Called to East Africa To Kenya

(Testimony of Miss Bai Eun Young at the Family Worship and Prayer Meeting of True Life BPC on 5 December 2008)

 

 

My name is Bai Eun Young. I am Korean. I am serving in Bible College of East Africa (BCEA), Kenya, as a missionary. I give thanks to God for this opportunity to share with you about God’s leading hand to the place where He wants me to serve Him.

When I was young—about 10 years old—my Sunday school teachers used to show us Christian movies. One day they showed us a movie about a missionary serving in a remote area. The lady missionary seemed to be single and very active in helping others. I was very much impressed by her commitment in the movie. It was my first time to know what being a missionary was all about.

As I grew up I was more interested in secular works than Christian services. I thought I was pursuing the happiness of my life just as others were. But I found myself not satisfied. I faced problems in life. I needed counseling. One day, I had a chance to talk to a pastor whom I knew through my parents. I shared my problems. He listened to me. Then as he was telling me about Christian service, he mentioned about Christian calling, Bible colleges, and ministries, and many other things. I did not understand what he really meant, but it was my first time to hear about BCEA.

As time passed, I realized that I was called to serve the Lord. I got to know FEBC through my sister, as she was studying in FEBC at that time. I too joined FEBC. It was at FEBC where I learned my English and the Word of God. And there is another thing I experienced in FEBC. It was unique to FEBC too. It was the cross-cultural experiences you do not experience anywhere else. If you are a student in FEBC, you live together with Singaporeans, Indonesians, Malaysians, Koreans, Filipinos, and Kenyans. In this way, I learned to be more open to other cultures. On the other hand, it was in FEBC that I saw myself with many human weaknesses. I used to say to the Lord, if I serve the Lord in the future, it would not be because I was good but because of purely God’s grace.

When I was about to finish my Bachelor’s degree in FEBC, BCEA was again introduced to me as a good mission field. Since then, I started to have the desire to be there. But I did not know how I could be there as a missionary. I studied more and when I was about to finish my Master of Religious Education, my pastor of Korean Mission Church talked to me. “Miss Bai, would you like to be a missionary?” I said “Yes”. In July 2004 I was commissioned by the church to Cambodia for two years. During those two years, I learned the Cambodian language, I taught in Kampongsom Bible School. I experienced missionary life. There were times I felt scared and troubled. Yet I found myself making good adjustments to the environment, and handling things without much difficulty. I was convinced that I would go for long-term missionary service. However I was not sure if Cambodia was the long-term mission field for me.

I finished my two-year term. I shared with my church that I desire to be a long-term missionary. I asked for one year to pray for a mission field. I studied preschool teaching for one year to re-equip myself for mission field. I applied to BCEA. The church commissioned me to BCEA as a long-term missionary in December 2007.

Now it has been about 11 months since I joined BCEA. I am serving there as a teaching staff and Sunday school Coordinator. As you know there is a great need for theological training in Kenya. There are many Christians, but are they all Christians as they profess? When they come to the real life, the lack of Bible knowledge and Christian faith is something very obvious. For example, the election violence, those so-called Christians were able to kill others because of the hatred against the other tribes. BCEA is doing its part to meet the spiritual need in Kenya by training the local leaders theologically.

Since the BCEA has about 40 years of history, it has a well organized environment. It has a good and organized system which works. As for me, I found BCEA students gentle and kind. They speak English in class and speak Kiswahili in the dining hall. They talk using their own tribal language when they are in their respective tribal fellowships. There are 42 different tribes in Kenya. There are 42 different tribal languages and cultures. Also we have foreign students coming from other countries, like Ethiopia, Sudan, Congo and Tanzania. Being a missionary serving in BCEA, I faced challenges coping with the differences. Also there is a safety problem. Last August, one student went out from the school compound to take a walk. He was met with thieves on the road. He refused to give money. The thieves hit his hand with a sharp instrument. He hurt his hand until he had to cut off his right thumb. Nairobi is too dangerous to go out alone, especially for single, foreign ladies. Every Saturday, BCEA members join the Campus Church fellowship. We reach out different areas of the church members’ place. There, I can witness serious poverty even in my neighborhood. Concerning Sunday school, I have 50-60 children in my Sunday school. The number of children varies depending on the weather. When the weather is sunny they can come to church, but if it is raining they cannot come because of the muddy roads. All these are the challenges and tasks that I have to help and overcome.

When I teach at the college, I use English, when I talk to Sunday school children I need to use Kiswahili because Kiswahili is more common to them. I know I am not good in either language but by the grace of God I was able to serve this much. I will keep depending on God’s grace for the extension of His kingdom.

To Tanzania

(Testimony of Eld Tan Nee Keng)

I have been staying at the Bible College of East Africa (BCEA), Tanzania, for three months already. I thank God for keeping me well all these weeks. The Lord continues to teach me to trust in Him and I continue to let Him lead me. Surely it was He who moved the heart of my wife to come with me and stay for a few weeks. Just a few years ago, she would not even consider visiting Africa because she had always been a poor traveller, especially to places where there are no piped water and electricity. It was my dream that she would accompany me to Africa. She did and what a great job she did to help me settle in.

The Lord arranged for us to stay at the home of the Korean principal of the kindergarten for the first weeks, while waiting for the water to be piped into the college complex. However, when it was nearly time for my wife to return to Singapore, we decided to move into the guest house though we had no piped water yet. A few days later, against all odds, God must have moved the contractor to overcome the remaining difficulties to complete his job of laying the pipes that would bring drinking water into the compound. We were overjoyed when the water pressure was enough for the water to go up to the water tank on the roof of the two-storey guesthouse without the need for a pump! My wife unpacked our things and put them in order, and taught me the cooking skills I sorely lacked.

Berean Bible-Presbyterian Church in Singapore has been very supportive, from the pastor and his session to the members of the church. They showed concern for my needs and gave words of encouragement and advice and love gifts. This has helped to make things smooth for me. Two Berean brethren and Apasia (Tanzanian FEBC student who was home during the college break) were also very helpful when they were here. In the first weeks in Tanzania, we learnt how to travel to town by public transport, and where to buy things that are not commonly available, such as sardines and sauces. Apasia’s mother helped me to find a barber who knows how to cut my non-Afro hair.

The college environment is pleasant. Though the weather has been rather cold, it is getting warm in the afternoons. One of the first things we did was to drain the field of stagnant water to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes. In spite of this, during these few weeks, two persons staying in the compound contracted malaria. Early detection and medication helped them to recover quickly. The college has a small shamba (vegetable garden) and the students had the taste of the first produce last Thursday, 4 September 2008. Saplings of trees that are good for firewood have also been planted around the compound. Three units of the staff quarters are nearing completion. In the photograph, the one on the left is a twin unit. The other unit is on the right of the two-storey guesthouse.

We are praying for more students to enroll in the next semester. Some people have requested for application forms. There are seven students at present. I was glad to see that some of them who were very poor in English the last time I saw them in November 2006 have improved in their English. Besides Biblical studies, they are also taught computer skills and the English language. Other than general cleaning duties, they help in the maintenance of the place as part of their work scholarship. This includes slashing grass, chopping firewood and shamba work. Recently, they helped to repair the village road which leads to the main road because it had become too muddy for vehicles.

I thank God that He gives me good appetite for food, including the Ugali and beans that we have for lunch. I try to cook dinner for myself, though sometimes, because of time constraints, I take the evening meals served by the college. I had learned how to cut vegetables at FEBC, and this has helped me to prepare my meals quickly before the sun goes down. This is necessary as there is still no electric lighting at the guesthouse and mosquitoes visit the kitchen when it is dark.

Do be in prayer that the Lord will send more students in the coming semesters. Psalm 136:1, “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.” (Stop Press: Eld Tan Nee Keng’s application for a work permit has been approved by the Tanzanian authorities. Praise the Lord.)

 

Far Eastern Bible College

FEBC commenced its new semester on 2 January 2009 with a Day of Prayer and Registration. About 80 in the FEBC family gathered for a time of worship and fellowship at the Shalom Chapel, Calvary Tengah BPC. Missionary to Tanzania, Eld Tan Nee Keng (MDiv 08), spoke on the need to be likeminded and respectful in the Lord’s service using Timothy and Epaphroditus as examples (Phil 2:19-25).

We warmly welcome 8 new students from 7 countries: Degu Genffe Guyola (Ethiopia), Eliezeri Hura (Indonesia), Huynh Ngoc Chan (Vietnam), Lo Su Shiang (Malaysia), Joseph Poon (Singapore), Leon Wong (Singapore), and Youn Wan Wook (Korea). Another student, Johannah Jonathan Singh (India), will come when her student visa is approved.

We welcome Mrs Sharleen Eio Yi Wei (BA, NUS; PGDE, NTU) as English tutor. We also welcome back Eld Han Soon Juan (MA, Columbia University) who resumes teaching the Advanced English class after a year’s break.

The Lord is good to FEBC.