Hello! Welcome to episode six of My Hand in His. David’s training on OM (Operation Mobilization) ship was a long process. Though he has the calling to serve the Lord, there were still many other things David must learn in life. And God intended to remove all the impurities inside David. Through working with other crews David finally resolved to submit himself to God heartily.

God’s training to Christians on board  the ship was not limited to just the classroom, but on the deck, in the pantry and in the galley too. David said, “It was during those precious moments when I was alone working in a quiet corner of the ship that I frequently met God. At other times, when I became frustrated with my work, I would pray and sing to the Lord instead of murmuring and complaining. Immediately, I would feel better.”

One night, David was on watch duty with an officer while the ship was sailing on autopilot. While on duty, David spent the time praying and worshiping the Lord. The wind blew, and the waves crashed; stars peppered the night sky and occasionally shooting stars arched down the distant horizon. All that reminded David that God’s wonders could be seen even in the dark. He marvelled at God’s creations which are beyond descriptions. At the same time, David felt God’s presence in the silence and his soul sang.

The ship was once struck by a seven-day storm in the Bay of Biscay as it sailed from southern England to Spain. No one on board knew how long the storm would last and where the ship was heading. During that time, neither the sun nor the stars appeared. The winds were chilly. As the ship bobbed and tilted on the waves, most crews including David became seasick. Nausea caused many to throw up so badly that one could see what they had eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Work came to a standstill as waves after waves crashed over the decks. Life hung by a thread. Life could end in the next minute.

In the storms of life, we have moments where we feel that we are drifting aimlessly. Yet the Bible says in Psalm 37:7, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him”. A child of God begins to have peace by trusting Him and waiting for His deliverance. Living by faith is knowing that God will act.

Other ‘storms’ that threaten us come in the form of business failures, a divorce, a wayward child, a cancerous growth or a sudden death. These often strike without warning. All of us will go through storms that strike without warning. The disciples of Jesus were no different.

The disciples expected that, having Christ with them, they would have a smooth ride. But it was quite the opposite in Matthew 8: 23-27:

Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. The disciples went and woke him saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

Christ showed that those who are passing with Him over the ocean of this world to the other side must expect storms in the way.

Christ could have prevented that storm and given them a pleasant journey, but that would not have been so much for His glory and the confirmation of their faith as their deliverance was. Often, if we do not face a storm, we do not realize God’s power in life. The good news is, however furious the storm may be, it will stop eventually.

By God’s mercy, the ship finally arrived safely in Bilbao, southern Spain, but with substantial damage. The awning on the top deck had been ripped apart. However, the ship did not have much money to do an urgent repair. But with Jehovah Jireh, the Lord Who sees to our needs and provides for them – an unexpected blessing came from the Spanish churches.

While David worked as a quartermaster, cleaning the deck, keeping the hull from rusting and steering the ship during departure, he also joined the outreach team to visit churches. Visiting churches of different denominations in various countries broadened David’s perspective of world mission. And that taught him to accept others who hold a different doctrinal stance. That helped him when he later became the Director of Gospel Recordings Singapore where he worked with all the mainline denominations worldwide.

Going to India

A few weeks before the completion of the African mission in October 1977, David began thinking of what to do next – whether to join a new OM ship or return home. But, he was homesick and missed his widowed mother. It was at that time when David was down with flu and had to rest in his cabin when God spoke to him during the quiet moments.

While David was reading a report from OM India, a text box caught his eyes: “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters – yes, even his own life – he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14: 26 & 27)

David felt the Lord was asking him whether he loved the Lord or his family more. He decided to obey the Lord. He changed his mind about going home and joined a team going to India. India?

Well, going to India was actually the last thing on David’s mind. Paul Tan, an ex-OMer shared with David that flies in India came in swarms whenever food is placed on the table; cow droppings were everywhere and public sanitation was non-existent. But still, David chose to obey the Lord and joined the OM India team straightaway.

God had a plan for me in India but I had no idea what it was. Living by faith means moving forward even when we do not know what is ahead. As we move, God will show us what He wants us to do, one step at a time. When He guides, He provides.

In retrospect, though the situation was challenging at times and some crew members were immature, I consider the training on the ship a profitable experience.

OM taught unity in order to focus on world evangelism. As team members, we had to agree to disagree with those who held different doctrinal views, yet without compromising our own stand. We were taught not to wrongly judge people from a different culture.

In ministry, it is not where we like to go, but rather, it is the place where God puts us - and there He can work in us, and through circumstances and people, to make us effective servants.

When God first called David to missions, David thought it was just seminary training. But God sent David to OM and he has no regrets boarding that ship.

God used OM to chip away the corruption in my life. He put me in this ‘steamboat’ to bring out the essence of Christlikeness in me. There is one outstanding feature of those pastors who went to OM training: a spirit of a humble servant.

OM did not give me a diploma, but it gave me something far more important: an education in being a servant. However, in many ways I am still a learner, driving the ‘car’ of my life around with an ‘L’ plate. God is not finished with me yet.

The OM India team travelled from France to India by road. David eagerly looked forward to the trip as the team would have to cross seven countries in order to reach the destination.

The Long Way To India 

The OM India team first gathered together in Vieux, the oldest port in the city of Marseilles. Facing the blue Mediterranean Sea, surrounded by rolling hills in the hinterland and white limestone cliffs, the city is in a picturesque setting. A truck and a van waited for the team outside the port. The men loaded most of their luggage onto the truck; the ladies put theirs in the van. David’s ship director came to pray for them before their departure.

The overland team leader was Gunnar, a Swedish man whose wife was going to western Nepal to work with lepers. The rest of the team consisted of one American, two Canadians, an Irishman, a Malaysian and five Singaporeans.

By air, the journey to India could actually be done within two days. But OM believed in cutting  travel costs so they drove overland. Besides, it was an ingenious form of orientation for the land team. David and other OMers spent five weeks jolting on bumpy roads to India! As reading was difficult during the journey, cassette players were installed for them to listen to taped messages.

Two uneventful weeks passed after they left the ship in Marseilles, during which they passed through Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece and Turkey – where the seven churches in Revelation 2-3 were located. Then they headed towards Iran.

They arrived at the Turkish-Iranian border late at night, but the Iranian border checkpoint had already closed for the night. So, the group stayed overnight in a no man’s land which was foggy, murky and creepy. Before dawn, the drone of prayer coming through the loudspeakers from the nearby mosque roused them from their sleep.

After breakfast, the team waited at the border to enter Iran. There were already trucks, cars and coaches parked along the border. Far away on the horizon, a range of snow-capped mountains stirred David’s imagination. A Middle Eastern truck driver told David that Mount Ararat was in that mountain range. Right in front of David’s eyes, there stood Mount Ararat, where Noah’s Ark lies buried beneath the ice. That scene strengthened David’s faith. It reminded him that the Bible is real because of countless archaeological proofs.

That year was 1977, the beginning of the Islamic revolution led by Ayatollah Khomeini where foreigners were being viewed with increasing suspicion. But David and the team passed through the checkpoint without a hitch and they rejoiced over the smooth clearance. As they were praising God, an official state car suddenly emerged from the side, smashing into the left side of their truck. As the team was already behind schedule, Gunnar offered to compensate the state car driver for the slight damage to his car knowing that he failed to keep a proper lookout. However, the driver rejected his offer angrily and demanded US$600. The team needed cash for fuel and food for the long drive to India, and credit cards were useless in the mountain area and deserts. Gunnar had no choice but to call the police to settle the issue.

Human desperation often provides the opportunity for divine intervention. Like Peter in Acts 12, the team members felt trapped in the bleak situation. Everyone killed time by praying earnestly for divine intervention while waiting for the police to arrive.

The police arrived around sunset. Both parties briefed the police officer on the accident. Usually, as foreigners in a hostile country, the police would most likely side with the driver and force the foreigners to give in to the driver’s demand. But amazingly, the police officer told the team that the other driver was in the wrong and ordered him to leave on the spot! Often, in the absence of problems, we would never know that God can solve all of them; God specializes in impossible situations!

The overland journey was adventurous yet David saw God’s hand upon them. Please join us next week.