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8. 6 September 2020 | Care Contact by Kharis Low D uring the recent Movement Control Order (MCO), “Just stay at home” were words that might have brought joy to those who could afford to stay at home without the worry of when the next meal would be. This was not the case for everyone. Our government launched its stimulus packages in March while non-governmental sectors and companies offered help in their respective ways— all these were in hopes that fewer groups of people would worry about feeding themselves and their families. No doubt the Orang Asal (OA) community from our CARE’s respective regions, be it in Sabah, Sarawak or Peninsular, were affected as well. However, we were blessed by a company that decided to do its corporate social responsibility with us. Such timely help! Aiming to ‘Refresh the World’ and ‘Make a Difference’, the Coca-Cola Company not only serves the world its energising beverages but also joined hand-in-hand to help communities survive during this pandemic. This effort enables us to empower the OA representatives themselves and helps villages to gain trust in their own people to care for them Open Hands, Open Hearts Thanks to their sponsorship, CARE was able to re- connect with our OA representatives from Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular and have since reached out to 1,025 families. Our Kampar staff took the opportunity to connect with our trusty OA representatives and partners from Koperasi Sengoi Pribumi Perak to collaborate with their nearby grocery shops to send food aid to those in need. Even during the stricter period of the MCO, one of our OA colleagues was able to personally deliver items to her nearby villages. This effort enables us to empower the OA representatives themselves and helps villages to gain trust in their own people to care for them. Many hands make light work. Tudan, Miri (Photo credit: Hallan Hashim)

10. 8 September 2020 | Care Contact by Wendy Chin B arbed wires and yellow tape were in sight while the sounds of light chatter among neighbors were faintly heard. For most parts of the day, residents in Selayang Baru were left wondering how long it would be before they would see the silver lining in the cloud. Mr. Yap and his family were one of many families affected by the dreaded Enhanced Movement Control Order (EMCO) that was imposed overnight in Selayang Baru on 25th April. Mr. Yap, a client of CARE with mobility issues, is no stranger to life’s challenges. While he overcame many of them by the grace of God and through his personal resilience, this was unlike any other challenges and would bring much praise to God! Prior to the EMCO, Mr. Yap had already been searching for a personal assistant to help him out. When the EMCO began, we were worried as no one was allowed to enter into the residential area, nor could anyone provide anything to the residents. While we were concerned, God provided Mr. Yap and his family with sufficient food through the Welfare Department. Mr. Yap himself was taken care of by his parents. When the EMCO was lifted on 12th May, Mr. Yap faced a greater challenge. He was left home alone again as his parents resumed work and his previous personal assistant from the Welfare Department who had visited him daily was unavailable. We were urgently seeking for a suitable temporary helper. Alas, to no avail! However, weeks later, a volunteer who lives nearby contacted us and asked if there was anything he could contribute. Being a local resident in Selayang, he along with his pastor connected us to Madam Chong. Experienced with taking care of bedridden patients, Madam Chong was willing to assist Mr. Yap. She even went the extra mile to lead Mr. Yap in daily devotions while praying for him and also invited her pastor to visit him! What had started out as a challenge ended beyond my imagination. God is GREAT! He does not prepare or provide only, but He prepares and provides the BEST! It was beyond what we asked and prayed for. God is beyond our imagination! Once again He helped me to see His fingerprints on all of us, whom He loves dearly. n God is Beyond our Imagination He does not prepare or provide only, but He prepares and provides the BEST! It was beyond what we asked and prayed for. Wendy is with our Service Development department, handling Livelihood. She believes equality can be achieved through our service.

13. NOV 1. Praise God for guiding the Care Contact Editorial Team through the year. Pray for His continued presence as we look ahead to 2021, starting with 1st Quarter (Dec 20– Feb 21) issue. 2. Praise God for the rollout of CARE revamped website in 31 st July 2020. Pray that Communications together with other departments will be able to optimise website performance. 3. Pray for clear direction, strength and blessing as Keith settles in to the role of Corporate Relations Coordinator. 4. Pray for Donor Relations, that God will bless the 5-year 2021-2025 strategic planning. May our journey with donors bear much fruit for His kingdom work in CARE. Pray for good health for Jack, Donor Relations Leader. 5. Praise God for His help to deliver the 2020 Jeffrey Cheah Foundation Community Scholarship. Pray to uphold the successful recipients to the Lord that their time at Sunway will be meaningful. 1. We thank God for the successful completion of the Financial Literacy Programme with a community that was conducted virtually during RMCO. Pray for the team as they follow up on the participants’ progress. 2. Pray for our relationship with the rural communities as we reconnect post-MCO. We have not visited them since February 2020. 3. Pray for our community members in Tudan, Taman Tunku and Permyjaya who have been affected by the pandemic. Pray that we can be of help and encouragement to them. 4. Pray that we have a clear direction and more clarity in the future on children empowerment work in Miri as we continue to explore with churches, kindergartens and communities. 5. Pray for the Conferences (National Economic Empowerment and National Early Childhood Intervention) that were to be held in Miri in 2020. Both have been postponed to 2021. Pray for clarity and direction in planning in view of the current situation. Embracing the new norm—conducting Financial Literacy Programme via online platform (Photo credit: Sharon Cheong) Communications WEEK 3 Oct 19-25, 2020 1. Pray for this team to serve God and glorify His name by serving CARE’s mission and vision. 2. Pray for the communities we serve in Kota Marudu, Kudat, Pitas and Kota Kinabalu, that God will continue working in their lives and provide them with good health and creativity. May they be eager and steadfast to build economic stability in light of COVID-19. 3. Pray for God’s wisdom and power towards our partners, Ms. Jenet Mogimbong, to help manage all the kindergartens under the Protestant Church in Sabah or PCS. 4. Pray that our team can identify participants who are open to learning Kursus Kewangan Bandar/Kursus Kewangan Luar Bandar through digital platforms. May both PC KK / KM staff and participants get the needed exposure to adapt to the new method of training. 5. Pray to commit the needs and good health of staff and families to the Lord. PC Kota Kinabalu & Kota Marudu WEEK 4 Oct 26-31, 2020 PC Miri WEEK 1 Nov 1-8, 2020 pullout

21. 15 September 2020 | Care Contact not committed to a social cause to join in? We found out that encouragement or support from friends is what pushes someone to take that crucial step. “The Christian Life Without Emphasis on Justice is Skewed” As for those who have already taken part in a social cause, what were their biggest hurdles? Some said that the Christian community prioritises spiritual over social issues while others remark that we have not put enough dependence on God. A section of respondents drew attention to mindsets, that we are generally apathetic and fearful in taking action. especially with constraints on religious rights. Still, there is hope for local church leaders to play a stronger role and provide more trainings and manpower. In general, each challenge speaks of a gap that needs to be filled. With this information in mind, the church advocacy team is incorporating these insights into several initiatives: 1. Enhancing the existing Christian networks to incorporate elements of biblical justice 2. Connect resources to churches to strengthen their involvement 3. Create more avenues for reflection and discussion of justice issues For updates on the work of church advocacy, do connect with us via [email protected] n 1 Integral Mission and its Historical Development, C. René Padilla, https://www.micahnetwork.org/ library/consultation/integral-mission-its-historical- development-ren%C3%A9-padilla

16. 10 September 2020 | Care Contact W ho would have thought that year 2020 would take the world by storm with episodes of unforeseen calamities, one after another, or that the most prevalent of all, COVID-19, would permanently scar the human race? The perilous pandemic spread mercilessly across the globe like a raging wildfire, massacring people ceaselessly and worsening the global economy significantly. Malaysia too was not spared as many families and individuals from the B40 category were greatly affected. These groups of people comprise many of the elderly, Orang Asli, persons with disabilities, single parents, refugees, migrants and beyond. Due to the sudden economic shift, people within this category started losing their jobs and rice bowls. Putting food on the table became abruptly challenging. In view of such trying times, it would be an unbiblical response for believers to just sit back while others are crying out for help, as in the words of 1 John 3:17-18: “But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” Living out its vision and mission, Malaysian CARE, together with our partners, CREST and REACH, launched FOOD4HOPE COVID-19, a crisis relief project dedicated to providing temporary food relief to the B40 families and individuals who were in dire need during the Movement Control Order (MCO) that was enforced on 18 March 2020. This temporary food relief was made available especially to the B40 communities living in the Klang Valley and as far as the north and east Malaysia, respectively in Ipoh, Penang, Kota Kinabalu and Miri. The FOOD4HOPE task force was divided into designated teams: Call Centre, Approval, FOOD4HOPE Volunteerism, Delivery, Donor Relations, Public Relations, and Finance and Administration. The task force was formed to see through the entire project smoothly and what seemed to be a straightforward road soon became an uphill task when the MCO was extended, stretching the project along with its manpower from its initial two weeks to three months. by Rozanne Yong and Nicholas Goh Rozanne and Nicholas are Coordinators in the Community Development department. They coordinate Child and Economic Empowerment work, respectively, and were part of the FOOD4HOPE team.

12. pullout OCT 1. Thank God for pre-recorded weekly religious classes “Hope in God” at Penjara Wanita Kajang. Pray that the inmates will be opened to joining CARE’s after-release programme through Rumah Kepercayaan. 2. Penjara Wanita Kajang was blessed with donations from corporate organisations, namely Kinder Soap by Sunway and Gloves by Top Glove, through CARE during the pandemic. Pray for blessings upon these organisations. 3. Pray for God’s favour to enable us to share the love of Christ in prison work during COVID-19. 4. Pray for clients of Rumah Petros and Rumah Kepercayaan as they plan for their recovery journey. May they continuously keep their eyes on Jesus to take the righteous path. 5. Pray for the setting-up of PC Klang. Pray for guidance and favour as the team gather resources and initiate collaboration with potential partners and networks. 1. The Koperasi Sengoi Pribumi Perak is currently looking for a staff to fill in the community organising role. Pray for God to provide an Orang Asli who wants to grow and empower himself/herself and his/her community. 2. Due to the MCO, rubber trading is not as effective as before. Prices are low and the KSPP is suffering losses. Pray for the rubber project team to execute their plan of venturing into different villages to buy rubber cup lumps with wisdom, patience and discipline. 3. During the MCO, most of the OA villages have been actively working on their land. Pray for them to continue this good effort while protecting their land rights with proper documentation and mapping. 4. Some parents are working hard to keep their children updated with their homework and studies during this MCO. Pray for good health, discipline and perseverance for the children, parents and community teachers in the villages in the midst of this pandemic. 5. Pray for the safety and good health of staff of Ladang CARE and PC Kampar as they carry out their daily tasks. 1. Thank God for the provision of resources for our Prison & Addiction work. Pray for His wisdom and guidance as service adjusts to accommodate the changing nature of prison programmes due to the pandemic. 2. Pray for the editorial team currently working on the publication of the Trainers' Manual for Kursus Kewangan Bandar, Tahap 1 . Pray for wisdom and discernment to make the Manual interesting, impactful and relevant for the ever-changing environment. 3. The management and staff are involved in CARE’s Strategic Planning 2021-2025. Pray that we would continue to be discerning of the leading of the Holy Spirit and be aligned with God's purpose for us in the community. 4. Pray for case managers and case workers to be equipped with strength and discernment as they work out plans with the individuals and families. Pray for available resources for more effective contribution to case plans. 5. Pray for more candidates among NGO workers and school leavers to pursue the Diploma in Social Work with Methodist College Kuala Lumpur. May God touch the hearts of those He impressed upon to give them the courage to enrol in this course. Bah Sali (part of the rubber project team of KSPP) works hard to collect and buy rubber scrap from villages (Photo credit: Enulyex Sarol A/P Awin) While access to prison is limited, the Prison team in CARE continuously work towards providing the message of hope for the inmates through creative means (Photo credit: Eric Ruben) Prison Work Clients/Volunteers/Prison/PKPA WEEK 4 Sep 23-30, 2020 PC Kampar WEEK 1 Oct 1-11, 2020 Service Development WEEK 2 Oct 12-18, 2020

9. 13 7 September 2020 | Care Contact Those who received the food aid are mostly single parents, special needs, those who lost their jobs during the MCO and the elderly. All of them expressed their gratitude towards the sponsor and distributors. Each recipient received food aid comprising daily necessities such as rice, oil, sugar, salt and canned food. Besides that, the Coca-Cola Company also donated their beverages such as cartons of mineral water, juices and soft drinks. Our communities, especially those with water issues in their village/area, were blessed by it. Our regional team in Sabah collaborated with like- minded partners in various different locations that have extended our reach to bless the needy in rural areas such as Tamparuli, Pitas and Ranau. While our movement was severely handicapped by travel restrictions, we have come to realise that we can achieve so much more when the larger community is mobilised to work together. God’s love for His people is simply amazing! It is indeed true that “His power is made perfect in our weakness”. Likewise, in Miri, the team also partnered with local churches and residential homes to deliver relief to community members. Among the recipients of this food relief were residential rehabilitation homes who have been affected as they are unable to secure enough funding to cover their expenses through the MCO. This relief aid came at a timely moment for these homes and were received with hearts filled with gratefulness. A headman of a village at Slim River expressed his heartfelt gratitude, “Thank you sponsor, CARE and village representative/pastor for reaching out to us in times like this. Even though it is tough for us to meet, you have not failed to contact us through all means possible and were able to deliver the food aid, nevertheless.” n Partner helping us to move the goods (Photo credit: Pusat CARE Kota Kinabalu) Putra from PC KK placing items at a collection point (Photo credit: Pusat CARE Kota Kinabalu) Goods were packed ready for distribution by local shops and supermarkets (Photo credit: Sharon Cheong) Kharis loves eating bamboo shoots and wild boar cooked by her village friends.

5. 3 September 2020 | Care Contact Tax Deductible Receipt for Donation to Malaysian CARE We would like to draw the attention of all CARE's faithful donors (individual, institution or organisation) to responsibility and requirement under subsection 44(6) of the ITA 1967 for issuance of tax deductible receipt as follows: Official Receipt – All donations received in the form of cash or via internet banking, cheque/ money order/ postal order/ bank draft must be issued an official receipt. Tax Deductible Receipt will be issued upon submission of personal information as required by the Tax Exemption Section 44(6) ITA 1967 . For individual donor : Name as per IC: IC/Passport No.: Mailing Address: For registered ROS/SSM company : Name of registered organisation: Registration No.: Mailing Address: Other than the tax deductible receipt, we will issue a (Yellow) non-tax exempt receipt to any donor or organisation as a form of acknowledgement of contribution or donation. î

14. 1. Pray for staff to receive guidance and wisdom from God as they plan for the final months of the year. 2. Pray for all staff to be healthy and safe from danger as they carry on their daily activities. 3. Pray that every staff will experience God's agape love in a tangible way. 4. Pray for God's wisdom and discernment upon the Human Resource team (Wong Young Soon, Lynn Tung and Christina Raj) as they support the staff of Malaysian CARE. 5. Thank God for His unconditional and everlasting love, and for refreshing and renewing all staff every day. 1. Pray for wisdom, strength and foresight for the admin team as they improvise and comply with the SOPs related to the COVID-19 situation. 2. Pray for the safety of all staff and visitors. 3. Pray for protection for Finance & Admin team in all their travelling. 4. Pray for provision and sustenance with regard to the deficit faced by CARE in this time. 1. Pray for a successful conclusion for the Strategic Planning exercise so that God's plans for Malaysian CARE for 2021-2025 will achieve His purposes. 2. Pray for younger Board Members to join the Board. 3. Thank God that all our programmes are slowly resuming after the MCO. Pray that we will be able to continue reaching out to the communities we serve despite the restrictions. 4. Pray over the plans to start PC Klang and PC Raub, that the right people and place will be available. 5. Pray for Gan Siew Li's next phase even as she has left Malaysian CARE. Pray for a suitable replacement for her as Personal Assistant to the Executive Director. Human Resources WEEK 2 Nov 9-15, 2020 Finance & Admin WEEK 3 Nov 16-22, 2020 Executive Director’s Office WEEK 4 Nov 23-30, 2020 pullout NOV

3. by Wong Young Soon 13 1 September 2020 | Care Contact Praising God Despite Circumstances: Lessons from Lockdown O n 16 March, when the Prime Minister announced that the entire country would be put on lockdown in two days’ time to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, my wife and I quickly contacted our daughters who are all working in KL to arrange for their passage home because we suspected that the lockdown would be lengthy. At the same time, CARE’s management team got together to hastily plan out new work and communication arrangements for all the staff in the various centres and regions to ride out the coming ‘storm’. And what an unprecedented ‘storm’ it would be for everyone in the country. It was unlike any previous disasters we had encountered such as floods or landslides. As it slowly unfolded, we anticipated that many from poor communities who had very little or no financial savings would be severely affected by the loss of employment and livelihood, especially if the lockdown was prolonged. So, two days after the lockdown began on 18 March, CREST, a local Christian disaster relief organisation got together with us to discuss efforts to mobilise relief aid for people who would be affected by the lockdown. It was from this concern that the various relief efforts began during the lockdown, here locally known as the ‘Movement Control Order’ or MCO, and into the post-MCO period. FOOD4HOPE was a collaborative disaster relief effort between CREST, REACH (the disaster relief arm of the Anglican Church) and CARE to help urban poor families. Then there was a joint effort between MyKasih Foundation, NEEC and CARE that channelled aid to four Orang Asli kampungs in the Slim River-Tapah area. God also provided grants from Coca-Cola Foundation to deliver post-MCO food aid for Orang Asal families in Semenanjung, Sabah and Sarawak; and from Hong Leong Foundation to help urban poor and refugee families in the Klang Valley. In total, we have been able to reach over 3,400 families with relief aid and this will continue in the months ahead as the shockwaves from the pandemic and economic fallout reverberate through. What lessons have we learnt from this unprecedented event even as it unfolds? Here, I have condensed them into three ‘A’s: O n 16 March, when the Prime Minister announced that the entire country would be put on lockdown in two days’ time to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, my wife and I quickly contacted our daughters who are all working in KL to arrange for their passage home because we suspected that the lockdown would be lengthy. At the same time, CARE’s management team got together to hastily plan out new work and communication arrangements for all the staff in the various centres and regions to ride out the coming ‘storm’. And what an unprecedented ‘storm’ it would be for everyone in the country. It was unlike any previous disasters we had encountered such as floods or landslides. As it slowly unfolded, we anticipated that many from poor communities who had very little or no financial savings would be severely affected by the loss of employment and livelihood, especially if the lockdown was prolonged. So, two days after the lockdown began on 18 March, CREST, a local Christian disaster relief organisation got together with us to discuss efforts to mobilise relief aid for people who would be affected by the lockdown. It was from this concern that the various relief efforts began during the lockdown, here locally known as the ‘Movement Control Order’ or MCO, and into the post-MCO period. FOOD4HOPE was a collaborative disaster relief effort between CREST, REACH (the disaster relief arm of the Anglican Church) and CARE to help urban poor families. Then there was a joint effort between MyKasih Foundation, NEEC and CARE that channelled aid to four Orang Asli kampungs in the Slim River-Tapah area. God also provided grants from Coca-Cola Foundation to deliver post-MCO food aid for Orang Asal families in Semenanjung, Sabah and Sarawak; and from Hong Leong Foundation to help urban poor and refugee families in the Klang Valley. In total, we have been able to reach over 3,400 families with relief aid and this will continue in the months ahead as the shockwaves from the pandemic and economic fallout reverberate through. What lessons have we learnt from this unprecedented event even as it unfolds? Here, I have condensed them into three ‘A’s:

22. ourselves, our technologies, our medical facilities and our insurance policies. It is time we turn to God. Without heartbreak, we tend to exchange our treasure in God for lesser things we love more. And if we, His own, do not humble ourselves and seek mercy for the world, our communities, our neighbours and our loved ones, who will? Interceding for others before God is something that only we can do. A friend who leads a team ministering to women and children trapped in exploitation regularly repents before God, and with many prayer partners alongside, pleads for God’s mercy and grace. He and his team humbly make what little restitution they can for the horrors committed against these innocents by society. It is here that God’s Word for Malaysian CARE in 2020 is proving so full of foreknowledge: Why are you downcast O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will again praise Him, my Saviour and my God. (Psalm 43:5) The Psalmist talks to himself rather than just listens to himself. He is not merely listening to his heart, but also talking to it. He is addressing himself when he says, “O my soul. This is something all people in the midst of W hen disaster hits—whether diseases, locusts, fires or floods— what should we, the people of God, do? The disaster could be personal tragedy like the calamities that struck Job and his children. The disaster could be nationwide like the locusts that devastated Israel during the time of Joel. Or the disaster could be international like the Babylonian armies that scourged the known world of Jeremiah— Judah, Egypt, Philistia and Damascus. A biblical pattern exists. Disasters are a call to repent and to humble ourselves before God. We may believe that the cause of the disaster has nothing to do with us, i.e., that we are not in any way responsible. That is what the crowds thought when they asked Jesus about the Galileans that Pilate had killed, mingling their blood with their sacrifices. Jesus’ reply was astonishing. “Do you think these Galileans were worse sinners than all the other Galileans because they suffered in this way? No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will likewise perish.” (Luke 13:1-5) How does this apply to us, sinners redeemed by our Saviour’s blood? Simply this: It is time we give up our independence of relying on 16 When Disaster Strikes: Time to Realign Ourselves with Our Redeemer September 2020 | Care Contact by Tan Yu Keong

20. We found out that encouragement or support from friends is what pushes someone to take that crucial step. 14 September 2020 | Care Contact “ To what extent should the church be concerned for justice in society?” These were among the questions theologian and missiologist Rene Padilla asked in 2001, three decades after the Wheaton Declaration affirmed that “evangelicals stand openly and firmly for racial equality, human freedom, and all forms of social justice throughout the world.” While this may be a global statement, what do Malaysian Christians think of it? What is our response to Biblical Justice? In an effort to hear the hearts and minds of those in our backyard, Malaysian CARE’s church advocacy team decided to explore this question in a Klang Valley-wide survey. Willing Hearts, Uncertain Minds We expected that we might need several weeks to get enough responses. However, people were eager to share their views and in less than two weeks, we received an overwhelming response. It was by coincidence that the survey was launched during the COVID-19 pandemic which saw more cries of distress and enabled more to reflect on their responsibilities to society. For example, as debates flared up on the internet about the Rohingyas’ presence in Malaysia, the majority of responses considered the denial of food aid to refugees as a form of injustice. This despite the fact that many cited “The issue being too complex” as the number one reason why they do not participate in a social cause. In fact, people want to participate. It is the perception that involvement in social concern requires high levels of commitment that hinders them from exercising their civic responsibility. So what would it take to motivate someone who has by Melanie Yong Melanie of Policy, Advocacy & Research joined CARE right before MCO started. The title question led her to study divinity after spending years working for justice in several organisations. What Do Malaysian Christians Think of Biblical Justice?

17. 11 September 2020 | Care Contact “But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth.” 1 John 3:17-18 The call centre team faced a large volume of calls and messages on a daily basis requesting for food aid. The numbers grew along with the lengthy MCO. Although many families were living with minimal provision and only had enough for themselves, it was uplifting that we saw many of them selflessly share their food with other families while waiting for more provisions to arrive. The grueling course of three months was relieved by the many churches united in response to helping the communities. Despite the constant changes in COVID-19 regulations in the effort to contain the virus from spreading, the task force team and volunteers never failed to press on with sheer persistence and determination. They showed great flexibility in accommodating and working around their limitations and the present restrictions, and genuinely focused on making sure that the food aid reached those families in need. All the volunteers had to endure rain or shine conditions from the initial process of purchasing to sorting and delivering the provisions to the recipients while adhering to all the necessary safety and hygiene protocols. The entire project was also made possible through the generous donations that poured in to support this effort. It was heartening to see that despite the sudden drop in the economy, many faithful and esteemed donors were still able to live out their compassion and generosity, putting others above themselves. Their willing contributions to this project enabled the team to send out provisions to approximately 1,995 families (equivalent to 4,236 adults and 1,384 children). “Thanks very much for helping us. My wife passed away already. I don’t know what to do, I just work only now also hard. Thanks for helping,” were the exact words uttered by Mr. Gabby*, one of the recipients from Flat Danau Kota in Setapak, after receiving the provisions from the staff volunteer. “We appreciate what you have done for us, especially during this critical situation. God bless you and your team,” were also the exact words from a community leader after receiving the provisions. These are just two examples out of the countless heartfelt appreciations received from the recipients. Such are the simple but great testaments of God’s provision and glory which enveloped the different regions of Malaysia. His fingerprints and love were tangible through FOOD4HOPE despite the circumstances. Praise God for the team and everyone involved in this one way or another. *Name has been altered to protect identity. n Volunteers sorting and packing (Photo credit: Nicholas Goh)

23. suffering and trials must remember. We must listen to our hearts, we must learn what we can about ourselves by an honest look at our feelings. But we must not only listen to our hearts, we should also talk to them.” Is this God’s wrath? God said, “I will never leave you; I will never forsake you.” Live or die, you will be with me. “How can that be? I am a sinner. I have never lived a day of my life—not one—without doing or thinking bad.” Are You really with me? “It is because of Jesus, Jesus alone”. Because of His death. On the cross, Jesus got what I deserve. He got what I deserve, so I can get what He deserves. Jesus lost all of His peace so that I can have eternal peace. Looking at what Jesus did and how He did it will get us through this disaster. Talking to our hearts, and reminding us of God’s great truths and great promises instils hope in our hearts. To quote John Piper, “Hope is power. Present Power. Hope keeps people from killing themselves—now. It helps people get out of bed and go to work—now. It gives meaning to daily life, every lockdown, quarantined, stay at home life—now. It liberates from the selfishness of fear and 17 Yu Keong served with CARE from 1991 to 1997 together with Dr. Wong Young Soon and his wife Pat, Pastor Nesam Ebenezer and many others. He tells everyone that those years were a gift from God to him. Through CARE, he was influenced by Reverend Peter Young, Reverend Wong Kim Kong, and Dato Dr. Denison Jayasooria, instilling in him a lifelong burden for the people that Jesus spent much of his time with—the poor, the needy, and those neglected by society. Yu Keong married Limin and served abroad with Overseas Mission Fellowship for many years. Now the Executive Director of OMF Malaysia. September 2020 | Care Contact greed—now. It empowers love and risk taking and sacrifice—now.” Having repented and renewed with hope, we get up to do the next thing. The Bible says that God is near to the broken-hearted (Ps. 34:18). He upholds all who fall and lifts up all who are bowed down (Ps. 145:14). God is near and cares about all sufferers. May we bring joy to His Heart as we seek to care and provide relief to people, to the environment, and to the world. Yours, Repenting, Hoping and Praising. n

15. 9 September 2020 | Care Contact P risons across Malaysia have not been spared from the impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic and Malaysia’s Movement Control Order which began on 18 March. The Malaysian Prison Department had to adhere to all regulations, and extra precautions were needed to avoid transmitting the virus. The extra precautions meant that inmates were not allowed social interactions with their families and NGOs, among others. Malaysian CARE’s In Prison Programme also came to a pause. It was disheartening to know that the inmates were not given spiritual food during this anxious time, and the thought that we were unable to do anything was devastating. As CARE’s Prison team reflected on the Lord’s goodness and trusted Him, we started to ponder on a different approach to continue sharing the Word of God despite the situation. That led to the birth of “Project Pengharapan Tuhan” or “Hope in God” (HiG). HiG was developed to reach out to the inmates with the Word of God without our physical presence. Videos are recorded by the volunteers and sent into prison for the benefit of the inmates. This allowed our volunteers to share the love of God, to inspire and bring hope while we remain connected with the inmates. In early May, the team started sending weekly videos to Kajang Wanita prison, and as of June, were also in discussions to do the same for three other prisons that we serve in the Klang Valley. We plan to keep this going until our volunteers are allowed to restart the classes. The videos are one of the few ‘inputs’ for the inmates since other classes have been halted. Kajang Wanita prison officers welcomed HiG, which they said gave the inmates food for thought, and encouraged the team to keep sending the videos every week. We hope this programme will be a blessing to the inmates and also to all our volunteers while we continue to keep our eyes on Jesus, during these challenging times. It is truly a blessing to be an instrument of God to bring peace and hope when it is scarce. n Shalini from our Community Development department learns alongside volunteers on basic video making for the benefits of the inma tes. by Shalini Nadarajan Shalini with Pn. Naterah (Prison Officer in charge for Program Pembangunan Insan, Penjara Wanita Kajang) after handing over the weekly video via pen drive (Photo credit: Samuel Lim) “The videos are one of the few “inputs” for the inmates since other classes have been halted” Reaching Out to Prison Inmates, Virtually

1. 4 th Quarter Issue September – November 2020 PP 6833/08/2012(030482) www.malaysiancare.org Partner with Us Contact us to find out how you can make a change +603 9212 0162 malaysiancare.org/contact-us/ malaysiancare.org TRANSFORMATION STORIES – God is Beyond Our Imagination – Social Work Equals Professional Self-Development EVENT HIGHLIGHTS – FOOD4HOPE – Open Hands, Open Hearts The Downcast Soul Finds Hope in God and Praises Him The Downcast Soul Finds Hope in God and

11. 1. We thank God for the volunteers who teach Malaysian CARE's classes at four prisons within the Klang Valley. Pray that when classes are allowed to resume after the Recovery Movement Control Order, all the volunteers, staff and inmates will continue to be protected from the COVID-19 virus. 2. We are grateful to all who shared their inputs in the Biblical Justice survey in June. We seek your prayers as we look through the response and come out with strategic plans for the Church Advocacy work. 3. Pray for Biar Pete de Besuara to be an effective advocacy tool, bringing about awareness and resulting in positive changes towards acknowledgement of indigenous land rights in Malaysia. 4. Pray for our Parliament during the preparation process of Budget 2021 leading to its tabling in October, for the entire proposal to be just, to be attentive to the immediate and long-term needs of the poor, and to promote preservation of the ecosystems and the wildlife in them. 5. We thank God for every youth that God has placed in our path. As Christians in Malaysia, let us pray that God strengthens the Youth team and enables collaboration with young Christians to serve outside the walls. 1. Bumblebee will be sharing awareness and resources of “Learn Through Play” through social media and Instagram. Pray that the shared content will benefit the communities and partners. 2. Bumblebee Mobile Resource Centre Operational Manual is being drafted. With this manual, Bumblebee can be easily replicated in many communities. Pray for God’s wisdom upon the team as they work on the manual. 3. Pray for parents at our Toy Library, that God will strengthen and help them with their children throughout this RMCO period, and that more parents will utilise our resources. 4. Pray for our young adults that they can resume work at their respective workplaces safely in good health and protection. 5. Pray for unity amongst the staff team in working together. Pray for wisdom, discernment and protection as staff travel to meet the families and clients. SEPTEMBER — NOVEMBER 2020 Prayer Points Prayer walk and area scouting in Setapak (Photo credit: Nicholas Goh) Policy, Advocacy & Research WEEK 1 Sep 1-7, 2020 Child Empowerment (Special Needs & Bumblebee) WEEK 3 Sep 15-22, 2020 SEP pullout 1. Pray for the poor and needy in the Setapak community as some of them were greatly affected by the Movement Control Order with some losing their jobs and means of livelihood. 2. Pray for the staff team who are currently planning for the next five years in their respective community work. Pray for God’s direction and favour. 3. Pray for refugees in Malaysia as they navigate through an uncertain future even as raids and crackdowns on migrant communities have increased, with families being detained in crowded conditions. 4. Pray for the youth as their education has been severely affected by the recent pandemic. Pray that they will use their time wisely, build good habits and develop themselves. Setapak Community & Youth WEEK 2 Sep 8-14, 2020 5. Pray for migrant and refugee employment opportunities. Most of these people were left jobless and living without money during the MCO and are struggling to find employment even now.

18. Social Work Equals Professional Self-Development God is good all the time! Thomas and the first cohort of MCKL's Diploma in Social Work (Photo credit: Anonymous) I clearly remember the day my Human Resource Director called me into the office and asked me the question which transformed my life! “Thomas, would you be interested to take up a course like a Diploma in Social Work at MCKL (Methodist College Kuala Lumpur), fully sponsored by Malaysian CARE?” I joined Malaysian CARE in 2015 and work closely with people suffering from addiction issues, convicted prisoners, people living with HIV, and even at-risk youth. As a freshy to social ministry, I was seeking professional knowledge to serve my clients better. When the question was posed to me, I was ecstatic to accept the offer but there was also overwhelming reservations and fear! I was not sure if I could manage and cope with work, part-time study and other equally important and demanding aspects of my daily routine. But God 12 12 September 2020 | Care Contact by Thomas Vijiyan Thomas graduated from the 1st Cohort of MCKL’s Diploma in Social Work, and recently got married and promoted. He loves to stroll on the beach with his wife. is good all the time! He showered me with courage and surrounded me with supportive leaders who constantly encouraged me. With God by my side, and with positive encouragement and affirmation, I persevered through the challenge. This Diploma in Social Work has helped me look at social work ministry from a wider perspective. Before I started this course, I solely depended on my limited experience in social ministry, guidance from my supervisors and basic internal trainings. But without the fundamental knowledge of social work, I could not comprehend why certain actions or interventions produced certain significant results. Completing the diploma provided me with answers to those deep-rooted or fundamental questions. The course has given me the ability to improve my practice at every level, right from initial contact, assessment, case planning, residential care, community-based recovery and beyond. An important lesson which I learnt from this course is the distinction between professional social work and volunteerism. Due to the seemingly similar tasks both social workers and volunteers do, volunteerism is often mistaken for professional social work. Social work is a practice-based profession, informed by a body of knowledge that promotes social change and development, social cohesion and the empowerment and liberation of people. Learning this simple but fundamental truth has empowered me to move forward in social work profession. As the leader of Rumah Petros, Malaysian CARE’s halfway home, social work knowledge has helped in my self-development and been a valuable tool in transforming broken lives. n

19. March 2018 | Care Contact 13 S eptember 2020 | Care Contact 13 if we will apply both traditional physical and modern virtual approaches after the pandemic is over. Malaysian CARE believes that our role in fulfilling the relational mandate is as crucial as before. We act by serving the marginalised, and use His words to mobilise the greater Christian community to serve together. We are still active in doing church deputation and continue to welcome your church to allow us to fulfil the relational mandate together through deputation trips, pulpit ministries, interest-group sharing, or any other communication platforms, both physically and virtually. We would like you to know that we can prayerfully and creatively engage with you through any available online platform that suits the need of your church ministry. Kindly contact communications@ malaysiancare.org and our Church Relations team would be happy to help arrange a pre-recorded sermon, alternatively a Youtube live stream, or a brief sharing on one of our key ministries or services via zoom. Sharing can be in English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin or Tamil by various speakers from Malaysian CARE. n Derek enjoys pedalling hard to work on his old trusty bicycle. W e are created in the image of a relational God, and God gifted us with the ability to communicate with Him and with the rest of His creation for us to fulfil our relational mandate. We are to communicate with Him and with others in ways that could reconcile His creation with Him. Jesus’s time on earth is the perfect example of the fulfilment of the relational mandate. He was creative in communicating the Truth. There were many occasions when He created space for people to dialogue with Him after presenting a narrative. His dialogical approach allowed people to be drawn closer to the Truth. The COVID-19 pandemic is forcing churches to re-evaluate past approaches in relating with people. While many are disappointed that traditional physical church services are unable to operate as before, others see the benefits of using virtual platforms to relate with one another. We are no longer restricted by physical limitations, and some churches are starting to place more emphasis on using both monological and dialogical communication approaches. Perhaps a greater fulfilment of the relational mandate can be achieved The Relational Mandate the Future and Us by Derek Pang We continue to welcome your church to allow us to fulfil the relational mandate together through deputation trips, pulpit ministries, interest-group sharing, or any other communication platforms, both physically and virtually.

6. God says we are, our actions will naturally follow in alignment—God is glorified, and society flourishes. Translating all this into CARE’s services was, quite frankly, not an easy task, and the difficulty was ramped up by having to do everything over video conferencing. Strategic planning meant scrutinising our plans and programmes with a fine-toothed comb, using tools and templates that allowed us to see the broad picture of what our services mean to do. 4 by Elliot Tan A Process of Refinement—Strategic Planning From the end of April to June, as COVID-19 brought the streets to a standstill, the staff at Malaysian CARE spent a great deal of time thinking, discussing, and planning for the next five years. Every organisation has goals, and every organisation has plans, and this was CARE’s time to step back and reflect. May Wong, Executive Director of the Center for Church and Ministry Management, and John Beckett, Founder and CEO of Seed, shared about God’s redemptive design and brought us through the sessions. As a Christian organisation, our social work is God’s work. That means that our planning must align with God’s plans. In our different empowerment teams, this alignment starts with understanding who God says we are, and who God has made us to be. How does God’s redemption of our lives shine in our interactions with the community? When we work with our beneficiaries, what change are we hoping to see, and how do we work to journey there together? As followers of Christ, if we build our identity on who Elliot is grateful for the continued guidance and mentorship received in CARE.  September 2020 | Care Contact “I learnt that we need not do everything, but to do what God has called us to do, and to do it well.” Heads exploding from all the thinking! (Photo credit: Sam Lim) Child Empowerment are all smiles at the day’s end. (Photo credit: Rozanne Yong) A Process of Refinement— Strategic Planning

4. we must advocate for truth and just relationships so that those who are most vulnerable in this pandemic will not be further oppressed but receive the help they need. Adapt The one thing that everyone has been forced to do is to adapt rapidly to the ‘new normal’. From Zoom to social distancing to the online church, we have little choice but to adapt to new technologies and awkward practices in order to safeguard each other. However, the biggest challenge for CARE is to adapt our community work to the ‘new normal’ because it vitally involves a lot of time spent interacting and building relationships with families and communities. This cannot satisfactorily be duplicated with online methods and with many poor communities, access to online communication or online education is inadequate, especially in rural areas. For example, communities we work with in the interiors of Baram and Belaga in Sarawak or in Pitas, Sabah do not even have phone coverage let alone internet access. Adapting will require radically new thinking and trying in the days ahead. Conclusion One final ‘A’ that I wish to include is ‘Avenues’ and that is the different avenues God has opened for his people to extend His Kingdom. In organising the various relief efforts to urban poor, refugee and Orang Asal communities, we are seeing responses from families that would normally not have happened before this lockdown, collaboration between agencies that have been strengthened, and the generosity of supporters that surprises. These may seem small and insignificant when set beside the scale of disruption caused by the global pandemic but it is vindication and proof of Psalm 43:5 that when things are seemingly at their darkest, we can place our hope in God and have reason to praise Him! Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him, my Saviour and my God. n September 2020 | Care Contact 2 Young Soon, Executive Director, writes regularly for Care Contact on themes of compassion, justice and righteousness. He has a PhD in Indigenous Health. Young Soon is married to Patricia with three foster Orang Asli children, Mayna, Masnah and Rusan. Alert Most disasters happen in very visible, dramatic settings, e.g., earthquakes, floods or hurricanes. However, this disaster unfolded almost unnoticed on the sidelines of the actual pandemic. The main effort to stem and contain the spread of the coronavirus resulted in the entire country being put on lockdown. While effective in containing the virus, it resulted in millions of people being put out of work, losing their jobs or cut off from their livelihoods. For households who had financial savings, riding through a prolonged period without income was possible but for households who were dependent on daily wages or had little financial savings, it was a very different story. According to Bank Negara, households in the B40 category bear the highest risks due to their low incomes and poor financial security. It is important then that we are alert to the socio-economic vulnerabilities of the most marginalised groups in society so that we can anticipate the impacts of disasters and respond in correct ways that will alleviate the suffering. Advocate In pandemics of the past such as the Black Death in the 14 th to 17 th Century or the Spanish influenza from 1918 to 1920, one of conditions that contributed to its deadly toll was the lack of information for affected populations to combat the disease. For example, the Spanish influenza did not originate in Spain but in the World War 1 battlefields of the Western Front. However, because of wartime censorship, news of the infections was suppressed and it was only when it reached Spain where there was no censorship that information was available to the public but by that time, it was too late to stop the spread. Fast forward to the current pandemic and an opposite situation has arisen where there is an overload of information because of social media. Between the official news to alternative news channels to fake news, people are confused as to who to believe and this has created an atmosphere of fear and distrust in many places. We see this happening in the rising tide of xenophobia in our country. To counter fear and distrust,

7. 5 September 2020 | Care Contact Now that planning is over, the work is only just beginning. The coming years will be years where we examine our plans again and again, with constant refinement and testing so that we may be as gold and silver. That is our mission: “To display Christ’s love, compassion and justice, and proclaim the Kingdom of God through the whole gospel, to the whole person in the whole nation.” n “Going through this Redemptive Design has helped me see that it is not us inviting God into our work (story), rather, it is God inviting us into His story to fulfil His purpose. Thus, realising the importance for us to be aligned with God's story and purpose as we commit ourselves to the work we do. I also learnt that we need not do everything, but to do what God has called us to do, and to do it well.” – David “Listening and brainstorming within the individual empowerment teams as well as with other teams has given me a clearer and deeper understanding of the work done in different areas of Malaysian CARE. We are all in this together—each empowerment team may be working on specific programmes or target groups, but I found that the empowerment teams are all interlinked and realised the importance of working together as a larger team in CARE.” – Sharon “I felt incredibly lucky to be part of this process and am encouraged to see how well our team worked together. However, I'll be honest—discussing such heavy topics over a screechy internet line in the heat of the day can take away whatever joy there is! Yet we trudge through knowing that with every Zoom session and diagram we fill in, the solutions become even more targeted and effective to the lives we want to impact.” – Melanie “I learnt during this training that the work of strategic planning doesn’t stop at the strategic but is just a start! Learning steps and theory of change actually set up a sense of direction in line with our vision and mission as a whole and it not only benefits the community but also us for knowing what we want to achieve.” – Ita “My thinking has changed from "being an outsider of change" into "actively changing". I realised planning requires diving deep into existing concepts, questioning and looking back at the past (our assets and previous experience). It's important that members from the team take ownership of the change we're looking forward to. The amount of trust CARE has placed on us has been a motivating factor to push through the whole process.” – Rebecca “Since I joined the rural team back in 2014, there wasn't much 'structure' taught to me at that time. I understand at that time, I was being fed the ‘practical’ part of the work rather than the theory. The Strategic Planning helped put the practice into structure. It taught me how to customise it according to the culture and situation and work alongside as a team in CARE. I really liked the part about when the community flourishes, we flourish, and God is glorified—I would really like to see that happen in real life.” – Kharis Much thanks to May Wong and CCMM (http://ccmm.tilda.ws/); and John Beckett and Seed (https://www.seed.org.au/). Reflections from the Staff

2. Name Email Address Praising God Despite Circumstances: Lessons from Lockdown Tax Deductible Receipt for Donation to Malaysian CARE A Process of Refinement— Strategic Planning Open Hands, Open Hearts God is Beyond Our Imagination Reaching Out to Prison Inmates, Virtually FOOD4HOPE Social Work Equals Professional Self-Development The Relational Mandate the Future and Us What Do Malaysian Christians Think of Biblical Justice? Biblical Reflection 1-2 3 4-5 6-7 8 9 10-11 12 13 14-15 16-17 CONTENTS Care Contact Subscription Feedback Form Online Care Contact subscription form Subscription where applicable Update my subscription Unsubscribe Soft copy Malaysian Christian Association for Relief (Malaysian CARE) is a local, non-profit Christian organisation set up in 1979, committed to serving the poor and needy. Care Contact is a publication of Malaysian CARE containing stories about the organisation. It is published four times a year. Publisher : Malaysian Christian Association for Relief Editors : Elliot Tan and Susan Wong Layout : Foo Kai Seong Printer : Thumbprints Utd. Sdn. Bhd. Lot 24, Jalan RP 3, Rawang Perdana Industrial Estate, Selangor Darul Ehsan, Malaysia. Please direct enquiries regarding this newsletter to: Malaysian CARE (Communications) P.O. Box 13230, GPO Kuala Lumpur, 50804 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Tel: +603 9212 0162 Fax: +603 9058 4057 Email: www.malaysiancare.org/contact-us/ Donations can be made via GIRO internet banking, bank transfer or ATM to: Bank: Maybank Berhad Account Name: Malaysian Christian Association for Relief A/C No: 514057600134 Kindly log on to: www.malaysiancare.org and fill up the Donation Form so that we can send you an official tax exempt receipt. Kindly take note: All cheques to be made payable to “Malaysian CARE”. INTERNET PAYMENT SERVICE Malaysian CARE accepts donations via internet payment service options such as Credit Card, Banking GIRO, Electronic Account Debiting (or E-Debit), Electronic Wallet (or E-Wallet), etc., to complete a transaction via internet securely. To make donations via internet payment service, please log on to: https://donate.pay.my/malaysiancare/ Donations to Malaysian CARE are tax-deductible www.malaysiancare.org/care-contact