Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)
This is the verse we often see and read in this time of the year. As we have already entered into Advent, have you made any plan in response to the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ?
Last week, I just returned from a trip to Bangladesh. I paid a visit to some of our partners and their projects. One of them is the Outfall Telugu Community School. It is an elementary school incepted by and in a local Telugu community in Dhaka city, offering free education to the community and its neighborhood. Through our partner, World Concern Bangladesh, we do not only support the school’s daily operations, but also the development of its management capacity with an aim of achieving self-sustainability within 5 years.
Telugu people are an ethnic group originates from the southern part of India (when Bangladesh was still a part of India). Most of them are Christians, doing so-called disgusting jobs, such as street cleaners, faeces collectors, etc. … Though they themselves do not have enough, they open the school to their neighborhood of different racial and religious background. Today, there is a combination of Christian, Hindu and Islamic students, whilst its management committee also reflects such a diversity. This is a beautiful picture of the spirit of selflessness and sharing.
From this trip, I feel extremely thankful for being a companion and friend of our highly committed ministry partners in various countries. They are devoted to bring transformation to the underprivileged and marginalized. They are heroes, and I am proud of them.
In this time of the year, most of us might tend to slow down our pace and enjoy a period of relaxation. However, those in poverty do not have such a privilege, as they keep facing various struggles each day. Jesus says, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” Do consider to share your blessings with those who are struggling.
As 2016 is drawing to an end, I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. My prayer is that you will have a joyful and fruitful year of 2017.
You brother,
Raymond Kwong