7979吗哪暖心

9/15/2024

7979吗哪暖心探访，是接触和关心他们最好的方式 Visitation the Best Way to Connect and Care for Them

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“The church is situated in this community, so our ministries are mainly grass root related.”

Rev. Ooi Chooi Kim，Reverend of Permata Baptist Community Centre

When we asked about the surroundings of Permata Baptist Community Centre (Hereinafter named “Care Station”), Rev. Ooi Chooi Kim replied.

This Care Station is located at Paya Terubong, on the outskirts of Penang. Paya Terubong is not a well-known place in Penang, but it is one of the main residential areas on Penang Island. The housing estates here are more of the middle-class, small but quiet residential area. However, amidst them are some poor families struggling financially and living in run-down houses.

“We visit all sorts of families, but 7979 supporting programs cater to mostly marginalised families and their issues are much more complicated. ” Rev. Ooi shared accordingly. Since Care Station was established, they have been doing a lot of community work, emphasising visitation, for they think visitation is the best way to connect and care for the community. All these years, the pastor has been encouraging the congregation to participate in ministries related to caring for the underprivileged, by arranging the youths, adults and elderly people into different visitation teams. Rev. Ooi tells us frankly that since the church joined 7979 Holistic Care Relief Network in 2014, the church has gained more opportunities to connect with marginalised families. Everyone knows how to deal and communicate with those service recipients after they attended the Volunteer Training (VT).

The caring and visitation culture of this Care Station, has indirectly influenced few of their youths. Even though, they are not like their pastor and Yee Mee who often visits and heavily involved in caring for the underprivileged, they still participate in the once in two months Manna Food Bag distribution and thus learning how to care for the needy.

“I noticed that some people didn’t have a good living environment, so I hope I can invite more people to join me in helping them. ”

Bryan who just graduated from secondary school always follows the lead of the seniors in Manna Food Bag’s delivery said.

Matthew who is still in secondary school discovered that he is actually living quite comfortably.

“This reminded me how blessed I am when I see so many families that needed assistance.”

Wei Jie, the College Student

Wei Jie is a college student and he is the son of Yee Mei. This January, Wei Jie’s lecturer gave them an assignment to form teams and organise events to do charity. When the students were in the middle of the discussion, Wei Jie pointed out that the Care Station have 7979 Manna Food Bags Delivery activities. When they heard that, they all thought that would be a good suggestion, so everyone quickly did their part to prepare for the event.

On 9th March 2024, 24 students from ViTrox Academy joined volunteers of the Care Station in packing Manna Food Bags. The students were split into 6 teams and led by our Care Station’s volunteer to place daily use items into the Manna Bags. Thereafter, they would follow their leaders to do house visitation and visit those aid recipients.

“Having the opportunity to participate in packing daily use products into the bags was very good. In doing so, we could roughly know the needs of the aid recipient we are about to visit.”

College Student, Kai Xuan

College Student, Wai Loon

“We could only realise how difficult their lives are when we visited their home. Therefore, I think that those who are blessed with more should do more to help the underprivileged. ”

This March, the Care Station and ViTrox Academy jointly delivered Manna Food Bags to underprivileged families for the first time.

The students packing items

The college students are visiting Jessy and her family.

“教会刚好在这个社区，所以我们就做一些服事基层人士的工作。”

黄翠锦牧师，宝石浸信会社区中心的牧师

提起宝石浸信会社区中心（以下简称“关怀站”）的邻里环境，黄翠锦牧师便如此回答。

关怀站位于槟城州垄尾郊区。垄尾是槟城鲜少人知的小区域，也是槟岛的主要住宅区之一。这里的房产多数为中价房屋，属于小型且安宁的社区。然而，这里也有正面临经济拮据、居住条件简陋的贫困家庭。

“ 我们有做各种探访工作，但透过7979支援的个案，多数都是边缘家庭，他们的情况相对比较复杂。”黄牧师娓娓道来。关怀站自创立以来就做很多社区关怀工作，更看重探访关怀，并认为：探访是接触和关心社区最好的方式。这些年来，牧师一直都鼓励教会会友参与关怀社区弱势家庭的工作，甚至安排青少年、成年人至乐龄人士分成各种探访小组。黄牧师坦言，自2014年加入7979全人关怀救助网络，教会就接触较多边缘的弱势家庭，上了7979相关的探访培训，大家也更有概念要如何与个案沟通。

关怀站的关怀和探访文化，间接影响了好几位年轻人。他们虽然不像黄牧师和奕媚时不时探访或深入关怀弱势家庭，但也参与每两个月一次的7979吗哪食物包的发放环节，学习关心社区中有需要的人。

“我发现有人的生活环境不好，因此希望能邀请更多人一起去帮助他们。”