These Youths Witnessed The Glory Of God In Dampit

The glory of God manifested mightily when nine CHC youths embarked on their first mission trip to Dampit, Indonesia.

 

1 Timothy 4:12 says, “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”

It was in this spirit that a team of 16, including nine youths aged 14 to 24, embarked on a mission trip to Dampit,  Indonesia.

“Dampit is a sowing ground that came out of the School of Theology,” explains Chua Kim Peng, the ministry head of Missio Dei, City Harvest Church’s mission ministry. “Several mission teams from our church visited Malang City, and through those visits, Missio Dei was connected to five churches in Dampit through our partner in The Harvest Network.”

Led by Missio Dei leaders Serene Ho and James Foo, the four-day, three-night trip took place from 10 to 13 March. It was the first mission trip for the youths of cell group E569, one that took half a year to plan.

Cell group leader of E569, a cell group in Pastor Tan Yah Lan’s zone, Fedalis Yeo, shares that God had put in her heart the desire to bring her youth members on a mission trip. Together with her co-leader Serene Goh, she broached the idea to the members in September 2022. The seed planted, Fedalis and Serene encouraged their members to self-fund their mission trip. They could save their allowance and their Chinese New Year angpows as well as money earned from their vacation jobs and internships to pay for the trip.

The cell group leaders had taken a step of faith to believe and prepare for the mission trip to happen. “We had no preference as to where we would go, but I remember having a conversation with the Lord where I told Him, wherever we were sent, it had to be affordable for the youth and needed to take place in March—during the school holidays—as it was the only free time we collectively had,” says Fedalis.

The opportunity to conduct a mission trip to Dampit arose through Missio Dei. The team were to do outreach activities with five churches in the area, conducting home visitations, teaching English to children in the community, and holding outreach services where the youth were called upon to share testimonies, deliver offering messages and pray for the congregation.

As the trip drew closer, the team began to get ready. “We encouraged the youth to fast before the mission trip, and all of them rose to the occasion,” says Fedalis. “The youth willingly took up various roles that were required for the mission trip, including media, administration, children’s church activities and medical services. They took responsibility for all that they were tasked to do.”

It was not only the youths who had the faith and passion to go for this mission trip. Fedalis and Serene also found support from the parents of their young members. “The parents were so supportive and trusted Serene and I to bring their children overseas,” Fedalis shares. “They even offered to sponsor costs of the trip and pay for items to bless the children in Dampit.”

The youths on the mission trip from E569 were Adam Sullivan, 18, Althea Tan, 18, Ann-ya Chan, 16, Daniel Teo, 17, Gabriel Lee Zuo En, 18, Gabriel Lee Wei Han, 18, and Sonia Tan, 18. They were joined by two other youths, Brian Kang, 24, from E547 and Shalev Wong, 14, from N553.

Except for Brian, the other youths were visiting Dampit for the first time. It turned out to be a remarkable mission trip for all of them, who shared at a post-mission meeting how they experienced healing and personal breakthrough, had encounters with the Holy Spirit, and caught a glimpse of Heaven and felt the Shekinah glory of God over those four days.

OVERCOMING BARRIERS

When the idea was broached, Ann-ya Chan was not comfortable with the idea of going on a mission trip. “I was not only worried about stepping out of my comfort zone, but as a second-generation Christian, I had doubts and I needed answers. I’m glad I took this big step as, on the trip, I felt the presence of God and now I want to grow to know Him more deeply.”

The trip drew Ann-ya out of her shell. “After the trip I am more confident around people and partnering with God. I feel like I’ve matured spiritually and discovered my spiritual gifting. Our cell group members have also grown through this trip and it has brought us closer together.”

Similarly, Gabriel Lee Zuo En was “scared to feel uncomfortable”.

“Up till the mission trip, I did not have the best spiritual life or a personal relationship with God,” he admits. “I only came to church because of my friends and family.”

But nevertheless he committed to going on this mission trip. But that decision was not an easy one. “There were a lot of obstacles,” Gabriel explains. “It was hard for me to spend money to pay for the air ticket, and the more I delayed, the higher the price of the ticket became.”

During the mission trip, he found that he was ministered to even as he ministered. “When I had to deliver an offering message, I asked others to give while struggling to give myself,” he shares. “When I was asked to pray for the youth, the prayers I prayed were more for myself. The more I prayed, the more I was in tears. I asked many questions but I came away knowing that I don’t need to understand everything to have faith.”

“God uses the broken. God chose me and He hasn’t given up on me”.

 

A SPIRITUAL AWAKENING

Althea Tan had convinced herself that God would be okay with her not going on the mission trip as she was busy preparing to enlist for the army.

She said in all honesty, “I’ve been quite earthly and don’t do quiet time, but during one of the cell group meetings, I felt the question of attending the mission trip come up again in my heart. I felt God tell me to put my trust in Him and I immediately booked my ticket.”

Her trust in God led to Althea’s spiritual awakening during the mission trip. “God’s power and love ministered to me so personally that I could not tell myself that He is not real. When we did home visitations, I felt that God was in the room with us. When we prayed, I did not want to leave—I wanted to soak more in His presence.”

It was such a transformative experience that Althea did not want the mission trip to end. “I wanted another spiritual week so that I could get to a different level from what I’m accustomed to. Now I desire God in my every day life and that has made me excited for all things of God.”

Althea went on the trip with her sister Sonia. “I’m glad she was with me as now I have her to talk to about what we experienced in Dampit.”

 

GOD ENCOUNTERS

On this trip to Dampit, youth cell group leader Brian Kang discovered what it meant to partner with the Holy Spirit, to discern His voice and to experience the “light burden” of discipleship.

During an unplanned home visitation, the team was asked to pray over the driver’s pre-believer father-in-law who had had an injury and was experiencing a lot of pain. Brian and the team were surprised when James led the man to salvation before the group started praying for healing for him.

Brian asked James what gave him the faith to lead the man to salvation, and James replied that he felt the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

This experience led Brian to ask God during quiet time: “’Is the voice I hear from me or You?’ I felt God tell me to have faith, slow down, commune and patiently listen.”

This trip to Dampit, Brian experienced God in a new way. “When I was asked to share a word on ‘the cost of discipleship’, I felt God prompting me to consecrate myself. He taught me how serving could be an easy yoke and a light burden. I came to Dampit and found faith; I came to seek confirmation and I found encouragement.”

Daniel Teo also encountered the Holy Spirit in a powerful way during one service in the mission trip. “I was curious about the laying of hands and during service when we were asked to pray for each other, I heard a small voice in my head saying ‘Trust Me now’. I felt love flow through me and before I could lay hands on my friend, we were both slained by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

For Gabriel Lee Wei Han, Dampit brought about personal revival. He experienced repentance, revival, anointing and healing on the mission trip. “Before the trip, I was like Thomas and Jacob of the Bible: I was always doubting and wrestling with God,” he said. “When we went on home visitations during the mission trip, I experienced humility and repentance and felt God destroy these two strongholds in me. Through devotion, I felt my heart stir—I felt blessed and received an anointing of a spiritual fire that has continued to burn.”

 

A DIVINE TURNAROUND

“Ordeals happened to me before and during the trip,” shared Adam Sullivan, who was the medic for the mission trip. “I had a clinical attachment that overlapped with the dates of the mission trip. Even though the school and hospitals have been generally flexible about replacing dates for valid reasons, I was told that I would fail my attachment if I went on the trip.”

Adam fasted and prayed with his cell group, and one day before the trip, his teachers helped him process and approve his request to be absent from school.

But when the mission team arrived in Dampit, “I experienced a high fever and cough and was immediately isolated from the group,” Adam recalls. “I was devastated and felt robbed of being a medic and experiencing the trip since I believed God had chosen me for it.”

Adam had to sit out the first two days of outreach that the rest of the team conducted, but on the Sunday during one service, he was asked to share his testimony and to pray for the church. It was his first time. “I didn’t have a safety net, I was still feeling weak and had to catch my breath a few times but the Holy Spirit gave me the strength to power through,” he says.

Adam’s message was about the love of God, and how it impacted him. Following his testimony, he prayed for a lady and her family, and was surprised to see tears fill her eyes. “I also saw that my prayer had ministered to her and my faith was strengthened. Even though some things may seem impossible, God will make it possible.”

ONE OF THE BEST MISSION TRIPS

The mission trip yielded good fruit: the team conducted 12 home visitations and 18 services, with a total attendance of 436. The altar call saw 257 respondents, and one rededication. The team also prayed for 299 people and witnessed four healings.

Group leaders Serene Ho and James Foo described this Dampit mission trip as one of the best they had ever experienced. They were inspired, touched by the love and attitude of the youth for each other, the community and for God.

“The youth were of one heartbeat and they took turns looking after one another, encouraging each other,” said Serene Ho. “They did not complain when they were asked to take on last minute tasks. They delivered offering messages, conducted home visitations and offered prayers. They shared their testimonies with each other and are creating stories for our generation. The fellowship between the girls and boys grew and even after the trip, they are still sharing their testimonies with each other.”

James issues a call out to Adam the medic. “Even before the trip, Adam went above and beyond his role, sending us reminders to take care. Even when he was sick, he did not make a fuss but demonstrated tenacity.”

The group leaders also honoured Fedalis and Serene Goh: “The calibre of the leaders is reflected in the members’ impartation.”

Pastor Yah Lan observes, “The Great Commission is given to all believers, including these youths. Going for a mission trip is a practical application of God’s command. They took ownership and initiative; they took faith steps to lead praise and worship, challenge offerings, share the Word, pray and minister to people and pray for the sick. Through this trip, their eyes were opened and their passions ignited. The mission trip helped the youths discover the gifting God has placed in them.

She adds, “Mission trips anchor the youths in their faith and propel them forward in their relationship with God. When they find themselves in times of trouble, they are able to point towards their mission trip experience and say, ‘That signifies God’s faithfulness in my life.’”

A GLIMPSE OF HEAVEN

It was the first time both cell group leaders Fedalis and Serene had led youths on a mission trip. The two had agreed beforehand that they were going to step back let the youths conduct the mission trip, while supporting them from the sidelines.

During the mission trip, the cell group leaders saw God moving in each of the mission team members, who found intimacy and wholeness with the Holy Spirit.

“I am very grateful to see how God touched them,” says Fedalis. “Leading has become an ease for me. As a leader, I have strived in the flesh for my members and I know this is a work of God, and I cannot claim any credit for their experience.”

Serene was personally blessed by the mission trip, which turned out to be a “holiday” for her with God. It was a time of restoration that reshaped her view of serving. “It can be so easy to minister to people when the Holy Spirit is there and leading can be a light burden,” she explains.

Fedalis added that “it is the zoë life of God that will work through in our leadership and when we lead in that capacity, the people we are shepherding will be different too, because it is God who is leading.”

In the Sunday service at GBI KA Church, all the different groups returned for the last service of the trip, Fedalis recounts that the mission group caught what she called “a glimpse of heaven”.

When the local pastor encouraged the group to continue abiding with the Lord, people were running to the front and falling under the power of the Holy Spirit even before altar call started.

“At that moment, we were all on our knees as we saw the glory of God magnified,” says Fedalis. “We witnessed for ourselves what the Holy Spirit can do.”

She adds, “God is still moving and there is more of the holy spirit that we have yet to experience in this generation.”

 

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