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"People call me Pastor when they see me"
"Beep!" On the court, a group of young and vigorous teenagers tried their best to chase a basketball!
The 18th Perlis "Praise Cup" basketball tournament officially kicked off! It was also the 18th consecutive year that Kaki Bukit Praise Centre (Church) HISTEAM 7979 Care Station had organized a secondary school basketball tournament in the community. Pastor Lam shared: "The Church wanted to reach out to the teenagers. Apart from the fellowship meetings, we would personally get into the basketball court and played with them." Other than the "Praise Cup", they have Sunday School and tuition classes for the children, and “Praise Dance” for the adult. These community’s activities had introduced the church to 10 Chinese new villages in Perlis. During the festival, the church would hold celebration gatherings and celebrated with the villagers. Pastor Lam has always see "the Church as a member of the community" as ultimate goal, and through these community activities, he has integrated the church into the community. 
Perlis state is located at the most northern part of West Malaysia and is the smallest state in Malaysia. Perlis, a state with only 10 Chinese new villages is a place full of rural customs, its’ people live a simple lifestyle in wooden houses that build side by side within a close-knit neighborhood. "People call me Pastor when they see me," Pastor Lam said. The church is accepted in the village. Besides from community activities held by the church, when someone passed away in the village, the Pastor would attend the funeral and consoled the bereaved family too.
Go the extra mile to help others
In 2018, the church set up HISTEAM 7979 Care Station to provide care and practical resources to help those in need in rural areas. Regarding the long-term assistance to under privilege families, Pastor Lam said, “There are many reasons for poverty. If it is caused by bad habits, there is nothing we can do but to guide them to a new life.” While assisting these families, the church also teaches them Biblical values of life and shares the Gospel with them.
In the past, the church was very active in the community and had a good relationship with the neighbors, but it was still difficult to develop closer relationship with them. Since the beginning of the Community Care Ministry, the church began to visit every household in the community. "Over the past four years, the church had reached out to and assisted 20 Manna Food Bank cases. We spent at least one year to assist each family”, shared by Sis. Yang Bi Ling (Pastor Lam’s wife). These families were not starving, but they were still poor, and with the aid of Manna Food Bags they were able to save at least a little money on food. "I feel very peaceful, thank you for coming!" Whenever the aid recipient expressed gratitude and felt peaceful, Pastor Lam’s wife felt comforted and happy. Besides that, there is a grandma who always prepared tea for Pastor Lam and his wife whenever they visited her, she also prepared fruit as a return gift, her actions really encouraged them. In our ministry journey, there are many incidents where things would "just happened to be." When the foreign bride child's milk powder was about to finish, Pastor Lam’s wife "just happened " to deliver the Manna Food Bag to them; Another family was about to run out of diapers, and again Pastor Lam’s wife "just happened" to drop by to deliver the Manna Food Bag to them. The supplies that were delivered “just in time” again and again, were actually all deliberate and proactive care. "When we hold community events, people come to the church; But when we deliver household supplies (Manna Food Bag), we are the ones who go to the people, "shared Pastor Lam. When compare with community activities, community care is more like going the extra mile to help people; although we may not get any feedback, but at least they are willing to open their house’s door. 
There is no hard work when there is a calling
On ordinary days, there were very few young adults in the community, reflecting a common rural phenomenon - the exodus of young people. "The church is mostly filled with old people, teenagers and children, as for the young adult they choose to leave the village." When the young adults left the village for further study, most of them chose to remain where they are for further development. The site of Pastor and his wife’s figures moving from house to house was like the epitome of the countryside.
"Pastoring a village church is like a farmer planting and harvesting crops every year and giving them away at the end. Urban churches are like factories that need to manage the harvested crops." Pastor Lam shared his feelings of 30 years’ service in Perlis, and finally said with a smile, "There is no hard work when there is a calling." 
 “大家看到我都会叫我牧师” “哔!” 操场上，一群年轻气盛的少年人使出浑身解数追逐着一颗篮球！ 全玻璃市第18届“赞美杯”篮球赛正式开打！这也是加基武吉赞美中心（教会）7979全人关怀站在社区里连续举办了18年的中学生篮球比赛。 “教会想接触少年人，除了团契，我们也直接在篮球场与他们玩在一起”，林伟民牧师分享到。不单是“赞美杯”，教会还有儿童事工，比如主日学和补习班、成人赞美操等社区活动，让玻璃市10个华人新村认识了教会。每逢佳节，教会都举办庆典，与村民一同欢庆。林牧师一直以“教会是社区一份子”为宗旨，并通过这些社区活动让教会融入社区。  玻璃市位于西马最北部，是马来西亚最小的州属。坐拥10个华人新村，玻璃市充满着乡村风土人情，人们生活朴素，居住在并排的木屋，邻里关系密切。“大家看到我都会叫我牧师”，林牧师说。乡村里的人都接纳教会，除了教会举办的社区活动，当村里有人逝世，牧师也会出席丧礼安慰逝者家属。  多走一里路去助人 2018年，教会设立7979全人关怀站，给予关怀和实际资源，帮助乡村里有需要的人。对于长期援助弱势贫穷的家庭，林牧师表示：“贫穷的原因很多，若是因为不良习惯导致，我们也束手无策，唯有正确引导他过一个新生活。” 教会援助这些家庭的同时，也教导他们圣经中的生活价值观，并与他们分享福音。 以往，教会在社区很活跃，和邻里关系匪浅，但却难以深入认识他们。自从开始了社区关怀事工，教会开始走进一家家一户户。“4年来，教会已经接触并援助了20家吗哪食物银行个案。每个家庭至少花上一年的时间”，杨碧玲师母（林师母）分享。这些家庭虽不至于挨饿，但生活都比较贫苦，借着吗哪食物包的补助，至少还能让他们省下一笔伙食费。 “我感到很平安，谢谢你们到来！”每当个案表示感恩并感到平安时，师母都很欣慰。不仅如此，有位婆婆经常准备茶水迎接牧师师母，还准备水果当谢礼，让他们倍受鼓励。在服事的旅程中，常有“刚刚好”的事情发生。外籍新娘家孩子的奶粉喝完之际，牧师师母就“刚好”送上吗哪包；另一家孩子的纸尿片即将用完，牧师师母就“刚好”送上。一次次刚刚好的补给，都是刻意主动的关心。 “举办社区活动，是人们来到教会；但送物资（吗哪包），是我们走进人群中”，林牧师分享。相比社区活动，社区关怀更像是多走一里路地去帮助人，虽不一定会得到回馈，但至少他们愿意打开家门。  有呼召 就没有辛苦 平日社区里，鲜少看见青年人，反映出一种屡见不鲜的乡村现象——年轻人外流。“教会里大多是老年人、少年和小孩，青年人都往外出走”。年轻人出外升学后，大部份都选择留在当地发展，牧师师母游走在家家户户的身影，宛如乡村缩影。 “在乡村建立教会就像是农夫，每年栽种收割庄稼，再送出去。而城市教会就像是工厂，需要管理这些‘庄稼’。”牧师分享30年在玻璃市服事的心情，最后笑着说：有呼召就没有辛苦。”  Comments are closed.
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