Here are some pics from the school and Youth Rally at a church... and some of my friends here at the training centre...


These are some kids at the youth rally. i was told that they have no parents so please pray for them. their names are Elenah, Stamp, Esala and Sito,

This is the church where the Youth Rally was held. just a basic shed, everyone sat on the ground wearing skirts.



This is Nadi Christian Academy. We're in front doing the Meke (traditional Fijian dance). yeah, i know, i'm dancing. Fiji changes a person.




Langdon - our fearless leader in a Sulu




We're having OJT. the guy in the middle just got saved... pray for him :)

Daily Activity

Sharing the gospel has been our daily activity. Except for last Saturday, pretty much everyday we’ve been sharing the gospel. And the cool part is, we’ve been seeing so many people accept Jesus for the first time.
Last week, we went through Island EE for 3 days. Every evening, we go out to the streets in town to just witness. So far, I’ve talked to mostly people from the bus station just because they’re waiting and have time to chat.
I’m glad for this opportunity, because back home, I’d never be able to commit to going out everyday to share the gospel. This morning I shared a devotion about how to make witnessing our way of life. I think this one week plus has allowed me to experience a whole new meaning to witnessing as a way of life.
So dear Reader, how can u make witnessing for Jesus Christ your daily activity?

Overwhelmed

17th June 2010
5.40pm

Just came back from OJT. We managed to share with this 18 year old Indian girl and she prayed to receive Jesus! Praise the Lord! The sad thing is, she comes from a Hindu family and at this point in time, she is not ready to go to church regularly yet due to fear of family objections.
I am feeling really sad about this. She was very attentive the whole time we were sharing, asking questions and accepting new ideas. I’m very excited for her. I just hope that the seed planted will grow into a firmly planted tree. Please pray for her and other Indian converts here in Fiji as they face similar family objections as people from back home.
This morning, I was suddenly overwhelmed by the cultural change that I’ve plunged into. Was feeling a little upset with myself for feeling agitated about the changes. But after a time of prayer and a bit of sharing with the other girls, I think I finally came out of my “shell” and I’m now enjoying myself thoroughly.
I’m happy for this opportunity I’ve been given to be away from home for a substantial period of time, living in an entirely different culture. Growing up, I’ve always talked about one day becoming a missionary to a different people group. I guess this is one step closer towards that goal. (and Eunice says “I told you so”) I see God taking me step by step, teaching me one thing after the other. He definitely does not reveal everything to me all at once.
Before coming here, I was kinda confused over why God would take me so far away from home for such a long time. I mean, home is where the work is. There’s so much things to do, so much things we could do during the holidays. With Youth Club, with half the Youth Leadership uncertain about where they’re going for university, it seems like such a terrible time to be leaving home.
Don’t get me wrong, I am SURE that God wants me to be here. Just not sure WHY. Slowly, it’s becoming clearer. I still don’t have a definite answer though. But I’m not anxious because God’s timing is perfect. I don’t understand yet but I trust Him enough to know that He has a beautiful ending for me.

My first day

so things are going ok. getting to know the other people here.

this morning we had a session going throught the Myers-briggs personality type test. mine came out to be ENTJ. that means, i'm an Extrovert (only 1 point more than being an introvert so i'm kinda in the middle), a person relying more on intuition rather than senses, i'm a thinker not a feeler and lastly means i'm judgmental rather than perceptive. the results said nice things about me so i'm liking it haha.

went in to town in the afternoon. managed to get my new sim card. managed to find a key chain also so feeling satisfied with the quick trip.

everymorning, we go for a jog near the training centre. think about the old road in sepang/labu, that's how the environment around here is. so i was running beside sugar cane fields. i'll try to get some pictures up.

after some personal quiet time, there's a devotion altogether. after that, we go through a workbook by Henry and Norman Blackaby about calling and accountability. the workbook will last us the whole time we're here so that's fun. really helps us to think about things, put things in focus.

at night, we girls learned a traditional Fijian dance. don't laugh. don't think there was videos so i'm safe.

ok it's late. goodnite

Travelling Solo

So I left KLIA at 8.45pm 13^th June 2010 for my biggest adventure yet. As I write, I’m waiting at the Sydney airport. It is now 11.02am Australian local time, 9.02am Malaysian local time.

Just before I left, both my mom and aunt gave me the same travelling advice – don’t talk to strangers. So I guess I gotta be a mute for the next 2 months huh. Funny, funny family I have.

At Changi Airport I had to wait about 2 hours for my connecting flight to Sydney. Got myself a nice foot massage, explored their beautiful toilets, sat down for 10mins at their free movie theatre (Slumdog Millionaire was on), and tried to take some photos.

They were advertising their new butterfly park so I had to check it out. Was kinda disappointed coz I didn’t see ANY butterflies at all. I can’t remember my biology – can anybody remember if butterflies sleep at night too? So no butterfly photos for you, only the shape of a butterfly from flowers…

I don’t know why, but when travelling, people are somehow less friendly. Appropriate levels of fear were instilled in me to refrain from talking to strangers unless necessary since I, a young girl travelling alone, would be an easy target for people with not-so-good intentions. So I think the 7hour flight to Sydney was a rathe… weird flight experience for me. Although there was this good looking guy sitting next to me, we barely looked at each other the whole 7 hours. Too late to regret I guess. I blame it on the bad advice I was given.

Ok that’s all for now. Oh by the way, thanks for praying for my exams. Could have done better, but I did my best I guess. Like I said, too late to regret.

Wait up for my next blog. If it takes too long, you’ll know I’m having too much fun and have slowly forgotten all of you :p Just kidding.

Move on or Dwell

Had a nice chat with a good friend this morning. made me realise something - nothing's been the same recently and i don't expect things to be the same anymore.

one way to look at it, i'm growing out of my shell, flying away like a butterfly. Things certainly have been getting better and better for me. more friends, meeting new people, seeing things from new perspectives.

yet, i miss the old comforts. people change, status change, life goes on. Things will never go back to what they were once were. I don't expect things to be exactly the same once i've returned from my trip. a little tweak here, a little tweak there, some good news, some bad news...

you either move on or you dwell on the past. The past is a good teacher. However, lessons taught but never applied means nothing. i guess i have to learn to move on. Keep being in the centre of God's will because that's where everything is under control.

Just wanna share with you a verse reminded to me by another wise teacher this week:

And we 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

This is gonna change too...




by the way, i did well for exams yesterday. thanks for all your prayers!

Youth Barbeque

Yesterday, our church youth group had a barbeque gathering at Joanne Neo's house. It was fun, but more importantly, the food was good :) Here are some pics of us fooling around...

p/s: i don't know why i always plan so many things before/after my major exams. craziness i tell you...

So what if i failed before

As I prepare for exams next week, i can't help but look back on the last time i took my exam and the events following. Yeah, failing is not good. But in my case, it could possibly be the best thing that happened to me.

because i failed, i was able to be part of the Congress of Nations for the EE ministry. Over that one week, although i was running up and down doing this and that, i was so privilleged to have met so many people from so many places. in that one week, i made my first Egyptian friend, my first Romanian friend, my first Finish friend etc.

But all this is background to my main point.

It was at that one week, that i reconnected with Rod, who urged me once again to go to Fiji for a 6 week Intern's Training. Boy, was he persistent! And thank God for that! By the end of the week, let's just say i was totally convinced and here I am, packing to leave in a week. Of course, God provided in so many ways (as per His character).

A bit about this training. It's (supposed to be) a practical training for those between the ages of 18-30 who are considering coming into full time ministry, whether with EE or in other ministries. So we'll be taught what the Bible says about missions, we'll be going into the villages and helping out in practical ways, and spending lotsa time seeking and discovering the will of God.

So here i am, in the middle of the night, can't sleep, worrying about exams, excited about Fiji, thinking about my beloved youth group. I'm still amazed at how God works.

Also in April, another milestone for me, I had the opportunity to join 10 others from Malaysia on a trip to Bangladesh to teach Xee. This was my first experience teaching to a group who barely understood me but by the grace of God, managed to reproduce the whole outline by the end of the 3 day training. It was truly amazing to be a witness of a miracle at work. At that time, i felt the excitement of pioneering something new. The best part of the trip was that God was with us.

Last semester i failed quite largely due to my involvement with the church youth camp. If you ask me now, i say i'd do it all over again because i know God is a debtor to no one. And true enough, He always reserves the best for those who honours him.

Delight yourself in the LORD
and he will give you the desires of your heart.
Psalm 37:4

Can't wait to get on that plane and, as Moses said before crossing the Red Sea, "stand and see what God is going to do."

Live a life of faith, my friends. Because He will never leave you nor forsake you.

Doesn't Matter How Difficult

¹⁶ Yet preaching the Good News is not something I can boast about. I am compelled by God to do it. How terrible for me if I didn’t preach the Good News!
1 Corinthians 9:16

If a man or a woman is called by God, it doesn't matter how difficult the circumstances may be. - Oswald Chambers.

How true. For me, i get frustrated when people tell me that they can't serve God now, maybe another 2 years time, or when they tell me "no lah, you go ahead and serve lah, i don't have the calling to serve in this way". You see, i'm a very straightforward kind of person when it comes to biblical truths and promises. When God promised that "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Heb 13:5) i think he really meant it. God will always give us the grace to obey him. How cool is that? He not only asks us to obey him, He gives us everything we need to obey him because he gives us His presence.

When i look at my own life, i thank God everyday for his grace in my life. At such a young age, i'm given the grace to do so much for his kingdom, influence so many people. In my ministry, i'm so humbled because i have the unique opportunity to counsel and give advice to people 10 years older than myself and they listen and are challenged by what I've accomplished. I'm studying for a really tough exam, yet i still come back every weekend to Seremban to serve the church. I don't say all these to boast, i say this because I am convinced that the only person i should aim to please in my life is God. Not my examiners, not my parents, not myself, but God.

Don't get me wrong. It's definitely not easy. Lonely is the way of the cross. I've failed major exams, been betrayed, been made fun of, cried myself to sleep for lack of friends who stand by me and understand my burdens etc. But i still carry on. Let me share with you an excerpt of my current favourite chapter

¹² I don’t mean to say that I have already achieved these things or that I have already reached perfection. But I press on to possess that perfection for which Christ Jesus first possessed me. ¹³ No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, ¹⁴ I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us. ¹⁵ Let all who are spiritually mature agree on these things." - Philippians 3

Therefore, fun the race in such a way to win the prize. Because we can. Not because of who we are, but because of what He's done; not because of what I've done, but because of who He is.

shameful thoughts

2 Corinthians 4:2 "we reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods..." it's so easy to have thoughts that are shameful. deeds are rather detectable, but thoughts are my own and thus i can easily hide them. and so, shameful thoughts are much more dangerous. It's hardly evil thoughts, but shameful in many ways. i catch myself thinking many times "good thing he/she can't read my thoughts..."


i think the only remedy for these shameful thoughts is found in Romans 8:5 which says "those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things, but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit."


I think i need the Holy Spirit to control me and to control my thoughts everyday. My life's goal is to please the Lord. When i stand before him on judgment day and my thoughts are played out like a movie, i don't want to be ashamed. i want the Holy Spirit to be pleased with my thoughts, that my whole being is pleasing and acceptable to the Lord.

Therefore i need to be constantly found in the presence of God, constantly coming to him for my mind to be renewed. This, is discipline. There will be days (there have been many)where i just want to "run away" from God, but that has to stop. i want my life to be guarded by the Lord, i want my foundation to be on His word.

So today, there's much to do, much to accomplish. By his strength and in His control, there will be discipline in my life that leads to passion for the things of God.

There will come a day

There will come a day
by Vivienne Voon

There will come a day
When i'll see, see Him smile right at me
There will come a day
When i'll hear him say, "well done, good and faithful one"
There will come a day
Where the lame walks, and the blind will see again
There will come a day
When He takes, He takes me home

Chorus:
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
He will take me home
Take me home
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
There will come a day
When He takes, He takes me home



Author's comment:
This song really brings tears to my eyes everytime i sing it. i can imagine one day when He comes again, to take away all our pain, all our sorrow, just to take us home, back into our father's arms. wow, the anticipation of that day sometimes just drives me crazy.

There's so much nonsense in this world that i'd like to change, the injustices to innocent people, the opportunities certain groups of people are totally deprived of, it's really just not fair. But all His promises are true, and He promised that one day he'll come back to right all wrongs, to bring justice, to show mercy, and to take His rightful place as Lord of all.

How to save a life

How To Save A Life

by The Fray

Step one you say we need to talk

He walks you say sit down it's just a talk

He smiles politely back at you

You stare politely right on through

Some sort of window to your right

As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame

You begin to wonder why you came

CHORUS:

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend

Somewhere along in the bitterness

And I would have stayed up with you all night

Had I known how to save a life

Let him know that you know best

Cause after all you do know best

Try to slip past his defense

Without granting innocence

Lay down a list of what is wrong

The things you've told him all along

And pray to God he hears you

And pray to God he hears you

CHORUS:

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend

Somewhere along in the bitterness

And I would have stayed up with you all night

Had I known how to save a life

As he begins to raise his voice

You lower yours and grant him one last choice

Drive until you lose the road

Or break with the ones you've followed

He will do one of two things

He will admit to everything

Or he'll say he's just not the same

And you'll begin to wonder why you came

CHORUS:

Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend

Somewhere along in the bitterness

And I would have stayed up with you all night

Had I known how to save a life

Don't speak

Don't Speak

by No Doubt

You and me

We used to be together

Everyday together always

I really feel

That I'm losing my best friend

I can't believe

This could be the end

It looks as though you're letting go

And if it's real Well I don't want to know

Don't speak

I know just what you're saying

So please stop explaining

Don't tell me cause it hurts

Don't speak

I know what you're thinking

I don't need your reasons

Don't tell me cause it hurts

Our memories

Well, they can be inviting

But some are altogether mighty frightening

As we die, both you and I

With my head in my hands I sit and cry

Don't speak

I know just what you're saying

So please stop explaining

Don't tell me cause it hurts

Don't speak

I know what you're thinking

I don't need your reasons

Don't tell me cause it hurts

It's gonna be ok

Brit Nicole
Don't worry now

[CHORUS]
When you feel like you are all alone
Just like your best friend up and gone
Don't worry now
Don't worry now
You can't stop the pain from falling down
But in the end love will find us out
Don't worry now
Don't worry now
It's gonna be ok


I've been trying to find a way to understand
When I can't see the picture of God's plan
Why would He let us hurt so bad?
Could anything good come of these feelings that I have?
He loved me more than the sand on beaches
He loved me more than the grass is green
And even though he had to go I always knew his love was part of me

When you feel like you are all alone
Just like your best friend up and gone
Don't worry now
Don't worry now
You can't stop the pain from falling down
But in the end love will find us out
Don't worry now
Don't worry now


It's taken so long to let this go
It's taken so long to feel that
Your right here next to me
And I can finally breathe
It's taken so long but now I know
I had to find out on my own
They thought they could convince me
But only love could convinced me
it's gonna be ok

When you feel like you are all alone
Just like your best friend up and gone
Don't worry now
Don't worry now
You can't stop the pain from falling down
But in the end love will find us out
Don't worry now
Don't worry now
It's gonna be
It's gonna be ok

HK - overview, (from a culinary point of view)

just came bk from macau. reached home about 10smthng but amazingly still wide awake so decided to blog a bit.

well, the best thing i like about macau & HK is there is plenty of PORK!!! fantastic! my fav for the whole trip was pork chop curry rice that i had on the first day of my trip. didn't have to search far actually. we just stumbled upon this"little" shop at the ferry terminus connecting macau to HK. it was a set meal worth HK$20* if i remember correctly. meal consisted of said pork chop curry rice, boiled pak choy and a drink. it was really delicious i think. once of the cheapest meals we had there.

of course i have to devote one paragraph to the famed HK wanton mee. it's noodles is definitely springier than what we have here in malaysia. the wantans bigger and more solid. more than 1 prawn inside each compared to ours where the wantan skin covers barely any minced meat... (note: no prawn or only half a prawn inside each wantan in msia. quite pathetic if i may say so) however, think the wantan soup is way too salty. try at least once, but i wouldn't recommend continued consumption for fear of loss of hair :p

we stayed at very near Ladies Street, specifically Argyle Street. hence, it was hectic day and night. the thing i noticed about this place is, they love their fried stuff here. only here though. not so much in other parts of HK. it's like we have our satay celup or "lok lok", but theirs they use the same ingredients, just they fry them instead of dipping them into hot sauce. tried once or twice but coudn't tahan the oil after 2 rounds of this... too much oil ler. oh yeah, the ohter thing that really put me off was the "chao tau fu" or smelly tofu. they were frying these at every fried stuff stall so the smell from these delicacies were so pungent i literally had to cover my face everytime i passed these stalls... haha. didn't try them tho. coudn't bring myself to.

the dim sum here... not so nice ler. maybe i didn't know what to call coz for the 1st time, we couldn't choose from ready made dim sums that the waiters usually push around in trolleys. had to understand the menu which was written in mandarin. i had dim sum in macau at the hotel we were staying at (metro Park hotel). ok la, i wouldn't go again tho. so-so only.

anyway, this is my first time in HK. enjoyed myself learning about a new country. no regrets. at least i learned that there's good food and not so good food in HK. haha. felt like tastes were not so strong, much milder than what we have in msia. curries are not hot at all in HK, coffee too diluted, nothing deep fried... got to give them credit tho, everything here is extra salty. oh yeah, i LOVE PORK!!! :p

*the prices here are exhorbitantly high. at least double or more of the prices compared to msian prices. but looking deeper, people here earn also double or more what an average msian earns. so comparatively, they're ok. just don't earn ringgit and spend HK$. u'll suffer.

HK day 2

this morning we went to victoria peak on HK island. it was funny in a way bcoz everything is sooo expensive here so we were literally hunting for good inexpensive food. by the time we got up to the peak, the only food available there were cafes and bistros. at that time it was almost lunch time d and we didn't have any breakfast. so we had to resort to burger king. get this, 1 whopper, drink, fries, onion rings, 4 pcs chicken tenders and the bill totaled HK$ 60 (RM30). can u believe this place? yeah, 3 of us shared that and came down to have another proper lunch. i must say tho that the portion here is bigger than malaysia's. ok la... besides the prices, food is good actually. it's just dat it's really, can i say it again? EXPENSIVE!!!

a friend indeed

A man of many companions may come to ruin,

but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Prov 18:24

today i made a new friend. not that i didn't know her before, but today was different. as far as memory serves, i don't think i've ever sat down with her to talk. but when we started talking about our struggles in church, we were at once closer than sisters.

It's amazing when you think you're all alone, God just brings someone along to comfort you. yeah, church planting is definitely lonely. if you can't live without friends, you won't survive the church planting scenario. only the emotionally strong can run and not give up. what amazes me more is, when 2 persons are serving god with all their heart, if 2 persons have suffered on account of God's glory before, these 2 can just sit down to talk and encourage each other freely, both understanding fully the extend of the other's pain/joy that comes along with such suffering.

i always thought there was no one who understands me. i always thought that being lonely is my lot in life, my cross i have to carry as it were. but after today, i know there are many people out there like me. of course it's easy to say Jesus is my best friend, but god did create eve to be adam's companion. we still need encouragement from friends. oh, i'm still in awe of God's grace. i didn't have to say much, she already knew how to comfort me because she's already been through it.

His grace is and ever will be amazing. His mercies are new every morning! praise the Lord!

Discipline

A little sleep, a little slumber,a little folding of the hands to rest

and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man.

Prov 24:33-34

i watched on E! the other day and saw alicia keys on it. i asked my mom how come i'm not there. she said, besides talent, like any other thing, i must work hard. really hit home for me. i've been wasting so much time lazing around a bit here, a bit there. so i've decided i'll try to stay off tv as much as possible. oh, and the net. sigh. not as easily done than said.

decided i want to work hard to make my life mean something. i'm on this long painful journey of learning self-discipline. i think it's even harder than form 6 biology. sigh. this is me, feeling pitiful for myself.



p/s: i'm trying to practice my piano again, hopefully i'll at least play it well...

Home

Matt 25:21
"His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'

Someone once asked me what is the thing I most looked forward to when I get to heaven. I think at that time I answered that I was looking forward most to the “treasures evermore” part because I thought I deserved my rewards after going through so much suffering in this lifetime. Immediately after saying that, I have not been able to stop thinking about what I said. If I was asked again the same question, this would be my answer now – I want to hear “well done, good and faithful servant!” from the Master.

Since I was young, I always only prayed 2 things consistently throughout. The first is that I would never be a hypocrite. 2ndly was that I would always please him in all that I do. I want him to be happy with all my actions and choices, of my achievements (so Asian culture rite?....).

People ask, why work so hard? Pass enough la… true, if you knew what the passing mark was. I believe there is really only 1 test that we must all pass, set by the Master himself. There is no pass or fail, just “well done” or “you wicked, lazy servant!” which have such extreme consequences. Why then must we work hard? Well, the answer is really simple – so that we may pass the test of the Master, the test which the passing mark is 100%. I am sincerely afraid that if in this life I waste it away not doing the best I can, not yielding the extra 5/2/1 talent that was given me, I would not be qualified to even enter the Master’s home. I’m scared that if I don’t give my best in my responsibilities, I would be cast into the outer darkness where there will be gnashing of teeth.

So really, I work hard not to get bragging rights, but that one day I can stand before my Lord and say with a clear conscience that I have done my best and hoping that he will be pleased with me.

Rom 8:18-19
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

p/s: at the time of writing this, every other singer was singing a song about home so I decided to title this “home” :p oh yeah, tmr’s last day of mock exams… yay!

Suit Up!

be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.

Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.

Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.

Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.

In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Ephesians 6:10-18

Stand firm! easy to say, hard to achieve. i imagine in war, all we have to do is make sure we stand right to the end. hence the phrase "the last man standing". If we can attack but can't even stand firm when being attacked, we'll definitely be losing the war very soon. these are uncertain times(esp in Malaysia), we really don't know the full extend of the evil that satan is plotting to use as an attack, therefore we need, more than ever, to put on the full armour of God that we may stand firm and not fall in the ONLY war that matters.

"Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain."

1 Corinthians 15:58