tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-163585422024-03-24T02:17:56.557+08:00The News Stan(d)More than just a newsstand...Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-41437500710022315052012-09-03T23:46:00.000+08:002012-09-05T11:35:18.678+08:00In Loving Memory of my Auntie MaureenSooner or later, you lose someone dear, someone blood-related. I recognise that life here and now is transient, there's no permanence to be found in this life and that's a certainty...and maybe a relief too. <br />
In June, my cousins lost their father. I lost an uncle. We grieved. Two months and a bit, my auntie (my late uncle's elder sister) breathed her last. Another season of mourning. This auntie isn't just a 'regular' auntie. You could say she was size-wise, but she was big-hearted. I recently asked my dad which sibling he was closest to, he said it was auntie Maureen because she was a very giving person, always looking out and caring for others. I am sure my dad has many wonderful memories of his elder sister he could tell you about if you asked him to.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrImK58rnHDOUBPG52uyam_QGTdc-Odz6Hih-9qyQ7g5uHYKw5aV8aXsuAXGSZ_-r3fpvx5w8au5w25mDvUJoBMXtYdbJ7CkA0shXEgFmcyJcr0Gl-1JlUMR9bL7L1cWX2lJea/s1600/AuntieMaureen_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrImK58rnHDOUBPG52uyam_QGTdc-Odz6Hih-9qyQ7g5uHYKw5aV8aXsuAXGSZ_-r3fpvx5w8au5w25mDvUJoBMXtYdbJ7CkA0shXEgFmcyJcr0Gl-1JlUMR9bL7L1cWX2lJea/s400/AuntieMaureen_0001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My aunt Maureen (seated in the centre) visiting in Brisbane, Australia</td></tr>
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To me, auntie Maureen was the only aunt who was with me at life's three most significant moments till now.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHX7w7LJmWvrNynuGln7dyvVprc5Kvq_g6QsEl1JEGl8qdTuczUqX_bZmAgVCkcOqHrWq8VFV8cV735yVpkLmpLt4bFURl_8-36Kh17SPwR5HgPILcZuwpHq2wk6QIjYhVZBI/s1600/AuntieMaureen_0002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHX7w7LJmWvrNynuGln7dyvVprc5Kvq_g6QsEl1JEGl8qdTuczUqX_bZmAgVCkcOqHrWq8VFV8cV735yVpkLmpLt4bFURl_8-36Kh17SPwR5HgPILcZuwpHq2wk6QIjYhVZBI/s320/AuntieMaureen_0002.jpg" width="264" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My aunt at my graduation in 1998</td></tr>
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<u>Auntie Maureen at Milestones of my Life</u><br />
- In 1974 before I cared to remember or had the ability to, auntie Maureen has reminded me she was the one who carried me as a newborn in her arms when together with my mother, I was discharged from hospital. I believe she carried me with a sense of pride as if cradling her own child.<br />
- In 1998, she and my uncle Devan attended my convocation in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, to celebrate my graduation. It was lovely to have them there to witness the big day I would wear a gown and a mortar board.<br />
- In 2007, she was there to celebrate my wedding to my dear wife Dorcas.<br />
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She was an auntie who was present at the milestone moments of my life. Not just physically present but emotionally engaged. Regardless of which life stage, I don't recall ever a time she'd not enquire if I had eaten or if I'd been eating well. At almost every family gathering, her parting remarks were almost predictable. She'd say to me in Cantonese: "<i>Zou mat yeh kom sao? Lei oi sek tor tee chee tou mou</i>?" (translated to mean:,"Why are you so skinny? You must eat more, you understand?"). I would look back and wonder why she'd say the same thing to me at every Chinese New Year gathering. Even my mum was put on the defensive with the suggestion that she hadn't been feeding me well. Her enquiries came fast and furious while I was serving NS and she would see me every week in church. Back then, I hadn't introduced the term 'ectomorph' into my vocabulary. But that's how my auntie Maureen was - she believed in the basics of well-being and showed her love in that manner. She was ever hospitable. Even when my wife and I visited her in the closing weeks and months of her life, she would in her frail state still enquire if we had eaten and call for the helper to serve us drinks.<br />
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As a kid, I'd be most excited about visiting auntie Maureen. Her red packets were the most prized among all that I receive from my relatives on both sides. She was generous, she was giving to her family - to her siblings, her nieces and nephews.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENBdSuSwRDzMqGcZwOWq_uQOveSYN5Z-YVlKO15M3eCnnxVmF4rMkE0Hoi9igdYLGGZyS4rXzdoyNPNRnZkbZiqA26aKvhRxjYWENKyhmCrIxgkdYvNjkiC6F6jve0T-NwB-o/s1600/AuntieMaureen_0003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjENBdSuSwRDzMqGcZwOWq_uQOveSYN5Z-YVlKO15M3eCnnxVmF4rMkE0Hoi9igdYLGGZyS4rXzdoyNPNRnZkbZiqA26aKvhRxjYWENKyhmCrIxgkdYvNjkiC6F6jve0T-NwB-o/s400/AuntieMaureen_0003.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A family meal together</td></tr>
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My auntie Maureen has been battling cancer these many years. It went into remission, then it returned. When the doctors exhausted all other forms of medical treatment, she came home to spend her remaining days. She grew weaker by the week. From being independent and mobile, auntie Maureen went from being able to sit up in a chair in the living room to receive guests, to lying in bed in the bedroom and be assisted out to the dining room at meal times, to lying in a specially rented electric bed in the dining room from where she could still enjoy the sea breeze and look out the sliding door to see if it was day or night.<br />
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For my auntie now, there is neither day or night. <br />
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Thank you Heavenly Father for the gift of auntie Maureen. I give praise to You for auntie Maureen's ever-enquiring concern and love for the family.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm057681vsnKDiYh3ul4jVL_GDOs5djFjjYtyZlDMrZhBRQgGQMurhp2pB47_rZQ0sNyCh1k7vBFDi1wO0gwVP5xMKWJgqbO5-e5EY7QyjhIVKNpqDaM9Ajlssr51k-cAIPC-6/s1600/AuntMaureen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="317" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm057681vsnKDiYh3ul4jVL_GDOs5djFjjYtyZlDMrZhBRQgGQMurhp2pB47_rZQ0sNyCh1k7vBFDi1wO0gwVP5xMKWJgqbO5-e5EY7QyjhIVKNpqDaM9Ajlssr51k-cAIPC-6/s400/AuntMaureen.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Auntie Maureen, we shall meet on that beautiful shore <br />"<b><span style="color: purple;"><i>In The Sweet By and By</i></span></b>"...</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">There's a land that is fairer than day, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">And by faith we can see it afar; </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">For the Father waits over the way </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">To prepare us a dwelling place there. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">In the sweet by and by, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">We shall meet on that beautiful shore; </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">In the sweet by and by, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">We shall meet on that beautiful shore. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">We shall sing on that beautiful shore </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">The melodious songs of the blessed; </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">And our spirits shall sorrow no more, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">Not a sigh for the blessing of rest. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">In the sweet by and by, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">We shall meet on that beautiful shore; </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">In the sweet by and by, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">We shall meet on that beautiful shore. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">To our bountiful Father above, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">We will offer our tribute of praise </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">For the glorious gift of His love </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">And the blessings that hallow our days. </span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">In the sweet by and by, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">We shall meet on that beautiful shore; </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">In the sweet by and by, </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 16px;">We shall meet on that beautiful shore. </span><br />
<br />
Many thanks to many friends who prayed for the family. Special thanks to my dear friends, Aaron, Namiko and Daniel who stood by us to support the family through their comforting presence, prayerful ways and a most loving act Namiko performed that's been etched deep in my heart:<br />
After sharing some songs and promises from God's Word one August morning, Aaron prayed for auntie. Later on, my aunt tells us she's lost all sensation in her legs. In a heartbeat, Namiko offers to give my aunt a foot rub with lavender essential oils and asked if she would like that. My aunt nods, gamely taking on the offer. Soon, the fragrance filled the room, the massage warmed my aunt's feet, and without doubt, her heart. It may have been the best 20 minutes since she was bedridden, her legs in pain and too weak to support her. Here, my friend, a near stranger, demonstrating love in a very practical and tangible way, feeding the senses and the soul, a loving and humble act stemming from the overflow of a Saviour's love.Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-78800828899211635942011-09-09T13:53:00.007+08:002011-09-09T14:39:45.686+08:00Worth more than a Honda!It feels like 37 years ago that I last posted on my blog...maybe it's because that number means something significant today. So long ago I even had a few gos at figuring out my username and password just to access Blogger again! Infrequent logins and the aging process surely don't go well together. ;oP<br /><br />So as I mark what's called a 'birthday' (an annual occurence often taken for granted; a celebration when young and despairing when older), I question what birth is. I logged onto dictionary.com and to my surprise, no where do I find 'life' in any of the definitions listed, even though birth has a symbiotic relationship with life.<br /><br />Life has been largely 'plain sailing' in all manner of expression. Can't say I've hit extremely choppy waters where life and death hung in the balance. Haven't been lowered to the darkest depths of sorrow, the dire straits of poverty nor the loneliness of being despised and isolated. <br /><br />You could say I've been living well, but what is 'well' and could my life be lived better? By better, can my life be more effectively lived, more impactful, more for beyond-the-now? <br /><br />For someone in mid-life (althought I still feel 26!), is life about:<br />- getting a job and slogging it out to keep it secure?<br />- being drawn into a routine so everything kinda goes auto-pilot?<br />- needing refreshment and planning the next holiday for a time-out everytime you get exhausted or when a long weekend bumbles down the calendar to be taken advantage of?<br />- finding pleasures and comforts of life and investing in them like they'd last for eternity?<br />- moving on from one stage of life (as a natural expectation of human life and relationships) to another?<br /><br />You'd think you'd have less questions the older you get, but it may well be working in reverse for me. <br /><br />You see, it wasn't until a week ago at a Christian conference that I was provoked to get some urgent realignment done. Even cars get more regular servicing than I do and I suspect I'm worth more than my Honda! I am convinced that my life needed some sort of a jumpstart, that some parts may require replacement, some areas fixed. In essence, I think my spiritual spark plugs need changing.<br /><br />After today, I hope to run like a brand new car. You'll still recognise me 'cos I'll still have those small little dents (what some call 'five cents' and 'ten cents' on the outside), but at least I know I'm all good on the inside, and my GPS is functioning perfectly! <br /><br />Friends, come with me for a ride beyond this journey, because the destination is worth it! If you want a wash-&-polish to a shine, happy to pass you the contact.Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-16066098717181278442010-02-24T11:47:00.034+08:002010-02-24T13:16:53.045+08:00My name is George! George Mueller!<div><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCz7nbtOifD0csFH2O8Ikb4sgVZcN3NAIFpeYZ7fxzaHy5VWuBT_24FQo0bZTTapKTI_OZKWZ7opwhU4A6vqxsMIgUN_qfBL7MJQRME2jDQyVY9eL8DONf1ozLokT6vNVVexr6/s1600-h/Mueller1+075copy.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441662656029855858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 156px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCz7nbtOifD0csFH2O8Ikb4sgVZcN3NAIFpeYZ7fxzaHy5VWuBT_24FQo0bZTTapKTI_OZKWZ7opwhU4A6vqxsMIgUN_qfBL7MJQRME2jDQyVY9eL8DONf1ozLokT6vNVVexr6/s200/Mueller1+075copy.jpg" border="0" /></a>I am still making sense of where the last five months have gone. At 10.30pm last Sunday night, it all ended. A 5-month epic journey since October last year that took me to Prussia, Bristol, singlehood through marriage and parenthood, from a dishonourable son to a convicted sinner that finally culminated to becoming a man of great faith who answered God's call to rescue street kids orphaned in Bristol.</span><br /><br /><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441674522979892306" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 305px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga9XrAXsejsKeTsYhif6nUriM4YFR4uT7rLAO5tgjNpWcPVfYb5miU4LNFAUiToccUhWvKKnM2zlT07RDxG8oZuEkdqZs1o55n-VnNRl7cXpWuvc0QvZf3QGj7CLyrUMAgF4_d/s400/Mueller1+012.JPG" border="0" /> <div><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_pcaaqrbtONBZgIfI-Ib2IBmsWAuuenCdkcUsyEk9UYTY1do9FSzpcUI-BckXPgt68-WUkdVQCZO8k8G7F6KQiKM_wBw-pRsPsBDZ1I_-wgxA_gUFOI-hyz8hrOfxU4CURH6/s1600-h/Mueller1+063.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441668205891728738" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5_pcaaqrbtONBZgIfI-Ib2IBmsWAuuenCdkcUsyEk9UYTY1do9FSzpcUI-BckXPgt68-WUkdVQCZO8k8G7F6KQiKM_wBw-pRsPsBDZ1I_-wgxA_gUFOI-hyz8hrOfxU4CURH6/s200/Mueller1+063.JPG" border="0" /></a>Borrowing the adjectives George uttered to Beta after being convicted of his seeking state and wanting position of a Saviour, it was "incredible", it was "overwhelming"! I give God praise at how <a href="http://www.awof-musical.sg/"><strong><span style="color:#ff6600;">Mueller: A Walk of Faith</span></strong></a> was born, how it grew in mass, the mobilisation of hearts and hands and momentum.<br /></div><div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441668485412843058" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6EHBeZGEoRZaZ44MZYnJN02SyOJQ9txxXPKdR_m-kHdp2yO8VsDqsdUq2Ti7NchnlVpzpPMIydPd9haSQ4KlUu4n9ART7iy-VZIhMEFlE5DcPPh8bpUCBmh-kVfHdu28mbeFy/s320/Mueller1+040.JPG" border="0" />I've contemplated writing a testimony for publication in the church bulletin, but it would be impossible to write one that would do justice in serving as a complete and comprehensive account of how this mega project has impacted and touched me. Impossible in the sense that it wouldn't be just a paragraph, a page nor even a chapter, but an entire book, to lay my soul bare, reminisce and marvel how the journey's positively scarred me. </div><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagJj7EmY9kSMH_0tKMsJXSYU2sIcG2zqfCAy1-5dE3WeMv5GtAwxPiayaU8_n_q3jX1qS-OwD0tY_8t0Yot02vcbvKelHw7KTl6H7_lyj5hiEN6DDzCtWg9WY-1H_zqZCMx-M/s1600-h/Mueller1+027.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441672095060080914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhagJj7EmY9kSMH_0tKMsJXSYU2sIcG2zqfCAy1-5dE3WeMv5GtAwxPiayaU8_n_q3jX1qS-OwD0tY_8t0Yot02vcbvKelHw7KTl6H7_lyj5hiEN6DDzCtWg9WY-1H_zqZCMx-M/s320/Mueller1+027.JPG" border="0" /></a>It all comes down to the 'F's when all's said, done and staged and when the audiences, cast and crew return to their individual lives. The project was most evidently about <strong>f</strong>aith. Faith not in something, not in self nor someone else, but in God alone. Truly a man may plan his course but the Lord directs his steps (Proverbs 16:9), apparent in the life of George Frederick Mueller. With a man whose faith casts a huge shadow over mine, there is much for me to pursue and to aspire to.<br /><br />My <strong>f</strong>amily has been most dear to me, praying for me, encouraging me, enquiring about my welfare in preparation for the show. Oftentimes unseen, unheard and sometimes unnoticed, but always there to support me in the very intense and demanding role of George. It warms my heart to also have an 'instant' family on stage.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441663143703957122" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiupaXIsUpyjKXN9DNWmZ1JDPsYqNdY07ifUM9ub7d9ySKv_n52IHS4wbs1Uxl_SvwCmFGT9DqM_Dlp0SqshIUAOKEw_uHbWT0l5ztQvKaVrVbr3tytWMdnQx8B-UvvXtW8eVSP/s400/Mueller1+065.JPG" border="0" /></div></div><br /><p>I haven't forgotten the many friendships that have either formed or strengthened through the hothousing. <strong>F</strong>riends are precious and they help you fit in, they lift you up when you're down, they've proven to be immediate first-aid when you're dealt a blow. I know the friendships that cut across the demographic groups will last long into the future.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441669937879899426" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 331px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimimp8FIOMDUMLFis0rp5pQWi-6TS31vV-7KqEJ8A9eVYM0Iv2b0bv8oTzr2hMAUqVrZ6W_AYJCUgJ32ljN76YYlZ6qdsXyC8m1gkieH35BqdxPW10RvHrTTtL0dB84bf0gf9G/s400/Mueller1+029.JPG" border="0" /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8yZWASvOIBXZ66tQGBSLxuLR56t-tU-_iUHVeGsSlqfAeXANpfbrW6zjhH8vI_WqUDM585_6CvOdITPR-V098WvRstHKnIzDCTwVs0fnag-3273OhgD1LDQNvTPkYZck0ZSn/s1600-h/Mueller1+022.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441670809104656018" style="WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl8yZWASvOIBXZ66tQGBSLxuLR56t-tU-_iUHVeGsSlqfAeXANpfbrW6zjhH8vI_WqUDM585_6CvOdITPR-V098WvRstHKnIzDCTwVs0fnag-3273OhgD1LDQNvTPkYZck0ZSn/s200/Mueller1+022.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64FrjmS1IKE-acHWX5XTbPad47MtHxGUetNTH38YcQ3HjiogD-fOdlg_zisYjxpM3vE1x0nygRG_A4lli8_O3BlCcAOYMmJ-3WCLx1XAyLccQ1ynCFylJKBNldm6YFX7mp-Bx/s1600-h/Mueller1+009.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441670782084325746" style="WIDTH: 144px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi64FrjmS1IKE-acHWX5XTbPad47MtHxGUetNTH38YcQ3HjiogD-fOdlg_zisYjxpM3vE1x0nygRG_A4lli8_O3BlCcAOYMmJ-3WCLx1XAyLccQ1ynCFylJKBNldm6YFX7mp-Bx/s200/Mueller1+009.JPG" border="0" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXGKM-IDlnevEfv3ZxCto3uEltAlW-jJ77Iv3tqFWGlU_xIKb70sBUqIV7A4cD0w9LL8cW7l7AIDq7BJzBgbHaPgKSH2vf5o_93X-vxLtjLQp_WjUhUOG9scjQ42axoPkmBHd/s1600-h/Mueller1+008.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441670772207214962" style="WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQXGKM-IDlnevEfv3ZxCto3uEltAlW-jJ77Iv3tqFWGlU_xIKb70sBUqIV7A4cD0w9LL8cW7l7AIDq7BJzBgbHaPgKSH2vf5o_93X-vxLtjLQp_WjUhUOG9scjQ42axoPkmBHd/s200/Mueller1+008.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5v2rLi818Dn_q4uky6aH8zsEFNyj_NGkU7cJYgizvlWfKxinOxr_gXMKUbr-v68UrHdqr6rCKoWk0Xv8U8KbRO3ap_-3406Z9fsUsISCkSHzUjrh7rCdNTond2UKRYKKX80Tl/s1600-h/Mueller1+016.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5441670793641211218" style="WIDTH: 114px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5v2rLi818Dn_q4uky6aH8zsEFNyj_NGkU7cJYgizvlWfKxinOxr_gXMKUbr-v68UrHdqr6rCKoWk0Xv8U8KbRO3ap_-3406Z9fsUsISCkSHzUjrh7rCdNTond2UKRYKKX80Tl/s200/Mueller1+016.JPG" border="0" /></a> </p></div>Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-72885929933231925822010-02-13T18:10:00.007+08:002010-02-13T18:33:41.257+08:00I of the Tiger<div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vDe7HTUqMqY00PI3ZLjr2NjOJlnC0ceF7qW79tmQM8eQnvwbsLpcUhholozV12XHRvrdYI4ze_4TZ2JyorZ7fq4PRNQCrrcZrSSXfYjds8PBNtPAq5R3H5aqpeOfeOUwnklJ/s1600-h/938feb+004.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5437674027733237154" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 178px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8vDe7HTUqMqY00PI3ZLjr2NjOJlnC0ceF7qW79tmQM8eQnvwbsLpcUhholozV12XHRvrdYI4ze_4TZ2JyorZ7fq4PRNQCrrcZrSSXfYjds8PBNtPAq5R3H5aqpeOfeOUwnklJ/s320/938feb+004.JPG" border="0" /></a>So on the eve of the third cycle of my year - the Year of the Tiger, I sit and reflect, with the reflection of the sun off the neighbouring block and on my face. The glare causes me to squint yet warms my skin. Could this be a reflection and a promise of God's grace and favour come what He's pre-arranged for me in the new lunar year? I chose to believe so for I know His ways and will are perfect as He's reassured in Romans 12:2. </div><div> </div><div><br />A tune comes to mind and below is an excerpt from three stanzas that fill me with confidence that He's going to be there once I leap into the new lunar year tomorrow, just like He has always been:<br /><br /></div><blockquote>Lord, let Your light<br />Light of Your face shine on us<br />Lord, let Your grace<br />Grace from Your hand fall on us<br />Lord, let Your love<br />Love with no end come over us<br />That we may be saved<br />That we may have life<br />To find our way in the darkest night<br />Let Your light shine on us</blockquote><div>How wonderful and what peace to be found in the Lord Jesus Christ as we, to borrow the lyrics of the song <em>'What is Faith'</em> taken from the upcoming <a href="http://www.awof-musical.sg/">Mueller</a> musical, 'leap forth into the unknown (where) hopes and fears mingle in our souls'.</div>Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-87433726567882404812009-12-26T10:20:00.009+08:002009-12-26T11:20:27.178+08:00A Walk of Faith<div><div><div>Such a walk can be the hardest thing to claim to be doing when all around, you feel a nudge and a push to throw you off the course of needful dependency on the Lord. These past months have seen me being robbed of time for 'extra curricular' activities like blogging. I love every opportunity to pen my thoughts and share perspectives but time has been a luxury. And to have to wait till today, Boxing Day, to post my next entry is almost unforgiveable! But only forgiving friends find their way to hearing me out via this blog. So thanks!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIjemTwfF1IT97_CHyYHYXK7ZU6eOHTGf8YfbtP-KFca-lCWgVwkfq83q7QLXyP06mBYLVpBenc_j0R6lj2bdzeoEvcd9mrcsedgyuKgj_rTqZLRbvXo_keKuGqv7bA2RrbnX/s1600-h/AWOF.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419378707104296434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 140px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRIjemTwfF1IT97_CHyYHYXK7ZU6eOHTGf8YfbtP-KFca-lCWgVwkfq83q7QLXyP06mBYLVpBenc_j0R6lj2bdzeoEvcd9mrcsedgyuKgj_rTqZLRbvXo_keKuGqv7bA2RrbnX/s200/AWOF.jpg" border="0" /></a>Why the subject title <a href="http://www.awof-musical.sg/"><strong>'A Walk of Faith'</strong></a>? It's essentially the title of a church musical Dorcas & I are involved in. She's been tasked to oversee the musical elements of the production while I take on a leading role on stage. It's been tough; rehearsals have been thrice weekly. The pressure is on. Friends have enquired how I'm coping, to which I respond that I haven't yet pushed the panic button. I hope never too. The panic button never gets depressed when there is faith!<br /><br />To understand the character I play better, ie. George Muller, I got under his skin through digesting the book <em>Release The Power of Prayer</em> the last month - a book my father-in-law had recommended. It challenged my faith and inspired me to exercise it (ie. faith) even more in recent weeks. George had in the book testified that he knew of at least 50,000 specific answers to his prayers! From a reckless past, the man turned to Christ and was able to provide for over 10,000 orphans without ever asking anyone but God to supply their needs! An amazing journey for a man full of faith! Imagine the number of lives he made in a difference in and countless more his walk of faith inspired.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdiLkKP9MvPo4WtR5eCCeJKRkSKGJqZzfdPxsT1xh9Ys8PLkvNXPWO3Kx5Lps3blgmzqI8kcT25gxDLN021bo8EXdLr7AekPUDFbJSSaJaVAA9HYsrEwIAj2wssBYgjMZU_xj/s1600-h/AgapellaDec2010+029.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419379204352008978" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNdiLkKP9MvPo4WtR5eCCeJKRkSKGJqZzfdPxsT1xh9Ys8PLkvNXPWO3Kx5Lps3blgmzqI8kcT25gxDLN021bo8EXdLr7AekPUDFbJSSaJaVAA9HYsrEwIAj2wssBYgjMZU_xj/s320/AgapellaDec2010+029.JPG" border="0" /></a>Last weekend was the perfect occasion to test my faith. It was to be Agapella's big Christmas gig at the Singapore Botanic Gardens. It was sprawling picnic grounds in front of the stage, separated by a moat. The Friday before our first of two scheduled performances that weekend, the newspaper reported a very strong likelihood of moderate to heavy rains across the weekend and even warned of possible flooding in low-lying areas. It was a literal dampener on what Agapella hoped would be fair skies and dry conditions. No one would lay out a pinic mat and basket under other circumstances. But I found peace as I slept on Friday night. I was reassured by a voice in my mind telling me that God who'd earmarked that weekend for Agapella's performance would have it come to past, that it wouldn't be a wasted opportunity and that carols would be sung to the gathering of people in the lovely gardens.<br /><br />On both days, the clouds rolled in and released their cargo. Saturday's clouds gathered around midday. Prayers were uttered by both performers and the many who knew our God and our plans. The clouds were done with their deed by about 4pm but the lawn was soaked. A member in our group was almost resigned to the fact that the performance would be cancelled and that at best, we'd use the opportunity as a warm-up for Sunday. The show however went on despite the cloud cover remainning serving only to treat the audience to a cool evening of carols. I asked the liaison person what he thought of the turnout of a few hundred people. He replied that it was pretty good despite the wet weather we'd experienced. Praise the Lord!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_9Dw5aqy7S14y9ek8r3YbU737HLJXC5s5yy8Vutd71YjLKUoZZjfsffJAVJn73P4XNqoFCENDLPQmQ-cWI7Nw-SgvTU9bDLuokgZRhDMwAorWKys63ktNB1LgkV0uJiBr-wC/s1600-h/AgapellaDec2010+040.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5419379197974045730" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk_9Dw5aqy7S14y9ek8r3YbU737HLJXC5s5yy8Vutd71YjLKUoZZjfsffJAVJn73P4XNqoFCENDLPQmQ-cWI7Nw-SgvTU9bDLuokgZRhDMwAorWKys63ktNB1LgkV0uJiBr-wC/s320/AgapellaDec2010+040.JPG" border="0" /></a>God tested our faith even more on the second day. The rain's came later, the clouds never dispersed and the showers were intermittent all afternoon. We prayed with even more fervour and ferocity and I took God at His Word that he wouldn't let the opportunity be a washout. Right until 6pm when we sang our first song, it was drizzling. Those who had gathered to soak in the carols were also at risk of being soaked to the skin if the showers got heavier. Umbrellas lined the lawn like molehills. But God in His mercy and in answer to our prayer caused the drizzle to cease after our first song and the umbrellas were closed and tucked away. The evening air was cool and blended with the refreshing perfume of the fir trees that had been planted on the lawns. Snow notwithstanding, this was the closest one can get to the feel of a Christmas evening in the northern hemisphere!<br /><br />A walk of faith isn't just a single step, it isn't a standalone episode, it's a journey that followers of Christ must take. It's a life that we must lead.</div></div></div>Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-14143375101052545052009-08-18T21:49:00.010+08:002009-08-18T22:28:09.624+08:00A Two-Year-Old!We're proud to announce we've got a two-year old (marital relationship)! It's been anything but plain sailing. All around, people say that the first year or so is the 'honeymoon' year, where all is lovey-dovey wide-eyed wonderment. I've been wide-eyed and in wonderment why it didn't happen to me. I'll have you know that the ride gets worse from when you say "I do" before it gets better. There is hope though.<br /><br />Time isn't the source of hope, though getting to know each other's idiosyncracies and inner motivations become more familiar. It's really going beyond knowing the likes and dislikes into the 'Who are you really?'. You might find this amusing but while courting my then girlfriend, I never did make it officialese that we were an item. I just thought we were and expected the fairer half to know that. But before we started moving towards formalising plans to wed, she sat me down one evening and asked, "So what is THIS?" She meant the status of our friendship. She wanted an answer. She wanted to know where we were.<br /><br />Since our vows exactly two years ago, I want to say, "I know where God is". And that's most pivotal, because I can creak, crack and crease but our Heavenly Father who initiated our relationship has been a rock solid anchor Who will not slumber, slip or have a shut-eye. It is this God Whom I must base my relationship on.<br /><br />My wife gave me a card tonight. In it, she recapped how we'd had to make adjustments over the past two years to be where we are today - interlocked and entwined in marriage. Truly without adjustments, without each of us losing a bit of our former selves to find that groove where we both fit into this wheel called 'marriage', there'd have been major breakdowns. It is our common faith in Christ, our abiding in Him that allows Him to keep this wheel well-oiled and running. I admit I've sometimes go off course and have had to be shaken up, all for the purpose of getting me back on track.<br /><br />Marriage isn't about the first and last letters, it's about the emphasis and elevation of the other person. Being the self-serving being that I am, I continue to work in abasing myself even as Christ gave Himself for His church.<br /><br />May the Lord find my wife and I faithful in marriage through to a ripe old 'age'.<br /><br />And about the subject heading, in His time. :o)Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-22446405492602279452009-07-20T21:29:00.010+08:002009-07-20T22:07:47.046+08:00Under PressureCall me paranoid, but it's all precautionary really and for peace of mind. Incidentally, peace of mind wasn't quite the outcome after attending today's health screening at workplace.<br /><br />Why did I go for it? Simple. When you hear of people in the prime of their lives coming down with one disease or dropping dead when they have no previously known medical condition, I thought a health screening would be a good stocktake on how your body's holding out.<br /><br />It was prompted by my company bringing a service provider into the premises to offer their services at a subsidised rate, and so I signed up for an Executive Package.<br /><br />The results of the blood and urine tests will be known later on, but on site, I was bewildered by my high blood pressure reading. It was 144/88 when normal healthy readings would be 130/80. Not good. Not good at all! It could have been because I'd rushed down for my 1pm appointment. I also confessed to the young lady manning the station that I'd just come from giving a security personnel a piece of my mind. So maybe my blood was still on the boil and I needed to simmer. I was then instructed to make my way to the other stations before coming back for a second reading. I did. No difference to the first.<br /><br />I'd always felt fit and have been healthy. I exercise at least once a week, which I thought was sufficient. But apparently not. Was I under stress? Not anymore than would the average person I believe.<br /><br />Have I been eating foods rich in sodium? Not deliberately. In fact, I think my threshold for salty foods is very low. Nor am I big on dried or preserved food. So what could be the cause?<br /><br />I did an online search and read that in most cases, it is inexplicable why one has high blood pressure. My mum suspects genes play a part. Now that's something you can't change or alter. You inherit both the good and the bad.<br /><br />Those with high blood pressure are at risk of suffering a stroke and heart attack among other complications, and I'd surely like to steer clear of these.<br /><br />What can I do? Make small deliberate decisions to exercise more regularly, be more selective in what I eat, learn to live and let live and pray for His watch over my blood pressure. I feel the pressure and pleasure to pray for His mercy over my health.Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-81792969046921862402009-06-26T21:40:00.008+08:002009-06-26T22:27:00.278+08:00Death & Life is Black & WhiteBehind me, I hear one of the two glass doors open. He saunters into the office, his feet heavier than most mornings. I could hear the drag. Still waiting for my PC to load up, I turn around and in typical fashion, bid him "Good Morning". With a quizzical look on his face, Justin asks, "You know Michael Jackson's died right?" "Yeah, I heard it in the news on my way in", I replied.<br /><br />It wasn't the kind of reaction he'd expected. To make sure I knew just who has passed on, he added, almost as if delivering an eulogy, "Michael Jackson's a legend man." I tilt my head, shrug my shoulders and under a sigh to convey at least some hint of empathy, breathed "And he's human too. We all have to go one day."<br /><br />My <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">nonchalance</span> to the news of the death of someone whom the world touts as 'The King of Pop' could have been interpreted as being utterly disrespectful. Should I be in greater distress on news of his death? I can say I know <em>of </em>him but I can't claim to know him enough to care, to grieve, nor care to grieve.<br /><br />He had some trend-setting dance moves, hundreds of stunning mega concerts, participated in charity projects and set up funds and foundations. I'll not take that away from him. He had hopes to 'heal the world' and 'make it a better place'. He had <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Neverland</span> Ranch for a time and had his time in court. I suspect he felt prejudices about being black and being white, to which he rationalised that it really ought not to matter in one of his songs. Michael has been a man whose life has been a spectacular thriller for millions around the world.<br /><br />Should I grieve? No. Do I feel anything at his passing? No. Will I pay tribute to the man? Only as much as I have in the paragraph above and not a word more.<br /><br />Life on earth isn't forever - that we know. The brevity of life is recognised. There's so much truth in how life is described in a book I read every evening - like a flower, like water spilt on the ground, like grass, like a shadow, like a mist or vapor, like the wind<a class="lbsBibleRef" href="http://bible.logos.com/passage/nkjv/Psalm%2078.39" target="_blank" lbsreference="Psalm 78.39NKJV">,</a> like a sigh. That's for the here and now.<br /><br />What next? Is life the 'be all' and death the 'end all'? While the world celebrates the life of Michael Joseph Jackson and perhaps reminds itself that life on earth is but for a time, let's also seriously ask ourselves if life on earth is the only life we're prepared to live, because life doesn't stop here. And because it doesn't, where we go once in and through death's door would be essential to know - as essential as your very next breath.<br /><br />More thoughts soon...for while I have breath in my nostrils.Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-51316248892379375862009-05-25T22:09:00.005+08:002009-05-25T22:15:43.898+08:00AGAPELLA presents...SEVEN @ 8<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhequNG4Sa09BdUF4_TTS6ZpJOL_dm4SOCWErr6K3fhaviN4hQbsYXplRwAgbeQlKXp0AFnJDJKR4kFBCvpA3PXupDDF6DSFwQjpOcit1BwFTZLg24TTvG73qu_ci6W9cn9swrg/s1600-h/SEVEN@8(1).jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5339764593349046194" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 188px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 257px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhequNG4Sa09BdUF4_TTS6ZpJOL_dm4SOCWErr6K3fhaviN4hQbsYXplRwAgbeQlKXp0AFnJDJKR4kFBCvpA3PXupDDF6DSFwQjpOcit1BwFTZLg24TTvG73qu_ci6W9cn9swrg/s320/SEVEN@8(1).jpg" border="0" /></a>Agapella's <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dn-fpMSi6tM">Youtube video</a> of its rendition of Pachelbel's Canon in D has been viewed more than 20,000 times and has attracted rave reviews from around the world for its smooth blend of harmonies. Yet the home grown contemporary a cappella group has never performed the song in public... until now. Be among the first to hear them perform this song and many other contemporary numbers spanning a plethora of genres, all this in a two-night only musical fiesta on 10th & 11th July 2009!<br /><br />In celebration of their 7th anniversary, Agapella presents their biggest concert yet, <strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;">Seven @ 8</span></strong>. The group will serve up fan favourites like "I Will Follow Him" (popularised by the movie, Sister Act) and "Testify To Love", on top of brand new arrangements. Among the new numbers, don't miss the re-written lyrics to the tune of the classic "Good 'Ol A Cappella". The concert will be a delight for the entire family with Agapella's own unique brand of music and tight harmonies, together with a zany dash of theatre for a toe-tappin' good time!<br /><br />Agapella's debut album, "Follow That Star" was released in 2007 to much acclaim. The album will be made available for sale at the concert. Don't forget to stick around for the post-concert refreshments (included in the ticket price) and hang out with the members of Singapore's coolest vocal band!<br /><br />Agapella presents... <strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#006600;">Seven @ 8</span></strong>: the birthday concert<br /><strong>10th & 11th July 2009 (Fri & Sat), 8pm<br />NAFA Lee Foundation Theatre<br />NAFA Campus 3<br />151, Bencoolen Street<br /></strong>Tickets at * $7 (excluding ticketing fee), on sale now at all SISTIC ticketing outlets, online at <a href="http://www.sistic.com/" target="_blank">http://www.sistic.com/</a> or call the ticketing hotline at 6348-5555.<br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>* Every 5 tickets purchased in a single receipt will entitle you to a complimentary copy of the album, “Follow That Star”. Please present receipt at the door on the evening of the performance for redemption.</em></span>Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-36452272987506773122009-04-04T16:21:00.003+08:002009-04-04T16:55:17.268+08:00Torn Between A Love & A LoverIt was one of things. It's like you have your right feet and hand shackled one way and your left side clamped and pulling in the opposite direction. What a position to be stuck in, but it was in my stupidity that I put myself there.<br /><br />You know that Bible verse that talks about what you're supposed to do, yet that is the same thing you wouldn't. And what you're not supposed to do, that is precisely what you do? It was a near miss for me.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIkW9VJEnlIWXMnXvIXxy2T-7GBhYr8WvnD3nd9AzxWUTLkbJazdQcsW-jyF34_JF71OOa10cS5IuYEk5PkHCOafpfHfWlHcgIXmYqUQlqBM49VJB8_pHttWQrjTDsgHSWleE/s1600-h/tennis-ball.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320756856168595314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 198px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiIkW9VJEnlIWXMnXvIXxy2T-7GBhYr8WvnD3nd9AzxWUTLkbJazdQcsW-jyF34_JF71OOa10cS5IuYEk5PkHCOafpfHfWlHcgIXmYqUQlqBM49VJB8_pHttWQrjTDsgHSWleE/s200/tennis-ball.jpg" border="0" /></a>It involved my colleagues who are my fellow team players for a tennis tournament that begins this Monday, 6th April. Already a lean team with the bare minimum of players required to face off with those of other companies/government ministries, I was getting excited, physically and mentally prepared for the matches ahead. BUT.....<br /><br />I have cut and paste (almost wholesale) the email I sent to my team members, so I save myself from retelling the whole story. Read on.<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#006600;">"Like you, I’ve been waiting so long for the STAR Games to come around. I’d been practising and doubling my court time by hitting with residents in The Florida. And the 6th of April was etched in my mind after Stella sent out the fixtures! The 6th of April it was.<br /><br />And then I was brought to the realisation about ‘the importance of being earnest’ in keeping a diary/PDA and jotting/entering my appointments in it. So it goes two nights ago and minutes to drifting into slumberland, I tell the wife how we were all excited about starting the tournament next Monday.<br /><br />She suddenly sits up. Silence. With forced composition, she mutters, “Dear, that’s the same night as our gig.” Silence. I sit up and slump my head into my hands. What had I just done?!<br /><br />I’d committed to the gig on behalf of my a cappella group last year and now, the clash! The clash bothered me most of the night; I took some time to overcome my tortured mind like a ship buffeted by the storm in the open sea. Twas only yesterday when I texted two members of my a cappella group, finding ways and means to see how someone could cover my vocal parts. You see, I have solo pieces to be sung that night that didn’t have an understudy. And so I shocked two members with my suggestion of them covering me while I pulled out of the gig and swung wildly at fluorescent yellow balls.<br /><br />I still wasn’t at peace. The wife last night wasn’t either and she made it clear. I bear no grudges she did, because she set it straight that it wasn’t the right thing to pull out of a committed gig we’d planned and rehearsed for these many months. I weighed in the matter. She looked at me and wasn’t thrilled to be in my position. She knew I’d been looking forward to the tournament and she knew I had obligations to the gig. She said whichever way I chose, I’d ‘make enemies’ because I’d disappoint one group.<br /><br />The gig comes only once, but next Monday’s game won’t be the only match the team will be playing. I’d committed to the gig long before the fixtures were released. And I know you guys will understand it’s not an easy decision, seeing how I love the game like you do.<br /><br /><strong>The bottomline is</strong> – I wish you guys a winning streak on Mon evening and know you can give the singles a walkover.<br /><br />I’ve made my decision with a heavy heart, but I know I can bless many more with my songs in the lead-up to Good Friday and Easter."</span></em><br /><br />I thank God no less than four of my fellow team members understood my predicament and replied with blessings to sing my heart out!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gJ1z5_9fbsamE3yjpIAowIi_0DvmqE1ROSKmmlqCSa0gMFLzE7vBA1bGkAnquBZilNzGKXuYQMpY7VQXjD0GWbGwVLHX-4FP_qevrEPSX0WAnr7Xohyphenhyphen1h5blzCPK70gDtu-D/s1600-h/Three-Crosses_web.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5320757076530055794" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 214px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7gJ1z5_9fbsamE3yjpIAowIi_0DvmqE1ROSKmmlqCSa0gMFLzE7vBA1bGkAnquBZilNzGKXuYQMpY7VQXjD0GWbGwVLHX-4FP_qevrEPSX0WAnr7Xohyphenhyphen1h5blzCPK70gDtu-D/s320/Three-Crosses_web.jpg" border="0" /></a>But the choice ought to have been obvious to a believer right at the on set. Apart from taking into account which activity had been confirmed earlier, one was obviously a ministry I was called to be part of and it was God on High whom I was serving and testifying of. The other was a pale excuse for competitive recreation, with nothing more than self-glorification to be sought.<br /><br />It's Passion Week and a most timely reminder to re-evaluate where my passions lie, and the depth of passion that drove Him to send His Son for me.Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-10513441018099908102009-03-03T22:48:00.010+08:002009-03-03T23:34:41.861+08:00Man on a Mission<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2uYgBYGKpbbSJYYyMOkzgu-3cdFP0m3hxVWf8Am8a7IZhNeg_EBLnFwpaJrDdHV5VBlOA2VxjQLnWA8MxPJosjbroG8A3_bqvNXhBiXvIdPAyXKfIBGhuLMhRZiITaHvZD29/s1600-h/Laos+060.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308983940252100882" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2uYgBYGKpbbSJYYyMOkzgu-3cdFP0m3hxVWf8Am8a7IZhNeg_EBLnFwpaJrDdHV5VBlOA2VxjQLnWA8MxPJosjbroG8A3_bqvNXhBiXvIdPAyXKfIBGhuLMhRZiITaHvZD29/s200/Laos+060.JPG" border="0" /></a>But what? Where? Why?<br /><br />Last Thursday, I boarded a plane at Changi bound for Thailand's Suvarnabhumi Airport, where I caught a connecting flight to Vientiane, Laos. It was a work trip primarily to interview an 'in-field' Singaporean volunteer who was serving a one year stint teaching English to government officials in an institute there that's equivalent to our Civil Service College here.<br /><br />The secondary school teacher in his early thirties had chosen to veer off a comfortable secure career he'd held for six years in the education sector to do something radically different. As if taking a pay cut and going on no-pay leave was a harsh enough trade-off that would deter most from contemplating becoming a volunteer teacher, the young man must now also serve out a two-year bond thereafter with the Ministry of Education.<br /><br />A travelling companion asked me on the trip if I'd be interested in becoming an in-field volunteer for a time like the young man. After a moment's reflection, I said, "I would, but not for a humanitarian mission like this". It wasn't that the work wasn't good enough for me or that I felt there's no room for going beyond oneself to help others in practical ways. Were I still a swinging single with less financial obligations to meet, it would have been a different story and the option would be there - but that's the rational side of me speaking. <div><div><br /><div>But the well of purpose that stirs from deep within would have me contemplate a mission and serve as a volunteer only on the premise that it's soul-focused. However I am not ruling out the possibility that souls can be led and won to the Kingdom through practical demonstration of love and help. But if it were strictly on the premise of a humanitarian mission for a medium to long term, I'd pass.<br /></div><div></div><div>Will I heed when God calls me to be where He wants me to be when He wants me to go?</div><br /><div>May I never turn a deaf ear to His prompting if He wants to send this man on a mission.</div></div></div>Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-49929131127847985942009-01-31T18:09:00.019+08:002009-01-31T23:15:26.932+08:00OXymoronic (Happy?) New Year<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-rqCKd9qmFpc3TuOdYcisWMnrFI4Ii10zbmmy3sAdIQVssy326rzrjk0qKjRNYD89fMcUByIVpkz6kev_Aug1ix7hstvGCSTU4SG4WRLIgLnHirmiTYA-nUFoP5AtTt4DkSb/s1600-h/charging-bull.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297410057053779858" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 257px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX-rqCKd9qmFpc3TuOdYcisWMnrFI4Ii10zbmmy3sAdIQVssy326rzrjk0qKjRNYD89fMcUByIVpkz6kev_Aug1ix7hstvGCSTU4SG4WRLIgLnHirmiTYA-nUFoP5AtTt4DkSb/s320/charging-bull.jpg" border="0" /></a>Since Monday, Chinese around the world have been bidding each other a new year of prosperity, abundance, wealth, longevity and happiness. The Ox has booted out the Rat but no one it seems is hitting the bull's eye and charging towards those things. Despite the well-wishes, this year's fancies seem to drift like cotton in the wind. Don't they know an 'economic tsunami' has hit and more wicked aftershocks threaten to cause even greater destruction?<br /><div></div><br /><div>No wonder people dread reading the newspapers, it's bad news cover to cover. Yesterday's papers reported how an African-American man took the lives of his family of seven after he and his wife lost their jobs. The pressure was just too much to handle. Seems like they'd rather be spared the shame and guilt of being unable to provide for the family. The incident may be isolated and further investigation into the killings is underway. Regardless of the motivation for the murder, 'prosperity', 'abundance', 'longevity' and 'happiness' remain deeply buried and elusive for this family and millions of others around the world.</div><div></div><br /><div>As I read the news on air this morning, the number of workers being made redundant continues to climb steadily. The unemployment rate is rising as sharply as losses incurred by banks and businesses. Governments are making calls for their economies to make more concerted effort to pull the world economy out of the doldrums and to get the markets moving (in the right direction) again. The effects on the macro scale has finally been felt by the man in the street, whose impact will stretch for a long time to come.<br /><br />Almost overnight, the things that people held on to for security and as strategic pieces to grow their money - their shares, their life savings, investments and property, took a beating. Your possession may remain intact but numbers count for nothing when they lose their value. When values are drastically slashed, the wrist for some will be next on the edge.</div><div></div><br /><div>Happy New Year? Hardly. If money, investments, savings, property and assests have been motivations for us, the phenomenon currently gripping the world clearly proves nothing physical and tangible in this life is worth holding on to. Nothing is secure. </div><div></div><br /><div>God's Word tells us in 1 Timothy 4:17</div><div><blockquote><p align="center">Command those who are rich in this present world <strong>not to be arrogant<br />nor to put their hope in wealth</strong>, which is so uncertain,<br /><strong>but to put their hope in God</strong>,<br />who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.</p></blockquote>Where is your hope in a world where the only thing of value is your soul and your destiny?<br /><br />Organisations that rely heavily on charitable donors to help meet many social needs they're striving to provide for the beneficiaries they serve are bracing for tough times. They fear the giving will stop. What then lies ahead for the people whose basic needs have yet to be met? The verse that follows in Chapter 4 of 1 Timothy reads,<br /><blockquote><p align="center">Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds,<br />and to <strong>be generous and willing to share</strong>.</p></blockquote>It's the new year and it may be time again to do a stock take. Where is our hope? What matters to us? And how can we bless others with what God's blessed us with in these challenging times?<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35QMld2gY4VobGaAIxcUTlzb5CQJS8vqQCjbG3cfaYMJb9T6ROSaBkinp4Liq8gVb9NmrRZJS4fsbguAqiiK-LsJJc60k_4Adw47dLsaSVcKsKksvHg02iaBBOTRf6z2LvyOy/s1600-h/wiseman.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5297409375087233442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 242px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg35QMld2gY4VobGaAIxcUTlzb5CQJS8vqQCjbG3cfaYMJb9T6ROSaBkinp4Liq8gVb9NmrRZJS4fsbguAqiiK-LsJJc60k_4Adw47dLsaSVcKsKksvHg02iaBBOTRf6z2LvyOy/s320/wiseman.jpg" border="0" /></a>Remember the story of the wise man (who built his house on the rock) and the foolish man (who decided the sand was to be his home's foundation)?<br /><br />Well the floods came and only one house stood firm.<br /><br />Which house on the left is befitting of yours?</div>Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-387680632381978852009-01-17T11:48:00.011+08:002009-01-17T12:28:58.875+08:00Deepening FB leads to Rising FB activityHave you felt the FB (financial brunt) of the economic crisis that looks to be worsening by the day? The economists have been hard at work and seem to chorus that things are going to get much worse before it gets better. But the growing revelation of just how bad this recession will be may have some payoff on FB (Facebook) activity.<br /><br /><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292113684552026146" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 120px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7dKlU0mZ_AQhZPlRrgKG0497AcUmlVdmrTHdI4mTqAyTHtN2xw4GuDKhE1qwy7JdVNWiwoklSTUR4-tbo2KtQsFHLXaC_hTOfjaZUcE7d2o6ij7TF6Lw1cGC3rtErpo4vxnKa/s320/facebook.jpg" border="0" /><br />With more time on your hands, less work in your In Tray, and less money in your pocket, the economist in me predicts a steady rise in online activity on the popular, free-access social networking website Facebook. Will it see a tapering of? Not anytime soon.<br /><br />With layoffs expect to climb especially after the Lunar New Year, times are bad. Consequently, I predict <strong><span style="color:#006600;">more action on FB for these reasons</span></strong>:<br />- there'll be more postings of people's status expressing victimisation of the global downturn<br />- there'll be more interest in finding out how your friends are coping and if they're in the pool of the latest round of company layoffs<br />- there'll be a rise in the number of notes being written in reflection of the sweeping effect of the recession<br />- there'll be a hike in messages, wall scribbles and the sending of virtual gifts as friends rally to lend moral support and encouragement to those deeply affected<br />- moods will increasingly swing from :o) to :o(<br /><br />Facebook keeps people in touch and is a wonderful tool for friends and family to band together to ride out the turbulence together.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>Disclaimer: This blogger isn't being paid by Facebook for the indiscreet promotion of the networking site.</em></span>Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-8017440366026569332009-01-11T16:13:00.005+08:002009-01-11T16:35:33.759+08:00Slumped by the Slump? No...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsaUmJ42oc9QBeDGlaZUGVbBmUMSjuPgHQfgW1dL6CtNbxDpn8VJLT2L7YxqP5olG5hXYFG8cgCA_qzB1vuBbolgZOuyMwEmpcSDjon_6B_InjjOatS1PXgdzs1i4Y_Ste43J/s1600-h/recession.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5289951984870387970" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBsaUmJ42oc9QBeDGlaZUGVbBmUMSjuPgHQfgW1dL6CtNbxDpn8VJLT2L7YxqP5olG5hXYFG8cgCA_qzB1vuBbolgZOuyMwEmpcSDjon_6B_InjjOatS1PXgdzs1i4Y_Ste43J/s200/recession.jpg" border="0" /></a>The economic crisis which until last Thursday was something 'out there', 'remote' and 'distant' hit home and heart on Friday. This recession will be the second slump I'll be experiencing since the SARs episode of 2002/2003. Just like previously, only God can keep me secure and protect me against a complete fall-out from the turbulence gripping the world.<br /><br />My colleagues (more than 2,500 of them) and I were told of the company's new measures to cut operationg costs. We'll be compelled to work four-day weeks every fortnight from April (which marks the beginning of a new financial year) and to go on enforced leave for up to three days a month. While work days will be scaled back, the workload won't be lessening.<br /><br />As the tough times get tougher, I see the blessing in being able to take a couple more days off each month to <strong>re</strong>st, to <strong>re</strong>treat, to <strong>re</strong>charge and to <strong>re</strong>alise than I can still <strong>re</strong>joice given the circumstances.<br /><br /><em><strong>Philippians 4:4</strong> says, <strong>"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, rejoice!"<br /></strong></em>Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-89257766688266495742009-01-01T20:27:00.006+08:002009-01-01T20:45:15.519+08:00Into The First Day of Twenty-O-Nine<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqR-BlkewQvaKJ-ZO8jH-zaN5nNgC5ZNs-wZkXdMop3y4hoRYVsKs416Gi0GNdMV1A8p75raSs00OcjkAEgYfGjMgEEUIttYmdqbP2MXjgu6srHOxg3FVFweJi16kuTLgpwcL/s1600-h/1st+Jan+028.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286305240158969602" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 150px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoqR-BlkewQvaKJ-ZO8jH-zaN5nNgC5ZNs-wZkXdMop3y4hoRYVsKs416Gi0GNdMV1A8p75raSs00OcjkAEgYfGjMgEEUIttYmdqbP2MXjgu6srHOxg3FVFweJi16kuTLgpwcL/s200/1st+Jan+028.JPG" border="0" /></a>I wouldn't have realised we were into the new year had my dad not nudged me from the right. I had my head bowed in contemplation, waiting for the wine to be served to those seated on my pew. That was when my father leaned over during the Holy Communion and elbowed me, half gesturing to the front. I raised my head and read "2009!" projected on the retractable screen. Almost at that second, the church bells chimed with gusto to usher in a brand new year!<br /><br />There was a reassuring sense of calm; I felt at ease being in the Lord's house in the final moments of 2008 and entering the new year with Him by my side. Wanton parties and relvery may whisk us away for those moments, but sooner or later, we've got to face up to what the new year may throw at us.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcTQZBZ9ygqXOIktMBjh8PJ9CllBcgRsRywkhDI94vrF6KvG4d69jQXESqXD6Ty9ySaukX8t1UrrIAEB3oa-0TnTa8MQ3zRucT4VhBN-C9Wmfq3QygOnOfleKavPn8wyQj2J1/s1600-h/sparrow.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5286303996339241378" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 172px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEcTQZBZ9ygqXOIktMBjh8PJ9CllBcgRsRywkhDI94vrF6KvG4d69jQXESqXD6Ty9ySaukX8t1UrrIAEB3oa-0TnTa8MQ3zRucT4VhBN-C9Wmfq3QygOnOfleKavPn8wyQj2J1/s200/sparrow.jpg" border="0" /></a>What comfort to know that I have committed 2009 to my loving Father in Heaven and He will watch over me for even His eye is on the sparrow!<br /><br /><em><span style="color:#3333ff;"><strong>May your hope this new year be in Christ...and Christ alone!</strong></span></em>Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-19364077679777474382008-12-31T18:45:00.011+08:002009-01-01T20:26:42.196+08:00It's A Wrap<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5XPme81OT-86OQ7PD-109OUQEBjypOK2sqR7TfjZNECj29tCBnkDqbxoyYwQkPlaVhYc7h2YAz_UzvVKHaWW4Pz4htApc2mP53WbBrug2VOBWYRQHAsbEBncH8qdlA2sDIna/s1600-h/thanksgiving.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285905913197067842" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA5XPme81OT-86OQ7PD-109OUQEBjypOK2sqR7TfjZNECj29tCBnkDqbxoyYwQkPlaVhYc7h2YAz_UzvVKHaWW4Pz4htApc2mP53WbBrug2VOBWYRQHAsbEBncH8qdlA2sDIna/s400/thanksgiving.bmp" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I hadn't planned to recap my life over the last 365 in a single blog entry and note significant moments and events of highs and lows, but after hearing my cousin-in-law Wayne publicly share how he and his family had been walking through life with God beside them, both on the easy flats and the rocky paths, I was moved to reflection. Could my God who's guided and led me through the past year not receive a single tribute of praise? Have my successes not been His doing? Have the many pits I've fallen into and climbed out of this year not been because of His grace?<br /><br />The past year has admitedly been anything BUT smooth. Lots of adjustments in all quarters - married life, work life, church life, health and friendships. My response to many of these adjustments ate into me, consequently, my mood suffered. I grew to be less even tempered, easily irritable and basically not a guy whom you'd just want to walk up to and say 'hi' without risking a harsh word for a reply. I have become abrasive...yes, think sandpaper. The only difference is that I wasn't smoothening out people around me but giving them grief and hurting them. To my wife who's been bearing so patiently and silently with my moodiness, I'm sorry for being less than pleasant to be with through our first full year as husband and wife. May I wise up and draw from God's well of joy and be overflowing with it in 2009 rather than let circumstances around me mould the person I am.<br /><br />2008 also made me sit up and recognise my good health is but by the grace of God. I suffered a nagging ache in my right wrist for most of the third quarter of the year. Gradually, simple acts of turning a door knob, blowing dry your hair and having your hands on the steering wheel became painful. A shot at TCM to rid the problem made me realise it was going to be a long term treatment if the physician was to be believed. A splinter moulded to the shape of my wrist and lower arm was made but wearing it didn't make the pain go away. So I received a cortisone jab into the area and it was the most numbing pain I'd experienced in recent memory. Thank God for bringing to remembrance that youth (I'm kidding myself, I know I'm supposed to be older than that) isn't a guarantee to health, nor is regular fitness and exercise.<br /><br />Thank God for meaningful employment. Despite helming the talkshow since 2002, the joy and fulfilment of knowing I am in this job because He intended it so, has been strong motivation to enjoy it. I saw how God answered my prayer for a co-host and producer who shared a common faith, values and the same love of wanting to make a positive difference in the lives of listeners. I recognise those to be extremely crucial in making a partnership on air work and God's answered my prayer right down to the detail. Thanks God - you're amazing!<br /><br /></div><div>Church life this past year has been so-so. Still loving the worship style and sermons at YCKC and learning how the church functions. I raised my hand to serve as one of four Youth Overseers - almost like mentors but not too far removed in terms of age and generation from the teens. But I've been less than my best. It's a lousy feeling knowing you're like the sleeping partner in the quartet. Lots of reasons (maybe excuses would be more accurate) why I haven't been pulling my weight in the ministry, but with a re-energised spirit and renewed dedication, I will change all that in the new year.<br /></div><div><br />Agapella continued to remain high on my list of what/where I channeled my energies and resources to this year. It's been an fantastic ride since joining the group in 2003 and I haven't run out of voice. I doubt I ever will till I run out of breath. Putting on my economist hat and looking into my astronomist telescope, the year ahead for Agapella looks hazy. Regardless, I'll let God manage the reins of the work He started. Our Lord God Almighty reigns!<br /></div><div><br />Friendships with some colleagues whom I thought were fantastic did an about turn in the third quarter. Almost overnight, I was wallowing in self pity and dreaded meeting them. My faith in friends floundered in the third quarter. I felt that those I'd considered buddies were suddenly making me an outcast. I was an emotional wreck and questioned why this had to happen. I prayed and cried about such friendships that had soured so badly. Again God intervened and allowed my friends and I to meet and present 'each other's case'. It all boiled down to my expectations of them and their suppositions of mine. It was complicated but in the end, it all worked out and we're now buddies again, hanging out and deepening our friendship.<br /><br />Before 2008 slips away and is archived in history books, I know God won't be slipping away as He takes me by the hand and leads me into the new year. More God-led chapters of life ahead for me...and for you. What assurance to speed into 2009, belted up and secure!</div><div></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2UW2-QL0q5gc9F3pennjArxwcSCaVp4clcA2_CzHDeuc2RA-BILMLDcEDVy8eoi6clcDAsRBaxH5K9CYM3aWAXGnuM5vtoh8r0WjoUpP4jaiVSMNoeh9o1xfPdEtkxgjecTRU/s1600-h/Racingcar.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285918117384319874" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 298px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 172px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2UW2-QL0q5gc9F3pennjArxwcSCaVp4clcA2_CzHDeuc2RA-BILMLDcEDVy8eoi6clcDAsRBaxH5K9CYM3aWAXGnuM5vtoh8r0WjoUpP4jaiVSMNoeh9o1xfPdEtkxgjecTRU/s320/Racingcar.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#cc0000;">God bless & keep you in the new year!</span></strong></div>Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-86185691179020551312008-12-20T10:56:00.035+08:002008-12-31T18:44:07.722+08:00Unravelling The Travel<div>There's never ever been a year where I've travelled as much as I have this year. I travelled for a whole host of reasons - retreat, holiday, sports, missions and business. So after a year of being here, there and everywhere, I thought I'd blog a summary of my tavels.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7Fa2InsSVsEvMOjezVVfj6W4k3mgdeehnhEUps_xdW2MWTGtkqko1yj_P5cvpGDllDsIN11HPTFdXsnDxRPlC3yeyMM4x6i_G-52gPiaemGaLpGSaZ_noaGdGwNHgi8ZCX0q/s1600-h/tucson.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285897526631926242" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 120px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx7Fa2InsSVsEvMOjezVVfj6W4k3mgdeehnhEUps_xdW2MWTGtkqko1yj_P5cvpGDllDsIN11HPTFdXsnDxRPlC3yeyMM4x6i_G-52gPiaemGaLpGSaZ_noaGdGwNHgi8ZCX0q/s200/tucson.jpg" border="0" /></a>It started early in the year when I put my SUV (a Hyundai Tucson) to the test by driving up to Malaysia's Cameron Highlands. The car proved it had grit despite being overweight and struggling just a bit to keep up with a Nissan Cefiro and a Subaru Legacy when we made our ascent. On the highways, my wheels kept pace. Despite having safety in numbers in our four-vehicle convoy, we also did cheeky leap-frogging on the straight, taking turns to take the lead. I have an appetite for speed and exhiliration as would most men my age, but you're never able to feed it on roads at home.<br /><br />I never expected to dig up comments by former Malaysian PM Mahathir Mohamad to support my point, but I thought his remarks, albeit cutting, drove (pardon the pun) home the point:<br /><br /><div><div><div><div><blockquote><em><span style="color:#3333ff;">In Singapore, there are roads but when shifting into fourth gear, you fall into the sea because it (the country) is not big....It (Singapore) is only 18 miles from Keppel harbour to the Causeway. Not even time to change into fourth gear. You buy a Ferrari you can't change into fourth gear, there is no use. So we want to give them the opportunity to change into fourth gear on our roads.</span></em></blockquote>In the first quarter of the year, I set foot on Hong Kong for a company retreat. I found the Chinese territory somewhat disappointing on these two counts - customer service and the PSI (pollutant standards index) of the island. I'd heard much about the delicious food (especially its <em>dim sum</em>) and was largely satisfied with the quality of meals I had. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCxwcdU4pJyTaatHkRgihIv53ofeu_PWZ-H80GpzYmlnzvEDe6bnaagi4cP6K3_Oi0m0OHaot4KIvhxYOGyYkWFMHq1XT2xLypk7ghihDXWzzDcxcu00DItZvUdRTZv5tsBT_/s1600-h/HK.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285899460287694274" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 130px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 97px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvCxwcdU4pJyTaatHkRgihIv53ofeu_PWZ-H80GpzYmlnzvEDe6bnaagi4cP6K3_Oi0m0OHaot4KIvhxYOGyYkWFMHq1XT2xLypk7ghihDXWzzDcxcu00DItZvUdRTZv5tsBT_/s400/HK.jpg" border="0" /></a>I was however almost scalded when a waiter half flung a bowl of steaming hot noodle dumpling soup onto the table. Despite their lack of quality service, the wait staff also failed to demonstrate patience while we chose items from their menu. It didn't help that the menu was in Chinese. Would I return to the territory? Yes. With thicker skin and more grace. If not for friends of my wife and me living and working there, there'd be every reason to give the former British colony a miss. To confirm my impressions, I've been asking interviewees whom I've hosted on my programme through the course of the year about how they'd rate Hong Kong in relation to Singapore in terms of living standards. The results tipped in favour of the Lion city. Enough said.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2YE06E6_CqYoT-ix5ShX6jdLn792-qA9hebI5W4h_hoerG3sYQaV49u9vMeM8eMfySOPuvA23GAV67kR5atLahuAWirJ51NuIUgHLhsMdBypRhY6i1UFSndLLaWTK_rek5wh/s1600-h/Everything+lor+067.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285900831435329202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2YE06E6_CqYoT-ix5ShX6jdLn792-qA9hebI5W4h_hoerG3sYQaV49u9vMeM8eMfySOPuvA23GAV67kR5atLahuAWirJ51NuIUgHLhsMdBypRhY6i1UFSndLLaWTK_rek5wh/s320/Everything+lor+067.JPG" border="0" /></a>Then came May and I was off on a fully-sponsored business trip to Sydney, Australia, thanks to promotional efforts by Tourism New South Wales to market Sydney and its coastal and hinterland attractions as places to visit. It was their second time buying a Mother's Day Package on my station and I was heartened they came back for a second run after a successful campaign with us two years ago. It was great having my own mum come along on this trip.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlLppYcJLIlMrJt1KnNhLBcXKrIuSkBLnYqt6e4Pb40yLP0-4DFPx7HpyXbRMjqZLuHsxk2EPMfhI63CJH0XXQyGXO7sK97OK2N4FBzk9U9QRENyM0yp_0VqrXW1cEYD4Bgzy/s1600-h/Everything+lor+531.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285901648998635442" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOlLppYcJLIlMrJt1KnNhLBcXKrIuSkBLnYqt6e4Pb40yLP0-4DFPx7HpyXbRMjqZLuHsxk2EPMfhI63CJH0XXQyGXO7sK97OK2N4FBzk9U9QRENyM0yp_0VqrXW1cEYD4Bgzy/s320/Everything+lor+531.JPG" border="0" /></a>Then for two weeks of August this year, like in 2005 and 2006, I was helping to (spiritually) plow the fields in rural villages in Kenya. My wife and I were part of a church mission team that visited a mission station headed by Pastor Richard Musyoki and his Singaporean wife Jenny. My third trip this time left me a fresh impression of Kenya after we visited a safari. It confirmed what the wildlife documentaries on tv had screened were all for real!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWylUjDSBtSBWXtP_3BVaOKeTW87n2fx-cZvbbKPN6HxH_ORjp6cisTfMWKE2LrRqhaXq3WFKof9RQFjVMxt3vsU8vK5ShNrmrQ_1seRmGSdNkLtDf7A9RZhV8MJ6RL3UkFc8z/s1600-h/tennis.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285903094499258434" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 102px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 130px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWylUjDSBtSBWXtP_3BVaOKeTW87n2fx-cZvbbKPN6HxH_ORjp6cisTfMWKE2LrRqhaXq3WFKof9RQFjVMxt3vsU8vK5ShNrmrQ_1seRmGSdNkLtDf7A9RZhV8MJ6RL3UkFc8z/s400/tennis.jpg" border="0" /></a>Last month, I travelled for the sole purpose of my sporting passion - tennis! Together with two colleagues who are even more hardcore tennis fans than I am, we packed our luggage (and tennis rackets) and jetted off to China to catch the season-ending ATP Masters Cup in Shanghai. I absolutely enjoyed the early chills of winter in the air, but even more, seeing real-life action on court at the Qi Zhong Stadium and all the big guns of tennis - Federer, Djokovic, Roddick, Davydenko, the Bryan brothers and a host more. The food was fabulous and if that's not good enough reason to get me back to Shanghai, how about tailoring at a steal of just S$20 for a long-sleeved business shirt?! Twas also great catching up with Juliana on the trip.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZED2x4cSu0H9P5Rda2n1R-Y1U9Y_boEwSAGUv3N9RXJB1F43U-I8Nbovcdgc28jHwFPcR1-JPG2u5J46fv97epHg8ZFSEOC7kfYCcKAbFZPRMr2AiqMM1G09O9GIIy8MO9AmQ/s1600-h/Everything+dec+105.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285902480214438114" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZED2x4cSu0H9P5Rda2n1R-Y1U9Y_boEwSAGUv3N9RXJB1F43U-I8Nbovcdgc28jHwFPcR1-JPG2u5J46fv97epHg8ZFSEOC7kfYCcKAbFZPRMr2AiqMM1G09O9GIIy8MO9AmQ/s320/Everything+dec+105.JPG" border="0" /></a>My last drop-in of 2008 found me on Cambodian soil earlier this month. Sponsored by the Singapore International Foundation, it was to lend coverage to one of their Singapore Volunteers Overseas porgrammes. Got to meet and speak with fellow countrymen driven there to make a difference and be a catalyst of positive change in the rural communitites of Phnom Penh. I managed to schedule other interviews with locals there so I could bring part of Cambodia home and share it on air.<br /><br />Where next? Well, maybe a trip back to Hong Kong in the early part of 2009 for a short getaway and to catch up with friends and family there for Dorcas & I. We're also setting our sights on the UK around mid-year, but that's still tentative.<br /><br />Meantime, here's wishing you a Blessed Christmas season and keep safe in your holiday travels!</div></div></div></div></div>Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-20262514386093161312008-11-06T21:22:00.000+08:002008-11-06T21:51:07.146+08:00Another Baby!.we do so and comments loves <a href="http://livingroomscribbles.blogspot.com/">She</a> .anytime visit to welcome You're .this for while a quite waiting been We'd .well growing otherwise is but underweight little a and side pale the on slightly She's .well doing is and October 16th on born was She .again father a becoming experience exhilirating an been has sure It !wishes-well many your for you thank ,Firstly<br /><br />.site this neglecting be won't I ,sure for thing's one But. entries blog the with up keep to hard it find just you, life eventful-than-less otherwise your in happen episodes such when and around world my turned literally She'sStanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-37089436923642503482008-10-21T21:17:00.001+08:002008-12-30T09:04:34.012+08:00His Words, my words"...Words are all I have to take your heart away". Yes, even the Bee Gees recognised the impact of words. Words are so powerful. I remember just being a few feet high and the family receiving loads of Christmas cards before e-cards surfaced and ruled. It was just so meaningful to know that people had painstakingly written a loving message in it with your name right on the top left corner of the card and then signing off diagonally across from 'Dear'. The fact that it's handwritten makes it so precious. Typed messages over the keyboard lose not so much the meaning as the character and tone of the conveyor.<br /><br />I know you have the choice of fonts from the staid <span style="font-family:times new roman;">Times New Roman</span> to the stoic and unfriendly <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">Trebuchet</span>, and you can choose however <span style="font-size:78%;">tiny</span> or <span style="font-size:180%;">gi-normous</span> you want your font size to be, but that's beside the point.<br /><br />But words being words, they're largely all the same. For ease and speed of message transference, it's all down to typing. If you make a startling discovery today that there are more people with poor handwriting today than 20 years ago, you know technology and the keyboard are to blame for the lack of practice (and the carpel tunnel syndrome!).<br /><br />I always knew I loved writing and had a knack for it (if I can say so myself without gloating). My boss even made me the unofficial PR representative to reply emails that would require firm tact and subtle cordiality. I first knew I never had much of a problem with words when I frequently exceeded the word limit of essays at school. No wonder mum sometimes teased me in Cantonese as being 'lor-sor' or long-winded. But can you imagine if I weren't? How'd I even do half as well in my job that doesn't allow a moment of silence? Herein lies the purpose of this email, I hadn't realised just how much I'd missed the 'written' word until my colleague Pam and I set up a work blog to tie in with our show! The excitement surrounding that new blog was one reason why I'd neglected posting an entry here these last few weeks, but rest assured, I won't be forsaking this, my personal blog.<br /><br />Words have also been demanded of me the last couple of weeks. I'd been invited to contribute an article to a Christian publication, <a href="http://www.vantagepoint.com.sg/Airwaves_Leong_2008.html">VantagePoint</a>, for their Nov/Dec issue. They'd requested I share about what it means to be a Christian in the Media industry and the impact of broadcast media. The topic was close to my heart and I have been blessed with instances where Christ's name was lifted high on air! Writing that article made me recount how privileged a position I am in. Not every job allows you to impact so many people on a daily basis and it made me reflect on my responsibility to my audience in the eyes of the Lord.<br /><br />Words written or spoken, let it come from on high through you and me!Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-41608870631821054322008-10-01T17:07:00.002+08:002008-10-02T08:56:47.759+08:00RELAUNCHED! The New Look of The NewsStan(d)<span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>Time to pull the poppers!!! We turn 3!!!</strong></span><br /><br />This blog was born 3 years and 3 days ago and as with everything, changes are inevitable, if not, necessary. If not for deliberate cause for refreshment, then succumbing to the normalcy of change and its grip on life and all in its path.<br /><br />I am one blogger who's surprised he's continued to keep at the art of blogging while many who've launched their blogs in big and exciting ways (loud hailer and all) have since hung up the keyboard.<br /><br />There are three primary thrusts why this blog continues to live on, as long as I do (God's at the check-out counter) - self-expression through journaling, reporting and informing from my small aperture of the world, and to encourage and bless readers like you who make stopovers on this site.<br /><br />Please come by soon again for the next issue from THIS newsstan(d).<br /><br />~ The celebrating EditorStanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-34266520772826096812008-09-29T20:52:00.003+08:002008-09-29T21:43:37.266+08:00Stanley is NO LONGER listed as 'SINGLE'You know how friends sometimes update their status on Facebook - some go from being 'single' to 'in a relationship', you can sense the pain when someone types in his or her status going the reverse. Yet others go from 'in a relationship' to 'married'. Today, my relationship status changed. I've gone from 'single' to 'double'.<br /><br />I've been 'Han Solo' for just over 2 months and this period has ranked among the tougher times of my career. Being the only voice, face, hands and feet of the show is draining. You're paid a person's salary to bear the workload of two. If not for the transient help of Evelyn, Phoebe, Nicole, Keith (our interns) and my boss, the show would not have gone on the way it has. God's been good, enabling me to keep up with the day-to-day production and presentation these many months. My days of singlehood ceased today! There have been a few false alarms from my bosses about having found someone suitable to co-produce and host the show with, but like I said, they were false alarms. It looked like it would take forever for someone to be found. It didn't quite take forever. It just took the closure for four magazines to move the missing piece in place.<br /><br />This Living Room was too roomy for one to play host to guests, but it couldn't be just <em>anyone</em>. It was my prayer that it would be someone with whom I could connect with as a friend, not just a colleague. It would be someone with whom I'd share many common values and drives, not just a programme and time on air.<br /><br />God answered my prayer today. Before setting off from home today, I silently prayed that I'd set off on the right footing with this new colleague I was going to meet. We did, in more ways than one! Upon meeting her in the office (it being her first day with our station), we were both wearing F1 Grand Prix lanyards! Who would have thought?!<br /><br />We even shared our first joke. I teased her at the speed at which she pounded away at her keyboard, almost like the way Alonso whizzed around the street circuit of Singapore last night - unapologetically quick with no time to lose. I said in jest that at the rate she typed, one could tell she was formerly working for a magazine! She's earned her first nickname from me (I promise to limit name-giving since I'm not baptising her or anything) - Keyboard Killer!<br /><br />It looks like we're off to a good start and I can't wait to do some exhilirating laps with my new partner 'in crime'. The world's inaugural night race may have ended, but for us and as the Carpenters would sing it - We've only just begun....Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-76424611436863024652008-08-30T20:41:00.012+08:002008-08-30T21:51:02.047+08:00Kenya 2008 (Part 4)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8nQ1zD0vPd-O4QKBDbzjU9UnP3IZVM8koeaO07OrAIVC2jZkc3YFxCeHVYL-mC-V380lTet2dNelvTdVfVMihrZBQLZcoVbg6BNR-8co1XP9mBmLXVqKcR2Ptb3WvN7mpu5Pu/s1600-h/Kenyasafari4.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240296928154587074" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8nQ1zD0vPd-O4QKBDbzjU9UnP3IZVM8koeaO07OrAIVC2jZkc3YFxCeHVYL-mC-V380lTet2dNelvTdVfVMihrZBQLZcoVbg6BNR-8co1XP9mBmLXVqKcR2Ptb3WvN7mpu5Pu/s200/Kenyasafari4.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="color:#ffffff;">Watching documentaries of free spirited animals roaming in the vast open lands can leave you in awe at their beauty, stature, grace of movement and nonchalant manner. Wild, unsubdued and poised for a kill or to be another's dinner. The safari. We were there in Amboseli National Park!<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2nPT3CoYYCsUlZez6t41QYQI_o11X7vqp6pRgMXzGdKIRwVxBiuW7mcyNhpoDDndQXsuM-Ky0JDGhfPKA7MNcbG4HEaUzcqV5FL_D-PBfJgePGi1at1_K2qGgSyzcWySmLmo/s1600-h/Kenyasafari20.jpg"><span style="color:#ffffff;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240297490389107202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz2nPT3CoYYCsUlZez6t41QYQI_o11X7vqp6pRgMXzGdKIRwVxBiuW7mcyNhpoDDndQXsuM-Ky0JDGhfPKA7MNcbG4HEaUzcqV5FL_D-PBfJgePGi1at1_K2qGgSyzcWySmLmo/s200/Kenyasafari20.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;">The reserve is famous for being the best place in Africa to get close to free-ranging elephants and we truly weren't disappointed. The park, over more than 39,000 hectares in size, spans Kenya and Tanzania. The semi-gravel semi-dirt track into the safari (within which was our accommodation - </span><a href="http://www.serenahotels.com/kenya/amboseli/home.asp"><span style="color:#ffffff;">Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge</span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;">) was long, winding and bumpy. It was akin to having a full-body massage while seated. Our bus took to the rough and windy track like cheese over a grater.<br /><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2MVqAlK8lcnjVZAKyBp4FffTAhWm6JrAJKFo5COjERnLdeuLT2G4j9sbgpnKFzmqEFCjE3skTj7Hxb2vzOFKYwYk-rRPVC3VRN5CwGggf-rTGu7otFnDhaPOtGB64iiptWEON/s1600-h/Kenyasafari7.jpg"><span style="color:#ffffff;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240298154738292898" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2MVqAlK8lcnjVZAKyBp4FffTAhWm6JrAJKFo5COjERnLdeuLT2G4j9sbgpnKFzmqEFCjE3skTj7Hxb2vzOFKYwYk-rRPVC3VRN5CwGggf-rTGu7otFnDhaPOtGB64iiptWEON/s200/Kenyasafari7.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;">It seemed forever and the land stretched beyond what the eye can see. There was no landmark aside from mountains (including Mount Kilimanjaro) way in the distance. Almost suddenly, the bus turns into a driveway. It almost seemed like an oasis after travelling hours in the dessert, but this stunning hotel wasn't a figment of our imagination.<br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7zxwkUiwhMfVceo1AggCqWzqquLqfOK_u9E8s5usa71ZSG093-hN-gVweHDKgVsSIsVOV2vxUWYwAi94F1yjbncZQxxPH9T2OyAou0sXPm2iph0C2WZHzAiHeJjeAwOqGmii/s1600-h/Kenyasafari11.jpg"><span style="color:#ffffff;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240300476985607250" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7zxwkUiwhMfVceo1AggCqWzqquLqfOK_u9E8s5usa71ZSG093-hN-gVweHDKgVsSIsVOV2vxUWYwAi94F1yjbncZQxxPH9T2OyAou0sXPm2iph0C2WZHzAiHeJjeAwOqGmii/s200/Kenyasafari11.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;">The local people are largely Maasai - a semi-nomadic indigenous ethnic group. Their brightly-coloured (mostly red) dressing consists drape-overs, accessories, a stick and the sporting of a huge hole in their earlobes.<br /><br />Increasingly, this group is being exposed to trade and do not survive merely on the simple crops they plant, nor their cattle produce. In fact, a Maasai was scrubbing the floor at the resort while we were tucking into our breakfast. Looks like they can be found in the hospitality and tourism sectors too nowadays!<br /><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_HGzrEvcxZL0OiZBDIu4PkZflG9Hzl2mivZALtIiUneqSqOcGE6T-1Ve12QHK_mXH0HPGz-eRbSbyB6bPPT-H6g4sColUM2IiFJnWXKhQws4WEUIFrnshSXv0uFa0-OcHwSQ/s1600-h/Kenyasafari15.jpg"><span style="color:#ffffff;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240302785132680322" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ_HGzrEvcxZL0OiZBDIu4PkZflG9Hzl2mivZALtIiUneqSqOcGE6T-1Ve12QHK_mXH0HPGz-eRbSbyB6bPPT-H6g4sColUM2IiFJnWXKhQws4WEUIFrnshSXv0uFa0-OcHwSQ/s200/Kenyasafari15.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;">Back to the animals, they were aplenty and looked content grazing. The zebras, the wildebeest, antelopes were the most numerous animals we saw.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1t7K0Nbfdq07ChGf7-lwxld6wckyH_KvQ1gX6Xd50vE6E7pa2okeFWhTSzEeCYeDv7XLgMTVvkP5XliqFF2QNlNLzGHDtD7kC5QypNsCu7TKDukVJssK2WA6z35SdZ9YARR5Y/s1600-h/Kenyasafari16.jpg"><span style="color:#ffffff;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240302788144199666" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1t7K0Nbfdq07ChGf7-lwxld6wckyH_KvQ1gX6Xd50vE6E7pa2okeFWhTSzEeCYeDv7XLgMTVvkP5XliqFF2QNlNLzGHDtD7kC5QypNsCu7TKDukVJssK2WA6z35SdZ9YARR5Y/s200/Kenyasafari16.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglq8P1ibbWV7gaqFdvRpVMnAGQWc_DXuyV54VcavsG6NYD2PFIo_q6yPHVY4pI1B2Js4A-tMitdUz7UuJ29o7p8Erzf9EP7CLKwwjp_NJM_nihVU_t4uWDP192NghyphenhyphennyOL6Uew/s1600-h/Kenyasafari21.jpg"><span style="color:#ffffff;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240304845202056194" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglq8P1ibbWV7gaqFdvRpVMnAGQWc_DXuyV54VcavsG6NYD2PFIo_q6yPHVY4pI1B2Js4A-tMitdUz7UuJ29o7p8Erzf9EP7CLKwwjp_NJM_nihVU_t4uWDP192NghyphenhyphennyOL6Uew/s200/Kenyasafari21.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;">We spotted ostriches that reminded me of <em>can-can</em> girls showing off their long legs. We caught a 'hurray' of hippos basking in the sun and a herd of buffalos staring us</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjDUvlFPFAlEkvfqBnGyofMMRNfOw1kdXEGMe-g5qaT9uYkXvxCAJelE23esTeLaj5PlJL0NbuaxPp4zBm-xGuzniywYgzDreA4g8oVR_3fgAgj-sOS1F5DlNnZBTFWpld8D-/s1600-h/Kenyasafari19.jpg"><span style="color:#ffffff;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240304856684854514" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjDUvlFPFAlEkvfqBnGyofMMRNfOw1kdXEGMe-g5qaT9uYkXvxCAJelE23esTeLaj5PlJL0NbuaxPp4zBm-xGuzniywYgzDreA4g8oVR_3fgAgj-sOS1F5DlNnZBTFWpld8D-/s200/Kenyasafari19.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;"> down.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqF9jeWt5rPgMhtprDAUIhXF6YPnVriMZo9C-bJLzEqNZ-wMrEX8ALlw1b-EKn50SiD7enSQhs2n_BVdqCa_U3Io8bVLLom5JQXk9OFF0uXdC7N2Q-_AfTtfQS_dmUOJiq9xQB/s1600-h/Kenyasafari23.jpg"><span style="color:#ffffff;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240304850520711922" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqF9jeWt5rPgMhtprDAUIhXF6YPnVriMZo9C-bJLzEqNZ-wMrEX8ALlw1b-EKn50SiD7enSQhs2n_BVdqCa_U3Io8bVLLom5JQXk9OFF0uXdC7N2Q-_AfTtfQS_dmUOJiq9xQB/s200/Kenyasafari23.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;"><br /><br /><br /></span><p></p><br /><p><span style="color:#ffffff;"></span></p><br /><p><span style="color:#ffffff;"></span></p><br /><p><span style="color:#ffffff;"></span></p><br /><p><span style="color:#ffffff;"></span></p><p><span style="color:#ffffff;"></span></p><p><span style="color:#ffffff;"></span></p><p><span style="color:#ffffff;">Then there were the prowlers and those that tagged along to feed on the spoils. That's Lion King, Dr 'Jackal' and Mr 'Hyena'.</span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoFmu7ET8HvyCl3OS65RZZo0qYmiYTDQ3He36ZIxQKl6_z2hi6YVbYCY8j6Y_eZscI6nuE8dkaGOrtNvP2o8pNaLS0Y8Brvgf6pEh_fMJAISVbAtkEDqa5Iuep-CBQKPdJKMD/s1600-h/Kenyasafari24.jpg"><span style="color:#ffffff;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240306339948646866" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJoFmu7ET8HvyCl3OS65RZZo0qYmiYTDQ3He36ZIxQKl6_z2hi6YVbYCY8j6Y_eZscI6nuE8dkaGOrtNvP2o8pNaLS0Y8Brvgf6pEh_fMJAISVbAtkEDqa5Iuep-CBQKPdJKMD/s200/Kenyasafari24.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="color:#ffffff;"></span></p><br /><p><span style="color:#ffffff;"></span></p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizN8kP9SwjZp-M24KzEdNMV0-ACw9bz07Li7SdBZvnS_N1-s8gPPHU6iaRpotk1jhFYcpc1MIdpyPaN9hDKEVPTZeoLYxIXnc6NUNCi3mf4IUQJN_DtRKf_U-65-3_03QlaC3C/s1600-h/Kenyasafari18.jpg"><span style="color:#ffffff;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240305723976778834" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizN8kP9SwjZp-M24KzEdNMV0-ACw9bz07Li7SdBZvnS_N1-s8gPPHU6iaRpotk1jhFYcpc1MIdpyPaN9hDKEVPTZeoLYxIXnc6NUNCi3mf4IUQJN_DtRKf_U-65-3_03QlaC3C/s200/Kenyasafari18.jpg" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#ffffff;"><br /></span><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4mEzTUxDeK76EhIinWl2NLGY_sp6QliAAJx_CMnQ0lEgc4oUMkAMlAmiU1JxgR34WB0iq-4V8WxYmw3ND7vBjLinEeu4LdMMsgDY1sq2C8VvyD01MwP735aqn7U9MY-jWerx/s1600-h/Kenyasafari17.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5240305717670324610" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4mEzTUxDeK76EhIinWl2NLGY_sp6QliAAJx_CMnQ0lEgc4oUMkAMlAmiU1JxgR34WB0iq-4V8WxYmw3ND7vBjLinEeu4LdMMsgDY1sq2C8VvyD01MwP735aqn7U9MY-jWerx/s200/Kenyasafari17.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-2921557234745224712008-08-25T21:19:00.024+08:002008-08-27T21:10:49.907+08:00Kenya 2008 (Part 3)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFCosINN5r4_e2s8l31W1OIgp0AudyzMMLSfX84r45nxmmOhahgfNM3S04QYYMMR0U-3qAP_h4inj2wErh6XYSS3RkzYh_Os-KZnhpUeD-Ic2KD4CIbwQW8T7orVQHuGV2IsE/s1600-h/Kenyamission61.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239171412430889218" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYFCosINN5r4_e2s8l31W1OIgp0AudyzMMLSfX84r45nxmmOhahgfNM3S04QYYMMR0U-3qAP_h4inj2wErh6XYSS3RkzYh_Os-KZnhpUeD-Ic2KD4CIbwQW8T7orVQHuGV2IsE/s200/Kenyamission61.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(left: <span style="color:#ffcc33;">Josephine</span> and <span style="color:#ffcc00;">Samson</span>)</span></em><br /><br /><div>One of the joys this trip was to once again be found in the fellowship of friends I'd made during my previous two visits. There was Samuel and Samson at Kavingoni; I was glad to still see familiar faces amongst the youth there. The youth were <img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239171411361145730" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAj2cvD9u0loJfnw0lh9WIQRz5VfplqcPNSOxu0ap15PiSu1uS-7mN2KasuwC4VpApNTXmSzlSQ9l7JWVaifnT348SC6msL30a-YpnA1q_tRkuOyC3HZ0-nJcowkpnKMQTx6Y2/s200/Kenyamission60.jpg" border="0" />predominantly those I'd interacted with on my previous trips.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><em>(left: <span style="color:#ffcc00;">Samuel</span> & <span style="color:#ffcc00;">James</span>)</em></span><br /><br />And what a joy to see Patrick at Ngoleni. He'd travelled up just to meet the team although he works in the Kenyan coastal city of Mombasa.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGNUw9QOqpeJViY0oFDVKGoDrKq1xCP7WoqlQexDHuzjxhmlyDUY1Nc7AqwZZW2VPfLXtf-lbQSVxFbVLskRcyf4n_N7lA-lUAvq69SsP5-q8Bz0Zb5ILjvIb3yWJH_Srpocz/s1600-h/Kenyamission71.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239173334360972658" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtGNUw9QOqpeJViY0oFDVKGoDrKq1xCP7WoqlQexDHuzjxhmlyDUY1Nc7AqwZZW2VPfLXtf-lbQSVxFbVLskRcyf4n_N7lA-lUAvq69SsP5-q8Bz0Zb5ILjvIb3yWJH_Srpocz/s200/Kenyamission71.jpg" border="0" /></a>What a joy also to see Benjamin there. Just a day before departing Kavingoni for Ngoleni, his mother and sister had told me that Ben won't be meeting us this time around. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvK9jcFnglhslqC1ehuZNpRG-Lvn7Mgn0qth35DjJcYoBFJdKSpMU9k4LgSNoxElJkLQgQBmKN4HHDP1l4bZ14VzobGxqTkTzgilnl1He2B5pMcAxIwKdlQmdF3wgYzdGsAhA/s1600-h/Kenyamission70.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239173325848844290" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuvK9jcFnglhslqC1ehuZNpRG-Lvn7Mgn0qth35DjJcYoBFJdKSpMU9k4LgSNoxElJkLQgQBmKN4HHDP1l4bZ14VzobGxqTkTzgilnl1He2B5pMcAxIwKdlQmdF3wgYzdGsAhA/s200/Kenyamission70.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(top: <span style="color:#ffcc00;">Samuel, Myriam</span> and <span style="color:#ffcc00;">Patrick</span>)<br />(top right: <span style="color:#ffcc00;">Ben</span>)</span></em><br /><br />I guess he wanted to surprise us by turning up unannounced. I won't forget the sacrifice he made just to spend half a day with us after travelling a few hours from Nairobi where he's pursuing his undergrad studies in Commerce. That brother even had an exam paper to sit for the following morning yet made the effort to visit us at the highland village. Thank God He's been keeping all these friends well for the time we've been apart.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTp9X3oGnrT5WMtWxJZH7OPZEl1LfU1b35P93szPryvXA3UO8N0mKTr7t8yrOWiIGW0O8zFtQTpODSupfIJq3YLqsKsOYErC8uBC5CquUv_JQW8qhvLWi9ww8w8-Pw4YCHjkaN/s1600-h/Kenyaus5.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239179603544941746" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTp9X3oGnrT5WMtWxJZH7OPZEl1LfU1b35P93szPryvXA3UO8N0mKTr7t8yrOWiIGW0O8zFtQTpODSupfIJq3YLqsKsOYErC8uBC5CquUv_JQW8qhvLWi9ww8w8-Pw4YCHjkaN/s200/Kenyaus5.jpg" border="0" /></a>Another encouragement was Peter, who's in his final months of completing his theological studies. Thereafter, he'll go where the Lord leads Him to serve. With two new churches now at Mwisa and Ngoleni, Pastor Richard could do with more help in the vast fields to sow seeds for the Kingdom.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpoiaXI7Zejrc5btPLqdhoiTRce6VPjMYJeHQ3SZtSMluh9MoFEQOgdD7fzcbDw20pCFeWwtKLootc-f3VTV6JuJYBYWfId_dQz5Qp26K6VyMg-ZmmF7njBJ0RROjobU6V1xj/s1600-h/Kenyamission62.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239171421504554690" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYpoiaXI7Zejrc5btPLqdhoiTRce6VPjMYJeHQ3SZtSMluh9MoFEQOgdD7fzcbDw20pCFeWwtKLootc-f3VTV6JuJYBYWfId_dQz5Qp26K6VyMg-ZmmF7njBJ0RROjobU6V1xj/s200/Kenyamission62.jpg" border="0" /></a>This trip, I also got a chance to meet newer members of the church in Kavingoni like James. I also got to know another Peter better too; he'd been a new member to the church on my previous trip.<br /><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">(left: <span style="color:#ffcc00;">Shadrach </span>& <span style="color:#ffcc00;">Bernard)</span></span></em><br /><br /><br />Then there was Josephine, Mutuko, Shadrach, Bernard and another Patrick, and brothers Paul and Able. Then there were Michael who was helping to build the boarding school's kitchen block and heading the project was Justus from Kitui.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YOdMJ5onnTgjohbVSvaJ2CEu7Cy4l4naweaCNZhZ-azEc_1Ue7KR7-4nSWyGRccGVfHGK8QianXwEyVzV2-3vUZlNFSx2Ys9MF0U1_zEO6jiHN-LphLTTSzwPmfefYTN9dz6/s1600-h/Kenyamission63.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239171427803600386" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9YOdMJ5onnTgjohbVSvaJ2CEu7Cy4l4naweaCNZhZ-azEc_1Ue7KR7-4nSWyGRccGVfHGK8QianXwEyVzV2-3vUZlNFSx2Ys9MF0U1_zEO6jiHN-LphLTTSzwPmfefYTN9dz6/s200/Kenyamission63.jpg" border="0" /></a>Among the boarders at Aunty Jenny's school (Chosen Christian School) who were just such bright kids were Naomi and younger sister, Mercy. Then there was Lydia and Derrck - the quieter two of the four. By the way, we double-checked if Derrck had an 'i' in his name but he was sure of the spelling of his name, so we didn't push it.<br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />(left: <span style="color:#ffcc00;">Naomi, Derrck, Lydia</span> & <span style="color:#ffcc00;">Mercy</span>)<br /></span></em><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMuVj2kZhqxn8rmqpS8X9oBMQTKj-_Xb4EB5Ee6Omlgx9tzdjj5asoR3Chcxg8OtsKABBofvg2jvkM1Y9IYZ0A44knZ3bwFvfWfIv_TV3dkekkEI537mCXqopb0KaaYYyFhJqY/s1600-h/Kenyamission35.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239173339347568226" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMuVj2kZhqxn8rmqpS8X9oBMQTKj-_Xb4EB5Ee6Omlgx9tzdjj5asoR3Chcxg8OtsKABBofvg2jvkM1Y9IYZ0A44knZ3bwFvfWfIv_TV3dkekkEI537mCXqopb0KaaYYyFhJqY/s200/Kenyamission35.jpg" border="0" /></a>The kids have also grown up and what a joy to see those same bright smiling faces gleam in the sun. Mbovi was in the place of younger brother Charlo on my last visit (i.e. on the back of big sister Esther) and now, he's making up his own games to play! A boy of little words but ingenious! Then there were the two bright girls, Naomi and Rachel, who two years ago, were helping to intepret English to Ki Kamba for the younger ones at Sunday School. It was great to see them doing well too. <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBRGSs1_6OAu9W9o7Z623H4RY2cVmC1v-p8tYqvfVx_1_oo8_H8WFxXQjuUS2h5GAtQKJ4q7K6R-8CumiOOcgq1Ovmii-cQFDxyBdVq3cFzUART5uKOmZpQHmHV8rXq9iM7gGi/s1600-h/Kenyamission33.jpg"></a><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQL3nxCbtNvttIw6W3X8akd0LYQ8YRewNywlkRIASLUhW0KJKES_ZZWxUscgFLxridNw7s356S2_Ot7aiXKXTaFVmJ16EqCt2apdvLrO5BlVKzuD9w7L2CftHHravCG9WWQ1VL/s1600-h/Kenyamission36.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239179620822967202" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQL3nxCbtNvttIw6W3X8akd0LYQ8YRewNywlkRIASLUhW0KJKES_ZZWxUscgFLxridNw7s356S2_Ot7aiXKXTaFVmJ16EqCt2apdvLrO5BlVKzuD9w7L2CftHHravCG9WWQ1VL/s200/Kenyamission36.jpg" border="0" /></a>We also got to meet one-month-old baby, Alvinson. (Al)ex,Ke(vin),Nel(son) must be so honoured and thrilled to have a baby named after them when they visited the village last month. God also added to their number during our visit this month.<br /><br />I also won't forget the ladies, including Beatrice's (Samuel, Patrick and Myriam's mother) invitation to her house the next time I visit. The older women folk were also such a joy and although we couldn't quite converse, just the greeting and gesticulation was enough to send us in a roar of laughter. But each time they greeted us younger members with "Wacha", all we needed to utter was 'Ah'. It's similar to how we ask, "How are you?" and the reply you'd typically get would be "I'm fine". In their culture, the younger person waits for the senior to acknowledge his presence before he greets them.<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pz8P4Jry76O6AdreADezoMdpnEo3-V7Se3i3vdJ57vK6X2e-JTMoxxnqTYkBkXAxKskbS-XbnlAlUIAdFnpEYFtgaDrNOaLrkwMpv2ayTJ-31bHWPmn9JYKMK_tw0VwtKdv0/s1600-h/Kenyamission38.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239179616446341266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7pz8P4Jry76O6AdreADezoMdpnEo3-V7Se3i3vdJ57vK6X2e-JTMoxxnqTYkBkXAxKskbS-XbnlAlUIAdFnpEYFtgaDrNOaLrkwMpv2ayTJ-31bHWPmn9JYKMK_tw0VwtKdv0/s200/Kenyamission38.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xp6KQbsZbro9GA3DYjchCo_KrT-9r2pURhkzCaJnAH9939Yk0ov_qNchpyVPqkmZAkg4wpt1-cOlfXgIKQYJLQxxvZd06ilXJih-36G1B2UMsssWPxik920qEcCxMqC-MjeE/s1600-h/Kenyamission33.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239182619897080690" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3xp6KQbsZbro9GA3DYjchCo_KrT-9r2pURhkzCaJnAH9939Yk0ov_qNchpyVPqkmZAkg4wpt1-cOlfXgIKQYJLQxxvZd06ilXJih-36G1B2UMsssWPxik920qEcCxMqC-MjeE/s200/Kenyamission33.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1OJAp3tL25QeeH2f1kl1gMOurEvyGrqWGajCGL3F7Tiqa1Rle-zTvF5_a2_Olz1ynsweVU1_DxrHAEMl0nkW-75BjzbVz3fsdpyJ03F-71NVbPxr5J9UeXvfUz-8d8XP6RFy/s1600-h/Kenyamission51.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239182078425707554" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1OJAp3tL25QeeH2f1kl1gMOurEvyGrqWGajCGL3F7Tiqa1Rle-zTvF5_a2_Olz1ynsweVU1_DxrHAEMl0nkW-75BjzbVz3fsdpyJ03F-71NVbPxr5J9UeXvfUz-8d8XP6RFy/s200/Kenyamission51.jpg" border="0" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHvLuR9R9VBKDIfn-Ik7YM4Xj7Ylk-7S1ylOtlNVTpfvyxTLnHnh-qPXnAYcYEIVnMNy2mz9jeVU6LapeqArsXCFB4_J2e_l38S8hyphenhyphenA8UpWCIfIYKGi63MpFEFio3hyphenhyphene6hOJF/s1600-h/Kenyamission42.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5239179612342365650" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIHvLuR9R9VBKDIfn-Ik7YM4Xj7Ylk-7S1ylOtlNVTpfvyxTLnHnh-qPXnAYcYEIVnMNy2mz9jeVU6LapeqArsXCFB4_J2e_l38S8hyphenhyphenA8UpWCIfIYKGi63MpFEFio3hyphenhyphene6hOJF/s200/Kenyamission42.jpg" border="0" /></a></div>Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-39459572618225755482008-08-22T23:55:00.007+08:002008-08-25T14:44:17.487+08:00Kenya 2008 (Part 2)You settle in quicker when you've walked the land on foreign soil and so it was for me. Ours was to have been an early Thursday morning flight out of Changi on Qatar Airways, ETD 3.20am. A send-off party of some 20-odd family and friends (including my parents and in-laws) made for merry company before we checked in our luggage at the counter.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJp-3PHd6Tgb3wt0xjDt666XAg98VC2h0oMp4HfEdB6rBxI4lp4jtJIyoTUNYFDraLxZQsCU1-EKCjpKQNFRdJvK9jJ-L7lL4ODwsL1T6PAAP7f9EDbDJR5jRuNzRLi006nB9/s1600-h/Kenyamission13.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238341303394074802" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfJp-3PHd6Tgb3wt0xjDt666XAg98VC2h0oMp4HfEdB6rBxI4lp4jtJIyoTUNYFDraLxZQsCU1-EKCjpKQNFRdJvK9jJ-L7lL4ODwsL1T6PAAP7f9EDbDJR5jRuNzRLi006nB9/s200/Kenyamission13.jpg" border="0" /></a>Anyone in a vocation that's got to do with transport in the military will know what FPT is (i.e. First Parade Task). It's when you inspect your vehicle (visual inspection of external body of vehicle, including hands-on checks of oil levels, tyre pressure and all lights and lighting panel) before driving off. We operated in similar fashion, commiting the trip and each day and event in prayer right from before we departed. We knew we weren't going to be effective in the mission field if we didn't do a thorough check of ourselves, our teaching material and what else we packed. In relation to the trip, I'd prefer to see FPT as the acronym for <span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>F</strong>aith</span>, <span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>P</strong>ray</span>, <span style="color:#ff6600;"><strong>T</strong>rust</span>. And we had numerous occasions for these. Let me share them with you.<br /><br />We didn't have to wait very long for our first FPT moment.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>FPT#1</strong></span> - While doing a group check-in of our luggage, our bags were found to have exceeded the permissible limit we'd be given by some 40kgs despite being carefully conservative when we packed. Thank God for giving us wisdom to list what items had gone into each bag which had been numbered. This allowed us to leave behind two bags that contained less important contents.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff0000;"><strong>FPT#2</strong></span> - Upon checking in, we were told our flight would be delayed by an hour. One hour turned into two hours. Not till more than three hours later did we board our plane, but we surrendered to God's purposes for the delay without getting flustered. We were however concerned about having to miss our connecting flight from Doha to Nairobi, which had initially been just about an hour apart upon arrival in Qatar had we departed on schedule. We prayed.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;">FPT#3</span></strong> - We arrive in Qatar and were promptly whisked through the terminal and out to a waiting Emirates plane bound for Dubai. This detour was to be the next quickest passage to our final destination - Nairobi. After arriving in Dubai and about a couple of hours later, we were on a plane bound for the East African nation. Thank God for securing us seats on our final leg! <em>It truly felt like I was competing in The Amazing Race! But with God on your team, you can't lose.<br /></em><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKUaJ9d-RTvNEdf-MIrB2pnkGtjiiP8SpIR5GGejAhDgeMnt6Up6XknHrxPQuotHvEXKcEIK8XmPFSgF5kQMIwOtdnoYRbCXi_P13ywL2Rl3LH255M4d1E4SnfVEBpa1fCWAh/s1600-h/Kenyamission1.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238341715174549938" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWKUaJ9d-RTvNEdf-MIrB2pnkGtjiiP8SpIR5GGejAhDgeMnt6Up6XknHrxPQuotHvEXKcEIK8XmPFSgF5kQMIwOtdnoYRbCXi_P13ywL2Rl3LH255M4d1E4SnfVEBpa1fCWAh/s200/Kenyamission1.jpg" border="0" /></a>FPT#4</span></strong> -Upon arrival in Nairobi, it is common practice for the team to head straight for a Nakumatt supermarket branch near the airport to buy bottles of drinking water, fruits and vegetables and other bites for the team's consumption and treats for the villagers. But seeing how we'd been set back by about 6 hours and arriving at nightfall instead of early afternoon, there'd be no way to get the items. Praise God He led Pastor Richard and auntie Jenny to buy the items during their time of waiting. No time was wasted.<br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff0000;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpdW-jSGtW7CM4xTV3p4j8lvqVvcPIAS2yaA_Xj_wtmj99paslPGBN6ofrsM7X6AuEOch4rBxfSwlASAgwZBuIK-f26io4kgAc_Vgks_BFam4e43dmQHxDwFHLnN1sZD5dvKr/s1600-h/Kenyamission75.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238342248699149314" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnpdW-jSGtW7CM4xTV3p4j8lvqVvcPIAS2yaA_Xj_wtmj99paslPGBN6ofrsM7X6AuEOch4rBxfSwlASAgwZBuIK-f26io4kgAc_Vgks_BFam4e43dmQHxDwFHLnN1sZD5dvKr/s200/Kenyamission75.jpg" border="0" /></a>FPT#5</span></strong> - I'd been tasked to bring some vehicular parts (about 5kg) to a Singaporean lady who overseas the running of an ophanage in Nairobi. She attends my church. I'd initially declined to be their courier for fear of being stopped at the customs and questioned. I was also fearful of stalling the Galilee team with whom I was travelling with. Plus the parts cost more than S$2000 and what if they had wanted to tax me. But in preparation of the Bible lessons I'd be teaching on the trip, God's Word reminded me from the life of Abraham about the importance of faith. I was ashamed of my lack of it and how I wasn't living mine out. I repented and entrusted the metal components to the Lord for a safe passage across and through the customs officers. It worked!The parts in my checked-in luggage were never called into questioned! God heard my prayer and those of hundreds who prayed for these pieces to be carefully delivered to the lady who needed it urgently to get her car running again. There was a likelihood that the parts would never be received by her had they been delivered by the regular postal service.Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16358542.post-60692320662365158802008-08-22T23:40:00.006+08:002008-08-25T13:33:26.400+08:00Kenya 2008 (Part 1)<div align="left"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AF07tedQHQ3xPmDCfBrneR0prqRSKL0jE5QKU_2RPNfV7nJuyLzQGjnz05Y3JkfitufZuRwJAYOihHRJ1tNsytr-io7_vhnzD3C6z_fNxUjR0Et2GXc-Pokpe0ITL5hWATvS/s1600-h/Kenyaus7.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238322885808262082" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AF07tedQHQ3xPmDCfBrneR0prqRSKL0jE5QKU_2RPNfV7nJuyLzQGjnz05Y3JkfitufZuRwJAYOihHRJ1tNsytr-io7_vhnzD3C6z_fNxUjR0Et2GXc-Pokpe0ITL5hWATvS/s200/Kenyaus7.jpg" border="0" /></a>While the world set its sights on Beijing 2008, mine (together with 7 other pairs) were fixated on three villages, <a href="http://ebenezerkavingoni.blogspot.com/">Kavingoni</a>, <a href="http://ebenezermwisa.blogspot.com/">Mwisa</a> and <a href="http://travelingluck.com/Africa/Kenya/Eastern/_183634_Ngoleni.html#local_map">Ngoleni</a>. Tucked away to the southeast of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, the villagers enjoyed but the bare essentials of life. Modest living standards doesn't even seem a suitable adjective, what with no electricity and running water.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HBFb4_9CxHj95Hh9yjxxoos-ErZucrJtQ9ke0kevYEjCzX1K3Z1hIocnZx-_ITkHIvHigpFhVVhS9acpbTAd1qDfTXltVLf7NW7F3ClFOSBV_IbY2390VSWp_OevI-MHIP5a/s1600-h/Kenyatub.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238322295304706626" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2HBFb4_9CxHj95Hh9yjxxoos-ErZucrJtQ9ke0kevYEjCzX1K3Z1hIocnZx-_ITkHIvHigpFhVVhS9acpbTAd1qDfTXltVLf7NW7F3ClFOSBV_IbY2390VSWp_OevI-MHIP5a/s200/Kenyatub.jpg" border="0" /></a>We showered with water (scoop & pail) drawn from the well carted in jerry cans by asses. <em>{left: 5-year-old Nathaniel having his bath in the bigger pail}</em> Dinner was prepared over lit firewood. And we depended heavily on torchlights attached to lanyards that hung around our necks. Whenever we had light not from our battery-operated torches, it emanated from the moon, the galaxy of stars, or renewable energy (thanks to solar panels transported over and hooked up by a mission team that went before mine just last month). There was also the diesel-driven generator that generated not only a lot of carbon monoxide, but noise.<br /><br />It wasn't a culture shock for this urbanite. I had set foot in Kavingoni and Mwsia twice before (in 2005 & 2006) with the mission teams of my then home church Galilee Bible-Presbyterian Church. But this was a whole new experience for my wife whom I'm proud of, for putting aside her apprehension and 'roughing it out' in conditions some older team members say were reminiscent of Singapore in the 50s. </div><div align="center"><br /><em><strong><span style="color:#ffff66;">Our Mission:</span></strong></em><br /></div><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5238323505066115714" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_2eYOqavNbwaATEu3uBnnw2BnF0d94E5seytWIZYUPpPCk4Gw_y5XBInnAk_jdLuRF3kJaRybtUphRJn6yY76ryPnIYFOtIfMhBTcIVpnWIv4U8fhNy61rshJDlULNOn3LQC5/s320/Kenyamission19.jpg" border="0" /> <p align="center">1) To rejoice with Ebenezer BP Church (Kavingoni) on their 13th Anniversary<br />2) To conduct and witness the Dedication Service of the church in Mwisa<br />3) To celebrate the 1st Anniversary of the church at Ngoleni<br />4) To encourage our brethren there and teach God's Word<br />5) To be witnesses of the truth of the Gospel</p>Stanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06683938263217318493noreply@blogger.com0