The TS structure—morning teachings led by Dan and Suzie, ‘Shh times,’ which are an opportunity for participants to take time alone with God, discussions in net groups with coaches, and a variety of workshops and activities—help teens to build friendships, both with peers and adults.

“Sometimes we think we have to do life alone, but that is not how God made us. He designed us to need a ‘net’ support which is made up of two parts: One is that we need older people, mentors, or adults that we look up to and can learn from in their Christian walk, but we also need peers, same-age friends who walk along side of us in our walk with God,” Dan told the diverse group. “When we are alone in our walk with God, we can start out strong, but we will slow down, and when we trip and fall and there is no ‘net’ to catch you, you will falter.”

“I don’t really have any Christian friends, so I want to find some,” Jane, one 16-year-old, said. “I’ve been challenged to think differently about my problems... It’s easier to blame people sometimes. We learned about removing people from the problems.”

During a session on suffering, Dan and Suzie challenged people to keep their focus on God, which meant choosing not to focus on who caused a problem. “I’ve had a lot of conversations with people [who said] that was a very significant, very practical training,” Suzie said.

“I learned about persevering. How Joseph didn’t give up. That we need to look forward to what God’s plan is,” Thasa, a 17-year-old attending TS Malaysia for the first time, said. “They taught us to look from our problems to God’s plan. I have a group of friends at school who speak bad about me behind my back, but I realised I shouldn’t fight back. I need to show them a Christian love and just turn to God. It is hard to do, but it is God’s plan.”

One coach, Vanessa from Hong Kong, shared that her net group expressed that they knew they were God’s favourites, but easily forgot that. They liked how at TS Malaysia people came alongside of them and reminded them about God’s truth and encouraged them. “Praying for teens is very important to build up relationship with them!” Vanessa concluded about her first experience at TS Malaysia. She was able to connect with one of her teens especially when they spent a time of prayer together during a worship night. “We hugged each other and both cried. I could feel her pain, struggles and stress, so I prayed for her. Afterwards she thanked me and she is different today.”

“I learned that God is always there for you; no matter how far away you stray away, He will always pull you back because you are His child,” said Ken, a 17-year-old participant who has attended TS Malaysia three times. He appreciated that there were new activities and surprises every year. “They keep up-to-date in how Christianity is growing and how youth experience life today,” he added. “Every year we have different workshops. The I-zone (game area) last year was good, but this year they had video games, and it showed me that [organisers] are trying to stay up-to-date on what we like.”

“Everything that we’ve learned this week is not only as a little packet for now,” Suzie shared. “We get to take that home and multiply that hope of Jesus and living with Him.”

Dan and Suzie see TS as an opportunity to transform the next generation, and to mobilise them to bring positive elements back into their own churches. “Come here, grow as a youth worker or as a kid, and go home and make a difference in your church,” Dan challenged.

So as these teens and coaches return home, pray that they would not forget the lessons they’ve learned, that they would form accountability groups with both peers and mentors, that they would seek God every day, that they would impact others around them and that their churches would be blessed by them.

From 8-12 July, 135 OCZ participants and staff gathered for practical missions training in Malaysia, before dispersing on 13 July for outreaches in nine Asian countries. Every aspect of the conference prepares people for missions in Asia, and then the outreaches expose them to what God is already doing and how they can be a part of His work. Each morning of the conference, the speaker shared personal stories and Scripture to challenge individuals to discover how and where God wanted to use them.

For some, this was a first step into missions. “I came to have more boldness in sharing the gospel, and to learn more about God myself,” said Sara*, a 21-year-old from Laos on her first trip outside her country.

“I’d been thinking of doing missions, but, you know, life and delaying…,” admitted Leena, a 26-year-old Australian. “When someone from OM in my church shared about OCZ my heart leapt a little, and I knew I had to stop thinking and go. I needed a kick in the behind, because back home I'd plateaued and was in my own comfort zone and needed a push out. That's what this is for me."

For others, OCZ wasn’t their first missions experience, but it was an opportunity to experience missions in Asia for the first time, or to learn about God differently.

“I’m learning to trust God in a new way,” another participant, Zene, admitted. “I think we trust God only to a certain degree, and doing something like [OCZ] stretches you to trust Him more.” The 26-year-old Canadian went to Nepal on outreach and experienced God’s teaching in new ways. “It’s been good, but really difficult,” she shared. “I’m realising that God is doing more in me than He is through me.”

One evening, the  conference hosted an interactive meal to teach participants about poverty, since most of them would see it on the outreaches. "[The experience] made me realise that the rich are so far removed from the poor, that they can't even see or hear their needs. They have so much around them that it blinds them to the reality that others live in," shared one participant, Leena, during a debrief time. "Even though we know this kind of poverty is happening around the world, it's so easy to close our eyes to it and pretend like it's not even there."

"Don't come to Asia just as a tourist,” challenged Elina, an OCZ Asia event organizer, “because then you only see one part of a country. But when you come through OCZ, you get to see the reality of what life in Asia is like. The media always portray the bad or dangerous things that happen around the world, but we want participants to experience for themselves what God is doing."

During the commissioning service on the last night, one participant, Ryan, prayed fervently, “I pray that there would be two harvests going out from this conference: the one being those who hear the gospel for the first time and join us as brothers and sisters in Christ; [the second being] a new harvest of missionaries who will remember what we've learned here and will remain passionate about doing the will of God, in making Him known."

To learn more about OCZ, visit OM.org.

The group of event organisers, the main speaker and several volunteers had gathered together to pray for the 79 participants, 10 conference only attendees, and 46 other volunteers and OM staffers. In a lull before the storm, before the busyness of any missions’ conference or event, the group quieted their hearts, reflecting on the challenge from the story of Mary and Martha to simply “be with God”, and prayed.

OCZ Asia aims to equip and mobilise people from around the world into missions, by providing four days of training, including cultural orientation, team development, and ministry skills, followed by a one- or two-week practical outreach in one of ten countries spread across Asia, ranging from Japan to Cambodia.

Participants from 19 different countries and ranging in age from 18-71, arrived at the venue throughout the day on July 8, 2017. Some stepping out from their countries for the first time, others repeat short-term missionaries, but all looking to engage with what God is doing in Asia.

“I’ve never been to Japan,” Jane, an Australian participant said with a laugh. “I’m guessing it’s really different than what I’m used to, so I’m really stepping out of my comfort zone.”

A small group from Laos that has been discipled by OM staff there, is venturing out on their first cross-cultural missions trip to the Philippines. “We want to see how other people serve God,” Aliani*, a 22-year-old Laotian on her first missions trip said. “And we want to know where God will lead us next.”

“From this event, we desire that every participant and volunteer will see beyond their own immediate comfort zone and catch a vision for the need for ministry among the least reached.” Elina, a Malaysian event organiser shared. “We hope that they will sense what God wants them to do next, especially those that are questioning, and that from here their relationship with God goes deeper.”

Please join us in praying for both participants and organisers of OCZ Asia, that they would stay healthy, engage deeply in both the teaching and the outreaches, and would be diligent about spending time listening and being with God.

“I know what it’s like to need help,” the 19-year-old said. He had struggled with his academics at a government school until transferring to Victory*, a hostel run by Pastor Nick* and his wife Pastor Lucy* in Tandek, Sabah, and a different school. There his grades rose and in 2016 he passed 8 of his 10 exams with A’s.

“If I have the opportunity, I would go to rural places and teach. I have a heart to help in poor places where no one is helping the poor,” JB shared. “If you have God in your life, you have everything.” The young man has experienced first-hand the benefits of being discipled and wishes to bring both academic success and the gospel to places that don’t know either.

JB is just one of about 48 youths, ranging in ages from 12 to 19, who reside at Victory. While the majority of them say they come from Christian homes, their stories also include living too far from church to be able to attend it, or their church not even having a pastor, and saddest of all, of families who resort to pagan rituals when they fall sick. Many of these young adults admit that while their families are Christian, they themselves didn’t know Jesus and make a decision to follow Him until coming to Victory.

“In Victory we learn about Jesus with many activities, like prayer meetings and bible study,” shared Grace, a 19-year-old student leader. “In my village I just went to church and I didn’t know why… Now it’s part of my daily routine to read the bible and spend time with God.”

While Sabah might be known for its pristine beaches, rainforest, and abundant wildlife, the reality is that the Christian population is ill-equipped to disciple and train its young people. Pastor Nick, who returned to his home in Tandek in 2009 after graduating with a Masters in missiology, talked about the 52 churches in the area having only 13 pastors to lead them. The dirt roads to many of these villages make visits of any kind dependent on sturdy four-wheel drive vehicles and favourable weather conditions.

“One of my visions [for Victory] is that the students would be true Christians and would not easily give in to temptations to convert,” he explained. In order to see that happen, Pastor Nick believes that more people need to be discipling the next generation of believers in the area. “The problem is that Christians have no faith in Christ, they are not growing. They need more pastors and disciplers to come help them.”

In the last year, OM Malaysia sent two short term workers to partner with Pastor Nick in his vision to strengthen the local church.

"That’s what I want to leave [the students] with when I go home," one 19-year-old volunteer named Emily explained, as she prepared a devotional for the kids on how Peter struggled between his way and obeying Jesus. "So many of these kids share their story with me about how they struggle to go back to what they knew, to part-pagan practices; and I want to show them that even the great Peter struggled with going back to his old life, but that in the end he discovered that only Jesus satisfied his deepest desires.”

Emily has been discipling the young people through weekly English tuition classes, bible study lessons and personal relationships with the Victory students.

OM Malaysia is looking for passionate people who have a heart for discipleship and are willing to use music, English teaching, sports or any other talents to raise up the next generation of believers in a rural setting. The task may not be easy, but the rewards are immeasurable.

“You’re gonna be a world-changer,” Emily reminded JB with a smile as the rain pounded its beat on the tin roof above them. “I can see it already.” And JB returned the smile, and nodded.

Come be that encourager, cheerleader, teacher, mentor, and friend to young Malaysians in Sabah!

* Names changed for security reasons.

Dan and Suzie Potter started Teenstreet 25 years ago in order to influence more young people, and those who work with youth. From 10-14 December, 2016 many of the 275 participants of Teenstreet Malaysia encountered God’s voice in answering major questions about themselves.

They studied what God has to say about identity, laughed a lot, played games, created art, and worshipped God together. One day at a time the speakers tackled weighty topics such as: Who am I? What are my desires? Who is God? What are my abilities? How do I form my convictions? Dan and Suzie wove a tapestry of teaching, creative arts, and interactive discussions, while coaches (small group leaders) and other staff reinforced lessons through further conversations, games, and activities.

“They’re teenagers so they have to talk to their friends, they need to move,” Dan stated during the coaches training on the first day. “We don’t want them to just sit and be quiet, we want them to move and learn something.”

“24 hours [after a teaching] people will remember 6% of what they heard, 66% of what they saw, but 80% of what they experienced,” explained Suzie. “So if we can use as many senses as possible to teach them, then the teens remember much more.”

The unique teaching style allowed learners to hear, experience, craft, and verbally process a lesson, all within an hour’s time. “This generation has to be allowed to be unique, but they also want to be accepted by their community for their uniqueness,” said Dan. Each day’s lesson incorporated different elements to demonstrate the theme while at the same time engaging the entire audience.

During the first teaching session teens chose words including ‘inspire’, ‘lead’, ‘serve’, and ‘build’ to define their own being. These words were the beginning of helping each individual to reflect on the core of who they are.

“I learned that God satisfies us so much,” George a 17-year-old participant said. “So why can’t we just obey him?”

For many, the teaching and activities at Teenstreet Malaysia challenged them to evaluate their relationship with God and with others. Another teen realised through studying the life of King Nebuchadnezzar this week that she had no real relationship with God – that she merely relied on her own giftings. The 15-year-old then decided that she “wanted that special relationship with Jesus.”

“I work with young people a lot because I believe that among them there will always be at least one world-changer,” said Lynette, a coach. Throughout the week, staff and volunteers encountered teens that “were much deeper” than they themselves remembered being at that age.

“One girl told me that ‘The throne room [evening worship] is a place where we meet God and where God is waiting for us,’” said Alpha, another coach. “It blew my mind how reflective my girls are!”

During a coaches training, Dan talked about how many major decisions a person makes are decided between the ages of 15 and 18. He continued with a challenge saying, “Any chance to influence and help people of that age helps to prepare more young people to make good decisions in the future.”

On Saturday, December 10, 178 teens and an additional 97 volunteers, small group coaches, staff and guest speakers Dan and Suzie Potter, celebrated the 12th opening day for Teenstreet Malaysia. For the next five days this diverse group, arriving from both East and West Malaysia, as well as Singapore, South Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines, the UK and the USA, will interactively study what “The Art of Living Life” is all about.

Teenstreet is a youth camp held in countries around the globe for 12-18 year-olds, founded by Dan and Suzie Potter 25 years ago, that aims to see young teens not only enjoy the week, but to establish closer relationships with God and with people.

The camp has morning teachings, followed by ‘Shh time’, an opportunity for every participant to take time alone with God, before meeting in small groups with coaches to discuss what they have learned and to build friendships.

“The theme this year is unique – it doesn’t fit into one culture or another, because it’s based on the varied learning styles that people learn in,” Dan Potter said. “If we can use as many senses as possible to teach, then the teens remember much more.”

“There is such a need in Malaysia to disciple young people in their walk with God,” said Pari, an organiser of the event. “So we’ve been involved in sponsoring indigenous youth from East Malaysia who couldn’t otherwise afford to join Teenstreet Malaysia.”

This year 67 people were flown into Kuala Lumpur to attend the special camp outside the capital city. “This is one of the only youth camps in Malaysia that is inter-denominational and brings youth from diverse ethnic backgrounds together,” explained Pari; making it a unique experience for participants and staff alike.

“We hope to see lives changed and that teens walk out of Teenstreet Malaysia and will never be the same way again – in a good way. World changers is what comes to mind – that all these teenagers would go out and be people who bring change within their friendship circles, schools, families and even the world,” said Ashley, another organiser of the event. “And too, that the coaches and volunteers would see the urgency to impact and mentor the younger generation, because so many adults don’t realize how important it is to disciple others.”

“I started by asking [the group of kids] if they knew what the colours meant,” said the volunteer, Rachel*. From there the conversation covered a variety of topics about Christmas, including Christmas trees, the star of Bethlehem, stockings and why gifts were given.

That day almost 100 men, women and children, all Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, visited the medical clinic, which is hosted every week in a new location to attend to the needs of a variety of people groups throughout parts of Kuala Lumpur with a high immigrant and refugee population. Many of these refugees receive very little help elsewhere, and the medical clinics offer an opportunity to care for their physical needs and to build relationships with them. Volunteers help individuals to register before they sit down with one of the doctors, and then simple medications, mostly against the flu and miscellaneous aches, are distributed. Throughout the process other volunteers engage the crowd in simple games, craft activities, or conversation.

“I wasn’t sure [Ana] had understood what I was telling her, until she asked that question. It just summarised so well what I had told her,” explained Rachel* about the dialogue with Ana, and a few others who curiously listened in.

With English as a second, third, or even fourth language, many of the “conversations” held with volunteers that day involved a lot of hand-gesturing and pantomiming; but for Ana the clarity of the words understood was obvious by her sentence summary. This Christmas may have been the first opportunity for her to learn about why gifts are given during this time of year.

*Names changed

“All of us want to serve the Lord, but then we need to learn some proper techniques and methods of how to use our passions for His service,” said Malaysian volunteer Patricia. “I [needed] to get proper training for missions and I believe that OM always does that really well.” She wasn’t the only who felt this way. This year five participants were returnees, who enjoyed the variety of outreach options available at OCZ and chose a new country to go on outreach to this time. 

Others had no missions experience but came as well. “This is my first missions trip, but my pastor encouraged me to get out of my comfort zone and try something new,” a Malaysian man shared. While a young girl from the Netherlands said she “googled missions and Japan, and OCZ came up.” Whether their initial step into overseas ministry or their fifth, participants, with an age gap of 16-70 years, took part in the event energetically.

The various teachings and interactive evenings helped both returning and new participants to engage in missions abroad, but also encouraged them to implement changes at home. “I learned more about what I want to take home with me to Germany,” participant Lydi said. “So often our prayers are selfish, but [at the prayer night] my eyes were opened to new ways to pray for the world!”

One of the volunteer teachers, David Lim, a professional clown from Malaysia, said, “The benefit of using these creative magic tools is to get people’s attention and draw them in to listen to you – and then you can tell people what you want to tell them: about God, Jesus, sin, and our need for Him. Using balloons provides visual representation of what you are talking about.” 

Before the ten teams headed out, they spent time learning a variety of evangelism and ministry tools, as well as learning from country representatives about their host culture, about their own cultural habits, and how to transition into a foreign country well. “I’ve never been on such a diverse team – it requires a lot of patience, talking slower, and a good sense of humor to laugh through the misunderstandings,” shared Emily, an American going on outreach to East Malaysia. 

“Are we content to feast alone?” Su-Kim, an OM staff member, posed to the OCZ participants after a viewing of a video about Asian food that states that 90% of Asia’s population does not know about Jesus. “I believe that you are not, and that is why you are here.” The challenge was clear: to see that the majority of the 4.4 billion people living in this part of the world are unreached; and to get involved in bringing change. OCZ invites people from around the globe to benefit from its five-days of training before stepping out on a practical outreach within Asia. The need for workers to go out and share about Jesus is real, and OCZ is an exciting way to be part of God’s plan!

On December 9, the eleventh TeenStreet Malaysia took off with 350 participants from across the nation and from neighbouring countries.

Every aspect of the 5-day camp was intended to help teens engage with the Word so that they would grow in love for God and people. The spiritual disciplines were modelled and practised in fun creative ways.  

"It is our prayer that these become new rhythms in their everyday lives,” said TeenStreet International Coordinator, Pari Bala.  “One such discipline was silence—shh0.5 was a half-hour segment when everyone observed silence as we took time to sit with God and reflect on what he was showing and saying. The teens appreciated this time of turning off the noise of the world and simply listening to God,”

"Another highlight was the tnt.race (teens need teens), where giving was a value transferred to the teens,” Bala explained. “They raised funds for a chosen project before they arrived, then at TeenStreet they participated in an afternoon of team building through fun challenges and obstacles. This year the funds were earmarked for Syrian refugee children, so the tnt.race was designed to simulate a little bit of the perils and challenges faced by refugees on the run.”

Through the giving of generous donors, OM Malaysia was able to invite teens to this event from East Malaysia who face socio-economic and religious challenges. Pray that the learning experiences they had will be transformational and help them to be strongly rooted in God.  

Pray that all who participated in TeenStreet Malaysia would draw close to God and become people who reflect Christ in the world.

During the programme, Director of Logos Hope, Seelan Govender (South Africa), shared a message on “Unity in the Body”. He encouraged church leaders to not only practise discipleship, but also be in partnership with one another to impact every people, tribe and nation as this is God’s commission for the church. Director of Partner Ministries, Rodney Hui (Singapore), also shared on “The Integrated Life”, reminding leaders to be mindful of a striking a balance among having community with others, communion with God and being involved in mission work actively.

The program was very well received and many thought it contained good reminders for them. Song Ting Kee, an Elder from First Baptist Church in Kuching, enjoyed the messages and commented, “The speakers today spoke from the heart; it’s not just head knowledge. Logos Hope is blessed to have these leaders on board to serve the community.”

Everyone went home with some free books, and a valuable afternoon spent that has once again reminded them to work hand in hand. Roland Sawat, a Pastor of the Eban (one of the native tribal group) Service of Emmanuel Baptist Church, said that it is important for the Christian leaders of Kuching to unite together. “We need to build strong Christian foundations in the young generation together, young people who will become future leaders,” he emphasised. 

One day. the team was helping to clean up a school where seemingly everything was covered in mud and clay. The only things that weren't brown and mud-covered in that school were buildings that had been recently washed or new growth on the trees.

While the team was working there, team member Izzy from Australia observed a bush which was totally covered and encased in mud. But there were little green shoots and new leaves sprouting from the brittle stems.

"It made me think that even though this flood has totally devastated the people here in Kuala Krai, God is doing miracles every day, and growth and progress is being made,” she observed.

This flood has also opened doors for many charitable organisations to come and help the people in this region. Just like with the plants, God is working - there is new growth and, slowly, things are getting better.

Pray that God would continue to bring up new growth in Malaysia, both natural and spiritual.

At the open house, volunteers created and ran booths and activities, such as face-painting, puppet-making, craft-making with recycled material and international food tasting. Each of them took ownership of the task that was entrusted to them and encouraged OM Malaysia’s team with their commitment to serve.

All the booths were designed to appeal across generations and to showcase the many facets of OM’s ministry, from sports and short-term missions to TeenStreet and Business for Transformation (B4T). There was even a miniature Logos Hope floating amongst the guests. Ultimately, the greater objective was to bring like-minded people together to further inspire them to world missions.

“As we look ahead, we are grateful for the solid foundation built by staff, leaders and board members of the past,” said OM Malaysia Field Leader Pari Balasubramaniam. “We ask God to continue weaving this tapestry by enabling OM Malaysia to be a catalyst for missions in Malaysia.”

OM Malaysia annually organises Out Of the Comfort Zone (OZC) Asia, a short-term mission conference, and TeenStreet Malaysia. For more information on these or other events, please contact info.my@om.org.

Recently, OM partner organisation AIDSLink International* hosted a Channels of Hope HIV and AIDS Facilitator’s Training in Malaysia, where 19 people from 16 nations were equipped and released to transmit hope by educating, helping and inspiring others.

“God has spoken to me about constantly examining my motives,” said a pastor present. “I know He has challenged my heart to take action on the things I have received these days – beginning with my sermon on Sunday. 

“[He] has burdened my heart to challenge other leaders to become channels of hope and not just [to] have ministerial titles … I thank God for giving greater clarity and significance to the ministry He has called me to.”

Following the training in Malaysia, an AIDSLink* trainer accompanied two participants to their home country, Myanmar, where a local AIDSLink ministry started in January. With two other trained team members, a two-day Channels of Hope workshop was conducted. 

One of the participants was Hla**, a mother who had tested HIV positive when she was pregnant with her fourth child. Although her husband and new-born baby had also tested positive, she had been forbidden by her husband to take treatment due to fear of stigma. Within two years of being diagnosed, Hla’s husband and new-born baby had died. 

As she stood that day at the Channels of Hope workshop in Myanmar, tears rolling down her cheeks, Hla exclaimed, “Now I am taking the medicine. I know hope and need to be alive to be a mother to my other three children.”

AIDSLink Myanmar has also started to visit a children’s home, which has 23 children living with HIV. Pray they would be channels of hope as they point these children to Jesus, the Giver of Life.

*OM partners with AIDSLink International to make a difference in the HIV and AIDS pandemic. 

**Name changed

Having been introduced to different countries and cultures in East Asia on the second evening of the conference, participants prayed specifically for each nation through simulation and interactive displays two days later. They also learnt more about relevant issues such as trafficking, poverty and the persecuted church.

“Some of the ladies [who participated in the simulation on trafficking] were really shaken,” said the field leader of OM Indonesia at the end of the prayer evening. He had volunteered to drive the vehicle, as part of the simulation, which had had its windows covered in newspaper. He witnessed tears shed as unsuspecting participants had been bullied into the car by “gangsters” and sped along a bumpy road at night. The simulation made the issue of trafficking real to many.

In another room, video interviews with survivors of the persecuted church helped participants identify with the real needs of the persecuted church, and a candle-lit display gave them an opportunity to respond in prayer.



A poverty simulation in another area provoked varying responses, from that of deep concern – participants placed money into the “beggar’s” cup – to that of clear avoidance – those overwhelmed by the scene formed a large circle around the display.



Guest speaker Reinhold Titus from South Africa presented the conference theme of God’s dream for the nations, communities and individuals during morning sessions, and afternoons were reserved for practical workshops, such as how to share your personal testimony, how to share the Gospel creatively, ministry to the poor, ministry to children, ministry through drama, ministry through sports, mentoring in missions, team leadership and more.



Since this was the first time on a missions trip in Asia for many of the participants, one evening was reserved for cultural exchange, as participants met in their outreach groups to learn about the culture of the country they’d be going to for outreach, as well as the culture of each member on their team.



On the final evening, 79 participants were commissioned in preparation for their 2-3 week outreaches to 12 countries in East Asia. It was also the first time that OCZ served as an entry point for new recruits joining Logos Hope.

Pray that God moves in the hearts of many through these outreaches. Pray, also, that the participants themselves are changed through this experience.   

Seventeen participants from nine churches in Malaysia and Singapore participated in this “vacation” with God. Most came expecting God’s leading and direction; some sought specific guidance on whether they should go into missions. They spent the weekend making space to encounter God – to listen and discern His voice.

Sessions included “Listening to God”, “Discovering God’s Hand in Shaping My Life”, “Discovering My Personality”, “Making Decisions” and “Discerning God’s Call on My Life”, while small group forums addressed issues surrounding one’s calling in the workplace and to the mission field. Time was also allocated each day for personal reflection and solitude. On the final day, participants were invited to “journey back to God” and put specific areas of their lives before the cross of Christ.

This retreat clearly impacted all who attended. Many described the LDW as restful and refreshing, and many experienced a clear sense of God’s love for them. One participant said she had heard “God’s gentle small voice” for the first time. Many received confirmation for their next steps with God – some, to the mission field. Another participant later emailed: “I really connected with my inner self and the issues I have been dealing with.”

Praise God for impacting participants of LDW. Pray they would be able to build on what they have learnt, and for further retreats to come.

The ministry of OM Malaysia began when Logos visited Port Klang, Malaysia, in April 1975. Raymond Yap and Albert Teh, current board members of OM Malaysia, were among several students to visit the OM ship for the first time.

Inspired by the potential of starting a literature ministry, along with witnessing the lives of those they met on board, they gladly accepted the invitation to attend an OM conference on literature ministry in Singapore later that year.

Returning home from the conference with a carload of books donated by OM Ships Ministry, Logos Media Outreach (LMO) was founded as a platform for distributing Christian books and connecting with like-minded people. On the weekends, book tables were set up at different churches, and meetings held further from home during their holidays.

Malaysians who responded to the call were referred to the OM office in Singapore, and after serving on the OM ship for two years, many continued supporting the ministry of LMO when they returned home.

In March 1984, OM Malaysia was officially registered, and many of the founders of LMO are still actively involved in OM Malaysia today.

As the need for Christian literature in Malaysia has waned over the years, greater emphasis has been placed on recruiting and mobilising the church in Malaysia for world missions. Despite the challenges of this digital generation, OM Malaysia continues to set up book tables with hugely discounted prices at every meeting.

“We recognise and are grateful for those who have gone before us – board members, leaders, donors, staff – those who have laid a good foundation for OM Malaysia,” said Pari Bala, national director of OM Malaysia. “Pray that God would continue to give us wisdom as we seek to be relevant to the church in Malaysia and together respond to the Great Commission.”

Come celebrate what God is doing through OM in Malaysia at their Open Day on 9 August! For more information, contact info.my@om.org.

Seven trainers from North America, the Netherlands, Malaysia and Australia unpacked and demystified the subject of financial development, by reminding participants that it is indeed a ministry based on biblical principles.

For four and a half days, FD24 trainers journeyed with five field teams from East Asia Pacific in an intense, well-organised and highly-supportive exploration of financial development.

Session after session, light bulbs of enlightenment illuminated as participants took ownership of the financial development process and learnt how to better communicate with donors. The course was much more than tips and tricks to raise more money; it was a hands-on time of team building, resulting in concrete plans of action to help field leaders and their financial development teams reach their desired results.

For the next 24 months, coaches will walk alongside participants as they implement their plans. The support and encouragement offered to FD24 participants caused many to shed misconceptions and feelings of inadequacy with regards to raising finances. One participant remarked of her newly found confidence in financial development: “I really believe I can do this.”

Most of the teens started the week glued to the people they already knew or the group with whom they felt comfortable. But TeenStreet Malaysia 2013 ended as a massive family of sorts, extending beyond cultural and language barriers.

More than just listening to the lessons, they were challenged to connect to God and others during worship, quite times, workshops and an evening time called Interaction Zone.

“I was shy to make new friends,” said Elly, 18, from Malaysia. “I was scared in fear, but in the [quiet] time, God told me through 1 John 4:16 to love God and love people. So I said, ‘OK, God, I will learn to love others.’”

Like Elly, many of the teens were nervous to reach out to different groups, but if they were connected to God’s power, they could connect with the people from different backgrounds. To make the most of the experience, many students challenged themselves to sit at a different table with different people at every meal.

Many of the students are still in contact through Facebook and small group coaches, but the real challenge for them is to become catalysts in their hometowns, schools and families. They have also been encouraged to find a mentor or believing friends who can hold them accountable to their commitments made during the week, providing them support back home.

“I want to do my best, for God only,” said Baggio, 17, also from Malaysia. “I want to practice what I learnt here, to sow by my actions, get others involved, and if I see someone do something wrong, I want to be brave enough to tell them in love.”

Praise God for the more than 100 teens who committed for the first time or recommitted their lives to Christ. Pray that the teens would find a supportive circle of friends and a mentor, and that the passion for restoration would continue throughout their lives.

Timothy Trek exists to raise up a new generation of leaders from Asia with the calling, character, competencies and chemistry to positively influence the growth of mission movements and effectively participate in international missions.

“The dynamics of the group are different this year,” said Su-Kim Phua, who manages the Leadership Development Unit for OM EAP. “While interviewing the new trekkers, I discovered that their ministries and responsibilities differ from the previous batch. New modules such as systems thinking and giftings have thus been introduced, so as to better suit their needs.” Paul Newham, EAP’s area training officer, and another trainer have availed themselves to help train this new group.
  
Lincoln and Manna from Hong Kong were two of the four candidates who participated in OM EAP’s first Timothy Trek training programme last year. “Before I started Timothy Trek, I struggled to know how to lead,” said Manna, who heads up OM Hong Kong’s Youth Mobilisation Department. “I find it interesting that I was always able to apply what I had learnt during each lesson at work the following week—for example, how to manage conflict or how to prioritise. I have also learnt how to better balance work, family, friends and my free time.”
 
Lincoln, who heads up OM Hong Kong’s Community Development Department, was so encouraged by what he had learnt during the year that he invited his team member to join Timothy Trek this year.

“I am not a disciplined person,” confessed Lincoln, “and so the sessions on spiritual formation and discipline really challenged me. I have learnt the importance of forming a good relationship with God and letting Him renew and change me. By letting God flow in us and guide our path, we receive strength and power from Him. Our foundation must be in God. Then only can we influence those around us.”
 

“Most churches in Malaysia struggle with connecting with the next generation,” said Pari, leader of OM Malaysia. “This is partly due to the fact that the next generation keeps changing. Many churches are also small and limited in personnel and resources.”

Guest speakers Dan and Suzie Potter (US) focussed on how to interact, interest, involve and inspire youth, using everyday objects such as a bottle of water to relate the gospel message. In addition to TeenStreet Xpress, a one-day youth event in Kota Kinabalu on 7 June, the Potters also spoke at various youth groups and church events throughout the month.

“We are moving away from the concept of TeenStreet, as it is better done at a church level,” said Pari. “Instead, we are investing resources into training people to work with the next generation.”

Although raised a Hindu, Pari’s eldest sister converted to Christianity while attending a Methodist school in their small coastal town in Malaysia. “I was only five years old at that time,” said Pari, “but the shame that my sister’s conversion brought to the family was so great that it shut the door to Christianity for me.” Despite the many restrictions her sister faced, she continued to walk with God, and Pari could not help but notice that there was something different about it.

Some years later, Pari’s world was once again shaken when her father died. Then only 15, Pari found herself thinking a lot about life after death, and a desire to know God grew in her heart. Growing up in a multicultural society, Pari was confronted with differing religious philosophies. Deciding to learn more about Hinduism, she adopted a new discipline of daily prayer at the family altar, worshipped at the Hindu temple and observed a vegetarian diet every Friday.

“All this in order to know God, and yet I didn’t feel I was able to draw closer to God,” continued Pari. “So after a year of trying to reach God, I gave up and figured God would have to accept me as I am.”

A couple years later, while attending university in the United States, Pari truly came to understand what it meant to be accepted by God, and that through Jesus Christ she could know Him. Conscious that a decision to follow Christ would disappoint and hurt her mother, she wrestled with doing the right thing for herself or for her mother. Finally, though, Pari made a decision to follow Christ.

Surrendered

Armed with a degree in industrial engineering, Pari returned to Malaysia to work. Though challenged during her final year of university to consider ministry full-time and deeply moved by the example of Amy Carmichael, a missionary to India in the 19th century, Pari resisted the call to missions. When the OM ship visited Malaysia a year later, however, Pari was particularly challenged by seemingly ordinary crew members doing extraordinary things for God.

Knowing who I am in Christ is very freeing,” said Pari. “I am no longer bound by my colour, race or gender. I can do the things God calls me to because He empowers me.

“So began my ‘negotiation’ with God,” said Pari, “as I listed before God the many reasons why I was not suitable for missions.”

In 1997, Pari finally surrendered to God’s prodding about missions and stepped on board Doulos. During the next four years, God would strip away all the things Pari believed gave her identity, and she discovered her true identity in Christ.

“Knowing who I am in Christ is very freeing,” said Pari. “I am no longer bound by my colour, race or gender. I can do the things God calls me to because He empowers me. The lessons learnt on board Doulos would prove to be pivotal in the years to come.”

Full-time ministry

After serving on the OM ship, Pari joined the OM Malaysia home office team and was instrumental in bringing TeenStreet to Malaysia in 2005. In 2011, Pari became acting Field Leader of OM Malaysia, and a year later she took on the role full time. “It wasn’t an easy decision, and I was filled with self-doubt,” admitted Pari. “But God has spoken to me through the life of David: He sees our heart, and not as the world sees us.”

Reflecting on the way forward for OM Malaysia, noted Pari, “While the church in Malaysia is growing, she is faced with many challenges such as politics, migration, materialism and apathy. Yet with the decline of the church in the Global North, the church in Malaysia needs to step up and take its place in global missions. OM Malaysia seeks to influence and inspire Malaysians through events like Out of the Comfort Zone and TeenStreet, as well as develop partnerships with local churches.”

It was during Grade 6 school camp when Rachel saw “The Father’s Love Letter” and realised that He was not just the God of her parents, but also her God. “Until then, I had been depending heavily on my parent’s relationship with God,” she said.

After college, Rachel went to South Africa for three months to volunteer at a Christian NGO in a township near Stellenbosch. During this time, she taught children from Kindergarten to Grade 12 at the learning centre and was encouraged by the impact the centre was making on the lives of the children and volunteers.

Rachel also signed up for a 2-week outreach with OM South Africa to Lesotho and was surprised to find a growing Chinese community in Mokhotlong. As the only Mandarin-speaking person on the team, she used the Christmas decorations displayed as a bridge to share the Gospel with the Chinese shop owners.

“Having only studied Mandarin until Grade 5, I struggled to find the words needed to express my faith,” said Rachel, “but after spending some time in prayer, I was amazed to find that I could read key verses in the Chinese New Testament Bible which we had brought along.” Giving three Chinese shop owners a Chinese New Testament Bible each, she told them that they could find out more about the meaning of Christmas and learn more about Jesus. One Chinese woman was particularly excited to receive the gift as she had Catholic relatives and was eager to know more about their faith.

Since 2005, Rachel has been involved in TeenStreet Malaysia, first as participant, then as volunteer and later as coach. In 2011, Rachel joined OM Malaysia’s Out of the Comfort Zone (OCZ) team to Nepal. “We spent four days trekking, selling and distributing literature in unreached areas,” she said. “On one particular occasion, children asked us how much our books cost, and when we told them they only cost 5 Rupees each, they ran ahead to mobilise their neighbours and friends to buy them. It was as if they were preparing the way for Jesus! We were amazed and humbled.”

This year, Rachel joined OCZ as a volunteer on the media and prayer teams. Although Rachel’s interests are education and sports, she is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts with double major in Writing and International Studies. “Many of my peers are second generation Christians, and although some are really keen to serve God, they find it hard to put aside what the world has to offer. I have started to meet weekly with two sisters, and together we are reading through George Verwer’s ‘The Revolution of Love’. May God turn our hearts to Him, and grow us in a deeper understanding of His saving power and love.” 

Challenged by guest speaker Ann’s gentle but firm words of exhortation, Carrie found herself kneeling before the Lord, and experiencing the living power of His amazing grace once again. “That morning marked an important “grace moment” in my trip,” admitted Carrie, “preparing me to offer my heart up to the Lord, ready to be sent out to outreach with a revived spirit, cleansed and burnt with passion for Him!”

As part of the OCZ Team Malaysia, Carrie then travelled to Cameron Highlands in Malaysia for two weeks of outreach amongst the Senoi* people. Besides helping with the construction of a local village church, the team had the opportunity to visit the homes of the Senoi people, pray for their needs, and get to know their life stories. Afternoons were spent with the Senoi children, teaching them English, using drama and illustrations to tell them Bible stories and bonding with them through games, songs, dances, judo and taekwondo.

“As we shared during debriefing sessions each evening, it occurred to us that God had given us spontaneous creativity and inspiration while we were with the kids, and that those ideas had surely not come from us, but from Him,” said Carrie. “But what is more amazing was how we discovered language was no barrier at all, for the love from a hug and a smile, the fun from soccer, tickling, and swinging in the air, and the beauty in music, dance and the gospel, are so universal that all people, boy or girl, black or white, Senoi or us, can understand and enjoy together.”

In response to what God has been doing in her heart, Carrie has signed up for OM Hong Kong’s short-term Port Volunteer “Deep” programme when the OM ship visits Hong Kong at the end of the year. Praise God for touching Carrie’s life during the training and for the joy her team was able to bring to the Senoi children in Malaysia. Pray that God would continue to guide Carrie’s steps concerning missions in the coming years.

*The Senoi are one of 18 Orang Asli tribes to be found in Malaysia. 

“It’s not every year that participants get to celebrate 10 years of Out of the Comfort Zone (OCZ),” announced Elina Choo, co-ordinator of OCZ012, to 110 participants from 18 nations on the second evening of the conference. To celebrate God’s faithfulness over the years, board members from OM Malaysia gathered and a special cake had been baked.

Andrea, from Sweden, first attended OCZ in 2009, and has kept returning since. “Those were the five happiest days of my life,” remembered Andrea, “and I am still in contact with many friends since then. While on trek in Nepal after my first conference, I remember asking a farmer if he wanted a Bible, but he said no. Moments later the same farmer came running after me. ‘Is it about Jesus?’ he asked. When I nodded yes, he exclaimed, ‘I have always wanted to know about Jesus,’ and purchased the Bible for a minimal sum. It struck me later that week that if I had not been there, who would have given a Bible to that farmer? [Going on outreach meant] I had to leave my comfort zone, but it didn’t mean I had to learn rocket science to make a real difference.”

As board member of OM Malaysia, Rev. David Boey has actively promoted OCZ in his church over the past few years. “I encourage church members to tithe one year to God in missions, and although we have been working amongst the Asli people [in Malaysia] for a number of years, we organised our first outreach to Indonesia this year. Next year we want participants to attend OCZ before they go to the field, as it is a great place for them to receive hands-on training and exposure to cross-cultural missions. One of our church members, Dr. Lee, attended OCZ last year and has been actively reaching out to her neighbours since! Four Bengali families will be baptised in our church next week as a result…”

Pari Bala, National Director of OM Malaysia, remembers the first OCZ conference in 2003. “With only 30 participants, we hired out an old school building that had been unoccupied for a while. We had to wash the bathrooms, sweep the floors and organise catering for the week—it was hard work! Since then, our numbers (and experience) has grown significantly, and our programme has developed to what it is today.

“Although our initial purpose was to raise awareness of missions amongst local Christians, we seem to have attracted more foreigners over the years. How exciting it is to see a record number of Malaysians attend OCZ this year! And to see how young Malaysians have grown in leadership, starting as participants at TeenStreet and now serving the OCZ conference team as volunteers. We look forward to what God has in store in the next 10 years!”

Praise God for the impact OCZ has made on participants over the past 10 years, and for the growing awareness of missions amongst local churches in Malaysia in recent years. Pray that participants would return home changed people, and that their passion would ignite a generation of young leaders in global missions in Asia and beyond. 

“Out of the Comfort Zone (OCZ) exists to expose participants to cross-cultural missions and to provide a biblical basis and essential tools for outreach,” says Elina Choo, Special Projects Co-ordinator of OM Malaysia. “In addition to the main sessions, group discussions and team building activities, five different workshops, as well as cross-cultural awareness night, prayer night, communion and commissioning service are planned. A two-three week outreach in Cambodia, Hong Kong, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Taiwan or Thailand follows immediately thereafter, giving participants first-hand experience in missions as part of an international team.”

The first OCZ conference took place in 2003. About 30 people attended the conference and two outreaches in Malaysia were offered. Initially the focus of OCZ was to mobilise the local church for world missions, and to support OM teams in East Asia Pacific through short-term missions. Over the past 10 years, the scope and impact of OCZ has grown, and OM Malaysia is excited about what God is doing through this event.

Please pray for conference speakers Mike and Ann Hey, that God would guide their preparation, and for unity, grace, wisdom and fun as the organising team finalises the programme. Pray that participants would experience God’s presence during the conference and outreach, and that hosting fields would be encouraged and blessed.

OM runs hundreds of short-term outreaches annually to many countries, with many focuses. Out of the Comfort Zone is one outreach held each July; with orientation in Malaysia followed by outreaches in neighbouring countries. Aussie participants share their stories:

Garylene and Seb were involved in poverty stricken areas of Cebu, Philippines, encouraging parents and children, feeding programmes for street kids and adults, values education in schools, participating in worship nights and children's ministry. A highlight was being with the teens (street kids) for Bible Studies, attending their baptisms, sharing testimonies and teaching them English. They learnt that many problems are the same whether you are in a rich or poor country; drugs, depression, vicious lifecycles within poor families and gangs. They learnt that God can use them to pass His message to His people. They loved making new friends and remain in contact with the teens they met.

Deborah went to Sabah, Kota Kinabalu, and nearby villages, and was involved in kids’ activities, dramas and songs at villages, schools, hospitals, slum areas, youth centres and churches. Deborah’s highlight was seeing a village that was experiencing division between two churches able to put their differences aside and worship together as a result of the team unity they saw! She learnt different ways of sharing the gospel though drama and illustrations and gained an appreciation of the challenges of reaching remote locations. Deborah was encouraged as she experienced what God is doing around the world.

The team of 10 serving in Cambodia had three Aussies. Jane, curious to know if God is leading her into missions, wanted to get a picture of overseas missions and chose Cambodia because the many orphans were on her heart. Ben and Chris wanted to find out about OM’s ministry in Cambodia so joined a team serving in Phnom Penh and Kampong Speu, a rural village. The team fixed a rundown house for Vocational Training for underprivileged youth, helped in a kindergarten, attended a youth service, took Sunday school and English classes, saw the ladies sewing group, attended a church service, built a nursery out of bamboo and prepared the soil for planting. The slums were Jane’s highlight; the children were gorgeous and Jane soon had them saying English phrases and singing songs. This made Jane appreciate how much health and education professionals are needed. Ben and Chris found Cambodia to be great, confronting and challenging but they had a wonderful experience relying on God's strength. All say the team was incredible and came home with amazing friendships; lessons learnt and have grown through the experience. Jane loved the reliance on God and appreciated how the trip was soaked in prayer. “God is so good! I’m so glad I went!” she says.