God Keeps Our Hope Alive in Him
By Martin Kim
September 7, 2008
The people started trickling in to the Howard Performing Arts Center at half past six in the evening for the ASAP Benefit Concert. As the seats in the auditorium began filling up our hearts were filled with praise and thanksgiving to our Lord who hears and answers prayers.
ASAP’s partnership with Jee began over a year ago when I met him during the Washington Conference campmeeting. During that week at Auburn Academy as I was exhibiting for ASAP, I spent much time praying for laborers. I was trusting the Lord to impress people to come by our exhibit so they could partner with us in bringing hope to those in Southeast Asia. I had also prayed much that God would send us laborers who could serve as ASAP Ambassadors and help spread the word about our ministry. One evening, Jee walked over to our booth and said, "If you are interested, I’d be willing to represent your ministry." I silently thanked the Lord for this incredible answer to prayer. What a tremendous blessing to have this gifted songwriter and pianist who used to work for Yamaha as a concert pianist represent ASAP. Jee shared that after having become a Christian, he wanted to use his talents to serve the Lord.
Back in June of this year the idea of doing a benefit concert came up. We wanted to do something on a large scale that would help get the word out about ASAP and also be a blessing to many. With the support of the Department of World Mission at the Andrews University Theological Seminary, we decided to rent the Howard Performing Arts Center, a fine arts music hall serving the campus of Andrews University and Southwestern Michigan region.
With less than a month to go before the concert, someone had made the comment to me that it would take a miracle to get people out to this concert simply because Jee Wong was unheard of in this area. Yes, a miracle is what we would need! Our ASAP team began looking to the Lord for a miracle and began claiming Luke 5:4 where Jesus said to Simon: "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." We had launched out in faith and rented the music hall, and now we were looking to the Lord to fill the net (HPAC).
Our ASAP team continued to pray as we began advertising this event throughout the Michiana region. In the last week leading up to the concert, we saw the Lord’s hand moving in a powerful way as a number of doors opened up for us to get the word out about this event. On Sabbath morning, on the day of the concert, Jee was able to do special music in three different churches which helped spread the word about the concert.
As the doors opened for the concert, it was amazing to see the people come. The Lord, who had blessed Peter with a large catch of fish, was moving upon hearts and impressing people to come. As we saw how the Lord was working, we anticipated great things for the evening. We were richly blessed not only by Jee’s performance as a pianist and vocalist, but by his testimony which he shared between pieces. Having grown up in Malaysia, Jee knows all about poverty. He knows what it feels like to be hungry and have only hot water to drink to relieve hunger. Along with his testimony, he shared about his visit to Cambodia on the last ASAP mission trip and talked about how he was able to relive some of his childhood experiences. Many hearts were touched as Jee showed pictures from the mission trip which depicted the suffering that many experience in Southeast Asia. It was beautiful to see how Jee collaborated with the singing group Journey and violinist Lucy Lewis which made for a more beautiful concert experience.
Our ASAP team was so blessed to see how the people were so blessed. We were delighted to hear so many positive comments from those who attended. We had prayed that God would bless people spiritually, and that this would be more than just a music concert. The Lord had certainly answered our prayers. One lady shared that she had come to the Howard Performing Arts Center on a number of occasions for various concerts, and never before had she seen this place so full of people. This has been a rich faith building experience for our ASAP team that keeps our hope alive in Him. We are looking forward to launching out and having ASAP Benefit Concerts in many other locations.
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PHOTOS BY RACHAEL BARRERA