• Inaugural Vacation Training Programme

• CDM Team in Vietnam

• Leading a Cow to Pasture

• A Passion for God’s Word

• James Ong, our new SENDer

“Come, follow me,”

Jesus said,” and I will make you

fishers of men.”

(Matthew 4:19)

Read the encouraging testimonies by Nicholas and Natalie!

Camp Testimony by Nicholas (NP Yr 3)

               During this camp I learnt from the workshops I attended. From the Quiet Time workshop, I was inspired by 1 Peter 1:18 which says “For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body, but made alive by the Spirit”. Even though I had memorized this verse for quite some time, but when the workshop leader related it to Quiet Time, it really gave me a new insight of this verse. It says that Christ died to bring me to God, which means that everyday, my Quiet Time with God is by the grace of God and by the blood of Christ, for He restored the relationship between me and God.

               I also learnt from the Wordhand workshop. During the workshop, I really enjoyed the time of discussion, because through the brothers in my group, it was very fruitful. Though I was not be able to recall a lot of reference verses, but together, we were able to fill up both pages of the workshop handout, and I even learnt from one of the verses shared during the discussion, which is Psalm 119:147-148, which says I rise before dawn and cry for help; I have put my hope in Your Word, my eyes stay open through the watches of the night, that I may meditate on Your promises. I was asking myself whether I have such passion and eagerness to read God’s word, if I was willing to memorize them so as to fill my daily life with His words.

               Besides that, I also learnt from one of the indoor games, Poncho Flipping. I still remember when my group was trying to challenge level 2: we had about 9-10 of us, and some of us are quite big in size. Some of us stood on another’s feet, some even had their feet hanging in the air so as to save space! We hugged each other tightly to prevent each other from falling outside. I thought of this as FELLOWSHIP. Though there will be times when we have friction here and there in the fellowship, but it is the presence and encouragement of each other that holds us firm and steady, as expressed in Hebrews 3:13 – But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.

               I also learnt from the messages. The messages really helped me to see who Jesus is: he loves sinners who repent, including me. Jesus does not need someone who is self-righteous, but one who truly admits that he is a sinner. Also, I discovered the few areas that I need to throw off in order to follow Jesus. First will be “time”. I’m a person who always plan my day well, this time do this and that time do that, but I learnt about letting God to plan my timetable in order that I be able to be used by God greatly, rather than packing my schedule with whatever I want to do and allowing no space for God. Next is my “self”. I’m a person that likes to do things alone, so when it comes to denying myself, throwing away my preferences and my bad personalities, it is truly tough for me, but with my old self, I can’t be renewed by God, for in the bible, it says that only when I’m weak, God’s power can truly be made perfect.

               Lastly, I was encouraged by some of the brothers who joined the camp. Even after all the activities have ended, they continued to read the Bible outside the room with a torchlight and the light from their handphones until 12am. I could see their faithfulness in reading the bible, and also their love for God’s word. I was also challenged by one young brother who had accepted Christ recently. During the second night, he stayed up late just to finish writing the reflection notes on the message. He told me that he felt inspired by the message and was eager to write down all the lessons he could learn. The next day he even took the initiative to take water container outside our room and bring it to canteen 2 to fill it up again, to serve other brothers and sisters. I learnt the heart of teachability and servanthood from this young brother. Though this may be the first time he attended our camp, but his attitude was truly extraordinary, and really urged me to be more teachable and humble before others.

               Please pray for me, that I will continue to apply what I’ve learnt from the camp, and also that I may follow Jesus well even in my daily life.

Camp Testimony by Natalie (NP Yr 1)

I have learned many things through this—my first Navigators’ camp. One of my personal objectives was to be able to enjoy His Word with a sincere and willing heart, to follow Him readily as well as to enjoy and rest in His Presence through fellowship with the sisters. As the days passed I found that I was more and more eager to do Quiet Time. In fact, I was looking forward to hear what He wanted to tell me through His Word for the day. Through this, I realized that I fulfilled my objective of enjoying His Word. In following Jesus, I need to cast my worries and fears aside and I felt that God has been reiterating this to me throughout the camp.

Before this camp, I was deciding whether I should go for it because of a 30% website major assignment (my final assignment for the module). In the end, I decided to go because in a previous Quiet Time Sharing session, God had been teaching me about faith and I felt that this would be a good test for my faith. On the second day of the camp when we had Quiet Time, we read Mark 14:1-26. One of the things that spoke to me was the woman who poured expensive perfume on Jesus’ feet. “…but me ye have not always” (Mark 14: 7) From here, I learnt the importance of knowing when to do the right thing that is important for that point in time. It was then that I realized that my assignment is nothing compared to Jesus. The results obtained will pass away but the faith built, the lessons learned about following Him in camp and the fellowship of fellow Christians is something I can treasure always and what I’ve learnt about following Him can guide me through my life. This, compared to the assignment, is far more important. Actually, in two of my quiet times, God addressed my worries. On the third day of the camp, through Psalm 93, He told me how He is above all the mighty floods because He is a mighty God. Furthermore, His testimonies are sure (verse 6). I made the application to personalize these verses and to cast my website (the ‘mighty and noisy flood’) to Him, being assured by His Promises which are sure. Psalm 93 was also an answer to my prayer the night before because I was so anxious that I did not sleep well. I asked Him for assurance to assuage my fears during Quiet Time and He did!

Aside from my worries, God has showed me a lot about how I should follow Him. Through the message, I learnt about Jesus’ gentleness and humility, and about what it means to have a true life of restfulness (Mt 11:28-30). Life is about doing the Father’s business. From this, I made the application to rest and not be busy with the things of the world all the time and also to seek Him first in everything and not to worry about anything. In the second message, I learnt about the importance of lightening up my life and putting God in the centre of my life.

This camp has also reinforced the foundation of my faith in Jesus and in developing a lasting relationship with Him. Through the Quiet Time workshop, I was reminded of the importance of Quiet Time which gives me the inner drive and energy daily, to start each day with God first. From the Assurance of Salvation workshop, I was reminded of how I am saved by grace through faith and have received the gift of salvation and eternal life. With this gift, I’m able to grow deeper in my relationship with Him.

I have also been truly blessed by the fellowship experienced during the camp and the lunch and dinner fellowship with some sisters. Everyone has been so serving and loving. These kind acts, though small, make a great and lasting impact on me of how I should display Christ-like love through my actions to others selflessly. On the whole, I’ve learned a lot to apply in my life and the entire camp (games, Bible times, messages, food, people, skits etc) has been an enjoyable, refreshing and awesome time.

“My grandfather, whom I was named after,

prayed at my baby dedication service

that I would be a preacher and a man of prayer.”

As a fourth generation Christian, James has benefitted from his spiritual heritage - having been taught the scriptures since young, and being nurtured in a family environment marked by grace and truth. Apart from his parents, his two brothers, who are seven and eight years older, have also been examples to follow and learn from. As he grew, God brought many others to influence and sojourn with him. Two such individuals were church-mates who were Navigator-trained. Because of the impact of their lives on his, James decided to check out for himself what the NUS Navs was all about when he entered NUS in 2004. As an undergraduate, James served in the NUS Navs student executive committee as prayer chair when he was in year two. In his third year, he went to the University of California, Irvine, for his student exchange program. While in the U.S., James spent three weeks volunteering at Glen Eyre, The Navigators Headquarters. He is currently the latest addition to the NUS Navs ministry team, undergoing training as a SENDer. Here is his story:

“You did not choose me, but I chose you

and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last.”

(John 15:6a)

I was previously working in MINDEF and thoroughly enjoyed the work and environment in the department that I was in. However, in the work that I was doing, I often felt like I was building sandcastles. I felt that so many of my waking hours were spent reading and writing reports that had very little eternal value at the end of the day. As such, I began to ask God if He would have me do something else.

What will I give my life for?

At a funeral I attended in November 2009, I felt challenged to think about what I was doing in life. When I die, what legacy will I leave behind? And when I am on my death bed looking back upon my life, what do I want to say that I gave my life for? In contrast to building sandcastles, John 15:16 is a verse that I hold dear and which I am claiming for this season of my life. In it, Jesus says that He has chosen and appointed us to go and bear fruit that will last.

Being reminded of past commitments

At a friend’s wedding in February, I shared with my previous ministry leader’s wife how I had been praying for a move to do something different. She then reminded me of Luke 9:62 which she had written for me on a card during my first NUS Navs Christmas celebration that we had back in 2004. The verse she wrote cut to the heart as in the preceding week, I had been dialoguing with God telling Him that at some point in my life, I would want to serve Him full time. I had not shared this with anyone, but I decided to share with Lilian in order to explain to her why the verse that she had given me had come at a significant time. That evening, she challenged me to pray about it more to see how He leads.

Laying down fleece

 I told God that if I were to go full time, then He would have to help me with three issues:

1. The lack of work experience since I had only been working for two years since I graduated.

2. Worries about financial support.

3. My dad not being very supportive of this area even though it is something which I have raised since I was about 18 years old.

In the subsequent weeks, God answered each of these questions.

Issue of work experience

 He answered the first one through a visiting missionary. The missionary shared from 2 Tim 3:16-17. In his many years of ministry experience on the field, what really prepared someone so that he may be thoroughly equipped for every good work was knowing the Word and how to apply it, knowing God as revealed through the Word, and relying on heavenly wisdom. Though useful, earthly wisdom and work experience did not count as much as the former.

Finances

The second issue was addressed through a sermon on the Tower of Babel which I heard during church service one Sunday. During the sermon, each of us was challenged to think about where it was that we found our significance and security. I felt challenged by God: “Who are you going to trust to take care of your financial security? Are you going to depend on the Civil Service’s iron rice bowl? As I have provided for you by giving you this job which you now have, will you continue to trust me to provide for you even as you go into full-time ministry?” I submitted and said, “Yes, Lord! I will continue to trust You!”

Maybe now’s not the time

I continued to keep up with the BSF lessons when I visited my parents, who are working in Israel, in April this year. John 4 & 5 which we were studying at that point in time really hit home and clarified God’s call on my life. Answering the questions to the passages which talked about what really satisfies in life, what my “food” is, and the harvest being ripe for harvest were all instrumental in helping me decide that perhaps now was the time to talk to my parents about how God had been leading me. When I shared with my family, everyone was excited for me except my dad. On the last day of the trip, he had a long conversation with me where he shared his concerns and worries and indicated that he wasn’t so sure that now was the right time for such a career transition.

Reconciling with my dad

When my parents came back to visit in June, I give them an update of all that had been happening since the last time we spoke in Israel. I apologized to my dad and asked for his forgiveness for not having replied his emails about this move into full-time ministry which I was making. I confessed that I had been rebellious and simply did not want to dialogue with him on the issue through email or on the phone in the preceding weeks. After many tears and other difficult topics, I rounded up with saying that I really love him, respect him, and valued his input in my life, hence the chat that we were having. As it was still an unfolding issue, I sought his prayers and support to help me discern what God is doing in my life and where this path was leading to.

NUS/NTU Navigators

Los Baños, The Philippines.

(with a big Thank You to The Philippines Navigators!)

Away from the distractions and busyness of Singapore life, staff and key students from our NUS and NTU ministries found a lot else to occupy them during three intensive weeks in Los Baños, The Philippines.

Inside:

• Upcoming Alumni Lunch on 13 November 2010

• Alumni in the news

• SP NavAlumni and AODO

• Military NavAlumni playing paper planes

From 12th-19th June, the team came in came in contact with a variety of individuals, from impoverished children to university students. Both soft and hard skills were demanded, they range from communications to farming abilities; it was physically and mentally draining, but definitely worthwhile.

Here are their reflections on the trip:

In line with the feeding programme, we prepared a meal for some children who came from the poor community. Additionally, the kids were engaged in Bible stories telling, games, activities and songs. They also recieved balloon sculptures and stationary from the team. We were greatly blessed by the smiles on their faces, the joy from their hearts.

The visit to the poor community allowed some of us to set up roof insulation for a few houses while others distributed clothes that have been kindly donated to the children. It is common for the residents to wear the same outfit for several day. To make things worse, the outfit can sometimes be torn and tattered. It was a surreal and sobering experience, to see the little these people have, and their minimal way of life.

The friendly Filipino culture gave us an encouraging experience on street evangelism on a university campus. Students were willing to share openly, allowing us to get to know them and share our beliefs. We even met and befriended a group of dedicated Christians, who are also passionate about sharing Christ in the campus! It galvanises us to know that God is actively preached in the campus!

We remember the warm hospitality that our brothers and sisters in Christ showered the team with while we were in Philippines. We thank God for their kindness and open hearts to share unreservedly with us, we were truly blessed and protected by God throughout the trip! (written by Elijah Lim and Chloe Cai, TNT)

His point was that success in witnessing today is linked to demonstrating the practical relevance of the Christian faith.

(Kim Meng (right) talks to a Navigator volunteer labourer)

Kim Meng gave an example of how Christians could apply their faith at the workplace. Suppose there is a colleague who shares that his son is sick or sitting for his primary school leaving examinations. Most followers of any non-Christian religion would not hesitate to introduce their gods as a means of spiritual support, he said.

Most Christians, however, would tend to be silent, he said.

“Why can’t we turn around and say, ‘I pray to Jesus, Jesus is who I believe in, and when I am in trouble I pray to Jesus and He answers my prayer.” Christians tend to be more ‘defensive’ today, the former army captain noted.

They do not want to appear to be proselytising or sound over-enthusiastic. And so they tend to keep their faith ‘a bit private’. But adherents of other religions do not keep their faith private, they wear it like a badge of honour. Christians should, too, he said.

“Christianity is who you are. I can’t deny this is who I am, I am a Christian, I go to church, I read the Bible, I pray, I tithe, this is what I do and it’s no sin and I’m not ashamed of it,” he said.

“If I continue to just live this way, pretty soon someone will say, ‘my son is sick,’ and then I will say, ‘can I pray for you, can I pray for your son?’”

In fact most people facing some form of challenge long for someone to intercede for them, he highlighted. This is especially the case when people hear how effective such prayer could be. “The idea is I want to live out my faith and just be natural about it and allow that to overflow,” he said.

Read the full article

This is a great year for me and my girls in the volleyball scene. After all the hard work we’ve put in, all the perspiration, all the tears, all the effort, all the sacrifices, and all the constraints – we finally achieved the goals we set for ourselves: to be East Zone Schools champions and to be in the National Schools top four spot.

Watching my girls jump for joy after clinching the championship title and then seeing their wide grins when they received the medals at the National Schools Award Ceremony were the most satisfying sightsfor me.

Out of the blue and out of fun, I was touched when they all placed their medals around my neck and passed me the trophy.

In April this year, The NavTeens and other Navigator student ministries (Singapore Poly, Ngee Ann Poly, and ITE) organised a combined Good Friday evangelistic event. About 200 teens,Navigator staff and volunteer labourers came. I supervised a group of young labourers who organised the event.

It was great to see them learn from their mistakes, coping with constraints and becoming more realistic in their planning. There were two opportunities during the event to share the gospel with the non-believers. God gave us five teens who prayed to receive Christ.

I had the opportunity to invite ten of my volleyball players to enjoy the fun. During the course of the day I was able to share the gospel with them. I asked one of the girls, a brilliant student: “Do you know what you believe in and why you believe in it?” I know that she is very open to the gospel and very close to inviting Jesus into her life, but she is afraid to rock the boat in her family. For the believers, I challenged them in their belief and relationship with God. –by Wong Kia Yuan, staff, The NavTeens

The Navigator 2:7 Series is a lay training course used in more than 60 countries around the world to help Christians become mature disciples of Jesus Christ. One of the churches in Singapore that has been promoting it is the Barker Road Methodist Church (BRMC). They conduct a year-long Growing Deep in Christ (GDIC) programme, with the 2:7 Series as part of its core curriculum.

“I’m so overwhelmed and overjoyed to see so many of our church members completing GDIC!” said Chay Swee Hwa, who started the programme in BRMC in 2003. It was not the completion of a course that moved her but the lives transformed by the Word of God.

“Before attending the Navigator class, I hardly read the Bible. But since going through the course I have been reading it every day. Young Christians will benefit from the various practical tools for Christian living. For more mature Christians, it will serve as a good refresher.” – Lee Kwai Peng

“For a 64-year-old, it was really difficult when I first started memorising Scripture verses. I prayed and asked God for help.  Now I really enjoy it as I have found them to be tremendously useful in my Christian walk. I encourage all new Christians like me to go through the Navigators 2:7 series.” – Judy Kiang

(CDM Singapore offers training clinics for churches interested to embark on this discipleship course. Call our staff at 98204323 for enquiries.)