Today, we commemorated Missions Sunday with a powerful time of sharing by our friends from United Voice Malaysia.
United Voice is the first society in Malaysia that is led by persons with learning disabilities which was registered in July 2005. The members of UV include persons with Down Syndrome, Autism, Attention Deficit Disorder, Global Developmental Delay and other specific learning disabilities. Since UV became a registered society, it has grown rapidly. More parents are beginning to realize the need to expose their children with learning disabilities to the self-advocacy movement activities so that they learn to be more independent and develop skills to voice up for themselves.
United Voice pioneered the self-advocacy movement in Malaysia to reduce the isolation of people with learning disabilities and give them the tools and experience to take greater control over their own lives and be integrated in the community. UV has been actively collaborating with Malaysia Welfare Department, Malaysia Special Education Department, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), local universities and NGOs to organize awareness events on the importance of self-advocacy.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0j6ZiC50qs&list=UUsJtXfbicvzRygN8qrY_Jsw&index=10&feature=plcp]
Our church has maintained a long-standing relationship with United Voice since its inception – through financial support for its staff as well as the work it does.
Following the sharing by United Voice, John went on to share from the lectionary readings talking about how the Fall of Man broke our relationship with God and that very same relationship can be restored through the work of Christ. Our role, as mission agents of God’s kingdom, is to begin wherever we are – our families, our friends, our workplaces – to share this message of reconciliation and restoration of this relationship.
