A candle radiating light is depicted in the logo of Bethany Home, Malaysia. How apt this logo is for Bethany Home as the staff and residents of this unique place shine the love of Jesus Christ way beyond the boundary of Bethany, past the limits of the town of Teluk Intan where it is situated […]

A candle radiating light is depicted in the logo of Bethany Home, Malaysia. How apt this logo is for Bethany Home as the staff and residents of this unique place shine the love of Jesus Christ way beyond the boundary of Bethany, past the limits of the town of Teluk Intan where it is situated and across the borders of the country of Malaysia into other nations.

The Director of Bethany, Mr Jayasingh Rajiah shared insights into the widening circle of influence of Bethany Home in a recent newsletter.

“Dear Friends,

Greetings from Bethany children, staff and volunteers. All is going well by the grace of God. We have had 5 visitors from China, Henan province. They came from a church and a Special education school in Shangqui. They wanted to learn how they can bring people with disabilities into the mainstream of society. They liked what they saw in Bethany Home…the friends from China were very HUNGRY for knowledge, they asked lots of questions. They were very happy to see our adults working in open employment and taking home an income of about PM 300.00 to PM 600.00 every month. They were also happy to see our children being accepted by the community and the community supporting all our activities like camps, sports, etc.

We in Bethany are very happy that we can be the vessel of God to serve even the children of China… I must share another interesting story about a young man in Bethany, whose name is Parthiban, aged 22. He came to Bethany Home when he was 3 years old and joined our early intervention programme. He was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy. He had spent many years in the physio class as he needed the help of the physiotherapist a lot. He cannot walk independently, he needs supportive equipment (our therapist and volunteers came up with a standing frame) and he does find it difficult to communicate. Now he moves with the standing frame and his tricycle. Early last year he wanted a job so we sent him to our sheltered employment (Lighthouse). The staff there tried many different jobs within the project but nothing suited him well.

This year Mr Parthiban came to see me. During our discussion he said he wants to help his mother who is a single parent. He feels he is the man of the house and must have a job.

What surprised me was his suggestion. Bethany Home needs a “WATCHMAN” he said. I asked him why? He described how children can sometimes walk out of Bethany if they get angry or are not happy with an activity in the classroom. He said that if that happens you (that’s me) will be angry and unhappy with the staff but if we have a watchman (that’s him) we can avoid such problems. Moreover, strangers are also at times walking into Bethany Home. For safety reasons it is good to have someone keep both the eyes watching the school area.

We did think about this job long ago but due to finance and other factors we were not able to proceed. We talked to a friend of Bethany Home…who enlisted the support of others to support Mr Parthiban for his training (as watchman) for the next 2 years.

Now Parthiban has got a “JOB”, we are very proud of him and thank God for these friends.

We believe that when people pray, GOD hears and things change. Please uphold the children, staff volunteers and the work of Bethany Home in your prayers.

God Bless!
Jayasingh Rajiah”

The Lutheran Women of Australia have the privilege to join in the ministry carried out by the staff and volunteers who serve at Bethany Home in the unique ministry of care and support for people whose lives would otherwise be isolated and in the darkness of despair. Through financial support for the program and through prayer, God uses the gifts of love to change lives and bring hope.

If you would like to consider the opportunity to serve as a volunteer in mission, serving in practical ways, teaching English, teaching in the seminaries and institutions of our partner churches, or in local churches, you are invited to phone Nevin on (08) 8267 7300 or email nevin.nitschke@lca.org.au. For more information, go to https://www.lcamission.org.au/join-gods-mission/volunteer/

Read more stories about volunteering at https://www.lcamission.org.au/category/join-gods-mission/volunteers/