By Goldie Chong
“Make disciples of all nations beginning in Jerusalem….”
My Jerusalem is
My whole household
We have been visiting Malaysia and Singapore regularly, usually staying with our relatives. They have maids who have been working for them for many years. I try to build relationships with them, sharing the good news of the gospel by interesting them to read the bible with me. On every subsequent visit, I try to build on the relationships and continue to have bible study with them. Looking back over 30+ years, I believe Dolly, Rosie and April, the maids who worked for our relatives, were blessed by this relationship. Their growth as Christians was very much encouraged by their Christian employers and their church attendance.
Show concern for helpers
In his many letters, Paul greets the heads of the house and mentions their households. Households in New Testament times had slaves. When a family received the Good News, not only the masters but the slaves were also included. *
Share the full gospel
In Melaka, where we lived for 16 years before we migrated to Australia, Wan Yin was Tek’s parents’ helper. Grandma Chong adopted her as a baby from China and served as a maid/daughter. She was deaf but was very intelligent, a good cook, a handyman, an excellent worker, faithful and cheerful. Being deaf, she spoke in her peculiar Hakka dialect, and there was no problem communicating with her. Tek’s siblings led her to Christ. On one of our visits to Melaka, I explained to her about praying in the Spirit. Although deaf, she understood in her spirit and burst out in tongues. From her radiant face and prolonged prayer, I could see that she had received the gift of tongues.
In her old age
Because Wan Yin is a member of our household, now 90+, the Chong siblings and relatives employed a maid to look after her 24 hours a day to care for her needs of eating, bathing, toilet, sleeping, etc. On our latest visit to Melaka at the end of 2022, fragile as she was, blind and immobile, she could still recognize the different family members when they visited and prayed for each of them.
Provide follow-up
One of the first maids employed to care for her came from the Philippines. Jenalyn worked for several years, and I had bible study with her regularly. After we returned to Perth, I arranged for our friend, who stayed in the same suburb, to come every week to study with her. After finishing her contract, Gelgal from the Philippines continued the carer’s job. I also had bible study with her. After we left, the same friend who visited Jenalyn gave her a study bible and faithfully came every week to study with her. Gelgal stayed for two years until after the pandemic in 2022.
Marketplace minister
Our family desperately looked for a replacement carer for Wan Yin, who was entirely dependent on all her needs at this time. Somehow through our capable niece, she managed to get an Indonesian maid. When we went to Melaka after an absence of 3 years because of the pandemic, Lili had been working for 8 months. I was happy to find out she was a Christian. She showed me her Indonesian bible, which she said was given to her by her agent, who got her the present job. She said he was very caring, and when she had problems, she could call him, and he would pray for her. I determined to meet this agent. When I contacted him, I found that he attended DUMC in PJ, where we usually go when we are in Kuala Lumpur. He was a marketplace minister who practised his faith in his workplace by pastoring his sheep.
Discipling
Because we stayed about 3 months in Malaysia, I could study the bible with Lili almost daily mainly because she was keen and learnt eagerly. She told me she was a divorcee with a young daughter, her husband having left her for another woman. She confessed she hated him and was troubled almost every night for years. We prayed for God to free her from her anger by forgiving him and asking God to forgive her for her reaction to his behaviour. She was willing to own her sin of bitterness and hatred. Having cleared her relationship with man and God, I assured her of 1 John 1:9 that if she confesses her sin, God is faithful and just to forgive her and cleanse her from all unrighteousness. Then using the powerful Name of Jesus as a knife, I cut off all the unhappy memories, events, feelings, thoughts, etc., of the past, asking the Holy Spirit to pull out the toxins of these events. The poison was removed from the spiritual realm, and even though she still remembers these things, the sting was no longer there. On subsequent days of checking with her, she confirmed she felt better. After we departed for Perth, our good friend, who had helped the previous two maids, continued to study the bible with her.
Our Jerusalem is our circle of influence, whether it’s our relatives, helpers, colleagues, neighbours, etc. Jesus gives the same command to share the Good News with them.
*Paul greeted the Christians in Onesiphorus’ household 2 Tim.4:19
Salute them which are of Aristobulus’ household. Rom.16:10.
Greet them that be of the household of Narcissus, which are in the Lord. Rom. 16:11
And I baptized also the household of Stephanas. 1 Cor. 1:16
All the saints salute you, chiefly they that are of Caesar’s household. Phil.4:22 Lydia was baptized, and her household, Acts 16:15
About Goldie Chong
Goldie Chong is an advisor in Asian Beacon, having been involved for 50 + years. She lives in Perth with her husband, Tek overseeing 3 senior ministries in different churches.
