or NSCFL Camp for short. it was great! =)
basically there were three tracks going on at this camp: theme talks at night, to feed the campers' spiritually; plenary sessions, aiming to help them develop practical skills like program planning and problem-solving; and workshops which focussed on relational issues like 'who am i?', 'BGR', and 'my parents and i'.
some short highlights:
monday, 19 Nov
this was the first day of camp. 98 young people from all over peninsular malaysia converged at Seminari Teoloji Malaysia, Seremban. there was even a bunch of campers from Tawau, Sabah! =)
one of the things i really appreciated and enjoyed at this camp was my small group. small groups were named after old testament prophets, and my group was named Hosea. the group bonded quite well really fast, and we had great times together at the end of each day reflecting and laughing over things we had experienced and learnt.
on this first day, however, i was abit worried about one group member who did not have a good command of english. it was obvious that he was bored and detatched as he couldn't understand half of what was going on around him. i made special effort to help the group converse in BM as often as possible for his benefit.
tuesday, 20 Nov
the second day of camp. i did my plenary session, "Why The SCF?!?" in the morning. it's basically about why there should be an SCF in their schools, and why Christian students should be involved in their SCFs. i challenged the campers to see it's importance and hear the call to be salt and light in their schools, especially thru the SCF. though in some ways i could have been better prepared, overall the session went well and several campers gave their camp officers encouraging feedback. i'm thankful to God for using me as His mouthpiece in spite of my faults and weaknesses. =)
wednesday, 21 Nov
The highlight of this day has to be the garden lunch. it was a team-building project for the whole camp, in which they had about 2 hours to plan, organise, and put together a lunch in which we camp officers were the VIPs. this included choosing an appropriate venue [they chose the basketball court. it was rather hot with the noon sun beating on our heads!], arranging the tables and chairs, finding and inviting us VIPs [i wanted them to carry me to the lunch venue. should have insisted, but in the end i gave in and walked there myself.] serving the food, and providing entertainment [some pretty good hip-hop dancing, excellent musical performances, one guy sang and original worship composition which had me singing along at the chorus, and a hilarious piece impromptu acting.]
thursday, 22 Nov
in the late morning, a team from TCF (Teachers' Christian Fellowship) came to challenge the campers to consider teaching as a vocation. Dih Ting, a fellow sitiawanite who was my senior back in ACS, shared about her experiences being posted to Spaoh, Sarawak. she did a pretty good job of depicting the challenges and hardships of being sent into a very rural area, as well as the joy and fulfilment of making a difference in students' lives. close to half the campers wrote on the response slips that they would consider teaching as a possible calling in the future.
the final theme talk was also on this night. based on Isaiah 6:1-8, the four theme talks were: "I saw the Lord!", as it's important for a christian leader to have a correct vision of who God is; "Holy is the Lord!", talking about holiness as a characteristic of God and His people; "Whom shall I send?", challenging the campers to see the white harvest fields all around them and to consider missions; and "Here i am! Send me!". this was the final challenge calling the campers to respond to all that God had been speaking to them. many campers came forward requesting prayer, and we camp officers ministered to them as led by the Holy Spirit.
Friday, 23 Nov
this was a foot-washing day. every day we'd have a Leader's Assembly to start off the day, where one of the camp officers would take 15 minutes to give a short sharing or object lesson about certain components or qualities of leadership. on this morning, the topic was Humility and the object lesson had the campers in pairs washing each others' feet.
this was also a day of fasting. we didn't have lunch. after breakfast, there was a plenary session on Spiritual Disciplines and the Leader. the campers then had 3 hours to be alone with God; to pray, worship, meditate on the Word, listen or His still, small voice... and for some of them, purposely or not, to take a short nap.=P
after that we came together for a time of corporate prayer, where we prayed for our schools, for our non-christian friends, and for our nation. the time ended with more foot-washing; first the officers could choose campers whose feet they wanted to wash, and then it was the campers' turn to wash the officers' feet. it was an emotional time, with many people crying as we served each other as Jesus served His disciples so long ago.
the day ended with a special dress dinner where everyone wore their formal wear, and a celebration which involved rather 'syiok-sendiri' presentations. after all that was over, we had about an hour of free time before lights out at 1.00 am.
and this brings us to what was, to me, the highlight of the whole camp. during that one hour of free time, i went to a camper's room to chat with him. it's the same camper i mentioned earlier, the one who speaks mainly BM. in the course of our conversation, the Holy Spirit helped him to understand the basic points of the gospel. and before i left, i led him in the sinners' prayer. this boy had been going to church with his parents for as long as he could remember, but no one had ever systematically explained the gospel to him. and i am deeply thankful to God that i had the privilege of being able to connect with him and help him take that step of faith.
Saturday, 24 Nov
the last day. goodbyes, farewells, and 'see-you-again's. all good things must come to an end. but hopefully the friendships that have begun at this camp will stand the test of time.
so, that rather long post sums up NSCFL Camp. now, i have to prepare for ZMax Camp. i'm going off again thursday-sunday (29 Nov-2 Dec). there will be a fair number of non-christian kids at this camp, so do pray that their hearts will be open to the gospel. and thank you so much for supporting me in prayer. =)
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Friday, November 16, 2007
Leaders' Camp
Just a short note to say that i'll be away the whole of next week for NSCF Leaders' Camp.
please pray:
- that i will be a sharp and effective tool in God's hands; in plenary sessions, small group discussions, and one-to-one encounters.
- that young people will meet with God and be transformed at this camp
- that hearts wil be set aflame to serve God and make a difference for Him as leaders of the SCFs in their schools.
and don't forget to log in again in two weeks' time to follow the exciting adventures of Superjin! (yeah, right).
please pray:
- that i will be a sharp and effective tool in God's hands; in plenary sessions, small group discussions, and one-to-one encounters.
- that young people will meet with God and be transformed at this camp
- that hearts wil be set aflame to serve God and make a difference for Him as leaders of the SCFs in their schools.
and don't forget to log in again in two weeks' time to follow the exciting adventures of Superjin! (yeah, right).
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Camerons
The Wife and i were in Cameron Highlands last weekend, together with The Parents-in-Law and The Uncles-in-Law and their Wives. (only one wife each, as far as i know...=P) the only young'un there was The Wife's 13-year-old cousin, because The Bro-in-Law had exams in NUS and another cousin is sitting for her STPM.
we had a pretty good time there, although the travelling was a little hectic. up on friday and down on sunday. we were actually supposed to go up on thursday, but we were held up by the YWC reunion, where we wrapped up all the group projects. (to summarize, most groups started off well but got stuck and lost momentum at some point or another. main reason was that some group members did not have an equal passion/commitment/vested interest in the issue that their group was handling. in the group process, decisions were made by one or two vocal people and the rest just rode along; those had a tendency to fall off, post-camp. Lesson: if you want a group project to succeed, it pays to spend time and effort to build a core group that really buys the vision. without this, the project is doomed to flop.)
one of the highlights of the trip was the teppanyaki/steamboat dinner that we had at the apartment. most of the marinated meat and the cooking stuff was brought up all the way from penang. it was delicious, and the shared laughter and fellowship was good. apart from that, we visited farms and bought all kinds of vegetables. we walked around town and looked at souvenir shops. and we ate lots of yummy, fresh strawberries.
one thing i appreciate from this trip, is the opportunity i had to take part in one of The Wife's family traditions before it ends. this trip to camerons is a yearly affair for her dad, his brothers, and their families. such an annual holiday is possible for the kiamsiap penangites because free stay in the apartment is provided by the bank her dad works for, as an employee privilege. as her dad retires next year, it remains to be seen whether this tradition will continue or not. i hope it does; but if it doesn't, i'm glad i got to enjoy the last one together with them.
we had a pretty good time there, although the travelling was a little hectic. up on friday and down on sunday. we were actually supposed to go up on thursday, but we were held up by the YWC reunion, where we wrapped up all the group projects. (to summarize, most groups started off well but got stuck and lost momentum at some point or another. main reason was that some group members did not have an equal passion/commitment/vested interest in the issue that their group was handling. in the group process, decisions were made by one or two vocal people and the rest just rode along; those had a tendency to fall off, post-camp. Lesson: if you want a group project to succeed, it pays to spend time and effort to build a core group that really buys the vision. without this, the project is doomed to flop.)
one of the highlights of the trip was the teppanyaki/steamboat dinner that we had at the apartment. most of the marinated meat and the cooking stuff was brought up all the way from penang. it was delicious, and the shared laughter and fellowship was good. apart from that, we visited farms and bought all kinds of vegetables. we walked around town and looked at souvenir shops. and we ate lots of yummy, fresh strawberries.
one thing i appreciate from this trip, is the opportunity i had to take part in one of The Wife's family traditions before it ends. this trip to camerons is a yearly affair for her dad, his brothers, and their families. such an annual holiday is possible for the kiamsiap penangites because free stay in the apartment is provided by the bank her dad works for, as an employee privilege. as her dad retires next year, it remains to be seen whether this tradition will continue or not. i hope it does; but if it doesn't, i'm glad i got to enjoy the last one together with them.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
My First Saman
Last last night, the 5-tonne lorry, that contained various beloved pieces of furniture from sitiawan to be deposited in my house in seremban, got lost. it couldn't find my house, possibly partly because the area is so new that the road signs aren't up yet.
so, i took our newly-bought, 3rd-or-4th-hand nissan sunny out to lead the lorry to our house from the nearby petronas station.
on the way back, i was happily leading the lorry along when to my mild surprise, i was pulled over by a police car. banishing thoughts of an exciting car chase (too many movies...) i stopped by the curb like the good, law-abiding citizen that i usually am.
my tail lights weren't working.
i tried turning the lights off and on again. the front lights worked fine, but the back lights were as dark as night. so the police wrote me a summons, i signed it, they left me holding the paper in disbelief, they left, and i continued leading the lorry to my house. slightly less happily, compared to before. and when i reached home and got off the car, guess what?
my tail lights were working.
the mysteries of the universe continue to baffle me.
since The Wife is currently having semester break while i have to work, it unfortunately falls to her to deal with the police, get the surat rayuan (letter of appeal) done, and etc. She has regaled me with countless energetic complaints about the police, how they make her wait, refuse to layan (serve) her, and generally act like jerks and arses. this was also a mystery to me, until a colleague gave me a possible hypothesis to explain their singular uncooperativeness:
"they want duit kopi laaaa!"
(duit kopi = cofee money, an idiom meaning a bribe)
hmmm. oh well. that's life, i guess. God is still good. =)
so, i took our newly-bought, 3rd-or-4th-hand nissan sunny out to lead the lorry to our house from the nearby petronas station.
on the way back, i was happily leading the lorry along when to my mild surprise, i was pulled over by a police car. banishing thoughts of an exciting car chase (too many movies...) i stopped by the curb like the good, law-abiding citizen that i usually am.
my tail lights weren't working.
i tried turning the lights off and on again. the front lights worked fine, but the back lights were as dark as night. so the police wrote me a summons, i signed it, they left me holding the paper in disbelief, they left, and i continued leading the lorry to my house. slightly less happily, compared to before. and when i reached home and got off the car, guess what?
my tail lights were working.
the mysteries of the universe continue to baffle me.
since The Wife is currently having semester break while i have to work, it unfortunately falls to her to deal with the police, get the surat rayuan (letter of appeal) done, and etc. She has regaled me with countless energetic complaints about the police, how they make her wait, refuse to layan (serve) her, and generally act like jerks and arses. this was also a mystery to me, until a colleague gave me a possible hypothesis to explain their singular uncooperativeness:
"they want duit kopi laaaa!"
(duit kopi = cofee money, an idiom meaning a bribe)
hmmm. oh well. that's life, i guess. God is still good. =)
Tuesday, November 6, 2007
War Zone! =)
now that we've moved a lot of stuff up from sitiawan to our new house in seremban, our house is full of stuff. the chaos reminds me of when our house was like a refugee camp.
however, now there is too much furniture for it to be like a refugee camp (i'm assuming that refugees don't usually have much furniture). so, i think it looks more like a War Zone! (in a war, there has to be lots of enemy furniture for our soldiers to blow up, and lots of our furniture for enemy soldiers to blow up. thus, a War Zone should have lots of furniture in it... heheh)
it's nice to have familiar things around though. these are the things that i grew up with in sitiawan, through the years of my late childhood and adolescence. i'm glad that they now help to make our new house into a home. =)
there is a danger in all of this though. check out this paragraph from Jim Elliot's diary, dated 4 Jan 1951 (from Shadow of the Almighty by Elisabeth Elliot):
"i have been musing lately on the extremely dangerous cumulative effects of earthly things. one may have good reason, for example, to want a wife, and he may have one legitimately. but with a wife comes Peter the Pumpkin Eater's proverbial dilemma - he must find a place to keep her. and most wives will not stay on such terms as Peter proposed. so a wife demands a house; a house in turn requires curtains, rugs, washing machines, etc. A house with these things must soon become a home, and children are the intended outcome. the needs multiply as they are met - a car demands a garage; a garage, land; land, a garden; a garden, tools; and tools need sharpening. woe, woe, woe to the man who would live a disentangled life in my century. 2 Timothy 2:4 is impossible in the US, if one insists on a wife. i learn from this that the wisest life is the simplest one, lived in the fulfilment of only the basic requirements of life - shelter, food, covering, and a bed. and even these can become productive of other needs if one does not heed. be on guard, my soul, of complicating your environment so that you have neither time nor room for growth!"
now, i love The Wife very much, and i am privileged to be able to set up a home and a family with her. but there is wisdom in the words of this martyr, that resonates with my soul. i must be careful about this danger of material acquisition. as the hymn says, this earth is not my home; i'm just a-passing thru.
however, now there is too much furniture for it to be like a refugee camp (i'm assuming that refugees don't usually have much furniture). so, i think it looks more like a War Zone! (in a war, there has to be lots of enemy furniture for our soldiers to blow up, and lots of our furniture for enemy soldiers to blow up. thus, a War Zone should have lots of furniture in it... heheh)
it's nice to have familiar things around though. these are the things that i grew up with in sitiawan, through the years of my late childhood and adolescence. i'm glad that they now help to make our new house into a home. =)
there is a danger in all of this though. check out this paragraph from Jim Elliot's diary, dated 4 Jan 1951 (from Shadow of the Almighty by Elisabeth Elliot):
"i have been musing lately on the extremely dangerous cumulative effects of earthly things. one may have good reason, for example, to want a wife, and he may have one legitimately. but with a wife comes Peter the Pumpkin Eater's proverbial dilemma - he must find a place to keep her. and most wives will not stay on such terms as Peter proposed. so a wife demands a house; a house in turn requires curtains, rugs, washing machines, etc. A house with these things must soon become a home, and children are the intended outcome. the needs multiply as they are met - a car demands a garage; a garage, land; land, a garden; a garden, tools; and tools need sharpening. woe, woe, woe to the man who would live a disentangled life in my century. 2 Timothy 2:4 is impossible in the US, if one insists on a wife. i learn from this that the wisest life is the simplest one, lived in the fulfilment of only the basic requirements of life - shelter, food, covering, and a bed. and even these can become productive of other needs if one does not heed. be on guard, my soul, of complicating your environment so that you have neither time nor room for growth!"
now, i love The Wife very much, and i am privileged to be able to set up a home and a family with her. but there is wisdom in the words of this martyr, that resonates with my soul. i must be careful about this danger of material acquisition. as the hymn says, this earth is not my home; i'm just a-passing thru.
Saturday, November 3, 2007
Today is Very Happening
do u know why today is very happening? it is so because there are SO MANY THINGS happening today:
1. Emmy and Sherman's Wedding @ STM
2. The Wife's MUET Invigilation
3. PPBC Youth's Orphanage Visit
4. iBridge Camp Reunion @ IKEA
5. dNA planning meeting
6. Trip back to sitiawan
woo hoo! isn't my life exciting? i get to miss so much stuff! =)
of this list, the highest in priority are the last two. i was supposed to go back to sitiawan yesterday to help my mum pack. cos we're carting lotsa stuff from there to our new place in seremban - stuff like washing machine, fridge, dining table, and much much more. my mum is there alone, and i feel bad because i can't be there to help her. my dad isn't happy about it either. he's worried cos he knows that it can be a very emotionally charged and draining process.
the problem is, i have a dNa planning meeting today. at 10.30 am. and i can't get out of it because this date was set long long ago. to further complicate matters, the camp is a cooperative joint effort between SU and FES. so if i were irresponsible enough to skip the meeting, it would affect inter-organisational relationships negatively.
i feel pulled in two directions. but i've tried my best to solve it by negotiating to leave early from the meeting so that i can scoot off to sitiawan. it may not please everyone, but it's the best i can do.
as i thought about this conundrum last night, i realised that i tend to crave approval and recognition from my parents, The Wife, my colleagues, and most of all from God. and if the last is not the greatest by far, this may be dangerous. i do not want to be a mere people-pleaser. this is something i have to watch out for in future.
this sounds rather strange coming from me. i'm supposed to be (or used to be) the devil-may-care guy, who does whatever he thinks is right and lets whoever disagrees go hang. i guess my prayers for greater sensitivity and consideration towards others have had their effect after all. now i just have to make sure a happy balance is struck. =)
1. Emmy and Sherman's Wedding @ STM
2. The Wife's MUET Invigilation
3. PPBC Youth's Orphanage Visit
4. iBridge Camp Reunion @ IKEA
5. dNA planning meeting
6. Trip back to sitiawan
woo hoo! isn't my life exciting? i get to miss so much stuff! =)
of this list, the highest in priority are the last two. i was supposed to go back to sitiawan yesterday to help my mum pack. cos we're carting lotsa stuff from there to our new place in seremban - stuff like washing machine, fridge, dining table, and much much more. my mum is there alone, and i feel bad because i can't be there to help her. my dad isn't happy about it either. he's worried cos he knows that it can be a very emotionally charged and draining process.
the problem is, i have a dNa planning meeting today. at 10.30 am. and i can't get out of it because this date was set long long ago. to further complicate matters, the camp is a cooperative joint effort between SU and FES. so if i were irresponsible enough to skip the meeting, it would affect inter-organisational relationships negatively.
i feel pulled in two directions. but i've tried my best to solve it by negotiating to leave early from the meeting so that i can scoot off to sitiawan. it may not please everyone, but it's the best i can do.
as i thought about this conundrum last night, i realised that i tend to crave approval and recognition from my parents, The Wife, my colleagues, and most of all from God. and if the last is not the greatest by far, this may be dangerous. i do not want to be a mere people-pleaser. this is something i have to watch out for in future.
this sounds rather strange coming from me. i'm supposed to be (or used to be) the devil-may-care guy, who does whatever he thinks is right and lets whoever disagrees go hang. i guess my prayers for greater sensitivity and consideration towards others have had their effect after all. now i just have to make sure a happy balance is struck. =)
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Calling
I am not in full-time Christian ministry by accident.
I am not in full-time Christian ministry solely by my own choice.
I am not in full-time Christian ministry because i was incapable of working effectively in other fields.
rather, I am in full-time Christian ministry primarily because i believe that God has called me to it.
these were my thoughts this morning, as i read thru some lecture notes from last june's Pastoral Leadership and Ministry. i'm preparing to write my assignment, due in december; and one of the questions is, "what is the significance of Divine Call in Christian Leadership?"
yes, by God's grace, i managed to finish my assignments for Biblical Interpretation and pass them up on time last month. phew! but now there's another assignment to wrestle with... i don't think the questions are as tough as the Biblical Interpretation ones were, but i'm having to deal with them at a high-stress time. 4 camps coming up at the end-year that i have to prepare for, and next year's camps to prepare for too (some camps are in the march hols and in the mid-year, so have to start preparing now) plus the SCF Database Update Exercise to worry about... i feel a little bit overwhelmed.
nevertheless, in the midst of all the busyness, it was good to be reminded again of Why i am doing what i am doing. may i not lose focus on the One i am called to love and serve. i continue to covet your prayers as the pressure rises. 'til the next post, God bless! =)
I am not in full-time Christian ministry solely by my own choice.
I am not in full-time Christian ministry because i was incapable of working effectively in other fields.
rather, I am in full-time Christian ministry primarily because i believe that God has called me to it.
these were my thoughts this morning, as i read thru some lecture notes from last june's Pastoral Leadership and Ministry. i'm preparing to write my assignment, due in december; and one of the questions is, "what is the significance of Divine Call in Christian Leadership?"
yes, by God's grace, i managed to finish my assignments for Biblical Interpretation and pass them up on time last month. phew! but now there's another assignment to wrestle with... i don't think the questions are as tough as the Biblical Interpretation ones were, but i'm having to deal with them at a high-stress time. 4 camps coming up at the end-year that i have to prepare for, and next year's camps to prepare for too (some camps are in the march hols and in the mid-year, so have to start preparing now) plus the SCF Database Update Exercise to worry about... i feel a little bit overwhelmed.
nevertheless, in the midst of all the busyness, it was good to be reminded again of Why i am doing what i am doing. may i not lose focus on the One i am called to love and serve. i continue to covet your prayers as the pressure rises. 'til the next post, God bless! =)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
