From Singapore to Singkawang

By Caleb Khoo, Country Director of Singkawang, Indonesia

“If a commission by an earthly king is considered an honour, how can a commission by a heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?” – David Livingstone

Commissioning Caleb & family to serve in Singkawang by Senior Pastor Calvin Lee and leadership team during a English service

With Two Young Children

It was a memorable day, moving my young family from Singapore to Singkawang, Indonesia. The journey was long — it took us from pre-dawn to post-dusk and covered several transport transitions. Our daughter was just over two years old, and she struggled with the physical and mental demands of the day. Those strains led to nightmares and disturbed sleep on the first night in the hotel, soothed immediately when we prayed in the Spirit over her.

Challenges continued as we set up home, including but not limited to, an unstable source of electricity and running water, lack of suitable educational options, unreliable healthcare, and compromised security. Raising two young children made the task seemed all the more daunting. However, in the midst of difficulties we wrestled with, we never felt lacking in any way or disadvantaged at any point during our years in Singkawang. On the contrary, we count it as a privilege to be able to witness God working so powerfully on the missions field first-hand, reaching out to the Chinese people of Singkawang and meeting our needs met every step of the way.

Multiplication

We want to testify of God’s mighty hand in Singkawang, as we remember the different ministries that He has brought to fruition. We are also thankful for the resources of church, family and friends. Here is a list of what was accomplished over the years:

Caleb and his wife, Su-Lin, with their two children, Keziah and Jonah

• planting and growing 35 churches in the province of West Kalimantan, while supervising and teaching church planters through monthly meetings
• starting 12 small business projects with church pastors to help them earn an income to sustain their churches
• hosting 32 short-term missions teams and those on teaching trips
• setting up three feeding programmes that fed 120-130 children and 25-30 mothers per session
• building three toilets for three churches
• installing water filtration systems for two churches
• renovating a church compound
• distributing around 250 Bibles

More than just the completion of practical tasks, we have seen God at work in the hearts and lives of many locals, missions trippers, and our family too. Personal testimonies abound regarding His faithfulness, mercy, kindness, power and holiness in the daily lives of the people there.

It Takes a Village…

We are so grateful to our home church in Singapore — Grace Assembly of God — for their huge commitment to and investment in missions, and for sending long-term missionaries out to the field. Thank you so much also to those who have made the long and winding trip to Singkawang as fellow witnesses of His goodness. It was truly a joy and privilege to have been able to behold and participate in His work, as a family, from that unique vantage point in Singkawang.

“Never pity missionaries; envy them. They are where the real action is — where life and death, sin and grace, heaven and hell converge.” — Robert C. Shannon

Caleb Khoo is the Country Director of Singkawang, Indonesia.