Outreach

Five years ago, 64-year-old Mr Chong Moon Yeen was behind the wheel of his taxi when he unexpectedly suffered a stroke. He was rushed to the hospital and spent several days in a coma in the ICU. The stroke had caused a blood clot in his brain, and to relieve the pressure from the swelling, doctors had to perform a delicate surgery, removing part of his skull. Once stabilised, Mr Chong was transferred to MWS Bethany Nursing Home (BNH) – Choa Chu Kang, where he began his long journey of recovery, receiving round-the-clock medical and nursing care, as well as therapy.

The Covid-19 pandemic is a social and an economic crisis just as much as it is a health one—its repercussions, severe and far-reaching, are being felt across the world. The effects are felt unevenly across societies. The Wellcome Global Monitor 2020: Covid-19 Report, the largest study of its kind, found that the pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on low-income countries and people with low incomes across all countries.

Mental health issues in the workplace are such an important concern nowadays. Whether it is open articulation or implicit concurrence, when one talks about the workplace and mental health, the word "stress" comes to mind.

When the Covid-19 pandemic struck and Singapore introduced the circuit breaker in April 2020, Bobby*, who worked in the banking sector, still had to report to the office to manage daily operations. His parents and parents-in-law, who normally helped care for his young children before the pandemic, were unable to assist during this time. Balancing work responsibilities and family life became exceptionally difficult for Bobby and his wife.

Retiree Alice Cheng, 65, recalls the stressful, anxious nights spent lying in bed, straining her ears to listen for any cries for help from her late father during his final months. As his primary caregiver, Alice endured immense physical, mental and emotional strain while caring for him through end-stage Parkinson's disease.

When Eunice Goh's beloved father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in June 2021, her world came crashing down. To the 32-year-old, he had always been her best friend, closest confidante and lifelong mentor.

The word "politics" is derived from the Greek word politiká, which means "affairs of the cities", and is based on the word polis, meaning "city" or "city-state". The main idea is about governance, organisation and the affairs of communities and societies. Enter John Wesley proclaiming, "The Gospel of Christ knows of no religion, but social; no holiness but social holiness." I pray that readers here will include this Wesleyan norm for cross-border missions in increasingly urbanised fields.

Methodist Missions Society (MMS) will be hosting a fundraising banquet on 25 August 2024 at the Fullerton Hotel. The annual "My Father's Business" banquet has been titled "Ask of Me" this year, based on the Bible verse in Psalm 2:8, with the focus on galvanising support for the mission in Thailand and other MMS mission fields.

"God, can you stop taking everyone I love away from me?" Karen Tang recalled praying this on the morning of 13 November 2021, after learning that her 75-year-old mother, Lilian, critically ill from a Covid-induced heart attack, had suffered another attack while in the hospital.

Through the years, the SMS and many of our sister mission schools in the region have been blessed by the work of specialist volunteers from Singapore who have contributed a unique but precious resource—their professional expertise. These “professional volunteers” visit to spend time in our classrooms and commit to long-term activities to develop specific areas of school operations.

Growing up in a broken family, Irene understands the sting of being scorned and marginalised. Even at 51, she bears the invisible scars of relentless bullying and isolation from neighbours and classmates throughout her childhood years.

On 20 March 2024, an extraordinary milestone in the ministry of the Methodist Missions Society of Singapore in Thailand was reached. It was the day the Dedication Service of Little Candles Methodist School (Primary) took place in the town of Phrao, Chiang Mai, in north Thailand.