One of St Andrew’s mission partners is Inner City Ministries (ICM). They serve ethnic minorities especially the Nepalese community in Hong Kong. Based in their centre in Yau Ma Tei, ICM lovingly cares for Nepalese children and youth, men and women, and their wider community.
I began volunteering with ICM three years ago. At the time, my experience of children was limited; but from the moment I arrived, the children welcomed me with such warmth. They looked at me curiously and held my hands; they invited me to play games and generously shared their snacks with me. These moments touched me deeply.
At the Saturday afternoon Kids’ Club and Summer Vacation Bible School, children aged 3-12 gathered to learn about God’s Word through games, songs, crafts and activity sheets. Afterwards, the ICM staff would prepare delicious Nepalese milk tea and snacks. They invited me to sit and chat with them, and genuinely wanted to know me better. Our shared moments reflected God’s heart. I felt so at home within the love of this fellowship. Through serving with ICM, I caught a glimpse of the heavenly Kingdom where people love one another without condition.
The more we serve, the more our hearts expand
Over time, I learned about the need for tutors to help secondary school students with their homework. I felt uncertain at first but decided to volunteer anyway. After many evenings of checking homework and chatting, some of the youth began to open up and share about their lives. This led me to join their week-long summer camp Kingdom Warriors where the youth learned about God’s truths, shared in household tasks, and bonded over games.
It was remarkable to witness how God transformed hearts in gentle and unexpected ways. There was a teenage boy who seemed distant and reluctant in the beginning, hesitant to join in with the activities. But as the week went on, he became more involved and helped with chores. He grew curious about Jesus and His Word, and started asking questions during discussions. On the last day of the camp, he said he didn’t want to leave. With a grateful heart, he shared that he had learned more about God and made new friends. Seeing God’s love work in him was a beautiful reminder of His grace.
Through these experiences, I grew to understand the importance of humility in serving. The outcome doesn’t depend on how skilled or excellent we are but on God’s gracious will. At first, I thought volunteering meant giving up my time and energy, but soon I realised that the blessing is mutual. The love we receive from Jesus is so abundant that we can pour it out onto others. The more we serve, the more our hearts expand; we grow in our capacity to love people and become more like Jesus.
