Taipei in 4 hours! =D

I know now is going 4 am but I am left sleepless in the middle of the night...perhaps too excited about the Taiwan mission trip that I will be heading off...in 4 hours' time! Gosh...4 HOURS!!!

My very first mission trip, my very first time to Taiwan! =D Let's really pray that God will open doors and chances for our mission team there to reach out to the Taiwan youths who are ready for God's words to come alive in their lives, to plant a seed in those who have yet heard about him, to find those who have the needs and meet them, to bring back those who were once here and later sidetracked along their paths, to make this camp a great time of fun and enjoyment for all who come!

Thank God for my wish to go for at least one mission trip this year has been fulfilled! There will still be the Skudai trip already signed up in December. Plus Christmas drama preparation (hope I can be on the stage crew this time round) and more visitations from First Hand, this year is going to be a year of great time of serving God for me! =DD

"My Jesus, My Lord,

You're the love of my life.

Wherever you go,

Wanna be by your side.

No longer I

But Christ living in me,

Serving you for all eternity...

My eyes set on you

In this race that I run.

No longer my ways,

Let your will be done.

Make me a servant,

My heart's ever true.

Clinging to the cross

I'll follow you...

I'll follow you."

Love the chorus as it keeps ringing in my heart. I truly desire for that servant's heart to serve Him for all eternity.

In fact, I have a plan for myself for the next few years in the hope of building a much closer relationship with God:

2008 -- I will focus more on serving God, wherever I can, whenever God wants me to.

2009 -- I will focus more on building up my own spiritual life and discipline such as reading bible daily, learn to play guitar to have my own praise and worship during quiet time, read finish at least 3 christians books throughout the year (best is 1 book per month) etc.

2010 -- I will enrol and go into School of Theology aka S.O.T.!!! =D

And so far the plan for 2008 is doing well. I feel happier and so much more blessed as I serve God in all the possible ways I could find. This feeling of serving God is really wonderful...yeah...lol

I wish to carry out as per my plan before I am ready to go for SOT too. Looking forward to the things that are going to happen in my life...hahaha...lol

TAIWAN, SEE YOU LATER! *WOOHOO!!!* =P

Just Kiki Kidding!

"Just Kiki Kidding" is my friend, Kiki, magic show @ Raffles Hotel Jubilee Hall just now. CONGRATULATIONS to such a great success and breakthrough in your career! =D

For those who would be interested in watching magic performances, I STRONGLY encourage you guys to support one of our local talent here! Think he might have another performance in September according to his brochure...haha...so here's your chance! =)

Websites about Kiki's his magic shows - Just Kiki Kidding:

Official website - http://www.kikitay.com/

Blog - http://justkikikidding.blogspot.com/

To show our S41 support, we bought him a big helium balloon with the words "God Loves You!" and a large congratulation card to write down our wishes for him...so happy for him! =D

Let's just call us "The Kiki Fan Club" for the night ya? Hahaha... =P

The first fan club group photo...heeheehee...we are so proud of you Kiki! =DD

Cayla's 1 month!

Cayla's one month celebration @ Jaz house

Sweet dreaming for our little baby girl...so adorable! =DD

Look at her eyes! She is so CUTE!!! =DD

We are all fallen under the Cayla's spell today...our little star for the day...awwww.... *bleam* =D

PHUKET!!!

Yoohoo! My company is treating us to Phuket for the annual Dinner & Dance this year...YIPPEEEE!!! =DDD

God is truly amazing! I almost planned a beach getaway earlier this year with my best pals and eventually because of financial and time issues, we could not make it and have it cancelled. And those beaches that were on our minds were just Tioman, Bintan or Batam as they within our budget. Phuket is a dream but needs money to go to....

I thought our company is just replacing the annual D&D to a retreat for us. And guess what now? It is PHUKET + D&D = D&D in Phuket! WOOHOO!!! =D And I am going there totally FREE! It will truly be a great time to interact with my colleagues this time since we are all busy during working hours. God has blessed me so much more beyond what I would have expected! THANK YOU JESUS! =D

This is the second blessing for travelling right after being able to Kaoshiung and Taipei. The Taipei mission trip is already an almost-impossible dream that comes true...wow...lol

Phuket...here I come in October...YEAHHH!!! =P

第一手接触

昨晚很特别，因为那是我第一次去 CDC 去探访那些病人。不知道怎么的，我好紧张。。。这一天终于到来了! 组长给了我们好长的 briefing，教我们正确的洗手方法 [很复杂的]，然后才让我们进去探访他们。

我跟一个 senior 和另一个新人被安排到 Ward 71 去。就像一般的医院，病人都被分配到不同的房间去，有的一个人一间房间，有的则两到三个人共用一间房间。

我们三个看到有一间还没有义工去探访，一致拿了我们的病人资料看了一遍，就进去了。

躺在那里的是一个五十来岁的老 uncle，眼睛一直瞪着天花板，只有当我们聊他聊天，他才会把视线转回来我们的身上。他很快就打开了话匣子，跟他聊天感觉非常轻松。

那 uncle 可也很会逗人，跟我们开了个冷笑话:

社：“Uncle, 你几时入院的? 你是不是刚进来而已？”
病： “我哪里是‘扛’进来的。我是被他们推进来的啦。”

好有趣的 uncle 唷！

最近我又开始忙起来了，不过那并不是我的工作，而是我天父的事工。再多六天我就去台湾了，好期待哦！

我是有点累了。。。不过再累也是值得的。。。=)

Servant's Heart

I have made up my mind at last.

This week, Monday to Friday, I will be fasting and praying for the events that are going to happen, for the events that have already happened.

I had tried fasting during the 21-days prayer but it wasn't very successful. The temptation of food is juz tough on me, someone who loves eating. In fact, after that 1 week of fasting and praying intensely, the final week of prayers was the toughest as I lost my concentration and growing tiredness.

I am not blaming myself for this though. Just that since I have made up my mind to be consistent and to cling on to the cross no matter what, I really have to have spiritual discipline in my life too. And since it didn't work out last week, this week I will try again, and the next, and the next,......and till the time it has become a part of my life. Yupz... =)

I am going to pray for my mission trip to Taiwan. I truly thank God for the blessings he has showered upon me. In fact, it was a miracle I am going, not just Taipei but also now Kaoshiung! =D Let me just tell you how amazing it is......

This was initially a trip that I let go of because of financial difficulties at the beginning of the year. I truly have a very strong desire to sign up but I thought it was impossible for me to raise $1K at least within like...3 months?? Yet, when Tina turned up and signed up for the event, I was prompted once again. I fasted a day and prayed for it. Whether it was my desire to go to Taiwan, or it is the prompting from the Holy Spirit to have faith to go ahead and signed it up, the thought of signing up the trip become very much stronger. And what's more is that it is getting more and more realistic.

Tina, my very good friend and sister, confirmed that prompting by encouraging me to have faith in God. If you truly have the heart to serve God, don't be limited by the minor issue like money which there are ways you can solve it. So I prayed and fasted a day before I asked my mum if she could lend me money to go for the trip. And surprisingly, she agreed to lend me to a maximum of $1,000! That really helps me quite a lot as I know by this year end, or even by Oct this year I should be able to pay back the full sum. Oh well, I really have to tighten my belt quite a bit when I returned from the trip though...

Yet what's more amazing is what God has granted me even more. I thought I would just be satisfied and contended to serve Him in the first Taipei youth camp. After all, this is all I could afford as I HAVE to limit myself to spending less $1,300 for the whole trip. So I thought of giving up to Kaoshiung even though I really really REALLY want to go and join Tina and Andy.

Well, that is I didn't expect Darren would call and eventually help me get sponsors to go to Kaoshiung! Hahaha....coz I was still reasoning with him then how much I need to pay if I juz extend a few days in Taipei and backpack and how much it will cost me to travel to Kaoshiung. The price to pay is more than double. And now...my dream has come true...YEAH! =DD

God has blessed me even more than what I can imagine! What I know I need to do now is really to treasure this precious chance that I have, go serve Him for his work in Taiwan with all my heart and soul, and look forward to a even more closer encounter and experience with Him that I know it will impact me for a lifetime...amen... =DD

I am also going to pray for my ministry. I will be starting my First Hand visitation today after work. I really want to be a blesser to the patients there as well as to have the attitude of a great servant.

I am going to pray for my cell group. Some of them are sick and Dom's grandfather just had stroke too. May there be healing work to be done upon him.

I am going to pray for Daddy too. He is at Sze Chuan right now for his recruitment work. Though the condition there has improved, I still cannot help but to have a little worry for his health there. May God protects my dad in wherever he is and may his work be fruitful.

The prayer list will just go on and there are so many things to pray for...hahaha...lol

God is great, all the time; all the time, God is great! =))

End off with the lyrics of the new song that we sang during last Saturday service. I was very very touched by it as that's what exactly what I want to do for God right now...

Thanks Xinyi to send me the whole lyrics when I just asked her for the title to it...thanks sweetie! =D


Servant's Heart
Intro
G / / / Em7 / / / D / / / D / / / G / / / D/F# / / / Em7 / / / A / / / A / / /

Verse
D Dmaj7
Standing in awe of Your grace
G/D Gm7
Setting my feet in Your ways
Bm7 A
Entering into Your presence
G A
To behold You face to face

D Dmaj7
God of all Heaven and earth
G/D Gm7
Holding me in Your embrace
Bm7 A
Unfailing love that surrounds me
G A
Oh..God I stand amazed

Chorus
D
My Jesus, My Lord
Dmaj7
You're the love of my life
D
Wherever You go
Bm7/A
Wanna be by Your side
G
No longer I
Em7
But Christ living in me
D/A A
Serving You for all eternity

D
My eyes set on You
Dmaj7
In this race that I run
Bm7
No longer my ways
Am7 D
Let Your will be done
G
Make me a servant
Em7
My heart's ever true
D/A
Clinging to the cross
A
I'll follow You

G D/F# G A
I'll follow you

Europe Trip: UK > London! (14/06/2007...Notting Hill, Kensington Park, Chelsea & Arsenal)

Finally this is my final entry for the Europe trip since LAST year! Hehehe...oopsie! *blush* =$

Amazingly I can still recall so many things that had happened a year ago...ha...it feels good to look back at all these photos too... =))

In one week's time I will be off to Taipei for my very first mission trip...gosh I can't wait to travel again! Hahaha...lol

Oh well, perhaps I should change this blog into a travel blog hor? Hehe... =P Chelsea Stadium!The newly renovated stadium at that time...so didn't manage to get in...Not a fan for them but I wouldn't mind to have a photo of this great place ya? =PNotting Hill!This is the town I have always been wanting to travel to...well ever since I watched and fall in love with the movie Notting Hill manz...hehe...lolVery interesting shop that caught my attention... =)Residential area right beside the Kensington Park and Kensington PalaceSince the late Princess Diana used to stay in the Kensington Palace, many cafes nearby here named after her in the memory of her highness... Kensington Park!

It is so huge that you can see a normal walking path in the park is pretty equivalent to the width of our roads in Singapore...or even bigger... =O

The Royal Princess of Wales Memorial PlaygroundI wonder if Prince Williams and Prince Harry used to play in this playground too...haha...lolA pond in the middle of the ParkQueen Victoria Statue and Kensington Palace in the backgroundA secret garden?! Kensington Palace (North Gate)I didn't go in as you need to pay quite a high entrance fee. Walking around the Palace is also quite a pleasure as the flowers in the garden is very well-trimmed and gloomed...so beautiful!Kensington Palace (South Gate) Kensington Park is a very great place to visit. I come here specially in memory of the late Princess Diana too...she will always be the most beautiful princess in our hearts forever... =)
Since this is where Princess Diana used to live, the residential area is also consisted of mainly the upper-class families...the classy designed buildings show all...I like walking around here! =PA mallAnd a nice church at the roadside!Since there is still time, I decided to make my way to the Emirates Stadium where the Arsenal team used to train and have their games held here. Arsenal, The Gunners!Again I am not a fan of them either but saw quite a few of their fans taking photos with the stadium juz like me! Hahaha...who cares?Tiramisu made by Daryl before my flight...thanks for keeping to the promise (in Venice as he was complaining about the not-so-nice tiramisu there...hahaha...lol) to let me try a great tiramisu made by him!Heathrow Airport

I don't know how I feel at that time: happy, sad, empty? =X

13 hours straight back home...I almost collapse into a deep coma right after I took the dinner on board...so tired manz... =X

Even till now, everything still seems to me like a dream...a very very sweet dream that has ever come true for me...yeah... =))

Europe Trip: UK > Bath! (13/06/2007)

Bath!Bath is a town near to the stonehenge. This is also where the Roman Bath was built here.You can see that the buildings here are slightly different from that in the heart of London.Old train stationThis place is made famous to the world for mainly for the Roman Bath and the unique characteristic buildings...feels a bit like you are in Rome huh... =)"Pride & Prejudice"'s author, Jane Austein, was born in Bath! The Circus!The Circus is a famous example of Georgian architecture in the city of Bath, begun in 1754 and completed in 1768. The name comes from the Latin 'circus', which means a ring, oval or circle.

Divided into three segments of equal length, the Circus is a circular space surrounded by large townhouses. Each of the curved segments faces one of the three entrances, thereby ensuring that whichever way a visitor enters there is a classical facade straight ahead.The City of Bath

This whole place has already been classified as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Roman Bath!The Roman Baths complex is a site of historical interest in the English city of Bath. The complex is a very well-preserved Roman site of public bathing. The Roman Baths themselves are below the modern street level and has four main features, the Sacred Spring, the Roman Temple, the Roman Bath House and the Museum holding finds from Roman Bath. The buildings above street level date from the 19th century.Statues on the terrace The entire structure of the Great Bath, above the level of the pillar bases, is a later reconstruction.In the background is the Bath Abbey, viewing from The Roman Baths Gallery

Model of Roman Bath & Temple of Sulis Minerva as they would have looked at their greatest extent in 4th century AD

A gilt bronze head of the goddess Sulis Minerva [bottom left picture], which was discovered nearby in 1727, is displayed. The remnants of the Temple PedimentGorgons Head from the Temple PedimentSacred SpringRitual ceremonies that involves bathing are mostly held here.The museum houses artifacts from the Roman period including objects which were thrown into the Sacred Spring, presumably as offerings to the goddess. These include more than 12,000 Roman coins which is the largest votive deposit known from Britain.Spring overflowGreat BathFrigidarium (cold pool)Caldarium [middle right picture].

The floor has been removed to reveal the empty space which the hot air used to flow through to heat the floorThe Baths are a major tourist attraction and, together with the Pump Room, receive more than one million visitors a year.Sally Lunn's, home of the Sally Lunn Bun This place is the oldest house in Bath!

Sally Lunn Buns! =DD

Sally Lunn Buns (a type of teacake) have long been baked in Bath. They were first mentioned by that name in verses printed in a local newspaper, the Bath Chronicle, in 1772. At that time they were eaten hot at public breakfasts in the city's Spring Gardens. They can also be eaten with sweet or savoury toppings. Fudge Factory!Bath is a very interesting place to visit...hehe...lol1 day trip is pretty enough to see almost everything here...nice... =)

On our way back from our coach, we see the Windsor Castle from afar...woohoo! =D

Ya...I will come back to visit Windsor Castle next time ya? *wink* =)