From June 1st to June 4th, a dedicated team of 26 enthusiastic individuals from Hope Kuching embarked on a long-anticipated journey to Singkawang, Indonesia, for the Cross Border 1.0 mission trip after Covid-19. On a Thursday morning, we congregated at Hope Kuching, anticipating the journey ahead. For some, this marked our first mission experience and challenged us to cross the border into new territory.
Over four exhilarating days, God’s grace worked through the team, extending His love and care to various corners of Singkawang, touching the lives of those we encountered. Our mission included visits and outreach to an orphanage, a youth group, a drug rehabilitation center, a Hakka community, a Sunday School, and even street evangelism at Singkawang’s shopping mall.
For our first task, our team visited an orphanage housing approximately 30 teenagers 45 km from the town. We were greeted with a traditional opening dance, setting a heartwarming tone for the day. Our team engaged the teenagers in ice-breaking games, praise and worship, an eye-opening skit, sharing sessions, and group discussions. During the ministering session, the love of God profoundly touched many young lives. We presented the orphanage with 29 sets of stationery, pillows, mattresses, a freezer, a stove, a rice cooker (10L), and a cooking pan. We saw how the children’s eyes brightened up when they saw the rice cooker; they had been praying for one because they were previously cooking rice with wood fire. It was amazing to witness how God engineered and answered prayers in such a remarkable way.
Following this visit, our team headed for street evangelism in a shopping mall, armed with small Sarawakian souvenirs. We reached out to strangers and shared the message of God’s love. Praise the Lord! Even though it was the first time for many team members, we mustered the courage to pray for strangers, and what’s even more amazing is that around ten individuals accepted Christ.
In the evening, we joined a vibrant youth gathering at a local church, ministering to the youth and imparting wisdom about ‘A Solid Generation.’ Naturally, the night culminated in delightful fellowship over supper, where the team and the youths shared life experiences and encouraged one another. It was so encouraging to hear their stories, especially how they encountered Jesus and the persecutions they faced just to be Christians. This further reminded some of us in the team about our own experiences for the love of Christ.
On the second day, we ministered to approximately 40 children in the Hakka community village. Laughter and chatter filled the room as the children eagerly awaited our arrival. We were told that the local church had set up weekly English tuition classes for the kids to engage them in Bible stories and Christian songs. It was refreshing to witness the act of kindness shown by these Christian brothers and sisters in Singkawang who were doing their best to bring the gospel to the community’s doorstep. We did our best to present a short skit, engage them in games, involve them in uplifting praise and worship, and give out small goodies and gifts. Witnessing the joy of the Lord in each child was a profound blessing.
Our next stop was a visit to a drug rehabilitation center, where we ministered to approximately 20 men. It was a heart-wrenching experience to hear about their struggles in leaving behind their old habits, but hearing their turnaround stories left us all feeling blessed and inspired. Pastor Daniel delivered a sermon on how God can turn a broken vessel into a beautiful golden vessel (Kitsugy), which led to heartfelt group discussions and uplifting praise and worship. Overall, we feel so blessed to have been able to share the love of God with them.
On the final day, the mission concluded on a high note as the team attended a Sunday School with over 90 enthusiastic children. The day was filled with games, uplifting praise and worship, an entertaining skit, and an inspiring message shared with the children. The children left feeling blessed, and the team departed for Kuching, making sure to pause for pit stops to savor some Indonesian delicacies along the way.
This cross-border mission trip, the first since the lockdown, was an overwhelming success. God’s presence and grace were evident throughout, working in ways beyond imagination.
