God is real to my Grandma too :)
my heart was just filled with joy and gratitude to our Omnipotent God as i heard from my 2 aunties and a lil from Grandma about how God was so real to her on her trip to taiwan. she had apparently climbed up 400 over steps and along the way, felt her legs were very wobbly. but Grandma looked to God for strength by praying and asking for help, and God, who is our ever-present help in times of trouble, heard her cries and gave my 70-year-old grandmother the strength to climb all the way up. Grandma testified that as she prayed while climbing, she felt her legs getting lighter and found strength to continue.
aaah...just as God has answered Grandma's prayers, He has answered mine too. been praying daily for Grandma to grow deeper in her relationship with God...and as usual, He is faithful and has proved Himself real to Grandma...my heart sings with joy as i hear how Grandma really enjoyed this trip...because she has had a personal ecounter with God :) all glory to Him!
galilee sunday school teachers 2008
thank God for seeing us through the year 2007.
personally, it's been a blessing being with the P3/P4 class and i really enjoyed teaching them and of cos, learning from them :) i thank God for each one of them - abigail, benjamin, bryan, cheryl, clarissa, ezekiel, fion, hanqing, ian, jeremy, joshua, nicole, noah, reena, sherine and shuen yi. it's been wonderful getting to know some of them better and i pray that these friendships will continue to deepen :) m especially thankful that we'll be together again in 2008. looking forward to another meaningful and frutiful year of studying God's word and growing in Him together with my P4/P5s!
to my co-teachers (auntie christine, sheila & alex): thank you so much, for being so accomodating and understanding, especially during the times you patiently and willingly took classes for me while i was in chiangmai!
YF/YAF candlelight fellowship '07
God's really working in the hearts of galilee youths. this is probably by far the biggest no. of youths attending candlelight fellowship :)
we're home
Christmas in Chiangmai
the team was given 4 hours "off" at central. we were free to roam and some of us had really good teppanyaki for lunch :) and for the 1st time since we arrived in chiangmai, i got to meet up with birtz :) thank you for the 2 thai alphabets posters, birtz!
today marks the end of our puppet musical presentations. we put up 1 yesterday evening at crystal spring guesthouse and our last 1 at mae rim, before rushing back to chiangmai for a farewell dinner with bro nat & his family and our thai friends. i thank God especially for the wonderful opportunity to finally meet baby samuel...originally, i wasn't supposed to be able to meet him because kip was only scheduled to arrive after we leave chiangmai. but God answered my prayers to allow me to meet kip & baby sam by bringing them to chiangmai a day earlier! :)back at crystal spring guesthouse, sis pat gave us a sweet surprise. she bought hot-air lanterns for us to release...it was my 1st time releasing a pretty "orange star that moves"...yup, that's what it looks like up in the night sky :) this Christmas has been a really different one for me...nevertheless, i thank God for this wonderful experience of Christmas in a foreign (but-not-so-foreign-to-me) land. afterall, He gave me the privilege of Christmas with my thai friends for the 1st time since i've known them :)
Blessed Christmas, everyone...
kridadoi
...is a really beautiful place :) thank God for the opportunity to visit this pretty garden and also have our morning devotions there! and of cos...take pretty photos too :)
flowers!
after a longgg day putting up 2 musicals yesterday, the ladies received a pleasant surprise from alex at past midnight...a flower balloon for each one of us - personally delivered to us in our room :) not likely you'll read this, but thank you alex!
walking street :)
to date, we've put up the puppet musical 6 times at different locations - 5 in thai and 1 in mandarin...thank God for seeing us thru :)
i've been to walking street many times. shelia dear has been with me to this night market that opens only on sunday evenings but today was the 1st time we took a picture on the street like this together...and it was my mommy's 1st time there too :)
going on air!
thank God for a rare opportunity to go on air. uncle siong teck, darryl and i got to share our testimonies on thai radio FM99 this morning :)
stranded in lamphun!
the past couple of days really made us feel like we're some circus troupe...but i thank God for the many many opportunities to share the story of Christmas, and to tell of God's love when He sent His only Son to this world so we may be reconciled with Him...so far we've put up the musical 4 times: at wachirawit school, shiloh b-p church, and even went to another province (lamphun) to perform at a polytechnic and night market! thank God for putting members who are well-versed in mandarin on the team, because we were told last minute that shiloh b-p was having an outreach to chinese nationals on an exchange programme and so, auntie christine, annabel and diana had to translate the musical to mandarin just the night before that performance!
the trip to lamphun was definitely an unforgettable one. after performing at the night market, we were all tired and just wanted to get back to chiangmai...only to find out that our truck's battery had been stolen =( but to cut the long story short, bro nat showed us Christian love by driving all the way down to lamphun with his neighbour's battery. some of our team members were given a ride back by the pastor's son of the lamphun church. by the time the rest of us got back, it was almost 1am. but i was touched by the love the other team members showed by staying up to wait for us to return; some even waiting at the entrance of the guest house to welcome us :) i thought the pastor's son was rather sacrificial too, when he drove the other team members all the way to chiangmai...cos he'll have to drive back to lamphun again. even tho we were all extremely tired, i thank God that the few of us (auntie amy and i were actually the only ladies left - very gentlemanly of the uncles and young men who stayed behind so the aunties, young ladies and children could return first) were stranded in lamphun because we got to fellowship with one anor and with the lamphun church youths who were moving their equipment from the stage area back to their church :)
mommy and i - the stage set up at the night market in lamphun :) pretty backdrop!
dear is here!
yup, that's me looking really silly with what i call a "banner" with my dear at chiangmai airport! :)
thank God for His protection!
a pretty eventful day. put up our first musical in chiangmai...at wachirawit school :) thank God for helping the singapore team to work well with the thai team and for seeing us through today's performance so smoothly :)
as part of his NTM tour, rev dave led the team to wat phrathat at doi suthep. according to legend, holy relics discovered during the reign of king kuena were placed in a "howdah" on the back of a white elephant which carried them to wat phrathat. the elephant then dropped dead due to fatigue from a long journey. oh yes, there are 306 steps leading up to the temple, which i thought was much easier to bear on my 2nd climb! :b
anyway...just 6 months ago, i was there with vivian and kris from the US team. i recalled praying for chiangmai with vivian as we stood at the view point overlooking chiangmai city, for God to send His people (even if it means us) to reach the "untold millions"...
thank God for safety as we travelled down doi suthep. while we were making a left turn down a slope, we lost control of the truck and it almost overturned. it was truly by God's grace that it didn't and we were really thankful. but just a few minutes later when we were back on level road, the door to the truck - which refused to budge no matter how the guys tugged at it to open it - suddenly swung open while the truck was moving pretty fast! thank God, drum and aof didn't fall off the truck =/ anyway, those of us at the back of the truck prayed together for God to bring us back to rev dave's home safely. and God did, despite a faulty brake, we were told! when we were back at rev dave's home, we tried opening the door that had swung open, and yeap, you guessed right - it refused to open.
m reminded that as we serve the Lord, our adversary will do what he can to stop us, but our God is still sovereign, and He's a God who will never let us be tempted beyond what we can bear. all praise to God! (in thai, san sern Pra Jao!)
Rev Dave's "amazing race"
i really appreciate and thank God for the time and effort that rev dave has put into today's programme he called "the amazing race". yup...it was amazing, but only because i knew his intention was to immerse us into the thai culture...we had to get namecards of 6 thai ppl on the streets, take a picture of the team on a tuk tuk & samlaaw, get a hairwash for 1 team-member, take a photo with a thamruat (and yes, we had to first find out what samlaaw & thamruat means), get to know a fruit stall owner & ask for the names of fruits in thai, buy thai tea in packets (not cups), each write & send a postcard back to someone in singapore, find someone who could teach us to write 1-10 in thai symbols and write our names in thai, etc...and of cos, do something silly at the tha phae gate. thank God for the things seen, heard and learnt :)
2 nights with the Lawa hilltribe
15th December 2007
with much reluctance, i boarded the truck headed for the Lawa tribe up in the mountains, with 11 other members from our team...whilst the rest stayed behind in chiangmai, looking forward to hearing us share our experience with them when we return in 3 days (and 2 nights)' time. wondered if i made the right decision by agreeing to make this 7-hr trip up there and whether i knew what i was really in for...esp when i knew i wasn't gonna bathe for the next couple of days! =/
samson, myself, daryl, allvina & rev dave
16th December 2007
just 1 night with the Lawa people and i could already feel their love for us. they have so little, yet they're so willing to share with us the little they have and need, unlike us who are so used to sharing with others, usually only what we don't need...thank God for the time annabel, allvina and i had with our hosts last night, even though i felt what some of the things we did were really hilarious and/or ridiculous, like how we filed into the kitchen area while our hosts were boiling pig's food, sat in a row in front of them and very abruptly started singing "Christmas pen wela". goodness, i felt utterly ridiculous when i saw the -_-" look on their faces while we were singing. oh...and then, i had the, erm...privilege of trying on their traditional costume with annabel and allvina teasing me abt how my hosts might be trying to make me marry their son while she happily piled my neck with those accessories...and boy, i was sure stunned for a moment when she showed me a family photo and pointed out her son. my turn to -_-"
we also attended worship service with the Lawa believers. sang "we are one in the bond of love". truly, though we're of different nationalities, races and speak different languages, we're one in Christ. felt very privileged to worship with these ppl this sunday morning.
was reminded of these verses:
"there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus". Galations 3:28 "there is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all". Ephesians 4:4-6
17th December 2007
as we said our goodbyes, i really felt ashamed of myself and regretted even feeling the least bit reluctant abt coming to visit the Lawa believers. and i really thank God i came...it's been a very humbling trip for me. we came hoping to show them Christ's love but they showed us love so great that we were truly put to shame. i somehow wished i had the simplicity they have in their lives, not distracted by the cares and materialism of the world that i live in...God-willing, i really pray i'll get an opportunity to see these brothers/sisters-in-Christ again this lifetime. but like i told my hosts...if we don't meet again on this earth, i'll see them up there in our eternal Home.
allvina, annabel and myself with our hosts outside their home
Team Operation Chiangmai (II)
after 6 months of preparation through the seminars, thai song practices etc and of course, prayers...the Team has finally arrived in Chiangmai, Thailand :)
Team Operation Chiangmai (II) (save for David who's waiting for us in Chiangmai) at the Budget Terminal, Singapore :)
Sunday School Camp '07 - day 5
and so this marks the end of sunday school camp 2007. but i pray that the friendships that have been built, dedications/re-dedications of lives, committments made, and desires to go into a deeper love relationship with our Heavenly Father will not be forgotten...
it's been a camp of great lessons for me. fruitful because of what God has allowed me to accomplish by His grace and strength. meaningful because of all the friendships that have been strengthened.
i thank God, too, for keeping me and the rest in good health too, esp those of us gng on the mission trip tmr morning. i can still hear shelia dear saying "dear you SURE fall sick one". which is not w/o basis, because i usually DO fall sick after ss camps and/or before trips to chiangmai. but thank God for using people like auntie amy to take care of us - giving us "liang teh" on the 1st day of camp and making her kids remind us during camp to "drink water! (mommy say must drink water!)" thank God for His grace.
last but not least...m really thankful to God for placing me with my group "virtue". it's been a blessing working with these young ppl and building relationships that i pray would last more than just a lifetime.
i love you,"virtue"! :)
"virtue" with camp committee and pastors
sunday school campers 2007
thank God for a great co-mentor :)
looking foward to arriving in Chiangmai...in a few hours' time :)
Sunday School Camp '07 - day 4
i thought God's timing was just so perfect. even though it rained, God allowed us to have our fun with a real campfire and only when it was time for the skits, it started to drizzle. and so very quickly, we moved our chairs and all the p.a. equipment, keyboard etc into the fellowship hall for the 2nd part of our campfire night. skits held indoors are really best 'cos (1) the campers wouldn't be perspiring away under (not just their clothes but) those bath towels (which we so love to use as costumes of old times) (2) what they say will also be heard clearly and (3) the skits more enjoyable since we ain't distracted by the huge campfire tt makes us feel like we're really in the furnace with shadrach, meshach and abednego :)
as i shared my thanksgiving and what i learnt for the day with my group "virtue", m reminded of how God taught me that His ways are best at a GTF camp 2 years ago. i had prayed for God to stop the rain so we could have a real campfire. and right up to the very last hour i was still standing by the roof garden pleading for God to say "yes". but His "no" was best, because the parents got to enjoy (audible) skits put up by us in an air-con room and also...we realised tt there were some scenes we had to fall to the ground. and it'd have been impossible to do so w/o hurting our knees if we were on the carpark.
m very thankful God has allowed me to build and develop a friendship with jiahao. each time he sees me now, i get hugS and i love how he runs over to hug me (esp from the back) or just to hold my hand and smile up at me. we shared the good news of his salvation with his mom tonite. she was in tears as she shared with me about how she's been praying for jiahao's salvation. the change that we all see in jiahao - it's all by God's grace. only God could have changed this lil boy's heart and attitude. all praise and glory be to God!
blessed 19th birthday to my darling brother...as you begin serving the nation, may you continue to draw yourself into a deeper relationship with God and look to Him for strength always. love you.
Sunday School Camp '07 - day 3
acknowledging the Lord and committing myself and the tasks really makes a difference. by God's grace today's morning devotions and "connect sessions" went pretty alrite and i thank God for teaching me dependence on Him :)
thank God, too, for the opportunity to share the gospel with 7-yr-old jia hao and the privilege of seeing him come to know Jesus as his personal Saviour and Lord.
thank God for holding back the rain for us while we had our swimming carnival. looking at the photos taken today, m pretty sure the campers all had fun :) but most of all, i thank God for the quality time i had with isabelle and beatrice individually...i really thank God for providing me with the opportunity and directing our conversations, cos honestly...i was really tempted to slack during the carnival (which means no "fishing" etc) and hadn't really planned to talk to anyone...shame on me =/
beatrice and me :)
Sunday School Camp '07 - day 2
paying $100 for the two buses we hired to take us to west coast park might have seemed like a waste of money because we didn't get to go in the end (due to the wet weather). but looking at it more positively, i would say we paid $100 for an opportunity for the camp committee (esp the YAFers) to put into practice what we learnt abt submitting to the will of God. before this camp, we were reminded that we may have plans (and back-up ones, too) but God has the right and can change them as He pleases...and our roles should be submitting to His plan and responding to the changes in a Christ-like manner. well, i was really encouraged and impressed that after the decision not to proceed to west coast park was made, very quickly, everyone was seen setting up the game stations around the church premises :)
was rather discouraged this afternoon after "connect session". for the past 2 years i mentored at ss camp, i was working with the juniors. working with kids, by God's grace, is my strength. ppl close to me tell me so, and i myself know it & acknowledge as God's gift to me. but i chose to work with the seniors for a change this year and was rather excited. and so...after today's "connect session", when the youths seem to be so unresponsive towards me and the qns i ask, i was really disappointed and regretted my decision...i was out of my comfort zone. i felt lousy. i missed the kids' enthusiasm and i thought of doing a swap with eugene (my co-mentor). but i thank God for using 'cher to encourage and remind me that i may be out of my comfort zone, but it's thru my weakness that God's strength can be made perfect, and it's in times like these that i learn dependence on God, and not myself.
joanne dear came by to camp to pass us christmas cards and to say bye before she flies to london tonight at 11pm. it was only a short while, but it was really sweet of her to do that. and i thank God she came at the right time so the 3 of us could spend a few moments alone in the ladies' dorm talking...well dearie, i pray you'll be kept safe as you travel and may you have a wonderful and meaningful trip!
Sunday School Camp '07: day 1
as i pushed open the door and saw the no. of campers sitting in the mandarin worship hall, i was really awed by the power of God. once again God is reminding me...that He is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think (Ephesians 3:20).
maybe next year we should really quit worrying abt not having campers at Sunday School Camp? :)
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