Reflections of my life

Doulos!

2009-10-11T21:22:00.002+08:00

today after lunch i had the opportunity to go to the OM ship MV Doulos! not that it was my 1st time, but it's always nice to go onto a ship that has brought probably thousands of Christians and missionaries around the globe. i can't imagine being on the ship for 3 months, as some of my friends have done. i bought a book by George Verwer, the founder of OM, while on the ship. didn't manage to see the 4 friends whom i met in August, when Doulos was at Bangkok.

thank God for leading me through my sharing during church service today! i was so nervous, everyone could tell. but in the end things were ok, and i was glad to reminisce all the happy memories. makes me miss Ban Chang again...

back in Singapore

2009-10-02T15:13:00.000+08:00

i'm finally back in Singapore! looking back, it has been a fun and eventful 2 months in Thailand... i miss Ban Chang a lot! the first night will be the worst! but hopefully things will go back to normal for me... have to get used to life in Singapore again. i think the language is the hardest for me, because after speaking Thai for 2 months, it's hard to suddenly change back to English, Mandarin and Singlish seamlessly. good thing is that i can look forward to the end of this month, when some of the church leaders from Ban Chang will be coming to Singapore to attend pastor Pairoj's ordination at SAC.

i really learnt and experienced a lot during these past 2 months, and i see first hand how God is working in Thailand through the church. i hope i get the opportunity to be involved in the ministry in Thailand, though i don't know what God has in store for me with regards to Thai ministry.

days numbered

2009-09-16T22:32:00.002+08:00

time flies, and before i knew it, it will be another 2 weeks before i go back to Singapore. though i miss being in Singapore and everyone there, especially my family, i will also definitely miss everyone in Ban Chang when i'm back. so i'm trying not to think about it haha...

anyway last week was good, Wai Kit and i went to a secondary school to teach English on Wed to Fri, besides the English Club at the low cost housing, and on Sat morning. also, we had visitors! Pastor Stephen, uncle Beng Hong and uncle Lester came to visit Ban Chang on Friday! though they only stayed for one night, and had to go back to Bangkok on Saturday morning, their presence, words and prayers encouraged me a lot. they could have stayed at Bangkok but they chose to come to visit me, even though it was a rush for them. it was good to hear that everything was ok back in Singapore, and thank God that uncle Beng Hong brought the latest Every Day With Jesus for me! not to mention my capo, which Simon told Michelle to ask pastor Stephen to bring (complicated right). it was immediately put to good use, when i played a couple of songs in the key of F on Sunday.

speaking of which, pastor Lawrence Seow came on Sunday! when i asked him why he wanted to come to Ban Chang again, he said that he likes the spirit of the people here, and i cannot agree more with him. anyway he was his usual self, preaching with power and authority, and with jokes in between of course. i'll never forget his classic "i checked the word 'all' in the dictionary, and all means all" phrase. pastor Anong had to stop herself from laughing before translating to Thai. but jokes aside, it was really a good time of ministry, as there were many church members who came up for prayer, and last week there were a lot of people who came for service, to the extent that there was not enough chairs for everyone. so thank God for that!

i may be playing bass for worship this Sunday! though i like playing acoustic guitar, i found that my hands were itching for bass, which affirms my passion for the lower octaves. the bass guitar that they use in church is a Squier Jazz Bass, which is exactly what i have in Singapore!

please pray for me as i will be alone in church next week for 3 days (Mon-Wed) because the school term will end, and the RCDC (Rainbowland Child Development Centre) teachers will be going for a retreat. i'm asked to take care of Mild, the 5-year-old daughter of one of the teachers, during the daytime, so please pray for protection and safety. pastor Anong's son will be around, but he goes to school during the day.

busy week

2009-09-07T23:44:00.002+08:00

i had a busy week! first was the outreach event on 1-2 sept. it was fantastic! after giving out the flyers, i was not sure how many people would come for the event, but thank God that He brought the people in! it was great to see the people flocking to the front for prayer after the service, and pastor Lawrence was very encouraged by the response too. all in all there are many things to thank God for!

on Saturday, Wai Kit woke up feeling acute pains in his stomach, apparently he had food poisoning. he was vomiting even though there was nothing to vomit out already, and the acute stomach pains would come once every few minutes. in the end we sent him to the hospital at Ban 10km (not the nearest hospital, but better than that at Ban Chang), and Wai Kit got a jab and rested at the hospital for half a day. i had to go back to church to conduct the English Club so i could not be with him, but pastor Anong stayed behind to take care of things. apparently she also vomited the night before, so we were thinking through about what the 2 of them ate that caused the food poisoning. in the end we concluded that it was a batch of oysters which Nep brought to church on Friday. naturally i did not eat it, so thank God i did not suffer from the food poisoning. anyway after resting for the whole day, Wai Kit and pastor Anong were quite ok on Sunday, and now they have fully recovered, so thank God for that!

sick!

2009-08-30T22:51:00.002+08:00

i've been a bit sick for the past few days. it started with a little cough, and then slowly became a sore throat, and Fri-Sat was the worst, with fever and runny nose. thank God that i was brought to see a "doctor", who gave me a lot of medicine! there's one set of 2 pills which is to be taken twice a day before food, 3 pills to be taken 3 times a day after meals, and 2 pills to be taken once every 4 hours! that adds up to like 20+ pills a day! which is crazy! of course, being the forgetful person that i am, i forgot to take some of the pills, and i think it's impossible to follow everything strictly, but thank God i'm feeling much better now. the fever has gone down, and my throat is not sore anymore. what's left is a bit of runny nose and cough.

anyway my new roommate Wai Kit is here! he will be staying here for the next 2 weeks, and we will be working together for teaching English at various schools in Ban Chang and also at the English Club. he has been here for 3-4 times before, and the longest stay is 2 months, so i will definitely learn much from him!

This Tues and Wed is the outreach event already! please pray for all aspects: the people coming to listen, the worship team, the people preparing food and the drivers, Pastor Lawrence, Pastor Ching Wah and the team from Bangkok.

3rd week in Thailand

2009-08-25T23:43:00.003+08:00

it's the beginning of yet another week! i really thank God for bringing me through the past week, it has been tiring, but looking back i really enjoyed the moments. i'm having a great time with the kids, being arrowed to go up to the stage to dance in front of everyone, teaching ABC to the nursery kids, leading the kids to and from the toilet, helping to put on and take off their shoes when going out to play, feeding them during mealtime, patting them to sleep during their afternoon nap etc.

i also enjoy talking to the youth and the teachers at the childcare centre, entertaining their jokes about buying watches from Singapore, talking about things like whether Thai girls or Singapore girls are prettier, why there is no such thing as a Singapore language (but there's Singlish!), whether a civil engineering graduate can help out at the church backyard etc. as i become more comfortable with everyone, i'm slowly able to initiate conversations with them.

i'm more able to handle kids now, after helping out at nursery, teaching English to primary school students, and interacting with the church youth. though sometimes it's frustrating when Guitar (a 5-year-old girl) tries to tell me something but i do not understand at all haha... looks like i have to brush up on my efforts to improve my Thai!

a youth from St James' Church will be coming to join me this coming Sunday! his name is Wai Kit (not sure if any of you know him or not), and he came to Ban Chang for 2 months before serving the army. now he just ORDed so he will be at Ban Chang for 2 weeks i think. at last i have company (from Singapore)! Pastor Stephen, uncle Lester and uncle Beng Hong will be visiting me in Sept too! at least they will get to see what is being done here.

yesterday P'Kat brought me to eat at MK sukiyaki! not sure if there is such a restaurant in Singapore (i'm super swagu!) or not. when Man and i went to Black Canyon for coffee 2 Saturdays ago, i told him that there's no Black Canyon in Singapore. but it was then that we realised that on the Black Canyon bonus points card was written: Thai, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Burma, Dubai, Kampuchea (in Thai). so it seems that there is a Black Canyon in Singapore, but i don't know about it. what's new? haha... i must check with Matt about this.

2 days of kids

2009-08-19T21:18:00.002+08:00

taking care of kids is tiring! for the past 2 days, i have been waking up at 6 plus, and taking care of kids until evening time, before going to teach English at the low-cost housing estate (for yesterday) and going for prayer meeting (just now). teaching English to Nep in the afternoon for 1.5 hours is considered a break for me haha... looks like i'll be sleeping earlier and earlier at night from now on, if not i'll struggle to wake up in the morning! the good thing is that the kids are cute, and they are definitely different from kids in Singapore! Nong guitar has been sticking to me for the past 2 days, so i've been teaching her how to count from one to ten in Chinese, since she knows how to count in Thai and English already :) by the way, her mom is my colleague in the childcare centre, and her dad is a friendly guy who will be leading worship this coming week! it will be his 1st time too! Pastor Pairoj will be coming for service this Sunday so he's stressed about leading worship haha... if you remember, Pastor Pairoj comes to Ban Chang fortnightly, and he has a high standard for worship and music!

i'm really thankful for Pastor Anong and her 2 "sidekicks": P' Kat and Baa Lam Yay (aunt Longan)! these 3 women of God have been helping me very much in settling in, and in filling me in whenever we go for cell groups and house visits to pray for people. Pastor Anong is very thankful to God for the 2 of them because they follow her whenever she goes for visits, and are very faithful in praying and serving God, all of which i have seen and praised God for. Even for today's prayer meeting, there were a total of 5 people: Pastor Anong, me, one of the teachers at the childcare centre, and guess who? the 2 faithful women of God! P' Kat is very funny and caring, she tries to learn the Chinese for "God bless you" (神赐福于你) but struggles with the 4th word, because there is no such sound in Thai. she also likes to buy a lot of food, making all of us fat haha! for Baa Lam Yay, she went with pastor Anong and me to the inter-religion seminar and translated for me the whole 2 hours when pastor Anong was on stage. she also has a heart of evangelism, reminding me of my mom! last night she talked to someone who apparently came to church before but not anymore, when we were at the local hospital visiting a sick church member. she encouraged the woman to come to church this week, and also for the evangelistic event on 1-2 Sept. pastor Anong couldn't remember the person when she was introduced, so it's good that Baa Lam Yay helped to befriend the woman when she came to church.

moment of the day: when the kids sang to Don Moen's Give Thanks. the combination of doing the sign language, Don Moen's classic voice, and seeing the kids sing and wave their hands was overwhelming. i had to try very hard to keep the tears from coming out (not very good to tear in front of kids haha...), but it's moments like this that i treasure. there are strangely many moments like this in Thailand... i wonder if that means my heart was so hardened that God had to bring me to Thailand to soften it, or something else...

พรุ่งนี้ tomorrow

2009-08-17T18:21:00.002+08:00

it has been a week since i came to Ban Chang. i won't say i have gotten used to life here yet, but everything is fine for now. in the span of one week, and by God's grace, i managed to make friends with the Thais here, including children, youth, adults in church, and teachers at the childcare centre. they have really helped me to feel comfortable and ease into the Thai way of life. maybe it's the culture, but i have not received any criticisms of any sort for now. not that i receive a lot in Singapore (!), but i guess i got used to having constructive comments coming my way before coming to Thailand. it's true that generally Thais have a "mai pen rai" (never mind) attitude, especially towards people from other countries, but as Christians we cannot say mai pen rai to everything. whenever there's an opportunity to share Christ, we take it. and we thank God for everything that comes our way, good or bad.

yesterday i played acoustic guitar for service! of course it has always been a privilege and honour to serve God through music, but i felt really moved whenever i worship, especially yesterday when we sang my favourite Thai worship song: Phrung Nii (Tomorrow). the song talks about not being able to predict what will happen tomorrow, but we don't have to worry or be afraid, because we can place our hopes in Christ. this song is special to me because it reminds me of my Khon Kaen days 2 years ago, when we learnt and sang this song for the students before we left. it also reminds me of the time when Terence Koh and i sang this song for our Thai teachers after our Thai 3 oral exam in NUS. never did i dream of singing this song on stage in church as a worship song. by the way i'll be playing acoustic guitar for the next few weeks, because apparently there isn't a free acoustic guitarist at the moment, and my pro roommate Man has to play keyboard and electric guitar.

also, i ran today! my 1st training for 42km this Dec. the facts are that i ran for 1 hour, and many times during the run, i wanted to stop, but in the end i didn't, so thank God for sustaining me haha... what i don't know is how far i actually ran. if i calculate by worst case scenario, assuming i ran 2.4km in 15-20mins on average, the total distance for 1 hour would be about 7-9km. i ran towards the Phala beach but turned back at a point about 3km away, so that should mean that the beach is about 7-8km away. and if i want to achieve my target of running to the beach and back, it means that i have to run about 16km. hmm... oh ya, at some points of my run i got barked at and chased by dogs. thank God they were all bark and no bite, because i don't think i'd be able to outrun the dogs haha...

please pray for me as i try to share with a group of Thai workers who come to the church to do some construction work every day. some of them can speak Mandarin because they worked in Taiwan before, but some of the things which they say to me are not so nice, eg, 来，我带你去找女人 (come, i bring you to find women). the fact that they learn these phrases means to me that probably they did those things when in Taiwan, and maybe here in Thailand too. by God's grace i can get them to come for service this Sunday, or even better, come for an evangelistic rally on 1-2 Sept. by the way, the speaker for the event is none other than Pastor Lawrence Seow!

pray also that as i start my 1st proper week in ministry (last week was orientation week), i'll be able to transit from the "trying to get used to things" attitude to the "take initiative to do things" attitude. until now i still have the 1st attitude, doing what i'm told to do, speaking only when spoken to etc, which is fine for a while. to be an effective servant i must adopt the 2nd attitude, being able to help others, rather than wait for others to help me. of course this also means having a close walk with God, feeding on His Word so that i can in turn feed others.

thanks for your prayers thus far! God has indeed been gracious and faithful :) i trust that God will use me to bless the people here, even as i am blessed by them already.

what time is it?

2009-08-15T22:46:00.003+08:00

yesterday i was too tired to update my blog after coming back from cell. so today i shall update for 2 days. yesterday morning i helped out at the childcare centre, it was so funny because i was asked to dance in front of the kids along with the other teachers, but i didn't know how to dance! i had to keep glancing to my right and left to follow the other teachers. pastor even recorded the scene on her camera! i hope no one sees it haha... anyway taking care of the kids was fun! i was asked to help out with the pre-school kids, and they were so cute!! they would come to me and ask me to play with them. they would climb all over me if i sit down, and would hug my legs if i was standing. some of them would talk to me non-stop, whether i understood or not. taking care of children is hard work, but when you see them being happy, enjoying themselves, learning things etc, i think it is worth it. just ask any parent :)

after lunch i had english lesson with Nep, before continuing to help out at the childcare centre. i sat with the kids as they watched a Mickey Mouse cartoon while waiting for their parents to fetch them home. 2 of the kids came to me, and sat on my lap watching the cartoon. one of them is named Guitar! i told her that she must learn how to play guitar, because her name is guitar haha... anyway the cartoon was very entertaining, not because i like Mickey Mouse cartoons, but because Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy were speaking in Thai! can you imagine that?? i found it so amusing that i laughed, much to the astonishment of the teachers and kids haha...

this morning we had our 1st English Club! we had games to help the primary school kids to learn english in a fun way, and taught an english song too: This Is the Day. there were about 14 kids in total, and the theme of the day was about time, hence the title of this blog entry. i had to teach the kids in the Caucasian way, eg quarter past six, half past nine, quarter to eleven. it was something which i had to get used to as well, because we don't speak like this in singapore :) i was supposed to speak only english for the whole lesson, but i kept forgetting and spoke thai very often haha... it has become natural for me to speak thai already, to the extent that i have to keep reminding myself to speak english during lesson.

i had lunch outside church with Man (my roommate who came back from seminary school in Bangkok), and went shopping for clothes! because i need to wear polo tee when helping out at the childcare centre, but i only brought 2 from singapore. after that we had coffee at Black Canyon before going back to church. i spent an hour helping P' Iw (the principal of the childcare centre) with her english, before going for band prac! i played acoustic guitar, and really enjoyed myself, worshipping while playing. i guess i miss playing for worship :) of course it helps when some of the songs are translated from english, like today's 1st 2 songs: Come On and Celebrate, and My Life Is In You. tomorrow is Sunday! :)

please pray for the bricklaying at the church backyard, because the quality of the bricks is not good, they break too easily. pastor Anong has contacted the contractor who supplied the bricks, but they do not want to take responsibility for it. the church is not rich, and pastor Anong had to pay quite a big sum for the bricks, so please pray for God to make a way, in terms of providing replacement cost.

body ache day

2009-08-13T23:36:00.002+08:00

thank God for rest! throughout today my body has been aching all over (as predicted), so i did not do much. wanted to start my running today but decided not to in the end. taught English to a youth Nep in the afternoon, and went for cell group in the evening. thank God that this time i was not too nervous, and managed to participate in the discussion for a bit, though everything was in Thai.

tomorrow is my first day joining in the childcare centre! will be taking care of the kids, though i don't know what i'll be doing exactly. will try to take some photos :) also, on Sat there will be an English Club for the kids, where i'll be teaching English in fun and interactive ways. so i pray for innovative ideas and for me to be able to excite the children haha... i don't interact with kids much so it will be something new for me. but as God has been helping me with my Thai and my testimony, i'm sure He will help me with this too! that's the thing about doing God's work in the mission field, you will surely have to rely on Him!

bricklaying day

2009-08-12T21:55:00.003+08:00

(my room, complete with guitar, bed, laptop, coke, Bible, 2 pillows, fan, and fridge! see if you can spot them all)

today was a tiring day! it was good that i could sleep in, so i only woke up at 9am. there were no kids to wake me, because today is mothers' day in Thailand, which is a holiday. anyway after breakfast we started work on laying bricks at the church backyard. first we put sand on the ground to level it, and then spray water onto the sand to firm it up. this took us until lunchtime. after that we started to put the bricks on the ground, knocking each brick on its sides so that it fits nicely with the others. there were more than a thousand bricks, so it took us until dinnertime, but alas there were not enough to finish the whole backyard. so there is still a quarter more to go, which will require about 500 bricks i think. a couple of church ladies also helped us out, including a total of 8-9 guys including me, so some of us could take a break if we wanted. we were served very well too, with regular serving of soft drinks, fruit and even iced coffee! it felt very good holding the cup of ice coffee in one hand, and a brick in the other. the ladies even stood above us with big umbrellas during the heat of the afternoon, though in the end i still got burnt. anyway it was a good workout for me, my 1st exercise for some time. i hope i don't wake up tomorrow feeling sore all over!

thank God for leading 1 of the youths to salvation! her name is Ploi, and her mom and grandma are Christians, but she was not. however, according to pastor Anong, she always comes to church to help out with the childcare centre and attends church service. the pastor has always asked her to accept Christ but she would refuse. but yesterday, when pastor Anong casually asked Ploi if she was ready to accept Christ as her personal Lord and Saviour, she said yes! i was very happy for her too because she's one of the youths whom i got to spend more time with. she helped me when i went shopping for some stuff at Tesco-Lotus, and i went to her place with pastor Anong before. she's also learning Chinese so it's very interesting to try to talk to her in Mandarin. i have been speaking Thai almost all the time, so it's refreshing to be able to speak in English or Mandarin. i really hope that by the end of the 2 months, i'll be able to have a good grasp of Thai, because as of now i still don't understand everything. only when simple words are used, and when spoken slowly, then i can understand fully.

tomorrow is another rest day for me! but at night i'll be going for another cell group, where i will have to share my thai testimony again! even though i'll be reading exactly the same thing as before, i think i'll be nervous again, so i pray for God to strengthen me.

what do you see?

2009-08-11T22:40:00.003+08:00

(the beautiful hills behind the church)

in the spirit of National Day... what do you see... what do you see?

i see opportunities and potential for Christ Church Ban Chang. as i took my focus away from my own selfish needs to what God is doing in the church, i can really thank God along with the pastor here. this morning i went with pastor and another church lady to nearby Rayong (industrial town) for a mother's day ceremony and religious seminar. representatives from Buddhism, Islam and Christianity (that's us) were there, and a rep from each religion was asked to sit in front and talk about their own religion. so pastor Anong got the chance to talk about the things that are essential to the Christian faith. though the seminar was based on the understanding that all religions are equally good and similar, i hope and pray that at least pastor Anong set some of the listeners wondering and curious to find out more about Jesus Christ.

in the evening we went to give out flyers at a nearby housing estate inviting primary school kids to an English Club, where i will teach english in a fun way (this is the hard part). please pray for me as i prepare the lessons, as i cannot imagine myself as someone who can teach interestingly haha... you can give me ideas too, like quiz, flash cards, some english game (Scrabble? haha...) etc. after dinner we went to a cell group in the same estate, and i managed to share my testimony in thai. it took me 2 days to prepare, so i thank God for being with me throughout. you should have seen how nervous i was as i stammered and stuttered my way through haha... anyway, 1 down, 2 more to go!

tomorrow i'll be doing something interesting: retiling the canteen floor! there will be 6 soldiers from the Royal Thai Army helping me (or rather, i'll be helping them), so it will be interesting! at last i will sweat and work out haha...

day 4

2009-08-10T22:54:00.003+08:00

(my breakfast)

today is my first free day! free days can be quite eventful haha. i woke up at 9am, though was tossing and turning since 7am because of the kids downstairs! they are so cute haha... there's a childcare centre in the church on weekdays, so i think i'll be helping them with english later this week. anyway it was nice hearing all the kids counting (shouting) from one to ten in thai and in english. my breakfast was sticky rice with satay (of course they don't call it satay here), mini "you tiao" and soya bean drink with tao hui and red bean at the bottom. it was my fullest breakfast in a while haha... not to mention aroi (thai for delicious)!

after breakfast the pastor brought me out for a tour of Ban Chang, showing me where the local shopping centre is, the various 7-11s, and the beach! too bad i did not take photos of the beach, but anyway it was very beautiful! reminds me of my cycling trip to Desaru beach with my DG... i managed to do some shopping at Tesco-Lotus too. since i'll be running for this year's StanChart marathon, my aim is to be able to run to the beach and back to Ban Chang church by the end of my 2 months here. that will be close to 20km, if my calculations are correct.

after lunch i sat at the canteen in church and enjoyed the view of beautiful mountains in front of me as i prepared my testimony, and after that i went to help do some decorations in the sanctuary for mothers' day celebration tomorrow. i cannot be there though, as i will be following pastor to an inter-religion meeting at nearby Rayong. i'm not sure what to expect there, but i pray that it will be a fruitful time.

after dinner (which was so spicy that i took 3 glasses of cold water along with it), i went out again with pastor for some errands, and i managed to buy my long-missed Lipton Ice Tea! drinking it reminds me of my 2007 Khon Kaen trip :)

i'll be sleeping soon, because tomorrow is my first working day! i need to wake up early for devotion at 7am. i'll be giving out flyers at a nearby school to invite the students for english class, so please pray for good response. also i'll be sharing my testimony in a cell group in the evening, and i still have not finished it yet! so it seems like i cannot sleep so soon after all haha...

day 3

2009-08-09T21:14:00.003+08:00

(kids and youth washing the feet of their mothers during church service)

today is Sunday! during the church service we celebrated mother's day, because mother's day in Thailand is on 12 Aug, which is also the Queen's birthday. so the mothers were asked to go to the front to have their feet washed by their children. they were also asked to pray for their children while their feet were being washed. it was quite a touching sight as many tears were shed (mainly the mothers) and the mothers would hug the children after the washing was done. of course i thought about my mom, and how nice it would be if she was there and i could wash her feet :)

after that was a sumptuous lunch (as usual in Thailand) and a series of meetings of which i attended 2. the first was the worship team meeting, where the style of worship, technical and spiritual improvement of the band were discussed (sounds familiar?). i was introduced to the team, and was told that i would have the opportunity to play either acoustic or bass guitar in the coming weeks :) next was a youth leaders meeting, where i met with my roommate, another girl, and the pastor.

speaking of my roommate, he's a seminary student, and his college is in Bangkok, so he goes to Bangkok on Sundays and comes back on Fridays. he's 20 this year, and his guitar skills are awesome! just yesterday he showed me the Canon in D on electric guitar (ask any guitarist about it, they will know) and some other guitar pieces by a Japanese (forgot his name). he plays the electric and acoustic guitar, and he leads worship in the church in Ban Chang every week! today he played acoustic and led at the same time. he's well-liked by both adults and youth in the church, and the pastor is praying that he will come back to Ban Chang to serve after graduation :)

after that i took a nap before going for dinner, which was amazing! all the meals in thailand are fabulous! if the Huis were here they would immediately become fat! haha... the dinner today is a bimonthly church dinner, where the church members would bring some food to church to have dinner together. it was v nice, like a big family having a meal together. after that i managed to catch the last part of the NDP online. it felt very surreal watching the NDP on a computer in another country, as i would usually watch the parade on tv with either family or friends. i hope i can survive these 2 months without being too homesick haha... being alone adds on to it, because at least i would have someone to talk to and share with if i was not. in any case, i will spend more time with God, update my blog regularly, and go on Msn whenever possible :)

day 2

2009-08-08T22:44:00.003+08:00

(kids and helpers of the children's church dancing to One Way)

in the morning i went with the lady's son and the church worker from last night to Doulos! i did not know Doulos was in Bangkok, and i got the opportunity to see it! though i could not board it due to time constraints. we picked up 4 guys from the ship and then got back to the church, where the children's Saturday program was starting. guess what, the principal is the lady who opened the house the night before!

anyway it was really touching to see the Thai kids singing and jumping to "One Way", and raising their hands while kneeling and singing "I Could Sing of Your Love Forever" in Thai. i just cannot imagine Singaporean kids doing that, and also running around until they fall down on each other, but stand up laughing. i was quite concerned for them, but the helpers did not even move, as if they are used to kids behaving that way. the 4 guys from Doulos had a few programs to keep the children occupied, with songs, skit, testimony sharing etc.

after lunch at the church (prepared by the house lady and her helpers), i had to rush off to go to Ban Chang with the pastor who was with me on the flight last night. along the 2-hour journey by car, i was entertained by the scenery and also by the Christian mp3 songs being played in the car (in English). the scenery was almost like those in Malaysia, just replace the Malay words with Thai, replace the flags with Thai ones, replace the Agong pictures to those of the Thai king. as for the songs, there was a mixture of Don Moen, Hillsong, Ron Kenoly and Jeremy Camp, but the band which was most intriguing to me was Petra. imagine the Scissors Sisters singing in the style of Linkin Park to songs with lyrics like "God made Rock and Roll for us" and "He came, He saw, He conquered" in reference to Christ! anyway i will check them out on the net when i have the chance.

the church at Ban Chang is a nice place, the tallest building in the area is 4 storeys high, and there are mountains behind the church, so the view is very interesting. however i did not get much chance to tour around the town, so i have not seen much yet. after meeting the pastor in Ban Chang, i helped the youth with repainting some of the playground swings and structures, before having dinner consisting of omelette rice again! after that, i sat in for the band practice for tomorrow's worship, and i was told that i may have opportunity to play in the band! it's really something which i must thank God for :)

i had a meeting with the pastor not too long ago, so she already has a schedule prepared for me. i will be mainly teaching English and sharing my testimony in the various cell groups for next week. i challenged myself to prepare my testimony in Thai by this Tuesday, though i could prepare in English and the pastor can translate for me. so please pray for me for that. for now, i hope to get good rest, and enjoy my first Thai church service tomorrow!

thailand trip day 1

2009-08-08T01:01:00.003+08:00

(the kitchen with the chair used to climb in and out)

thanks to all who came to send me off tonight! i'm so sorry that i could not personally talk to each and every one of you, but i appreciate it a lot! thanks also to those who could not make it, but took the effort to call or sms me!

anyway after i boarded the plane, i spent an interesting 2 hours talking with the Thai pastor who went with me to Bangkok. with my half past six Thai, i managed to understand most of what he said, and he also managed to understand what i was trying to say. after alighting from the plane, we met with Ps Pairoj's wife and a church worker from Christ church bangkok who drove us almost half an hour through Bangkok to the church where the pastor took over the car and drove me to a stop at the junction of a small lane. there i was introduced to a lady who walked me along the narrow lane in between rows of old dilapidated houses, until we reached a 4-storey house with the name "Shalem House" in front. the lady then led me into the house, where i saw people lying down around the house. this intrigued me until the lady explained what the house is about.

before she did that, the lady led me to the kitchen (which we had to climb through because the kitchen actually belonged to the adjacent house!), and prepared a meal before me! it was omelette rice with cabbage soup mixed with egg tofu! though i must say i'm not a fan of cabbage, i was really touched by the hospitality of this Thai lady, and also by her heart of love as she shared with me about the house. it's actually a place for people whose family members are being treated at a nearby hospital to stay over for the night.

i almost expected to sleep on the floor beside the people whom i saw as i came up, when the lady then led me to a nice cosy room of my own! so all in all, in just a few hours after touching down in thailand, i feel very blessed already.

tomorrow i'll be going to Christ Church Bangkok to attend children's service before heading to Ban Chang after lunch. hopefully i'll be able to get a Thai SIM card by then, so i can call home etc. which means i should sleep now! thank God for His providence and blessings!

laptop status update

2009-06-24T13:11:00.002+08:00

yesterday i took out my laptop hard disk and connected it to the desktop to try to transfer the info out, but it took a very very long time... so this morning i removed the covers to the hard disk and processor from my laptop and switched the laptop on to see what would happen. it turns out that it works! so i managed to transfer my data out from the laptop to the external hard disk. even now i'm typing this blog entry from the laptop.

it seems that the problem is due to overheating, since i did not do anything much but remove the covers from the processor and hard disk. so now the cooling pad has direct access to the internal parts of the laptop. i hope that this can hold up for some time.

the demise of my laptop

2009-06-23T12:33:00.002+08:00

the day which i dreaded finally came... firstly, my laptop, which i bought in August 2005, shut down by itself. so i thought that it was due to overheating. but after trying with a laptop cooling pad and reformatting, the laptop still shuts down in a matter of minutes after i start it. i even tried reformatting it, thinking that maybe it was something which i installed after reformat which caused the auto shutdown, but the laptop shut down by itself in the midst of reformatting. so i cannot even access my hard disk now.

i'm still not giving up, so i will send an email to Acer service support regarding my problem, and try dismantling my laptop to see if there is any visible hardware damage. i may also take out the hard disk from the laptop and try connecting it to my desktop to retrieve the files inside.

i really hope that the laptop can still survive for a couple of years more, but it may not be worth the extra maintenance costs. since i do not have an immediate need for a computer to work on, i shall wait and see what happens to my enquiry with Acer, and then evaluate whether it's worth it or not.

Mee goreng handphone

2009-02-09T21:31:00.002+08:00

today i shall give an account of what actually happened to my handphone SE K610i that fateful day.

basically it happened during my DG's cycling trip to Johor before school started. we wanted to cycle 20+km to Desaru from a small town, have lunch there, and cycle back to the town for seafood dinner. my friend suggested that we could tapao some mee goreng and have it as lunch. so we did that, and put the packets into my friend's backpack (which had my belongings in it, including the aforementioned handphone). the rest is history.

when we reached Desaru, found a nice spot for lunch (by the beach), my friend opened his bag and alas! everything smelled of mee goreng. we quickly took everything out from the bag, and i soon realised the magnitude of the problem when i took my belongings from my friend. everything else could be wiped clean, but the mee goreng oil had gone into my handphone, such that everything was oily, the display screen was orange in colour (due to the mee goreng oil), and my handphone smelled of mee goreng. amazingly the handphone was still working fine, but oil was constantly oozing out from it. my friend washed his backpack that night such that it was very clean the next day, but i could never possibly wash a handphone, right?

when i got back to Singapore, i tried as best as i could to explain to my parents what actually happened to my handphone, and i basically gave up any hope on the handphone. this was because i reasoned that the handphone was quite old already, and my service plan was expiring soon, which means i can get a new handphone once i renew my existing plan. to me, that was the end of the story for the handphone. in the meantime i could just use an old handphone.

however, my good old dad felt very wasted that the handphone was just being abandoned there, so he took it to a church friend to have him try to fix it. amazingly, he succeeded, and now i'm currently using my mee goreng handphone, without much problems! the first thing i did when i got back the handphone was to smell it to see if there is still the mee goreng smell, and it does not! my dad's church friend suggested that i should trade in the handphone while it's still worth something, so i'll probably do that when my plan expires next month.

thank God that everything ended well, and i still get to use my handphone even after that mee goreng experience!

oh, by the way, my friend and i will not eat mee goreng for some time. =)

Ain't I Beautiful

2009-01-05T17:03:00.004+08:00

Verse 1:
E
The feeling of unwantedness
A
The pain of unloveliness
B
Isn't there someone out there
A
Who can love me for who I am

Verse 2:
E
People don't want me
A
The world doesn't need me
B
Is there a place outside
B
Where I'll be noticed for more
A
Than just what eyes can see

Chorus:
E
Ain't I beautiful
C#m
Shouldn't I be desired
A
Wasn't I born to be loved
B
Born to be appreciated
E
Ain't I beautiful

Bridge:
D A E
Who will treasure me
D A E
Who will run after me
D A E
Who will gaze at me
D A B
And say the words I long to hear

Final chorus:
You are beautiful
You are desired
You were made to be loved
Made to be appreciated
You're beautiful to me

Lyrics: Victor Hui
Music: David Chow
(C) Agape Youth 2008

highlight of JB gig

2008-12-22T12:43:00.001+08:00

i was reminded of the sacrifice of Jesus by a skit put up by the youth of Wesley Methodist Church (Johor Bahru) during our gig yesterday. it never fails to bring tears to my eyes as the skit gave a visual impact, in a way which few other media can replicate. to me, this is one of the highlights of the gig experience.

below is a link to the original skit.

http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ee73e63418003b47d7d5

sick!

2008-11-30T21:52:00.002+08:00

when i woke up on Wed morning, i felt a bit uncomfortable, with a slight headache and flu, which i attributed as morning sinus. after breakfast i made my way to school for my day of mugging for Friday's paper, but by the time i reached school i felt worse. my headache was throbbing, i did not have appetite to eat anything or even to drink coffee, which had become my staple drink every morning. i tried to study but found it hard to concentrate. i had Pocky and coffee for lunch, because i did not have appetite for a proper meal, and i did not know that i was sick. i thought i was just not feeling well, maybe ate something wrong the day before. i kept thinking that i would feel better as the day went past.

finally at 3pm i decided that i should go back home, so i did, and when i took my temperature at my mom's suggestion, i realised i actually had a slight fever. so after popping 2 panadols, i went to take a nap until evening, when i felt better. that night i took another panadol before sleeping, and the following day i felt really good, so thank God for that =)

the reason why i chose to blog about such a trivial thing as being sick is because ever since i entered army, i have never had a fever before. so even a slight fever is a surprise to me and to the people around me. when i told my brother (currently in BMT) that i fell sick during the week, he replied "now that's a first". maybe it was the food, or the aircon room which i studied in all day, or not having enough rest, or something else that caused me to fall sick, but it was a good time of rest, and i thank God that my preparation for my Friday paper was not affected =)

drama at thai 3 oral exam

2008-11-13T21:54:00.003+08:00

my thai 3 oral exam slot was supposed to be on Wed 8.20am to 8.40am at AS3 02 12, but when i reached there at 8.15am, no teacher was there. i waited with Terence (8.40am slot) and Yiteng (9am slot) until 9.30 before heading to look for the teachers at their offices. before that Terence and i went to the offices to check and make sure that we were at the correct venue. we knocked on the office doors of the thai teachers but no one was in. we also called the teachers whose handphone numbers we had many times, but no one picked up. by that time we were making theories as to why the teachers were not there, including a theory that the 3 of us were in another dimension. we even made observations that there were less people in NUS arts than usual, and that they were just walking past us as if they cannot see us. along the way we met Shirley (9.40am slot) and told her there was no teacher, so she followed us along to look for the teachers.

in the end we crashed the thai 1 oral exam venue, shocking the teachers there. one of them called the thai department head, and told us to go to her office. when we reached the office the teacher apologised profusely and offered to give us a replacement on Thurs 6 to 8pm, so we agreed. Terence and i thought that it would be a good opportunity to do something special for the teachers who had to stay back so late to invigilate us, and our fellow students too.

Terence and i decided to sing a Christian thai song for everyone during the oral exam, so we met up earlier on Thurs afternoon to practise the song and to pray together. in the end it was good =p everyone liked the song, and one of our Hindi fellow students even asked if she could keep the song lyrics and chords sheet.

i thank God that even through such circumstances He can provide opportunities for us to glorify Him =)

fyp providence

2008-11-09T18:16:00.002+08:00

this is a long overdue post, but i really want to thank God for seeing me through my final year so far. so many testimonies and stories, but i want to talk about my FYP (final year project).

before this year, my impression of fyp is: hard to do, difficult, impossible, unbelievable, etc. basically i just could not imagine myself doing a project of such proportions. but God is good, and throughout the 1st 3 years of university life, i have been prepared mentally for such a challenge.

when i got my topic for fyp (wind effects on tall buildings), i was slightly disappointed. i initially wanted to do something related to geotechnical engineering (soil), but i got something that seems to be related to structural engineering. in the end, i found out that i was not doing this alone, there are 2 other students doing the same fyp topic as me, but we will have different focuses. in this case we can actually help one another out. and that's a good thing. =p

currently i have not many worries regarding fyp, everything is quite guided, and i know what we have to do for every stage. it's really something that i could not ask for more, and God has really provided beyond my human understanding. =p

Bible translation

2008-10-12T21:26:00.001+08:00

this is something from the blog of a pastor in the US:

There are three ways to translate the Bible. You can translate it with 1) your mind 2) your heart and 3) your life.

I think a lot of us settle for the mental translation. But the end result is information. And what happens is this: we learn more, do less, and think we're growing spiritually. But not if that's the only translation.

The second translation is emotional. And the emotional translation may seem more subjective than intellectual translation. But that is when our hearts break for the things that break the heart of God. It's not just information. It's transformation. For the record, I think one person with one deeply held conviction will make more of a difference than someone with a hundred good ideas.

Finally, there is the life translation. That is when we become a "living epistle." That is when the noun turns into a verb. And that is how we change the world. At the end of the day, Jesus isn't going to say, "Well thought good and faithful servant." He's going to say, "Well done good and faithful servant."

Imagine a church filled with people who are translating the Bible with their lives!

pausing for a moment

2008-10-01T22:18:00.002+08:00

i'm just enjoying every single moment that i'm having now. i realise that i will never have another moment in my life that i have my family with me, being in uni, serving God in this capacity together with my fellow labourers, being blessed by the people around me, even being single... i thank God for everything...

press on, everyone!

smv thunder tour

2008-09-20T09:10:00.000+08:00

it was a busy week, so i did not have time to blog until now. anyway last night was the groundbreaking SMV thunder tour concert!!! it was incredible!!! i could not help myself grooving to the music, clapping my hands, standing up to cheer those 3 awesome bassists. it was one thing to watch them on youtube, another thing altogether to see and hear them live on stage, right before my eyes! they are really talented and really pushed the limits and possibilities of what one can do with his bass.

it definitely reignited my love for the bass guitar, a long overdue reminder of why i started to learn bass in the first place. it affirmed my passion and decision in learning and continuing to play and work on the bass, rather than acoustic or electric. now i am motivated to continue pushing and improving myself. haha...

a strange encounter

2008-09-08T22:32:00.003+08:00

once recently, i was on the bus heading home. on the seats near me were 2 boys, they seemed to be playing with each other. the older boy would disturb and squash the younger boy onto the bus window, and the other boy would shout very loudly in pain. but after that they would talk normally, as if nothing happened. the 2 boys were making quite a loud ruckus, so everyone on the bus was disturbed by them.

suddenly a large woman, whom i assumed was the mother of the 2 boys, came to where they were from the front of the bus. i can never forget what she did. she took off one of her slippers and began whacking the boys for misbehaving. as she whacked with no mercy, the older brother shielded the younger brother from the mother's wrath. all the while, they were talking and shouting in Hokkien.

i did not dare to look at what was happening in front of me. i did the only thing i knew how to. i prayed. i prayed for the family to be saved, i prayed for the children not to be affected psychologically from the violence, i prayed for the mother to realise the consequence of her actions and repent. i prayed that i would not react to what was happening, in terms of going forward to stop them.

thankfully the mother stopped hitting the kids after a while, and after 10mins, which seemed like a lifetime to me, i alighted at my bus stop. throughout the rest of the day, the scene kept playing in my mind. i thought about what kind of environment the children had to grow up in. i thought about whether it was normal for families to be like that where the family on the bus came from (they seem to be Malaysians to me). i thought about whether i could have done something more than just pray for them.

what would Jesus do? what would you do?

matriculation week + prayer meeting

2008-08-12T23:06:00.002+08:00

this is super overdue, but last week was matriculation week in NUS. what happens is that all the people who's going to study in NUS will come on matriculation week to matriculate (register) into NUS. after that, the freshmen will be led through a maze of booths set up by the various clubs and societies in NUS, Campus Crusade being one of them.

i'm encouraged by this year's matriculation, because i managed to build meaningful relationships with the freshmen that i meet, which was something that i did not have for the previous few years. it gives more meaning than to just give out brouchures to many people, but i don't really get to talk to them much. so i thank God for that.

something else that i am encouraged about is the prayer meeting on the 1st day of school. even though it was on Monday 8am, the response was relatively good and the people who came really desired to seek God for His direction and plans for the campus this academic year. from the sharings, we can see that God has been speaking to us, and i pray that we will continue to sustain this desire and longing for Him throughout the sem. =p

Vision Tea is next week!!!

batu aji

2008-08-04T11:30:00.002+08:00

the tears kept flowing from my eyes.

i was in a small church, less than 20 people, in an area of Batam where no tourist would normally go, and the congregation was singing a worship song in a language i did not understand, with 2 guitarists playing out-of-tune guitars, and another man playing the bongos. in such conditions, normally i would have been quite turned off, but this time was different. i felt the spirit within me stirring, and the tears just started to flow endlessly. many times during the worship, i wiped the tears from my eyes and face, but it just kept flowing and flowing... i did not know if anyone noticed, but i did not care. for me, that moment summed up my experience of my mission trip to Batu Aji, Batam, Indonesia last week.

it was an incredibly short trip, just little more than a day. on Saturday we arrived for lunch, then went visiting the homes of a few church members of the local church at Batu Aji where my church and Orchard City Church helped out. after dinner, we had a prayer walk around the church area, before resting for the night. the next day, we attended the church service, some of us shared our testimonies which would be translated by the pastor, and we presented an Indonesian Christian song. after that was lunch and back to Singapore.

during the home visits, i started to understand the conditions and circumstances of the people there. it was really touching to see that though they do not have much, they are still happy with their life, and thank God each day for what they have. this is in great contrast to what we have in Singapore, even though our lives are relatively comfortable, we still complain and want more.

i did not expect much from a 2d1n mission trip, but God showed me much much more than anything i would ever expect (Eph 3:20). my personal lesson: never underestimate what God can do, even in such a short time. He is not limited by our human understanding and constraints. and i thank Him for that =p

mission work

2008-07-23T14:11:00.002+08:00

very tired at work now... if only workers are allowed an hour of sleep every day after lunch! =p

anyway i went for a pre-mission trip meeting last night. i will be heading to Batu Aji, Batam this weekend to see how it is like, and to help out the local church there. this will be my 1st mission trip with my church, and with friends whom i grew up with. some of us have been on mission trips before, but this will be the 1st time all of us are going together. i hope that i do not fall sick during this period of time, as i will be busy for the rest of this week, and next week is Matriculation Week in NUS. last night's meeting also reignited my passion for missions, having doubted to myself whether being a long-term missionary is God's calling for me. i'll see how things go, but this weekend will definitely be exciting! hopefully, during this trip, God will show me something about what He wants me to do in the future.

i think i need a rest, to spend time in retreat with God, to catch up on my sleep too. in the meantime, God give me strength!

last week @ work

2008-07-21T10:31:00.002+08:00

this is my last week at work, 3 months just went by so fast. i can still remember my 1st day of work, coming to the office which i'm so used to by now, talking to my boss, learning the trade etc. even now there are still many things which i have yet to learn about the company, but all in all it was a great learning experience for me. i really appreciate my bosses and colleagues who are so patient with me, the people whom i work with from other companies and places, and of course God who put me here. who knows? maybe i will come back here to work after my graduation.

had a soccer match yesterday! it was a testimonial match for didi (Simon) and Richard, who are going off to army and Korea respectively. i was late for the match because had ECC meeting in church which ended quite late, but i managed to play for about half an hour in the 2nd half! my position was CMF (central midfielder) and i thought i played ok, though i missed 2 clear cut chances to score. maybe in subsequent matches i can request for the manager to play me in central midfield. in the end SMC lost 4-3 to COGS, but, as Thomas said, "i think after playing so many matches in our orange jersey, this was the 1st time that we played Total Football." i think this is the ultimate compliment that a team can have, especially coming from a respected senior =p thank God that there were no serious injuries on both sides, and we enjoyed ourselves.

a few things to thank God for

2008-07-14T10:02:00.003+08:00

i'm glad to say that my relationship with my dad is much better now. though we did not have our heart-to-heart talk, i think there is better communication between my dad and i, and i thank God for that.

i got a new bass guitar! it's a Squier Jazz Bass, and i simply love the tone and feel of it! it's a second hand bass, and the price was really good. though it's made in China, which is supposedly substandard as compared to those made in Japan or America, the sound and workmanship doesn't look like it. i think it's 1 of those rare gems, the 1-in-a-thousand bass haha. i can't wait to try it out this Thursday for Snooze practice!

i also got a new backpack bag! this is actually a gift from the Engine staff (thanks Jo, Rudy, Janice!) and it came as a very big surprise to me. Janice commented that my current bag was too old and torn (there's a hole in the front pocket, but i don't put anything inside it) but little did i suspect that the staff actually went to get me a new bag! i mean, it's not like i asked for a new bag or i hinted that i wanted a new bag, because i was planning on continuing to use the current one. now i bring the bag to work, and will definitely continue to use it when school starts. it's a dark shade of orange hehe...

i thank God that Ho Wai agreed to help out in Prayer comm (NUS Campus Crusade for Christ Engine region) this coming academic year! when i called him, i did not expect his answer to be so prompt. with Ho Wai in the P-comm, i do not have to worry so much, and i can juggle my responsibilities better, so thank God for sending help! =p

i thank God for Jason and his mission team who went to Khon Kaen, Thailand this year. Jason shared about his experiences yesterday during Youth Service, and though everyone was kind of distracted and not paying attention, i really rejoiced in the Lord. firstly, because God really used Jason and the team to reap the harvest which my team sowed last year. secondly, because i really see Jason growing in his faith, and he is a great encouragement to me. =p

"Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." 1 Thessalonians 5:18

blogging @ work

2008-07-09T13:18:00.002+08:00

here i am, blogging at work...

at the beginning of 2008, when i asked myself what season of growth this year would be, i felt God telling me that this year would be a season of breakthroughs in relationships, with friends and family. i didn't know what that meant, nor do i know it now, but a particular situation last night sparked my thoughts once again.

being busy with work, Snooze, crusade and church activities, there were many days recently that i went home late, like at 12mn. so last night, after Snooze practice, i reached home, to be scolded by my dad, who was still awake. i will not go into the details, but some of his words did hurt me. it didn't last long, but i spent a long time thinking about the whole thing before i eventually drifted off to sleep.

i know what kind of person my dad is. he definitely did not mean any harm, and i know he wants the best for me. he has showered blessings on me all my life, and i thank God for such a wonderful dad. the unfortunate thing is that even after all these years, i'm still afraid of him, to the extent that i would avoid him, and not talk to him much. i really hope that this will be the year that i will have a breakthrough in my relationship with my dad. i pray that i will have the courage to just sit down with my dad and talk things through. whether he accepts what i do or not, i will still choose to honour God and honour my dad. i hope that my dad and i will be able to understand each other more and more.

before last night, i thought to myself that my life is perfect now, that everything is in order, i have no worries about studies, work, ministry, relationships, finance etc. but i think God wants me to change my perspective of life, that to grow spiritually, i have to go through trials and tribulations. so this is why i did not talk back at my dad or cry myself to sleep last night, which i would have done a few years ago. i'm quite surprised at my reaction to this situation too, as i used to harbour a lot of hatred towards my dad.

living a God-led life is very comforting, because i am at peace no matter what is happening in my life. thank God for that!

exciting times

2008-06-24T14:33:00.002+08:00

as usual, before the new academic year starts, there will be many new things coming up. final year project, student coordinator of Campus Crusade engine region, Snooze, sometimes i wonder why i got myself involved in so many things, but yet i manage to pull through everything. of course it is not me who's doing it, but God who does it through me. without Him i would not be able to grow and learn so much as i did in the past 3 years.

i thank God that the staff in my region are very supportive of my decision to join Snooze! initially i was apprehensive about it, fearing that they may question my decision etc. but as i am convinced that the decision was not made on my own accord, i think He gave me favour with the people around me as well. other than the staff, my office colleagues and bosses are very understanding, and even people from other companies had nice things to say about my work at the company.

when asked whether i look forward to the new academic year, i initially said no. but now as i look at the coming year, i am excited to see what God is going to do with the ministry, the movement, and with me. exciting days ahead! =p

updates from the workplace

2008-05-28T12:56:00.003+08:00

before i started my internship, i'd never dream of blogging during work, but here i am, blogging away on the company desktop haha...

anyway i got a call from Evon (FR staff) on Sunday night, she informed me that i'm chosen to be in the new band! so exciting! i think it's a sign of where God is leading me, or maybe just God's grace to grant me the desires of my heart. =p i've never dared to dream of playing in a band as a performance other than in church worship context, but after the experiences of playing in relatively big events like Metamorphosis camps and University Dedication Service, i feel that God is opening up the possibility of me serving Him in music ministry in a greater capacity, more than just playing for worship on Sundays. not that i treat playing in church worship as less important, but i never thought of anything more than that until recently.

a big issue for people serving in worship ministry is that because it's a "frontline" ministry, it's very easy for us to have our own agenda on why we do what we do. it is easy to fall into the trap of self-glorification, like "wow, don't i sound great?", "look at all those people looking at me", "let me impress the crowd with some solo rifts" etc. that is why we have to keep reminding ourselves and one another, we do all this not for ourselves, not for the people, but for Him. worship is not just on Sunday, but it's a lifestyle, and it requires daily surrender of our lives to God. we must acknowledge that we cannot do this by our own strength, but only by His.

i (had the audacity) plucked up the courage to ask my boss for 3 more days of leave for ST retreat in end June-early July, and my boss said ok! God is indeed good! as a comparison, my buddy Ho Wai (NUS Engine) has been working for about 5 months already, and he still has not taken 6 days of leave yet. i better do my job properly haha.

last night i joined the current mission team going to Khon Kaen for dinner and sharing, and i thought it was a wonderful time of fellowship and Q&A. of my team, only me and Robson were able to make it, the rest were unavailable. well i guess that was good also, as i cannot imagine a total of 26 people (14 current + 12 previous) having an orderly discussion haha. as i shared my experiences, i realised how much i miss Thailand, and how much the burden to reach out to the Thais bears in my heart.

becoming a full-time missionary in Thailand? that's another story for another time. back to work! =p

internship

2008-05-24T20:46:00.003+08:00

it's been some time since my last post. i really should discipline myself to post something here regularly.

anyway i'm doing my internship now, at a sub contractor firm known as ECS Pte Ltd, situated in Tuas. the company deals with glassworks and steelworks, and we are currently involved in the construction of various condominiums and MRT stations around Singapore. as an intern i follow my boss around, and learn and help out as much as i can. initially before i started i was quite apprehensive about my first job, but after 3 weeks into the job i have become quite used to things there. i really thank God for putting me into this company, because the company is small, i get to be involved in the operations in a greater scale, and i get to be involved in the key decisions and operations. i do not see myself going back to work at that company after graduation, as i feel that the company does not need a civil engineer graduate, but through doing my internship there i get a taste of the construction industry in Singapore. my bosses are very nice and understanding as well, i managed to take 3 days of leave so that i can go for church retreat from 1-4 June at Batam. thank God for His providence!

time flies so fast, when school starts i'll be in my final year of study in NUS. that means having more workload, having design projects, having my final year project (FYP). also, i'll be continuing a second term of ST in Campus Crusade, so that is more time gone. also, i applied to be the bassist of a new band which Forerunner is forming, but i'll leave it to God to show me His plan for this season of my life.

things will be exciting in the new academic year! =p

the story of Teddy Stoddard

2008-03-19T11:22:00.002+08:00

As she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children an untruth. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same. However, that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard.

Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he did not play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. In addition, Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.

At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.

Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners... he is a joy to be around." His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle." His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best, but his father doesn't show much interest, and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken." Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and he sometimes sleeps in class."

By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag. Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one-quarter full of perfume . But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist. Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to."

After the children left, she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, writing and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children. Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one of her "teacher's pets."

A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in life.

Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he had ever had in his whole life.

Then four more years passed and yet another letter came. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer.... The letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, MD.

The story does not end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he had met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit at the wedding in the place that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. Moreover, she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.

They hugged each other, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear,"Thank you Mrs Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference." Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said,"Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."

busy weeks ahead

2008-03-12T10:30:00.003+08:00

i hope to be able to patronise this blog more often.

anyway, this coming few weeks will be quite busy for me, but i thank God in advance that i know He will bring me through everything. even admidst all the work and busyness, i can still find time to spend with Him, to rest and relax, and do other things.

i'm not sure if this sem is an improvement as compared to the last one, at this point in time, i still do not have a good idea of all my modules yet. however i do not wish to continue in mediocrity, so i pray for discipline and good time-management to revise and study all my modules this sem.

ministry for me has changed, i sense that God wants me to serve more in crusade than in church for this coming acad year, to focus my energies in campus. of course that does not mean that i do not serve in church at all, but it does mean that there will be a shift of focus and importance. it is amazing how much God has enabled me to grow spiritually, mentally and intellectually through my years in NUS and campus crusade for Christ, and i still see much room for improvement and growth. at least now i am much more aware of myself than 3 years ago, and i know which areas of my life which i can work on, to focus my growth in.

many people have been asking me whether i'm going for gen12 this year, but i've decided to apply for a vacation internship instead. i've seen opportunities to go on missions with my church to Batam, and i feel that this is a good opportunity for SMC to reach out to the nations and fulfill the Great Commission. (Matt 28:18-20)

i thank God that i have a loving and God-fearing family, brothers and sisters-in-Christ who are with me through my ups and downs, and friends whom i can reach out to in His name. it's time to put words into action.

personal prayer requests:
- cell group this Friday, for a blessed time of learning and sharing
- youth sharing this Sunday, for God to put words into my mouth
- direction and specific role in campus crusade for next acad year
- a reflection paper and response essay
- project presentation next Tuesday
- for my disciples in crusade to grow more in Christ's likeness, and for me to be used by God to guide them
- for the Agape youth in SMC, and the youth leaders

Naked i campaign and Glenn Lim event

2008-02-20T13:25:00.003+08:00

thank God that He saw us through the distribution and the Glenn Lim event! since the beginning of this academic year (aug 07), the campus ministry has been gearing up and preparing for the Naked i campaign, and when the time came to distribute the magazines a la DVC, everyone put in such effort and enthusiasm, that it was quite touching. for me it meant that the crusaders know the reason and significance behind giving out the magazines, and are showing it by being personally involved in the distribution.

it was the same for the Glenn Lim event. even though the turnout was less than i had expected, it was encouraging to see the non-Christians who came on the invitations of their friends, and even some who came on their own accord. i thought Glenn gave a wonderful and insightful account of his experiences and of how God changed him and gave him a new chance in life. through the responses of those who filled in the feedback forms, everyone enjoyed the session, and there was even one who suggested that the session could be longer!

i pray that the naked i campaign will not just be an end in itself, but a means for Christians to open up topics of love, sex and relationships with their friends. hopefully through sharing these topics, the Christians will have opportunities to share about their beliefs and faith. i thank God also that i was able to be part of what God is doing in this campus. as my final year draws near, i'm actually filled with excitement, as i see His plans unfold before me. =)

a busy hols

2008-01-10T21:50:00.000+08:00

school is starting in a few days' time! this time the holidays went by like a breeze. i did a lot of things during these 5 weeks, and barely had time to take a breather. after my exams it was preparation for Project Runaway, after that was Christmas party, then Meta camp, then ST retreat. before i knew it, school is starting in a few days' time. hey, that line sounds familiar.

anyway, looking back at my holidays, i thank God that He brought me through everything, the whole youth camp itself was a great miracle! i thank God for my youth camp committee as well, without them the camp would not have been possible. sounds so cliche. now i have to find a time for a camp comm debrief, and maybe treat them to something. i'm so broke, i'm still delaying the debrief haha. have to write a report on the whole camp too. it's not easy being a camp commandant.

new year, new things to look forward to. 2007 was already an exciting year for me, but i somehow feel that 2008 and 2009 will be even more exciting and fruitful! though i do not know what will happen, i look forward to what God has in store for me. =p

holidays filled with ministry

2007-12-14T08:50:00.000+08:00

hmm haven't had the time to post a blog entry, but here goes...

the exam study period has to be the most slackest time of my sem, i can push everything else away just by saying i'm busy with my studies etc and most of the time i'll manage to get away with it haha. pre-exam period was filled with crusade ministry while now it's filled with church ministry. not that i'm complaining, but sometimes it can become very tiring, so i have to constantly watch my walk with God.

i was asked to play in meta worship this year, which came as a surprise actually, because for the past 2 meta camps, i had always "self-volunteered" to play. for me i do not have the chance to play for God in front of say 400 people, all passionately praising and worshipping God, so it was a one-time experience. on the other hand i cannot be so selfish, depriving others of a chance to serve God and to have the experience as well. so this year i told myself and God, that i will not volunteer to play this year, but if i'm asked to play then i will see it as a bonus blessing from Him haha. and in the end i was blessed! but i think it was more of a case of a lack of bassists.

i'm currently planning my church youth camp. it promises to be fun and exciting, but the planning phase can really drain us out. that's why we have to keep spurring one another on, encouraging one another, helping one another out, praying for one another in the comm. only God can give us the strength to enable us to pull through this planning period. well, at least we can see the light at the end of the tunnel, as the camp dates start to arrive. i can look forward to resting after the camp is over haha. i hope the youth enjoys the camp as much as we had fun organising it!

Game Review: PES 2008 PC Demo

2007-11-07T10:49:00.000+08:00

haha this is something to help me to destress!

the game is Pro Evolution Soccer 2008 PC demo, the actual game has not been acquired yet, although i hear rumours that brian wong already has a copy of it, since it's already released. anyway, back to the game review. the demo game is readily available online for download, and it's meant to be downloaded legally, so that people can try out the game before it comes out.

before the game was released, there was much hype about how the best soccer game on the planet would have revolutionary game play and graphics, such that it will be even better than the highly successful and popular PES 6. so it was with much expectation that i tried out the pc demo, hoping it would be able to live up to its billing.

i was pretty impressed by the layout and graphics, but i was quite disturbed by the fact that the game resembled more like FIFA than PES/Winning 11. it seems that PES has taken elements from the style and gameplay of FIFA and incorporated them into their newest edition. the only game view offered in the demo version gave quite a broad view of the field, which gave it a more FIFA feel than a PES feel. the actions and movements of the individual players were not well shown, and the higher graphics demand meant that there were many times when the game lagged, and was not as smooth as the previous versions. considering that PES has always paid more attention to the gameplay rather than the graphics, it is interesting to note the attempt to beef up the graphics.

the game physics was markedly different from the previous version, in that the tactics which i used to great effect in PES 6 cannot be used any longer in the current version, something which is quite expected, actually. there is a whole new style of game play which the player has to get used to, before being able to master and enjoy the game.

due to the large program size (about 4GB), i had to remove some of my unused programs and even compress and defragment my hard disk before i could install the game successfully. the enhanced graphics engine also adds to the system requirements, the graphics card which i'm using (ATI Radeon X700 64MB) was just barely able to support the game.

overall, i must say that the game deserves a try, and though the new game departs from the traditional style of PES to a certain extent, there are still elements of the old and familiar in the game, which makes it an interesting mix of the old and the new. though as of now i still prefer PES 6 due to my familiarity with it, i'm willing to try out the full version of PES 2008, that is if i'm able to acquire it. the demo version does not have many of the features that the full version offers, so i'm looking forward to see what else this newest product from PES has to offer.

official website: http://www.konami-pes2008.com/

2007-10-24T13:45:00.000+08:00

i've realised that reading other people's blogs can be enriching and encouraging, as long as one reads the right blogs. my friends are going through trials and tribulations, yet they draw strength from Him, and as they remind themselves, i'm reminded as well, of how central our God should be in our lives. i see miracles happen everyday, yet i still do not trust God for even the simple things in life. sometimes i just have to jolt myself into my senses, to realise things which i knew all along but never internalised. it's a constant struggle yet an overwhelming joy to be able to serve the Lord. every moment i struggle with my human desires and weaknesses, but it is Him who brings me through everything. so i can thank Him for every day that He brings me through. not by my own strength, but by His.

why do i get irritated when people shoot arrow after arrow at me? when people pile expectations on me, when i set expectations for myself, and i don't meet them? why do i get angry when people chase me for things i haven't done? why do i feel uncomfortable when people ask me or tell me to do things which i know i should do but did not/have not done? is it because my heart is set on the wrong things? why do i do what i do? for my own selfish gain? that people may see and say "he's doing a lot of things"? do i have the integrity to do the right things even when no one is there to see me do it? isn't it God whom i serve? isn't He the One whom i live for? i should know that God sees my every action, knows my every thought, hears my every word. do i serve man or God? when i come to the judgement table of God, what will He say to me? "away from me, i never knew you"?

what do i want? riches? prosperity? health? the 5Cs? popularity? success? or to see God's name glorified in everything i do, every word i say? humility is such an easy word to say but such a hard thing to do/achieve. how do i react when people criticise me? my every word and action can affect what people think of me and of my God. "aiyo, i thought he's Christian, how come like that one ar?", "oh, so Christian can like that one ah".

Lord, i pray for the right attitude in everything i think, do and say. i pray for strength to go through the spiritual warfare of every day. i pray for the joy and peace that can only come from You. i pray that i can be a good testimony to the people around me. i pray that my heart will always be set right before You. i pray that i will not rely on my own strength, but by Yours. i pray for humility and wisdom. i pray for my brothers and sisters-in-Christ, that they may be blessed by You, just as You have blessed me.

2007-10-13T23:07:00.001+08:00

well the past 2 weeks has been quite busy for me, actually this sem has generally been busy and challenging, but it has been a great journey for me, even now as i go through the later weeks of the sem before the exams in end november. but i really thank God that He helped me through this academic year, and renewed me day by day, such that i'm filled with joy and excitement in serving Him!

i have to learn to be more patient and slow to anger. haha. and humble too.

be a winner

2007-09-30T22:34:00.000+08:00

a statement that impacted me as i listened to today's sermon in church: no matter the result, as long as we follow God's instructions, we are not failures, we are winners.

this was exemplified by the life of Fanny Crosby, blind since 6 months old, but later became one of the most prolific hymnists in history. she was not bitter about her condition, as she wrote the following poem at 9 years of age:

Oh what a happy soul I am,

Although I cannot see;

I am resolved that in this world

Contented I will be.

How many blessings I enjoy,

That other people don't;

To weep and sigh because I'm blind,

I cannot, and I won't.

she later remarked, "It seemed intended by the blessed providence of God that I should be blind all my life, and I thank him for the dispensation. If perfect earthly sight were offered me tomorrow I would not accept it. I might not have sung hymns to the praise of God if I had been distracted by the beautiful and interesting things about me."

by the time Crosby passed away in 1915 at the age of 95, she had written more than 8000 hymns, and to this day, the vast majority of American hymnals contain her work. Some of her more well-known hymns include "Blessed Assurance", "To God Be the Glory", and "Safe in the Arms of Jesus".

the conclusion is that Fanny Crosby did not consider herself a loser, or choose to wallow in self-pity, but even in her condition she chose to praise God and lived a winner's life for Him. it's a great reminder for me to serve Him whatever the situations i'm going through now, for by choosing to do that, i'm already a winner! thank you God! =p

touching skit

2007-09-29T20:16:00.000+08:00

this is a video clip which my bro and michelle introduced to me. i cried when i watched it; i guess i'll always be amazed and touched by God's love for us. enjoy the video!

link: http://www.godtube.com/view_video.php?viewkey=ee73e63418003b47d7d5

matt's injury update

2007-09-26T23:13:00.000+08:00

on sunday afternoon, jason, simon, michelle, RJ and i went to matt's place to see how he was doing. matt tore the anterior cruciate ligament on his left knee 3 weeks ago during a friendly soccer match, and after the MRI scan the doctor said that matt should go through an operation to replace and reconstruct the torn ligament, transplanting a tendon from another part of matt's body. thankfully, the operation last friday was a success, and matt is currently resting at home. at the end of this week, he will go for a review, to see how the recovery has been. i thank God for being with matt and giving him strength throughout the past few weeks, including the operation period last weekend.

this week is supposed to be my mid-sem break, but quite expectedly, it is becoming a week of work and in the end i find that i will not have much free time. however it is still a good break as i had the chance to rest and take a break from the hectic schedule of school work. hopefully i'll be able to settle all the stuff by the end of this week, be it for crusade, church, or school work. i pray for God to help me to make full use of my time and maximise my resources, and i also thank God that i can still have time to relax and enjoy. =)

new blog skin!

2007-09-19T22:51:00.000+08:00

haha finally i have a new blog skin! rather than the traditional default 1. hopefully it's a good change. thanks bear for helping me with it! =) anyway it's finally week 6 of school! after this week there will be a 1-week break, it's such good timing. i can take the coming week to rest, to keep my mind off work (of course not too long), and to draw close to God and to seek Him. thank God!

have been having a bad toothache for the past week. my wisdom tooth is threatening to grow out and it hurts a lot haha. by experiencing and enduring the pain, it led me to think of how much more pain Jesus must have felt as He was tortured and mocked as He made His way to Calvary. haha i guess even through seemingly bad times and situations we can still learn something about God and about ourselves. =)

A journey of Faith-stretching

2007-09-08T22:27:00.000+08:00

My 1st 4 weeks of school can be described as a roller-coaster ride. Probably i went through more ups and downs than i have ever gone through before for a long time. The reality of putting myself into so many things finally sank in, and i was quite overwhelmed by it. By my own strength i definitely cannot do it, so i have to keep reminding myself that it is by God's strength that i'm able to do what He has called me to do. Things will continue to keep coming in, but i guess i've found the balance between serving and drawing from the Source. As long as i keep the balance, nothing can faze me anymore! i really thank God for bringing me through and i know that He will continue to do so =)

Last weekend my family went to Johor Bahru for my cousin's wedding! It's so exciting, and i always look forward to seeing my extended family because we're such a close and unique family, bounded by God's love! i always thank God that i have such a big group of relatives who are Christian, and because of that i think we're different from other families. During our annual family gatherings we talk about how we are serving in church, we praise and worship together, and we talk about going on mission trips as a big family together! haha it's so exciting!

ok back to the point, the oldest Chow cousin was getting married, so everyone was invited to the wedding ceremony and the wedding dinner. Too bad we did not bring our camera along, have to wait for cousins to send the pics online. It was so touching to see Wincii and Kelvin during their wedding ceremony, i wonder who's next in line in our series of cousins? It was a refreshing and timely break from ministry and work, and i was able to relax my mind and just enjoy the day, even though it was tiring. i thank God for His perfect timing! =)

Match Report: Team TCC 7 SMFC 1

2007-09-05T15:26:00.000+08:00

SMFC crumbled to a 7-1 defeat at the hands of Team TCC (Trinity Christian Church), on Sunday, at The Hiding Place. The match was overshadowed, however, by an injury to Matthew Yong, who twisted his knee in the 20th minute. He was immediately taken to the sidelines, and a substitution had to be made as it was ascertained that the player could not continue play.

Though the match was won at a canter, Team TCC was forced to defend during a number of occasions, and SMFC's effort paid off with a goal early in the second half, with midfielder Chaw Shing providing the assist for star striker Ilango to place the ball beyond the reach of the keeper. However by then the game was already out of sight for SMFC, as Team TCC dominated possession and proved to be too much for the inexperienced team to handle.

SMFC striker Ilango hailed the unity and spirit of the team, even though they lost 7-1. He commented that even though it was an immense loss, it was a show of the kind of never-say-die attitude and spirit of the team. "If not for that, we would not have been able to get the goal."

After scanning, results confirmed that defender Matthew Yong had sustained a torn knee ligament injury, and will likely be out of action for a couple of months.

Some Photos

2007-08-06T16:42:00.001+08:00

These are some photos which i took with my handphone recently.

These are my 2 good buddies, Matthew and Jason. Ironically their names are on the poster of the upcoming movie "The Bourne Ultimatum". They are standing beside their names respectively.

This is a pic which i took while at the recent Festival of Praise (FOP) held at the Singapore Indoor Stadium. The Christian band Delirious? is on stage, look at the number of people who went for the event!

This is the last day of Matriculation Fair in NUS. We helped to give out matric packs to the freshmen and did surveys with them so as to generate contacts and also reach out to them. This pic was taken during the prayer and thanksgiving session after the final day of Matric. The guy wearing green, with the guitar, is Ho Wai, Electrical Engineering Year 3, the student coordinator for the Matric Fair for Campus Crusade for Christ.

This was taken at the Campus Crusade for Christ booth at the matric fair. Basically all the CCAs and student clubs of NUS set up their booths at this sports hall in NUS during this week, and the freshmen are "forced" to walk through this maze after they matriculate (register) into NUS. It was very encouraging to see many freshmen wanting to find out more about Crusade and wanting to sign up and join us. This Indian guy in the pic is Arun, a Year 4 Real Estate student in the Engine Region, and also the Student Coordinator for the Region. Seems that my pics tend to have SCs in them haha.

True reflections...

2007-07-28T22:49:00.000+08:00

There are many things on my mind. Suddenly i realise what i've gotten myself into. amidst the commitments and ministry, i was told to be careful lest i "burn out". even though my reply was that it would not happen to me, i cannot be certain. the only way is to seek God's help. as long as i do not deviate from my walk with Him, i can be sure He will see me through whatever He has planned for me. and after the year ends next May, i can say for sure that God has worked in my life, for i cannot do it alone. i cannot be involved in so many things and hope to do it by my own strength. even more so when it's God's ministry which i'm involved in. i'm not exactly sure what He has in store for me, but i'm excited and apprehensive at the same time. it's so weird, i don't know whether to look forward to the start of the school term or not. not that i'm afraid, but whether i'm ready for it or not. it's a weirdly exciting feeling for me. i guess i'm looking forward to school after all.

after talking to some of my friends, i'm reminded again of how blessed my life has been, even though many times i look at my life with disdain and disgust. my family is intact, they are "born again", i do not have extreme financial difficulty, i have the opportunity to go to school, to go to church, to serve in ministry. i do not face religious opposition from my family, i do not have any severe psychological setbacks. there are so many things in my life which i can thank God for, yet i do not give Him enough glory. i must make it a point to thank Him every moment of my life. the very fact that i can see the sun rise every day is already a blessing in itself! i thank God for giving me the opportunity to serve Him.

the issue of having a relationship with a girl has been bugging me for ages. after what i've been through, i guess it's God's way of teaching me about how i should live my life for Him. after listening to all the stuff about waiting for God's timing, about the master, mission, mate thing, i think it should be logical to just leave this aspect of my life to Him. but i just cannot help wondering about the whole issue. am i ready for a relationship? how do i know whether a particular girl is the one, or do i have the freedom to choose? i know it's not an issue of calvinism or arminianism, and i normally do not really put much thought about my future, but somehow after all the years i still cannot put this burden at His feet. i pray that God will enable me to surrender this aspect of my life to Him. who knows? maybe God plans for me to stay single, so that i can really devote my life to serving Him. =p

Back from Mission

2007-07-15T22:13:00.000+08:00

Finally i have the chance to sit down and update my blog! it has been about 1 and a half months since i last updated something here. Anyway my mission trip was a blast! when my friends ask me how the trip was, i would always say that it was tiring but fun! i really thank God that i had the opportunity to go for this mission trip and i learnt so much from the trip!

one thing that struck me was the Thai culture. the Thais are so nice and polite! they will always do the "wai" (bow with palms together in front of face), and they are always smiling. no wonder Thailand is known as the land of smiles! whatever happens, the Thais will always say "mai phen rai" (never mind), and they are willing to help us out whenever we need it, always with a smile and a "mai phen rai".

another thing which struck me was the spiritual condition of the Thais and Thailand in general. at first, before i left for Thailand, i was quite skeptical about reaching out to the Thais, but God proved me wrong!! haha... we had people who prayed to receive Christ, and a lot of them expressed desire to know more about Christianity! they were hesitant to receive Christ on the spot, but they wanted to know more, and i think that's already a very encouraging sign.

now after coming back from Thailand, i feel that God used the mission trip to help me to be spiritually ready for the coming academic year in Crusade ministry, especially when i'm serving in the Evangelism comm. i pray that i will not forget what i have learnt, and will really make use of it. i pray also that i will not lose the excitement and passion for reaching out to the lost!

The night before the trip...

2007-06-03T22:43:00.000+08:00

It's finally the night before my first mission trip, to Thailand. How am i feeling now? Well actually i feel quite normal, but i can sense the excitement building up, and i'm definitely looking forward to it! Somehow i don't feel worried that something might happen or what, maybe it's the peace of God upon me, or maybe i'm just born not to worry about things so much. In any case, the next 3 weeks will be exciting and fun! i'm so happy to be part of God's plan to reach out to the students in Khon Kaen, and bringing the Good News to them! i'm sure it will be an experience of a lifetime!

i thank God for such a wonderful team whom i'm working and serving with, i'm encouraged by our team dynamics and amazed at how we can work and have fun at the same time. i also want to thank God for so many supporters which i have in church and in crusade, it makes me feel so blessed. i thank God for this opportunity to partner with Him in His work, it is an honour and privilege for me.

My next post will probably be in 3 weeks' time, so in the meantime, take care everyone, and God bless! Khon Kaen, here i come! =p

Cort Bass

2007-05-24T21:59:00.000+08:00

Today i went to Swee Lee Music Shop at Bras Basah to look at the stuff there. Before long i came to the bass guitar section, and behold, i saw the bass which took my breath away. It's a dark brown matt finish Cort bass guitar, and even though i did not request to the staff for me to try it, i know that the sound and tone of the bass will be good. The more i looked and fiddled with it the more i liked it, and i knew that this could be the bass which i was searching for as the replacement for my current TGM bass. Alas... the price is $1200. Even though i knew that i could borrow the money from my mom to buy it, i decided against it, for i had already decided that i would save up for my next bass guitar. i knew the "risk" of not being able to get the Cort bass due to other people buying it from the shop before i could save up the amount, but i thought that it was ok. For all i know, maybe the new stock will have a much better bass guitar, for the same price. So i will just have to be patient and not impulsive in purchasing such expensive equipment. i give myself a target of 1 year from today to get my new bass guitar. Meanwhile i will just have to be satisfied with my TGM. Maybe i can think of a name for it, like Jasmine (acoustic guitar).

Time to think about my mission trip, and the coming sem! Stop thinking about bass! haha...

Gen12ii Commissioning

2007-05-23T11:01:00.000+08:00

On Monday night there was this Gen12ii commissioning and SOLEAD (School of LEadership And Development) trainees graduation ceremony, at Faith Methodist Church. At first i thought it was just another Crusade event, and the focus would be more on the graduates rather than the students going for missions. i was wrong! It was such an enjoyable and refreshing time, we were all reminded about what it really means to be passionate for the Lord and His work. During the prayer time some of the youth came to pray for me, i was so touched! In fact quite a lot of people from my church turned up, including Uncle Beng Hong. Too bad, pastor could not make it. After the event i had more surprises waiting for me! Edward Zeng came too! He was my platoon mate in unit, a great Christian brother who's also a good drummer in his church. i think God used this event to encourage me and to remind me that the brothers and sisters around me are supporting me as well! i feel so blessed with them around!

Today i'll be having my mission team meeting in the afternoon, after that i'll be rushing down to Changi Airport to send the Central Asia Prayer Team off , i hope i'll be able to catch them before their flight at 8pm! After that i'll be following Alvin Chee to his place to meet with some of our soccer fanatic guys to catch the Champions League Final between Liverpool and AC Milan! Though i'm not a fan of either Liverpool or AC Milan, i still chose to stick by the "tradition" of catching the important matches of the season, including the FA Cup final last week. Tomorrow i'll be meeting the Mass-E comm for lunch! Miss those guys so much, we really enjoyed working and worrying and praying together last sem! Oh yeah, Dillon actually shared about the Mass-E during his interview on stage! i guess he was also as excited as us during the planning, it was really a testimony of God's providence and faithfulness!

Ok i better go have my lunch before i'm late for the team meeting again! God bless!

D-team 06/07

2007-05-21T15:18:00.000+08:00

Yet another academic year has passed so swiftly. When school reopens in August, i'll be in Year 3. That's like being a senior already, even though i still feel like i'm a freshie. Everyone will move up by a year, and the current Year 4s will be graduating. Just like Glenn and Paul's batch before them, it's like a bittersweet farewell, we should be happy that they are going out to the marketplace to spend their next phase of their lives, working and also bringing the Good News to wherever they will go to. However, Crusade will lose such talents and outstanding servants, and not to mention the friends and buddies who are like a family to them. Oh well, time to look forward and to move on with God's plan for His ministry!

After looking back at this 1 year of ministry in Crusade, i found that, unsurprisingly, i have grown so much spiritually, and learnt so much about myself and of who God is. Being in the Discipleship team has really opened my eyes and stretched my understanding of discipleship so much. i now see the importance of discipleship, of being intentional, of not just thinking about myself and how much i have grown, or how much i want to learn, but it's really about God and His people. As David Mak (affectionally known as "Mak Mak") said, "Ministry is always about God and His people, and never about us." By putting our focus on God and people, we indirectly help ourselves to see things God's way, and to be other-centred and other-minded. God will also use the people around us to encourage us, to help us realise that as we focus on others, we ourselves are growing as well. i thank God for His grace to me as i continue on my journey of service to Him, making mistakes and learning from them. He is truly the God of the second chance!

My mission team went to Singapore Poly last Thursday for witnessing training, because we will be doing campus witnessing in Khon Kaen as well. After 2 hours of walking and talking, i felt that SP is really open to the Gospel, most of the students whom Charlton and i talked to listened to us without rejecting. i pray that these seeds sown will grow in the future, and Christians in SP will be able to reap the harvest! In fact, the harvest is already ready for reaping!

Thank God that i have officially raised my full support for my mission trip!! i thank all who have supported me, special mention goes to Uncle Beng Hong, Joseph and Miao Jun, Michelle aka Bear, Dr Looi Kok Poh, Danny, Caleb and Jennifer, Mr and Mrs Chew Ek Hoe, and Auntie Lily Phang!! i also want to thank all those in the youth who have prayed and are still praying for me and Michelle as we prepare to go to Thailand. You know who you are, God knows who you are! Not to mention those in Crusade who are supporting us in fervent prayer! Please continue to pray for the rest of my team as they continue to raise their financial and prayer support! At first when i signed up for the Gen12ii mission trip, i had reservations that i would be able to raise enough support, despite telling myself that "if it is God's will for me to go for missions, He will provide". Now i realise that the folks in my church are so passionate about missions, and they readily offered to support me financially and in prayer, even before i asked! Praise the Lord! i'm very encouraged by that, and feel very joyful! haha... =p

To those out there who feel down and out, take heart! God is in control, and He will never fail or forsake us!

Finally... A new post...

2007-05-19T21:16:00.000+08:00

hmm finally posting something here, after "playing cheat" by plagiarizing from some inspirational sources, haha. anyway just a quick update, my support raising is almost done! i thank God, that He is really faithful to His servant. i remember during Meta camp 2006, i was assured of the thought that if it is God's will for me to go on mission trip, He will provide. And He did! praise the Lord! As for my mission team, i think we are a bunch of wonderful people, and i'm excited to go on the mission trip already! hopefully we can bond as a team and work together in Thailand for His glory.

After the previous ST meeting, i have been allocated the post of taking charge of the Evangelism committee in Engine Region (Campus Crusade). There were names given to me as well, for me to call them up to challenge them to be in the E-comm next academic year. i pray that God will lead me as i take up the challenge and also for the rest of the comm, even as those challenged are praying for their decision.

Ok, more updates next time! i will try to come here to update more often, before i head off to Thailand on the 4th of June. Excited! =p

Want A Donut?

2007-05-02T19:04:00.000+08:00

There was a certain Professor of Religion named Dr. Christianson, a studious man who taught at a small college in the western United States. Dr. Christianson taught the required survey course in Christianity at this particular institution. Every student was required to take this course in his or her freshman year, regardless of his or her major. Although Dr Christianson tried hard to communicate the essence of the gospel in his class, he found that most of his students looked upon the course as nothing but required drudgery. Despite his best efforts, most students refused to take Christianity seriously.

This year, Dr. Christianson had a special student named Steve. Steve was only a freshman, but was studying with the intent of going onto seminary for the ministry. Steve was popular, he was well liked, and he was an imposing physical specimen. He was now the starting center on the school football team, and was the best student in the professor's class. One day, Dr. Christianson asked Steve to stay after class so he could talk with him. He asked, "How many push-ups can you do?" Steve said, "I do about 200 every night." "200? That's pretty good, Steve," Dr. Christianson said. "Do you think you could do 300?" Steve replied, "I don't know.... I've never done 300 at a time." "Do you think you could?" again asked Dr. Christianson. "Well, I can try," said Steve. "Can you do 300 in sets of10? I have a class project in mind and I need you to do about 300 push-ups in sets of ten for this to work. Can you do it? I need you to tell me you can do it," said the professor. Steve said, "Well... I think I can...yeah, I can do it" Dr. Christianson said, "Good! I need you to do this on Friday. Let me explain what I have in mind."

Friday came and Steve got to class early and sat in the front of the room. When class started, the professor pulled out a big box of donuts. No, these weren't the normal kinds of donuts, they were the extra fancy BIG kind, with cream centers and frosting swirls. Everyone was pretty excited it was Friday, the last class of the day, and they were going to get an early start on the weekend with a party in Dr. Christianson's class. Dr. Christianson went to the first girl in the first row and asked, "Cynthia, do you want to have one of these donuts?" Cynthia said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Cynthia can have a donut?" "Sure." Steve jumped down from his desk to do a quick ten. Then Steve again sat in his desk. Dr. Christianson put a donut on Cynthia's desk. Dr. Christianson then went to Joe, the next person, and asked, "Joe, do you want a donut?" Joe said, "Yes." Dr. Christianson asked, "Steve would you do ten push-ups so Joe can have a donut?" Steve did ten push-ups, Joe got a donut. And so it went, down the first aisle, Steve did ten pushups for every person before they got their donut. Walking down the second aisle, Dr. Christianson came to Scott.

Scott was on the basketball team, and in as good condition as Steve. He was very popular and never lacking for female companionship. When the professor asked, "Scott do you want a donut?" Scott's reply was, "Well, can I do my own pushups?" Dr. Christianson said, "No, Steve has to do them." Then Scott said, "Well, I don't want one then." Dr. Christianson shrugged and then turned to Steve and asked, "Steve, would you do ten pushups so Scott can have a donut he doesn't want?" With perfect obedience Steve started to do ten pushups. Scott said, "HEY! I said I didn't want one!" Dr. Christianson said, "Look! , this is my classroom, my class, my desks, and these are my donuts. Just leave it on the desk if you don't want it." And he put a donut on Scott's desk. Now by this time, Steve had begun to slow down a little. He just stayed on the floor between sets because it took too much effort to be getting up and down. You could start to see a little perspiration coming out around his brow. Dr. Christianson started down the third row. Now the students were beginning to get a little angry. Dr. Christianson asked Jenny, "Jenny, do you want a donut?" Sternly, Jenny said, "No." Then Dr. Christianson asked Steve, "Steve, would you do ten more push-ups so Jenny can have a donut that she doesn't want?" Steve did ten....Jenny got a donut.

By now, a growing sense of uneasiness filled the room. The students were beginning to say "No" and there were all these uneaten donuts on the desks. Steve also had to really put forth a lot of extra effort to get these pushups done for each donut. There began to be a small pool of sweat on the floor beneath his face, his arms and brow were beginning to get red because of the physical effort involved. Dr. Christianson asked Robert, who was the most vocal unbeliever in the class, to watch Steve do each push up to make sure he did the full ten pushups in a set because he couldn't bear to watch all of Steve's work for all of those uneaten donuts. He sent Robert over to where Steve was so Robert could count the set and watch Steve closely. Dr. Christianson started down the fourth row. During his class, however, some students from other classes had wandered in and sat down on the steps along the radiators that ran down the sides of the room. When the professor realized this, he did a quick count and saw that now there were 34 students in the room. He started to worry if Steve would be able to make it. Dr. Christianson went on to the next person and the next and the next. Near the end of that row, Steve was really having a rough time. He was taking a lot more time to complete each set. Steve asked Dr. Christianson, "Do I have to make my nose touch on each one?" Dr. Christianson thought for a moment, "Well, they're your pushups. You are in charge now. You can do them any way that you want." And Dr. Christianson went on.

A few moments later, Jason, a recent transfer student, came to the room and was about to come in when all the students yelled in one voice, "NO! Don't come in! Stay out!" Jason didn't know what was going on. Steve picked up his head and said, "No, let him come." Professor Christianson said, "You realize that if Jason comes in you will have to do ten pushups for him?" Steve said, "Yes, let him come in. Give him a donut" Dr. Christianson said, "Okay, Steve, I'll let you get Jason's out of the way right now. Jason, do you want a donut?" Jason, new to the room, hardly knew what was going on. "Yes," he said, "give me a donut." "Steve, will you do ten push ups so that Jason can have a donut?" Steve did ten pushups very slowly and with great effort. Jason, bewildered, was handed a donut and sat down. Dr. Christianson finished the fourth row, and then started on those visitors seated by the heaters. Steve's arms were now shaking with each push-up in a struggle to lift himself against the force of gravity. By this time sweat was profusely dropping off of his face, there was no sound except his heavy breathing; there was not a dry eye in the room. The very last two students in the room were two young women, both cheerleaders, and very popular. Dr. Christianson went to Linda, the second to last, and asked, "Linda, do you want a doughnut?" Linda said, very sadly, "No, thank you." Professor Christianson quietly asked, "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so that Linda can have a donut she doesn't want?" Grunting from the effort, Steve did ten very slow pushups for Linda.

Then Dr Christianson turned to the last girl, Susan. "Susan, do you want a donut?" Susan, with tears flowing down her face, began to cry. "Dr. Christianson, why can't I help him?" Dr. Christianson, with tears of his own, said, "No, Steve has to do it alone, I have given him this task and he is in charge of seeing that everyone has an opportunity for a donut whether they want it or not. When I decided to have a party this last day of class, I looked my grade book. Steve here is the only student with a perfect grade. Everyone else has failed a test, skipped class, or offered me inferior work. Steve told me that in football practice, when a player messes up he must do push-ups. I told Steve that none of you could come to my party unless he paid the price by doing your push ups. He and I made a deal for your sakes." "Steve, would you do ten push-ups so Susan can have a donut?" As Steve very slowly finished his last pushup, with the understanding that he had accomplished all that was required of him, having done 350 pushups, his arms buckled beneath him and he fell to the floor.

Dr. Christianson turned to the room and said. "And so it was, that our Savior, Jesus Christ, on the cross, plead to the Father, 'into thy hands I commend my spirit.' With the understanding that He had done everything that was required of Him, He yielded up His life. And like some of those in this room, many of us leave the gift on the desk, uneaten." Two students helped Steve up off the floor and to a seat, physically exhausted, but wearing a thin smile. "Well done, good and faithful servant," said the professor, adding "Not all sermons are preached in words." Turning to his class, the professor said, "My wish is that you might understand and fully comprehend all the riches of grace and mercy that have been given to you through the sacrifice of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He spared not only His Begotten Son, but gave Him up for us all, for the whole Church, now and forever. Whether or not we choose to accept His gift to us, the price has been paid."

"Wouldn't you be foolish and ungrateful to leave it lying on the desk?"

Reconciled

2007-04-23T10:48:00.000+08:00

There is a moving and true story of a little girl whose parents were unhappily married and were going through a period of temporary separation. Although the parents had lost their affection for each other, their love for their young daughter, their only child, was strong and deep. One day, as the little girl was playing in the street, she was knocked down by a car and seriously injured. Rushed to hospital, she was examined by several doctors who soon realised there was nothing they could do for her.

The parents hurried to the hospital and stood, one on either side of the bed, looking down helplessly at the daughter they loved so dearly. As they were standing there, the child's eyes suddenly opened and, seeing her father and mother leaning over her, she tried to greet them with a smile. For a few moments she lay quite still, then, pulling her arms out from underneath the blanket, she held them out to her parents. They both put one hand in hers and slowly she drew them together. Within minutes she was gone. Following the little girl's tragic death, the parents were fully reconciled to each other and within a few years had another child - a beautiful son.

What a picture this is of what Christ did for us on the cross. All illustrations of what God has done for us in Christ are inadequate and imperfect, but this one serves to make the point that on the cross our Saviour took the hand of sinful man and placed it in the hand of a loving heavenly Father. At Calvary our wonderful Saviour reconciled us to God.

"But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself." John 12:32

(Taken from Every Day With Jesus 22 April 2007 entry, written by Selwyn Hughes)

Psalm 23:5

2007-04-22T15:17:00.000+08:00

Psalm 23:5 indicates that Jesus Christ will not only supply whatever it is we need whenever we need it, but also feed us even in the midst of a threatening people and threatening circumstances:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies.

It is true that the responsible shepherd is always on the lookout for new fields that can nourish his flock. But the good shepherd never sets the sheep loose in a new field without first looking it over carefully. The shepherd knows what the sheep don't: Not every inviting field is harmless. Charles W. Slemming wrote extensively about the work of shepherds in Palestine. He describes a shepherd examining a new field:

"The shepherd inspects the [new] field closely, walking up and down the field looking for grass that could poison the sheep. He also inspects the field for vipers. These tiny brown adders live under the ground, and they have a way of popping up out of their small holes and nipping the noses of the sheep. Their bite is poisonous, and sometimes the inflammation from their bite will kill the sheep.

The shepherd leaves the sheep outside any such infested field. Then he walks up and down the field until he finds the vipers' holes. He takes from his girdle a bottle of thick oil. Then, raking over any long grass with his staff, he pours a circle of oil at the top of every viper's hole he can find. As he leads the sheep into the field, he anoints the head of each sheep with the oil. When the vipers beneath the ground realise that the sheep are grazing above, they come out of their holes to do their deadly damage. But the oil keeps them from getting out. The smooth bodies of the vipers cannot pass over the slippery oil - and they are prisoners inside their own holes... literally, therefore, the sheep are allowed to graze in the presence of their enemies."

With that background in mind, the familiar words of Psalm 23:5 take on even greater significance:

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You have anointed my head with oil.

(Excerpt taken from the book "Getting There" by Steve Farrar)

Children's Camp

2007-04-12T12:08:00.000+08:00

During the long weekend of Good Friday to Easter Sunday, our church organised a children's camp for the Sunday school kids. We played games, tried to keep the kids out of trouble, and had fun overall. It was interesting to see the kids run around and reminding us that we are old and do not have so much energy. It was encouraging to see so many of the youth coming down to church to help out in the camp even though it was a long weekend, and they could have chosen to do something else. During the night, it was not only the same few youth who stayed in church, but also those who usually did not hang out with us, like Chad and John. It was funny seeing them play Winning 11, conceding goals and still making a laugh out of it. I was glad that Candice enjoyed herself too, as it was her birthday and her wish was to be happy for the day. There was this morning when all of us went down to Labrador Park, and we brought along a soccer ball. As predicted, everyone played soccer together, kids, youth, as well as adults. Uncle Lester can still run and kick the ball around, i doubt if i can still move half that speed when i reach his age. In the end, everyone had fun, and i think that is the most important thing.

Recently the youth have been going out a lot together, not just on Sundays or Saturdays. It's a good sign, but somehow it's funny, because we have not been so enthusiastic about going out during the week with one another last time. Previously, it seemed that we had already had enough of seeing one another once a week. It's nice to see everyone putting in the effort to meet up, have dinner, and fellowship with one another. It will definitely seal the bond which we already have with one another. However, the thing is that i myself have not been meeting up with them, at least for the past few times, due to preparation for exams and assignments etc. Not that i feel left out or what, but i hope i do not end up drifting further away and eventually not going to church often, just because of work or other commitments. Well, with the Nobodies around, i know that we will always keep a lookout and check regularly on one another (i hope).

My love for the electric bass guitar has been reignited following the meeting with Manson, and also after watching some stunning bass videos. i start to believe that i can actually practise and do some of the stuff which the leading bassists do, which i thought was out of my league last time. i guess that as long as i do not give up on myself, and keep putting in effort to try and to practise, the hard work will pay off one day, even if it means i can only do some impressive bass solo after 50 years of effort. i must also guard myself against any pride or complacency, and always remind myself of what is the chief reason why i started on playing bass. It is to glorify God, not myself. Of course, i once aspired to be a full-time musician, but i thought that might put the focus too much on myself and less on Him. It's like stressing the importance of technique without putting any importance on the heart of worship. Then again, my desire to always give my best to God will help to push me to want to keep on improving. i guess there's a delicate balance between wanting to achieve my own objectives and putting the focus on God at the same time.

i think most likely i'll go for VIP (Vacation Internship Programme) next holidays, instead of going for IA (Industrial Attachment) during Year 3 Sem 2. But it also means i can't go for Gen12ii or mission trip with the church. In Year 4 i'll want to apply for TURT again, and hopefully i'll be accepted into the team by then. i'll definitely need to brush up on my bass technique. Oh well, no point worrying too much at this point. i'll just concentrate on what's in front of me now, and leave the future to God.

Gen12ii

2007-04-10T08:59:00.000+08:00

haha my newsletter is out~ for those who do not know, i'll be going to North East Thailand (Khon Kaen) in June for mission trip with Campus Crusade for Christ! Here are some excerpts from my newsletter:

Gen12ii
Gen12ii is a Campus Crusade Missions Project. As a team, we will be heading to Khon Kaen University to share God's love with all who are willing to listen. Each of us have been blessed, and we seek to be a blessing. (I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing... Genesis 12:2)

The People
Isan - North East Thailand is the poorest region in Thailand and most of the residents are farmers. Khon Kaen is the business centre in Isan and in it is situated one of the top 5 universities in Thailand: Khon Kaen University.

What We Will Be Doing
Students reaching students. As students, we have a unique and precious opportunity to connect with fellow Thai University students. We will be doing street witnessing on campus together with the Thai Campus staff, building friendships with the local students through evangelistic parties, doing follow-up with the Christian students, leading them to know Christ and integrating them into the Christian community there.

Being Thai
The Thai people see Christianity as a foreign religion and being a Christian sometimes translates into them losing their Thai roots. Buddhism is deeply rooted in Thai society, and being Thai often means being a Buddhist - 95% of Thais are Buddhists. Pray that God will help them see that being Thai and being a Buddhist is not the same.

Prayer
- Pray that we will go as a team in the love of the Lord.
- God will place in our hearts a love for the students.
- A prayerful, attentive and obedient heart that seeks to serve the Lord.
- Pray for the Thai students, that God will prepare their hearts to receive the Gospel message.

Our Needs
Our trip will be from the 4th to the 25th of June 2007. For this mission trip to be possible, each of us will be trusting the Lord to provide a total of $1200 per person. We would also be needing prayer support from you, to be interceding on our behalf, for us and for the students in Khon Kaen.

Bass Playing, Project Work, Gen12ii

2007-03-25T16:50:00.000+08:00

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!

Eventful Days

2007-02-12T10:44:00.000+08:00

After the mass E event, i thought things would be slightly better, because i do not have to worry so much about planning and etc, but i was wrong. Not that it was no better, but i did not think that it would be so busy and packed.

First, there was Yi Xin's 21st birthday party. i must say that she was very creative, in terms of the decorations, the cupcake theme, and the program. Too bad the bungalow she booked was at some secluded place at the corner of Changi and Tanah Merah. Then again, most chalets and holiday bungalows are pretty secluded and inaccessible anyway. i think Yi Xin enjoyed herself, seeing so many of her friends together under 1 roof. We crusaders already comprised a quarter of the people who went for the party. In the end, before we left, the crusaders sang a song for the birthday girl, "Still" by Hillsong, which was 1 of her favourite songs. As Raymond shared afterwards, it was a declaration of our faith in front of the non-Christian friends at the place, and also a reminder to ourselves to always be still and know that He is God. It was so wonderful that this song, which was thought of on the spot without any preparation, was so appropriate, and also tied in with a prayer of blessing which Raymond gave after the song. Surely the presence of God was there at the place.

During the party, i received a call from Michelle, saying that her good friend Candice was hospitalised, and in the Intensive Care Unit. The news came as a shock to me, especially when i could hear Michelle's trembling voice asking me to inform everyone to pray for Candice. Immediately after the call, i sent a message to some of the youth in my church who know Candice, to pray and intercede for her health. Later that night, as i was heading home after the birthday party, i received a message from Michelle that Candice was no longer in the ICU. i breathed a sigh of relief and thanked God.

Ironically, later we found out that Candice was never in ICU. She was admitted to National University Hospital only for some observations, and she was in the Isolation Ward all the time "enjoying herself", in her own words. Apparently Candice's mom misinterpreted the information and in the end everyone was unnecessarily worried. Yesterday some of us went down to NUH to visit Candice, and we had a laugh over it. She is due to be discharged today. Well, at least we are glad that she's all right. Thank God!

This weekend i had a few arguments with my dad. On both Thursday and Friday, i was scolded for not going to bed by 12, even though i was doing work. Apparently when my dad sees me using MSN, he regards me as not doing work. So last night i did not sign in to MSN, and my dad did not say anything. On Saturday, i defended 1 of the church youth from my dad's criticism, and got scolded as a result. Also, i blundered when i tried to keep the table tennis table in church, warranting another bout of criticism from him. My dad works in my church, so whenever i go to church i will get to see him. Ultimately i know that my dad loves me, and i love him as well, even though i hate to admit it. =p hopefully our father-son relationship will improve as time goes. i have been praying for him and myself these few days, and i know i should not give up and fall into the trappings of the devil. Thankfully i have a supportive brother and loving mother, who share the same experiences with me, and they always remind me that i can always draw strength from God, as they have been doing. Without them, i do not know how bad things can turn out. So, i truly thank God for them.

i'm still thinking of what God is trying to teach/show me through my TURT audition experience. i guess that now i know where my level is, and as a result i'm being humbled by the experience. Also, Manson has kindly agreed to meet me occasionally to help me out and guide me in my bass guitar playing, so this is also a blessing in disguise. Hopefully i'm able to improve and head in the right direction during this year, and bring my bass playing to another level. It's all for the glory of God! i will always want to serve God with whatever He has given me.

Yesterday the youth leaders had a meeting on plotting the direction of the youth ministry in the church. In the end it was observed that more discipleship was needed, and Pastor has expressed his desire for a young adults ministry to start in 3 years' time. even though there are no concrete plans as yet, i'm excited to be part of God's plan for the church and for the youth. Praise the Lord!

Now 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.
Ephesians 3:20

Thanksgiving for Mass E

2007-02-08T10:47:00.000+08:00

Finally, after more than a month of planning and praying, the mass evangelistic event was held last night at LT27. All of us (the mass E comm members) felt relieved and somehow sad that the event was over. Even though planning for such an event is never easy, it was definitely made a bit more enjoyable and less tiring by the people whom we worked with, that is, one another. As David Mak shared to me last night, he could really see God's hand at work in this whole event, from planning to execution, and i cannot agree more.

All of us in the comm were first-timers, that is, this was the first time we did such an event. i think for the admin, publicity and program comms, it was quite an experience planning and doing all the stuff, but personally, for logistics, it was more of waiting on the Lord and trusting in Him rather than just doing and planning. Last sem, i was helping out in the programs, and that was a lot of planning and doing, but this time, i think God wanted me to learn how to commit everything into His hands. Many times during the planning, i found that things were out of my control, or that of anyone else in the comm, which meant that we really had to trust God and put our faith in Him, for Him to make a way for us. Time and again, God showed us His sovereignty and things turned out well. Every single uncertainty had to be committed to the Lord, and He did not fail us. The whole event had God's handprints all over it, hence the remark made by Mak.

i really learnt much from this experience, and i definitely feel that my faith is being stretched, much more than what i expected or thought. Indeed, God is faithful, and we can just walk by faith and expect Him to do great things for us and through us. Amen!

Thoughts of TURT

2007-02-05T23:20:00.001+08:00

i looked at the number on my handphone. It looked strangely familiar. i called back to the number, anticipating the reply to be from Forerunner. Sure enough, a familiar voice greeted me, "Hi, Forerunner here, can i help you?" i told Daniel, "Hi, this is David Chow, did someone call me just now?" Daniel replied, "Hold on..." as he passed the phone to someone else.

True enough, this was the call to inform me of whether i would be accepted to join the Ultimate Road Trip, also known as TURT. It is a music missions project organised by Forerunner, the music ministry arm of Campus Crusade for Christ. If accepted, one will go through a 4-week local training before going on the road in Thailand for 2 weeks, going to campuses and holding concerts. Finally, after a few days of waiting, the results of my audition would be revealed to me.

i was not accepted.

Surprisingly, i was not too sad about it. and after being told about why i was not accepted, i actually felt much better. i was told that there were other students who "needed" to go, more than me. That was because some of the applicants were in their final year, and i still have 2 more years to go. In the end, i was told to continue to improve, and to apply again next year. After the call, i sent an SMS to some of my friends to inform them of the result, and also shared to Dillon (Science Crusade staff) about my thoughts about the whole matter.

Actually, David Mak told me before not to apply for TURT so early, but it was due to unrelated reasons. However, i still decided to apply for TURT. Looking back, i think God was speaking to me through him, and it was never in His plan for me to go for TURT this year. In the end, due to my stubbornness, God had to show me the hard way, but i still thank Him for giving me the experience to go through the audition and interview. Because of that, i now know in which areas i need to improve on and also, i have a better idea of what to expect from the trip.

Somehow i also feel that i'm still not ready for TURT, and it's better for me to go for a campus mission for my very first mission trip. i felt that applying for TURT was my way of staying within my comfort zone, doing something i'm comfortable with and used to doing. So, by not being accepted into the team, i'm being forced to do something which i'm not so comfortable with, that is, reaching out to students by using conversational evangelism. i hate to admit it, but i'm still not very comfortable with talking to strangers, especially about the Gospel. Hopefully a campus mission trip will dispel all fears and give me a burden and heart for the people whom i'm reaching out to.

i give thanks to God, for i know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) Amen!

Soccer Match

2007-01-29T11:37:00.000+08:00

Soccer is a game which lots of guys like to play and watch, and needless to say, i'm 1 of them. Be it playing soccer in school, watching matches on TV, or playing soccer games on the computer and PS2, it's all enjoyable. That said, i found it surprising that my church youth were asked to play a friendly soccer match against another church some time ago.

Just a brief history, a soccer ministry was started by Andrew Tang back in 1999. At the time, there were a lot of guys in the Agape Youth who were interested to play soccer, and Andrew saw the opportunity to use soccer to reach out to the lost around us. Hence SMFC (St. Matthew's Football Club) was formed, and during the 1st few months and years, it seemed to be reaping benefits. There were new faces apart from the usual youth who go to the fortnightly training sessions, the Chinese congregation youth joined us as well, and we had the opportunity to play some friendlies against other people, both churches as well as school teams. We did not win all of those matches, in fact we were thrashed quite a few times, but we did have fun, and there was team spirit.

Alas, all good things must come to an end. Andrew Tang left the youth and moved on to the young adults, and subsequently to another church. His departure spelled the demise of the soccer ministry, as it did not last long after that. Gradually, we met up less and less often for soccer, and nowadays we only meet up once in a while to play street soccer at Tanjong Pagar which was nearby our church. A few of us thought of restarting the ministry, but we needed a committed guy to do the coordination and planning. Then, the invitation came.

Alvin Chee had been attending our youth services until he decided to move to COGS (Church of Good Shepherd) to join his parents and to have more opportunities to serve God in a bigger capacity. So he was the 1 who arranged for COGS to play SMC, and he asked Jason Goh whether we would like to play a friendly with them. Jason, being on about soccer, gamely said yes, but in the end he had a hard time getting the people to play and looking for a venue. By God's grace, we got the field at St. Andrew's School (Junior), and the weather held out despite looking menacing and having some slight drizzles here and there.

So the match was played yesterday. The final score was not important, i would say that in the end all of us enjoyed ourselves, despite the weather and muddy field. More details of the match can be found at Jason's blog: http://koinoniaz.blogspot.com

Give thanks to God for all the wonderful things He has done and provided! The weather was fantastic, cooling but not raining. We were fretting about the venue until uncle Anthony helped us to book the field at SAS. God protected us during the match, as there were no serious injuries throughout. And also for the many many other things He did!!

Now Chaw Shing has agreed to be the coordinator for the soccer ministry, starting from where we left off the last time. Hopefully we can use this soccer ministry to glorify God and as a platform where we can reach out to the lost around us. Yay!!

Giving Thanks to the Lord

2007-01-22T20:27:00.000+08:00

i'm a musician, so i'm greatly influenced by songs which i listen to. There's this song called "Forever" by Chris Tomlin which goes like this:

Give thanks to the Lord, my God, my King
His love endures forever!
For He is good, He is above all things
His love endures forever!

Sing praise, sing praise!

Forever God is faithful, forever God is strong,
Forever God is with us, forever...

This song reminds us of the faithfulness and unchanging character of God, and it is so real to me in my life, as i recall what He has done and is still doing in me, with me and through me.

Recently i have been "bogged down" by a lot of things and commitments, and only when the people around me notice the difference in me and tell me about it, then i realise it myself. Personally i really felt that God intentionally arranged for people to care for me and pray with me and for me, and i see His hand at work, and i realise that He cares for me. Not that i do not know that already, but i think it's easy to forget such things when we are going through good times. Only when we go through difficult times do we fall at the feet of God and seek His counsel and help. That is why i hope that from now on i can make it a point to really appreciate the goodness and blessings that God has put in my life and the lives of people around me, and give thanks in all circumstances (1 Thes 5:18), be it good or not so good.

i give thanks for a supportive family, parents who raised me up in the ways of the Lord, and a brother who affirms, encourages and cares for me. i really feel that my family members have been very tolerant of me and my disrespectful ways, my tantrums and my childishness, and that is something which i cannot take for granted. God has really blessed me with this family, and time and again i must give thanks to Him and appreciate my family members for who they are and what they have done and sacrificed for me.

i give thanks for close and supportive friends, brothers and sisters-in-Christ who grew up with me since we were 4-year-old kids in the church Sunday school. These friends are really placed in my life by God, and we have seen one another grow up, become mature, make mistakes, go through all the different phases of life, and we have stuck together through everything. Even though we know one another's weaknesses and have seen many letdowns, mistakes made, we still love one another as brothers and sisters, and this is really very precious to anyone, to have friends who accept you for who you are.

i give thanks for the Engine crusaders, for this group of fervent and passionate Christians who share the vision of reaching out to the lost in campus. i have absolutely no regrets participating and joining crusade in their activities, as it really gives me a sense of purpose in my 4 years in campus, that i'm doing something for God, and fulfilling His Great Commission. i have also received much training in various aspects, and i would say that this phase is definitely a turning point in my life. i am humbled by the people around me, and i have learnt so much from them. i have definitely matured a lot in terms of my walk with God and the way i think during these 1 and a half years alone. Even now i'm being stretched by God, but i know that this is so that i can grow in Him, and if i do not step out of my comfort zone, i will not learn much. In crusade, i really learn how to put what i already know into practice, and to dare to do new things and learn from my experiences.

Enough about me, i realised that there are a lot of "i"s in the paragraphs above. It's time to focus on God, and on His character and works. God has given me so much in my life, that the only way i can repay Him is to give myself to Him, to be used by Him, to be moulded into the person whom God wants me to be. All these may sound cliched, but unless we personally experience God's presence and work in our lives, we will not fully understand and appreciate what those words mean.

Thanks be to God!

Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good.
His love endures forever.
To Him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
With a mighty hand and outstretched arm,
His love endures forever.
To the One who remembered us in our low estate,
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of Heaven,
His love endures forever.
Psalm 136:1, 4, 12, 23, 26

The Story of Varun

2007-01-19T20:29:00.000+08:00

As the late Selwyn Hughes mentioned so many times in his daily devotional "Every Day With Jesus", God never fails to surprise us in our lives, be it in big ways or small. Personally, i have encountered God's work in my life so surprisingly and so unexpectedly in so many instances, that i am constantly reminded of His presence. 1 special moment when that happened was when i met Varun.

i was with the other crusaders last Wednesday after Life Meeting, heading to Fong Seng for a late dinner/supper. As we boarded the internal shuttle bus for the short ride to Arts faculty where we could walk to the eating place popular with NUS students, a voice behind me shook me from my thoughts. "Excuse me, are you from the Guitar Club?" i turned around to see a young Indian student looking at me and gesturing to the guitar i was carrying. "No, no, i'm not from the Guitar Club," i replied. Then, after some thought, "Is it that you want to join the Guitar Club?" The student was happy to continue the conversation with me, saying that he wanted to join the Guitar Club because he wanted to learn how to play the guitar, and as he saw me holding a guitar, he thought i might be from the club. After a quick thought i suggested to teach him the basics of playing guitar, as i was already having guitar lessons with Yi Xin, a crusader from Engine region.

His eyes immediately lit up, and i got his handphone number just as i reached my destination. From that short conversation lasting not more than 30 seconds, i gathered that his name was Varun (Arun with a V in front, that's easy to remember), and he's a Year 1 student doing Business. He's also not a local, having come from India a few months ago. After alighting from the bus, i shared my experience with David Mak and Janice Choo, and the 3 of us prayed and thanked God for opening up to me such a wonderful opportunity. Later that night, as i slowly mulled over what had happened during that 30 seconds, i realised how wonderful God's ways are, that He can even make use of that short amount of time to reach out to a lost soul through me. Of course, i'm not seeking to force Varun to accept Christ, but it is still an opportunity which God has given me, and who knows, God can work miracles in Varun's life.

i have subsequently met up with this brother and arranged weekly guitar lessons with him, so i'll have more chances of engaging in spiritual conversations with him, when i feel that it is appropriate. He has agreed to go for the mass evangelistic event "Victim, Villain or Valentine" this coming 7th February, and i know that God will use that event to touch him in His own special way. i really give thanks to God, for He is good, and His plans are for the best. i only need to trust in Him, and to just do whatever He says. Isn't that wonderful?

Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgements, and His paths beyond tracing out!
Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor?
Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?
For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.
To Him be the glory forever! Amen.
Romans 11:33-36

My 1st Post

2007-01-19T10:54:00.000+08:00

This will be my 1st post since my last blog, which i deleted some time ago. i hope to dedicate this blog to God, making it a point to post my daily reflections here, hence somehow forcing myself to spend time every day thinking of how God works in my life and thanking Him every day. The new sem has started, and there are actually a lot of things which i want to give thanks to God for. When i have time i'll slowly write everything here.

Thanks be to God!