Out of the Blue

It's been a week plus since I returned from Mongolia. I've never expected to go there, even for a mission trip..well God's ways are higher and better I believe! One of the first things I had to adjust to was the colder weather. It was dry- my lips were cracking and my hands and feet were getting scaly.. I had to put on lots of mosturizing cream. Before long I was marveling at the buildings and roads that I did not expect to see in Mongolia. They were Russian style, built when they controlled the country many years ago. I was surprised to hear that all their universities were near one another, lined up along what was the University Street. Coolz.. The people were strange and interesting to me. They spoke in such a queer language that it sounded like Japanese, Malay and Cantonese simultaneously! Hard as we tried, we never really suceeded in speaking it. Yet it did not stop us from sharing the gospel to 90 Mongolian students, out of which 38 received Christ! The hea...

When I first saw Christopher 2 years ago, he was staring at a computer in GCTC. That was before I joined Campus Cruasde as a STINTer. He was one of those who egged me on to join staff. And he was really very happy when I finally did. He told me that when he first saw me, he got the feeling I would join staff. "Nothing happens for no reason." He said, and I laughed. I was glad that we were batch mates on STINT. In time, I got to know that he was attached to Winnie, a fellow staff. He shared with me while on the bus one day how he got to know her and became boy-girl friends. Though I never felt Christopher was a romantic guy,he was definitely very serious about romance. "I chose to love Winnie, love is a choice." Christopher has always been someone I could talk to on a heart level. His sincere and pure heart meant I could share freely with him. He was almost always cheerful in every circumstance. It must be joy from the Lord. Last year, Christopher was diag...

The more daunting task before a 3 week mission trip is surprisingly not the packing of my luggage bag but my feelings. I'm missing people, strangely. You know, having the images of people dearest to you in your mind-almost all the time- thinking of writing them long letters. But a mission is before me in Mongolia! Still feels strange to me somehow, but well that's exciting too. I will miss my family- my Dad, bro and my disciples- Charlton's cute face, Wan Teng's smiles and Simon's orange hair. Sigh... but I'll be back on 16th May!

From choosing a dress to getting matching accessories-which is really just a necklace, asking people to come, getting my eyebrows trimmed and nails painted.. all the hurry and flurry of this "hiao":p lady has finally settled down, ready for a surprisingly big day for her. No I'm not getting married. It's just that I'm graduating from new staff training. I never expected such a big occasion for this. Wow, imagine my whole cell gp turning up! And some supporters and students... aiyo I better not trip and fall over my heels haa But you know the big thing about this big event is not me, not the nine of us graduating (by the way we got a cool name for ourselves -the J-walkers-) it's about Jesus, for Jesus, and to Jesus! While I hope I'd look ok tmr (ok..i admit wo shi ai mei de ;p) what I really desire is that God will be glorified and that people who come will be excited by what He is doing in our lives and what He will do in each person seated in the audit...

Yesterday, I went for a jab and blood test (which is compulsory before I fly off to Mongolia). Spent a hefty $100+. And after that I could just feel my energy wain..bit by bit throughout the day. I was quiet during cell group when my brain was spinning more slowly than it already was usually (hee). Until my friend jabbed me with " Ya la..Campus Crusade is best at evengelism in a fixed way- four spiritual laws" I was so tired that I slept at 9:30pm. Earliest since I fell sick a few weeks back. And I awoke at 1am sigh.. Unable to sleep, I decided to do cover the rest of yesterday's devotional material. I'm doing "Experiencing God" and at the part talking about how the church experiences God. Dunno how but I'm just brought back to some thoughts I'd been having throughout the day. And it wasn't very good thoughts about people around me. Haiz.. the mind is really a battlefield. So, I confessed that in my journal and from my heart wafted this ...

It just happens that my birthday this year falls on Good Friday. Wow you know..for a while, I thought how special this is. Though I'm really thankful for my life, especially how I've been "fearfully and wonderfully made" Ps 139:14, I cannot help but feel sad on Good Friday. Because this is the day that Jesus died. I remember many years ago, one Thurday afternoon before Good Friday, my primary school teacher who taught us art classes told us that we should be quiet because it was a sad day. Jesus was going to be hung on the next day. This morning as my pastor preached from the Luke Chapter 23, I'm brought back through time to the cross, where Jesus hung. Stripped, whipped, and hung by nails on the cross, he bore my sins. "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." Isaiah 53:3 Feeling all the pain, injustice, hurt, and perhaps wo...

"My friend committed suicide." As I heard two of my friends relate about the death of their mutual friend, my heart weighed heavily. How much has the young girl gone through to decide she'd had enough and that death was the last and best resort? Loss of a friend, something so real and heartfel. How does one come to terms about it with God? While discussing this issue with a close friend, we realise that many a times we can innocently ignore stress signals that people around us show, or dismiss it with some kind words like, "it's ok,","take it easy","it'll be alright".. but perhaps it pays to pay more attention to some of these reactions. But of course with wisdom and discernment. So that we may not miss the opportunity to minister, and shine His light into poor soul. Suicides are seemingly on the rise. In the past few weeks, the papers have reported another two cases involving Singaporean families. It is not substantial a number ...