Back in KL...

Yes, back to the hot and dusty land of good food! Yo!! And good shopping! Double Yo!!

One thing great about the hot weather is that my laundry actually dries within a few hours! Such a contrast to what happens in Perth - having to wait for 2-3 days (especially if it rains) for my clothes to slowly dry...

Didn't bump into many of my friends at church yesterday... I wonder where they all are? Perhaps attending another service.

Been distracted from preparing for the Winter Camp workshop - Oh No! Better make good use of all those library books I lugged from Perth, and have to lug them back again. Otherwise, been spending too much time on computer games and snoozing!

Hopefully tonight will be more productive! I must remind myself that I am STILL being paid to work! Haha...

Exam fever... then party!

One down, one more to go! Whoopieee.. then it's pack pack pack and off I go...! Did I mention I'm going back to KL for a short little holiday? Yipppee...

Well not quite a complete holiday since there's still that workshop to get ready for... but still it'd be good to be back in dusty old KL! Haha.. ok, maybe I'm not missing the dust that much.

Before that, it's back to the Old Old Testament... so old... yet so new (i.e. new lessons to learn!)

Newsletter #4

(I have removed some photos from this blog version of my newsletter, either because I've already posted it somewhere else on my blog, or didn't want some photos to be public. So, if you want to see the photos and read the slightly "fuller" version of it, please read the original pdf version)
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Dear friends,

Time sure marches on when you are having fun! The past few months have been fairly enjoyable, despite the constant challenge to weigh up the different opportunities and needs that one should answer to!

Overseas Christian Fellowship
Starters group for young or non-believers: I have recently started leading a group of 3 students, exploring some basic beliefs of Christianity from the Alpha course. It’s been very challenging due to the mix of the group (& my lack of ability!) – two (not very inquisitive) young believers and one non-believer. The (unfortunate) outcome of the discussion is that the one non-believer feels as if he is the focus of the group!

The annual Winter Camp is coming up soon! This time I will be running a workshop with the girls, on the topic of “Being Single”! Please pray for the preparations of this workshop and faithfulness to challenge the girls as to how they can best use their lives for the glory of God.

As you may recall from my e-mail, I gave my first public talk at the OCF Murdoch Quiz Night. Here are some photos from that event!

The church is painfully in need of leaders...

~William Sangster~

So is OCF... especially Murdoch and Curtin. Please pray for God’s provision for students who will answer God’s call to serve Him in their campuses.

People I meet with

(V - my Cambodian non-Christian friend; as I mentioned in my other blog post)

I haven’t been able to catch up with her regularly this past month. Please pray that she will continue to hunger to know Jesus.

J - my “disciple”

She is a friendly, bubbly girl from Singapore studying Media Studies at Murdoch Uni.
I meet her weekly and we think about what it means to be Christ’s disciple.
She’s keen to grow in her relationship with God, which is encouraging!

Please pray that she will seek God’s kingdom first!

Vose Seminary (Formerly BTC)
*It is named after the college’s founding principal, Noel Vose.

Did you know that the word Seminary
means “a seed-bed”,
a place to be nurtured & to grow?

My Bible College has changed its name! This name change from a “theological college” to a “seminary” has been very significant for me. Theological training is so much more than learning doctrines and quoting theologian after theologian! More importantly is the shaping of one’s life in light of God’s character through the study of theology and to GROW in all areas (mind, heart, soul) as a disciple of Christ. Current challenges include not just how to think and act theologically, but also pastorally (i.e. with caring for people in mind).

DISC profile - the verdict! According to the test, I have an Influencer-Steady personality. Some attributes are: possessing a casual poise in most social situations; tend to withdraw in a serious conflict; need compliments for assignment well done. Did you think the test got it right? :)

One interesting assignment has been on a case study providing pastoral support to someone in crisis & evaluating the actions taken. Plenty of things to learn in retrospect! To be a better listener is top on the list!

Pray, Pray, Pray!
Due to the increasing (though very slow) awareness that ministry without prayer is futile, coupled with my own foolishness in persisting in ministry without prayer (!), I’ve recently enlisted two of my good friends from Canberra as prayer partners. So they call me on alternate fortnights (so I get a call once a week!) to pray together using our mobile phones. Thank God for technology and free calls! This has made prayer more intentional in my life, both in the time set aside and the things prayed for. Thank God too for another bunch of friends in Singapore who have also agreed to pray for me and my ministry here regularly!

As I’m nearing the half-way mark of this two-year traineeship, the “What’s next?” question is becoming more pertinent. No answers yet, but would appreciate your prayer for discernment of God’s will! Love to hear from you too!

Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers & requests.
With this in mind, be alert & always keep on praying for all the saints.
Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given me
so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel...
Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.
Ephesians 6:18-20

trip wasted? or maybe not...

Guess what?

Rocked up to college today and... not one, but TWO of my classes were cancelled because the lecturer/facilitator was sick! Haha.. what are the odds of that happening?

Did get a missed call on my mobile this morning, but didn't know who it was from. Guess now I know who! No wonder I kept having that nagging feeling that I should have returned that call.... drats...

Anyway, comforted myself with the thought that I needed to return a library book that was due, as well as managed to sell some of those fundraising chocolates to hungry but unsuspecting students while I was there too! Hehe... fruitful time...

Oh well, back to working at home then! Heigh ho Heigh ho!

short update

Finally updating my blog again! :)

Quick summary of what's been happening...

• Gave my first public talk during the OCF Murdoch social night. The first week of my study break was plagued by my preparation (and stress) for that. Thanks to God answering the prayers of my supporters, it went well (or at least I thought it did!).
• Had dinner with 2 non-Christian girls and we read half the book of Mark together. Thank God for their willingness to read it (and it was very encouraging to see that they were so into the story of Jesus that they just kept going on and on... I initially thought we'd probably get through 3 chapters only...) Praise God!
  
• My dad managed to climb to the top of Mount Kinabalu at the age of... , ok won't reveal his age, but whatever it is, you can tell that it's pretty impressive!
• My youngest sister just turned 18! Woohoooo... Happy (belated) Birthday Popz!
  
• Just got back from a 4D3N road trip with Robin, Daphne, Stanley and David down south to Walpole and Pemberton. Will upload some photos soon!
• OCF WA just had their Evangelistic Night on Saturday. I wonder how that went?
• Oh yes, please continue to pray for V. I haven't met up with her for 2 weeks now as things seem to crop up with her and she's unable to meet up. Pray that she won't lose her interest in wanting to know more about God.
  

faithful in the little things

I need to blog this down before it slips my mind and off it goes buried somewhere in my brain with the rest of the other stuff.

In today's NT lecture, we spoke briefly about the parable of the talents and the punchline (at least for me) is:

For to all those who have, more will be given, and they will have an abundance; but from those who have nothing, even what they have will be taken away. (Matt 25:29)

My lecturer asked a question:

In ministry, what do you think is the reward for being faithful with the work God has given you?

Answer: More work!

How bizarre! (We would probably like to have a holiday as a reward, wouldn't we? =) )

But I think it makes a very good point! God starts by giving us small things to handle, and if we prove faithful with them, then He'd entrust us with more, just like the servant in the parable (Matt 25:14-30)

And I'm just reflecting on my own ministry situation as well. Lately I've been looking around for girls I can disciple and am a little sad that I don't have anyone to "share my life with" in that sense. (I do meet up with some girls on and off, but nothing very intentional apart from sharing the gospel with V as mentioned in the earlier blog entry).

And I'm thinking to myself - is it because I haven't been faithful with the things or people that God has already given me? Am I missing something here? Is there someone I'm supposed to be looking out for and have overlooked them? (In fact, there really IS a girl whom I was supposed to be doing "Just For Starters" with but have not continued ever since term started.)

So please pray that I will be faithful with the work and people God has already given to me! I yearn to hear my Master saying to me: "Well done, good and trustworthy slave!"

Pray for V

Met up with my Cambodian friend (we shall call her V) yesterday after a two week break. Although we didn't quite get to read the book of Mark as I planned to ('cos she forgot to bring the Bible and workbook), it was still good catching up and listening to her questions about Christianity.

Thank God that:
1. She was able to go to a Khmer church with her aunt on Easter Sunday.
2. Her aunt has been a very good testimony for Christ to her.
3. She's still keen to meet up regularly to find out more about the Christian faith.
4. She's coming to church this Sunday with me! =)

One of the issues raised was that - she can see that other people (e.g. her aunt, Christian friends etc.) have really experienced God and know that he is there. But what about her? She doesn't seem to see God working in her life, how does she know he is real or not?

Well I was rather stumped with that question, so I asked her to go home and pray to God:

God, if you are real, please show me.

So please pray that:
1. God will answer that prayer of hers. That God may truly open her eyes to see him for who he is and what he's doing in her life.
2. That she will not change her mind about going to church this Sunday.

Otherwise, I learnt a few Khmer words & phrases from her too! Here's one:

Kenyom joop V (her name) nou benalai prek mie

("I met V at the library this morning")

Woohooo!

prayer...

Read this prayer in my devotional today...

Day by day, day by day, oh dear Lord, three things I pray:
To see thee more clearly
Love thee more dearly,
Follow thee more nearly,
day by day...

A good one to regularly pray to God, don't you think?

Newsletter #3

[Summer Retreat] [BTC graduation ceremony]

Dear friends,

This is my first newsletter for the year 2008! If you didn’t already know, I have been back in Perth for a month after a wonderful summer holiday back home.

Summer activities

As I was in KL for most of the summer, it was a time of relaxation and spending time with family and friends. I did attempt to read up some books in preparation for my college assignments this semester, but alas to no avail! I was severely infected by the holiday bug! Oh, I also had one of my wisdom tooth extracted and it was really NO fun!

In terms of OCF related activities, I was mostly reading up books and preparing for workshops and talks I am hoping to conduct this year.

I also had the opportunity to meet up with a girl from OCF Curtin to go through the “Just For Starters” course –7 studies covering some foundations of the Christian life, e.g. salvation, faith, living in God’s way, reading the Bible, prayer, fellowship and evangelism. It was very rewarding for myself too as I also grew in deeper understanding of these basic truths as I attempted to explain it to her.

I attended the Curtin Uni pre-departure talk in KL to meet students anxious to study in Perth for the first time. Otherwise, I was not too productive and successful with my networking with the local colleges, only managing to get in touch with the Christian Fellowship in Kolej Damansara Utama, and then referring one student to OCF Tasmania.

Overseas Christian Fellowship

Upon arrival in Perth, it’s been a straight bang into business! The first few weeks of the year are usually the busiest times. All 3 OCF centres set up stalls at their Universities during Orientation Week to promote OCF and to make contact with new students. This is usually followed by a Freshies[1] Welcome lunch/dinner. I was primarily involved with OCF Murdoch, while also present at some of OCF Curtin’s events.

Summer Retreat was next where we spent the weekend at a nearby campsite. This year’s Retreat was very relaxing and primarily a time to catch up after the long break and prepare ourselves for the year ahead. I had a good time chatting with OCFers from the other centres (Curtin & UWA, I’m usually with Murdoch). I found myself playing different roles – Bible teacher (explained some Scripture to a girl), advisor (advice and praying with some students), and networking agent (encouraged a girl to follow up on another non-Christian girl).

One of my biggest desires is to see students mature in Christ through their knowledge of God’s word. In order to facilitate that, we need Bible study leaders who would take up the challenge and responsibility of nurturing others in His word! So it was a tremendous blessing to be able to conduct a Bible Study Leaders’ Workshop with the help of my mentor, Angel. More than 20 leaders turned up for the 3-hour workshop (even 2 new freshies!) which covered topics like Christian leadership, studying the Bible (using the OIA[2] method) and group dynamics. Many thanks to my good friends in Canberra who supplied me with their workshop materials! That’s what partnership is about hey? J

I have also been meeting up with a non-Christian Cambodian girl I recently met. Thank God for the opportunity to share the gospel (using the “2 ways to live” tract) and now going through “Christianity Explored” with her. She is keen on meeting regularly to read the Bible and learn more about Jesus (thank God!), so please pray for that!

Other things that have been occupying my time include reviewing Bible studies and attending Bible study leaders’ preparation meetings.

Baptist Theological College

One of the interesting subjects I am doing this semester is Ministry Formation, a unit designed to help me understand myself as a person, pastoral roles and how the two go together. It has been particularly helpful and relevant as it allows me to reflect on my ministry experiences and evaluate them in the light of the theology I learn. And I will be getting a DISC[3] profile of myself done too! Would be interesting to see what the results are, so stay tuned!

I am also increasingly enjoying the one-hour slot on Wednesday mornings with my support group. Also, as part of our “supervised experience based learning” curriculum, I signed up for the “Preaching to Postmoderns” class. I reckon that is a very relevant issue to consider – how do we preach in a way that is captivating (and true) to a generation that does not like to be preached at, that is suspicious of institutionalised religion, and that considers truth to be relative and not absolute? Challenging…

On a side note, I recently attended the college’s graduation ceremony and received a prize – a book voucher! Yay! J More importantly, one of the students gave a very thought-provoking speech. Many times the stuff we learn at Bible College can seem to challenge the views of God that we have grown up with and it can be nerve-wrecking. But as she puts it, in those times, it is God’s gentle and loving process of guiding and leading us to a better understanding of himself.

God won’t let us wallow in clichés.

It is better for us to be “doubting Thomas-es than smiling Judas-es”.

Food for thought…

Other thoughts

The theme of radical discipleship keeps cropping up lately. Jesus promises suffering for those who will follow him. Have I (you) counted the cost (Luke 14:25-33)?

I have been struggling with wanting to read the Bible for my personal devotion when I am already reading so much of it for my classes, preparing for Bible studies etc. May I not grow weary of God’s word!

Thanksgiving and Prayer points

1. Thank God for the experiences I have had so far, whether delightful or painful. His mercies are new every morning!
2. Thank God for friends who are available to listen and pray with me as I grapple with this whole ministry thing!
3. Pray for the salvation of my Cambodian friend; that I may be faithful in sowing the seed of God’s word and trusting Him to bring the harvest.
4. Pray for the balance between OCF, studies and life. There is always a great need in the ministry and it is tempting (and may seem very noble too!) to put in lots of effort and take on more than I can.
5. My mentor, Angel will be away for 6 months in Cambodia for a mission trip. So please pray for me to find someone else whom I can talk to and pray with during this time.

I lift up my eyes to the hills – from where will my help come?

My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 121:1-2

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[1] A term used to describe new students.

[2] Observation, Interpretation, Application – It is a systematic method of reading the Bible and interpreting the passages within its appropriate contexts.

[3] A model that examines one’s behavioural style.

ponder ponder...

Read this from the book "The beautiful risk" as part of my book review. How true do you think it is for you?

I AM NOT WHO I THINK I AM.
I AM NOT WHO YOU THINK I AM.
I AM WHO I THINK YOU THINK I AM.

time audit...

Been so busy with OCF stuff lately that I ended up doing a time audit cos I thought I was going crazy! I kept having that nagging feeling - have I been doing enough or too much or what? Why do I feel as if I didn't have enough time to do the things I want to do?

So spent some time doing the time audit, accounting for all the hours and minutes I spent doing OCF-related stuff, and wah lah! I'm justified! I have indeed been spending the maximum amount time I could on it.. so it's not just my imagination!

Anyway, I do feel like I need to take a rest every so often. Weekly actually.. No wonder God gave us the Sabbath! For our sanity!

So today, I drove to Piney Lakes Reserve nearby again... this time I just sat in my car and read the Bible and prayed. It was a really refreshing time, and I felt so much more well rested after that.

Then met up with my 'employers' - the Staffworker Executive Board for lunch and to update them about how I'm going - so I showed them my time audit since I already did it. Hahaa!!

Otherwise, I'm hoping to catch the rest of the night working on my book review. It is due in 2 weeks' time and I have another assignment due then too! So further updates need to wait at this moment!

Yay for internet!

Woohooo!!

Finally I have internet access at home again! Which means I should be able to post up stuff more often =)

But for now, it's back to my book review.. hehe..

Back to work....!

A quick summary of what has been happening...

• Am back in Perth! So so so so so hot...


• Been very busy the past 2 weeks since being back...


• Passed my WA driving test so I'm officially a WA driver! (No, I wasn't driving illegally prior to that... I was allowed to drive on my Malaysian license but needed to convert to a WA one if I was to drive for more than the set period)


• Car battery died on the day of my first driving lesson! Got a new one now.. hehe.. and new terminals too...


• Repaired reverse lights & brake lights... all these in time for the driving test of course! :)


• Busy with the Orientation program of the 3 Unis (so far Murdoch Uni & Curtin, UWA one coming up tomorrow!)


• Been caught up with somer OCFers' re-thinking of the identity of OCF.


• Met many "freshies" or new students; Having fun getting to know them & following up on them.


• Reviewing some Bible studies that the OCFers have written. Boy, it's hard work, especially when there are 6-8 studies per centre to go thru! (i.e. on average 7 * 3 = 21 studies....)


• Preparing for the Bible Study Leaders' Workshop I'm running together with Angel (THANK GOD FOR HER!!!) next Saturday.


• Met a Cambodian girl on a 10 month exchange from Japan. Wow! Got to practise some of my very limited Khmer vocabulary..


• Met a Masters' student who was teaching English for 2 years in Cambodia. Double wow! What are the odds of having all these associations with Cambodia?


• Started Bible college this week. Loving it loving it loving it!


• Haven't had internet access at home for the past 1+ week? Difficult difficult... relying on access in Bible college...


• Going for the OCF Summer Retreat tmr till Sunday. Gonna be a relaxing (?!) time cos the program's pretty laid back. Hoping to catch up more with the other OCFers I haven't seen for a while.

Welcome back to work, Jessica!

E-talk prep

My holidays are coming to an end very soon! 1.5 more weeks and I'd be back in hot, dry Perth!

Been preparing for a short evangelistic talk that I might be giving in OCF one of the weeks, and boy it's really hard work writing a sermon! Now I'm beginning to appreciate the effort and time that pastors and speakers put into it, and I hope it will get easier with experience. Stretching my mind for sermon illustrations... how come I can't think of any good stories to tell?

Am reminded also that it is not our eloquence that counts, but that God works through our faithfulness in preaching his Word. So please pray that I won't try to be a 'perfectionist' trying to nail down the 'Billy Graham sermon' (as if I had the skills to do that!), but to be faithful in presenting the truth of the gospel, and have a dependent and willing heart to let God do His work in convicting the hearts of the students.

Will have a trial run preaching it to some very special critics - my two sisters! Muahahaa... (Yes you two!)

Not enough...

I can't believe it... I just had dinner not too long ago and I'm hungry already... Grr... porridge is not enough for my big appetite! =(

Can't wait for my swelling to go down so that I can open my mouth wider to munch on some proper food!!

HUNnnNnnNNnggGGgRrrrrYYyyyy~~~

Wisdom Tooth Trauma...

Had my surgery to remove my left-bottom wisdom tooth today. It was quite traumatic because of the complications my tooth had:

i. It was horizontally impacted, so more difficult to remove
ii.The roots of the tooth were curved, so couldn't just pull the tooth out straight
iii. The roots were very close to a nerve, so there were chances of bruising it during extraction.

I think I shall spare you most of the details, and I'm just so relieved its over!

Thank God for ANAESTHETICS!

And thank God that I haven't had much pain so far ever since the anaesthetics wore off. Took only one pain-killer so far as precaution, and haven't had to take any more since yesterday. Hopefully that's a positive thing (or is it a sign that my nerve is damaged, hence I can't feel the pain?)

The right side of my face is swollen from the surgery, and it's expected that it will reach its maximum size on the 3rd day - which is tomorrow! Yikes. NO... I will not post any photos of it here! Hahaha..

Can only manage to chew small amounts of food at a time on my left side, and have mainly been eating oats & porridge for my main meals. Am supposed to be on a soft diet. Though I must add that I sneaked in an ice-cream yesterday 2 hours after lunch 'cos I was hungry... and ice-creams are SOFT... hahaha...

Please pray for speedy recovery & no further complications (like infections... Eek!!)

Update request fulfilled...

Funny how my sisters are asking me to update my blog....(?!) Hey, I'm staying in the same house as you-lah, and you know what I have been doing anyway.. Haha..

Anyway by "popular" demand.. =P

Just sat for my IELTS (International English Language Test System) yesterday as part of my PR application requirement.. Glad it's over 'cos was quite nervous! Was especially nervous during the "speaking" test, getting my words jumbled up & using wrong vocabulary.. aiyo... Pray that I can get at least a band 7 for each of the test~!!!

Arhhh!

Getting my bottom wisdom tooth extracted tmr.. my first surgery.. *gasp*.. quite worried actually but trying hard not to think about it. I guess I'm especially anxious because it won't be my usual dentist who would be doing the procedure, but an oral surgeon whom she recommended. Apparently it will take about a week to recover, and I won't be eating solid foods during that time.. WHAT?! Porridge every meal for 7 days??! =(

Attended the Curtin Uni Pre-departure talk today at Sheraton Hotel, Subang Jaya to meet students who are anxious to study in Perth for the first time. There were quite a number of students, mostly studying Pharmacy so it was good to have Esther Ho around to share her experiences. The OCF students who were there (3 of them) managed to get some contacts, so hopefully they're able to follow up on these new students and help them settle down in their first few weeks of Uni. (and of course to invite them to OCF too.. hehe..) Please pray for these students!

Otherwise, good time hanging out with the two Esthers from Curtin (Esther Ho & Esther Kok) at a mamak place after the session. The Roti Canai wasn't fantastic, but the company was! =)

OK, More updates after my wisdom tooth trauma tmr!

Trip to Singapore

I visited my friends in Singapore in December. Had a ball of a time there (as you can tell from the photos!). Managed to catch up with some of the ex-OCFers from WA (ie. Robin, Daphne, Dom & Lee Peng), my church friends (Su Ann & Elaine) & the ex-OCFers from Canberra.

(At Vivo City)

Stayed with Dewi and it was a great time catching up till the wee hours of the night. Was so tired by the lack of sleep that I started to get quite grumpy on the 4th day. Bad bad bad... so I had to excuse myself from dinner on Sunday night and went back to sleep instead (hence my absence in the Orchard Road photos..)

(Orchard Road Nativity Scene)

Had a little Christmas party at her place on Saturday too. It was great having fun with these ex-OCFers and some current ones too (like Ilona). Pot bless dinner with roast turkey and honey baked ham (ok that was ordered from Canadian Pizzas), baked pasta & apple waldorf(?) salad (Jaclyn's yummy contribution!), Caesar salad (Mag), Fries (Dewi?) and jelly by me! hahaa... Oh, and log cake from Bengawan Solo, drinks and chips. Did I miss out any dish?

We had Christmas carols (guitar playing by Ju Lynn), and I shared a short(? ok 10 minutes..) devotion from Phil 2:1-11. Then we broke up into groups and prayed for one another, and then there was the wacky gift exchange game that we had to play (thanks to Dewi & Mag!)

(Dewi & Mag busy explaining how the gift exchange works.. so many twists & turns!)

(CHeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesseeeeeeeee......)

Mag... we're waiting for you to organise the next Christmas gathering ok? Let's have it in Sam & Karen's new place =P (Oops.. Sam are you reading this? hehehe..)

My best friends' wedding

The long-awaited wedding of two of my best buddies from Canberra - Steven and Yuen Peng!

It was held in my church, KL Wesley Methodist.. pretty right?

This is the OCF Canberra bunch... I only know 2/3 of them.. quite a few first year students whom I've never met till that day!

This is the candid shot of the bride & groom with the best man (Douglas), and the bridesmaids (Magdalene & Me!).


I must say that the photographer, Greg was really good! Love this photo!

Haha.. they got a 'sabo' during the dinner for this! We (i.e. crazy OCFers) were not satisfied with this kiss at all! No No No... hahaa.. too bad I don't have the photos for our 'sabo'... yet... will post it up when I get my hands on that photo CD!

Happy couple walking out after the ceremony!

Tragedy...

Been a very busy week, but I'll update about that later.

Yesterday, I found out that one of my Uni friends was swept away by a wave in Queensland after helping a young woman to safety last week. It's been about a week now and they've still have not found him. Everyone is caught in a limbo between wanting to accept reality as it seems & holding on for a glimpse of hope.

The latest news I got was this newspaper clip:

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22889112-3102,00.html

Honestly, I don't know what to pray for. Perhaps for some closure to this incident?

We're all still hoping for his survival... God willing.