God’s Providence!

19-21st Match 2010
Venue: Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
Mr Terry (Director of Early Childhood Studies) and I arrive at Sandakan on a Thursday evening (18 March 2010). I had been extremely busy with the March intake and to be honest this is my least prepared outstation trips I ever had. I even had doubts on whether or not I had confirmed MCKL’s place in the education fair.

My biggest worry was that I still had not managed to contact anyone from any Kota Kinabalu Methodist Church. You see I extended my stay in Kota Kinabalu till Sunday in the hope of visiting a Methodist Church. I had to give up the Facon Education fair in Tawau but even when I had reach Sandakan, I still had no plans or permission to visit any Methodist Church in KK.

Of course I prayed and committed this trip to God. Indeed I have seen His hands working in ways I could never have planned for. All praise and glory be unto HIM!

Firstly when Mr Terry and I arrived at Sandakan airport, we called a parent of one of our MCKL students. It was just a courtesy call to tell her that we were in town. However she was very gracious and hospitable and she offered to fetch us from the airport. Her name is Ms Margaret and she really went the extra mile to fetch us as well as to take us for a very nice supper (to try one of their local delicacies) before taking us to our hotel.

We had a good time chatting with Ms Margaret about the College and she told us about how happy and at peace she was at sending her daughter (Vicky) all the way to MCKL. Praise God for gracious and very nice MCKL parents all over Malaysia.
The next day we had our Education fair and things went on smoothly. I had to make a special video for the fair but despite some setbacks I was able to finish it just before the fair and Praise God for that because the video became very useful to showcase MCKL and its brand new facilities to the students in Sandakan.
We were also quite satisfied (with the fair) as we had a couple of serious enquiries as well as the opportunity to sow some seeds to the current form 5 students there. We didn’t get a chance to really see Sandakan but I did have a good chat with the taxi driver about the real living conditions in Sandakan (but that’s for another story).

At the Airport leaving for Kota Kinabalu, Mr Terry and I found a couple of souvenir shops that sold very nice souvenirs for very, very, very reasonable prices! Praise God that I found the perfect gift for my wife. It was exactly what I was hoping to get for her!

Things went smoothly at Kota Kinabalu and on Saturday morning I finally got a call back from Rev Peter Woo from Agape Methodist Church. I ask him if it would be alright to visit his church the next day and to set up a booth as well as to speak to the church members about MCKL. Praise God (despite the last minute request) he agreed.

This was my biggest relieve of the trip as I would have felt very guilty if I had extended my stay in KK and not had a chance to visit a Methodist Church in KK.
At the education fair we met Mr Teh from JM Education.

We chatted a bit after the fair and he graciously offered to send us back to our Hotel and to wait for us in order to fetch Mr Terry and me to the Filipino Market. Praise God for friendly good Samaritans in KK.
Unfortunately most shops were closed at the Filipino Market but Mr Terry and I still had a good time walking around the area. One thing that I am sad about is to see the Filipino kids running around with absolute no form of education and possibility a rather bleak future.
I guess the timing of my trip is very appropriate, as I am about to shave my head bald in support for World Vision’s Operation Botak. This is a fund raising campaign to help kids in Sabah with illiteracy.

Mr Terry and I later decided to walk back to our Hotel (Tang Dynasty Park Hotel) from the Filipino Market. It was not near at all and truth be told, we didn’t even know the way. Praise God for His guidance and protection! It was about a half hour walk but we made it back to the Hotel and I later realise that we despite not knowing the way, we managed to find the shortest route back to our hotel.

That night I had a last minute inspiration to modify my marketing Video for the next’s day presentation at Agape Methodist Church. I worked till 3am that night to complete the video not knowing if I had a chance to play it during the church service. Praise God for the strength and endurance to work on the video despite being very sleep deprive.

The next day when Mr Terry and I visited Agape Methodist Church, I knew right away that God indeed wanted me to be here. By God’s providence, we came on their Youth Sunday (held once a year). Wow! I could not have timed it better if I had to plan the trip myself. This was not the first time I have experience this. Last year when I visited Kuching, I managed to visit Kuching Methodist Church during their BB and GB Sunday!

I also got to use my video and it turn out to be very appropriate for the event. Praise God!
After the service at Agape Methodist Church, I had another inspiration to visit the other Methodist Church in KK. (Specifically Shern En Methodist and Inanam Methodist Church) This was because the members in Agape Methodist Church told me that those were the biggest Methodist Church in KK and that I should have gone there as well.

Praise God I had befriended a taxi driver earlier and he was very kind to drive us around looking for the Churches and even to wait for us as we went in to speak to the Pastors there. To top it all off the charge us a reasonable price for taking up so much of his time.

Praise God as well that the pastors from Shern En and Inanam were still around and we had a good chat with them as well as to pass our brochures to them.Overall this has been a very good and productive trip. I really saw the hand of God working and giving me a helping hand when I needed it the most. His providence in sending the right person to help me at the exact right time is nothing short of miraculous. So I just want to give Him all the praise, honour and glory for a very good trip to Sandakan and Kota Kinabalu!

My only regret was not taking the pictures of all those how had help me along the way. May God Bless them!