Category: CEDAR Blog

Practising spirituality, rediscovering the goodwill of the Lord

Written by: Ken Wong (Communications Officer) We previously launched the ‘Lenten Prayer Guide’ (Chinese only) to help everyone cultivate a heart for creation care during this period. Our colleagues have also engaged in various practices during Lent. Some have abstained from eating beef to reduce carbon emissions, while others have chosen walking instead of short-distance transportation. As for myself, I chose to abstain from coffee and organised an outing with fellow brothers and sisters to clean up litter in the countryside. I hope to share some insights from my experience of abstaining from coffee here. The initial reason for choosing to give up coffee as part of the practice was the realisation of the environmental impact of coffee cultivation.

The Lord Rules over All

Written by: Clara Chiu (Head of Partnership Development) I recently heard a story about timelines in my church: A farmer prayed to the Lord for rain; otherwise, his rice harvest would fail due to a lack of water. At the same time, another person was repairing a barn’s roof, and he prayed to the Lord not to rain until the repair was completed. These two people prayed on different timelines of their lives. Man does not know all, but the Lord does. Eventually, it rained that night after the roof was repaired. The rain did not interfere with the work but irrigated the rice in time. The Lord merged the two timelines to best respond to His children’s

Marginalised Communities Oppressed under Caste Culture

Written by: Gloria Cheung (Senior Communications Officer) Two of our staff members and two pastors from a church supporting CEDAR’s ministry visited the Chitwan region in Nepal in mid-November. They visited Samari Utthan Sewa (SUS), a longstanding partner in the area, to gain a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by Dalits, particularly vulnerable women and children. Dalits, labelled as the lowest ‘untouchable’ caste in the unequal caste system, are a group that is susceptible to trafficking and exploitation. CEDAR and our partner have established a community centre in the Chitwan region to combat human trafficking. We took a group photo in front of the centre. Two fellow pastors are learning about the latest developments in the ministry

2023 CEDAR Barefoot Walk: More Than We Could Ask For

Written by: Clara Chiu (Head of Partnership Development) We thank our Father for how real His help is. The Lord has boosted our staff’s morale through the Barefoot Walk when society’s sentiments are low, and offertory levels are trending down. Preparation for the Barefoot Walk usually takes a whole year. This time, we started to prepare the Barefoot Walk as early as 2020. Before COVID, we were in talks with Abounding Grace Baptist Church to co-organise the Barefoot Walk and agreed on the route in Tsz Wan Shan. Unfortunately, the pandemic has forced a delay in the activity, and it was not until 2023 that the two organisations could join hands to make it happen. We are incredibly

Bringing Hope to Victims in Syria

Written by: Ken Wong (Communications Officer) On 2 February, Turkey and Syria were rocked by two major earthquakes and multiple aftershocks that killed more than 50,000 people and injured more than 120,000. According to WHO officials, Syria has already been in a deep humanitarian crisis for years due to war and cholera, and the country can in no way deal with the aftermath of earthquakes, whether in the near or mid-term. The earthquakes have wreaked havoc that far exceeded the damage caused by shelling during the civil war. Worse, earthquakes gave no warning. Despite the extreme challenges, towering fears and shattering fatigue, however, CEDAR partners have, by the grace of the Lord, done their utmost to provide for

Works with local churches to fulfil ‘Integral Mission’ and witness the Lord’s grace

Written by: Clara Chiu (Head of Partnership Development) In the process of promoting overseas poverty alleviation and development work and fulfilling Integral Mission, CEDAR’s staff are often inspired by the testimonies of lives being transformed. We hope that in our home of Hong Kong, we can also work with local churches to practice Integral Mission and experience the grace of the Lord. Since last November, CEDAR Fund has commenced an eight-month programme, ‘CEDAR Course’, to promote Integral Mission locally. Through the programme, we hope local churches are given support and the resources to serve the community in greater depth. Pastors and church leaders who enrolled on the programme to gain some knowledge about ‘Integral Mission: church fulfilment and

Shiva, a Nepalese colleague – Restore Dignity for the Dalits

Written by: Clara Chiu (Head of Partnership Development) Whenever I read Philippians 2 about Christ’s incarnation and dwelling among us in the likeness of men, I am moved by His love and sacrifice. He was willing to lay down His nobility and power, taking the form of a servant to be a human. Such sacrifice is love. Abandoning one’s birthright for others is easier said than done. Shiva, a colleague of our Nepalese partner, Samari Utthan Sewa (SUS)*, followed Christ in a way that he willingly put down his esteemed identity to serve those marginalised. Nepal borrows India’s caste system, which divides people into four main categories, each with its subcastes. The castes are hereditary, and their occupations

The Pain and Anger on the Journey of Poverty Relief

Written by: Ken Wong (Communications Officer) Have you ever had such an experience? When you were trying hard to tackle a problem, not only did other people fail to lend a helping hand, instead they added more nuisance and trouble to your situation. Our ministry in Bangladesh is facing such a situation, and we urgently need your prayers. Bangladesh is situated in the North of the Bay of Bengal. The southern coastal region of the country is frequently affected by typhoons and different types of flooding. As climate change accelerates, the frequency and intensity of these disasters are also increasing. Disasters significantly impact the poor and marginalised population, as they depend primarily on agriculture and fishery for a

Light in the Darkness

Interviewee: Chung Pui Ling (Acting Head of Programme)Editor: Ness Ma (Communications Officer) From late September to early October recently, CEDAR’s Acting Head of Programme, Chung Pui Ling (Ling) visited Myanmar and Lebanon. Monitoring the progress of CEDAR’s programmes which are implemented by the local partners, she could see a closer view of the picture. Stepping into reality in those places instead of understanding the programmes and partners through videoconferencing and documents, Ling experienced a greater variety of feelings and had more reflections. Although partners in Myanmar and Lebanon were facing different struggles, their resilience and persistence deeply touched Ling. The Journey across Myanmar ‘It is like seeing some old friends, even we have never seen each other before.’ The

Ride Out the Storm to Carry the Holistic Mission forward

Writer: Ness Ma (Communications officer) When churches start new projects, they often face many challenges regarding resources, manpower, and knowledge, which can be inevitably overwhelming. C&MA Living Stones Church (hereinafter referred to as Living Stones Church) encountered the same when establishing Queen’s Hill Service Station. Over the past year, CEDAR has worked with Living Stones Church to share experiences, and provide mentorship and financial support so that the service station could work well. In an interview earlier, they summarised the unforgettable experience and outcomes. Living Stones Church shared that initially, not all the church members agreed on opening a new service centre. The argument is based on a lack of manpower, insufficient funds and resources. Moreover, they are