| Mission Report: Malaysia: August 2010 |
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Missionary Trip to KOTA KINABALU, SABAH, MALAYSIA—Reported by Dr. Ligaya A. Acosta, August 18-23, 2010
I embarked on my second mission to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia, upon the request of the Diocese of Kota Kinabalu, to conduct a pro-life training for Church leaders. My first visit there was in July 2009. Even before I finished my first mission trip there, my second visit was already being planned, under the most able leadership of Mr. Anthony Lim, the indefatigable president of the Diocesan Pastoral Council, with the full support of His Excellency Archbishop John Lee. Archbishop Lee had attended the three-day HLI Asia-Pacific Congress held in Miri, Malaysia, in November of last year, where he delivered a very touching homily on faith, life and family. So it was not difficult to convince him of the need for training and of setting up a pro-life ministry in the Archdiocese.
Kota Kinabalu is the capital of Sabah, the second largest state in Malaysia. Popularly known as KK, Kota Kinabalu is the largest urban center
I was met at the airport by a smiling Anthony Lim, who, together with his beautiful and very supportive wife, Celine, brought me to his lovely home. It is always a joy and a blessing to be in this beautiful home, where key Catholic evangelists and guests of the diocese usually stay. It is even more of a joy to be with their wonderful children, who have all embraced the deep faith and immense service to the Church of their wonderful parents. Thus, it is not uncommon to see the entire family involved in many church activities. Knowing, as I do, the great trials this family has undergone, it is inspiring to hear how they have never wavered in their faith and service to the Lord.
It is also inspiring to know that when Celine was pregnant with their fifth child, she and Anthony refused to follow a strong recommendation by their doctor to have the child aborted on suspicion of fetal abnormalities and great risk to Celine. Thank God they did not follow their doctor! Celine delivered a healthy and beautiful baby girl, who has grown into the very lovable Sheryl, now ten years old! Sheryl, with her brother Darryl, both received perfect grades in their Sunday School class when I was there. Darryl has wanted to become pope since he was very small!
An Infiltrator from IPPF?
Before I arrived at KK, I had received emails from an employee of the local IPPF, who told me he had attended one of my previous talks, which he said had touched him. He also told me of his particular desire to work with the youth to “promote pro-life”! A week before my arrival, he admitted to his connection with IPPF, but requested a special meeting with me, saying that he wanted to tell me “many things.”
Even before I met him, I was informed that he works at the Catholic Montfort School for boys and is very enthusiastically promoting “reproductive health”! In my heart I feared that this Catholic School had been infiltrated. Since my first talk was with the same school, I decided to revise it to include a more detailed exposé on this subject. Unexpectedly, this same man was the first to meet me upon my arrival at the school. As I started my exposé on reproductive health, I saw how fidgety he became. School officials also felt very concerned, as they realized what reproductive health really means. After my talk, the directress told me in front of the visibly embarrassed young man that he had asked some employees from Montfort to train at IPPF! It became clear to me that while he was a paid employee at IPPF, he was also working at Montfort. I told him that if he really wants to be pro-life, he can’t work at IPPF at the same time. He told me not to worry because he is only “a spy at IPPF” – where he has been working for more than five years already! He gave me an envelope containing some materials. I told him later that he cannot be a pro-lifer and work at IPPF at the same time! While I doubted his sincerity as a real pro-lifer, I prayed hard that God would touch his heart and grant him the grace for a full conversion.
My hosts expressed profuse thanks for my presentation and said that my visit came at a perfect time. I was also overjoyed that everyone who attended my talk in both the Montfort School for boys and the one for girls took the vow of chastity. Sadly, they too confirmed the rampant abortion taking place in their communities.
Pro-Life Training
More than 90 Church leaders and parishioners from all over the Diocese of KK, including priests and nuns, attended the two-day pro-life
training. I was happy to notice that even those who attended the previous HLI pro-life training in Miri still came – with the same zeal and enthusiasm. On the second day, which was a Saturday, more people came, bringing the total attendance to around 120, including several young people, government employees, doctors and other professionals. The archbishop and the newly appointed bishop celebrated the Masses and gave powerful homilies. At each break, people approached me to relate personal thoughts and experiences. Young people told me of the increasing incidences of pre-marital sex and teenage pregnancies, as well as homosexuality in their schools.
The young man from IPPF also came for the training and this time brought along two youth co-workers. I sincerely welcomed them with a hug and thanked them for coming. I even sat with them for lunch for further discussions. They brought in more deplorable materials from their office, confirming everything I had been exposing in my talks. While I saw initial discomfort in them, especially as I openly exposed the activities of IPPF and its local affiliate, they expressed how touched they were with my talks and their desire to promote the pro-life message. They also told me they hoped to convert all their other co-workers.
Campus StudentsMy last session in KK was with around 80 students from various schools in the city, which I conducted in the afternoon on Sunday. There, I again met the youth workers of IPPF, whom I gladly welcomed with a fervent prayer in my heart that God would grant them the grace and courage to finally get out of IPPF. Again, I told them they cannot be pro-lifers and work at IPPF at the same time. They admitted that HLI is considered Enemy Number One by their office, which I felt to be a badge of honor! And since my talks were covered by the media, who also requested special interviews, I imagined IPPF hating HLI more. Thank God!
With God’s amazing grace, the young students were touched by the talk. They all took the vow of chastity and stayed around for more discussions after the session ended. One teacher asked my advice on how to counsel a pregnant student. Others confimed how deep the tentacles of IPPF have reached, with their long years of working without protest not only in Sabah but in the whole of Malaysia. No wonder they consider HLI Enemy Number One! We have been exposing their evil deeds and opening the eyes of the people.
More Participants for the ASPACMy visit to KK gained more registrants for the coming 17th HLI Asia-Pacific Congress on Faith, Life and Family, which will be held in Manila, Philippines, in November of this year. I was happy to hear that a number of registrants said they would be bringing their entire families. Truly, God is good.
With all my heart, I thank the donors and benefactors of HLI, without whom we can do nothing. With each mission I undertake, we gain more intercessors for you.
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in Sabah, with a population of 617,972. The total population of Sabah is 3,400,000. From the plane, the small population of KK and Sabah is evident. But, true to form, IPPF, the number one abortion organization in the world, is very actively working here through its local affiliate, the Sabah Family Planning Association, which was formed in KK as early as 1969. Unknown to many people in this beautiful city and island, the Sabah Family Planning Association has been recruiting and training medical people to perform abortions, as was confirmed by two young doctors I met here during my first visit in 2009. It is no wonder that, despite being predominantly Muslim, pre-marital sex and teenage pregnancy is common. In fact, when I came, local headlines announced that fetuses had been found in garbage areas.
