You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:11)
It was a great calling.
Christian Daily reported that an overseas Chinese missionary couple to Madagascar died of COVID-19. Pastors from the couple’s Basel Mission wrote memorial articles and called on believers to pray for the families of the dead. The two missionaries from Sabah, Malaysia were Liao Yuyuan and Chen Ciyun. They were sent to Madagascar by the Malaysian Christian Basel Mission. They died of COVID on July 14 and August 5. Huang Zhongliang, president of the Mission, expressed his sadness and condolences to the families and their church in Madagascar while appealing to believers to pray for their families. Huang believes that life lies in Christ and the coming Kingdom of God.
Huang told the press that the couple had planned to return to Malaysia, but their flights were canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak. Chen died of infection on July 14. Her husband Liao felt unwell and was hospitalized two days after the funeral. The home church was expecting him to take the earliest flight home immediately after his hospital discharge, but unfortunately, they received the news that the missionary had died in the hospital at 4 a.m. The couple had built the only overseas Chinese church in Madagascar.
The couple also established the Capital Happy Families Service Centre, which provided pastoral care to local Chinese families, and they built up a children's care centre for immigrant children to learn Chinese and had an extended children's ministry. Liao and his wife travelled all the way across the ocean, leaving their families and careers behind, to live in a place where the customs are very different, in response to God's calling.
In 2004, the Liaos participated in a short-term mission to Madagascar which was organized by the Hong Kong Mission. They saw the capital was full of Chinese but there was no Chinese church. After careful consideration, the couple volunteered to plant a Chinese church in the capital. They spent two or three years to buy land and personally supervised the building of a church. The Capital Chinese Christian Church was built.
Located in the southwestern Indian Ocean, Madagascar is the largest island in Africa. According to 2017 statistics, Madagascar's population is more than 25.61 million, composed of 18 tribes of which Magas account for more than 98% of the total population. The Chinese population is about 60,000. The Chinese who were locally born and have lived there for over 20 years are about 9,000. The capital, Antananarivo, is a major gathering place for Chinese.
In the calling, we move forward.
The news of the couple’s death has brought reflections from many Christians. We were moved and shocked by their deeds. There has been a lack of the overseas Chinese churches. Even very few people pay attention to overseas Chinese, but we still feel that this dark world has the light of God shining in it. He sent his children to places to build churches and to bring blessings and grace to the people who live there.
Even though the two preachers were a married couple and were colleagues, they had different identities. What we can see in them is not a great point of light, but the glorious deeds of God's humble servants, and we are deeply sorry for the loss. Meanwhile, we are encouraged to dedicate and make effort for the Chinese Church because the Church is God's, not anyone’s. Every child of God should assume the responsibility of reviving the Church and see that more souls need the truth because only the gospel brings the power and hope of life.
We do not complain to God for some unfairness nor do we question why this happened to missionaries. Rather, what we have is the confirmed faith in our hearts and faithful commitments. In any environment, we don't know how many years we can live, but we know that the time we have to glorify God is limited. As a scholar once said: it doesn’t matter how long one lives, it is what is done for God that is important.
We are moved by their responsibility and loyalty to the call and their response to God was not just lip service but a true testimony to their faithful life. This leads us to think about Christian faith, whether our hearts are ready and whether we are ready to bear the cost for God's ministry when faced with the call, when we are about to embark on a mission and do not know the way forward.
When we live in the present and stand in the duty of service, we should always be aware of our call and our priorities, and work under God's leadership. Although we will encounter suffering or even death, we shall never be afraid because God is with us, and His path and thoughts are always higher than ours.
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. (John 12:24)
- Translated by Charlie Li
一粒麦子：献身华人教会的马达加斯加宣教士因新冠逝世
引言：你必将生命的道路指示我。在你面前有满足的喜乐，在你右手中有永远的福乐。 ——诗16:11
一，献身的宣教士——呼召如此崇高
据基督日报报道，因新冠肺炎，一对在马达加斯加宣教华人夫妇受感染相继去世，其差会牧者发悼文惋惜失去好牧人，呼吁信徒为死者家人祈祷。马来西亚基督教巴色会派遣到马达加斯加宣教的两名沙巴宣教士夫妇廖育源和陈慈云，分别于7月14日及8月5日相继因感染新冠肺炎病逝。巴色会会督黄忠良对此表示伤心，相信生命在于基督神的国必再降临，并向他们的家人及马达加斯加的教会表示哀悼，同时呼吁信徒为其家人祈祷。
黄忠良透露，原本计划安排他俩回国，但受疫情影响航班停飞，陈慈云遂染病于7月14日病逝，丈夫廖育源丧礼后两天感到不适入院就医，教会打算待他出院后马上乘最早一班机回国，却不幸传来廖育源早上4时许在医院病逝消息。这对夫妇廖育源和陈慈云在马达加斯加建立唯一华人教会，钟希明在马来西亚基督教报章《文桥》发文悼念，形容失去好牧人。
他们亦成立京城幸福家庭服务中心，牧养当地华人家庭，开办托儿中心，让土生土长的孩子学习中文，延伸儿童事工。廖育源夫妇漂洋过海，放下家人与事业，远至风土民情完全相异的非洲，只为响应上帝的呼召。
廖陈夫妇2004年参加香港宣道差会举办的短宣队，在马达加斯加眼见首都到处是华人，却没有一间华人基督教会，经慎重考虑夫妇自荐上工场，在当地开荒建立华人基督教会，花两三年时间购地亲自督工至建堂，成立京城华人基督教会。马达加斯加位于印度洋西南部，是非洲第一大岛。据2017年统计马达加斯加人口超过 2,561万，由18个部族组成，马加士人占总人口98%以上，华人约有 6万，老侨（在当地出生的华人）约9,000人，居住超过二十年。首都塔那那利佛是华人主要聚集地。
二，当下的我们——呼召中前行
这则新闻的发布引起来诸多基督徒的思考，从这两位宣教士的事迹，我们为之感动，为之震撼，海外的华人教会一直是缺乏的，甚至很少人去关注这一部分人群，但我们依然感受到这黑暗的世界有神的光在照耀，祂差派祂的儿女所到之地，开展建造教会，并且给那地的人带来祝福和恩典。
这两位宣教士也有着不一样的身份，他们不仅仅是同工更是夫妻，他们是一个家庭。在他们身上看到不是伟大的光点，所看到的是神卑微的仆人为神发光的事迹，对于两位的离世，我们内心感到惋惜，与此同时也激励这我们为华人教会的奉献和付出，因为教会是神的，不是哪一个人的，每个神的儿女都应该承担起复兴教会的责任，并且看到更多的灵魂需要真理的福音，因为唯有福音才可以带来生命的力量和指望。
我们并没有抱怨神的不公，也没有质疑为什么会发生这件事在宣教事身上，有的是我们心里对于信仰的坚定，对于信仰的矢志不移。在任何环境中，我们都不知道生命还有多少的年限，但知道的是我们一生荣耀神的时间是有限的。就如一位学者曾谈到：人的一生不在乎活多久，而在乎一生当中有多少时间是为神而做的。
这两位宣教士之所以打动我们是因为他们对于呼召的负责与忠贞，他们回应神不是口头的保证，乃是切实的代价成为生命的见证。这引发我们对于信仰的思考，当面对呼召时、当即将踏入使命而不知前路的危机时，我们的心是否已经预备好，是否准备为神献身付上代价。
当我们活在当下，站在侍奉的岗位时，我们也应时刻清楚自己的呼召和本位，为着神的带领而努力，虽然会遭遇患难甚至死亡，但我们总不要惧怕，因为神与我们同在，祂的道路和意念永远高过我们。
三，总结
我实实在在地告诉你们：一粒麦子不落在地里死了，仍旧是一粒；若是死了，就结出许多子粒来。（约12:24）
You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. (Psalm 16:11)
It was a great calling.
Christian Daily reported that an overseas Chinese missionary couple to Madagascar died of COVID-19. Pastors from the couple’s Basel Mission wrote memorial articles and called on believers to pray for the families of the dead. The two missionaries from Sabah, Malaysia were Liao Yuyuan and Chen Ciyun. They were sent to Madagascar by the Malaysian Christian Basel Mission. They died of COVID on July 14 and August 5. Huang Zhongliang, president of the Mission, expressed his sadness and condolences to the families and their church in Madagascar while appealing to believers to pray for their families. Huang believes that life lies in Christ and the coming Kingdom of God.
Huang told the press that the couple had planned to return to Malaysia, but their flights were canceled due to the coronavirus outbreak. Chen died of infection on July 14. Her husband Liao felt unwell and was hospitalized two days after the funeral. The home church was expecting him to take the earliest flight home immediately after his hospital discharge, but unfortunately, they received the news that the missionary had died in the hospital at 4 a.m. The couple had built the only overseas Chinese church in Madagascar.
The couple also established the Capital Happy Families Service Centre, which provided pastoral care to local Chinese families, and they built up a children's care centre for immigrant children to learn Chinese and had an extended children's ministry. Liao and his wife travelled all the way across the ocean, leaving their families and careers behind, to live in a place where the customs are very different, in response to God's calling.
In 2004, the Liaos participated in a short-term mission to Madagascar which was organized by the Hong Kong Mission. They saw the capital was full of Chinese but there was no Chinese church. After careful consideration, the couple volunteered to plant a Chinese church in the capital. They spent two or three years to buy land and personally supervised the building of a church. The Capital Chinese Christian Church was built.
Located in the southwestern Indian Ocean, Madagascar is the largest island in Africa. According to 2017 statistics, Madagascar's population is more than 25.61 million, composed of 18 tribes of which Magas account for more than 98% of the total population. The Chinese population is about 60,000. The Chinese who were locally born and have lived there for over 20 years are about 9,000. The capital, Antananarivo, is a major gathering place for Chinese.
In the calling, we move forward.
The news of the couple’s death has brought reflections from many Christians. We were moved and shocked by their deeds. There has been a lack of the overseas Chinese churches. Even very few people pay attention to overseas Chinese, but we still feel that this dark world has the light of God shining in it. He sent his children to places to build churches and to bring blessings and grace to the people who live there.
Even though the two preachers were a married couple and were colleagues, they had different identities. What we can see in them is not a great point of light, but the glorious deeds of God's humble servants, and we are deeply sorry for the loss. Meanwhile, we are encouraged to dedicate and make effort for the Chinese Church because the Church is God's, not anyone’s. Every child of God should assume the responsibility of reviving the Church and see that more souls need the truth because only the gospel brings the power and hope of life.
We do not complain to God for some unfairness nor do we question why this happened to missionaries. Rather, what we have is the confirmed faith in our hearts and faithful commitments. In any environment, we don't know how many years we can live, but we know that the time we have to glorify God is limited. As a scholar once said: it doesn’t matter how long one lives, it is what is done for God that is important.
We are moved by their responsibility and loyalty to the call and their response to God was not just lip service but a true testimony to their faithful life. This leads us to think about Christian faith, whether our hearts are ready and whether we are ready to bear the cost for God's ministry when faced with the call, when we are about to embark on a mission and do not know the way forward.
When we live in the present and stand in the duty of service, we should always be aware of our call and our priorities, and work under God's leadership. Although we will encounter suffering or even death, we shall never be afraid because God is with us, and His path and thoughts are always higher than ours.
Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. (John 12:24)
- Translated by Charlie Li
A Kernel of Wheat: Malaysian Missionary Couple Dedicated to Madagascar Die of COVID-19
