Thank God!

Have arranged to meet a series of students for EBS this week. There were a number whom didn't turn up, but i thank God for those who did. Pray that God will continue to work in their lives, soften their hearts to the gospel.

Yesterday, it was amazing. I reached CCK Lot1 Mac at 3pm and was upset when i learned my students couldn't come because they had drama classes in school. So i went to Street E. The street E was so interesting. I met this Christian student who mentioned he won't ever attend YFC events again, i felt so sad when i heard that. I invited him for the Saturday's session on 'How do i know for sure there is a God?'. He said he will come. Pray that God will redirect him. I met this 2 muslim students who don't look like muslims. They indicated they are interested to find out about Christianity! Goodness, that is surprising! i mean, they meant it, because i did share with them a little, coz they needed to rush off. I'll be calling them to follow up to bring them the gospel. wow, i'm starting to think that maybe Muslims are more interested in finding out about the gospel than Chinese. its because i've shunned them everytime, and it remains advisable to do so. But who knows, they are itching to find out about our gospel! I met another Christian contact whom i've met previously before and challenged him.

After that, i went into Macdonalds, and saw the EBS students! they juz ended school, and they suggested doing EBS with them on the spot. haha.. so i did, and thank God, they were with another contact whom i'd met a day after i met them on the streets but didn't manage to share to him. So i did EBS with him also, and thank God they're a chatty bunch of people who are interested in the gospel. Pray that God may sustain their interest, not just the friendship.

Today- Kranji Step-Up prog. my group was loud and boisterous. shooting a lot of unpleasant, indecent sexual stuffs. But surprisingly they were attentive during the teaching and were responsive towards the activity which requires them to think and fill in a worksheet. They are rather smart little rascals, although cheeky and playful. I like them actually.

i'm very encouraged i received news today that a young Christian student gave to my project serve fund $10. It was her response made during last year end's retreat, when we were taught to learn to give in support of the work in the ministry. Because we are clear that we are giving 1st to the Lord, it is a service to God. Philippians 4:17. I do require support in form of prayers too, and trust that you are doing so. But also, i'm short of funds, so will like to plead that you give a portion to me, in support of the God's work. Thanks!

Vin

i'd initially felt that i'm too tired to update you guys here, but i've decided to do so so you guys can remember me in your prayers.

Eager to get out of being cooped indoors throughout last week, we did intensive St.E and Contact Work on Monday and Tuesday afternoons. it was the most intense St.E i've done for as long as my memory takes me. it totalled 7+ hours of contacting the students. I've really enjoyed pounding the streets to meet different students. Thank God for the many students we met, a combined Project Serve effort for 2 days allowed us to contact with 900+ students in total. Thank God! it was amazing. Although we were all physically tired at the end of the day, we felt so fulfilled, knowing that so many actually heard the gospel!

Today i went to another school program in Kranji Sec. YGOS is doing a long term 'Step-up' program with a few classes. need to understand that these few classes are specially identified by the teachers as hard to handle and having little or no motivation to study. I had quite some difficulty in handling my group. Me, with another Co-Worker (YGOS volunteer) was in charge of taking 11 students. Among them, they were a group of very different characters, personalities, attitude. From Ah Beng to very 'Bo Chap'.worse still, there was a clear divide between the races and they were generally uncomfortable with one another. The Chinese students just slipped away in the middle of the activity, which was not very nice of them. So do pray that we may bring ourselves down to their level in relating to them, humbling ourselves and open our lives to them before they are willing to open theirs to us.

Pray for sustenance of good health. My throat feels scratched, torn, eroded from all that extensive talking and shouting from start of the week.

thank you.
Vin

Oh Edna & I agreed on Saturday that we really miss the Philippians. so ya. we miss the Philippians! :)

anyway can also pray for Pastor's health - backpain. Pray for him please.

Vin

God's provision - a staff gave me PSS support (cash) when i least expect it to come. really so thankful and grateful. I didn't even pass him my PSS or talk to him about my Project Serve and this afternoon i received an SMS saying that he'd given me support. wow. this morning i was still worried i won't be able to raise enough support. God is the answer.

What burdens you?

i guess many things, but chasing lost souls seems most urgent now. The world is coming to an end soon, these few days the freakish weather can be a testament to that. Jesus Christ is coming fast. The sun and moon will change its colours soon. Lets remain faithful to the call of God.

Love God. Love man.

Vin

i think 10 years later, or maybe even 5, Eunice is going to look back and shiver at her Shanghai craze, and how she decorates it everywhere, at church, on herself, on others, at bpgcphilippians.blogspot.com also. As fanatically mad as she is now, as embarassed she'll be then i think. haha.. no offence.
But maybe not, through hearing from fellow BPGC Philippians '2006 who spent their childhood with her, she comes across as being erm. hyper actively more hystercial than the ones beside her, but the mention of those erm.. not very decent encounters appeared not to have induced a kind of paiseh-ness. haha.. so who knows, 10 years down, the mention of anything 'Shanghai' may just get her all excited again!

i've thoroughly enjoyed myself in today's Project Serve. We had this session in the afternoon, when Project Servants were taught the gospel content (Bridge to Life), but a group of us were herded into a separate room on our own to complete case studies in written form, kinda like a test. So we were given like 3 situations/ responses we get from students, related to the gospel content, and another section which consists of Structured Questions, also in relation to the gospel content itself. It was fun tackling these real-life examples, and really challenges me if i want to share the gospel relevantly, in fact, these are questions that often arises during gospel sharing, even on streets. knowing how to respond, or the answers to these questions make us clearer of what we believe in, so we will be able to explain to the person clearly. You know, the gospel is not about merely those 5 points, but its truly realising the need of the person and how the gospel can be permeated into his/her life, so we need to find something that is convicting.
haha... then after taking 30mins to answer the Questions on our own, everyone shared our answers with one another. (there were 8 of us- i think we were singled out because we have been sharing the gospel for quite some time already). I really really enjoyed the learning and hearing from each other.

Probably i'll list down the ideas here so you guys can also think about them. its not phrased exactly the same as its printed on my worksheet, i dun have it now coz we needed to hand it up at the end of the exercise.

Case 1: Sec 1 girl doesn't realise that she has sinned against God, so she doesn't see why God should punish her.

Case 2:At Macs, some students were lamenting that the Indonesians are rather poor things. They get hit by so many disasters like Bird Flu, Tsunamis, impending earthquakes. Then one student suddenly exclaimed, 'God must be behind all these', but the students quickly dismissed that idea, another student concluded, 'God can't be behind all these things, so many innocent lives are lost'.

Case 3: After a bible study on Romans 1, a student was rather disturbed, she find it hard to share to her friends as she can't identify how her friends are as sinful as mentioned in the passage. the student comes from a school where students are well-behaved and academically good, so she can make no connection between how sinful as mentioned in the bible to her friends. How to reconcile her experiences with the sinfulness that is stated in bible?

Structured Qns:
1. What is the significance of the resurrection?
2. Why must Jesus come down to die on the cross? Why can't he just descend dramatically from Heaven and declare that He forgives everyone?
3. Define repentance
4. Why is it important to state that God is the Creator?

I think there's 1 more question, but i've forgotten already.
Boon Jin (staff) will discuss with us tomorrow. i can't wait! whee!!! :)

Vin

Project Serve: this week is 'Open House', this week we're kinda like going through orientation. Get to know the different ministries and what they're doing. Boss went through the ministry ethos too. This week its still combined Project Serve sessions. i have this feeling this week that i'm a newcomer just getting to know SYFC. ha.. We're all going to be involved in a school program on Thursday, Friday, Saturday. Its at Chai Chee!! at Bedok folks. if it takes me 1 hr 30mins at least to reach Aljunied (Emmanuel House), i think it'll take me 2 hrs to go Chai Chee. I need to be at Chai Chee at 8am. yup. For the sake of the gospel, to be for the lost ones, i'm willing to forgo my comfort, and denying self.

Vin

My Project Serve started off with a an adventure camp at Camp Christine (Lim Chu Kang).

We woke up in Day 2, for a morning jog and unexpectedly (at least not when the sun was still sleeping) we were herded into the jungle and soon, a mud pool. haha... the organisers made sure everyone submerge themselves in the pool before letting us go one by one. hee.. The cemetery walk was cancelled coz when we reached there it was raining heavily, the water flowing current in the drains were fast and vigorous and there was lightning.

But it was interesting to be posted a question we ought to think about - 'what do you want to be written on your tombstone/grave?' it actually becomes your purpose and goal in life. its like telling people who see your grave and say, 'this is what my life is and about'. anyway tombstones are for the people living to see, not the ones who are dead. For example, the boss said he will imprint the words 'One life for many' on his tombstone. which is really what he's living for and it becomes the goal and mission statement of his life. Death isn't that far away my young brothers and sisters.

Yesterday we spent the entire day on an adventure journey, which started at 6am, we cycled through rough, wet, slippery, rocky terrains, and trekked for long hours on the beaten track. It was really testing on our endurance, perseverence. Especially for me, my 4th time cycling i had to come to this advance level of biking. Which was really frustrating, the narrow & ever changing terrains made it so difficult. i was like peddling for 1 metre and ramming myself to the bushes. half of the journey i just pushed the bike. Now i've got so many cuts from the plants and from falling off the bike on both legs. But my supervisor picked up a major cut. We were going downhill and he couldnt control the bike and the bike flew and he followed otherwise.

Project Serve has started, i pray that God will allow me to focus, look to Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, and persevere on towards the final goal.

Vin

My overseas venture has resulted in having friends around the globe.

i've just received an e-mail from this nice French gal, whom i bumped into & guided me through the dizzying metro when i was lost out of the airport. Earlier on, a Swedish guy whom i gave my medication to, from my family doctor from a neighbourhood clinic, also thanked me for the medicine which'd apparently worked wonders in him. My yahoo mail has been constantly bombarded by mails from this extremely friendly Indian catering guy, but i can't seem to open any of his attachments coz my comp detects a virus. I've received a call from another Indian guy who looks no bit like an Indian but a Burmese and another good-natured call from my friend in Qatar.

So i've now got contactable contacts from Greece, India, Qatar, Italy, Philippines, France, Germany & Hong Kong.

Who needs Carlsberg ?
Vin

让我们彼此相爱
因为爱是从神来
让我们彼此相爱
因为爱是从神来
耶稣为我们的罪
作了挽回祭
这就是最伟大的爱

若我们相爱，
神就住在我们里面。
若我们相爱，爱他的心，
在我们里面得以完全。

我们爱，因为神先爱我们。
我们爱，因为神就是爱

Happy New Year everyone!

for him:
What a way to ring in the new year by playing bridge, buttocks & polar bear in huEy's CC, attending a lovely Hsiao Ling & Ming Teck's wedding later on, chillin out with LiangFa, DeZhang & huEy at plaza at night.

Thank God for the lovely marriage. Hsiao Ling can't stop smiling really. haha... the wedding was simple and so sweet. Was very nervous when it came to Geok's & my segment. LiangFa the MC blew up something totally unexpected, haha.. but it didnt help to calm my nerves, so i fumbled when i wanted to say somethings, and my mic was shaking furiously and uncontrollably when i started the song. Thank God for bring me & Geok through, although during the process we encountered difficulties, insensitivities from all fronts, and unhappiness. But God allowed us to put together a song that we meant so sincerely.

well, tomorrow its back to busy work! my project serve kicks off with an adventure camp which i have no idea what i'll be doing, what i'm in for. I'll submit to God in prayer. Do pray with me k!

Have a great fruitful year everyone!
Vin