Love guides and hopes for all things.

This has been a very eventful and special year, one that seems to have pass by me faster than I can keep up with. A series of important and memorable events captured the essence of this year. This has also been the year where instead of God continuing to chase me with his everlasting arms, I was made part of his army at times, helping him to chase and care for the souls that he loved so deeply. It was also a year where I had matured immensely – the challenges that faced me had changed. It has transformed from a self-centeredness to the need to reconcile the metaphysics of this world. This has also been the year of opportunities to pursue my dreams, the starting of the university chapter, the joining of campus ministry and the plenty of friends that I’ve made with their own special attributes.

This year alone, I’ve travelled to Vietnam 4 times, Malaysia twice, Japan, Indonesia and Cambodia once. Each trip is worth its weight in gold. The backpacking trip with Wei Chao and Disong was the prelude to the blossoming of a very fulfilling friendship. The missionary trip to Ho Chi Minh City pushed the superficial relationship I had with Weiren to a new dimension as a accountability partner. The Phnom Penh and Siem Reap trip with the Angkor Wat gang, Zihao, Adrian and Elroy gave me so much pleasure while the three separate family trips to Indonesia, Japan and Vietnam helped to strengthen family bonds, develop patience and more honestly with other.

The trips itself taught me a lot about humility as much as the appreciation of creation. The intertwining of cultures, the limitless possibilities arising from geography and its beautiful ability to evolve and accommodate the changes around us.

This is also the year where I turned 21. There are many things to be grateful for, not least my family and friends who spent it with me, and surprised me all the way, to make me feel that I have not done such a bad job as a son, brother and friend. Indeed all of you have been an indispensable part of my tapestry. : )

Being in campus ministry, VCF (Varsity Christian Fellowship) helped me settle down quickly and comfortably in my NUS life. And there are many friends that I’ve made like Flo, GK, Phoebe, Dean and even Gary who have helped me in more ways than one, and I’m grateful to God for them. Not to mention the friends that I’ve met in AnnTic, especially Zhixuan, Zhiwei, Wei Shieng, and Lai Peng who have greatly comfort and challenged me in my personal life with their sharings.

My first academic year has indeed been a blessing. I love the modules that I have taken irrespective of the results, and the results has been a blessing itself. The one thing about university life is that you look forward to the modules that you have chosen because they interest you. On the other side, I was never lonely in school. There are always friends to be with, in and outside of VCF. Even in PGP, a supposedly loner student resident, I forged good friendships with Thang, Kevin and Trung. All these things are worth thanksgiving to God.

Di Song is back for a short two weeks. I was in Vietnam for his first week. I pray next semester would be a good one for him. In what has been a year of adventures, friendships, joy, happiness, courage, love, healing and redemption; there are lots to expect for in 2008.

The world needs healing, and are you listening to your own heartbeat my friend, to climb the mountains and cross the seas in order to fulfil your calling.

Satisfied.

I’m satisfied with two very fulfilling but tiring days; one helping out at a PRC camp, another catching up with old friends.

AnnTic 07

This took some time to come but I finally have the time to do my reflections on the happenings of AnnTic 07. It was a privileged moment of 6 days where a bunch of VCFers and get together to examine the Word, do their sharings, and build up new friendships across faculties.

Although I hate camps, and the study of the scripture intensively in the past, I was compelled to attend AnnTic in part because of superb advertising by Adeline, Phoebe and Weiying, especially on the part about Gideon from IFES anchoring the theme talk (Woe to the Complacent!), but mostly because of an unquenchable thirst for the knowledge of the Word that the church cannot provide, just so that I may bring it back to the youths in my church.

The book of Amos has been quite a hard book to tackle. Last time, I would read the book of the minor prophets without being able to give a coherent understanding to it. The ideas of social action coupled with our tendency to be complacent threw up many ideas in me while reaffirming some old ones. For me, I think it is good for me to still think about such time and how it can be relevant to the things that I’ve starting while I’m still into my first year so I’ll be able to see His guidance along the way, and make every step of my academic life count towards His pleasing will.

I approached this camp with lots of faith. In that sense, I tried to put aside my ego and really express what I feel so that if my views are fundamentally wrong, I cannot have a better bunch of people to give me the Christian perspective. And that includes being a witness as the Court Case in Exco Time 2. I got quite nervous nearing the mock hearing, in part because I’m not sure whether I’ll be affected by the questions, but the fact that for the second time, my beliefs are shared to the majority of the youths who may be more spiritually mature that makes it daunting.

That said, I was inspired by Dr Vinoth words at one of his lectures in TTC. Besides, Evangelism has been the time that I’ve been focusing on ever since I’ve came back from the missionary trip in Vietnam, and I want to put my faith under scrutiny, to put my beliefs under the sword, in part to see how deep are those convictions in my heart, secondly to see whether they are still relevant by putting myself in moments of tension, so as to learn more.

I remembered one of the pastors said during the past week in Abundant Grace Presby that faith grows only when it is tested. : )

My group, “the cookie prophet’ bonded very fast (I never had such ‘in-depth’ intros like my group before…*grin), and perhaps that led to a more comfortable sharing that I felt went slightly beyond the intellectual stuff to the reality. The honest sharings by Zhiwei and Lai Peng especially perhaps encouraged the rest to go slightly beyond their comfort zone. Like ZW, I too feel inadequate occasionally about my biblical knowledge since I’m still a fairly new Christian and I didn’t have the privilege to grow up in church. Like LP, I harboured past hurts due to silly mistakes I’ve made which is still awaiting emancipation. I think everybody in this world is in a way or another.

Rachel, despite her youthful look inspired me with her passion to want to exert change in the workings of the CG. Zhixuan, in our before bedtime discussions, helped me to learn more about other faith, not be complacent in the way we interpret the Word, while making me really think rigourously for the first time, why I put so much faith in the bible. Marn Chi, although always on autopilot, has the heart to join in our nightly conversations and challenge our perceptions with the Word.

Ryan and Phoebe helped out a lot with the planning of the camp and the sharings, while Sarah provided an injection of enthusiasm and ‘glamness’ and ‘unglamness’ (at all the right moments) when we need it. Wei Shieng, the long time graduate helped to pour a real life perspective into what we are learning with her working life experiences as a ‘professional bearer of bad news.’ Haha…

There are many other people in the camp who has been inspiring in their own right. As for me, I had plenty of time to reflect on what I need, though I remain afraid that I’ve lost some of the essence through the immediate passing of time. The new school semester is starting soon, and I’m still wondering what are the things that are important but not urgent or both important and urgent. I’m not sure I can separate the things that I love to do and the things that I need to do yet, for my heart and mind and will frequently comes into conflict with each other. My mom just offered me right after AnnTic the chance to teach English to the Indian workers in Singapore. I probably take it up, and I hope more people, if interested, can come and help out too!

I continue to pray for a clarity of mind and a heart that continues to hear and feel God’s will. that I can safely say I did it Jesus name. : )

细水长流

歌词：梁文福 作曲：梁文福

年少时候 谁没有梦 无意之中 你将心愿透露
就在你的生日的时候 我将小小口琴送 最难忘记 你的笑容
友情的细水慢慢流 流到了你我的心中
曾在球场边为你欢呼 你跌伤我背伏
夜里流星飞渡 想像着他日的路途 晚风听着我们壮志无数
年少时候 谁没有愁 满腔愤慨 唯有你能听得懂
就在你失意的时候 我将那首歌吹奏 琴声悠悠 解我轻忧
岁月的细水慢慢流 流到了别离的时候
轻拍你的肩 听我说朋友不要太惆怅
霓陉纵然再嚣张 我你的步履有方向 成败不论去莫将昔日遗忘
多年以后 又再重逢 我们都有了疲倦的笑容
问一声我的朋友 何时再为我吹奏 是否依旧 是否依旧
人生的际遇千百种 但有知心长相重
人愿长久 水愿长流 年少时候

Sing your blues away.

最近比較煩 by 周華健、品冠、李宗盛

The last time I heard this song must be like at least 10 years ago. But I love it even now. I love the way they sing and they interact, telling you to work hard but yet take it easy. Sing your blues away!