When former FEBC Australia missionary Simon Chan answered God's call to serve, he didn't know his journey would include finding love and waiting until his missionary term ended to marry! But God's perfect timing marked every step of his path.
Missionary: Simon Chan
Dates of service: 1989–1991
Location: Seychelles
Capacity: Broadcast Systems Engineer
What first inspired you to serve with FEBC?
I had visions of working for God in the middle of the Pacific Ocean somewhere, at the same time that I read a call-to-action article by Larry Podmore. Larry and his family were based in FEBC's transmission site in Saipan at the time. As it turned out, I ended up in Seychelles in the middle of the Indian Ocean in 1989…!
Tell us about the mission field in Seychelles.
FEBA Seychelles had an amazing reach into South Asia, the Middle East and northern Africa. At the time I was serving there, broadcasts were in more than 30 languages daily from morning to night. They are not directly targeted at specific countries but at a region, which is fabulous, because FEBC has always been a missionary organisation targeting language groups rather than countries.
My role initially was purely technical, maintaining the three 100kW transmitters on site. Later on, as I discovered my voice, so to speak, I was given a chance to host a 5-10 minute segment called World of Shortwave, which focused on what other interesting stations were broadcasting on the shortwave spectrum. This segment was part of an English programme called Network that was aired in South Asia.
How did God surprise you with using your gifts?
When many of my more senior technical colleagues had gone home for 'furlough' for Christmas in 1989, the station was struck by a massive lightning storm—a very rare occurrence in Seychelles. The lightning came through the cables and took the station off-air.
I had to work with a very inexperienced team to bring everything back on-air. We had to ship a lot of spare parts over, and back then, we had to rely on very old methods of communicating, like faxes. It was a stressful time, but it was also a time in which God showed His grace and mercy to someone young and still learning the ropes.
What testing moment showed you God's faithfulness most clearly?
As a faith-based missionary organisation, we relied completely on Jehovah Jireh – our God who provides. Being so remote and a developing country, not everything that you might need would be available. But God always shows Himself as the one who provides out of every adversity. At the right time, the funds or people would come through. He never failed us.
(Simon also had to wait till the end of his term to marry his girlfriend. He met her when he was fundraising for the mission trip in Goldie and Tek's church. Goldie had been a FEBC broadcaster in Hong Kong.)
Which Bible verse became your anchor?
The passage that I used throughout fundraising and deputation was this:
2 Corinthians 4:7-9: "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
How do you see FEBC's future ministry?
FEBC has a special ministry of being a 'friend of the listener', so I believe that regardless of the medium (eg shortwave radio, Internet podcasts, etc), God can still use this ministry to reach those far from Him.
What's your highlight from serving with FEBC?
Those two years in my early 20s, witnessing God at work firsthand – I wouldn't trade that experience for anything in the world. God has been, and continues to show that He loves deeply and richly the people in the world who have not yet responded to Him.
Your encouragement for others considering God's mission?
We have all been given gifts by God to be a blessing to those around us. Don’t hide your light under a bushel – go and use that gift for God’s glory.