GROUP MISSION TRIP TO PAITAN, SABAH, MALAYSIA 7TH SEPT TO 14TH SEPT 2013

By Francis Lim and Andrew Ong

Many of us are familiar with the lyrics “That’s how it is with God’s love, once

you experienced it, you want to spread His love to all, you want to pass it on”.

OLSS church parishioner and RCIA sponsor Andrew Ong was deeply touched

and spiritually edified after going on a mission trip with a church group to the

remote communities in Paitan, Sabah Malaysia in March this year. It turned

out to be so spiritually enriching that he felt it would be a great idea to let

others have the opportunity to experience the spreading of the Gospel to the

poor and the disadvantaged. Andrew shared his wonderful experiences with

his brothers and sisters in the various ministries and informed them of his

intention to organize another mission trip to Sabah in September this year. The

aim was to carry out fencing works as well as to conduct some English lessons

for the children as requested by Sister Dorothy, the Franciscan sister in charge

of the kindergartens.

Paitan (B) is approximate 7 hours drive from Kota Kinabalu (A) with stop over at Kota Belud

for lunch and Kota Marudu for procurement of daily groceries.

It did not take long for Andrew to gather a group of about 7 people from the

OLSS, and they were also joined by an experienced missionary volunteer each

from St Anne’s and St Teresa’s church. Apart from the monthly meetings to

discuss logistics and other preparations, the spiritual aspect was not forgotten

as the group participated in a prayer meeting with its Spiritual Director Fr J.J

Fenelon, parish priest of OLSS. The theme chosen was about Election and

Mission, and the group was reminded that it was God who had chosen them

for this particular mission work and sending them on this journey. On the

Sunday before the trip, the group was officially blessed and sent off by the

whole church community during one of the morning masses. For the majority

in the group it was their first mission trip overseas, and they were really

touched and spiritually edified in knowing that they are not alone in this

endeavour.

The OLSS Mission group at St Simon Catholic Church Likas after Sunday morning mass in

Kota Kinabalu before heading out to Paitan – from left: Thomas Lim(St Anne’s); Andrew

Ong(leader-OLSS); Maureen Peck(St Teresa); John Low (OLSS) David Eu (OLSS); Julie Wee

(OLSS); Magaret Tng (OLSS); Rosaline Chia (OLSS) and Francis Lim (OLSS)

The group travelled to Sabah on afternoon of 7th Sept and looked forward to

meeting up with Sister Dorothy of the Congregation of Franciscan Sisters of the

Immaculate Conception or FSIC on the following day. It was some nine years

ago that Sister Dorothy was sent by her Mother General to the remote Paitan

district, an area several times the size of Singapore, and given the challenging

mission of bringing pre-school education to the poor and disadvantaged

children of the Orang Sungai ethnic communities there. These village

communities are largely Catholic and are dispersed widely, some along the

Sungai Paitan and reachable only by boat. Travelling times can be an hour to

two hours depending on the tide and road conditions to far flung villages can

be hazardous. Amenities like running clean water and electricity are non-

existent in many villages and the inhabitants live hand to mouth mainly by

farming the land and working in the oil palm plantations. In spite of the

remoteness, lack of basic amenities and limited resources, Sister Dorothy has

managed to set up a kindergarten in each of the eight villages to date, with an

enrolment of about 170 children of ages 4 to 7 years old. Each kindergarten is

staffed by 2 teachers and has an enrolment of between 22 – 28 children. The

sessions run only on weekdays from 8am till noon and are provided free to the

poor families. The pre-schoolers are taught spelling, numbers and the

alphabet, as well as games, singing and prayers. The kindergarten buildings

are made mostly of local materials and needed regular maintenance like

painting, repairs and fencing. Contribution of materials like stationery, grocery

supplies, books, and clothing and helping to teach and interact with the

children are some of the activities done by previous missionary groups to

Paitan.

Most houses have outdoor water tanks to collect rain water. Julie (front) and Rosaline

helped to collect bucketfuls for bathing. Water has to be rationed when the supply runs low,

especially during the dry season.

It was a seven-hour drive from Kota Kinabalu to the Kg Sulit Mission house in

Paitan, excluding a stopover in Kota Belau for lunch and procuring of supplies,

especially bottled drinking water and toiletries. The Mission house served as a

base camp for us, and it was from here that we set out each morning to the

various kindergartens either by boat or 4-wheel drive. The group quickly

settled into the daily routine of carrying bucketfuls of rain-water from an

outdoor tank for bathing and washing of clothing, as well as taking turns to set

up the table for meals. The program for each day was planned ahead with

Sister Dorothy and we acted according to her wishes as she knew best where

assistance was needed most by which community. The group took it upon

themselves to pray together before setting out each day to do God’s Will.

After bath and dinner, we prayed the rosary, sang hymns and thanked God

for each day completed in His Name. Whenever possible we also had a

reflection session with Sister Dorothy after dinner and learnt more about her

work in improving the quality of life for the villagers in Paitan, her future

plans as well as the various challenges and obstacles she has to deal with.

Team members saying grace before meals in the Sulit Mission house. The food was

adequate and delicious. Morning and Evening prayers were faithfully carried out daily.

It was during one such evening sharing that Sister Dorothy revealed to us her immediate concern of raising funds to send an initial batch of 5 of her kindergarten teachers for a 2 and half-year diploma course in pre-school education, so as to meet the requirements set by the Ministry of Education. Otherwise the Ministry will take over the running of all the 8 kindergartens by 2015 if her teachers are not certified. Post-trip Note: The OLSS Mission group, with the approval of Fr JJ Fenelon, will be setting up fund raising counters during the season of Advent in December to raise funds to help support Sister Dorothy in funding 5 of her teachers for the diploma course. It is our prayer that her mission to continue to provide pre-school education to the disadvantaged children of Paitan will

be sustained. Please contact Francis Lim 96385495 or Andrew 91861205 if you have enquiries about the Mission project.

Cooked meals were simple but adequate, satisfying and delicious – a typical dinner consists

of rice, soup, meats like chicken, an assortment of vegetables and fruits like banana, papaya

or watermelon.

DAY ONE

The group’s first day excursion was to Kg Lubang Buaya, a community located

upriver about 1 and half hours by boat from the Mission house. Our objective

was to carry out fencing works around the perimeter of the Tadika Fajar

Komuniti Lubang Buaya building. The word Tadika means kindergarten in

Bahasa Melayu. The low tide delayed us but after nearly 2 hours, we managed

to make it upriver to the village before noon and carried out the project

without delay. Our role was to assist the two local workmen by the name of

James and John, nicknamed after the two apostles of Jesus. Under the baking

heat and intense mid-day sun the task was completed by late afternoon, and

remarkably by the group of 9 Singaporean missionaries whose ages ranged

from late forties to mid sixties and with a diverse mix of characters! The

teamwork was excellent, as each member did his or her best and co-operated

to finish the job, just as the dark rain clouds threatened as we packed up to

return to the Mission house.

Some of the kindergartens can only be reached by boat along Sungai Paitan – here the team had to

climb down a steep path to get into the waiting boats at Dalamas. The low tides and submerged

rocks can make the journey hazardous along some stretches of the river.

The group with the newly installed fencing at Lubang Buaya. The kindergarten house can be seen in the background to the right.

DAY TWO

The second day excursion was to Kg Dalamas, about an hour’s boat ride from

the Mission house. The kindergarten here is Tadika Pelangi Dalamas and the

ladies of the group introduced the children to the ritual of oral hygiene, with

the aid of toothbrush and toothpaste. It was a small effort to instil in them the

discipline to maintain their teeth, as quite a number showed poor dental

health. We found the children approachable and it helped that many in the

group are parents or grandparents and knew how to reach out to them. We

returned to the Mission house by boat after lunch at Kg Dalamas and had some

time to spare in the afternoon. At Sister Dorothy’s request, we dismantled the

old fencing of the buffalo enclosure and moved this up onto the area next to

the Mission house kindergarten Tadika Harmoni Sulit where a vegetable

garden would be set up later. Half of the group did this project while the rest

engaged the 40 odd or so village children who had gathered in the open field

fronting the Mission house, all eagerly waiting to play games. It was very

encouraging to also see some of the parents of the children present during

such interactions with the mission team members. The lively atmosphere

reminded me of the Sports Day during my childhood school days.

Children living in Kg Sulit where the Mission house is located looked forward to playing games with

the team members each afternoon. Here Maureen joins the kids in a modified version of cricket on

the field in front of the Mission house.

Group members posing with the children from Tadika Pelangi Dalamas after a successful tooth

brushing ritual demonstration.

DAY THREE

The excursions over the next two days were on land, much to the relief of

some of us as we had heard of stories of crocodiles being sighted in the Sungai

Paitan in the past although we did not encounter any on this trip. Nevertheless

we had wanted to visit other sites inland and were delighted when Sister

Dorothy took it upon herself to travel with us in the 4-wheel drive for these

trips. We first visited Tadika Sinar Batangon Barat where there were 2

different classes, and we taught tooth brushing and conducted a short English

lesson on types of transportation using the printed worksheets.

The above picture shows some team members assisting the teacher in an arts and crafts

session for the children at Batangon.

DAY FOUR

The next day we travelled further afield to an oil palm estate where an old

storehouse was given over by the owner for the setting up of the kindergarten

Tadika Sahabat Rakanan. We taught tooth brushing and also distributed used

clothing to the children here. At the break time we also helped to distribute

the meal and drink for the children, which consist of plain fried bee-hoon and

diluted Milo. We were told that the children in this particular district came

from very poor families who eked out a meagre existence as plantation

workers. We also noticed four children who had made the kindergarten their

home after being abandoned by their parents. Our hearts go out to them as

their future is fraught with uncertainty.

Team leader Andrew Ong helping to distribute used clothing to the children at Rakanan.

We next travelled to the 6th and last kindergarten called Tadika Cerdik Tawana

to interact with the children. Much to our delight, the children sang for us in

English and even recited the Lord’s Prayer in Bahasa Melayu. In fact at every

kindergarten, the children sang the songs they had learnt, guided by Sister

Dorothy and the teachers. The Chef amongst us – Maureen, displayed her

talent and prepared a delicious lunch from the assortment of vegetables and

some chicken that we had brought along from base camp. It was a very

satisfying lunch for all of us. We saw that there was a nearly completed chapel

beside this kindergarten. Daily celebration of the mass within the Paitan

district is a rarity, and we learned from Sister Dorothy that the priest usually

visits such remote outposts once or twice a year to celebrate mass and

distribute Holy Communion. It made us feel very privileged to have 2 masses

on weekdays and 5 masses on Sundays in our own OLSS parish!

Nearly completed chapel at Tawana, which will be used for Sunday prayers and scripture

readings since masses are a rarity. The kindergarten is to the far right (yellow building).

Group picture with the children and teachers of Tadika Harmoni Sulit and Sister Dorothy

(partly hidden, 3rd from right). The Mission house is in the background.

On the 6th day morning after breakfast, we packed up and headed back

towards Kota Kinabalu, stopping along the way to visit the St Theresa Catholic

Church in Kota Marudu where the Franciscan sisters ran an orphanage for

children in a sprawling facility behind the church. We also had the opportunity

to do a bit of touring in the city and visited the night market before heading

towards the Pace Bene Retreat Centre for our last night of stay in Sabah. It

was a relief that we need not have to carry buckets of rain-water for our bath

as the centre has modern facilities. The next day, we attended Holy Mass in

the early morning as it was the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. After

breakfast, we visited the old folk’s home situated next to the Pace Bene

Retreat Centre, where some of the team chatted with the residents. Both

facilities are run by the FSIC. We saw some beautiful murals painted on the

walls of the home by the Franciscan sisters.

Team member John Low, a catechumen at OLSS, chatting in dialect with an elderly resident

at the Old Folks’ home.

The group returned home to Singapore in the late afternoon of Sat 14th Sept.

The mission trip was indeed a great success and I am sure everyone will

treasure the wonderful experiences gained. The bonding, co-operation and

fellowship between the members were very evident and that certainly made

the experience spiritually edifying. The oldest member of the group, recently

baptized 65 year-old David Eu, sums up the feelings for many of us when he

wrote in an appreciation to mission group leader Andrew Ong :

“Personally I am very happy that I am part of this mission and as a team from

OLSS, we answered His call. This is my first mission trip and it is really an

experience and an eye opener for me. This mission also helps to enlighten and

enrich my faith. After being a baptized Catholic, I realized that it is so difficult

to be a true disciple of Christ. Nevertheless, I will pray for divine power and

strength to live as Jesus taught.”

John Low, a catechumen with OLSS wrote:

The trip was a tremendous blessing. I felt overwhelmed emotionally,

intellectually and spiritually. I was able to witness the power of God's

amazing grace and love.

There are many references in the Bible regarding helping the poor and Sister

Dorothy is as real as you can get in Matthew 25: 35-37 "For I was hungry and

you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and

you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me,

in prison and you came to see me."

I was also able to see Christ in all of us from diverse background who enjoyed

fellowship with each other, all prayerful, all concerned and reaching out to

the poor children - playing with them, teaching them, serving them, clothing

them, cooking, cleaning, building... Knowing for the fact that we can't fix

poverty in one week, but at least given them hope that they are not

forgotten. Giving of ourselves is not about us. It is about Christ and others.

Thank you Jesus, God is good.

Finally, I'd like to thank each and every one of you for your... leadership,

commitment, dedication to bring joy and hope to the children and

enrichment to my Catholic faith.