I just want to praise and thank God for His mercy, His grace and His constant love.

Twenty five years ago John and I got married and I had to move to Lumut Perak as my husband was based in the then the new Royal Malaysian Naval base. Being a young bride, I did not have any friends or family to confide in. I could not cope with this new way of life. Soon my marriage began to turn sour I could not manage the challenges of being a working mother and a devoted wife. In my loneliness I did not know who to turn to so I turn to my Blessed Mother. I said many Rosaries and finally one day My Blessed Mother answered my prayers. I picked up a book on Mary and in that book the message was so clear, “ go to my son- repent, forgive all those who have hurt you and pray”.

Being a sailor, my husband was nearly always never at home. I had to cope with being a mother and a father to my children. My working life was also hectic as I had to drive to Sitiawan. I loved the church and was introduced to the prayer group in St. Francis de Sales. My two children went with me, while John socialised at the Sailors club. I wanted the family to be involved with the prayer group.

By God's grace my husband followed me to our first Rally in Penang conducted by Fr Gino. There I experienced healing and the grace to forgive. I knew then that my marriage was suffering because of the unforgiveness in my life. Then we attended our first LSS in KL at St. Ignatius, my husband was touched. We had a deep experience of God's love and wanted to spread it to everyone. Together with our 2 children we started serving God in the Music Ministry and we attended many LSS in and around Perak.

When I discovered that I was expecting my third child, I was confused. I did not know what God had planned. I wanted to serve God and to me I thought a baby would prevent me from doing God's work. we struggled BUT continued doing God's work with all three children.

16 years later tonight, I marvel at God's plans. My third child Kelvin plays the guitar and sings praises to God with the youth team participating in this rally. Kelvin , John and I are all here to praise the Lord. We are fully involved with the Malacca Johore DST Music Ministry.

Also what blessing from God as we renewed our wedding vows after 25 years of marriage. It brought back many memories of our struggles in our marriage and how my God never abandoned us as He turned all our sorrows and pain into joy.

Mrs. Tina De Souza (Johor Bahru)

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I was attached to the Malaysian Navy and had been sent to Australia for training . When I returned in 1978 I was first introduced to Tina….. by her relation Anthony. At that point I was not ready for a relationship. It was in 1980 when I was posted to Lumut and she was posted in Muar Johor that we began to build a relationship. I spent all my off days and leave travelling down south to be with her. In 1982 we got married.

Being in the navy I spent a lot of time travelling and left my wife to fend for herself and the children. On my return to shore much of my time was spent socialising at the sailors club. I did not consider at that time, the loneliness my wife went through as a sailor's wife, the responsibilities of taking care of the children and the fact that she did not have anyone to turn to as all her family members lived in Johor.

During this period my wife was involved in the Prayer group at St. Francis Xavier's church in Sitiawan. Through her involvement in the prayer group, I was first exposed to the Charismatic Renewal when I attended the 1 st National Youth Convention in 1985 held in Penang . The following year the leader of the Prayer group sent my wife and me along with some new participants in the prayer group to attend a weekend L.S.S at St. Ignatius P.J. It was at this L.S.S that I experienced God to be real. A special word of thanks and appreciation to Mr. DMC Raj, the prayer group leader. It was his persistence and love shown to my family and me that slowly led me from the back seat to full participation in the Prayer Group. Being a guitarist I decided to join the Prayer group Music ministry after my L.S.S experience. Both my wife and I served in the music ministry. With other guitarists and friends we came to practice and pray together. This initial bond built in the Music Ministry is still felt. 2 musicians from the St. Francis Xavier's prayer group were a part of the Music Ministry during the Melaka Johor Rally.

I have come to realise that it is only God who is the source of all LOVE and HEALING, as I experienced healing and restoration in our relationship as a family. My daughter Desiree now in Assunta hospital studying to be a nurse played and sang together with the team when we were co-opted into the Melaka Johor DST. She still carries her gospel CDs together with modern music. Gospel music has captured her heart too. She was with us for the first 2 years of our journey with the DST Music Ministry. Kelvin my son joined us this year. He is involved with the Sacred Heart youth musicians in Johor Baru, the St Louis Kluang youth and Skudai BEC youth.

It was my first Prayer Group that helped me walk my faith in action . They showed love and patience towards Tina and me . In gratitude to God, i t is now our desire to lead others to worship God through music wherever He leads us.

John De Souza (Johor Bahru)

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 Seek Him, his Kingdom and his Righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well (Mt 6: 33)

I was born into a Buddhist family and sought for the higher plane of Peace in Spiritual needs. Asking for all that one who Lost would like to find. I studied in a school run by Missionaries in the seventies where the teachings of Christ were introduced to me. I was too young to understand the teachings or the plans God had for me.

I married a Catholic lady in my 30's, with an understanding that my wife would have a freedom of choice in practicing her faith. She could also decide on the religion the children would follow. We did not practice any religion but just love and acceptance of each other. My wife was a non practicing Catholic. Respecting her decision the children were enrolled for catechism. Eventually my wife got herself involved in the BEC in the area where we lived. It was a group of 20 families or so. I was happy to see, that she decided to mix with a Catholic BEC group. I kept myself away because I was shy person and didn't like to be in crowds.

I watched the group silently and saw that they were concern for all their members. My wife being a foreigner was made to feel at home and she started to become an active Catholic. Somewhere in 2002 a L.S.S (life in the spirit seminar) was scheduled in Kluang. My wife and I were invited to enroll and we did. It was a three day seminar with lots of Praise and Worship. Something I found very comfortable with. During the seminar Healing and Conversion took place. I was touched and started to weep realising that I was looking at all the wrong places for Comfort and Peace all these years. It was this person Jesus Christ, who was introduced to me in my younger days who was the source of Comfort and Peace. I surrendered my life to the Lord for His Will to be done onto me. I took a serious turn in my life. I got our marriage reconciled in church and was baptised and confirmed. My children were all baptised and attend catechism. My family I have become involved in the BEC.

Mother Mary has also been instrument in my conversion through her intercession for my family and me. As the month of the Rosary started in our home. I built a beautiful alter in my hall and the statue of mother Mary stands tall in the centre. As God started to unfold His Plan for me through some of the members we were involved with. My wife and I continued attending other Seminars, such as a healing seminar by Fr. Mc Manus and the Parish Renewal Experience 1 by Fr.Huang. I found the strength to read the bible during our monthly meetings and on days we prayed the Rosary at our BEC. I began to see Gods love and blessings for my family. I looked forward to our BEC meetings and DST music ministry meeting. As God also had planned for me to be Part of the music ministry at MJDCCR Rally. This gave me the chance to give Praise and Worship to the Lord, God Almighty for all that he has done for me and my Family. As it has been written in the prophetic books: ‘ They shall all be taught by God .' ‘So whoever listens and learns from the Father comes to me.' (John 6: 45) I Praise and Thank the LORD for He has shown His favor to me and all that I do. God has promised that “ he who began the good work in you will carry it on to completion” . I know my journey to a new life has begun and it involves believing (through worship), belonging (through fellowship), and becoming (through discipleship). This Journey will last a lifetime. Our lives are gradually becoming brighter and more beautiful as God enters our lives and we become like him. “ While we worry about how fast we grow, God is concern about how strong we grow.”

Adman

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Brother and sisters I want to testify to these. He heard my needs and has not despised me I want to praise and thank him. I come from the Philippines a Catholic Country. When I first came to Malaysia I felt lost and my faith began to diminish. I married a Buddhist and my faith slid down even more. I did not go to church but said my family prayers or Rosary and followed no other Catholic tradition. For 17 years I had not gone home and I was really lost. 14 years ago I moved from Seremban to JB. I picked myself up and I found my church, the “ Church of Immaculate Conception ” in JB. Next the BEC, then the Life in the Spirit Seminar in Sacred Heart JB and finally St. Louis Kluang.

From then on we got our marriage reconciled by Father Jojo in Skudai Catholic Center . My children baptised and my God also touched my husband who is now Baptised , Confirmed and serving in the Music Ministry. Our family today are all Catholics. My silent prayers were answered. My God has not despised me. YES my brothers and sisters our God is a wonderful God. He never forsakes us.

Lisa

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 To Simon, Joy/Helena, Sr. Margaret not forgetting Mgsr. Sebastian and the other team members, it was a great challenge to organise a rally this size in the 1st attempt in Johor-Melaka Diocese. As a Malaysian and one whose hometown is Kluang, I am truly grateful to God to see so many from the parish especially from the Youth team who were there!! It was a great joy to personally see and hear that so many travelled all the way from Penang and KL too.

Indeed, frankly I was never an active member (or a member in the 1st place!) of the Charismatic Movement anywhere. But one retreat in Divine in 1998 changed my whole life...and I never expected to be asked to serve in Divine many years later in 2004 and leaving a very comfortable life in Singapore ...but it happened! So from personal experience, God calls the most unexpected and the least worthy to step up and to serve him. And God has called each and every one of us!!

I hope to see many more Malaysians making a retreat in Divine...to help oneself experience a true conversion of the heart and to make a difference in your parishes, home and workplaces and to the world......God needs each of you wherever He has called you to be His disciples! So many people have stopped me to ask about coming to make a retreat in Divine, I felt like the PR person for Divine on this trip home! What I really found was that those who were willing and ready to open their hearts and minds to God, had a 'great awakening' and there were those still too caught up with worldly matters who did not experience the blessings in this Rally. The parable of the Sower became real to me after listening to so many people.

But don't wait for a retreat in Divine!!!! As what Fr. Rufus, Fr. Augustine, Jude and Mgsr Sebastian have emphasised. We need to live and know God's Word. For a start, it is great boost to our daily Christian lives to help celebrate daily mass, to have at least 1 hour of personal prayer time daily and to read the Word of God. God will definitely speak to us if we give Him the time!

Speaking from personal experience, there will often be times answering God's Call is the most painful and challenging decision one has to make . It is never always a GREAT or HAPPY or JOYFUL feeling. Many a time, for me, it has been to forgo my personal will and to listen to God's gentle voice and His Will for me....to just persevere even when I have no clue what lies ahead for me. For someone who is a meticulous planner, this creates much anxiety - and yet suddenly, unexpectedly God ALWAYS assures me and He reaffirms His Call to me.

At this Rally in Majodi, this is exactly what God did for me - and I praise God for bringing me back to Malaysia so that I could be a part of this truly anointed event. I certainly don't do what Jude does in his ministry - so I can only imagine what Jude & Veronica have given up to be great examples of fulltime lay Malaysian missionaries!!!! 

May the seeds of God's Word and Spirit that were sown in this Rally empower us to courageously answer the radical call to be true disciples of Christ  in the local Malaysian Church and to the world. It begins with each of us. We need to persevere, we need to endure...and we need to be serve Our Lord with total devotion. There is no need to be labelled Charismatic. It is to renew our baptismal call

Finally, seeing this Rally was like a prayer answered for me! I truly felt inspired by Fr. Rufus, Jude and Fr. Augustine. And it was a personal joy for me to see Fr. Augustine actually in my own diocese and in my country. God certainly heard and answered my daily prayer for the last 3 1/2 years serving in Divine! I will certainly share with Fr. Augustine the testimonies!! May God bless all our Malaysian priests to lead the flock onwards!!!!

To God be ALL GLORY.......

Susan 

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The theme of the Church, Deepening our Discipleship has been echoed into our ears at many formations throughout the year but I use to wonder if anyone truly understood the meaning of being disciples...For me it is this...that our lives in Christ must make us strong with His love that comforts us, that we have fellowship with the Spirit and that we have kindness and compassion for one another. Never to have a selfish ambition or a cheap desire to boast but to be humble towards one another and to always consider others better than ourselves.  To always look out for the other's interest, to never think of ourselves as equal to God but to take the nature of a servant, to always be humble and to always walk in the path of obedience. To do everything without complaining and arguing but to shine the light of Christ for others to see...so that through us we can offer others the message of LIFE. To live as Christ lived and to love as Christ loved and not to put our head into our heart but to put our heart into our head so that in everything that we do or say, only the love of Christ shines forth and by shining the light of Christ people will come to believe and put their faith and trust in Him who can truly save...YOU WILL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE!!

My question to myself is ...how much have I achieved this? What Lisa said about treating God like an invisible statue is very true..  We are all so caught up with " what I want to do", "what I want the Church to do", "what the Church wants me to do" and worst of all, "what the world wants me to do" forgetting the most important thing of all .. ."what does Jesus want me to do". Fr. Rufus is above 80 years of age and after Plentong he is headed to Russia .  What he is doing in his old age is much, much more than any of us can do in our young age even though we are a quarter/half his age. What touched me was his quietness, his sense of humour, his humility, his constant zeal and his determination to continue serving God at all cost. His frailty and slowness not deterring him one bit.  To him, age is but a number and as long as God is by his side, he can travel to the ends of the earth to bring the Good news.  And God will bring him to where He pleases and if He wants Fr. Rufus to come back to Malaysia for a visit, who would dare stop the hand of God from doing so.  Now Fr. Augustine, well I like the way he shakes his head when he speaks. Lisa was right, he rose to the occasion and the rest is history...now people are waiting to go to Potta to hear more from him.

But through it all...what remains was the experience that the Lord was in our midst and continues to be with us...if only we would let Him be. I'm so glad to hear of the faith and trust that you both had. I believe that through your experience you have now become instruments of our Lord. Continue your good work of bringing people closer to Him through your sharing. I'm sure that the Lord has plans for you. Your effort in getting 24 people to join you for the rally would not go unnoticed...the Lord was already using you then and He will continue to use you. Let Him be the master of your life and the lives of many others whom you are going to touch. I hope that your testimony, especially the part about every baptised Catholic being called to be a Charismatic (which I agree wholeheartedly) would touch the hearts of many and that prayer meetings be not only about raising hands, praying in tongues, prophesying etc. but that it be a time of God's people coming together to give praise and thanks to God for all the blessing bestowed upon us, praying for all those who are in need of prayer. Let it be an opportunity to 'touch the cloak of Jesus' so that we can be healed spiritually, emotionally and if God willing physically.

With this I would like to say a big thank you , for all the effort that you had put in.

God bless you abundantly

Helena

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I want to share with you what my PPC chairman shared at our prayer meeting last Sunday. He drove to JB with a bad back. He had a slip-disc before and his nerves were acting up. It was an uncomfortable and painful drive down to Johor.

During adoration, he was one of the few that remained standing because he wanted to look Jesus in the eye. As Fr Augustine stood right in front of him with the monstrance, he told Jesus that his body was Jesus' to do with whatever He wished with it.

He drove back to KL with no pain in his back. Last Sunday, one week after his return from JB, he was still not experiencing any pain and he gave a rousing testimony to our group, just before we began our healing session. The wonders of God are available to all who believe and surrender to His ways.

God bless.

Lisa Ng

Here's my testimony: (Lisa Ng)

There are priests and there are PRIESTS. The kind that is infused with the Holy Spirit so that when they speak, your heart is moved, and the devil flees. Fr. Augustine seemed unsettled during his first two teachings. But during the third teaching, he rose to the occasion. It was as if the Holy Spirit had control over him and it was God speaking through this priest. It was not that he raised his voice, it was the passion in his voice. Rousing disciples to be one with God like the branches are one with the vine. He called us to pray constantly as prayers are "impulses of love" to a God who never stops thinking, caring or loving us.

Father Rufus never once raised his voice. He spoke in a monotone. But the presence of God was in him because he never once erred in his speech nor did he stray from the focus on the Lord. "Make the Word your home" is what I took back with me. Why do I believe him? Because it is his witnessing that is empowering and transforming. Then of course there's also his blessing on the last day - I don't know anyone who didn't feel "the heat".

Jude Antoine is no priest but the Spirit manifesting in him makes you believe he could be one. Loud from the start, challenging to the end, he made his point. Surrendering to Jesus is not about words but the honesty and commitment to the words we utter to God. This brings to mind Proverbs 3:5-6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." We sometimes treat God like an invisible statue stashed in the home so whenever we get ‘consumed by the world' in the office, we plan to run to His embrace when we get home. But the truth is, He is everywhere. We only have to whisper to Him for strength while we go about our daily affairs.

My version of the Night of Adoration and Healing. You are soooo right, the Blessed Sacrament was our Jesus, our closest encounter with Him. I wished I could touch Him. I wished I broke into tongues. I wished His face would appear. But I didn't experience any of these. However I felt my heart move, and I felt His love. It was the same sensation I had at the Sibu Retreat 2 years ago. I could give up and be convinced that the Lord does not love me like He loves the poor in spirit, since I do not manifest any of the signs of the Spirit's gifts and power. But that is what the devil wants me to believe. My own personal miracles tell me to hold on to God's promises and Love because that is what Faith is all about.

God Bless and thanks for inviting us to the retreat!!

Lisa

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Let The Fire Fall Again .

When I heard that, apart from Jude Antoine, the preachers at the Charismatic Rally in Plentong would include Fr Rufus and Fr Augustine, I decided to drop everything and go. It was a rare blessing for the Church in Malaysia to have all these anointed people under one roof. I wasn't disappointed. The struggle to live according to the purpose in which I was created for is not an easy one. The call to discipleship is never easy. ‘So much is at stake.' The constant battle between the flesh and the spirit is never ending. Each side taking turns to rule me in my daily fight to discern God's will for me every second of the day. And I do forget, ever so often, to allow the Spirit of God to reign supreme in me. This causes me to tire and get stuck in the quagmire of frustration. This is because I am active in ministry and people come up to me asking for help and prayers, not knowing that I too need help and prayers. So, the JB rally was a timely one. I was at a point that I needed to 'come away', to retreat to a place away from distractions and rest in the Word. Presented so amazingly by these speakers.

In a sense, I think, calling this rally a 'charismatic' one is misleading. The message proclaimed by these speakers and the worship that took place at Majodi was for the entire Church. I've always had issues with calling these events 'charismatic' because it is not. Why? Because the Charisms of the Holy Spirit are for every single baptised person and is given to all to build oneself and to build the entire people of God, the Church. In a sense, every baptised Catholic is called to be a charismatic, true? How I wished that the entire Church was present, not just 'charismatics'.

Having said this, it was an amazing experience. Not so much because I was touched and moved and all that 'nice feeling' stuff but because I was challenged to radical discipleship. It reminded me about what my baptismal promises are. It reminded me about what my life was all about. I saw, what power and grace was available when one man (or woman) says 'yes' completely to God. It is the same humble "yes' of Mary that brought forth the Son of God into the world and through Him, there is liberation and salvation. This realisation makes life amazingly beautiful. We can't see God. He is like the wind. Invisible. But we can see and feel the effects of the wind, the trees move, the breeze gently brushes our skin and there is movement, there is life. God is the same. Although invisible, we can see His manifestations through people like Jude, like Fr Rufus and Fr Augustine. I dare say, the Incarnation took place again at Plentong that weekend. I dare say, I experienced God in the flesh, tangible, visible, comprehensible, in the 3 speakers, drawing me, inviting me, inspiring me to 'cast into the deep'. To take one bold step out of the boat into the storm and by soaking up the Word, discern the will of the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit, to serve, serve, serve. Freely, freely, I received. Now, freely, freely, I want to give even more. I will take in everything I got there and pass it on. I would like to end with a little story. On Saturday night, I was blown away by the Blessed Sacrament. (And I mean this in a good way.) The reverence for Jesus that night was electrifying, to say the least. The last time I felt this much intensity in worship was at the Sabah Retreat many years ago. I think, everyone in that hall really opened up to worship, to adore and to praise. When Fr Augustine raised the Monstrance and walked among us, I knew that this was the closest I would get to actually seeing Jesus in person walking by. The amount of faith released that night was contagious and I worshiped from the bottom of my heart. As he walked by, I prostrated and I remembered the Gospel story of the woman who wanted to touch the cloak of Jesus. This brought to mind all the sick I was praying for. One of them was an old man in his final stages of cancer back in KL. He was almost speechless and semi conscious. I touched the robe of Fr Augustine as he walked past carrying the Monstrance and interceded for everyone. The next day, the sick man with cancer sat up and spoke, telling his wife how much he loved her. Something he had not done in a long time. I believe with all my heart, his recovery has begun. There is something so much bigger than life itself in our midst. There is God. There is Love. There is Hope. And there is abundant life. And I wouldn't trade this for all the riches in the world.

Glory to God!!!

Alvin Teoh. Fellowship of Praise. Good Shepherd, KL.