Hello folks!

Sorry I've been away for so long. In summary, I've been busy with

1) OCF 50th Convention at Malacca - here are some of the Victorians





It was a bit different this year because there were alumni invited so about a third of the campers were older people (even people in their seventies). One thing I liked was seeing those people who had gone before us, and seeing where there were now - something to spur us on for the journey ahead! AGM was encouraging and inspiring. Spending time with some Malaysian friends after Convy for a few days was good too (:




2) Wesley's Youth Ministry Camp - the 8th!




That's my group, The Sowers (: Must admit it was hard to stick to my group because I'm so used to not being in a group, because I've been serving for the past few years, so I've never quite been in a group. But um I tried. haha. I reminded myself that there was a purpose in me going (though I'm kind of out-of-touch with YM because I haven't been around for two years), and that was to give. And, it was quite fun! Including befriending the younger ones, and playing a lot of dirty games - c'mon man, OCF has got to "up" their games :P

It's pretty awesome to see the generation of youths rising up. Certain individuals, from naughty little boys, to mature ones whom others look up to. Sometimes it takes long for fruit to be seen - like the many years of youth ministry, pouring into lives and camp after camp - but we abide in Him, and eventually bear fruit that will last (John 15); today sees these youths/young men and women who are starting to disciple the next generation. Youths transformed for Christ.

It is really wow to see youths passionate for Jesus and taking ownership of the ministry.
It's happening (or more accurately, we see it happening - God has been working all the while).

I see a generation rising up to take their place
With selfless faith, with selfless faith (Brooke Fraser)

Even though I'm in Melbourne now and my "main ministry" is there, my thoughts turn to Wesley once in a while, and I ask God where He wants me to be in the future. Youth ministry? Young adults? P&P? Worship? God. Well, there's still a year in Melbourne to go, and by the time I am back, I'll know; He'll "give me a heart" for it. God has never failed to be on time, and never will fail, I believe (:



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As usual, God is uber good,
and truly, each day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.

Currently, with lots of "work" to do. Arghhhh! But it's also good to get "back on track".
Actually, I'm excited (: For what's to come ahead. It's always good. Because my God is good (:
And He gives me grace to do His will.

So now, it is time to discipline myself. Take some time-out.
Spend some necessary quality time with God alone.

And. Jeremy called to ask if I can play for Candlelight service! \m/ yay!
It's fun to be involved :D

Kbye.

JesusIlubchew.
<3 huihui.

Labels: Church, God, hui, OCF, Visuals

Tuesday, December 22, 2009 • 3:33 AM •

Labels: hui, Quotes, Revelation

Sunday, December 06, 2009 • 4:34 AM •

am i being sanctified?
i cannot say the word "sai kang" anymore.
literally translated, it means, "shit work".
we used to say it for fun - like, hey let's be sai kang warrior!
said it in a positive way - go and serve by doing whatever needs to be done.

but. i dunno. i suddenly can't use the word anymore.
not without unease.

maybe that's how God works.
like, you keep your eyes fixed on Him. and HE does the cleansing.
you don't quite have to do that much; it doesn't require that much of an effort anymore.
cos all you have to do is keep your eyes fixed on Him. and He does everything.

He washes me clean (:

now i have to find a replacement for "sai kang warrior".
what sounds cool enough? hm.












Worship is the submission of all our nature to God.
It is the quickening of conscience by his holiness;
the nourishment of mind with his truth;
the purifying of imagination by his beauty;
the opening of the heart to his love;
the surrender of will to his purpose -
and all of this gathered up in adoration,
the most selfless emotion of which our nature is capable
and therefore the chief remedy for that self-centeredness
which is our original sin and the source of all actual sin.
–William Temple







oh come let us adore Him!

Labels: God, hui, Pen and paper, Quotes

Friday, December 04, 2009 • 5:23 AM •

OCF Clayton (Northern Territory, Australia), 29 Sep – 6 Oct 2009

Led by Tim, our “mob” (NT slang) of 15, ranging from a 12-year-old to a 50+ year-old from OCF Clayton and Hays International College, embarked on a journey which would end with a week-long mission trip in the small Belyuen Community of about 200 people, in Australia’s Northern Territory.

Missionaries Damien, Claire and Euan have been at Belyuen for three years. Okay well, not Euan. He's been there for about a year now. Sorry they look a bit cross here - they're nice people!







Highlight of Ivie's trip

Most of the team were new to missions, and not having met Indigenous Australians before, we did not know what to expect. Pre-trip preparations included training by Aunty Merrilyn about Spiritual Warfare and sessions with a few people who, based on previous experiences, taught us about the Indigenous culture and how to approach with God’s love.

Pre-trip prep: Renee teaches balloon sculpting

One of the more effective ways to reach out was by creative ministries. Hence, we planned activities based on our group with diverse gifts and talents. A challenge was to remain flexible and without a programme, because we were told that they did not have a sense of time, and we would just have to “go with the flow”.

We took a plane to Darwin, lodged at a Backpackers for the night, then headed for the Belyuen community the next morning. Some took what would be our trusty troupee for the rest of the trip (on loan from Youth With A Mission [YWAM]), while others took the ferry.

Elkes for the night

Trusty troupee




Glenda aboard the ferry

Aboard the ferry, we had our first Indigenous encounter – with a very friendly drunk! In general, Indigenous Australians have a problem with “grub” (alcohol) – a way to wash their worries and at the same time, spend their government-given welfare money. While they know excessive alcohol has negative effects, they continue to indulge in it, it being a temporal “solution” in their situations which seem to lack hope.

First Indigenous Australian we met

We lodged in YWAM bunks which hosts occasional short-term mission teams – had to clear some cobwebs and had a few moments of fun scaring each other with big bugs – and were privileged to have a pre-believer, Aunty Kin (an OCFer’s mother) to be our chef; we had “tucker” (food) ten times better than expected!

YWAM grounds




Common area: Hang out, cook, eat, do devotions, everything




Aunty Kin's style - sumptious!




Everyone helped to cook. We sliced a lot of carrots mans.




To get water, you have to go to the main rainwater collecter/filter thingie




Check out how puny our container was! Ours is the one behind.
The one in front takes about 20-25 minutes to fill.




The guys did most of the water pumping. Thank you!

The children were easier to reach out to. All we had to do was make some noise, with the local missionaries Damien and Claire with us, and they would come running. We did balloon sculpting, skits, hair braiding, nail painting, drawing and such, while they taught us their games.

Community building - couldn't use it at night
because some boys tripped the power for fun days earlier




Balloon sculpting




Hair braiding




Craft




Tim swinging a kid in the air - it's super fun! Some of us girls didn't think we'd
have the strength to swing the kids like that, but it turned out not too hard!




Daniel teaching Lennon how to woo girls - flowers

Though some of us took more time than others to get used to the dirt, it eventually felt good to not care about being clean, and to be able to just “roll in the mud” with the kids; there was a certain sort of freedom in that. Seeing the joy in most of the children made us wonder if these carefree kids would grow up to become like the generally stoic adults; what happens in that in-between process? Can there be a change?

On the first night while a bunch of us stayed back to wait for the troupee to return, the stillness of the night left no laughter from the children gathered earlier. In the distance, we heard shouts – fights? Domestic violence? Drunkenness? We did not know. One could feel a whole atmosphere change. All the kids except Austin had left. From his feisty self, he grew quiet. A man tipsy from alcohol approached, and the guys chatted and prayed for him. Later, a tipsy woman came near, and the girls chatted and prayed for her.

Little ways of reaching out – God, how can we be your hands and feet? Even though not much of the time was spent on “Bible things”, apart from the church service we conducted, it was important to realise that whatever the method of giving, we were there not to give ourselves, but Christ who is the only transforming power. And He can be given in any way, including just being people who were willing to love by spending time with the kids, and praying, so people get a sense of who this God is.

Colleen and myself. We prayed when she was feeling sad.

Every morning saw some time dedicated especially to seeking God. Those were precious, free, refreshing times of remembering what, or rather who, we were here for. We took turns to share and lead. On the second morning, God moved powerfully but gently in each of our hearts. As we worshipped in song and prayed, God broke our hearts and some wept. God, what? Why? We did not understand why God would allow such a cycle of spiritual and emotional poverty in the community.

Noon-time chilling: Buskers in action




Noon-time chilling: Guitar lessons




Noon-time chilling: Ivie on the Didjeridoo!




Most of while-it-was-bright one day: Berry Springs! Which was closed. So we headed to the waterfall, but no pictures of that because we were having too much fun

It was amazing how these kids came with such openness. Perhaps their hunger for something made them especially trusting, more so than adults. We had a better picture of what Jesus meant when he said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (Luke 18:16, NIV). May we, too, come to Him with childlike faith.

The kids loved taking our cameras. Here's a blur shot by one of them.

A barbeque was arranged in hopes of attracting adults, but it didn’t quite work out. The kids came anyway. At times, we walked around in groups and joined the few welcoming adults at verandas, chatting and singing with them. There was one particular adult who stood out – Theresa – the only Christ-follower in the community. We learned that though it has been a lonely walk, she has been steadfast and well-respected in the community, and her joy comes from the Lord.

Barbeque: Mob comes for tucker!

Perhaps a week was too short – we felt more time would have been more effective. But also, we had to remember that as mission teams come and go (apart from faithful Damien and Claire who have been there for three years). We plant a seed, do some watering here and there, but they all belong to God (1 Corinthians 3:5-6) – trust God to take care of them and meet their needs. We believe He is doing something in Belyuen. And indeed, He is; recently, we heard of two decisions to follow Christ! Praise God!

Did the community change because of us? Only God knows.
Did we change because of the community? Surely.

Tyreece wanted us to pose as bunnies




Amusing ourselves in troupee rides

After the trip, most of us had post-Belyuen blues. Actually, perhaps this journey hasn’t quite ended, and has only really just begun. What’s next, God? Here I am, send me. We were there to do whatever He had us do, and more importantly, let Him do whatever He had to do in each of us. Within the team, we saw servant-hearts; He enlarged our hearts. It is when we learn selflessness and choose to serve each other that we find ourselves maturing as individuals and uniting as a body. And this is how they will know that we are His disciples – when we love one another (John 13:35).

Clayton thanks all of you for especially your prayer support. And, we look forward to more trips in the future!

From Him, through Him and to Him, to God be the glory,
Faith, on behalf of the Belyuen team



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Just wrote a report for OCF on Clayton's mission trip to Belyuen, so figured I might as well blog it. And, well, add pictures. For more, check out facebook!

Er, oops, I'm hearing buses go by, and a bird just chirped. Actually, it is already bright. Ahh.

Labels: God, hui, OCF, People

Wednesday, December 02, 2009 • 8:34 AM •

wo hui lai liaooo!

Random facts of yesterday...

We went to the Casuarina prata place for breakfast. Two kosong with sugar for me. I remember when I was a kid, the chinese chicken rice stall aunty and indian prata uncle were quarreling over whether chinese or indians were better. While I was trailing after my mom, walking out after my meal, the chinese aunty asked me which was better. I guess she was expecting me to say, chinese, since I was one. I said, liang ke dou hao - both also good. Then the chinese aunty's mom who was sitting at the side said I was a good girl because I promoted peace. Hurhurhur.

Got my hair trimmed at Ma's salon. The salon was quite busy, so I offered to wash a friend's hair, since I used to help in my mom's salon after my O'levels when I was 16. After that, my mom let me do some root retouch (colouring) for someone else. So I smacked on the gloves, mixed the colour, and had some fun :D

My Santa Cruz Light Blue Crocs are not in production anymore. I am sad. Now I have to find new shoes. And that could possibly take two million years.

Found a store at Dhoby Gaut, Eskimo which sells Bubble Tea with extra small pearls! Quite fun to drink!

The upper floors of the relatively new Ion are absolutely boring, except for prologue, which is a bookshop. The upstairs' hosted the atas shops and there were hardly any people there. Then when you go to the basement levels, well, that's where all the commoners like me are!

The brother and I talked a lot and walked quite some \m/ Our feet hurt. But it's okay.

Ma, Wei and I went to Campus Crusade because it was having a sale - 30% off everything! I wasn't going to buy anything. But I bought three things in the end. Well, that's not too bad.

I found some old letters in a drawer and hehe they were fun to read.

There is close to nothing to eat in the Yishun home. So we stocked up a bit so I can do my own cooking sometimes. And, my parents make the effort to come home a bit more when their children are home (:

Yakult to vitagen here what yakult in Australia is to yakult in Singapore. Haha are you confused? Basically yakult in Australia is smaller than yakult in Singapore.




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I didn't get the internship I applied for - they emailed to say interning for just a month will be too short for a well-rounded internship, and to apply again when I'm available for a longer period. But I'm alright with that - I was half-expecting it already.

There are other things I want to do in the next two and a half months. God, please help me be disciplined and use this time wisely. For one, I'm going to be doing a lot of reading - stuff for my honours thesis, and for growth in my walk with God/for OCF. Help me be good, God! I want to be a true worshipper (:




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Today, through Wide-eyed wonderful world , a show on kids channel Okto, I learnt that there are many friendships in the wild! For example, the honey badger and honey bird work together for survival; the honey bird leads the honey badger to bees nests, and the fearless honey badger (listed as the world's fiercest animal in 2002's Guinness book of records) breaks the bees nest, gets some honey for itself, and leaves some for the honey bird. As the narrator said, they tell us about how wonderful the world is.

And yes indeed, it is quite cool to see how these things work together. God really thought of everything huh (:

And on Grossology today, something like, "brave fish - they've got guts, ahaha!" -_- ah ha haaa.

I finally got un-lazy to call singnet to sort out my wireless problems. It still can't work, but I shall be content with sitting in the living room with the cable plugged in in order to use the Internet. The whole house is pretty much mine anyway.





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There were many more random thoughts-of-the-day, but I cannot quite recall them now. I hope you had a good day too (:

And two random and also important facts from the day before: One - I saw my second nephew via an ultrasound, and carried my first nephew; I think babies are strange. Yes, yes, I know I once was one. Two - I especially felt my Dad's love for me when he bought milk from the shop downstairs for me before coming home.




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Take my life I lay it down
At the cross where I am found
All I have I give to You O God

Take my hands and make them clean
Keep my heart in purity
That I may walk in all You have for me

Oh here I stand arms open wide
Oh I am Yours and You are mine

Take my moments and my days
Let each breath that I take
Be ever only for You O God

My whole life is Yours, I give it all
Surrendered to Your name
And forever I will pray
Lord have Your way, have Your way







-Hillsong

Too many words to read? (:

Labels: hui, Jia, People, Visuals

Tuesday, December 01, 2009 • 4:09 PM •