Pumped

In less than 48 hrs, the females from the Wong clan will be arriving and 24 hours later the Big Boss will be arriving..

am excited indeed. our place has never been cleaner :P

Graduation ceremony on the 5th of Aug.

.... finally.

Thank You

Operation Encounter 2009

Over the past few months, i had the privillege of working alongside some tremendously gifted people planning for a seminar by Wycliffe Australia. It's called Operation Encounter, OE for short and its basically a seminar that teaches a lil bit on the 'how to' of cross-culture. It was from the 10-12 of July 2009 and I was looking after the logistic side of things and admin too. It wasn't something that i like fully enjoyed and had some difficulties at different point in time but i learnt to take each one of them as a challenge to overcome.

That gave me a change of perspective, from whining..to having fun. :) The experience was definitely something that i won't forget and the lessons learnt too was refreshing.

Just thought i leave some pictures here for your viewing pleasure.

Aileen Morrow shared about a mission trip to Phillipines next year and was giving out flyers and when I took one, I was...surprised. Guess who's on the front cover of the flyer?

Ms Lee Ee May.

And when i opened it, guess who i saw inside?

Me!!! haha.

Fyi, the picture was taken in OCF SA Ecamp 2007

I wonder whether i can ask for commission if ppl sign up for this mission trip. haha

So klg folks, if you are seeing this, hope you guys are proud..haha, we klg reps are accidental models on flyers being distributed around the Australian churches.

With Aileen and the OE 09 planning team

And i just had to put this, a pic of my latest investment. tight leggings to go jogging during winter..how sexy..haha

Mum, this is for you.

Haha. yes, i know we owe you a picture of us wearing the same tee that u got us..but this will hv to do for now.. :)

taken after church at home.

and i just met another Wong Wei Jin, he has an english name, Nick, small little fella that runs around in church, ha..

Of attempts at emo pics and good food :)

My attempt to put a lil bit more effort in decorating dinner.haha


Pictures are not in order. They are for the viewing pleasure of those back home. *hint* mum..thats u...haha..and credits to sherny for the solid reflection like photo..and to all of us in it who made a fool of ourselves posing..hehe..pure bliss :) i certainly had fun

Just had a good time with some students from the Bible College of South Australia. Some of them who were preparing for ministry wanted the opportunity to just speak to international students here in Adelaide, to cross culture and they got a few of us from OCF to meet up with them. They wanted to hear a little bit about our experiences specifically those of us who were also actively serving in leadership....and it was an interesting experience. I had a lightbulb moment.

I realised what a privillege position the Australian Church is in with the immense number of international student at their doorstep. It's global missions at their doorstep. By reaching out to just one person from a different country and investing him him/her, they can potentially change a country. This person would in time bring the gospel back to his/her own people. Imagine, the opportunity to change a nation at your doorstep. When you see it from that perspective, you can't help but just marvel at the opportunity at hand.

And that was how OCF was started. An Australian man used by God took in an international student to share a meal with. It went on to sharing the gospel with him, starting Bible studies, discipleship, biblical Christian fellowship and the student went on to bring his friends and voila, OCF was born and one can only imagine how many have been touched by God through OCF.

And this was just through one Australian man. Imagine what would happen if the Australian church as a whole adopted this as a pattern/strategy for global missions. For one, it would definitely save costs (hehe..yes, the cheapo in me thinking..as it won't require sending ppl out to nations). fuhh..this is just too overwhelming..i am excited.

But of course, it would really be a selfless sacrifice as they would be investing in things that they cannot 'see' and 'imagine'. But isn't that what God has called us to? to have faith and to invest in the unseen. And I believe that only God can cause a drastic impact of this magnitude.

Check out the lyrics of this song, God of Justice by Tim Hughes

God of Justice, Saviour to all
Came to rescue the weak and the poor
Chose to serve and not be served

Jesus, You have called us
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give

We must go live to feed the hungry
Stand beside the broken
We must go
Stepping forward keep us from just singing
Move us into action
We must go

To act justly everyday
Loving mercy in everyway
Walking humbly before You God

You have shown us, what You require
Freely we've received
Now freely we will give


Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out
Fill us up and send us out Lord

Maternal/Paternal instincts?

It's been sunny the past few days. Thank God :)

Decided to take the free bus down to central market today, haven't done it in awhile already. And also, needed to buy stuffs to cook for bro whos got papers starting this monday. I always find it refreshing to walk through the markets here, especially during off peak hours when there are not so many people. It can get pretty interesting as you can imagine, pushing and shoving and fighting with fellow international students for cheap bargains and old aunties too..hehe.

And so yea, enjoyed the whole walking and thinking of what to cook and getting the necesary ingredients. And i want to say this, for all those who are in Adelaide and like me, adores the A1 curry paste, it's cheaper in Thuan Phat. I usually buy mine from Kim Wang for Aud 2.25 and i bought 2 packets there today. All this while, i was under the assumption that you can only get it from there.

I headed to Thuan Phat to look for other stuffs and lo and behold, i found the A1 curry paste there too...... for Aud 2.15!!!!! A whole 10 cents cheapers. I felt so conned..haha. Some may say, it's only 10 cents but if you like us buy it quite often just bcoz its da bomb!!!and we miss our curries back home..you can actually save a bit..

on the way back on the bus, i saw this family got on the bus. the small lil boy just walked up straight to the driver and gave him a big hug to wish him good morning..and i couldnt help but smilleeeee and went all warm and fuzzy inside..haha..i feel so gay now..

and thats when it hit me ..shoot, am i becoming domesticated? going all fuzzy when i see cute lil children hugging old uncle bus drivers, going all crazy when im cheated 10 cents?thinking of what to cook?....my mum doest that..not me..hahaha...

which reminded me again of my conversation with a dear brother yesterday during our hike up to Mt Lofty...some guys today have lost that masculine heart, if i can call it that..but i've also learnt that some of us actually expresses it differently..then it hit me, maybe not all of us jantans have gone sissified..but we just express it differently than our 'forefathers' due to the shift of times...theres still hope for us, fellow warriors of God :)

I end here with a quote from John Stotts' Contemporary Christianity (was reading it on the bus),

'The only way to understand the disappointments and frustrations of life, the loneliness, the suffering and the pain, is to see them as part of our loving Father's discipline in his determination to make us like Christ.'

Hebrews 12:4-11

Mountain of death..conquered

hahahahah...for those who are familiar with Adelaide..there's this slope on Montefiore Rd which i used to go joggin on.before the op, personal best was 4 rounds up and down..dare not try it since the op..always had this fear of pain..but today...muahahahahaha..

yup..after a long time, succeeded in going up but dare not come down la..but still, that's a milestone for me.

did about 6k's plus on hard terrain, a mix of flat land and slopes...longest that i've pushed the knees to. will try to hit 10 soon.

Hope

Highlights of the week: . . . .(or at least some of it) . . . had other interesting stuffs happening too :)

Received a card from a fellow sister from Open doors, i have never met her but it was just nice to receive a word of encouragement during this period of waiting.

A close brother decided to give me some of his 'economist' magazines and here am i, learning to be more aware of what's happening on a global scale. Not easy reads..but nevertheless, enjoying the learning.

And of course...wacky phone calls from back home..she actually sang me a song together with her 2 accomplices (even had a guitar to back her up)..

Songs which has encouraged me and i hope that it does for you too..

All the Way My Savior Leads Me (A cover of the hymn)

By Chris Tomlin

All the way my savior leads me

Who have I to ask beside

How could I doubt His tender mercy

Who through life has been my guide

All the way my savior leads me

He cheers each winding path I tread

He gives me grace for every trial

Feeds me with the living breath

You lead me,

You keep me from falling

You carry me close to Your heart

And surely your goodness and mercy

Will follow me

All the way my savior leads me

All the fullness of His love

All the sureness of His promise

In the triumph of His blood

And when my spirit clothed immortal

Wings its flight to realms of day

This my song through endless ages

Jesus led me all the way

Jesus led me all the way

Yang terutama di dalam hidup ini Meninggikan nama Yesus Yang terutama di dalam hidup ini Memuliakan namaNya Haleluya, Haleluya Saya mau cinta Yesus Haleluya, Haleluya Saya mau cinta Yesus

Tuhan adalah kekuatanku

Bersama Dia ku tak akan goyang

Ku 'kan terbang tinggi bagai rajawali

Melakukan perbuatan yang besar

Ku 'kan terbang tinggi bagai rajawali

Dan melayang tinggi dalam kemuliaanNya

Biar bumi bergoncang dan badai menerpa

Ku 'kan terbang tinggi bersama Dia

Thank You for that Word of encouragement

On a different note, have just finished the book I bought by Tozer on worship and found it to be refreshing, learnt something from him which i'm 'trying'. He writes about how he sometimes just go to a corner with a Bible and a hymn book and seeks Him. He really waits for the Holy Spirit to come, sometimes hours. And of course, we all know that when the Holy Spirit comes, things happen. And so, i sorta thought..hmm..i worship the same God as Tozer, why can't i have the same experience or even more (check out John 14:12)..and so, i decided to practise waiting upon Him daily, and man...when the Holy Spirit comes..well..words are just not sufficient. One of the days, i just took my guitar and flipped open my Bible and just started singing the Psalms and interestingly, i can't remember the melodies of it. I believe that at that point in time, it was a natural response to Him and things like this can't be 'created' or repeated.

One of the things that i have been thinking, in terms of Christian living, is that why so many believers live such defeated dark cold lives and i've come to think at least for now (in my life experience) is that they have not encountered God. Moses encountered God and his face shone like crazy, Paul encountered God and he was changed..there would be a change when we encounter God, and i believe we will not have to then 'try' to be a child of God, we will automatically just be one.

Last night at OCF was amazing and i thank Him for all that He did and for what He said.

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God.

Let us then now 'work' on purifying our hearts. Yes, God purifies but we need to allow Him to. Tozer again writes about this analogy about us having a spiritual vacuum that only God can fill. A vacuum is a volume of space that is essentially empty of all matter, such that its gaseous pressure is much less than atmospheric pressure (Wikipedia). When a container containing vacuum is exposed, the outside forces gush in to equilibrate (make equal) the internal and external environment and likewise, all we need is to ask God to remove the sins that is blocking Him from filling us and once that is removed, the Holy Spirit just rushes in.

Random thought, why do we then sing 'open the eyes of my heart, i want to see You?' we should be singing 'purify my heart, i want to see You' :)