something to live for

Hi All

Thank you for your prayers and support.
The weekend away with the 10 refugee youth to KYCKSTART (Katoomba Youth Conference) from Friday 18 April to 20 April 08 was awesome! It was fun, exciting and full of energy, although I was exhausted physically at the end of it, with only 5 hours of broken sleep for the 2 nights, BUT it was all worth it!

The initial thought of taking refugee youth to KYCKSTART was all too hard and difficult.

Firstly, the refugees won’t be able to afford $44 for the registration, not to mention the accommodation and food costs for the weekend which will add up to over $100 each. About 2 weeks ago I had a casual conversation with a young faithful committed Christian brother (in his mid twenties, whom I knew since he was born as I am related to his parent). In passing he asked about my refugee ministry as to how it was going.

I mentioned that I would like to take a group of refugee youth to the KYCKSTART but was unable to and gave a list of excuses for it. The next day I received an unexpected email letting me know that he and his wife have been praying about donating some monies to a ministry cause and they can only afford to donate $200 to help get at least some of the refugee youth to KYCKSTART for an opportunity to hear the gospel preached.

Ideas and plans started bubbling through my head. I could possibly send 2 refugee youth with the $200 donation or I could personally take 10 refugee youth on a low budget subsidized weekend to KYCKSTART, sleeping on the floor of a church hall somewhere in the mountain and live on donated canned food and instant noodles.

A week prior to the commencement KYCKSTART weekend, I got the 10 refugee youth dying to get away for the weekend of excitement and fun (paying an affordable $20 each, just enough to cover part of the registration, the remaining subsidized by the donated $200). Thanks to Rev Graham Crew from Springwood Wimalee Anglican Church for gladly providing the accommodation at their Ministry Centre hall and thanks to Anglicare for their ongoing partnership in making available their 15 seater mini bus for transport which have made it all possible.

The theme of the weekend was ‘Something To Live For’ with 2 fantastic and dynamic speakers, namely Graham Stanton, Dean of Anglican Youth Works College and Steve Chong, pastor of Kogarah Presbyterian church and director of an annual evangelistic event called RICE for young people.

God’s spirit was moving and working among the 2500 youth that weekend, challenging them to follow and live for Jesus. On Sat night after Steve’s second talk, many were moved to accept Jesus when the invitation was made. There number of youth who walked out from the auditorium to the counseling tent overflowed to the supper tent. They were so many of them (at least over 100) that they ran out of the counseling packs to give away to the new converts. Praise the Lord!

More exciting was that 6 of the refugee youth were among those who made a decision to follow Jesus. Please do pray for Alagi, Laila, Abe, Elour, Toby and John that they will grow and be nurtured as they follow Jesus. They have decided to go to a nearby Friday night youth group regularly and they will be linked to the existing and vibrant Seven Hills Anglican youth group who has a heart for reaching out to refugees.

The other 2 refugee youth named Mukhtar and Phelek are already Christians and attend church regularly. The remaining 2 refugee youth are of a muslim faith and are struggling to come to term with a faith that is ‘forbidden’ by their parents and muslim teachings. Pray that the seed sown in their heart will bring to fruition one day when they are in a position to make that decision.

God willing, with His amazing grace and providence, we will do it all over again next year and pray that we will be able to bring more refugee youth to KYCKSTART for an opportunity to hear the gospel preached and make a decision to follow Jesus.

Thank you once again for your prayers and support for this refugee ministry.

To God be the glory.

In His Service
Phin Tang
Sydney Anglican Diocese Refugee Ministry Coordinator
21 April 2008