The Micro Eco-Farming Has Started!

Praise God. The Micro Eco-Farming is on. Yes, the person who promised to contribute for the project has already given the RM5,000.

The work has already began. They will dig out about 2 feet of the earth in the existing plot of land. The land was used for planting papaya trees and chives (koo chai). So the next couple of months there will be no income for the home as they prepare for the MEF project.  Anyway, the estimate cost of the project is only about 3K, but the person contributed 5K so that the other 2K will help the home through those months. For what I understand the sales the papayas and chives can fetch about RM600-800 each month previously.

Well, let’s hope that with this project the residents can have better crops and harvest and these in turns will bring in more income.

Thank you, whoever you are who has generously contributed the RM5,000 for the project. May God continue to use you to help others who are in need.

Micro Eco-Farming (MEF) Project

Wonderful news! Firstly, we recieved RM200 for the MercySeed Ministry today. This money will help us buy food stuff, drinks and fried beehoon for our food distribution to the street people.

Secondly, Ps Shirley told me that someone has promised or agreed to donate 5 thousand Ringgit to the old folks home to help them start a Micro Eco- Farm (MEF) like rearing livestocks such as chicken, ducks, etc, and growing vegetables on a small plot of land. This will help the elderly people feel useful and occupied and at the same time generates some financial income for them.

This is still in the planning stage. Nothing has been confirmed. Pray that God will give wisdom to Ps Shirley and the person-in-charge of the home to initiate this Micro Eco-Farming  project.

Parable of MercySeed

There is a saying that what you sow is what you reap. And seed is what you sow. If you sow an apple seed you won’t get a orange tree. But if you sow a seed as small as a mustard seed, you will in due time get a huge mustard tree with many more seeds for you to sow. Likewise, if you sow love, you receive love. So if you sow mercy you receive mercy. “What you sow is what you reap”

One day St. Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, if my brother keeps on sinning against me, how many times do I have to forgive him?  Seven times?”

“No, not seven times,” answered Jesus, “but seventy times seven, because the Kingdom of heaven is like this.

Once there was a king who decided to check on his servants’ accounts. 

He had just begun to do so when one of them was brought in who owed him millions of dollars. The servant did not have enough to pay his debt, so the king ordered him to be sold as a slave, with his wife and his children and all that he had, in order to pay the debt.

The servant fell on his knees before the king. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay you everything!’
The king felt sorry for him, so he forgave him the debt and let him go.

“Then the man went out and met one of his fellow servants who owed him a few dollars. He grabbed him and started choking him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he said.

His fellow servant fell down and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back!’ But he refused; instead, he had him thrown into jail until he should pay the debt. 

When the other servants saw what had happened, they were very upset and went to the king and told him everything.  So he called the servant in.

‘You worthless slave!’ he said. ‘I forgave you the whole amount you owed me, just because you asked me to.  You should have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you.’

The king was very angry, and he sent the servant to jail to be punished until he should pay back the whole amount.” 

And Jesus concluded, “That is how my Father in heaven will treat every one of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

How we cannot receive mercy unless we will give mercy.  Jesus tells us that unless we give mercy, we will not receive it. On the positive side, he says “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.”

A man takes a mustard seed and sows it in his field.

It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it grows up, it is the biggest of all plants. It becomes a tree, so that birds come and make their nests in its branches.”

Even though the mustard seed seem small and insignificant, it is still a seed. It has the potential to grow into a a tall plant in which the birds will come and nest on it’s branches.

Do not despise the day of small things. God uses the insiginificant for significant purposes.

Thus is the meaning of MercySeed.

(Matthew 18:21-35; 13:31-32)

 

 

 

 

The Many Faces Of Jesus

There is that common artist’s concept of what Jesus’ face looks like. I’m not sure who started it all, but usually each version ends up having similar features. You know….the long brown hair, a well trimmed beard, slender face and nose, big compassionate eyes (usually blue). Well, to tell you the honest truth, I don’t buy into most of that. The fact is that none of us really know what the incarnate Christ looked like when He walked among us.

Tonight, as I prepare to lie down to rest, and I close my eyes to sleep, I will be seeing the face of Jesus. That’s right, I saw His face today, and it occurred to me that I’d seen Him before on many occasions and He always looks different each time.

This afternoon, the face of Jesus had the same features, lines, scars, color and expressions as the face of the homeless man in the hanging around the bus terminal, not waiting for the bus but for a meal.

Today, I looked into the face of a man named Noor and it was the face of Jesus. I’ve seen that face before. Each time I see Him the face is never the same. I saw the face of Jesus in Penang Road and He was a young Chinese man named Cheng. I saw Jesus’ face multiplied times at the drop-in centre off Chulia Street. I saw Jesus grinning hugely on the face of a big, burly Indian baker named Subra, the first time he led someone to receive Christ as their Savior, on crowded lane in Little India. Through the tears, I saw Jesus in the face of my friend, John when he was lifted out of the baptistery waters in the local church.

Yep, I am well acquainted with the face of my Lord, but He always seems to take pleasure in surprising me. How do I know its Jesus? He told us how to recognize Him …..”I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.”

By the way, in a couple of weeks, we will be meeting Cheng again. So if you’re there with us you’ll get a chance to see Jesus’ face too. When you do, take a long look because next time He won’t look the same. Once you’ve seen His face however, you’ll always be watching…waiting…and looking to see Him again. At least I hope you will…………

Another Night, Another Heart Content!

Last night was an eye opener for many of us. We see families, father, mother and children sleeping at the five foot path with a child as young as 5 yrs old. The Indian family, the father a trishaw rider and the mother doing odd jobs here and there. They have two children, one go to St Joseph Orphanage during the day while the 5yrs old will follow the mother to work. They can’t effort to rent a room so there is no alternative but to live on the street.

I also see that there are an increased of homeless people in the street. I managed to talk to some of them. Some said they wanted to find a job but in their condition, people would not hire them. Some are also too old, some not educated, and some are not locals. They came to Penang hoping for a greener pasture but it turned out to be a black desolated hole for them

One Chinese 42 yrs old man who accepted the Lord in one of the church, cannot find work due to very serious asthma. He touched my heart as the minute he received the food from us, there and then he prayed and give thanks to God.

Normally the people will always ask us whether we are Christians. They say that, “you Christians have big heart and I see that in all of you.” I don’t think we Christians have a big heart. It is God who has a big heart and we are only doing our part to fill that heart with kindness, love and mercy. There is a saying that no one is good but God. But if you have God, then the love of God is shared into your heart too! And when we show kindness there must be no strings attached.

Nowadays, not many people come to town to provide food for them during the night. When we reached Prangin Mall, people just rushed to the van and asked for food. Never have such things happen before! Some even asked whether we can come more often. Talk about fuel price hike, food price increased and inflation, these have even affected the street people – and even worst! Told them that we will if God’s willing!

One man, who normally sleeps in front of Gama Departmental Store, was hanging around the Komtar area last night and he was so happy to see us. He told us there are many more street people over there at Gama and reminds us to make a stop there the next time.

By the time we reached the Komtar Bus terminal, there were only five packets of foodstuff and a few pieces of t-shirts left. But thank God we still have some fried beehoon which we managed to give some of them.   
 
God is good, at first l was upset because some friends who said they will join us, didn’t show up. So there were only five of us left; myself, Ernie, May Ling, Joshua, and my auntie, who doesn’t believe that there are so many street people, also join us. And this was a real eye-opener for her.

I believed God is teaching me a very precious lesson last night. It is not about how many people that come along but is the heart of the people who came. It is not about us but about the people who will receive the foodstuff. It is not about how well we did for them, it is about how well they are cared for.

Anyway, thank God for their love for the street people. Everything went well, even though there were not many of us. God doesn’t look at the numbers, God looks at the heart! God’s work still gets done if our hearts are willing to do His will!

“God’s work, done in God’s way, shall never lack God’s providence!”
 

 Ps. Shirley

Busy, Busy, Busy Ladies!

         

(MercySeed Team and Volunteers packing foodstuff for the Street Food Distribution) – CLICK IMAGE TO ENLARGE

This coming Friday, 27th June, the MercySeed Team will be taking to the streets in Georgetown again. But before that, there are preparation to be done. Firstly, we have to look for funds and contributions from friends and supporters who believed in our cause. Then when we have the funds, we would go shopping for foodstuff and drinks. then there are packing to do. And cooking and packing again.

Not everyone would like to go to the dark streets in the city, and especially in the middle of the night, or should I say, in the early hours of the morning. So some just contribute in kinds or cash. And some just help in packing and cooking.

So few days before we take to the streets, some of our volunteers, mostly ladies will help to pack the foodstuff. Each packet will normally consists of a couple of packets of biscuits, a drink and sometimes we also added in soap, shampoo, toohbruah and toothpaste. Maybe these items will encourage them to wash up. you may ask – where are they going to do that? Well, there are public toilets with showers or running water where they can take their bath. Usually you find these public toilets with shower or bath at the wet market around town. Pray that one day we will be able to have a drop-in centre for them, where they can come in and wash up, rest and have a good meal. And if God is willing, we pray that we will be able to have a home to take in the homeless. Well, we believe nothing is impossible with God. God wants to see if we are faithful in the little we are given before he lets us handle the big thing!

Apart from the foodstuff, we also have clean, wearable clothes and pants for them. And on the day of the food distribution, some of the team members will fry noodles and pack it fresh for them.

So there are plenty to do before we can actually go out and distribute the foodstuff.

 

 

 

RM500 Contribution

 

Last week someone just came up to Ps Shirley and said that she heard of the work that MercySeed is doing, and she want to make a small contribution. And that small contribution was like RM500 worth – in cash. Praise the Lord.

This is one of the many surprise contributions that we received from time to time. It’s people like them that really encouraged us to go on. It’s not just the amount, but it does help though, but it’s more of their kind support and attitude of giving that really encourage. God uses people like them to help us do the work of MercySeed.

If you have anything to contribute, be it foodstuff, decent useable shirts/pants/blankets, or monetary support or even if you wish to join us in our outings – contact us.

So on behalf of MercySeed and all the homeless people, elderly people and orphange, we like to thank the lady for the RM500 contribution and also all those who has been contributing in one way or the other. And not forgetting you for reading this. God bless!

Next Ministry Dates!

 

*** STREET OUTREACH ***

Date: 27th June 2008

Time: 10.00pm

Meet at Harvest Community Church

 NEEDS: Biscuits, Water, Fried rice and mee hoon 100pkts, Soap, T-Shirts & Pants.

 ____________________________________________________________________________

*** VISITATION TO HAPPY RETIREMENT HOME (KAPALA BATAS) ***

Date: 6th July 2008 (Sunday)

Time : 2.00pm

Meet at Harvest Community Church

 NEEDS: Daily Sundries, Lancets strips for blood glucose test, Alcohol Swabs and Disposable Latex gloves.  The home will inform us about their needs prior to our visitation.

_______________________________________________________________

Your support and contributions will be greatly appreciated. If you wish to join any of the above ministries, please do contact us for more information. mercyseed@gmail,com

If you want to make monetary contribution:

Cheque payable to Harvest Community Centre .

Public Bank A/c 3122340632.

Street Outreach Gallery

 

Click here to view more photos >>> Street Outreach Gallery

Heaven Rejoice!

Yesterday the team went to visit the Old Folks Home in Kepala Batas. (Will feed you more about this home soon) We brought about 35pieces of ’char siew pau” for the folks there. And one of our friends ordered dishes for dinner and brought it along later. We were there for almost 4-5 hours. And during that time we had a wonderful just chatting with them.

 

The good news is that 3 of the folks there opened their hearts to the word of God and accepted Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord. Praise the Lord! The physical food they recieved will only last for a moment, but the spiritual food that they accepted will last for eternity.

 

Jesus said, “I am the Bread of Life, those who come to me will never be hungry; and those who drink the water that I will give them will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give them will become in them a spring which will provide them with life-giving water and give them eternal life.”

 

Yes not only we rejoice with the 3 elderly folks, but heaven and all the angels rejoice with them.