DIAKONIA 2026 VOLUME 1
Here I am, LORD: A Mission Beyond our Walls
Indranee Liew
Island Glades Gospel Centre
+6012 534 2022
The hymn “Here I Am, Lord” is more than just a song; it is a mission statement. Its words call us beyond our comfort zones and far beyond our church walls into a world longing for light, healing, and hope. At the heart of this hymn is a God who sees and hears: “I have heard my people cry. I have borne my people’s pain”.
This is not a distant or passive God. Our God enters into suffering, grieves over injustice, and responds to darkness—not with silence, but with a question that still echoes today: “Whom shall I send?”.
Yet, the hymn’s question stayed with me: “Whom shall I send?”. Slowly, the answer began to move beyond national boundaries.
Faith That Moves Outward
The theme “Beyond Our Walls” confronts us with a challenging truth: Christian faith was never meant to remain contained or confined. While church buildings are essential for worship, teaching, and fellowship, true mission begins the moment we step outside them.
The hymn reminds us that God’s concern reaches those dwelling in darkness, those carrying hearts hardened by pain, the hungry, and the overlooked. If we sing “Here I am, Lord” inside the church building but fail to live it out in the world, the song remains unfinished.
Teaching as a Calling
For 36 years, I have understood teaching as a mission. Education is far more than delivering a curriculum; it is a way of bearing God’s light to families and colleagues who need encouragement and hope. My work in teacher training became a key expression of this calling—equipping educators with purpose, nurturing compassion alongside competence, and modelling education that honours the worth of every child.
A Journey to Cambodia: Calling and Obedience
My journey beyond national walls unfolded quietly. In 2016, after hearing a missionary from a Christian school in Cambodia speak at my church, I sensed a deep stirring in my heart. It was a clear leading from God to visit.
When I arrived at the school in Kampong Chhnang, I realized that God had been preparing me for this specific moment for 26 years. My experience as an English teacher and trainer aligned perfectly with the local teachers’ needs. They were eager to learn how to:
- Teach more effectively.
- Design interactive learning experiences.
- Manage classroom behaviour.
- Support children with diverse learning needs.
What I had once seen simply as a profession, I now recognized as God’s preparation for mission.
Expanding the Mission
In 2019, another door opened through the Teacher Christian Fellowship Malaysia, connecting me to a Christian school established by Malaysians in Baray. Teacher training became a form of service to strengthen Christian educators and encourage perseverance in challenging contexts.
As the work continued, we noticed growing emotional and psychological needs among the youth. In 2023, my husband, a child and family psychiatrist, trained Cambodian Scout leaders in teen mental health. The Scouts also arranged for us to train special needs teachers.
In 2025, a structured, sustainable support system for children with special needs was established in Baray through a collaboration with special educators from an NGO in Penang. Bamboo Shoots — a centre for assessment and intervention – has been supporting children who were once unseen or misunderstood. Families have found reassurance that their children are valued and not forgotten. The hymn’s promise took on tangible form: “I will send the poor and lame… I will set a feast for them”.
Holding God’s People in Our Hearts
Mission is not about projects; it is about people. To hold God’s people in our hearts means:
- Praying before acting.
- Loving before judging.
- Serving without conditions.
- Persevering even when change is slow.
Looking back, I see how God wove together decades of teaching, professional skills, and timely invitations into one consistent response: “Here I am, Lord”.
God is still speaking. The cries of the world still rise. May we dare to answer—not only in song, but beyond our walls: “Here I am, Lord. Send me”.
Here I Am, Lord
I, the Lord of sea and sky
I have heard my people cry
All who dwell in dark and sin
My hand will save
I who made the stars of night
I will make their darkness bright
Who will bear my light to them?
Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night
I will go, Lord
If You lead me
I will hold Your people in my heart
I, the Lord of wind and flame
I will tend the poor and lame
I will set a feast for them
My hand will save
Finest bread I will provide
‘Til their hearts be satisfied
I will give my life to them
Whom shall I send?
Here I am, Lord
Is it I, Lord?
I have heard You calling in the night
I will go, Lord
If You lead me
I will hold Your people in my heart