I know What It is to Be in Need

Darry Lucas | MDiv Year 3 Student

How wonderful and meaningful was the experience that we had during the mission trip to Sabah (Kota Kinabalu-Kudat-Kota Belud-Kundasang-Kota Kinabalu) from May 13 to May 22. There were 19 of us. Dr. Tan Swee Bee was in charge of this mission trip. The mission trip this time involved going to the Protestant Church in Sabah (PCS), a local church in Sabah.  The theme taken from PCS’ yearly calendar is “Kehidupan di Bawah Naungan Kasih Tuhan,” and it clearly reflected our task on this trip.

Visit church members at Kg. Pinawantai, Kudat, while walking alongside other members of the church

The enthusiasm for anticipating the wonderful things that occurred on this trip was seen in counting down the days until the mission trip in Sabah. On May 12, we departed from Seremban and landed in Sabah just before midnight. We stayed at the PCS Bandaraya Church in Kota Kinabalu for one night, and even though I was worn out and restless, I was also glad to have begun the journey. The ability to examine various perspectives on each situation was one of the nicest things about the mission trip to Sabah. We were not able to travel to other destinations as quickly as we would have wanted due to poor road conditions and infrastructure.

The team was invited to celebrate the Gawai and Kaamatan at Wisma Sabah Theological Seminary, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Some of the places do not even have basic facilities.  However, what amazed me was the unity and hospitality that the church members had showed us. They warmly welcomed us into their community. Although not all of them were highly educated, their hospitality was exceptional. There are lots of educated people around, but they can be heartless and selfish. Serving in the rural area helped us realise how blessed we are that we can live comfortably. Also, we even considered the difficulties the early church faced as they patiently spread the gospel. Even though they were not rich and resided in the kampung (Pinawantai and Tinutudan), the people there embraced us as their family. Serving the Rungus people group was a fantastic experience for me. I was quite impressed with their friendliness. They gave us the best seafood and kampung meals to eat.

Children’s ministry on Sunday at Kg Pinawantai, Kudat

Despite being a native of Sabah, I have seldom travelled to other locations in that state. Going on this mission trip made it easier for me to see how the ministry could grow in other places, which was why I participated in this community engagement trip. This trip, in my opinion, has the potential to encourage and strengthen other churches’ Christian well-being. Our mission trip to Sabah taught me many amazing things, which were all wonderful. I saw that, despite the poor infrastructure, the village church diligently served the Lord. As was mentioned by Paul in Philippians 4:12 NIV, “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty.” There was no whining but only thankfulness in every circumstance once we learned what Paul meant.

I believe that this mission trip is the ideal opportunity for the younger urban generations to understand and appreciate how fortunate they are to have wonderful infrastructure. They should use this opportunity to experience God and lead many others to Him. Otherwise, we will lose a lot of souls. On that note, we should make use of the opportunities at hand. I want to express my gratitude to STM for allowing me to share my personal experience and information about this mission trip. It turned out to be a really beneficial experience for me to serve in the mission that God has given.