Bí-se I Mo Shúil

(Be Thou My Vision in gælic, English translation by Adodh ó Dugáin)

Bí-se i mo shúil, a Rí mhór na ndúil
Líon thusa mo bheatha
Mo cheadfaí's mo stuaim
Bí thusa i m'aigne gach
oíche's gach lá
Im chodladh no im dhúiseacht líon
Mé le do grá

Bí thusa mo threorú i
mbriathar is i mbeart
Fan thusa go Deo
Liom is coinnigh mé ceart
Glac curam mar
Athair is eist le mo ghuí
Is tabhair domsa
áit conaí istigh i do chroí

Be my Eyes, O King of creation
Fill my life with understanding and patience.
Will You be my mind every night and every day,
sleeping or awake?
Fill me with Your Love.

Will You be my guidance
in my words and actions?
Stay with me forever
and keep me on the right path.
As my Father take care of me,
And listen to my prayers,
and give me a place
to live inside Your heart.

Already End November

It is already been three weeks since I've come back- been terribly busy w stuff: had a crusade alumni conference, multiple services and wedding to play at (with two more coming), cell outings, Thesis submission and Registrar confirmation red-tape to clear through, and people to catch up with. I've yet to complete my college applications, nor my papers. Me bad...

Been spending this time evaluating and weighing my options- I seem to be at a crossroad- indeed, not just any crossroad: seems more like a 4 or 5 dimensional crossroad. Issues at many level, interlinked, crosslinked, some in parallel worlds. Help!

I've also finally managed to sort through my thousand odd photos from my trip, and put them in more-or-less intelligible order (follow the link in the right hand column- "Монгол&Сибирь", if you're keen to plough through them). Some are rather delightful impressions from my trip- places and friends. Finished emailing e various wonderful people I've met on this trip, attaching pix or resources where relevant. Also, i'm proud to announce that I've completed my responsibility as postmaster for people (siberia, mongolia, china) who've passed me packages/letters/barfbags to pass to friends back in singapore. I've also did a short follow-through/update session with a strategic-coordinator for western inner-mongolia, jogging through strategies, updates and contexts.

Left TO DO:
- columbia appln (deadline end dec), UIUC and Indiana applns
- Acoustic Papers
- find job (applied for one liao!)
- learn Russian and practice Morin Huur

I realize this is probably gonna rank as one of the most exciting periods of my life, so i'm gonna savor each moment; tremendous freedom comes with tremendous responsibility!

God, grant me the discipline to bum constructively!

Whew!

I'm back in hot, humid Singapore... had a long trip back, including a massively delayed flight from Ulaan Baatar (for no apparent reason...) which involved a 30minute wait on the runway. Thankfully, my connecting flight was still hours away, unlike some less fortunate passengers who completely missed their flight. Oh dear. I think at my writing, they're still at Beijing airport trying to catch the next day's flight out.

I had wonderful company on my return trip- my mongolian friend Batraa met him at the airport by chance! Ariel, a philipino bible school lecturer teaching in mongolia was off to chiangmai for a conference. We were introduced, and soon began sharing and fellowshipping well into the trip. Amazing fella! Another divine appointment thingy. It turns out we know the same people, here, there... haha...


Goodbye Galaa and Bataraa!

with Ariel, amazing man of God... really blessed by his company!

Beijing airport, as it turns out, is one massive traveller's nightmare. The direction signs don't seem to add up. Transfers and Transit signs all point at different places, with certain counters which should be open closed, and other counters for diplomatic bags open to everyone. Thank God for Ariel- he's been through there dozens of times, and we wormed our way through queues and stuff... found myself out of the airport for all glorious 5 minutes of it. Anyhoo, we checked ourselves back in and continued chatting. Wonderful time of simply sharing.


Courtesy shot at Beijing airport

Had a relatively pleasant flight back to Singapore, crammed flight, but cos i was the first passeger to check-in, i got seat 6A, a nicely spacious first seat with lotsa legroom. Good for stretching and peering out the window without being intrusive. Landed, and waited for my bags... checked in two from Ulaan Baatar... but only one arrived in Singpaore =( oh well! But I still thank God... at least one bag arrived, and it was the one with the important stuff... BUT the other bag contained my clean clothes and a pack of processed fish from Lake Baikal! I hope it arrives soon, or some airport out there would be smelling badly of FISH. Bah!

Glad to be back. Thankful for everybit of the trip. Amazing places, amazing people, amazing God! =)


crazy parting shot... beijing airport runway light strips...