Literacy centers all over Sabah!

It has been about a year since we started to plant the literacy center in Sabah.

The kampong has been transformed in this past year. Shortly after opening day, the garage school-house could no longer hold all the kids. Four months ago, with donations from some dear Christians to buy lumber and cement and with the labor from the kampong folks, a new schoolhouse was built.

I was at the official opening of this new simple building. About 200 parents and friends came to see the students and teachers perform at the simple opening ceremony. The teachers that we had trained organized the entire ceremony. The kampong folks provided the snacks for the reception.

Ning, J and B and I just sat back and watched with pride and thankfulness at what God had done! I could not hold back my tears as I witnessed the marvellous work of God in the lives of these dear people.

The head-teacher confidently led the whole ceremony. She had been a lottery-ticket seller before we trained her to teach. But after she heard the Gospel and trusted the Lord as her Savior, she quit selling lottery-tickets. For a while she did not have enough money to feed herself and her kids, but later God provided for her through the little allowance that she received as head-teacher. I had the privilege of baptising this former Roman Catholic in a condominium pool a day after the opening of the new schoolhouse.

The students proudly displayed their ability to sing, speak and read English. I had watched them transformed from shy, illiterate kids to confident hopeful literate kids. Their parents and neighbours proudly cheered as they performed one presentation after another. I too felt like a proud father of these 160 kids – of which 140 plus were Muslim kids.

Many of those who came to watch the performances had come from neighbouring kampongs. Some of their kids were attending our literacy center but they now wanted us to start centers in their kampongs.

To date, 6 other kampongs have requested for us to open new centers in their kampongs.

We have already trained about 20 teachers. God-willing, as funds come in, we will start another center in July in a very remote kampong that is 100% Tausug Muslim. Over a hundred children have been eagerly waiting for us to start since our survey visit to their kampong five months ago.

We have already identified the person who would be the head-teacher there. She is the Arabic-reading lady who questioned my purpose for going into her kampong when we first visited this kampong!

Every day bridges are being built into the lives of these dear people as we show them the love of Christ.

Please pray for funds to start hundreds of these centers all over Sabah!

Please pray for hearts to be open to the Gospel and opportunities to share with them the love of God through His Son!