TRAINED FOR MINISTRY, SUSTAINED BY GRACE

I praise God for His sustaining grace and faithfulness throughout my journey as a first-year student in Bible School. My first year has come to an end, and God has taught me many lessons in different areas of my life that helped me grow as His servant.

My journey started when God answered my desire and prayer to enter Bible School which led me to Center for Biblical Studies Institute and Seminary (CBSIS). My first-year experience was very different from a normal school. Being far from my home and my family was challenging. The school has a quiet environment where you can mostly hear airplanes passing by, It is also a large place where you can sometimes feel lonely because you see the same people every day—the CBS family. Despite these things, God made my experience full of joy, learning, and correction.

As first-year students, we woke up at 5:30 a.m. every weekday for our personal devotion. This helped us begin each day in the Word of God. After devotion, we had campus work, where we cleaned our assigned areas. Since the school has large facilities, students help maintain them. This was not only for cleanliness but also part of our training for ministry. After that, we had our meals, and students were also responsible for preparing food and cleaning up afterward.

Most of our time was spent studying. During free periods or when we had no classes, we stayed in the library to work on assignments and review our lessons. We also had evening study hours after dinner. In addition, we enjoyed fellowship with one another through dorm devotions, prayer meetings, mentoring, batch fellowships, and joint batch fellowships. Every Friday evening, we also had sports fellowship.

During weekends, we did not have regular classes. On Saturdays, we worked as student laborers by helping clean the school grounds and library, and I was assigned to clean the library. This program helps students like me with our tuition fees, as the school provides assistance in exchange of our labor.

I praise God because He used the library as part of my training and accountability. Through this responsibility, God taught me that ministry is not only about serving in front of many people. It is also about being faithful even when no one is watching. Since I was the only one assigned to work in the library, I arranged books, cleaned shelves, and maintained the area. Through this, God taught me the value of faithfulness in small tasks.

On Sundays, first-year students were given the privilege of serving at Hilltop Life Baptist Church inside the school. We were involved in the choir, outreach ministries, and teaching children in Sunday School. Through these opportunities, God gave me a ministry experience that was very different from my ministry on my home church at Calaca Baptist Church. Since our church in Calaca is still growing, volunteers are usually involved in many ministries.

However, God challenged me during my first year. Instead of being involved in many ministries, I was given only three ministry responsibilities. This tested my heart. I asked myself if I could still do my best for the Lord even with fewer opportunities. At first, I felt sad, and even thought that I was no longer useful in ministry. But as the year continued, God taught me to appreciate and love the ministries He had given me. Instead of focusing on what I did not have, He taught me to grow and be faithful in the specific ministries He entrusted to me.

I thank God because He used those ministries to teach and shape me. Aside from studying subjects such as Theology, Old Testament, New Testament, Hermeneutics, and many others that helped us know God more, we also had special events. Every three months, we celebrated students' birthdays. During some events, God allowed me to continue serving through the worship team and by giving special numbers. We also had weekly chapel services that continually reminded us of God's Word.

All these experiences made my first year an amazing and joyful journey. Many people think that entering Bible School means simply studying the Bible every day. While that is certainly part of it, Bible School is much more than that. God uses many different experiences and responsibilities within the school to show how broad and meaningful ministry really is.

While learning His Word, we are also being trained for the realities of ministry. The goal is not only to know more about God but also to apply His Word in everyday life, even when it is difficult. God taught me how to serve with joy, remain faithful, and continue doing my best for Him.

I am very thankful that God allowed me to enter Bible School and experience things that once seemed impossible in my eyes. Through this journey, He continually proved that I can do nothing without Him.

I am also thankful to the Lord for using Kuala Lumpur Baptist Church to be part of my journey. Through their generous financial support, God has provided for my needs and helped lessen the burden on my family. Their kindness and partnership have been a great blessing, and I am truly grateful for how the Lord has used them to support me as I continue my studies and preparation for ministry.