The Journey of Faith Among Chinese Migrants

The movie "Dear You" has swept across China and Southeast Asia like a storm. Everywhere I went, almost everyone I met seemed to be talking about it.

On further reflection on the first Chinese migration to foreign lands, two things stood out as especially important to them: preserving the Chinese language and maintaining the religious traditions embraced by their families. This explains why, in nearly every place where early Chinese settlers established communities, one can find temples and ancestral worship halls. For those who had converted to Christianity, the pattern was similar. They began by gathering for Sunday worship in homes, and as their communities grew, they built church buildings to accommodate regular congregational worship.

By coincidence, I was recently invited to share the history of BCCM with a group of young lower secondary school students on 28 June 2026. It was a meaningful opportunity to reflect on how faith, migration, and heritage have shaped the church’s identity over the generations.

BCCM’s origins can be traced back to the first group of Chinese Christian migrants who arrived from Guangdong, China in 1882 to North Borneo, a territory later known as Sabah following the formation of Malaysia. These early migrants were brought in primarily to help open up vast tracts of land and dense jungles for agricultural development, including rubber plantations, coconut estates, and coffee farms across various parts of North Borneo.

Among these pioneers were Christian believers who had come to faith in China through the ministry of missionaries from Basel, Switzerland. Though they had left their homeland behind, they carried with them something far more enduring - their faith. In this unfamiliar new land, they sought to preserve and nurture that spiritual inheritance by establishing a worshipping community of their own.

In honor of the missionaries and the spiritual legacy through which they had received the Gospel, they named their church the “Basel Church.” What began as a small community of migrant believers would, over time, grow into a vibrant and enduring church, rooted in faith and committed to serving future generations.

Initially, the church was a Chinese Hakka-speaking congregation, serving the linguistic and cultural needs of its earliest members. Over the years, however, it evolved significantly. As Sabah’s demographic landscape changed, the church adapted to serve a broader and more diverse population. Today, BCCM has become a multilingual church community, ministering not only in Hakka and Chinese Mandarin but also to English-speaking and Bahasa Malaysia-speaking members.

Its journey reflects a broader story of migration, faith, and adaptation - how a community rooted in heritage can remain faithful to its origins while growing to embrace new generations and cultures.

Echoes of Friendship Through Time - CG Birthday Celebration

Each year, our CG organizes a few rounds group birthday celebrations for the members. As most of us are in our senior years, the occasion is far more than a simple social gathering marked by cake, the singing of birthday song, and the exchange of well-wishes. At this stage of life, a birthday becomes an opportunity to reflect on the depth of our journeys and the many lives we have touched along the way.

Celebrating with the birthday "girls" on 10.04.2026.

Reaching this season of life is, in itself, a significant milestone. It speaks of resilience through changing times, challenges overcome, and lessons learned over decades of living. A celebration at this point becomes a tribute to endurance, wisdom and a lifetime of experiences.

At the same time, birthdays in later life carry a quiet awareness of time’s passage. With each passing year, there are fewer familiar faces at the table. Friends who once celebrated with us have departed, leaving behind memories that are fond yet tinged with sadness. Their absence is felt more keenly on such occasions, reminding us that life is fragile and that every shared moment is precious. This gentle awareness does not diminish the joy of the celebration; rather, it deepens its meaning. It encourages us to cherish the company we still have and to value every opportunity to gather while we can.

At this stage of life, we are also keenly aware of the importance of good health and mobility. Even amid conversations about knee pain, backaches, and the difficulty of climbing stairs, we recognize all the more the importance of seizing opportunities for togetherness while it is still possible. The laughter we share, the meals we enjoy, the photographs we take, and the conversations we hold become treasured memories for everyone present.

Ultimately, such celebrations remind us that every year is a gift, and that the timing of our final journey is never known.

Celebrating Christmas 2025 away from Home

There’s a unique kind of excitement that comes with celebrating Christmas away from home - especially when it is shared with family in another country. This year, I had the joy of joining Sam’s family to attend a Christmas worship service in a new church building I had never visited before. We arrived for the English-language service, which started at 1.30pm.

From the moment we stepped into the reception hall, I was struck by the scale and the design of the building. It reflected a style increasingly adopted by many growing churches today - an expansive reception area that flows into a vast sanctuary designed to accommodate large congregations. The soaring ceilings and open spaces created an atmosphere that felt both welcoming and festive, well-suited for a joyful Christmas gathering.

The warmth of the celebration was evident not just in the architecture, but in the people. Members and visitors alike were given complimentary lunch boxes, while cheerful volunteers moved around offering Christmas cookies to everyone. These simple yet generous gestures added a personal touch to the occasion and served as a gentle reminder that faith has a way of connecting people, regardless of place or background.

The church itself, Adam Road Presbyterian Church (ARPC), has experienced remarkable growth in recent years. It has expanded into three separate congregations, now serving about 2,000 adults and 1,000 children. This particular new church, ARPC@Tengah, stands as a testament to the church’s vibrancy and its strong resonance within the local community.

Complimentary lunch and Christmas cookies.

I may not recall every part of the pastor’s sermon that afternoon, but his closing words for the Christmas sermon remained with me. The projected screen showed a quote about fathers and the passing seasons of life: “At five years old, ‘Dad, I love you.’ At twelve, ‘Dad, I can’t stand you.' At sixteen, 'My father is very annoying.' At eighteen, 'I'm leaving this house.' At twenty-five, ‘Dad, you were right.’ At thirty, 'I want to go to my dad's house.' And at seventy, ‘I would give up everything to have my dad here with me.’”

Those words spoke quietly yet powerfully. In this season of remembrance, they felt like a gentle nudge from God - a reminder that life is fleeting, relationships are sacred, and love must not be taken for granted. May we learn to treasure those God has placed in our lives, while the opportunity to love, honour, and give thanks still remains.

CG Christmas Thanksgiving Lunch cum Birthday Celebration 2025

For the past two years, our CG Christmas cum Birthday celebrations were held at my home (Read here for 2023) and (Read here for 2024). This year - 2025, our CG leadership decided to do something different by holding the gathering at a local restaurant. The celebration took place in the early afternoon of 19.12.2025 and was attended by twenty-two people, including Monica, an ex-member who joined us as a guest.

Seeing Monica again after the passing of her late husband, Gerald, on 30.09.2025 (Read here), was heartwarming. Her thoughtful contribution of two home-cooked dishes of Bai Zhan Ji (white cut chicken) was a pleasant surprise which complemented the food we had ordered and was very much appreciated by everyone.

As the years pass, we have grown more aware that organising gatherings at new locations - especially those involving longer drives and more walking - has become increasingly challenging for many. 

That afternoon, we were fortunate to be the only customers inside the restaurant’s air-conditioned section. Once everyone was gathered and comfortably seated, we sang the familiar Christmas hymns, exchanged warm greetings, and the air was filled with joy and laughter, heightened by the Christmas season. In that timeless moment, it felt as though the years had gently faded away.

White cut chicken from Monica.

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Taking advantage of the gathering of the full CG, my wife expressed her heartfelt thanks on behalf of SIEC (Sabah Inter-denominational Education Council) for the monetary gifts extended by our CG to two of its staff members in year 2025.

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As with the previous two gatherings, the group encouraged me to share again my thought and reflection written in my blog posts. Though hesitant at first, I agreed. During my sharing, I mentioned a recent gathering with old friends who had once served in the church Children Sunday School and later in the Praise Kids ministry (Read here). To my surprise, I discovered that among our CG members were former Praise Kids teachers and van drivers.

This naturally brought back memories of the van drivers, including the late Vincent Lee (Read here). They were a dedicated group who served faithfully behind the scenes. Every Saturday afternoon, they would start early, driving across a wide area of Kota Kinabalu to pick up children from their homes. After the gathering, they would send the children back, return the vans to the church compound, and only then head home themselves. They were always the last to leave, quietly serving with commitment, sacrifice and love.

On a more personal note, I also shared about my grandson’s very first shave on 21.11.2025 - a small yet significant milestone marking his transition into adulthood. This drew spontaneous laughter from the audience as they marvelled at how swiftly time has passed. The little boy they once saw when my daughter returned to KK for the holidays from WA is now stepping into adulthood, a poignant reminder to all of us of just how quickly the seasons of life move along.

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Left photo: With Jessie, a former teacher of Praise Kids.

Right photo: Former van drivers: Hyen Siong, Peter Tai and Jimmy Wong.

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Each year, we hold several rounds of birthday celebrations, grouping members according to their birth months. This round, we honoured members born between October and December, with the exception of my wife - an August baby - who was given the honour of a belated celebration as she was unable to attend the earlier gathering.

Reuniting Over Lunch: Praise Kids Old-Time Volunteers

These days, whenever invitations from old friends arrive, whether for a simple meal or an informal get-together, we are far more inclined to accept them. As the years pass, such gatherings take on added significance, becoming precious opportunities to reconnect, remember and reflect on a shared past.

So, when friends who once served as teachers and helpers in our church’s Praise Kids ministry invited us to lunch at Hoola Hoop Cafe on 15.12.2025, we did not hesitate to join them.

Before this gathering, the last time some of these former teachers and helpers came together was at Kerry Lo’s home on 09.04.2023, where we enjoyed a sumptuous dinner. Each reunion, separated by years rather than months, serves as a gentle reminder of the passage of time and the enduring bonds forged through years of service.

It is only natural that, on such occasions, conversations turn to memories of our days in Praise Kids, formerly known as Children Sunday School and renamed as Praise Kids Celebration in 1999. Those years were not merely programmes or weekly routines, but a formative period marked by dedication, sacrifice and a shared sense of purpose.

The transition from Children Sunday School to Praise Kids Celebration represented an important chapter in the ministry’s history. It signalled a shift in vision and approach, accompanied by significant changes in manpower mobilisation, deployment and involvement. What had once been a largely church-based teaching ministry expanded into a broader outreach, intentionally drawing in children beyond the church community. Over time, activities and events were held in various venues, including halls and church buildings, and on one memorable occasion, at the auditorium of Wisma Berjaya - later acquired by SESB.

The ministry also became a place where young people were nurtured into service. Many teenagers, including our two sons, Samuel and Paul along with their peers, schoolmates and friends, were roped in to assist during major events. Among the most fondly remembered was the Super Space Party in the early 2000s, which brought together enthusiastic volunteers whose youthful energy added life and colour to the ministry.

The most recent get-together of former and current teachers and helpers on 15.12.2025.

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An earlier gathering at Kerry's residence on 09.04.2023.

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As with any reunion, it was only natural that old photographs were taken out, shared and fondly revisited with those who once laboured together in the ministry. Each image stirred memories of laughter, dedication and shared purpose. Yet woven into these moments of remembrance was a quiet sadness, for some among us have since departed and are now present only in memory.

Pastor Dannie Lee, the key motivator and guiding force during the pioneering years of Praise Kids in 1999 to 2001, was called home on 14.02.2019. Her encouragement and commitment laid a strong foundation for the ministry and left an enduring mark on all who served alongside her.

We also remembered Chio Cheng Leng, one of the two male teachers who faithfully served in those early days until early 2020s when illness prevented him from further service. He passed away on 10.03.2023. His presence, dedication to the children, and willingness to serve steadfastly are still fondly remembered by many.

Group photo of the whole team of teachers, helpers and volunteers after the Outer Space Party. 

Photo of my wife taken with Pastor Dannie Lee at the Outer Space Party.

A young boy who asked to have a photo taken with the "magician".

Final briefing just before the commencement of Outer Space Party.

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The major shift from the traditional children’s Sunday School format to the Praise Kids Celebration lay in a renewed emphasis on teaching through object lessons and creative presentation. Lessons were no longer confined to the classroom alone. Instead, they were brought to life through narratives, dramatizations and performances that enlivened special occasions while gently imparting values and faith-based teachings. Together, these creative expressions marked a significant transformation in the ministry, reflecting a deliberate effort to make learning joyful, impactful, and memorable, while remaining rooted in visual, interactive and engaging approaches that left a lasting impression on young hearts and minds. 

Teachers would sometimes dress up in costumes that complemented the theme of the lesson, transforming themselves into characters that vividly illustrated biblical truths in a lively and relatable manner. These visual cues not only captured the children’s attention but also helped make the messages easier to understand and remember.

Magic shows were occasionally incorporated as another creative teaching approach, not for mere entertainment, but as a meaningful tool to illustrate spiritual principles in ways that resonated with young minds. Out of necessity, I volunteered and stepped into the role of a magician, using simple illusions to convey timeless lessons. To this day, some of those children, now grown, still greet me fondly as “The Magician” whenever we meet - a reminder of how deeply those moments stayed with them.

Puppet shows were also held from time to time, serving both as an effective storytelling medium and as an outreach effort to draw in new children. Through humour, dialogue and simple yet engaging performances, biblical truths and moral lessons were conveyed in a way that was easily understood and warmly received by young audiences, while remaining firmly rooted in their spiritual purpose.

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Year 2000 Christmas celebration at Basel Hall.

Pastor Dannie Lee.

Chio Cheng Leng and Alfred Lee, the only two male teachers in this ministry.

Object lesson through magic show.

Puppets show.

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In 2002 during the Harvest Festival holidays at the end of May and early June, the Praise Kids ministry’s outreach extended beyond the city when an out-of-town trip was organised to Nabawan, with a stop at BCCM, Keningau. Looking back today, these moments stand as milestones in the history of Praise Kids, memories of a season when faith, friendship and service intersected, leaving an enduring legacy in the lives of all who were part of it.

Above two photos: At BCCM, Keningau.

Above two photos: At BCCM Nabawan.