kuching and some troubling news

Its thursday, i'm in kuching, have been here since monday night. Airasia delayed my flight that was suppose to be at 5.40 to 7.40. Sigh. Good thing i had a friend with me. Its been a while since i flew, didnt know AA now has seat numbers but people still rush in.

Monday was great, had four friends come meet me at the airport then went to eat at kenyalang. Its nice to see sam again :)

Tuesday went to bethany home, spent most of the day there. At night was janna's farewell dinner thing. Met amy there, was so weird seeing her in kuching, some more with the people i hang out with.

Wednesday after a day at bethany home, went bowling with a few friends and it was quite nice. Was only the second time i've gone bowling, the first time was in miri with my roommate agilan.

Troubling news.

Out of curiousity and concern i went for an eye test and they said one of my eyes are bad. I've long suspected because when i take pictures using the optical viewfinder, i noticed i can't really focus properly. Now i'm worried. The last thing i want is to wear glasses. They're so inconvenient. But i guess its about time also since both my sisters and my mom have 4 eyes plus my dad. I think i'll get a second opinion before i do anything stupid :p

Oh yeah had laksa today at bdc. Not bad but not the original laksa i usually have here. Tonight going to transformers. And now you're updated.

-ONWARD

a place to call home

I've done a few crazy things in my life, like the time when we went to the ps conference at sunway and the very next week i went to kl again, then to singapore with michael and philip but at least we flew and i love flying. Going back to kuching after just coming back is not particularly surprising even though i must say i was surprised i agreed to go with jacqueline and jmee. But i guess was shocked how in such a short time jacq could find people to go with her so i join lo.

Bethany is like my home la, so coming back is so normal for me. I am so grateful for that, you can't possibly imagine how grateful i am to be able to do whatever i can just to help out. I know and i pray that the time will come when i will no longer be needed because there will be people falling over themselves to help. And it will happen but for now i just enjoy doing whatever i can.

Come to think of it, thats just the way i am, thats they way my mom is, thats the way my dad is, they can be called upon last minute and they have to answer. I remember times when my dad will be called to take a job in the middle of the night and i'll have to go open the gate for him. My mom never rests. She has this miraclous ability to keep on working even when everyone is half dead.

Planetshakers was very good. Things are always frantic when there's an event and this time was no exception. You have to be flexible and do your part. I hope the young people got a thrill out of it. Some how planetshakers made me realise how old i am. The kids just kept screaming and i don't get why they were screaming. Obviously they were thrilled, excited to meet the planetshakers live. I just didn't get it, guess i was more focused on making sure the lyrics were displayed in sync.

I felt so blessed by bethany and pst cheli and I dunno why he just keeps giving and giving. I really appreciate how he treats me like a son. Arigato gazaimasu.

Its good to have a place to go. A place you can call home. A place where you are accepted, protected, celebrated and I thank God for such a place. I hope that we can create this kind of place in our cell groups and in our houses with our housemates and among our friends :)

~shalom~

a few more days

This is probably my last full week in kuching. It has been very eventful. I always love coming back, its different everytime, you meet different sets of people or the same old faces going through a different phase in their lives.

I enjoy the time i spent with everyone, going makan all the time, the table jokes and games hehe and mafia :)

Part of the reason why i come back is because of the worship at bethany. Its so different, so unique and the messages are always always encouraging, challenging, no nonsense just the word of God unspoiled and real. You don't get that everywhere so its for me a time to recharge, reflect, revive before i go back to my 'mission field'.

I have a few things i would like to do in the coming days and weeks as i go back and i pray God will guide me as i go about doing them. Looking back i can only give thanks and say God has been really really faithful to me, all the while i've been here not just in kuching but in Malaysia and the time for me to go back to my family is approaching. I just want to take some time to be grateful for the protection i have received all the while i was here. I have not been in any serious problem and even the minor ones are momentary that they seem insignificant. My health has been really good even though i still have flu once in a while nothing major. Its funny even when i have flu my parents are worried i can't imagine if i had to spend the night in a hospital how they will feel. Probably my mom would come here hahaha. But yeah and how God has filled my life with joy and peace. Doesn't matter where i go i can find real friends who are genuine and who i can count on. Not everyone has that and i am grateful for his grace.

So while most of you celebrate the year of the OX don't forget to invite me. Seriously!
~shalom~

happiness

We came back from camp on monday and a lot was said and shared. There are times when i don't really feel like going to another camp because of the sheer number of camps i've been to and everytime its something new. God speaks to you in a different way, with different things and a lot of reminders to continue to do the things we have stopped doing or are not doing as much of like studying the bible, not just reading it, making a difference in the place we are, being the influence instead of being influenced and having and knowing our place in God's kingdom.

Its really timely all these things happening now. I guess thats the best thing about God's timing, He knows when to bring what and how you will respond to it. If all these came a while back i wouldn't have been paying attention but now is a good time and I really thank God.

Its good coming back to kuching. This is where i grew up i guess and meeting everyone i know and some of those i don't know all that well, seeing how they have continued to remain faithful with the things they are doing and this community of people, my brothers and sisters. I must confess i almost didn't come back because there are things i wanted to do with my break but thank God for boredom in miri that drove me away :) and mr suresh who wouldn't shut up about kuching. I felt like my time would be better spent here.

Looking ahead, i'm hopeful about 2009 it feels like a breath of fresh air, and that old cliche, a new beginning and i'm determined to make the most of my 2009. Start afresh and continue to grow in all the areas i need to and most importantly like Paul said forgetting what is behind and strive for what is ahead aka moving on. Bye baby :) this bro is going to MMIX in style, God willing.

~shalom~

weekend in lundu

I won't say much but I would like to thank God for the opportunity to join the iccts. I really have learned a lot and gotten close to everyone there. I see myself in a position where God just works and all he requires of me is being willing.

So we went to this kampong in lundu, i don't consider it a missions trip because there was already a church there but it was definitely cross-cultural and the team was an international team. It was nice to see how everything played out. We came there and felt like strangers but in a few days we all kind of got close to the people, especially the children :) Some became mothers to a few hehe. I was really blessed the way God worked.

Here i will like to share some pictures I took during the weekend as promised.


Some of the boys, the first one from the left, nick can play the drums, acoustic guitar and bass. He even thought me how to play the g-chord.


Whoa there's sir alex. Cute kid, we got really close


Look its simon and Naomi


She is so shy but not to amanda :(


kak Natashya hehe


Thats a dead baby snake surrounded by ants


there were lots of durian. I still dont understand how people can eat durian.


Who's that? the kids look puzzled


Hey little girl, why are you not coloring with the rest?


Aunty Janna and abang leslie the translator


We got close to the animals too not just the humans. Someone thought pechu was a good name for this doggy so thats what we called her.There are three of them, this one, pechu No. 1 was the most friendliest No. 2 liked to play a lot so was always out playing, No. 3 was too shy and scared.


comel comel

If there's one thing i learned is that God an use anyone and any situation for his purposes. God bless you :)
~shalom~

its spring in kuching

So on the 10th the spring finally opened its doors to the outside world. I was surprised the made their deadline. I felt ashamed for myself, kept saying they won't make it but their opening day was better than boulevard's.

I brought my phone/camera with me and as usual, here are some visuals for you.


The area around the spring was packed to overflowing capacity by both cars and people. But we were fortunate to get a very good parking spot regardless of the chaos. Thank God for that.


just look at all the people. And the water thingy is cool to watch.


the roof, the simple version hehe


the roof towards the back of the building


roof the richer version


these people looked funny dancing and the moderator was like tiga, empat, lima, satu. You just have to listen to it to know la.


all the curious people


look, its mr. energizer


padini opening soon


the face shop, you won't find a lot of men here.


f.o.s


another apple store. I want a mac!


i like this shot


one clown


two clowns


another starbucks.

So the question some might be asking, the spring or boulevard? Definitely the spring.

~shalom~

back in miaw city

I'm back in kuching already, wow feels really good to be back. There are a few changes but its nice to see everyone again. This afternoon most of us who just came back from all the different unis went out to lunch with pastor at no not the char siew shop but at pizzahut in Jalan Song, wah ate so much that i'm so full. Sorry no pictures i just never got around to taking any pictures.

Tomorrow i'll be going out for laksa with simon. Feels like a tradition now :) so looking forward to that. On the first of december i'll be working with shellyn, simon, and sam at bethany home so yeah got a job already. On the first is also the day Caleb comes back, wow it would be nice to see him again.

I'm sorry for all of you still in Miri, didnt really have the time to say goodbyes and all with y'all. My flight was rather early so yeah, miss you all already well see you in february except for samantha of course. I really thank God and chipmunk, sorry alvin for supper last night. It was good to spend some time together.

~shalom~

I'll be missing you

I'm not sure what title to give this post yet. Hopefully when i'm done there it will have a title. But it definitely won't be untitled. {pun intended!}

Lets get the obvious out of the way. I'm going to Curtin University in Miri on Saturday thats, tomorrow. I'll be going to do my degree in Computer Science. No its not what I studied in Inti, but its what i always wanted to do.

People keep asking me why? Well there comes times in your life when you are faced with life altering decisions and that point came in my final semester. I had a choice to continue with my degree in Electrical/Electronics Engineering or do Computer Science. And after much consultations and prayers i chose the unconventional. I guess in many ways i feel like i've betrayed those who i started along with, my friends who had ideas about how we would continue and stuff like that. But we all have desires and passions and for some the opportunity does not come to pursue those desires and passions so i feel very fortunate indeed.

Especially as my parents were fine with my decision, i was not expecting that at all. And to think that I got into Curtin under special circumstances is mind blowing. All i can say is thank You Lord.

All through the process since i got the admission alot has happened and I just want to thank God for everything for through it all He has been faithful. For example in the case of my student bond with Inti, I was able to get cash payment instead of the conventional cheque they give and all within one week. Sometime people spend weeks to pursue. Just like pastor said at the beginning of this year we are blessed, we are predestined, we are... forgot the last one. But its true.

I am really grateful for the time i get to spend with different ones, going around town, going for breakfast, lunch, dinner, trips and all. I really thank God for Simon and Charles for bringing me around, especially for Simon for Laksa mornings. I'm really going to miss that. Also for Samuel for just being there. He's been a great help picking up people from Inti every Sunday and helping out in BethanyHome and in Inti's cf.

Since i got my student bond, i'm thinking, its a great time to get a new phone but i'm torn between the cheap SonyEricssons and the expensive but familiar, feature packed and very popular Nokia N73. Not sure which one i will get but i looked at the Sony Ericsson k850i and its really sweet. Wonder how much it costs. hmm.

I don't want to say goodbye la because i'm still in Sarawak wo. But I'm definitely going to miss kuching.

~shalom~