Patrick and Candice Cheah En-route to Indonesia
He prepares for our return
We have been kept busy since our return to Malaysia. There is a lot of traveling for us to do, but we are not complaining. The Lord prepares the way for our return with opportunities to share in churches and in small groups in different cities. It has been a blessing and a privilege for us to not only share about our ministry and the opportunities to invite supporting partners but also in creating awareness in tribal mission. God’s heart desire is for His Glory to fill the whole earth – until every tongue, tribe and nation is reached then He will come again!
Malaysia is ready for tribal mission
We are greatly encouraged with the response of support in just over two months of partnership development. It would seem the Malaysian church is prepared and ready for participation in tribal mission. Though the financial support received at hand is far short to meet the needs for the rest of the year and beyond, we are confident the Lord will move His people to come forward in pledging support for the long term. We have gone ahead to apply for our visas. This means we have committed upfront to field leadership for the start-up costs. We are now en-route to the mission field.
Where He is leading us
NTM’s focus is on unreached tribal groups. The Lord willing, we hope to move into a remote tribal location in Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia by 2010. We will live in the tribe to learn their culture and language and earn the right to share Christ with them. Most tribal societies are animists, believing that the physical world is controlled by spiritual forces to the extent that objects carry spiritual significance and events have spiritual causes. The spirits are paid homage as it is believed that spirit beings exert powers over human affairs and able to intercede on man’s behalf.
Animism today is not dying but reshaping in contemporary forms. Experts estimate that 40% of the world’s population is animistic in their practice. There is a real need to comprehensively analyze animism for strategizing and effectively communicate Christ in the culture. There is much to benefit to learn about the animists. For even without a written guide to their beliefs, they are able to pass down their beliefs through the generations and remain fervent in their practice. We aim to apply the time tested approach and methodology of NTM to proof its effectiveness and its relevance in evangelism in the most sophisticated cities.
