The team leaves for Kerala tonight. Continuing to pray for the 25 team members as they minister to and bless the kids at the orphanage and school, and encourage the other Christians there. Now, must pray especially for Lynn who was warded last night due to a stomach flu virus. May the Lord grant protection for all of them, all the way there and back, and throughout their stay. Praying also for a spirit of love and unity among the team, for Uncle Sam and Jan as they lead the group, and for all to have their eyes, ears, and hearts open for the Lord to speak to them personally as well.

Sometimes i miss singing the songs i learned in the UK, like this one by Matt Redman.

I will offer up my life in spirit and truth
Pouring out the oil of love as my worship to You
In surrender i must bring my every part
Lord, receive the sacrifice of this broken heart

Jesus, what can i give, what can i bring
To so faithful a friend, to so loving a king?
Saviour, what can be said, what can be sung
As a praise of Your name for the things You have done?
Oh, my words could not tell, not even in part
Of the debt of love that is owed by this thankful heart.

You deserve my every breath, for You’ve paid the great cost
Giving up Your life to death, even death on a cross
You took all my guilt and shame, there defeated my sin
Opened up the gates of heav’n and have beckoned me in.

Oh, my words could not tell, not even in part, of the debt of love that is owed by this thankful heart.

Celebrations

Such a blessing to be able to celebrate God's goodness with friends.. Even though there was no murder mystery to be solved heh, Gil's bridal shower on Monday night was really enjoyable; Nam is such an amazing hostess - the yummy food she prepared and beautiful ambience she created were so lovely.. And thanks to Aaron for 'staying away' from the house that evening ;P Hearing from the bride-to-be about God's wonderful timing, can really see His goodness and provision in the lives of both Gil & Boon :) 3 days more, Gil!! ;) ..and for Angel & Ivan too!

And managed to have dinner last night with Sam & Esther, Tuan, Joseph and Angela. We didn't talk much about Sheffield, but more updates about the past few years.. haha actually a lot of time was spent just looking at baby Benaiah and trying to make sure he was entertained.. Babies definitely give such simple and unexplainable joy!

Saturday afternoon

After lunch with Adrian, he headed off to church earlier and i decided to hang around J8 for a while.. And so i bumped into Sam & Esther from Sheffield, and their adorable baby Benaiah!! Such a wonderful God-incidence as Debbie would say ;) I knew they were coming to town but didn’t have their contact details! Hope can manage some time to catch up with them a bit before they leave Singapore..

Then we had our Berean series on Revelations in church. Made things clearer for me in this book of the Bible which i’ve always regarded as the most difficult to understand. Pretty heavy, scary stuff, what’s going to happen in the last days (already so many things are happening right now..) But perhaps the scariest thing would be to forget what we’ve learnt, or live like we don’t know about it.. It’s so easy to get caught up in our own little lives and forget the urgency of the times.

too busy not to pray

It's funny how the pace of life in Singapore is just so much quicker than in Perth.. Besides there being more people around, and the shops more bustling, especially at nights and on weekends, everything seems much more urgent (or maybe it's largely our own doing.. :P) Been running around so much that i have to admit my Quiet Time has been suffering as a result. Am reminded of what the priorities are, and to keep my eyes fixed not on what is seen but what is unseen - what is eternal. Especially in light of the times we live in.. Just reading the newspaper can get so depressing, and so many things happening to people closer to home; can't ignore it. Definitely a time to pray and seek the Lord.

Quick update

Started my placement here in Singapore and have gone full-steam ahead by scheduling for myself about 12 assessments in these 2 weeks – realizing that 30 days isn’t a long time at all, and also want to get into the intervention side of things. Despite the comparatively long working hours (not used to getting up at 6am on a regular basis :P), it’s a good experience on the whole, and i’m so thankful for this opportunity.

Would appreciate prayer regarding my thesis proposal, as i need to revise it, and have it approved by Monday.. Although the lecturer who reviewed the proposal seemed to think the design presented a rather major problem, i don’t think it’s that major – it just depends on how i write the Method and Implications sections of the proposal. And it’s rather difficult communicating with my supervisors from overseas, so please do pray that the proposal will be acceptable and that i’ll be able to meet the deadline.

So good meeting up with friends again! Glad to know people in Agapella are still as crazy as ever, and to be re-united with the church family again, and even to catch up with people from Sheffield! It’s especially wonderful to receive words of wisdom and encouragement from brothers and sisters. Really thankful for what was shared during dinner with Wendy yesterday – will be praying for her and Wee Ming as they look into all the little details of their upcoming wedding, and as they prepare for what’s to come afterwards.

Year end review

Looking back on this past year in Perth, it's hard to believe the time has gone by so quickly (okay so it's more like 7 or 8 months, but still... ;P) Pastor Max said that when asked about what they would do differently if they could live their lives over again, some old folks said they'd take greater risks, and reflect more. So this is part of the reflection bit: I guess you can say that i did take a while to fully adjust to life in Perth during my first term, and i've enjoyed my time during the second term much more. The car is really such a huge part of the blessing, and i've been able to be more involved in OCF, and the Sonshine Careline. So thankful also for Subi church, and all the dear OCF-ers, plus karen, eugenie, my great coursemates, and other people i've met along the way.. Thankful for all the dear ones who have supported me even from overseas right from the first term, and perhaps especially in the first term, and it's so wonderful to know that the Lord has been working in their lives too!

...So happy to be back :)