play at freoooo

Labels: vacation

{.Your love is extravagant.}




went for church camp the past few days therfore the missing entries. the theme for this camp was encounter. call. impact. So encounter God, fulfill His calling, and impacting generations.

It was nonetheless an enriching time. For the start, i was quite reluctant to go for the camp, cuz everything was draining me out until i felt super sian about everything around. But anxiety about sch work completely wipe me off. It's quite a tough sem, having to do law, finance and management which is not my forte and is completely new. So alot of work to catch up each week, struggling with tutorial questions. There wasn't really anyone i could ask for help from, or like discuss answers with. Everyone seem to be as blur as me, but somehow smarter. So by the time for camp, i'm totally stretched.

The first two days at camp seem like a chore, i was tired. i needed times of refreshing, cuz i know that no matter how many hours i slept, i'll still be as tired so the only solution was obviously to be in His presence. In my mind, the lyrics of the song ' heart of worship' lingered.

i'm coming back to the heart of worship,
and it's all about You.
i'm sorry, Lord, for the things I made it
when it's all about You.
It's all about You, Jesus.

so yepps, first two days was to encounter God by letting go all that hinders - fears, failures, sins, hurts.. and all that by exposing all that sins to a trusted facilitator. It wasn't as hard as it seems to be to voice out everything hidden inside, even tho it may be like the darkest secrets and all. But the thought of being on the road to freedom defintely overrides all the fears.

being made the group leader. i was like lack the zest and hype and all that, and like you have to give give give, but i felt i couldn't, i needed to be encouraged. But my memebers were pretty much fun to be with, the way they sabo-ed each other all in the name of fun, how they were so young but yet when they worship, it's amazing. It's the little things that I see in their lives that perks me up each day.

The speaker brother Binh spoke for the next two days, was about fulling the call - the great commission which is the people around us. Wouldn't it be nice to love our friends and family with all we've got. Never finding fault, just encouraging, edifying and loving the person. just think of how wonderful it is to have everyone around you love you with all that they've got.. feel the loveeee, i bet the world will just keep going round. yea. so in order to do that, he pointed out three things we gotta have. 1) to have a heart for the spirit 2) to have a heart of compassion 3)to have a heart of servanthood.

yeppps, that was what strike me most. Also in every moment, thank God. in another words, count your blessings, it will make life so much easier to live. i figured like everyday, we grow. But in which direction, the good or the bad is the choice we make. I wanna be rooted more and more into His tenderness, His word of truth, growing in love, faith, joy, becoming a person who will perform a miracle in you people's life.

Our life is like a piece of toilet paper, not the whole roll. Just one piece, however it is used, it will be gone once used. So make good use of your life!

In times of affliction/trials/temptation, i will choose to abide in You. I must must must break all temptations that seize me, cause it has from this day to stop weighing me down. He will carry me through all trials/storms/tribulations.

Abide in Him
For there is comfort.
Abide in Him
For His unspeakable mercy.
Abide in Him
For the riches of His glory.
Abide in Him
For He wants to bless me richly.
Abide in Him
For He loves me.
Abide in Him
For i obviously am fighting a losing battle if I don't.
Abide in Him
For i can bear much fruit.
Abide in Him
For He will carry me through.
Abide in Him
For a deeper experience of His love and grace.
Abide in Him
For everything else will fade away.
Abide in Him
For with Him, everything is possible.
Abide in Him
For with Him, we are the majority!

So will you abide in ME? He asked.
Yes, I will. please help me to abide in You, i pray.

Take me deeper, nearer
In You i will abide
Make me Jesus, more in love
Till i love You as your bride
Jesus, Jesus, You are my first love.
-my first love

Labels: vacation

{.Your love is extravagant.}




splityyy plays golf!

first up, i woke up late and end up running down the slope to school. for the one time i really hate the bus for coming once every hour, and that there is no cheap cab to take!!!

p.s. imagine from blk 115 to market at blk 600ish at bedok res cost $7. chor right?

anyway, my friends & i headed to margaret river chocolate factory at swan valley for a swarmful of yummy mouth-watering chocolates.


my chocolate fanfare.

re-laxing under the scorching hot sun, with my sunnies, that's fine! =)


soaking up the sun

Then, we headed to play a game of golf, as time was a constrain, we played 9holes. it was quite enjoyable as there were 5 of us in a team, and like not many of us knew how to play. anyway, big boy which is the wood is bad. bad big boy, it made my ball fly into the midst of trees & into the duck pond. But anyhows, i had alot of fun! =)


professional golfers in the making..

oh ya, jon wacked the ball really hard, it flew, hit a tree & came right back again. that was totally hilarious. then miss long kept missing the ball, like the golf stick is wacking the air. supa golf is really enjoyable.

After which, we headed to whiteman park to sit a 4km tram ride where all we saw were dried vegetation and forest fires. haha.


i'm on the trammm at whiteman park

the more interesting part was the shops that we visited after that.. the lolly shop, the pottery shop and the print shop.

at the lolly shop, various kinds of lollies & easter eggs & decor tins, duh! at the pottery shop, there were handmade glasswares and pottery. Print shop had those retro print posters which had like milkshakes at 10cents and stuff, like those u saw on my birthday party. yeah. so cooool.

alright, pictures up later. i'm tired. going to bed! goodnight world.

Labels: vacation

{.Your love is extravagant.}




alright alright. i shall start blogging about my trip. for the sake of those who never knew, i'm back from my first mission trip to timor leste.

in this place where people transport food and stuff on their heads;
where they build their own houses, some with bricks, some with bamboo sticks and some with straws;
where very often there were power cuts, paper fans and candles became very useful;
where rain water was used to bathe, drink, wash clothes and cutlery;
where goats, cows, pigs, boars, dogs and chicken were pets;
where pineapples, bananas, custard apples, pormegrantes were from;
where gravels grounds form soccer fields;
where flies and mozzies keep attacking;
where houses were destroyed;
where refugee camps exists;
where everyday a single death is caused by a gun shot;
where a pregnant lady who has given birth has to be discharge immediately and walk 45mins back to home;
where people wear the same clothes day after day.

and i thought to myself, what's the point of washing clothes with dirty water? dirty clothes + dirty water = a little less dirty clothes? and yes, it taught me something, defintely not to take things for granted and be contented with what lies before you. And seriously, i would think it is easier to be contented with little then with much.



click twice for photo to enlarge. enjoy =)

the usual routine of the week.
unzip sleeping bag - bathe in the cold rain water using scoops - squat by the drain to brush teeth - prepare brekky - devotion - drive to chief's house - visit the villagers part I- lunch at moodhitara - rest - visit the villagers part II (walk on landmines, gravels, up and down mountains) - home - form human chain to fill up tub in bathroom with water - drive to collect dinner - bathe in cold rain water (sometimes with candle) - prepare for next day - squat by drain to brush teeth - lay sleeping bag - sleep.

day two to day four: the visitation home by home taught me many. firstly, it demostrated a simple life. It's amazing how hospitable they are, i mean we are foreigners, and they have just gone through civil war, indo destroying their houses, other people trying to convert them. shouldn't they be afraid of us instead? But they welcome us with open arms, they scurry to get chairs for us to sit, they were so happy to see us. It is so comforting.

They had also demostrated the love they had for their neighbours, fellow villagers of kamalelara. while visiting, i came across this house, but there was noone in, and the neighbour came to tell us that they were out at the farm. i mean, look at the trust. maybe diversity helps to bond people together. But it's more than just that, i feel the love that they have for each other.

day five: community day where we organised games for the kids, performed 'my heart, your home' mime, story telling of the right vs wrong way, and prepared refreshments.
The smiles on the villagers' faces (kids, teens, adults) after community day was awesome. it was a sight that i have never seen before, something wonderful had happen that day. Maromak diak!

while giving out the cordial and biscuits and sweets - the kids just swarm to me. like literally how bees swarm. even if there were only crumbs left in the biscuit tins, they still yearn for it.

where i stayed, i had a favourite spot which was to sit by the latch and face the wonderous sky of ever blue, with clouds floating by. this is the view. and yes, i saw 2 rainbows during my stay. fantastic, isn't it. wheeeeeeee! alright. blog more later.

adding on. the rainbows reminded me of the Hope of Israel, its manifested presence is here in the land of timor. there was not a single whole night with power cuts, and everyone in the team knew their roles and the team was so cooperative and considerate and caring and sharing like charity elephant for each other. It's so amazing la, like everything was perfect, and that includes the power cuts. there weren't power cuts when the soccer games were on. =) except when nato was in the shower, twice, power cuts happened. somehow i find it quite a blessing, if it were to be one of us, we probably get traumatised by the darkness. but since nato was kinda used to it, having lived there all his life. but still quite sway la. haha.

on the first night arriving at timor land, everyone was abit apprehensive, (anxious heart, fearful spirit) but like after the night of devotion and prayer. His Peace, the peace that transcends all understanding, that peace just fall upon each of us and filled our hearts. I can say indeed, it's such a joy to be in timor land. i wished it was a much longer stay.

During the trip, i experience the realness of God. i wanna be the arm of His love to encourage and edify the people around me. It's not as easy as just saying it. But i am determined to strive for this however unreachable goal it may seem, but i believe in the revelation of love, just because He is real.

And you know, timor land is so beautiful. somehow, less human-made things around gives me pleasure, i dunno why but it's just such a nice feeling, it's like being brought closer to the creator of all things.

funny how people with less material things are more real and pleasant.. if only things were like that all over the world. love is all around, right?

well, i can expect Him to do great and wonderful things!

Labels: vacation

{.Your love is extravagant.}




i'm back!

made a short trip to macau and china with my family. For the first time ever, i took tiger airways.


Upon reaching chilly macau, the cold winds blew and it felt really good to be away from humid singapore and summer in perth.

lemme try recalling from day 1. from macau, we took a cab to china and had a rather cheap seafood dinner. We had the renowned scallop dish called 'ching yong teng' in canto and it was uber yummy. Then we did some shopping till midnight.


Day 2, we had dimsum for lunch at the dragon king resturant and did some shopping at 'nu ren jie'. Then, we had seafood dinner again. And this time, i felt kinda grossed out. there was oysters, scallops, clams, muscles and fish. i have this thing for seafood - i can't sit beside a fish tank while eating and i can't have oysters and muscles and clams all together. they kinda look funny served together.
after that, we proceeded back to the hotel for foot reflexology. shioks.



Day 3, we walked to 'lian hua lu' to buy scallops. interesting how such expensive such stuff is in singapore but so cheap there. I love how the food stalls are along the roadside, and the marketplace and the aunties all talking so loudly. It's amusing how they are able to hear each other when everyone else is screaming. As much as i wanna try the food just for the fun of it, i have such a weak stomach. They sold tepanyaki, kebab, cherry fruit coated in honey (san char), noodles, takopachi and stuff all for like a mere S$1. it really brings me back to old singapore written in those history textbooks in sec 2.

Besides that, i bought a pair of retro heels for S$4, without bargaining. power right. haha. there wasn't much shopping to do, more or a 'look see look see' since it was winter fashion. it's a wonder how the cost of goods sold is so low. i did my full manicure for only S$4. since it was that cheap, my whole family did it too and that includes daddy and bro. haha.




In the evening, we headed to the seafood village for dinner. There was a whole street of seafood sellers selling all kinds of sea animals. from shark's fins to some quirting wormy looking thingy. mummy bought abalone, scallops, crabs, prawns anf brought it to a restaurant for them to cook for us to eat. interesting ain't it? i heard that hong kong also has this style of food enjoyment.




i'm tad under the weather, besides the current food poisoning from the china claypot chicken and stomach flu, the flu bug just attacked me a few minutes ago.
alright, it's up to here for tonight, will upload more tmr.

Labels: vacation

{.Your love is extravagant.}