Simple but powerful message. Be blessed and pass it on :)
Learning to Walk on Water
Sea of Galilee, Israel
Friday, August 31, 2007
Monday, August 27, 2007
3 weeks on...
It’s been rather eventful since I got back from The Philippines. Met up with quite a number of friends, some of whom I haven’t seen for sometime, and some were visiting Malaysian friends whom I knew in Nottingham. Went to East Coast beach for the first time since I got back. East Coach holds a special place in my heart, and it was a warm and nostalgic feeling to be back there, taking in the sea breeze, looking at the ships and sailing boats in the distance, watching the planes fly by, the cafes and pubs by the beach and watching people jogging, bbqing or just enjoying a stroll.
I realized that quite a lot of things have happened in church. Some of which are not very pleasant things. A lot of people who used to be my close friends are no longer there, which is quite sad… But I believe I will stay on. I’m trying out various bible study groups to decide where I should settle down in. Still praying where I should serve in church. I feel somewhat out-of-place amongst the youths now… sounds like I’m so old and mature, but actually I’m not that. Maybe that’s what you call the generation gap.
I had an interesting meeting with a friend who was encouraging me to join a business/MLM company… it was interesting and mind-boggling to see how much money I can make from investing in such a business, but I realized that I’ve no interest in such things… A few days ago an insurance person approached me and told me all the different investment/savings/insurance plans. I was like… hmm. Do I need all these? I might just die today. But yeah I know it’s also good to save and take insurance, if not for myself, then for family. A fine line, but I guess it’s a personal conviction and a balance. I’ll be earning my own money soon, and I’ll have to decide how I’m gonna use this money. Pray I’ll not fall into the temptation of making my bank grow bigger and bigger. But I’ll be wise in using it and invest it in what is eternal. People ask me if I’m looking forward to work, honestly, I’ve been quite apprehensive, perhaps it’s the usual resistance to change, and also cos I feel really inadequate and unprepared to face the challenges of working life and responsibilities of my job. But i know that God's grace is sufficient for me, and His strength is made perfect in my weaknesses, therefore i can boast in my weaknesses that the power of Christ may work through me...
I’m also starting to exercise. (Yes, I didn’t exercise much in UK sad to say…) Went jogging at Bedok stadium, I felt like fainting after just 2km. Man. Also played tennis with my dad which was utterly disappointing. I’ve lost the skills and confidence I once had. Hopefully I’ll improve with more practice.
Lately the burden to witness to strangers on the streets have grown… I feel that the church confines evangelism to within the 4 walls of the church building. We get so caught up in our daily schedules and appointments we fail to see the people around us through God's eyes. Whenever I go out, I feel that I need to share Christ with the people in my path as I go about my daily affairs… The feeling is sometimes so intense it scares me… I ask myself if I’m being too fanatical or radical. I think I’m weird and no one can understand, feel alone and all. I ask myself if it is just me or the Holy Spirit. I feel like Jonah trying to run away from it, but I can’t seem to shake it off… Shared this with a friend and we went street witnessing a couple of times. Got the usual stares from people who think we’re out of our minds, but also got quite a few encouraging responses – spoke to an Indian couple for abt 2 hours (who even paid for our dinner!), spoke to 2 Muslim girls who seemed quite open and asked questions about Christianity, had an intense discussion with 2 ‘ang-mos’ who were atheist, prayed with an elderly man selling tissue paper who broke down… Sometimes i get discouraged cos no one has made a decision immediately to follow Jesus, but my friend reminded me that sometimes we don't get to see the fruit of our labour, but so long as we are faithful to obey God, the rest is up to God. But I still feel it’s not enough to just DO street witnessing. It’s not smth to DO. It’s a lifestyle. It can be anytime, anywhere. I read somewhere that God doesn’t look for ability, but availability… I’m still in the process of learning. I still make mistakes. Do it on my own strength sometimes. I need to be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit so I can discern His voice. I need His perfect love to cast out my fears… Will someone join me in this journey? Check out http://www.mercystreet.com/ it'll inspire you
The World Needs by Matthew Chern
The world needs
Someone who will love without expecting
A gift in return
The world needs
Someone who will run the extra mile
To touch a broken heart
The world needs
Someone who will open wide his heart
Knowing it would hurt
The world needs
Someone who’ll feel the pain of his brother
And take it for his own
The world needs
Someone who would give his life for them
To pardon their sin
The world needs
Someone who would say, “Lord forgive them
They know not what they do..”
(Chorus)
The world needs a shoulder to cry on
The world needs a friend to rely on
The world needs someone who has known the love of Christ
To give up his life
(Bridge)
Don’t you know
It’s time to go
It’s time for you to reach out to this
Lost lost world
Only you
Can here decide
To tell the Lord, “I will abide..”
How can they survive
Only if you’d give your life
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
Romans 10:13-14
I realized that quite a lot of things have happened in church. Some of which are not very pleasant things. A lot of people who used to be my close friends are no longer there, which is quite sad… But I believe I will stay on. I’m trying out various bible study groups to decide where I should settle down in. Still praying where I should serve in church. I feel somewhat out-of-place amongst the youths now… sounds like I’m so old and mature, but actually I’m not that. Maybe that’s what you call the generation gap.
I had an interesting meeting with a friend who was encouraging me to join a business/MLM company… it was interesting and mind-boggling to see how much money I can make from investing in such a business, but I realized that I’ve no interest in such things… A few days ago an insurance person approached me and told me all the different investment/savings/insurance plans. I was like… hmm. Do I need all these? I might just die today. But yeah I know it’s also good to save and take insurance, if not for myself, then for family. A fine line, but I guess it’s a personal conviction and a balance. I’ll be earning my own money soon, and I’ll have to decide how I’m gonna use this money. Pray I’ll not fall into the temptation of making my bank grow bigger and bigger. But I’ll be wise in using it and invest it in what is eternal. People ask me if I’m looking forward to work, honestly, I’ve been quite apprehensive, perhaps it’s the usual resistance to change, and also cos I feel really inadequate and unprepared to face the challenges of working life and responsibilities of my job. But i know that God's grace is sufficient for me, and His strength is made perfect in my weaknesses, therefore i can boast in my weaknesses that the power of Christ may work through me...
I’m also starting to exercise. (Yes, I didn’t exercise much in UK sad to say…) Went jogging at Bedok stadium, I felt like fainting after just 2km. Man. Also played tennis with my dad which was utterly disappointing. I’ve lost the skills and confidence I once had. Hopefully I’ll improve with more practice.
Lately the burden to witness to strangers on the streets have grown… I feel that the church confines evangelism to within the 4 walls of the church building. We get so caught up in our daily schedules and appointments we fail to see the people around us through God's eyes. Whenever I go out, I feel that I need to share Christ with the people in my path as I go about my daily affairs… The feeling is sometimes so intense it scares me… I ask myself if I’m being too fanatical or radical. I think I’m weird and no one can understand, feel alone and all. I ask myself if it is just me or the Holy Spirit. I feel like Jonah trying to run away from it, but I can’t seem to shake it off… Shared this with a friend and we went street witnessing a couple of times. Got the usual stares from people who think we’re out of our minds, but also got quite a few encouraging responses – spoke to an Indian couple for abt 2 hours (who even paid for our dinner!), spoke to 2 Muslim girls who seemed quite open and asked questions about Christianity, had an intense discussion with 2 ‘ang-mos’ who were atheist, prayed with an elderly man selling tissue paper who broke down… Sometimes i get discouraged cos no one has made a decision immediately to follow Jesus, but my friend reminded me that sometimes we don't get to see the fruit of our labour, but so long as we are faithful to obey God, the rest is up to God. But I still feel it’s not enough to just DO street witnessing. It’s not smth to DO. It’s a lifestyle. It can be anytime, anywhere. I read somewhere that God doesn’t look for ability, but availability… I’m still in the process of learning. I still make mistakes. Do it on my own strength sometimes. I need to be more sensitive to the Holy Spirit so I can discern His voice. I need His perfect love to cast out my fears… Will someone join me in this journey? Check out http://www.mercystreet.com/ it'll inspire you
The World Needs by Matthew Chern
The world needs
Someone who will love without expecting
A gift in return
The world needs
Someone who will run the extra mile
To touch a broken heart
The world needs
Someone who will open wide his heart
Knowing it would hurt
The world needs
Someone who’ll feel the pain of his brother
And take it for his own
The world needs
Someone who would give his life for them
To pardon their sin
The world needs
Someone who would say, “Lord forgive them
They know not what they do..”
(Chorus)
The world needs a shoulder to cry on
The world needs a friend to rely on
The world needs someone who has known the love of Christ
To give up his life
(Bridge)
Don’t you know
It’s time to go
It’s time for you to reach out to this
Lost lost world
Only you
Can here decide
To tell the Lord, “I will abide..”
How can they survive
Only if you’d give your life
"How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"
Romans 10:13-14
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Little Women Music Video- Bebo Norman
Is it true that time takes a toll on love?
I'm waiting and holding on
But with each day
I ask myself
Am i hanging on to false hope?
Only God knows...
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Back from Philippines
Philippines was humbling. Quite a vast change from UK, being in a third world country. From the plane you can only see small zinc roofed houses and more and more padi fields.
Took us 10 hours to get to our destination (a village called Cabugao) from the airport. They don't have highways there, only mud roads, with lots of pot holes. 2 guys from church drove us there with the church van. Reached there at midnight.
The church there was started by a Singaporean Indian (Pastor Michael) who used to attend Church of Singapore. He married a Philippino and started the church there some 10 odd years ago. But the church is more of a home for abandoned children and troubled youths. About 22 children and 16 young peole live there. And it's not a very big house. We slept on mattresses on the floor, accompanied by mosquitoes and lizards. heh. Thank God it is the typhoon season now so it's not so hot. But it was raining quite a lot while we were there. First time i'm experiencing typhoon rain. The rain falls like hail, and with the howling winds, bomming thunder and lightning, can be quite scary. But thank God that the roof didnt fly off.
We spent the days visiting the surrounding village churches, the pastors there and some of the cell members. The Philipinnos are really friendly and hospitable people. They don't have much and are very poor, but they still offer us the best food when we're there. And they eat our leftovers. Some of their house roofs even leaks when it rains. For us, it's not considered liveable condition, but for them, so long as they have a roof over their heads, it's good already. Their livelihood is mainly planting rice and rearing animals. Having rice on the table to eat is a struggle for many.
When we were not out, we spent time with the kids and youths in the home. I was quite shy and didn't know how to talk to them. But the kids warm up really fast. I just sit there for a few minutes and before you know it all the kids start surrounding me. Can see how much love and attention they lack and need. Most of them were abandoned by their parents. A few were literally dumbed in the garbage bin. Pastor Michael picks them up and brings them home. There were a few difficult kids though, one was mute and another had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and kept on pulling my hair and arms. But was really touched when he gave me a note that said thanks when i left, as well as 2 batteries for my camera in case it ran out of battery. The youths spend their time in routine tasks taking care of the home and children, like washing, cooking and cleaning. So didn't really talk to many of them. They spoke the local language (Illocano) to one another, and their english is not too good, so made it harder. Many of them come from broken homes, and complicated backgrounds. Parents abandoned them, some couldn't afford to bring them up so put them there. Some were single mothers at the age of 23. Education is expensive and may of them want to go to school but can't afford it. Even if they are educated (some of them have uni degrees), there are not many jobs there, and end up staying in the home to help out. They pass their free time playing chess and playing volleyball in the streets. Really not much entertainment there. I played chess and dai-tee with some of them (they are really quite good! Or maybe i'm quite bad... heh). Got to know a few of the girls there better, and was moved when they gave me their clothes and simple gifts when we left. I thought we were supposed to be the ones giving cos we've got so much, yet they still give out of their little they have (Reminds me of the bible story of the widow and the two coins). Can see that they are really sincere and they desire and treasure friendship. They asked me for my photo and to write to them. One thing that amazed me was that they woke up at 4am every day to have group devotion. If they failed to attend or if they were late, they wouldn't get food for the whole day. Must say the way the philippinos worship God in song puts many of us to shame.
Also visited a prison there. Was really small - only 3 cells, housing about 30 inmates there. Quite cramped. But the security is quite lax there. We had direct contact with the inmates and sometimes they can come out into the public to play simple games. Some of them have been there for a few years without trial (the justice system there is really slow and corrupted). We sang some christian songs with them and one of the ladies from the mission team shared her testimony and from the Word. We found out it was 2 of the guy's birthdays that day so we bought them birthday cakes. They said that it was the first time in their entire life that they had a cake for their birthday! Could see they were really happy and touched by such a simple gesture.
Please Pray for Philippines. Pray for:
- more godly men and women to govern the country to stamp out corruption
- the children and young people. Many of them have been forced into the sex trade as young as 8 years old. Many of them lack love and a family.
- the poor people. That God will provide for their families.
- the churches there. That the pastors will be people after God's heart, and God will build His church there. They are severely lacking in discipleship. Many of the churches don't have a building to meet also.
- Health. It's the typhoon season now, and there's quite a lot of flooding, which also means water-borne diseases. Health services are not so readily available and as good there as compared to here. Pray for God's protection and mercy.
- God's truth to be known throughout the land. Many people are involved in cults and distorted christian teachings. Even though it is known to be a roman catholic land, many of them don't actually believe or know what the bible teaches, or have a personal relationship with God.
As much as I wish and like to go to third world countries for short mission trips (still hope to visit India, Myanmar, Cambodia and Indonesia someday), i really don't know if i can be a full-time missionary there. I don't know if can give up my comfortable life here in Singapore, but if and when God does call me to go, i better say yes. I got word that i'll be starting work in prison on 17th sept. i won't be working as a prison officer YET cos i need to go through training first which only starts in Jan next year, but i'll still be working working. Thought i could start later, but guess God wants me in prison soon. heh. Good also lar, can't run away for long... Have mixed feelings about it. But pray i will have a positive attitude and trust God in the midst of difficulties and uncertainties. Will be going away for a short trip to Malaysia with my mom, bro and sis in early sept. it's been a long time since the whole family went on holiday together.
I've still yet to settle back into life in Singapore. Feel quite lost still. And dealing with some personal issues right now... Pray for me to be still to seek God, in what He wants me to do in various areas of my life. Thanks... :) May you find Him in all that you do each day my friends.
Can view some of the philippine pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/17466796@N00/
Took us 10 hours to get to our destination (a village called Cabugao) from the airport. They don't have highways there, only mud roads, with lots of pot holes. 2 guys from church drove us there with the church van. Reached there at midnight.
The church there was started by a Singaporean Indian (Pastor Michael) who used to attend Church of Singapore. He married a Philippino and started the church there some 10 odd years ago. But the church is more of a home for abandoned children and troubled youths. About 22 children and 16 young peole live there. And it's not a very big house. We slept on mattresses on the floor, accompanied by mosquitoes and lizards. heh. Thank God it is the typhoon season now so it's not so hot. But it was raining quite a lot while we were there. First time i'm experiencing typhoon rain. The rain falls like hail, and with the howling winds, bomming thunder and lightning, can be quite scary. But thank God that the roof didnt fly off.
We spent the days visiting the surrounding village churches, the pastors there and some of the cell members. The Philipinnos are really friendly and hospitable people. They don't have much and are very poor, but they still offer us the best food when we're there. And they eat our leftovers. Some of their house roofs even leaks when it rains. For us, it's not considered liveable condition, but for them, so long as they have a roof over their heads, it's good already. Their livelihood is mainly planting rice and rearing animals. Having rice on the table to eat is a struggle for many.
When we were not out, we spent time with the kids and youths in the home. I was quite shy and didn't know how to talk to them. But the kids warm up really fast. I just sit there for a few minutes and before you know it all the kids start surrounding me. Can see how much love and attention they lack and need. Most of them were abandoned by their parents. A few were literally dumbed in the garbage bin. Pastor Michael picks them up and brings them home. There were a few difficult kids though, one was mute and another had Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and kept on pulling my hair and arms. But was really touched when he gave me a note that said thanks when i left, as well as 2 batteries for my camera in case it ran out of battery. The youths spend their time in routine tasks taking care of the home and children, like washing, cooking and cleaning. So didn't really talk to many of them. They spoke the local language (Illocano) to one another, and their english is not too good, so made it harder. Many of them come from broken homes, and complicated backgrounds. Parents abandoned them, some couldn't afford to bring them up so put them there. Some were single mothers at the age of 23. Education is expensive and may of them want to go to school but can't afford it. Even if they are educated (some of them have uni degrees), there are not many jobs there, and end up staying in the home to help out. They pass their free time playing chess and playing volleyball in the streets. Really not much entertainment there. I played chess and dai-tee with some of them (they are really quite good! Or maybe i'm quite bad... heh). Got to know a few of the girls there better, and was moved when they gave me their clothes and simple gifts when we left. I thought we were supposed to be the ones giving cos we've got so much, yet they still give out of their little they have (Reminds me of the bible story of the widow and the two coins). Can see that they are really sincere and they desire and treasure friendship. They asked me for my photo and to write to them. One thing that amazed me was that they woke up at 4am every day to have group devotion. If they failed to attend or if they were late, they wouldn't get food for the whole day. Must say the way the philippinos worship God in song puts many of us to shame.
Also visited a prison there. Was really small - only 3 cells, housing about 30 inmates there. Quite cramped. But the security is quite lax there. We had direct contact with the inmates and sometimes they can come out into the public to play simple games. Some of them have been there for a few years without trial (the justice system there is really slow and corrupted). We sang some christian songs with them and one of the ladies from the mission team shared her testimony and from the Word. We found out it was 2 of the guy's birthdays that day so we bought them birthday cakes. They said that it was the first time in their entire life that they had a cake for their birthday! Could see they were really happy and touched by such a simple gesture.
Please Pray for Philippines. Pray for:
- more godly men and women to govern the country to stamp out corruption
- the children and young people. Many of them have been forced into the sex trade as young as 8 years old. Many of them lack love and a family.
- the poor people. That God will provide for their families.
- the churches there. That the pastors will be people after God's heart, and God will build His church there. They are severely lacking in discipleship. Many of the churches don't have a building to meet also.
- Health. It's the typhoon season now, and there's quite a lot of flooding, which also means water-borne diseases. Health services are not so readily available and as good there as compared to here. Pray for God's protection and mercy.
- God's truth to be known throughout the land. Many people are involved in cults and distorted christian teachings. Even though it is known to be a roman catholic land, many of them don't actually believe or know what the bible teaches, or have a personal relationship with God.
As much as I wish and like to go to third world countries for short mission trips (still hope to visit India, Myanmar, Cambodia and Indonesia someday), i really don't know if i can be a full-time missionary there. I don't know if can give up my comfortable life here in Singapore, but if and when God does call me to go, i better say yes. I got word that i'll be starting work in prison on 17th sept. i won't be working as a prison officer YET cos i need to go through training first which only starts in Jan next year, but i'll still be working working. Thought i could start later, but guess God wants me in prison soon. heh. Good also lar, can't run away for long... Have mixed feelings about it. But pray i will have a positive attitude and trust God in the midst of difficulties and uncertainties. Will be going away for a short trip to Malaysia with my mom, bro and sis in early sept. it's been a long time since the whole family went on holiday together.
I've still yet to settle back into life in Singapore. Feel quite lost still. And dealing with some personal issues right now... Pray for me to be still to seek God, in what He wants me to do in various areas of my life. Thanks... :) May you find Him in all that you do each day my friends.
Can view some of the philippine pics here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/17466796@N00/
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Back in Sgp
This is the 3rd day I’ve been back in Singapore. Still jet-lagging a bit, getting used to the hot weather and finding my sense of belonging and direction.
I touched down at 8pm on National Day, managed to catch a glimpse of the fireworks just when the plane landed, which was nice. Stepping back into change airport, seeing the familiar faces of Singaporean people, the young, elderly, brought a smile to my face. I knew I was home. After collecting my luggage, I walked through the arrivals gate, and was met with eager faces looking and waiting for their loved ones. It gave me a warm but stinging and empty feeling in my heart. I waited a while for my mom and uncle to pick me up from the airport, which was nice… My family moved to a 2-bedroom HDB falt early this year, so I came back to an unfamiliar place. It was nicer than I expected. Much smaller as compared to the condo I was staying at, but the place was quite nicely furnished and clean. Or so I thought, till I spotted a lizard. Heh.
First day my mom helped me familiarize myself with the new surroundings, and told me how to get around from here. Went to settle bank and phone stuff, also met up with my dad and his family for dinner at Parkway. Had lunch with my family and grandma for lunch the following day at Pasir Ris downtown east. Some things seem familiar, but of course, there’s always new changes. Went for young service at church on Sat night. Only a few people knew I was back, so a lot of people were surprised to see me. I was both excited and fearful. Was nice that many people came to say hi, but I still felt quite awkward and out-of-place. Was quite overwhelmed by the number of people there, and I tried to get a brief overview of what’s happening in people’s lives. It will take time to re-connect. I guess. As always. One step at a time.
Today I tried to give a tract to a lady on the bus, but got rejected. Everywhere I go, I see strangers who don’t know Jesus – the cleaner in the foodcourts, the lame man selling tissues by the street, the uncles and aunties in the neighbourhood. My heart aches for them, but I feel so afraid to step out of my comfort zone to reach out to them. It’s the same familiar feeling I have each time I come back to Singapore. I wonder if I’m silly or crazy doing what I do sometimes, it’s not really conventional. A lot of me just wants to ignore these promptings, and just go on with my own life. Lately I’ve been having a lot of inner distractions which can be frustrating when I can’t concentrate on what’s at hand, but it humbles me and forces me to depend on God more. Pray that I will listen and obey.
I will be going to Philippines for a mission trip with my mom and some church members from 15-22 August. Have wanted to go for a mission trip somewhere in Asia when I got back to Singapore, and this came up, which I believe is an answered prayer and open door. Honestly I don’t feel ready or adequate to go, but like all mission trips, I’ll just go and give what I have, and God will do the rest. Quite looking forward to it (:
Blessed Be Your Name
In the Land that is Plentiful
Where Your Streams of Abundance flow
Blessed Be Your Name
Blessed Be Your Name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your Name
Every blessing You our out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the Name of the Lord
Blessed be Your Name
Blessed be the Name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious Name
Blessed Be Your Name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's all as it should be
Blessed Be Your Name
Blessed Be Your Name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed Be Your Name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, Blessed be Your Name
I touched down at 8pm on National Day, managed to catch a glimpse of the fireworks just when the plane landed, which was nice. Stepping back into change airport, seeing the familiar faces of Singaporean people, the young, elderly, brought a smile to my face. I knew I was home. After collecting my luggage, I walked through the arrivals gate, and was met with eager faces looking and waiting for their loved ones. It gave me a warm but stinging and empty feeling in my heart. I waited a while for my mom and uncle to pick me up from the airport, which was nice… My family moved to a 2-bedroom HDB falt early this year, so I came back to an unfamiliar place. It was nicer than I expected. Much smaller as compared to the condo I was staying at, but the place was quite nicely furnished and clean. Or so I thought, till I spotted a lizard. Heh.
First day my mom helped me familiarize myself with the new surroundings, and told me how to get around from here. Went to settle bank and phone stuff, also met up with my dad and his family for dinner at Parkway. Had lunch with my family and grandma for lunch the following day at Pasir Ris downtown east. Some things seem familiar, but of course, there’s always new changes. Went for young service at church on Sat night. Only a few people knew I was back, so a lot of people were surprised to see me. I was both excited and fearful. Was nice that many people came to say hi, but I still felt quite awkward and out-of-place. Was quite overwhelmed by the number of people there, and I tried to get a brief overview of what’s happening in people’s lives. It will take time to re-connect. I guess. As always. One step at a time.
Today I tried to give a tract to a lady on the bus, but got rejected. Everywhere I go, I see strangers who don’t know Jesus – the cleaner in the foodcourts, the lame man selling tissues by the street, the uncles and aunties in the neighbourhood. My heart aches for them, but I feel so afraid to step out of my comfort zone to reach out to them. It’s the same familiar feeling I have each time I come back to Singapore. I wonder if I’m silly or crazy doing what I do sometimes, it’s not really conventional. A lot of me just wants to ignore these promptings, and just go on with my own life. Lately I’ve been having a lot of inner distractions which can be frustrating when I can’t concentrate on what’s at hand, but it humbles me and forces me to depend on God more. Pray that I will listen and obey.
I will be going to Philippines for a mission trip with my mom and some church members from 15-22 August. Have wanted to go for a mission trip somewhere in Asia when I got back to Singapore, and this came up, which I believe is an answered prayer and open door. Honestly I don’t feel ready or adequate to go, but like all mission trips, I’ll just go and give what I have, and God will do the rest. Quite looking forward to it (:
Blessed Be Your Name
In the Land that is Plentiful
Where Your Streams of Abundance flow
Blessed Be Your Name
Blessed Be Your Name
When I'm found in the desert place
Though I walk through the wilderness
Blessed Be Your Name
Every blessing You our out
I'll turn back to praise
When the darkness closes in Lord
Still I will say...
Blessed be the Name of the Lord
Blessed be Your Name
Blessed be the Name of the Lord
Blessed be Your glorious Name
Blessed Be Your Name
When the sun's shining down on me
When the world's all as it should be
Blessed Be Your Name
Blessed Be Your Name
On the road marked with suffering
Though there's pain in the offering
Blessed Be Your Name
You give and take away
You give and take away
My heart will choose to say
Lord, Blessed be Your Name
Sunday, August 05, 2007
Post-travels and Pre-homecoming thoughts...
Dear readers and friends,
It’s been 3 years since I started this blog. Started it mainly to keep friends in Singapore in touch while I’m away in England, and a record and memory for myself of my life here. It’s evolved over the years, and my entries have varied from very factual happenings, to more pensive thoughts, songs, poems, moanings, etc. I often wonder whether the people who started reading it are still reading it, if you have, thanks, it does mean a lot to me (: It’s ok if you don’t visit it regularly, it’s completely understandable considering how irregular and random my entries are. And I myself am guilty of not being a loyal follower of other people’s blogs, so yeah… For those whom I got to know later and have been reading, and to those who happen to drop by, I pray and hope you’ve been encouraged (: I’m not a very open person and find it hard to express myself, but it’s a small attempt and way of expressing and opening myself to others, hopefully to make a difference too. As you can probably already see, this is gonna be quite a long entry… It’s not very normal cos I’m a person of few words, quite an exception really. So be warned, maybe can read in chunks if you want =P
For those who still don’t know the reason why my blog is ‘godlovesducks’, thought I’ll not be cryptic and explain. Well, it’s not too complicated. I like ducks. Cos most of the time I feel like one of them – calm and unruffled on the surface but paddling like mad underneath. Some of you might beg to differ, guess it’s only God’s grace for those times I am steady and composed. Ducks also it remind me of one of my favourite verses in the bible: “So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your Heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.” Matthew 6:25-27
Got back from travelling with my mom a few days ago. Spent a week each in Greece and Iceland. A lot of people wonder why these 2 destinations, I only realized and experienced how different they were later on. These 2 places have been on my mind for some time, Greece for it’s biblical and cultural side, and Iceland for it’s nature and beauty.
Greece was HOT – an average of 40 degrees Celsius. I knew that it would be hot but I didn’t expect it to be that hot. Heh. At least it isn’t humid, so don’t sweat too much, but means we dehydrate much faster. You can drank lots and lots of water there and don’t need to go toilet for the whole day cos you just lose all the water through evaporation from the skin! It was great to be able to relate the places I visited to the bible. Athens had a lot of temples dedicated to Greek gods and goddesses – I’m sure you’ve come across a few of them like Zeus and Apollo. It’s amazing how many gods they have… I can imagine Paul when he preached in Athens and found a statue that read ‘To an Unknown God’, as if it was in case they forgot one of the gods… (The detailed description is in Acts 17). But Greece now is mainly secular, or nominal Christians… quite sad and ironic that the places that Christianity was birthed in, are now the places with one of the fewest Christians around, but that there are more and more people in the east becoming Christians. The Greek people are quite dark (not like the white Caucasians), guess cos of the sun. They look a bit middle-eastern too, guess cos they are quite near to Turkey, so perhaps influenced by their culture. I had quite a number of rude encounters with the locals, mainly due to me being Chinese and speaking English. Got scolded each time I asked the price for something. Maybe it’s their culture not to ask for the price, not like Chinese people. Heh. We visited some Greek orthodox monastaries too, was interesting to find out more about the greek orthodox church, I’ve heard of them before but never read more about them. It’s interesting how the churches have a lot of ‘icons’ (i.e paintings of mother mary or the apostles) and the Christians who visit will kiss each one of them. I thought that only roman catholic churches would have these practices. But learnt later that different countries have different practices and many have been influenced by other religions and teachings over the years, some of which are not very biblical. I can’t understand the purpose of a monk or nun though, I believe it is a good thing to want to seek God and be close to Him, but I also believe God’s purpose is not for us to segregate ourselves from the world, but to be in the world but not of it (there is a difference). Unless of course maybe they go out once in a while to do some charity work…
Spent a few days on one of the Greek islands called Paros, there are quite a lot of islands in Greece and we didn’t really know which one to go to. Moreover it was the Greece holiday period and the ferries were all quite fully booked. My mom and I just packed our bags for a day and went to the ferry terminal not knowing if we would go to the island. Asked for cheapest ferry and found one that would bring us back in time to catch our flight back. Glad we managed to ‘escape’ to the island for a few days, it was slightly cooler there with the sea breeze. I have an affinity with the sea too, the beach was one of the places I missed most in Singapore, being able to walk 5 mins from my place to bedok jetty and see the ships in the distance, people fishing, families and couples cycling or taking a walk… I swam in the Mediterranean Ocean for about 30mins, felt a bit awkward cos I was the only Chinese girl there, moreover I was swimming alone. But the water was cool and clear blue, just swam around and observed people windsurfing. Was trying to remember the tactics my dad taught my some years back. It was quite nice to just relax and do ‘nothing’, a good change from the rushing about and doing as many things as we can.
Iceland was a 180 degrees change from Greece. When we arrived I think it was 10 degrees Celsius. Though I was looking forward to some cool weather again. The journey from the airport to Reykavik (the capital) seemed as if we were riding on the moon! Was complete bare volcanic land for as far as my eyes could see. One important thing you need to know about Iceland if you ever visit, is that is it a very EXPENSIVE place. Tip: Bring your own sleeping bags and go camping. It cost 10pounds (S$30) for a 3-minute taxi ride. A decent meal in a ‘normal-class’ café/restaurant would cost around 20pounds (S$60). Amazingly we survived mainly on bread and instant food for a week. Heh. God always provided and made sure we had enough to eat nevertheless. Had a small treat of cheap lobster soup and fish kebab one day though!
Iceland is supposed to be a Lutheran state (apparently it became Lutheran overnight cos of political reasons, quite like Rome), but most of the people are only Christians by name… It’s quite shocking that it’s normal for a couple to have kids and live together for many years before they get married. We walked into a salvation army building and met a born again christian local there which was very encouraging. The Icelanders there are generally very friendly and helpful, really enjoyed speaking to them. The national language is Icelandic but most of them know English. My mom and I chatted with people along the way, and gave my email and our Singapore home number on a tract as a way of reaching out to them – introducing holiday evangelism! Who said we can’t be missionaries? (:
Other than that, Iceland is an amazingly beautiful place. Other than New Zealand, Iceland is the other country which I fell in love with. The island was created from volcanic lava from the mid atlantic ridge, the land is really diverse, you could be driving on huge rocks one moment, to fertile volcanic soil, lush green hills, or ice-covered mountains. Well of course in the city it wasn’t like that, but not too far away you’ll feel like you’ve been transported into a whole new world. I wanted to go arctic rafting, glacier hiking and snowmobiling, but all these were very expensive. I had the chance to go snowmobiling on a glacier, cost a whopping 100pounds for 1-hour. But it was a one-in-a-lifetime kind of experience, and I persuaded my mom to help pay half of it as a belated birthday present. By right youre supposed to have a driving licence to ride it but they weren’t strict about it, and I didn’t think it’ll be too difficult to drive one either – only had an accelerator and brake. Most of the snow had melted so the snow was quite wet and icy which wasn’t very good though, but I tried to drive as carefully as I could and followed the leader. So nothing went awry, other than my fingers almost grew numb from the cold up 1500m in the mountain! We also went whale watching which turned out to be a dolphin watching excursion instead cos we couldn’t find any whales =/ I was praying that we’ll be able to see one, cos last time I saw one was quite a while ago and it was really far away… oh well. Can’t control these things. As my mom would say ‘can’t eat prawns then eat fish’ (or is it the other way round…).
One of the highlight of the trip was spending a night in a valley between 3 mountain glaciers. It was really peaceful there out in the wild nature. Though I thought to myself that outer peace does not necessarily bring inner peace. Our bus had to cross many rivers to get there, was quite exciting initially, but when the rivers quite wider and deeper it did get a bit scary, but the bus driver and bus was amazing lar… we didn’t really know what to expect there. The tour desk just told us it’s a very beautiful place. The people who went there were mainly experienced hikers. There wasn’t anything to do there but hike. We weren’t dressed properly for hiking but we didn’t want to spend the whole day just sitting in the cabin so we decided to go for the shorter and easier routes. Climbed up a hill 450m high. Was supposed to take only 30mins according to the guide, but it took us almost 3 hours! Of course, I had to wait for my mom quite a lot… At times I got impatient, but I tried to understand that it would be difficult for her (I might not even be worse when I’m her age!). She didn’t make it right to the top (about 90%) but I must say it was a very good feat considering how steep some parts were. I climbed the rest of the way up on my own. The 360degree view from above was breath-taking. Was surrounded by mountains, valleys and rivers… But like all mountain-top experiences, you can’t stay up there forever, need to get back to the ground. That was more difficult than going up actually, cos it was quite steep and my mom’s afraid of heights, so I had to do some cajoling and encouraging. Thank God we made it down safely without much mud and bruises! If I have the chance, I’d love to go back again to do some real hiking!
So much for my 2 weeks of adventure. (I’ll post some pics on my flicker account soon) My final graduation trip before I head back home… I had mixed feelings returning from my travels to Nottingham. I really enjoyed the time, but I was also tired and was nice to be back in familiar surroundings. Soon I’ll be heading off on a plane again, this time not returning, at least in the near future… Quite surreal. I was quite fearful of returning to Singapore, and even wanted to prolong my stay here, but I know that it’s time for me to head back, my work here is done. I’m slowly but surely making the mental shift, I know it wouldn’t be easy, but I’m thankful for a friends back home whom I know will be of great support and help. Of course I know God will guide me through this time of transition as well. The past 3 years in England have been a life-changing experience, the friends I’ve made, the lessons learnt, the memories… I’m thankful for the people who have shared it with me in some way or another, wherever you may be.
Packing my stuff, it’s hard to decide what to keep and what to throw away. Hope I wont exceed the luggage allowance! The next few months ahead is somewhat uncertain, I don’t really know what I will be doing or where I will be. But trusting He will lead me as I wait upon Him, which I need to learn to do more. I won’t be officially starting my prison training till Jan next year, which I’m thankful for the time to get more prepared, cos I feel that I’m very inadequate and not ready, but when ever do I feel both of that? There’s so much for me to learn to be a godly prison officer. But I pray and trust God will teach and change me (:
Wow, that’s quite a mouthful. Took me about 2 hours to write all that. Didn’t know I had so much words in me. Heh. I’ll try to continue to blog though I wont be so far away from home, i.e. singapore. I guess a land ‘far far way’ is quite subjective, depends where you are/ I am. But home for me is heaven, so I’ll always be ‘far far away’ till I meet Jesus (: Keep in touch!
Next Stop: Singapore
It’s been 3 years since I started this blog. Started it mainly to keep friends in Singapore in touch while I’m away in England, and a record and memory for myself of my life here. It’s evolved over the years, and my entries have varied from very factual happenings, to more pensive thoughts, songs, poems, moanings, etc. I often wonder whether the people who started reading it are still reading it, if you have, thanks, it does mean a lot to me (: It’s ok if you don’t visit it regularly, it’s completely understandable considering how irregular and random my entries are. And I myself am guilty of not being a loyal follower of other people’s blogs, so yeah… For those whom I got to know later and have been reading, and to those who happen to drop by, I pray and hope you’ve been encouraged (: I’m not a very open person and find it hard to express myself, but it’s a small attempt and way of expressing and opening myself to others, hopefully to make a difference too. As you can probably already see, this is gonna be quite a long entry… It’s not very normal cos I’m a person of few words, quite an exception really. So be warned, maybe can read in chunks if you want =P
For those who still don’t know the reason why my blog is ‘godlovesducks’, thought I’ll not be cryptic and explain. Well, it’s not too complicated. I like ducks. Cos most of the time I feel like one of them – calm and unruffled on the surface but paddling like mad underneath. Some of you might beg to differ, guess it’s only God’s grace for those times I am steady and composed. Ducks also it remind me of one of my favourite verses in the bible: “So I tell you, don’t worry about everyday life – whether you have enough food, drink, and clothes. Doesn’t life consist of more than food and clothing? Look at the birds. They don’t need to plant or harvest or put food in barns because your Heavenly Father feeds them. And you are far more valuable to him than they are. Can all your worries add a single moment to your life? Of course not.” Matthew 6:25-27
Got back from travelling with my mom a few days ago. Spent a week each in Greece and Iceland. A lot of people wonder why these 2 destinations, I only realized and experienced how different they were later on. These 2 places have been on my mind for some time, Greece for it’s biblical and cultural side, and Iceland for it’s nature and beauty.
Greece was HOT – an average of 40 degrees Celsius. I knew that it would be hot but I didn’t expect it to be that hot. Heh. At least it isn’t humid, so don’t sweat too much, but means we dehydrate much faster. You can drank lots and lots of water there and don’t need to go toilet for the whole day cos you just lose all the water through evaporation from the skin! It was great to be able to relate the places I visited to the bible. Athens had a lot of temples dedicated to Greek gods and goddesses – I’m sure you’ve come across a few of them like Zeus and Apollo. It’s amazing how many gods they have… I can imagine Paul when he preached in Athens and found a statue that read ‘To an Unknown God’, as if it was in case they forgot one of the gods… (The detailed description is in Acts 17). But Greece now is mainly secular, or nominal Christians… quite sad and ironic that the places that Christianity was birthed in, are now the places with one of the fewest Christians around, but that there are more and more people in the east becoming Christians. The Greek people are quite dark (not like the white Caucasians), guess cos of the sun. They look a bit middle-eastern too, guess cos they are quite near to Turkey, so perhaps influenced by their culture. I had quite a number of rude encounters with the locals, mainly due to me being Chinese and speaking English. Got scolded each time I asked the price for something. Maybe it’s their culture not to ask for the price, not like Chinese people. Heh. We visited some Greek orthodox monastaries too, was interesting to find out more about the greek orthodox church, I’ve heard of them before but never read more about them. It’s interesting how the churches have a lot of ‘icons’ (i.e paintings of mother mary or the apostles) and the Christians who visit will kiss each one of them. I thought that only roman catholic churches would have these practices. But learnt later that different countries have different practices and many have been influenced by other religions and teachings over the years, some of which are not very biblical. I can’t understand the purpose of a monk or nun though, I believe it is a good thing to want to seek God and be close to Him, but I also believe God’s purpose is not for us to segregate ourselves from the world, but to be in the world but not of it (there is a difference). Unless of course maybe they go out once in a while to do some charity work…
Spent a few days on one of the Greek islands called Paros, there are quite a lot of islands in Greece and we didn’t really know which one to go to. Moreover it was the Greece holiday period and the ferries were all quite fully booked. My mom and I just packed our bags for a day and went to the ferry terminal not knowing if we would go to the island. Asked for cheapest ferry and found one that would bring us back in time to catch our flight back. Glad we managed to ‘escape’ to the island for a few days, it was slightly cooler there with the sea breeze. I have an affinity with the sea too, the beach was one of the places I missed most in Singapore, being able to walk 5 mins from my place to bedok jetty and see the ships in the distance, people fishing, families and couples cycling or taking a walk… I swam in the Mediterranean Ocean for about 30mins, felt a bit awkward cos I was the only Chinese girl there, moreover I was swimming alone. But the water was cool and clear blue, just swam around and observed people windsurfing. Was trying to remember the tactics my dad taught my some years back. It was quite nice to just relax and do ‘nothing’, a good change from the rushing about and doing as many things as we can.
Iceland was a 180 degrees change from Greece. When we arrived I think it was 10 degrees Celsius. Though I was looking forward to some cool weather again. The journey from the airport to Reykavik (the capital) seemed as if we were riding on the moon! Was complete bare volcanic land for as far as my eyes could see. One important thing you need to know about Iceland if you ever visit, is that is it a very EXPENSIVE place. Tip: Bring your own sleeping bags and go camping. It cost 10pounds (S$30) for a 3-minute taxi ride. A decent meal in a ‘normal-class’ café/restaurant would cost around 20pounds (S$60). Amazingly we survived mainly on bread and instant food for a week. Heh. God always provided and made sure we had enough to eat nevertheless. Had a small treat of cheap lobster soup and fish kebab one day though!
Iceland is supposed to be a Lutheran state (apparently it became Lutheran overnight cos of political reasons, quite like Rome), but most of the people are only Christians by name… It’s quite shocking that it’s normal for a couple to have kids and live together for many years before they get married. We walked into a salvation army building and met a born again christian local there which was very encouraging. The Icelanders there are generally very friendly and helpful, really enjoyed speaking to them. The national language is Icelandic but most of them know English. My mom and I chatted with people along the way, and gave my email and our Singapore home number on a tract as a way of reaching out to them – introducing holiday evangelism! Who said we can’t be missionaries? (:
Other than that, Iceland is an amazingly beautiful place. Other than New Zealand, Iceland is the other country which I fell in love with. The island was created from volcanic lava from the mid atlantic ridge, the land is really diverse, you could be driving on huge rocks one moment, to fertile volcanic soil, lush green hills, or ice-covered mountains. Well of course in the city it wasn’t like that, but not too far away you’ll feel like you’ve been transported into a whole new world. I wanted to go arctic rafting, glacier hiking and snowmobiling, but all these were very expensive. I had the chance to go snowmobiling on a glacier, cost a whopping 100pounds for 1-hour. But it was a one-in-a-lifetime kind of experience, and I persuaded my mom to help pay half of it as a belated birthday present. By right youre supposed to have a driving licence to ride it but they weren’t strict about it, and I didn’t think it’ll be too difficult to drive one either – only had an accelerator and brake. Most of the snow had melted so the snow was quite wet and icy which wasn’t very good though, but I tried to drive as carefully as I could and followed the leader. So nothing went awry, other than my fingers almost grew numb from the cold up 1500m in the mountain! We also went whale watching which turned out to be a dolphin watching excursion instead cos we couldn’t find any whales =/ I was praying that we’ll be able to see one, cos last time I saw one was quite a while ago and it was really far away… oh well. Can’t control these things. As my mom would say ‘can’t eat prawns then eat fish’ (or is it the other way round…).
One of the highlight of the trip was spending a night in a valley between 3 mountain glaciers. It was really peaceful there out in the wild nature. Though I thought to myself that outer peace does not necessarily bring inner peace. Our bus had to cross many rivers to get there, was quite exciting initially, but when the rivers quite wider and deeper it did get a bit scary, but the bus driver and bus was amazing lar… we didn’t really know what to expect there. The tour desk just told us it’s a very beautiful place. The people who went there were mainly experienced hikers. There wasn’t anything to do there but hike. We weren’t dressed properly for hiking but we didn’t want to spend the whole day just sitting in the cabin so we decided to go for the shorter and easier routes. Climbed up a hill 450m high. Was supposed to take only 30mins according to the guide, but it took us almost 3 hours! Of course, I had to wait for my mom quite a lot… At times I got impatient, but I tried to understand that it would be difficult for her (I might not even be worse when I’m her age!). She didn’t make it right to the top (about 90%) but I must say it was a very good feat considering how steep some parts were. I climbed the rest of the way up on my own. The 360degree view from above was breath-taking. Was surrounded by mountains, valleys and rivers… But like all mountain-top experiences, you can’t stay up there forever, need to get back to the ground. That was more difficult than going up actually, cos it was quite steep and my mom’s afraid of heights, so I had to do some cajoling and encouraging. Thank God we made it down safely without much mud and bruises! If I have the chance, I’d love to go back again to do some real hiking!
So much for my 2 weeks of adventure. (I’ll post some pics on my flicker account soon) My final graduation trip before I head back home… I had mixed feelings returning from my travels to Nottingham. I really enjoyed the time, but I was also tired and was nice to be back in familiar surroundings. Soon I’ll be heading off on a plane again, this time not returning, at least in the near future… Quite surreal. I was quite fearful of returning to Singapore, and even wanted to prolong my stay here, but I know that it’s time for me to head back, my work here is done. I’m slowly but surely making the mental shift, I know it wouldn’t be easy, but I’m thankful for a friends back home whom I know will be of great support and help. Of course I know God will guide me through this time of transition as well. The past 3 years in England have been a life-changing experience, the friends I’ve made, the lessons learnt, the memories… I’m thankful for the people who have shared it with me in some way or another, wherever you may be.
Packing my stuff, it’s hard to decide what to keep and what to throw away. Hope I wont exceed the luggage allowance! The next few months ahead is somewhat uncertain, I don’t really know what I will be doing or where I will be. But trusting He will lead me as I wait upon Him, which I need to learn to do more. I won’t be officially starting my prison training till Jan next year, which I’m thankful for the time to get more prepared, cos I feel that I’m very inadequate and not ready, but when ever do I feel both of that? There’s so much for me to learn to be a godly prison officer. But I pray and trust God will teach and change me (:
Wow, that’s quite a mouthful. Took me about 2 hours to write all that. Didn’t know I had so much words in me. Heh. I’ll try to continue to blog though I wont be so far away from home, i.e. singapore. I guess a land ‘far far way’ is quite subjective, depends where you are/ I am. But home for me is heaven, so I’ll always be ‘far far away’ till I meet Jesus (: Keep in touch!
Next Stop: Singapore
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