Listen to His voice calling out to you...

Bass Playing, Project Work, Gen12ii

Sunday, 25 March 2007

Sorry for the delayed post, i was quite busy and caught up with other stuff for the past 1 month or so.

Recently i met up with Manson, a staff with Forerunner, the music ministry arm of Campus Crusade for Christ, for some bass pointers. i got to know him through my audition for TURT, and after i was told i would not be chosen to go for TURT, i asked if i could meet up with him for some lessons, and he agreed. i guess it's really a blessing from God, he's a busy man, but he still chose to agree to spend some time with me.

So we met up last Monday at GCTC. After more than 2 hours of consultation, i realise just how lousy my bass playing really is. i was branded as a beginner, and forced to go back to the basics. It seems that i have been playing the wrong way since 3 years ago when i first touched a bass guitar. i really thank God for sending someone like Manson to guide me in my bass playing, if not i would have continued playing wrongly for the next few years, and by then it would be very hard for me to change my playing style. i also learnt a lot about humility, and learning from others. i want to learn to be more humble in whatever i do, and to always have the attitude of wanting to learn from others, rather than thinking that i'm better than everyone or that i already know this or that. It's the same for guitar, i must learn not to look down on others or to show off whenever i have the chance to. i hope people will tell me where i can improve on rather than to tell me that i did a good job or that i played well. It's more of a way for me to keep my feet on the ground.

There was this project which i did with a crusader, whose working style is totally different from mine. She is everything i am not, and i would not hesitate to say that there were a few instances where we did not see eye to eye. She is much more hardworking than me, and she takes the initiative in doing things and arranging to meet up to do the project etc. i learnt a lot from this experience, because i realise how slack and lazy i am, and if i work just a little bit harder, my CAP score would not be as low as what it is now. Still, i frequently label myself as a slacker and give all sorts of reasons and excuses for not working harder in terms of my studies. i hope to change my attitude asap! Also, i learnt how to prioritise and how to say "no" when i have to. If i say yes to everything, i do not have to study anymore. This is a valuable lesson which i hope to apply when i go to Year 3 next academic year.

Last but not least, my first mission trip! Finally the venue, duration and other details have been sorted out. I'll be going to North East Thailand, to the province of Khon Kaen, for a duration of about 3 weeks, starting from 4th June. More details will be posted here when the newsletter is done. A major concern for me is that i was asked to be the Team Leader (TL) of the mission team. Even though i had reservations about the job, i agreed to take it up. My major thoughts were that this is my first time going on a mission trip, so i'm definitely inexperienced in making important decisions, and i felt very inadequate. However, i got to talk to Yi Xin by chance (or rather by God's deliberation) and He used her to encourage me to take the step of faith and take the job. i was also reminded that it is not by my own strength but by God who is the source of our strength. As it is said in Ephesians 3:20, "To Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us...", and also in Philippians 4:13, "I can do everything through Him who gives me strength." My prayer is that He will continue to uphold me in these few months of preparation and also for the trip itself.

Thanks be to God!

giving thanks at 16:50 :)