Blog, come forth!

the title is to be read in the same imposing tones as we may assume Jesus used when he summoned Lazarus back from the grave.

yes, with this post i do resurrect my blog. i did try to save it from the cold, cruel fate of being abandoned by asking The Wife to guest blog, but alas, she did not do so.

high school reunion was good. the joker of our bunch was late, and his first words upon entering the venue were, "wah, all so fat already!" heheheh. it was good seeing old friends again, exchanging histories, marvelling at how we've all grown up. why, can you believe it, some of us are even married! it's incredible.

at the same time there's a slight undercurrent of tension and awkwardness. i may be a natural extrovert, but still there is something unnerving about meeting people that one has not met in years. that feeling of not really knowing what to say, once the superficial catching-up is done. and, i couldn't remember some of their names. =P

i was very encouraged though, by one of my old friends. in ancient days i had shared the gospel with him and done abit of bible study with him, trying my best to pass on the basics of our faith as i understood it. i am thankful to God that he is still a christian and attending church to this day. =)

the Mizuno Wave Run was 10km of torture. not surprising, considering how lousy my so-called training regimen was. the surprising thing was that The Wife, who didn't train at all, beat me flat and won herself a medal. i guess life is just not fair. =P

Loading up on pre-run nutrition

Team Hasten, Mizuno Wave 10k, 19th October 2008. Left to right: Shelby, Joshua Hooi, The Wife and i.

(Photos courtesy of Joshua "Hasten" Hooi.)

Staff consultation was good, although there were some tensions and conflicts here and there. what's life without abit of fireworks to brighten it up? anyway, we've planned for the coming year, and it's going to be an exciting one... which means i'm going to be just about as busy as i've been this year, haha...

one thing arose is that Alice, our sole remaining children ministry staff, is planning to leave next year. this will leave our children ministry department staff-less, unless someone comes in... so dear reader, if you have a call to full-time ministry and an inclination towards children ministry, please come and join Scripture Union. or if you know anyone who fits that description, tell them about this wonderful opportunity to serve God and His people. =)

alright, looking forward, here's what's coming up for me over the next two months [my responsibilities in brackets]:
- 17-22 Nov, National SCF Leaders' Camp [Games, Logistics, 2 workshop teaching sessions]
- 29 Nov-2 Dec, Young Writers' Camp [Logistics, various duties shared with volunteers]
- 5 Dec-14 Dec, d'Nous Academy [Community Work, Visit to Hindu Temple, Worship]
- 6 Dec, Vincent and Maureen's wedding! [i'll ponteng 1 1/2 days of dNa and rush back to sitiawan for this... wouldn't miss it for the world!]

do pray for all the camp preparations that are underway even now... for those who will be speaking, facilitating small groups, running workshops... for safety in travelling and games... most of all, for the hand of God and the power of the Holy Spirit to do the work of transformation in the hearts of the campers. for it is a work that only He can do... Amen. =)

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