Jamaica Trip in 13 Pictures

Recently, my wife Esther and I went to Jamaica for ministry. We were graciously hosted and generously taken care of by Jamaica Chinese Christian Church. It was such a great experience and it's hard to fully explain what went on. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so I'll use 13 pictures (really 41 since they're collages) to explain our Jamaican ministry trip. That's about 42,000 words!

 1. Palm Sunday Service

It is our second year in a row working with Jamaica Chinese Christian Church to minister to the people here. They have no pastor in their midst but yet their church is standing strong.

Furthermore, their warmth and hospitality continues to blow us away.

Remember this church in your prayers.

2. Uncle Eli

I (Tony) was privileged to serve communion at Mr. Eli Ho's house today. He is the 96 year-old man in the picture. He can no longer hear very well nor pay attention for a long time. Traveling is difficult so he can no longer go to church either. So we brought church to him instead, complete with music (by Esther), the Word, and communion. Oh but he has quite an amazing story.

50 or more years ago, he and some others started a movement that would eventually turn into a 2000 people megachurch in Kingston, Jamaica (Swallowfield Chapel) along with a few other sister churches (including our host church).

For many years, he would meet after church on Sunday with like-minded Christians to pray. Then they would travel 40-50 miles (which would take a few hours) to the rural areas of Jamaica. They had a quartet that would sing, and He would share the Gospel with people in the country side. And they still have to drive a few hours back and get ready for work the next day. They did this faithfully even though they were just normal, business people.

At home, he would also pour into the lives of the young people, training them to be strong Christians. In fact, the people in the picture serve as proof. One of the people in the picture is now an elder of the same megachurch. Another is a leader of the church who hosted us. The other (his daughter) is serving faithfully at church as well. They all have amazing stories.

We feel so privileged to have the honor of serving communion to someone with such a legacy.

Before we left, we held his hand firmly and told him how honored we are to be there with him. He looked at us, smiled at us, mustered up all his strength, and said in a soft voice, "Thank you very much." Then he said in an almost inaudible voice, "It was very kind of you to come." At this, we almost cried.

His family gave us permission to share the photo and his story with the whole world. We hope that more people can hear this story and that more Christians may be infected by his mission-mindedness.

3. Getting to the Camp

Halfway to our destination, this car our friend got 4 months ago got a flat tire. No one got hurt. Last year for the same event, the car we rode in (with a different driver and different car) also got a flat tire and spun to the opposite lane, hitting another car. So this was no big deal in comparison.

That's when we knew we were going to have a great time of ministry with the people there.

4. Easter Egg Hunt

We participated in a little Easter Egg Hunt with the children on Good Friday. They had such a fun time running around this big field trying to find all the goodies.

5. Theme - Freedom in Christ

The theme for the camp was Galatians 5:1, "Freedom in Christ." So for this first session, I (Tony) preached from Galatians 5:1. We as Christians are free, so we should not live in bondage.

To really illustrate what it feels like to be in bondage to something, I got people to tie up this kid with rope.

6. Giving out Candy

We bought some candy from the U.S. and gave them out to the children. It was hugely popular. After we did so, the children got really close to us almost immediately. Food is really a great resource in ministry.

7. Worship

It started out slow at first, but the teenagers and young adults eventually started to worship God more fully as the days progressed.

We told them how important it was to worship God with the body. Tony even started teaching actions that they could follow.

See, in the beginning it felt like many people weren't really engaging with God, if they even sang at all! But God has a way of leading young ones to Himself. This time, God used Esther to achieve that.

8. Rock Climbing and Zip lining

At the camp, there was the place where you could do rock climbing. At the top, you can zipline across. It was fun.

Esther and I climbed up together. Every once in a while, I (Tony) would look to check if she was okay. While we were climbing up one of the teenagers said, "That's my relationship goal."

We were glad to be an example.

9. Birthday and Bonfire

The last night of the camp was precious. We had a birthday celebration for a few people. Since my (Tony's) birthday was close, some kid decided to smudge some icing on my face. I guess I should feel honored?

At the bonfire, we got to bond even more. During this time, someone asked me, "Why is there sin in our body?" I spent a while answering the question. More than that, I later got to hear more about the struggles and life of this one particular teenage girl.

I won't share the details here, but let's just say that my heart broke as I listened to her story. Also, God met her that night in a powerful and personal way.

10. Children Dancing

The children danced to many worship songs. Miss Merlene, Miss Beth, and their team taught them the actions. It was a joy to watch the children have so much fun.

The people on this team (apart from the two leaders) were here on a 3-month short term missions. It was encouraging to see these girls (ages 18-22) willing to serve in Jamaica this way. May God raise up more laborers just like them.

11. Sessions Overview

This was the last session of the camp. In total, we had 9 sessions, 4 of which were sermons while the rest were a mix of Bible studies, small group discussions, and panel Q&A.

Many people said that they got to really dig deeper into the Word. One person said that my (Tony's) sermons made her want to study the Bible more. There are few sweeter words for a preacher to hear!

We were also consciously and actively seeking to train up local leaders to take our place when we are gone (you know who you are). This is discipleship, and it's one of the most important things a missions worker must do.

12. Singing in their Heart Language

It is always better to sing in the heart language of the people you are trying to minister to.

In this case, it was Cantonese and Mandarin. So Esther learnt how to sing "Because He Lives" in these two languages and surprised the congregation.

One lady said, "When you sing, I feel peaceful. It's more than just singing. I feel like you are ministering."

What a great way to minister!

13. Group Picture

These are the people who went to the camp. The majority of the people are members and attendees of Jamaica Chinese Christian Church. But there are actually many who don't go to the church.

Their exposure to God is limited to this one time of year where they come to this camp. Therefore, we were glad that we get to be there to reach out to them.

Nevertheless, what a beautiful group of people and what a beautiful church. We will be praying for them consistently. Will you join us in doing so?

Finding Your Calling with 3 Questions

Image from "The Story of Esther and Tony" on YouTube.

Every organization (whether it's a tech company, non-profit, or even school) has a focus, a niche in the world. A company can exist solely by making excellent wireless routers. Charities often have one special target groups they help. Prep schools that train only one discipline abound in the world.

My focus for this post is to help you find your niche in the world. I'm also writing in a decidedly Christian fashion. So in Christian terms, I want to help you find your calling in life. And I want to do it with three simple questions.

1. What do you enjoy doing?

I believe that every human being is uniquely created by God. Psalm 139:14 says, "I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well."

Everybody has something wonderful that they are passionate about, that they enjoy doing. It could be basketball, food, politics, home decorations, salmon fishing, or any other thing imaginable. You know what your passion is when you can talk seemingly endlessly on that particular topic. 

Some people get tremendous joy from dancing, others from playing video games, yet others from organizing files. Your passion is one thing that makes you unique. It could be an indication of what you should be doing in life.

A creator God would not create you just to put you on the earth and bore you to death with something you absolutely despise doing. Either He made a mistake in creation or you are doing something wrong. Hint: It's probably the latter.

2. What are you good at doing?

Say you enjoy singing. Does that mean you should sing? Not exactly. Just because someone enjoys one thing does not mean they should do that thing.

I should know, I used to think I could be a singer. My musician wife changed that view. We've all heard that man/woman on TV who thinks they are Celine Dion when in fact their screeching actually damages our ears.

You see, "following your heart" is bad advice if taken on its own. Romans 12:6 says, "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them." We all have different gifts (aka skills) that sets us apart from other people.

Yes, we are to follow our heart's passions. However, is God such a horrible craftsman that he would give you a passion but then not the skills to accomplish it?

So when your passions and your skills don't match, try to broaden it. For example, maybe it's not singing that you enjoy, maybe it's the performing arts, maybe it's drama. Maybe all this time you thought singing was the only or best way to perform. But there are other ways, ways that may fit you better! Explore them.

Similarly, your calling is definitely something you are good at, it just may be broader than you think.

3. What are you currently doing?

I sometimes hear people talk about not being able to do what they enjoy doing or what they are good at doing, that they're stuck in a dead-end job. But those same people are not taking steps to change it. What they are currently doing is complaining and coasting through life. They are not working on fulfilling their calling.

Say you enjoy drama and are good at it. You've found your career as a Hollywood lead actor/actress? Hold on. How much time do you spend practicing every day? Have you looked into acting coaches? How many books have you read about the performing arts? What changes would you need to make in your daily routine to improve yourself? Do some hobbies need to be cut?

If it's not a common career, have you done research to find organizations that do exactly what you want to do? Will this pay the bills or do you need to supplement your income some other way? Tent-making is still a valid profession (cf. Acts 18:3).

2 Timothy 2:15 says, "Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed"

My wife (who is an amazing pianist), when she was in high school, spent 7 hours a day practicing on the piano. This is in addition to other homework and school. She had to cut a lot of things out in life in order to do what she does today.

What you do now prepares you for what you are called to do in the future. If you are doing nothing now, be prepared for a whole lot of nothing in the future.

If you still got nothing

Or perhaps you've read through all that and still don't know what your calling is. My advice? Go through these questions with someone who knows you. Take your time. Develop yourself anyway you can. Also, if you are unemployed, get a job anywhere doing anything. You can reflect on the 3 questions as you work that job. 2 Thessalonians 3:10 says, "If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat."

Spiritual Warfare or Small Accident

We are in a war. But we do not wage war against flesh and blood, rather it is "against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places" (Ephesians 6:12).

It seems that before every major ministry event, my wife and I experience more... distractions than any other time. We tend to verbally disagree more, which has in the past led to big fights. Can you imagine having a fight with your spouse (and ministry partner) right before you have to preach a sermon about the love of God? Either I feel like a hypocrite or conviction weighs so heavy that I tear up in my sermon delivery, as if I'm preaching to myself.

Now, the scientifically acute man in me can possibly explain this away as merely stress. After all, stress builds up more before major events (i.e. major ministry). It makes sense that if both husband and wife are stressed, more fights happen.

However, something is off. For example, last week, we went to Pacific Garden Mission (a city homeless shelter). It was a snowy day and road conditions were not the best. On the way there, we were going at 45 miles an hour. Then all of a sudden, our car slid on an inter-highway ramp. I tried to steer it back in control but we ended up sliding off the ramp, doing an almost 360 degree spin, before coming to a stop beside a bush.

It's a miracle that there was even a patch of grass next to the ramp. Those living in Chicago knows that most sections of the I-90 near downtown do not have patches of grass next to it. Furthermore, there were no cars behind us or next to us, which is odd because traffic was horrible that day. In fact, right after the slid, I saw 5-6 cars coming off the ramp. It's as if something held up the cars behind us so that they wouldn't be close to us at the time.

There was a 4-foot metal pole that we knocked over. It's amazing that the extent of the damage is the tiny scratch you see here.

Now, if this were a one-time event, I'd leave it at that. But it's not. The only other time that we had any kind of close-call in Chicago was also while we were driving to do ministry at Pacific Garden Mission. And another time, while driving to Montreal for another ministry engagement, our car stalled and wouldn't go on.

Compared to other times that we'd drive, these events stand out in sharp contrast. The timing of these events are statistical improbabilities. It's as if something did not want us to get to the homeless shelter and minister to the 800 souls there. It's as if there is opposition to what we are doing. It's as if there's more than meets the eye in the events surrounding our lives. It's as if we really are waging war against spiritual forces of evil.

Let me know if you've experienced similar things.