I'm Home!

I'm back!

It has been a whirlwind but well, on the whole I enjoyed the trip very much.. Will go into details another time but basically was very warmed by the work that we did there.. & the people we met...

The itinery went as planned which was a thanksgiving & we came back safe & sound, just that we were all really tired when we returned!

Thanks to all who have been praying for me & my team! God was indeed very kind to us throughout the trip.. despite minor hiccups, he always led the way & allowed us to meet different groups of Christians & non-Christians. Most importantly, it broadened my perspective & helped me 2 gain a better understanding of the work there..

Will upload photos soon! When I get round to compiling the 400 - 500 photos I took? Hiaks!!! Haa..

The Trip

Destination: Macau
Departing: 21/3/06
Departing time: 9.50am
Arrival: 29/3/06
Arrival time: 10.05pm

Macau marks my 4th mission trip but it's significant to me for a few reasons

1. First trip for SYFC's Poly Ministry

Unlike my previous trips, this will be the first time I'm travelling with so many of my peers (7 in fact) to outreach in a foreign land. It's also a rather long trip & finally, a chance for me to put my Mandarin skills to good use! It's also the first mission trip organised by the poly ministry!

2. A Land of Gamblers?

Macau is almost synonymous with gambling. Yet, I wonder is there more to this land than just gambling? Will I come back with a different perspective of its people? With different prayer concerns for the people there?

There's more but will like to share with you some of the itinery that we hope to be doing while we are over there..

A) Sit-in Counselling Sessions at Gambling Centre
How will casino affect Singapore? We are very privileged that we will get to hear some real-life stories of addicts over there... Pray that we will go with an open heart, not to judge but to hear.

B) English Programme with Uni Studs
We will be interacting with uni students who are in the English programme. Pray that we will be able to break the ice & befriend them & even share with them the dearest msg in our life..

C) Movie Night
On one of the nights, we hope to screen a movie and from there, share the truth of life! Pray for the commitee that includes me who will be planning the programme.

D) Skit at High School
The skit will be followed by some sharing as well but please pray for the actors as most are new to acting & we still have no idea how big the size of the crowd will be...could be anything from 20 to 200!

Thank You for your prayers! Keep watching this space as I might be updating while I'm there.. :)

7 more days

We're 7 days away... excited? me am v very! counting down the number of days is so exciting

Today we gathered in the room where we first met for the mission trip meeting. The feeling was really surreal. Like remembered the first time we all gathered.

Looking back.. 3 months have past us so fast.. Dec, Jan & Feb.. And now we're already just 7 days to the week.

I thank God indeed for bringing me thru the preparation. I ought to thank him for refining me in these few weeks also...the refinining process is also making me more aware n conscious of what I need 2 look out for durin this trip itself..

I hope i will be a blessing n nt a burden to the trip. I think I need 2 pray tat i wun be conceited also.. becos of certain experiences in mission trip doesnt make me better than any of my grp mates.. I must not let it sway me.. and remember tat it is God who paves the way, not the experience tat brings me thru...

A thanksgiving entry...

This entry is not exactly relevant to the trip but decided to write here cos' I am really happy for Qiaoli & myself.. Actually more for her cos' initially she was qt worried tat she might not pass her exam & the sub will actually be during our mission trip!!! I was worried for her too.. I thought: What if it happened to me? will I go for the trip or stay for the sub paper?

But thank God, in the end she managed to clear all!! :)

I know when I say such things like thank God, some friends might think..but isn't it your own efforts tat caused u to do well?

True, you do have 2 work hard for it but I really think God has a big hand behind everything that I do.. and he has been richly blessing me with everything I have in the past few years. Despite of my involvement in church & YFC ministry, esp with heavier responsibilities since last Nov, the leader was worried tat my results will actually suffer...

It's like the more I serve, the heavier my role, the greater the blessings he gave. I have my fair share of disappointments when I serve..Tiredness, weariness.. Esp this morning, i was feeling quite despondent on my way to meet 'em at Tampines

But God really knows how to cause little joys in my heart like this.. He knew that I need these little things to perk me up. He knows that and shows me his wonders...

And I know I can never thank Him enough...

I cun wait 2 leave Singapore...

The meetings have been ending rather late. Abit worried mum will be scolding but she din really & maybe cos i rem to called her while waiting for bus

I'm really tired today. shldnt have stayed up to chat last nite.. sigh i really need 2 prioritise my life alot alot alot. I've so many things 2 think thru.

Yet, I dun find the mission trip stuff as burdens. I am probably more affected by my own spiritual walk with God... I think like what we shared with one another, this will be a gd trip for all of us.. esp myself 2 go away for a while & be recharged, re-affirmed of certain things I do & my life as a Christian.

I noe tats nt the main purpose of the mission trip but I supposed after a trip, we will be more recharged..As the trip draws nearer, we r getting more excited but also anxious abit cos of the many things tat we haven prepared! But at least thank God today we managed 2 prac gospel sharing & EBS lessons too. Skit prac went on as well :)

I cun wait 2 go.. really..

Countdown!!!

Well it's been almost 2 months!!! I wanted 2 blog sometime in Feb with photos but in the end, din get to do so

Anyway, today we had a fruitful time of training. Almost whole day cos morning started off with staff mtg where we shared our prayer requests & everyone prayed for us. In noon, we practiced skit & also watched The Day After Tomorrow. In the evening, we had sharing by Pastor Ong about Macau & ended off with prayer & a time of practicing our Cantonese.

Surprisingly, I din feel tired the whole day. I think it's because I make sure I rested earlier ytd nite. I thinktats v impt & also i took a shower this morning. of cos now i feel the bed bugs calling but at least I din feel sleeply today. which is good.

Had lotsa fun directing the skit today. Improvement greatly from last rnd. At least the actors have some idea & have a script they can follow. They also started to improvise on their parts which is good ... i feel considering most of 'em dun have acting experience i think.

As I direct the skit, i really thank God for the times i had training in Parts, school & even in church for dramas & skits. No wonder like what Pastor shared with us on Sat, every experience we go thru is for something beneficial. I din think much in the past when I had opportunities to act, script all these stuff or even direct. I mean whenI was younger, i prob thought of it as something really fun..learnt alot of things. Never really understood significantly how arts can be used to glorify God.

But today I did. I realised how that experience has helped me & even today, I can actually helped the group to get the skit together.

There's quite alot of things that have yet to be settled. For my side, I have to ..

1. co-ordinate skit (fine-tune script, liase with LL abt music, liase with CH on enactment, costumes/props with Louis)
2. the day after tomorrow (work with louis the questions & article for the uni studs)
3. creative methods. (zap those good ones & pack..)
4. translate qiaoli's testimony!
5. Prepare EBS for thurs... (to teach the rest & tie down loose ends)

Yup.. its real excitinG! and im looking fwd 2 the trip. though it will be coupled with many difficulties along the way I believed God will be with us thru & thru..

- yeah....

Our progress thus far

Today's mission trip was rather fruitful because we had time to practice our testimony sharing, did our EBS lesson & also practiced on the creative evangelism.

Iris also splitted us in2 different groups. We were splitted up based on our language abilities. Each group will have one person strong in Mandarin, one person strong in Cantonese. It was very interesting that for eg Lonnie, Roy, Liling & Daniel/Jieying are the experts in Cantonese but can't read Chinese very well while me, Dezhang, Chin Ho are better in Mandarin but speak/understand little Cantonese. So we are really complementing each other in terms of our language skills!

Reminds me of the verse in Romans 12:4-5

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.

Indeed all of us play different roles & functions. The most important thing is to see that we all work together for the sake of Christ!

The date of the mission trip is really drawing near. We are sending out our PSS this week. I really hope that many will give towards this trip. Am more excited as we approach the days ahead... :)

Keep reading here for more updates. I hope to post some pictures of our preparations in the future entries!