Longing For Revival Again : Testimonies From A Worship And Intercession Trip To Bario
by Carolyn Boin
46 years ago, God brought revival to Malaysia, not in the bustling cities of Kuala Lumpur, Kuching, or Kota Kinabalu, but a quiet and underdeveloped village of Bario, Sarawak. The Kelabits, a considerably minor tribe numbering about 5,000-6,000, was shaken by the fear of the Lord as His power came upon them.
On 17-23 November 2019, I was privileged to be a part of the WAIT* team that went to this historically sacred place. There, in Bario, we laboured in worship and intercession in a land where revival once broke out mightily.
I've been to other villages and communities for ministry, but there was something different about Bario. I don't know if it was the fact that I felt more present there since I didn't get any internet till I left the place, or if it was really because I talked and walked with most of the villagers who lived through the period of revival back in the '70s. There's a tremor in my spirit whenever I think about it: the men and women I met in the village were never the same because of the outpouring, and while many talk about revival as though they were long-ago bedtime stories, they lived in its reality, and are still yearning for it today.
*WAIT stands for Worship and Intercession Trip. This term was coined by one of our friends at PenHOP who first took a team to do strategic worship and intercession times around Penang Island several years ago.
The Longhouse Prayer Meeting
Our team of 14 from Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and Miri arrived on 18 November. On the first day, we visited a longhouse and met with Pastor Rachel Bulan's (daughter of Pastor Solomon Bulan, co-author of The Bario Revival) uncle, Panai Aran, who showed us around and shared tons of stories about his people. It was said in the book The Bario Revival that the Kelabits were considered a very progressive tribe in Sarawak, and it is proven to be true, even unto this generation. On the walls of the longhouse, some of the families living there hung photos of themselves receiving medals from the government, and even photos of their children and grandchildren in their graduation robes. Uncle Panai Aran would say things such as he is the first Kelabit doctor or he is the first Kelabit pilot as he pointed to the photos. The pride and joy were evident in him; his people are blessed, though small in number.
After the longhouse tour, we sat down in his living room. We got the privilege of hearing from Uncle Panai Aran and his wife about what it was like for them to live during the time of revival. They talked about how the community would gather together to worship and pray, having genuine repentance in their hearts as they do so. They saw reconciliations in relationships and transformations in the lives of individuals. They didn't just remain in the comfortable atmosphere of personal revival, but they were also compelled to travel on foot from one village to another to preach the Gospel. I wondered at the almost nonchalant way that they talked about the miracles that happened. It was as though they were implying, "Oh, yes. Of course, it happened!" I think we're so caught up in gold dust and floating angel feathers today that we've come to use that as a gauge as to whether a revival is happening or not. It isn't so with these Kelabits. They know that signs and wonders mean nothing if they still couldn't love God more than their lives.
After the sharing by the couple, we retreated to their dining room for a time of worship and prayer, and the intensity was probably reminiscent of the prayer gatherings that happened in the longhouse in the '70s. I had the honour of leading the team into a time of worship, and as we did, one thing stood out for me: the longing for revival today is merely the tip of the iceberg to our souls' true longing: for Christ to come back again and establish Himself on earth forever and ever. In the '70s, the Kelabits sang songs like, "Tuhan Yesus hampir datang buat ambil pengantin-Nya (The Lord Jesus is coming to claim His bride)." That afternoon, we sang, "Behold, the Tabernacle of God will be with man ..." There was a prophetic move of God as Pastor Rachel, Uncle Panai Aran, and his wife prayed as representatives of the Kelabit community. We believe that the release of their cry broke the glass ceiling over Bario for the greater outpouring of God.
A Kelabit Missionary
In the evening, we were treated to a fun night of cultural immersion at another longhouse. There, one of the elderly women in the performing group came to me right after the end of their song presentation, and said, in a clear Sabahan accent, "Kamu, Sabah dari mana (Which part of Sabah are you from)?"
Turned out that Auntie Sigang Liduh, the 80-something-year-old grandmother, and her family used to be missionaries in my hometown, Tuaran, and Kota Belud back when she was in her twenties. They had to be sent back to Sarawak for safety reasons during the Indonesian Confrontation of 1963. We had a long conversation that night, and the happiness was so evident in her face as she talked with me - a Sabahan of this generation. The years spent in Sabah to labour for the Gospel was so precious to her. I hope and pray that one day, I can be like her too: looking back at my days of serving Him in my youth with much gladness, and joyfully testifying about it to the next generation.
Revival Hill Worship
One of the assignments for me on this trip was to release the Malay songs that I've written over the past two years as a way to prophetically bless the land. This was done on Revival Hill, close to the exact site where the Holy Spirit first manifested among the students on 3 October 1973. I also got to share about the things that I felt God showed me in the process of songwriting. The songs are dedicated to two groups of people: the native peoples of Malaysia, and the persecuted church. The native church has a huge role to play in the outcome of revival, which is the ushering of the harvest among the peoples of Malaysia. Unless the native church arises, we won't be able to see this come to pass. I believe that as we worshipped on the hill, something was stirred up again in the hearts of the people of the land in preparing them for what is to come in this nation.
Another Stirring of Revival
On the 20th, we met together as a team in the morning for a time of devotion. Pastor Solomon Bulan shared with us about his first-hand experience of revival in the '70s. He was a teacher-in-charge of the Inter-School Christian Fellowship (ISCF) back then who prayerfully sought for a personal revival in his life. The wave of revival hit the students first where they began to wail in grief over their sins, afterwards confessing of their sins to one another openly. It resulted in times of fervent prayer and worship in the days that followed, and these same students would walk in boldness, preaching the Gospel with signs, wonders, and miracles.
To me, what was most encouraging was when Pastor Solomon mentioned that - as recent as a month before that - there was a new stirring for revival among the students at the nearby Bario Secondary School. I could see the genuine excitement in his eyes. For him and his wife, revival isn't just for their generation. It is also for their children and the generations to come. We ended the time of devotion by praying towards the school, especially for the students who were fervently pursuing God in prayer.
That evening, he went to the school and looked for the students who have been meeting regularly for prayer. He found Valerie, Vanessa, and Ella - Penan girls still in their early teenage years - and introduced them to us. They looked unassuming and shy as it is with most native girls, but they had stories to tell. Valerie told us about how they started a club at school called "God's Princess" where the girls would gather and pray for one another, often breaking out in spontaneous prophetic songs, visions, tongues, and interpretation of tongues. Vanessa shared about how when she was 13, God would always say to her, "Return to Me, because I am coming soon," and how that became a catalyst for her journey in searching for God deeply with her friends at school. Ella mentioned how when she was 12, she was prayed for and healed from a massive headache, and then received the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues for the first time.
That night, I got to encourage them to pursue songwriting, even if they didn't know how the songs were going to be released. I was wholly encouraged to know that even before I am out there to teach my people about prophetic worship, they were already doing it. These are the ones who will compose songs that will prepare the world for His coming.
We prayed for them afterwards and in turn, they led us into a time of prayer. They laid hands on us, took the oil and anointed us, and encouraged us to pursue intimacy with God over all things just as how Mary sat at Jesus' feet. They also prophesied over us, saying that God is preparing us for a ministry unto the end times. All these coming from 14 and 15-year old girls! Being a tribal myself, I know that the young people would typically shy away from being outspoken. But these girls were different - they stood in their authority as God's princesses to pray and prophesy over people much older than them. The Holy Spirit's work within them was undeniable. I was so proud of the girls. I was excited too because they're going to do greater things and go further than my team members and me.
I didn't see it but someone in the team said that Pastor Solomon wiped tears from his eyes when he saw the girls praying over the adults. That was how it was back in 1973. I don't know why he cried, but perhaps he knew that he no longer needed to merely reminisce about the revival in the past. It is happening again. It is touching the children today.
What Now?
I don't fully know what would happen next, but I have this strong sense that He's saying - not just to me but also to others in the team - that the departure from Bario wasn't the end. What was felt was just the stirring. I don't know about others, but I desire to come back again, especially for people like Valerie, Vanessa, and Ella. There are things that He's putting in my heart about it which I'm not ready to share yet as I'm supposed to labour first in prayer for them.
As you read this, I want to give this challenge to you. Would you spend time asking the Lord this question: "How can I serve the native peoples of Malaysia so that they can come into their destiny?" Being a native myself, I sometimes find myself struggling with a spiritual inferiority complex when I'm among non-natives, and I think it stems from what the enemy's been trying to do all this while to silence the voices of the first peoples of the land. There must be a reason why the enemy is so intimidated by the release of our voices.
There were moments, though, when I heard my fellow natives pray in boldness, and when they did, it almost seemed like the Lion was roaring through them. The natives possess a unique war-faring zeal when it comes to worship and intercession, and Malaysia needs to hear their voices blaring loudly for such a time as this. Would you pray and ask Him to give you the grace to come alongside us, so our roar will be unlocked for the sake of the peoples in our nation - and unto His return?