“We’re not done yet!” LoveTimor looks forward to fresh momentum even as 200 gather for 21st anniversary celebration

I just want to speak the name of Jesus
Till every dark addiction starts to break
Declaring there is hope and there is freedom
I speak Jesus

‘Cause Your name is Power
Your name is Healing
Your name is Life
Break every stronghold
Shine through the shadows
Burn like a fire

It is one thing to hear 200 ringing voices in Bethesda Bedok-Tampines Church declare God’s power in worship. And another thing altogether when those 200 voices have lived the lyrics.

Among them were Pastor Angelina Da Costa, who stood firm in the face of death threats when she first preached the Gospel in Timor. Over the decades, she has seen scores of gang members and troubled youths give up martial arts and animistic ritualism when they received Christ in her mountain church.

Pastor Acy Lodja, an Indonesian, answered God’s call to Timor even while dangerous political tensions were running high between the two countries. She developed such a love for the people that the two years she promised God have since become 25 years.

Pastor Eugene Seow and Lai-Kheng Pousson were with the late Rev Dr Rick Seaward, then Chairman of LoveSingapore, 21 years ago when he read out a letter from former East Timor President Xanana Gusmao asking for help in the areas of education, nursing and orphans left bereft by the cruelty of civil war. This moment would become the genesis of LoveSingapore’s involvement with Timor. 

Together with almost 200 guests, they were gathered for LoveTimor Night on September 18, to celebrate 21 years of God’s divine grace on Timor-Leste, soon-to-be ASEAN’s newest member.

Pastor Angelina Da Costa stood firm in the face of death threats when she first preached the Gospel in Timor at the age of 18 or 19.

From left to right: Pastor Tomas (Timor), Pastor Andrew (Singapore) and Pastor Angelina (Timor) recall their first days serving in Timor and the fruit they have since seen.

A milestone on the late Pastor Rick Seaward’s birthday

The joyful reunion and first-in-Singapore gathering of the 200 Timor missionaries, pastors and ministry partners hailing from Kenya, Indonesia, Brazil, Philippines, New Zealand, USA and Singapore, as well as Timor-Leste, bore testimony to the beautiful unity of what missionary Hazel Tan describes as “a wonderful spiritual family the Lord has given us”.

Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Singapore, His Excellency Alexander Tilman (standing, right) being welcomed to the LoveTimor 21st anniversary celebration by Chairman of LoveSingapore Senior Pastor Jeff Chong (left).

“You are His Story,” Pastor Selvam Muttu, Executive Director of Transformation Alliance, told the crowd, the majority of whom have invested their lives serving in the churches, schools and communities of Timor-Leste.

Happy reunions of pastors from different countries who have served alongside each other in Timor-Leste.

Greetings and gift exchanges marked the air of goodwill at the 21st anniversary celebration.

Ambassador of Timor-Leste to Singapore, His Excellency Alexander Tilman, was presented at the celebration, jointly organised by Transformation Alliance, LoveSingapore, Faith Community Baptist Church, Covenant Evangelical Free Church, Victory Family Centre and host Bethesda Bedok-Tampines Church.

“You are His Story,” Pastor Selvam Muttu, Executive Director of Transformation Alliance, told the crowd, the majority of whom – young and old – have invested their lives serving in the churches, schools and communities of Timor-Leste, some even before its independence in 2002.

September 18 also happened to be the late Pastor Rick Seaward’s birthday. He would have been 70 today, reminded Pastor Selvam in a poignant moment. A bouquet of flowers and a heartfelt hug were given to his wife, Diane Seaward, by Pastor Acy, who was one of the late Pastor Rick’s translators in Timor.

Pastor Acy (standing, right), with a bouquet and warm greetings for Diane Seaward (standing, left). Pastor Acy was one of the translators for the late Pastor Rick Seaward in Timor.

Diane Seaward, whose husband, the late Rev Dr Rick Seaward was honoured for inspiring the LoveTimor movement 25 years ago. Pastor Rick would have celebrated his 70th birthday on September 18.

Glorifying God and honouring the missionaries present for “the audacious journey of obedience and faith to love our neighbour, Timor-Leste”, Pastor Selvam noted that the journey of LoveTimor is a first in mission history where diverse churches from more than a dozen nations have banded together in a spirit of alliance to bless another nation.

“The biggest thing I celebrate is the unity of the churches,” Pastor Selvam added. “Timor-Leste will always have a special place in our Antioch calling.”

Faith Community Baptist Church Senior Pastor Daniel Khong, who is also a member of LoveSingapore’s leadership of LoveJapan, related to the listeners how, as he stood on Timorese soil for the first time in 2023, he sought God on whether to continue LoveSingapore’s involvement with Timor-Leste. As he stood praying in the midst of a rural field, he spotted a plaque that featured the flags of both Japan and Timor. God had spoken.

Senior Pastor Daniel Khong relating how, as he stood praying on Timorese soil for the first time in 2023, God spoke to him through a plaque that featured the flags of both Japan and Timor.

“That plaque has become a sort of landmark for my church, FCBC,” he said. “Every time we go on our different trips to Timor-Leste, I bring people to that landmark because it is our memorial stone. God did not speak to Daniel Khong that day; God spoke to FCBC.”

From receiving nation to Antioch

Almost 200 guests were gathered for LoveTimor Night on September 18, to celebrate 21 years of God’s divine favour upon Timor-Leste.

A visibly moved Pastor Eugene Seow summed up the special relationship between Singapore and Timor-Leste: “Why do we say Timor-Leste is God’s unique gift to Singapore? Because when we received the Timor call through Pastor Rick, if we had not been faithful in that little thing (Matthew 25:21-23), even that would have been taken from us and we would have missed our Antioch call. Timor restored and secured Singapore’s calling and destiny as an Antioch of Asia.”   

Seeing the two nations in the light of two “generations” walking together in unity and purpose, he added: “God is going to take Timor-Leste and Singapore beyond just the gift of missions and calling, to a new level of spiritual alliance and relationship. When Timor sees and births visions and Singapore continues to dream dreams, the nations will be our inheritance!” (Joel 2:28)

“When Timor sees and births visions and Singapore continues to dream dreams, the nations will be our inheritance!” declared Pastor Eugene Seow.

The evening ended with the sacrament of Holy Communion and the impassioned prayers of the 200 present over:

1. Singapore’s 60th birthday
2. Singapore’s Antioch calling
3. Timor joining ASEAN (in October 2025)
4. Timor’s Antioch calling
5. Timor missionaries past and present 

“To our Timor-Leste brothers and sisters here,” said Pastor Eugene, “God is moving you from being a nation that receives, to a nation that goes forth to be an Antioch. God is stirring up a new spirit in Timor!”

Praying over Timor-Leste, a nation beloved by the missionaries and churches in the room.

(Read here for a moving look-back at the spiritual empowerment of a nation, one “suku” (village) at a time, and a look-forward to Timor-Leste from receiving church to sending church, in the words of four people who have sown into LoveTimor: Senior Pastor of FCBC Daniel Khong, Executive Director of Transformation Alliance Pastor Selvam Muttu, Timor missionary Pastor Sarah Chan, and Co-founder of Cocoon Wong Li Shan.)

From gang violence with bows and arrows, to youths clutching precious Bibles, LoveTimor missionaries recall the past 21 years

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