The Redeemed Stage goes to Hong Kong
by: Rachel Ragaza
Last Sept 21, 2007 a team from The Redeemed Stage flew to Hong Kong for a long-planned missions outreach there. From the original 15 outreach team members, only four ladies ended up going: Mavic Abejero, Ella Matias, Kei Medina and myself. As TRS’ outreach team leader, I have to admit that I was nervous. It was my first time to lead a team on my own; even during my YWAM days I always had a co-leader with me, and leading an all-girl team just added to the anxiety. But the Lord is good! He promised His guidance and direction as we prepared and departed for Hong Kong.
We met the staff of Youth With A Mission, Hong Kong the day after we arrived, and it was a blessing to hear how our team was an answer to their prayers. Apparently, two of their staff (an Indian and a Filipina) were getting married that day and they needed all the help they could get to make the wedding as beautiful as it could be! We offered whatever help we could; we found ourselves cleaning bathrooms, brewing coffee, serving food and bottles of champagne during reception and just working together with brethren from different parts of the world. Yes, it was tiring, but we were happy and satisfied. It was a blessing to serve this couple and their many missionary guests from different nations who have been faithfully serving the Lord for several years.
Sunday morning we woke up early to prepare for church. We were told that we would be teaching Sunday School to a group of children from Kam Kwong Nepal Christian Church. We were excited! Even though we were in Hong Kong, we would somehow be touching Nepal by ministering to these kids. The lesson for that day focused on the story of Jesus calming the storm. We played games and sang songs with the kids. We had a wonderful time just interacting and having fun with these children. It was also a beautiful experience to be able to join in the church’s praise and worship, even though we did not understand the messages of the songs they were singing. We may have different languages, but in the Spirit we know we are serving the one true God!
That afternoon, even without a guide, the four of us decided to go to Hong Kong Central where the many Filipino domestic helpers hang out during their day off. We were not prepared for what we saw: hundreds of Filipinas were sitting, or even lying down, along the sides of the overpass that connected the buildings. They were just out there talking, eating, reading and even gambling! We had to find one quiet spot to collect our emotions, which were starting to well up, and pray. We went around the area interceding and looking for the right women to talk with. They may just have been a few but we know that our conversations with them made a difference to them. Back at the base, I talked with Anna, our outreach coordinator, and discussed the possibility of sending a bigger outreach team to minister specifically to these women in the future.
We were given a day off on Monday to just go and do whatever we wished to do. Before going to the city we joined YWAM base team’s worship, which refreshed and encouraged us. It was a taste of heaven just being with fellow believers from different nations, praying and worshipping God together.
Tuesday was our last day of outreach and we were brought to HK’s inner city to join Chung King Ministry’s outreach to African, Nepalese and Pakistani refugees and drug addicts. I was somewhat concerned at first when I saw the people we would be ministering to. They were all men, many of which were big, tall and dark-skinned. I prayed that God would protect us, that they would see Jesus in us and be receptive to what we would be sharing and performing.
We started with really cool praise and worship, singing hymns to an African beat. Then Ptr. Sam, an Indian pastor who co-leads the ministry, introduced us to the waiting crowd. With God’s help, we were able to sing a couple of songs, do a dance number, share a testimony and challenge the audience to totally surrender their lives to Jesus, no matter what their circumstances are. I noticed one African guy just crying from the start of the program until the end, while the others watched and listened intently. Praise God! After closing in prayer, we helped serve lunch to the people.
Three days of ministry in Hong Kong was not enough. With its diverse culture and people groups, it’s a missionary’s paradise. Our trip to Hong Kong has not ended; it just served as an open door for TRS to send more teams in the future. To God be the glory!
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