This boy who gave “I don’t know” as answer to all three questions is the main character for today!
Year 2022, this boy just entered into transition class of secondary school. He has a habit of replying “I don’t know” to any question posed to him, such a cute boy! If you want to get any answer from him, you have to be patient enough to engage conversation with him and guide him to think.

In those early days of joining Gereja Ern Tian Batu Pahat Companionship Class, he was just standard 4. Being in a new environment and had to mingle with strangers, made him so afraid of being bullied until he refused to attend Companionship Class, hence the teachers had to purposefully fetched him to class. Then came MCO, his time in Companionship Class became on and off, however he turned out to enjoy Companionship Class so much that he insisted to attend Companionship Class even feeling uncomfortable after his COVID vaccination. However, one thing doesn’t change from the beginning until he graduated from primary school is his introvert quiet character, he doesn’t play with other children, he just quietly took his meals, washed his dishes, did his homework and revision.         

Although he is well behaved, but he didn’t put enough effort in his studies. When he was standard 6, he always failed in his spelling test in addition to not able to recite multiplication table, the teachers felt so frustrated.  One day, the teachers decided not to tolerate anymore, she spoke to the boy: “You are now standard 6, how can you still not familiar with the multiplication table, what are you thinking? You always said that you pray about it, but you didn’t put your effort into it after you prayed. God can only bless you when you work hard after you prayed.” This conversation seems to open up his mind, he suddenly realized that if he still doesn’t put in his effort, then he’ll be left behind when he enters his secondary school.

Ever since, this boy who had been triggered to learn seems to transform into another person, he began to study hard. Within a week, he managed to recite multiplication table, and began to take his spelling seriously. Although, enter into secondary school all by himself was a new challenge to him, he had to go to a new school, with unfamiliar teachers, students and language environment. Again, he was afraid of being bullied, but this time he wished to change! Because this time he knew that he could learn, and he is no longer alone, because he has Companionship Class’s teachers to teach and guide him in his studies.  For example, when he encountered difficulties setting up his online class facilities, he took the initiative to request assistance from Companionship Class’s teachers, and his online class went on smoothly.   

For this year, we wished to make a video of life story on this boy, the first thing came to my mind was “Will this super introvert quite boy agrees to let us shoot a life story video of him? Will him get so nervous in front of the camera until he can’t utter a word?” With these questions in mind, we embarked.  It was our first encounter with this boy.  During the conversation, the phrase “I don’t know” kept appearing, but that didn’t mean that he doesn’t know, he just need to be guided in his thinking, it could also be that he is not good in expressing his thought.

Nevertheless, he is not a reckless person, if he wanted to accomplish something, even when he couldn’t express himself with words, he would act it out, he takes his tasks seriously.  During our video shooting, because he was very nervous, so he would repeatedly practice his dialogues, facial expressions, and he cooperated willingly when we need to retake the scene. During the shooting, we could see his subtle smile. The boy was presented with a badminton racket for the shooting of this video. This was preplanned before the shooting.  As we did ask the boy what was his wish, he said he wanted a badminton racket, so that he can play with his father when his father returns from his outstation job.       

While we were shooting our video, Teacher Li Ling (Companionship Class’s Teacher) kept telling us that: “This boy’s school grades have improved tremendously, he is so well behaved, he would study on his own, he does the house chores, take cares of himself, occasionally he would teach his sister in doing her homework…” She was so relieved, comforted and proud as though is her son that is doing well. We hereby wish that this boy will continue to grow healthily, and may he comes to know what kind of person that he wishes to be!  

COVID-19 has affected the world for more than three years, infecting more than 600 million people and claiming 6.6 million lives. The year 2022 was a busy one, it packed with all signs Jesus' prophesied on Endtimes in Chapter 24 of the Gospel of Matthew, the signs had appeared one by one. Wars, riots, earthquakes, pestilence, crime, indifference, false prophets and doctrine, none of them were absent. Coupled with global inflation and economic depression, the originally wealthy financial resources have been greatly reduced, the wailing of suffering grassroots has escalated, the poor have no tomorrow!

HISTEAM held "2022 Asian Chinese Christian Holistic Care Conference – The Greatest Opportunity" over three weekends in October, and constantly we could hear from the workshops’ speakers from Hong Kong and Taiwan’s co-organizers, of the challenges that Asia is facing in post-COVID-19 era. Doulos, Hong Kong in collaboration with local universities conducted a survey on the negative impact of COVID-19 in nine Asian regions, and the results showed that Taiwan, Hong Kong and Malaysia ranked first, third and fourth. This means that people with moderate or even severe depression and anxiety due to the pandemic are the ready harvest field who are suffering from mental distress and in need of assistance. On the economic front, Malaysia has been the hardest hit, ranking first in Asia. The ageing population has led to an increasing number of stay alone elderlies, chronic illnesses elderlies who requires long-term medical care, and dementia elderlies who have been displaced. Authoritarian ruling, economic and political instability in several Asian countries have led to mass emigration. These scattered stateless groups are most often victims of oppression and exploitation in foreign cultures and countries where they are not welcome.

When Malaysia opened its borders in April, many people fasten the pace of their lives hoping to recover the opportunities they lost during the pandemic, but they ended up in disconcerted state. Many businesses, including many churches, over reacted by holding various gatherings and banquets, making extensive travel plans and church building projects. As a result, the old wineskins problems before the pandemic also returned to the nest in retaliation. In fact, the painful lesson our Heavenly Father hopes to teach us the children of God during the pandemic, we should not forget the learnt lessons when the pandemic is over. Now enter into the epidemic stage, the Holy Spirit wants the church to put on new wineskins and pour out new wine, which we should not miss in our disconcerted state. The opportunity Jesus wants Christians to seize and minister in the Endtimes is right now! The church and the children of God have the eternal assurance of salvation, the unchanging truth of the Bible, the hope of the resurrection of our Savior, the support of the power of the Holy Spirit, and the guidance of the rod of the Father. We are bestowed with the privileges that no one else has, in order for us to reach out to the suffering communities and desperate neighbors. As we come to an era where good and bad times alternate frantically, it is also a rare opportunity for Christians to rise up and respond to the call of harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. In this epidemic, would you like to respond to the cries of workers in the field? God is calling for warriors of caring mission to seize the greatest opportunity!