we least expect them.
A Lifetime of God’s Faithfulness by Irene Qiu
I wish to share how the Lord has been faithful to my late grandmother throughout her life. She was bought up by her grandmother (my great-great-grandmother) since birth after her parents abandoned her.
Her grandmother was 80% blind and struggled to take care of her. However, she was a very faithful believer, full of joy and energy, and she always said God would provide and help them. One day, she prayed to God to let her see so that she could continue to take care of my grandmother, and dedicated my grandmother to Him.
God is good and a miracle actually happened. Great-great-grandma’s eyesight suddenly regained to 50 percent! She remembered her promise and my grandmother was baptised at the age of five.
Grandma got married at the age of 18. My grandfather was a gambler so she was forced to work as a part-time maid to help bring up their five children. Though her life was not smooth-sailing, she always believed God would provide and help her like He had always done, continued to give thanks to Him and do her best for the family. She even helped others around her with whatever little she had.
Once, her employer wanted her to wash clothes in water that was burning hot. When the family knew about it and asked Grandma if she was angry with the employer , she answered no, because God has forgiven us and as children of God, we should not bear anger or hatred towards others too.
Grandma took care of three grandchildren, including me. She did not have much money to provide them with toys they wanted but God never forgot her. Many times, she would suddenly find money on the floor to pick up!
Grandma moved in with my family in her later years, and attended the Mandarin service at Paya Lebar Methodist Church. After she had a fall and was wheelchair-bound, she could not go to church anymore. She continued to look at the Bible (as she can’t read) and pray faithfully for her family, giving thanks to God daily.
God brought Grandma home on 22 October last year, without much suffering, My mum and I were with her when she passed away.
I thank God for Grandma’s example of faith that has passed through the generations, and for His faithfulness to her and the family. His great love and compassion never fail, and His mercies are new every morning.
Delivered from the Deep Ditch by Leong Oi Leng
On 8 December 2022, a bright and sunny morning at about 9.30am (US time), my family and I were making our way to Las Vegas after holidaying in Lake Tahoe when we had a car accident. We were making a turn into a side road to check our map, not knowing that it was a ditch covered by tall bushes. Our car plunged right into a nine-foot deep ditch, hit a sign board and came to a stop.
My son and my husband who were seated in front were not hurt but I was badly injured. My collar bone, sternum, four left ribs and lower spine were fractured. I was conscious but I couldn’t breathe or move. I just cried out to Jesus to save me.
The Lord provided many angels in the form of passersby to help us. The driver in the car behind us called an ambulance and I was taken to Carson Valley Medical Centre. Because of the multiple fractures, though, I was then sent to the Renown Medical Hospital in Reno. I was put in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for observation. I activated my friends and staff team to pray for me.
Just before going through the MRI scan, I was anxious about having to go through any surgery. As I prayed, I felt a lightness come down over my heavy body and I knew that I was healed. God heard our prayers. The next day the orthopedic surgeon told me that there was no need for surgery, I just needed to wear a brace and continue to be monitored by a spine specialist back in Singapore. I stayed in the hospital for five days before flying to Los Angeles for the evacuation flight to Singapore. I was put in a business class seat so that I could lie down during the 16-hour flight home.
Back in Singapore, there were waves of healing when I was being prayed for. After just four weeks of medical leave, I could go back to work. Today, I am able to resume all my daily routines. The doctor told me that it would take six months for the fractures to heal. In June 2023, I went to Perth and could move around with ease. Indeed, I was completely healed. All glory to God!
After the accident, my son was traumatised and did not dare to drive again. In December 2023, when we went for a family holiday in Japan, we decided to drive for a day to visit the different lakes in Gotemba. Praise God, after we prayed and encouraged him to drive again, he did. it was a breakthrough for my son.
We can truly testify that God is with us and He is good all the time.
