Missions in MHI?
Last year from the 9th
April to 16th April 2000, I was asked to follow the Missions Team to
Kunming as part of the Yi Outreach Project by Wesley Methodist Church. The team
consists of 8 people including myself
and David Lee. The aim of the team is to
help the missionaries in Kunming under Project Grace to train barefoot doctors
from the villages and at the same time reachout to them. Only 3 of us are doctors. The rest went as
support staff.
I was reluctant to go
at first, but I was enticed with the information that Project Grace has another
project involving outreach to the Deaf in Kunming as well as in the
villages. I was keen to discover how MHI
can touch bases and thus support the project in the not too distant future.
We arrived in the
capital of Yunnan, Kunming and checked into the hotel. Project Grace was
located beside a school for the disabled which included Deaf and blind
people. The schedule was very busy and I
had no chance to meet up with Deaf people for a few days. I had to complete the
project which the team initially came to do; that is to go to the village and
treat simple illnesses and provide medical care. We were out on the field for 4 days.
After we got back, I
immediately met the missionary there who worked with Deaf people. The worker is
from England. She has learnt to speak Mandrin as well as learn Chinese sign
language. She works full time with Deaf students there and organise activities
as well as coordinate traditional crafts workshop training. The training helps the Deaf learn to earn a
living making crafts.
We quickly became
friends and I got to learn about the purpose of the outreach. Most of the students there live in faraway
villages and they came to stay at the school with her for a couple of months. Thereafter they leave and most do not
return. We also went to visit the Deaf
people living in Kunming. I spent a
whole day with them for a picnic at the park.
There we shared our experiences as Christians.
When I got back to
Singapore, I shared my ideas with MHI. I
feel that MHI will be able to be a blessing to those Deaf people in Kunming,
China. MHI is able to provide social services to the Deaf in Singapore and we
have a group of capable Deaf youths who are able to reach out to other
youths. We can show the love of Christ
to them because China is still not open to the Gospel in many areas. People are still afraid to preach openly, but
the love of Christ can be communicated through the language of signs as well as
HI who love Jesus. I believe that one
day, MHI will be involved in Missions to fulfil the Great Commission of Christ.
Victor Keng
Volunteer
No comments:
Post a Comment