When the construction of the new Victory Home was near completion, fellow co-workers and the brothers here, often asked when they would be able to move into the new home. I asked why they were so interested to move in. They said that the new house would be new, more beautiful and better too. I teasingly said, “Better? Or because we have not fenced off the back, and there is a jungle, it would be a good escape route?” Everyone was laughing!
Fence Our Hearts
Actually, a co-worker once asked how high the new fence would be and whether or not there would be iron mesh. I told them it would be around 8 feet with no mesh. He commented that it would be easy for the brothers to escape. I told my co-worker and brothers, “A fence with meshes would only fence the physical person but not the heart. The most important thing about Victory Home is to do our best to guard the hearts with a spiritual fence. As such, when you complete your courses and leave the Home into a world of no fences, you will have a spiritual fence to protect yourselves, especially not to relapse into the drug habit.”
Having said that, they were also reminded that this fully furnished rehabilitation home set up by the Methodist Church was based on the love of Jesus Christ who valued and loved them as who they were. Just as Jesus himself declared in Luke 19:10: “The son of Man comes to seek and save sinners.” Thus, those who have come to live at Victory Home should know how to respect himself, not to shame himself again.
We wished to move in by October 2018, but the rainy season delayed the project. Then we hoped that we could celebrate Chinese New Year at the new home, but the electricity connection was not completed. So it was delayed again. However, nothing is impossible with the help of everyone; we were finally able to move into the new Home on 28 February 2019.
While we were busy putting stuff onto the lorry, dark clouds gathered and started to drizzle. It cooled down our enthusiasm. My wife said we should pray earnestly and we asked God for His grace. The Lord of creation cast away the haze in our hearts and we regained courage and strength. We put up our inner umbrellas to shelter the falling rain. The moving team travelled in the cool weather to the new Home at Mile 9 1/2 Oya Road. Praise the Lord, for He let us see that He is the God who makes rain falls and He stops rain too!
The Beginning of the New Home
The brothers have been obedient and disciplining their hearts with self-control (1Peter 1:13) following the Four Rules: Listen, Believe, Obey and Follow.
Although the gate was not closed due to work in progress, and the back fence was not up yet, no one escaped. Some maintenance workers were smoking during working, none asked from them or smoked. During our devotion that night, I asked if they wished to have a puff, many raised their hands, but they had suppressed their urge successfully.
I told them, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. (1Peter 5:8) Today you may have succeeded, it doesn’t mean that you may the next time. So be alert at all times. With the power and strength of the Lord, we can resist it; the devil will then go away. I sincerely hope that everyone upon graduation will walk out here an honest man with pride and confidence, living out the image of God. For the Lord raise up your heads. (Psalm 3:3)” Everyone said Amen!
At long last, Victory Home has a new home!
Victory New Home offers a new beginning, a new milestone. May all our co-workers and brothers have a fresh start, spurred on with enthusiasm, completing the various courses offered here. So that each of them will be a new being in Christ Jesus, embracing a great life ahead!
By Rev Ting Diu Kiong
Volunteer chaplain of Victory Home
Translated by Christina