Hello friends! In the past few weeks, we have seen how God worked in David’s life. While David received trainings, God did not forget to bless him with a wife. Veronica is indeed the chosen life partner and co-worker who shared David’s dreams and interests. God’s wonderful blessings upon their lives continued with greater and surprising plans as they walked in faith. Today, we pray that you will be blessed as we further share with you how God led David into cassette tape ministry through Gospel Recordings (GR).

David married Veronica immediately after his graduation. His home church was gracious to offer him  pastoral work. Working in church would mean having a secure income. Pioneering a work entirely new to Singapore’s churches was full of uncertainties, particularly in terms of personal income and support for the work. As former members of OM, we both resisted the practice of fund-raising or making our needs known to people – even though this practice in itself is not wrong.

Our OM training imbued in us the habit of trusting God alone to provide for all our needs. This would carry us forward to our years of ministry ahead. Our times in OM gave us many occasions to see how God provided for our needs without us having to broadcast them. We intended to embark upon this journey of faith – an unfamiliar path. Often in our ministry I experience that it is not where I like to be or where I like to go, but it is to follow the direction of God, and to be used by him and like a little boy offered five loaves and two fishes is to let him work through us to reach out to the many people.

Veronica and I attended a recording training course. Our vision was just for a small ministry but God’s providence caused the unimagined to happen, in order that we might “declare his glory among the nations” (Psalm 96: 3).

One day during their training, a letter from Larry Allmon, the general director of GR USA, came inviting a Singaporean to be trained as an engineer in Los Angeles. David wanted to go and he discussed this with Veronica. When they were having their family devotion that night, they read Genesis 12: 1, “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you’.” The Lord was confirming for them to go for training.

Interestingly, many times in ourministry, when we decided where to go, somewhere for ministry, the same verse Genesis 12: 1 would repeatedly appear as a confirmation for our move to go forward.

When David got his visa to enter the United States, his savings had been depleted and he could only afford one ticket. Veronica decided that David should go alone. Although they prayed for more money, God did not supply. They knew perhaps God had a reason. Yes! God indeed had a good reason – Veronica was pregnant. Nonetheless, they learned that a life of faith also means accepting what God has given and what He withholds.

David left for the US in June 1982 with both gladness and sadness. He was glad to have the opportunity to visit the HQ of GR but he was heartbroken to leave Veronica and Melody with a one-way ticket. He was not sure how long he would stay in LA for his training.

The long haul flight took more than 20 hours to reach the destination. By then, David kind of lost his sense of time. He wondered who from GR would pick him up at the airport. Then, David saw a middle-aged man holding a placard with his name written on it. Larry Allmon went to meet David at the LA airport personally.

David met Allan Starling, the Field Director who was responsible for overseas staff, in GR office. A gigantic map of the world adorned one wall with several clocks hanging upon the wall indicating the different time zones. When David saw the map, he told Allan that he saw Singapore as a hub reaching out to other surrounding Asian countries. Allan was impressed with his vision.

The GR staff members, to David, were generally conservative in behaviour and fundamental in beliefs. Many puzzled what this Chinese Singaporean was doing in the office. But they later warmed up to him when David shared with them his work with OM in India, using the CardTalk players and his acquaintance with Calvin Lucas in GRA.

Just as how a tailor needs to master measuring, cutting and sewing to run his business, Larry wanted David to have a thorough knowledge of the entire GR operation. David was therefore assigned to work in different departments: orders, shipping, tape duplication, pressing records etc.

One day, Ed Young, a fellow missionary, took David for a mission exhibition at the Bible Institute of Los Angeles. Interested students gathered around the GR display table and David observed how Ed answered their questions about GR. Ed later told David about the history, vision and the work of GR worldwide. It was not just about some facts about an organisation; it was about God working through a mission agency dedicated to reaching the illiterate people around the world.

“You can actually join GR.” Ed encouraged David to apply for staff membership one day. How could that be? I wondered. Its policy was to pray that God would send his servant to the great harvest. One reason for this was that recruitment could possibly invite the wrong people into an organisation, while prayer would ensure that God would  identify and send the right person to join gospel recordings. Wouldn’t it be wonderful  to join GR rather than start something new?

I had planned only to be trained to set up a recording ministry myself, not join GR. But God had a bigger plan than my puny vision. I never imagined that I would start a GR base in Singapore, let alone join GR USA as a staff member.

Many of GR’s team members were aware of David’s interest in joining them. Larry welcomed him to apply for membership. Since David was set to be a member, Larry felt David needed to learn something vital from two GR pioneers – Ann Sherwood and Doris Gibson. Ann was a traveling companion of GR founder, Joy Ridderhof. She recorded Scripture lessons in hundreds of languages all over the world. Her niece, Doris, worked at GR studio for a long time. They tested his skills on recording and found them to be very satisfactory.

During the few days, the two seniors related to David many testimonies of God’s answered prayers for their lives and provision for GR. David also shared his testimonies with them. David said that although meeting them for the first time, the sharing on God’s common provision somehow bonded the three of them. These two seniors later became his close friends.

The factor that drew me to join GR was the Faith Principle – trusting God alone to provide for our needs and not making our needs be known publicly. Most organisations either get staff to raise their own support or pay them a salary. Veronica and I were fully convinced that depending on God to provide for our needs was the best way to embark on a ministry.

I reasoned that if God had called us to a ministry, He would definitely provide for us. I had worked for a human boss; he reliably paid my monthly salary. Should I expect less from a faithful God, who is the Possessor of Heaven and Earth? If I cannot trust Jesus, the Man who died for me, then who can I trust? Like the great missionary to China, Hudson Taylor once said, “Doing God’s work in God’s way will not lack God’s supply.”

I also learnt from George Mueller that it is unwise to put our trust in people for three reasons: first, they die; second, they can change their level of support; and third, they may want to support our ministry, but they may not have the means to do so I add a final reason, if you are not be holden to them or offend them, they may withdraw their support.

GR Launched in Singapore

David spent six weeks in the GR office in LA. Larry and the team accepted him as a member and welcomed him in joining GR officially.

Larry discussed with David the registration for GR Singapore, renting an office and acquiring all the cassette masters of recorded languages in Singapore. David told Larry that if GR USA trusted God to provide for their operations, he wanted to trust God for the same. As the Singapore office belonged to GR USA, they paid the office rent whereas for the other operation expenses, David had to trust God to take care of them.

David ordered recordings of languages and dialects spoken in Singapore and the surrounding countries and national languages of each country throughout the world. He anticipated that they would be useful for the new base.

David flew home in early July. And he wept with joy to see his darling at the airport.

But the process of filing the relevant documents in the Registry of Companies had some problems. By the time the approval was granted, it was already 14 January 1983. Then, invitations started to reach David to present GR in churches and meetings. The ministry had expanded far beyond his vision to do a recording in India. God had a broader vision for GR to go into the region beyond Singapore.

Today, after more than three decades, thousands and thousands of records, tapes and CDs have been distributed all over the world. We have distributed recordings in Canada, Malaysia and Vietnam and set up a full-fledged office in the Philippines. Since 2009, GR has sent CDs in Arabic and other languages into the Middle East; and we are seeing the first fruits of that sowing now. I can see the hand of God’s providence in all these events. Nothing happens by chance.

Education and Mentors – for Free

David longed to further his theological education at a seminary, not for the degree but for personal enrichment and growth. He believed that once a Christian stop learning, the person is will become spiritually and intellectually stunted. In his case, his work and family commitments made learning very difficult. However, God had a remarkable way of meeting David’s desire - God provided him with a mentor to guide him in his informal learning.

David met Dr. Simon Chan, a lecturer from when he studied in the Bible Institute of Singapore. Perhaps his stern demeanour and demands as a teacher deterred David from becoming friends with him, they only became friends after his graduation. David invited Simon to be an advisor for GR for he had seen many pastors and leaders of organisations fall into temptation and ruin their ministries. Also, because Proverbs 15:12 says, “Plans fail for lack of counsel but with many advisers they succeed.” David also asked Simon to be his mentor. Simon did not accept that initially because he felt the role was very serious. Later, because he wanted to help David grow, he accepted his appeal.

At the beginning, David’s intention was to inform him about his activities and ministry and to consult him for the decisions that he made for GR. However, David ended up studying under him in an informal setting.

They meet on Saturdays for breakfast (even until today) and discuss church and theological issues and they talk about mundane matters. Often, David jots down in a notebook whatever he learnt from Simon.

I never expected that this regular breakfast interaction and discourse, spanning more than two decades could actually be a means of gaining a sound theological education! He has trained me to be systematic, scrupulous and sharp in my own studies, and to try to see issues objectively from various angles. That enabled me to fellowship unreservedly with pastors from different denominations, some of which are based on embedded theology.

God’s leading and blessings … are awesome and beyond expectation. Indeed, He is trustworthy to be praised! Do join us next week again for even more exciting sharing of David’s story.