NEWSLETTERS

MAY 2023 (1)

Thank You, Sabah!

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When HCBN Indonesia started satellite broadcasting, we knew it was only a matter of time that our satellite signal would be received by those in our neighboring countries, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, southern parts of the Philippines even Thailand. But we knew the chances to have anyone responding outside Indonesia were small. Philippines and Thailand do not share dialects or languages with us, while Malaysians and Bruneians who speak some Bahasa Indonesia could never watch our television since the satellite dish is illegal to have due to Sharia Laws: The governments do not allow their citizens to watch foreign and uncensored programs.

Over the past 12 years we broadcast, we praise the Lord for viewers in Sabah and Sarawak (Malaysia’s states). Regardless of their strict broadcast rules, somehow they manage to catch our signal, and some also watch via HCBN Indonesia’s youtube. They enjoy our programs because Sabah and Sarawak share not only borders with Indonesia, on our island of Kalimantan, but also a strong resemblence with our language, Bahasa Indonesia. More so than the rest of Malaysia.

Sabah and Sarawak states have greater numbers of christians compared to Malaysia’s peninsula, from which Indonesia is separated by a strait. We had been waiting for a chance to visit Sabah and Sarawak for many years, and finally got an invitation to conduct a week of revival in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah’s capital. Despite the tight schedule we have the first part of this year, we could not miss it!

We spent the last week of April with brethren in Malaysia’s largest SDA congregation, Likas SDA church. It did not take long for us to get acquainted with them, as they are very hospitable. We enjoyed their foods and cultures, and we had much fun exchanging words that would mean differently in each other’s languages. We were surprised that we did not have to adjust our language at all during the talks for them to fully understand us. Well, we did, but not much at all! But the bible, Spirit of Prophecy books, hymals, are all in the same language we use, and being in their church felt like we never left our own country. And certainly the meetings were spiritually uplifting, and it ended well as we were all blessed! We could count the total of about fourteen hours broken into ten sessions, and we wish there would have been more.

The best part of our visit is that we met so many people who had been following HCBN Indonesia’s journey, and knowing that we share the same faith, the same mission, the same burden to share Christ’s message. Some started watching our programs recently, some even from the beginning. Those who follow HCBN Indonesia’s progress closely do not need to be reminded that our television is a simple channel that needs a lot of improvements, but God is using His instruments mightily right where we are. Everyone there in Sabah is invited to participate in producing shows, music, children programs and various other talks. So are you! God bless you.