Everyone has a home to nurture us. However, whether it is a shelter from the storms, or a cosy home, is another story. But some people prefer not to go home!

Every family has difficulties of its own. But no matter what, one will miss home when one leaves either for further studies, vacations or for work. For those who put in efforts to make it a comfortable place, it is only then a worthy place to be called home.

Counting aeroplanes
In February 2019, Victory Home moved into its new venue, at Mile 9, Oya Road. My husband and I serve the Lord there making it our second home too. Here, I could hear countless aeroplanes flying overhead. They are ferrying homeward bound or vacation bound passengers. So I often imagine their joy of going home as they landed in Sibu.

During the morning devotions, I could see from the window the planes preparing to touch down and I felt the excitement. At times I tried to count the numbers of aeroplanes landing in an hour. However, to no avail as I could not focus. It would be better to go to the airport to check the arrival schedule for a definite answer.

Slowly, I realized that there were outgoing flights too. From the experience of the learners here, they could even differentiate from the sounds whether they were Airasia or MAS planes. As for me, my days here have not improved my hearing “sensibility”. But instead through selfenhancing studies, preparing special talks and listening to the difficult life stories of growing up of the learners, I am learning a lot!

Everyone has their own story
During a chat with two learners while preparing vegetables, we shared about our lives’ experiences. One said his first experience with drug was in primary six. It was given by his cousin. She told him that after taking the drug, it would make him smarter and could improve his memory to cope with his primary six exams. From then on, he was hooked. Before entering Victory Home, he had been on drugs for five years. He told me that his cousin is all bones now and mentally unstable, often loitering in town. It really hurts to hear that sad story. Thus, it is an urgent to start the women’s Gospel rehabilitation ministry to help women suffering from drugs. Who is there to respond to this calling?

Another learner told me that he dropped out of school when he was thirteen. He met wayward friends and left home and started taking drugs. As an adopted child he was confused by his identity. He felt lost. After being abandoned by his parents, he could not feel his foster parents’ love. He even bore grudges against them. Only later, he realised that they did love him and had been looking for him ever since. When they found him, they brought him to Victory Home with a hope to change his life

Recently, some of those baptized learners wrote their testimonies of meeting God at Victory Home. With enlightenment from the Bible, they realized their mistakes. They hated their parents in the past, but now they are willing to make up and reconcile. They are prodigal children awakening and coming home.

In his book “Walking out of hurt like a cocoon in new birth”, Dr Julia Hsu states that those who want to get out of their family hurts can only do so with “love”. Love reunites with love, and anger will only push further apart. If there is compassion, listening, kind expression, love will flow. With the movement of love, one will feel happiness, joy and peace. Life is short, don’t waste it on pains and hate-filled memories. Why not choose to undo and redo, creating a new happy relationship!

Indeed, we need to make a choice to begin a new relationship. Because of the love on the Cross, we are able to build vertical and horizontal relationships with God and with fellow people. And through this horizontal relationship, they will be able to receive the grace of God.

What a great feeling to be home On my birthday, one of the Victory Home’s learners gave me a card with a touching prayer:

“Dear Heavenly Father, with your grace, a kind pastor’s wife was born on 17 June 1950. Together with the pastor, they came to us and loved us with Your love. I believe that God has chosen them and will bless them too. May the love of our Heavenly Father bless them with good health. We thank You for loving each one of us. May God bless them and be with them always. We love You, our Father in heaven. In Jesus Christ, the name of Your beloved son we prayed. Amen.”

This was written by a drug addict on his way home. Though it is hard to quit drug addiction, but through the growing relationships with God and with people around us, one can enjoy the strength and joy on the way home and also experience the great feeling of being home!

Note: Victory Home was established in 2013. It is a rehabilitation centre and a life reforming home for drug addicts, belonging to Sarawak Chinese Annual Conference.

Written by Tang Ing Kiew
(Xin Fu Yuan Methodist Church, Sibu.)
Translated by Christina