It has always been challenging to plan and execute activities for the shorter month of February. Adding to the challenge this year was the Chinese New Year holidays. The Wilderness Survival, Search & Rescue training scheduled for 3rd March to be called off because only 3 persons had signed up.
The pace picks up in March as various churches in Malaysia moves into disaster preparedness and response. We praise God for the churches and NGOs who have requested for training events in their region or state. I am praying for these trainings will not clash with the coming General Election. Please pray with CREST for God’s strength, wisdom and knowledge to be upon us as we continue to serve in His Kingdom.
This was my 4th trip to Kunming after the 2014 Ludian Earthquake to conduct training with our local partners. It was a great joy to see the brothers and sisters in the province of Yunnan consistently sharing on disaster awareness with the locals. Yunnan is one of the provinces in China that has the highest risk in earthquake and poverty among the minority tribes.
A group of 9 completed IDRN 1100 & 1300. May they bring what they have learned to their family, friends and community.
On behalf of CREST, I would like to wish everyone a blessed New Year. Isaiah 40:30-31, even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint. Let’s put our hope in the Lord in this beginning of year 2018.
On behalf of CREST, I would like to thank our partners (HISTeam, Methodist Crisis Relief & Development), donors and volunteers for your faithful support towards our response in Penang. Most importantly, CREST staff had worked long hours and overtime during the response.
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CREST Malaysia, HAND Singapore, BPBD, Gesa Bentara Kalimantan, Bandung. |
26 Participants from local churches and different NGOs attended the workshop. |
21st Oct 2017, CREST was invited by our partner from Indonesia to jointly conduct a training for the local churches and NGOs in preparation for volcano eruption – Mount Agung in Bali Island, Indonesia.
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Malaysian Care – Kuala Lumpur |
Trinity Airport Covenant Fellowship |
Since years ago, CREST has dedicated the month of September for training events for a purpose. Firstly, we are trying to avoid Malaysia monsoon session from Oct-Dec, and we may equip our volunteers to response when disaster happen during the session of monsoon.
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CREST was in Kuching, Sarawak from 16th to 19th of August. The National Economic Empowerment Coalition (NEEC) Conference is an annual event held at different locations throughout Malaysia aimed at providing a platform for various community development organizations to promote and share practical ways to improve the lives of indigenous communities all over Malaysia.
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1st 2nd 8th 9th July, CREST was invited by MCRD Northern District to conduct Crisis Relief Training for the members of the Chinese Methodist churches. After the two weekends of training, they are passionate and ready to help during crisis. Topics on flood, fire, earthquake and ICS, Logistisc & Distribution were shared throughout the training. |
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On 10 Jun, we have conducted community based disaster preparedness training using IDRN 1100 syllabus at FGA Kuala Lumpur. 35 participants signed up for this training. This would not have been successful without good partnership and support from our host FGA Kuala Lumpur, our relief partners Histeam (7979), The Pink Shoe and Touch Community. Thank God for his wisdom and our helpful volunteers. |
10 to 19 April. Olivia Chan and volunteer, Wong Lee Sin, visited the region to catch up with local partners, review ongoing projects and explore further areas of needs. First stop was Santa House in Koriyama where Tsuboi Sensei and his team have been distributing safe drinking water to families with expecting mothers and young children since the onset of the Daiichi nuclear plant meltdown.
We also visited towns nearer to the Daiichi nuclear plant such as Tomioka, Okuma and Namie. Local communities are still living in uncertainty over the risks of exposure to the radiation fallout. Evacuees in Tomioka have been told to move back to their former homes but only 30% are willing to do so. More info at http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/03/31/national/evacuation-orders-lifted-three-fukushima-areas-residents-slow-return/#.WS_BptwlH3g. Meanwhile, NGOs work together with local communities to monitor hotspots and to carry out research on ways to reduce contamination and to de-contaminate themselves.
On 16 April, The Pink Shoes (TPS) celebrated their 3rd year anniversary. CREST was invited to set up a booth and to introduce our ministry to TPS volunteers. We want to put on record our thanks to CREST staff and volunteers who had come to celebrate this remarkable event with TPS
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CREST booth at TPS event | Sharing at TPS event | Meeting with Malaysian CARE |
CREST and Malaysian CARE have been meeting to share ideas, information and experiences in the area of disaster response. CREST looks forward to partnering with other agencies who share similar goals in serving the poor and needy in crisis.
Thank you, The Pink Shoes and Malaysian CARE for spending your precious time with CREST.
It has been a long time since CREST had conducted wilderness training. On 17-18 March, 15 participants pitched their own tents at the basic wilderness survival, search and rescue practice. We are grateful to you for your prayer covering and to God for our safety throughout the training.
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Many lessons learnt in the classroom were put to practice. To the participants, I hope you will remember the lessons as well as the fun. To the facilitators, thank you so much for being such an awesome team in your service.
How have you been doing this far as the Executive Director of CREST? This question was asked by Lana Wong, who had served in the same position the 10 years before me. Her question left me speechless and my mind just went blank. I shook my head and answered that without God’s grace and mercy, I would never have been in this position to serve Him. Never, never and never…
In answering this simple question, I am counting my cost to follow Jesus. In fact, we are all doing the same thing, only in different ways. We shall not give up no matter what challenges and obstacles lie ahead of us. I give thanks to God for He has enabled and provided for us to serve the nations in Crisis.
As this New Year and Chinese New Year was being celebrated everywhere, CREST has been kept busy monitoring the weather for Kelantan and Johor. During both new year eves, we received alerts from our friends and CREST has sent aid to empower our partners in Kota Bharu and Segamat.
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