Timely Rain

Chen-Li Presbyterian Church JB in JB, Johor, has been promoting community care ministry for many years. Therefore, they know 7979 Holistic Care Relief Network (” 7979 “for short) does provide holistic care assistance and community services to the community. In order to provide more opportunities for members to get involved in community care, Chen-Li Presbyterian Church JB
 set up HISTEAM 7979 Care Station, hoping to reach out to the residents of the community and help those in need through the 7979 Family Crisis Assistance Program. The church also gets to know and befriend the parents of the students in the Companionship Class through the 7979 Companionship Class Programme for under privilege children.
 
7979 services programmes not only serve as a bridge between Chen-Li Presbyterian Church JB and the community, but also brings timely rain and relief to families in crisis. Lillian (pseudonym) is a beneficiary of this timely rain and relief. Lillian is a single mother who had single-handedly raised her son, Xiao Zhang (pseudonym). Later, because of an accident, Xiao Zhang became paralyzed and bedridden. From then on, Lilian fell deep into pit of poverty due to their huge living expenses.
 
During the day, Lillian would ride her motorcycle to work at the factory near her house, and take care of her son after work. The days went by very quickly, she swallowed down all the bitterness of life. Xiao Zhang was aware of his mother’s difficulties, but there was nothing he could do. The interaction between mother and son was paradoxical and they often quarrelled. When Lillian toiled all day to make a living, one day she heard the news that the factory was about to move. The news which came out of the blue made her panicked — she couldn’t afford to lose her sole source of income. She desperately needed to find work that was flexible, close to home and accessible only by motorbike. Her neighbour, who is in contact with Chen-Li Presbyterian Church JB, knew that the church might be able to help with the crisis and suggested that Lillian sought help from the church. When the church learned of the family’s plight, they appointed Xiao Ting, a volunteer, to care for them.
 
The church initially provided a relief aid for Lillian’s family, knowing that she would lose her job soon, they helped her to apply for 7979 Crisis Intervention Fund. Initially, Lillian who being an understanding person refused to accept the fund for the said reason she told the church, “I am still working and the company has not move yet. So, you don’t have to apply for me.” She said there may be others who need the money more than she does. Later on, with the continuous help of the church, she became depended on the Crisis Intervention Fund to ease the “pressing needs” in her life and her life indeed became more relaxed.
 
In fact, Lillian never applied for assistance from other organizations or seek help from other channels, including her own family; She accepted only the Crisis Intervention Fund which the church had applied for her, because she didn’t know how to apply for aid, and her busy life had kept her from looking for other resources. She said that in the process of the church assisting her, she felt respected. Besides, the situation was complicated because her son was chronically ill, and there were very few agencies around which were willing to help them.
 
The church’s little act of applying Crisis Intervention Fund for Lillian became a contact point for both parties. The church would visit Lillian every week or two and also looked out for suitable jobs for Lillian. The relationship between mother and son has improved with the intervention of the church. Xiao Zhang was led by the church to believe in Jesus Christ and he in turn encouraged his mother to believe in Jesus too. Now, Xiao Ting and Lillian have become good friends.

Perhaps a rain, cannot moisten every earth;
But a rain, can put out a fire in time;
This is the vision of a timely rain and relief, Crisis Intervention Fund.