Buy! Busy! Busy! Fun! Fun! Fun!

Tomorrow will begin a hectic two-week schedule, beginning with the Youth Camp at the BB/GB Campsite in Sembawang. I am looking forward to the five-day adventure with the youths from my church and also their friends. This year's response is exceptional because out of the 100 attending, 45 of the campers are actually guests. It is also one of the biggest camp we have ever held in years. Praise the Lord!

What I am praying for now is that at the end of it all, it is the quantity which matters but more so the lessons these youths can take home with them after the camp. Well, that one I will leave to God to do the transformation. :)

Just bumped into my sister's friend and had a chat with her. It is wonderful to see all of them working now and building their careers.

Anyway, back to the busyness I was sharing about. After the camp will be the Youth Ministry's Mission Trip where 16 of us will be leaving for Cambodia to hold another youth camp but this time for the Khmer youths. It is just a 2D/1N camp but I am sure all will enjoy each other's fellowship and also the activities planned.

The team is also heading to a village project some three hours from Phnom Penh. This is a first for the youths. Though we do not know what exactly to expect, we are still anticipating a great time of doing community work for the villagers.

I am also looking forward to this trip though going to Cambodia is like heading back to my second home. I cannot believe that I have been there for close to 30 times since my first in 2010. It is something I have committed myself because of that one Khmer boy who asked whether I will be back again. It was a sincere question as he was wondering whether others who have come and gone on mission trips actually care for people like him.

In all these visits, I have also learnt a lot from the Khmers and I will always cherish them in my heart. Some are tough to practice especially in an affluent country like Singapore but I will press on. :)

I have been feeling a little exhausted too having to take care of grandma's medical needs. Bringing her to and from hospital for her check-ups have been trying for both her and me or sometimes my brother. I just pray that God will continue to sustain everyone and may He make my grandma well soon so that everyone can get on with their lives.

I shall stop here for now.

Have a blessed day, everyone! :)

A Divine Nudge

It has been almost a week since I last blogged.

I decided to do so today because I want to give thanks to God for giving me a divine nudge (as commented by my pastor) to check on grandma in her room. When I opened the door I was shocked to see her sprawled on the floor. She could not get up as she was feeling very drowsy from the medication that she took.

Anyway, she pee-ed on the floor and I had to change her clothes and clean her up before mopping the floor. I am thankful to God for protecting her from any injuries. She is now sleeping and I pray she will feel better tomorrow.

I just finished doing the laundry and will probably carry on doing an article which I am supposed to submit by tomorrow afternoon. I am almost 75% done. I should be able to complete them before I hit the sack.

The past three days have been busy with the Trinity Annual Conference meetings at Toa Payoh Methodist Church. I did not go yesterday as there were enough delegates representing my church.

Since coming back from London, it has been dealing with home matters especially grandma's health condition. My brother and I took turns to bring her for her medical check-ups. Sometimes in the middle of the night I would wake up abruptly just to ensure that grandma is okay.

It has been draining physically, emotionally and mentally but I praise God that spiritually He is keeping me going. I am constantly being reminded that He is in control and that no worries can help me solve any matters. All I can do is to trust God to help me do what I can and to carry out my role as a occasional care-giver joyfully.

Yesterday I decided to take a break from home matters to just go out and chill. A dear friend and I went to Johor Bahru after we queued up to register for the OCBC Cycle Singapore 2012. We thought the goodie-bags for the first 300 were full of good stuff but we were deeply disappointed. Anyway, we quickly got over that as we concentrated on our day trip to Malaysia.

We drove in but the weather was horrendous as it began to pour "dinosaurs and rhinos" as my friend would categorise it. We had bak kut teh (pork ribs soup) for lunch. It was good. We also ordered the pork knuckles cooked in dark soya sauce. We each had a bowl of rice but we could not finish them. As usual the meal was good and cheap!

Next was to Tebrau City where there is this huge supermarket. We spent the remaining part of the afternoon in that mall. We snacked a little here and there. We window-shopped. It was the grocery-shopping which was the finale. We bought quite a lot of groceries and other household items as they were cheaper.

The trip ended with a seafood dinner at the same restaurant that my other friends and I always patronised. As it was just the two of us were ordered only three dishes - one crab cooked in salted egg gravy with a tinge of curry powder and leaves; one kilogram of buttered crayfish; and also the tau-hu cooked in maggi light sauce.

That meal was good too. We could not finish them but we had them packed so that my friend could bring home. We did not want to waste the food. I was told she had the meat of the crab and crayfish made into sandwiches which she had them for lunch this afternoon. :)

Before we went back to Singapore, we bought a premium durian and also two soursops at a roadside stall. We also had the petrol tank topped up. By the time we arrived home, it was already almost 11pm.

Well, we got lost twice but thanks be to God for bringing us back on track.

Okay, I would want to write more but I have my article to do.

Good night, all! God is good in all situations! :)

Celebrate Both Life And Death

I am blogging now at Island Creamery after doing a recce at Botanic Gardens for the mission team retreat tomorrow. It rained when I arrived but decided to go ahead with the recce. A little drenched but I am contented that I now know the ground. I am also relieved that there are big fields for the team to do their activities and also shelters which are large enough to accommodate all 16 of us should the weather turn against us.

I ordered two scoops of ice-cream as I had a sudden craving for it.

It has been a very busy day for me. In the morning, I attended a funeral of my church's assistant pastor's mother. In a short message given by a Chinese-speaking pastor, I learnt from him that death is to be celebrated as it would mean leaving this world to another place more glorious; where there is no more suffering.

I am reminded too that whilst I am still here that I should also celebrate life even in the midst of the struggles which no one can escape from. I was also challenged to cherish my loved ones while they are still around. There will be times when we get on each other's nerves or step on each other's toes but they are nothing compared to this special relationship God has given us. This then reminded me that if I am an imperfect being, why should I hold a grudge against another who is also the same as me? I guess by having this in mind, it would help me to be more tolerant of others because surely I would want them to do the same of my shortcomings - bearing with me while I learn to change.

Well, praise God for the above-mentioned.

I had lunch with my senior pastor and two other siblings-in-Christ after the funeral. We went to have Indian food at Casuarina Road. I ordered a plate of maggi mee goreng and a cup of iced milk tea but both were below average. Anyway, bad or not, I still thank God that I still have food to eat each day. :)

It was to church next as I need to print out the retreat materials. Well, it did not take me long to do that and I am glad I was able to finish preparing them. I have been praying for God to provide for me the necessary materials and it was only yesterday that all the inspiration came. Phew!

My router died on me when I came back from London. The technical staff tried to help me salvage it but to no avail. In the end I had to buy a new one but praise God I got a good deal as I was given a discounted price by the same staff mentioned above. I shall install it when I head home later.

Yesterday was the first time I cycled after more than two weeks. I enjoyed the time thoroughly with five other friends. We met at East Coast Park and it was then off to Changi Village and back. I am looking forward to another ride this weekend with a dear friend. As much as I can, I will try to ride more before I start work on 2 January 2012. I hope I will still have time to cycle after that. Even if I do not, I will make time as I cannot let work govern my life as it is only a mean to meet my daily needs and that of my loved ones and perhaps save a little for rainy days. :)

On the second day of my return from the United Kingdom, I met a dear friend for lunch at a restaurant in Chinatown. The food was good and I also enjoyed the time of catching up and passing her some stuff I bought during the trip. :)

With all these shared, I am glad to be back home with my family especially grandma. I am grateful to God for making her well again though she is still recuperating. There are many check-ups to bring her to but so long as they would aid in her recovery, it would be worth the effort.

Okie, I guess I should stop here and head home.

Praise God for everything and above all, this life He has given me. There are joy and pain I am and will be experiencing but I shall take heart that He will see me through them all! :)

Getting To Know Strangers

I just finished packing all the items which I do not need to use in the remaining two days of my stay here in London. Surprisingly I am able to pack everything in my luggage. The only concern I have is that it may have exceeded the weight limit. Well, I shall pray that the check-in staff will close an eye to it. :)

I have bought most of the things I need except for an item or two which I will purchase tomorrow. I will probably spend some time with God reading the Bible and praying in my favourite park - Hyde Park. I love reading in the parks, be it in Cambridge or in London, as the weather is so conducive to do so.

Anyway, this afternoon while I was in Debenhams window-shopping, I saw two of the staff rushing to a section where there was a crowd around this elderly gentleman lying on one of the sofas. I asked the staff what happened and she told me that the man was experiencing chest pain. I told them that I am trained in first aid and also in using the defibrillator.

I kept talking to the man as I did not want him to lose consciousness. While doing so, I got to know his name as Mr. Paul Cawthorne. He is 81 years of age. We had small talks as I did not want to strain him too much. Not long after, the medics came and took over from there.

They suspect it is a heart-attack and quickly brought him to the hospital after running some checks on him. Well, as they wheeled him away, I prayed for him that God will protect and heal him.

After that I went to Covent Garden as I needed to buy some stuff from there. As I walked past one of the street entertainers who was taking a break, I decided to speak to him. I have seen his performance - he dressed himself like a Roman soldier and he has such a rubber face that one cannot stop laughing as he teases the passers-by.

I told him he was good. He smiled and thanked me. He has been doing this day in and day out for more than 10 years already. Anyway, I wished him well and went on my way.

After everything was done, I went to meet a dear brother-in-Christ for dinner and we had fish and chips near Victoria Station at this restaurant named SeaFresh. The meal was not bad.

Anyway, before I leave, I am going to visit the Italian restaurant next to where I have been living. I have bought pizzas a couple of times from this elderly gentleman named Pannier. When I first visited his restaurant he dawned upon me as a grouchy old man but after buying from him regularly, he has been more friendly.

He has his business for more than 10 years but it has not been doing well with only about 10 customers daily. Anyway, I affirmed him that his pizzas are one of the better ones I have tried and he smiled. His son is a pilot for a private Swiss airline.

Well, I guess that is all.

I feel a little sad that I will be leaving London in two days but at the same time I am also looking forward to going home though with a heavy heart as I know there are a couple of matters to attend to. The main one being grandma. Well, I have been praying for God to use me to encourage grandma and I shall see how He can do that. One step at a time, I guess.

Good night, all, in this part of the world and good morning to the rest of you at the other side. :)

Trials Are Not Bad

Once in a while my heart is saddened when I thought of how things have changed in my relationship with someone I hold dear to. It is not a romantic relationship, if you readers are wondering.

Many times I asked God why it has to be what it is now. The answer I always receive is that both parties need to put aside our pride/grudges/frustrations/bitterness/unforgiveness in order for reconciliation to happen. Every day I pray for this to happen but it has yet to happen. Communication has ceased. Everything is swept under the carpet. There is no more openness and transparency. Promises made were broken. There seemed to be no more trust.

As I was spending some time in a park with God near where I am staying, it just baffled me how things have become what it is now. As I was reflecting, I realised there were many false assumptions made. There were distrust. Care shown became suspicion that there were more to what it is.

Anyway, I am not ashamed to share this struggle because I am a human. I struggle with relationship with another but my desire is that I want to make right should I err. That is why every day I still pray about it.

Well, that was the burden in my heart this morning. I spoke to my brother to obtain an update about grandma. I thank God that the sleeping tablet she took has lost its effect on her and that she is less sleepy now. I also praise the Lord that she is able to eat better and that she is alert to the surroundings and that she is responding to my brother and parents. I do not want to speak to grandma as I do not want her to worry about me.

Another thing I learnt while I was spending time with God this morning is that yes, there will be times when one has to face a lousy situation. More often than not, we dwell in this misery and becomes negative and bitter. Today I was reminded that I should be encouraged that as much as I have to go through this trying period, so long as I am doing something about it - something as easy as saying a prayer or doing something as difficult as being thankful for what I am going through - it is already a step to making the situation better. Eventually it will be overcome and life carries on.

I told God that I am ready to face what is ahead of me when I go back to Singapore so long as know He is with me at all times in dealing with grandma's forgetfulness, bearing with her when she throws her tantrums, encouraging my brother or parents when they get frustrated, having to go through the inconveniences of having to bring grandma for her check-up, etc.

Well, I did a little shopping - bought a couple of shirts and I am also thankful to God that an online order I made went through smoothly. I have received the item and the price is really cheap due to a ongoing promotion and also being able to claim the VAT returns.

I came back to the hotel to rest for a while before going out to have dinner with a friend. We ate at an Italian restaurant and I simply enjoyed the pizza which is supposed to be very spicy but when I took the first bite, it was not even close to mild. Haha. I asked for more cut chillies and the waitress was shocked when I finished the whole bowl of it. :)

I am now in my room again. I am actually quite tired. I shall sleep soon as I have to be in Cambridge tomorrow to meet my ex-course supervisor.

Praise God for today. The reflections this morning have allowed me to once again surrender everything to God when I am at my wit's end. In His time, He will bring about reconciliation in my relationship with my loved one. In His time, my grandma will be well again. In His time, I will learn more of Him and myself. :)

Grandma Will Be Well!

I just had a sumptuous Indian dinner with a dear brother-in-Christ. I always thought that those in Singapore are delicious... well, after tonight's meal, I must admit that this restaurant serves better food. We had chicken briyani served in a claypot, garlic naans and also chicken mirch masala. There was a complimentary cup of soup. For starters, there were papadoms with six different kinds of dips.

Anyway, grandma has been discharged from the hospital. It is not just because she is well but the doctor felt that if she stays any longer, her dementia condition may worsen. My brother updated me on this in the middle of the night when I was sleeping... due to the time difference between Singapore and the U.K..

After that I could not really sleep as I was thinking how the family and I can help affirm grandma as her memory slowly slips away. I spent a considerable time praying for her and also asking God for solutions.

Well, in the midst of just being still, I roughly know what I need to do when I go back. Well, it is not the kind of return I would love to look forward to but I cannot have this kind of thoughts. After all, it is grandma I am talking about - the one who took care of me from babe to who I am now.

I guess I will spend more time with her in prayer and also reading the Word of God so that she will be reminded that God is always there to help her and in times when she feels helpless, she can depend on Him for help. I also need to call her a few times a day just to let her know that she is remembered and to assure that I am there for her anytime. This is to ensure that she eats her meals regularly. The doctor suspected that her fainting spell is due to her forgetting to eat her meals regularly.

I need to speak to my parents and brother and also my cousins and uncle to see how we can all unite together to help grandma. It is going to be a bit of adapting to but I feel every one needs to play their part in ensuring that grandma is at no time feeling unwanted or useless.

On my part, I will pray for grandma daily that God has mercy on her and also to sustain her in whatever remaining days she had on this earth.

After praying, I corresponded with my sister and also a dear friend about grandma. I felt better after that.

I am supposed to be in Cambridge today but it had to be postponed as my ex-course supervisor had a staff meeting to attend at the last-minute. It was changed to tomorrow but I received a message earlier that it had to be postponed again. I could understand his busyness as it is also the examination period. Well, I hope before the weekend we could meet. If not, I guess we may not be able to catch up at all.

I did not really have much mood to do anything. I basically went to buy the cycling shades for my friend and I. After days of visiting various optical shops, I decided on one which I felt was reasonable and friendly. Praise God it was the right choice made - not only did the kind gentleman allowed me to change one set of lenses to the photo-chromic ones, he also gave 20% off to both pairs of sunglasses bought. In the end, they cost much cheaper than those sold in Singapore.

I felt bad that I could not get the one my friend wanted as that particular model is sold out. Even for me, I had to settle for another colour because the one I wanted, though there was one available, it had a scratched on it.

Anyway, praise God that the deal was done. :) I also needed to buy a DAB radio for another friend and when the purchase was done I headed back to the hotel to rest.

It was still early but I wanted to just stay in as I did not have sufficient sleep. The other reason was also due to a slight fever I had last night, coupled with a sore throat. Thank God after taking some medications, I am well now.

I shall end here. Oh yah! I finished one out of the two books I brought. I hope I can finish the other before going back to Singapore. :)

Appreciating Worship

This morning I went to All Souls Church for the 9.30am service. Whenever I am in London, this is the church I will attend. The late John Stott used to be the rector of the church. It is sad that he is no more with us but I am also happy that this faithful servant of God is now in heaven.

Today's sermon is taken from Revelation 11:1-19. In context with this passage one thing hit me hard. The preacher shared that sometimes we do not appreciate praising God because we have not experienced suffering enough to know how blest we are and how good God is in our lives. Many times we take our blessings for granted and forgotten from whom these come from.

Usually it is those who are going through hardship and persecution who are more thankful to God for the little things in life. Even the opportunity to live through yet another day warrants them a time of praise to God for His grace and mercy.

Food for thought for the above-mentioned. It was a rebuke for me and I was humbled. After the service I spent some time in prayer asking God to help me be thankful at all times. I also prayed and asked God to help me live a life which is pleasing in His sight and edifying to the people around me. First things first, I will always seek to glorify God. I hope I will be able to press on.

I called home to find out the status of grandma's condition. So far, the doctor confirmed that grandma lacks vitamin B12 and they are now going to supplement her with that deficiency. For her recent weight loss, the medical staff will have to do a CT scan as well as a scope but these can only be done tomorrow. I pray nothing serious will come out of that.

I sent out prayer requests to my sister, cell group and also the mission team to ask them to intercede for granny. Those who saw my FaceBook posting also affirmed me that they will be praying.

I hope all these effort will bring healing to grandma.

Well, after service I brought a dear brother-in-Christ to a steak-house, named Hawksmoor, for lunch. It is also to celebrate his super-belated birthday. The food was not bad and we were very full and satisfied.

My brother-in-Christ left after the meal while I stayed back in Covent Garden to watch the street performances. After that I went to a bike shop in London Bridge area to buy two cycling jerseys - one for a dear friend and the other for me. We thought the design is unique and since the price is right, the purchase was made.

I went next to Selfridges next to buy for another friend some Nespresso capsules.

When all these were done, I was drained physically. Before I went back to the hotel, I bought kebabs for dinner.

Praise God for today. :)

Prompted To Pray

After lunch today I decided to go to Hyde Park to spend some time in reflection and prayer. I could have gone to shop or check out more bike shops but I felt the need to put that aside for a moment.

I sat on one of the benches and prayed for my family and other loved ones. I specifically prayed for healing for grandma as I have been burdened for her health since a few days ago when I was informed that she has been unwell.

Then came the message from my brother informing me that grandma has been admitted into hospital. She apparently blacked out while in the kitchen. Thank God my brother was there to catch her before she fell. She was unconscious for a while.

She was sent to the Accident and Emergency Department and is now admitted for observation. The doctors will also be running some tests to ascertain the cause of the black-out. I just pray that there is nothing serious and that the medical staff will know how to help grandma.

My brother will update me accordingly and he assured me that everything is in control and there is no need for me to go home.

Anyway, I went for a walk along River Thames. Again I prayed for grandma. I was supposed to watch some fireworks display but I had no mood to do so. I headed back to the hotel after spending some time in quiet and also feeling super cold from the sudden drop of temperature.

Other than the shock I received back home, I had a great breakfast at this cafe called Latana Cafe where they serve very very delicious English Breakfast. After that I followed a dear brother-in-Christ to buy some computer stuff and also a new backpack. We headed next to Portobello Market and then for lunch at Bayswater.

After Hyde Park, I went to Greenwich to check out a bike shop and it was here when I receive the message from my brother about grandma.

Well, I am tired. I will share more about my reflection soon.

Praise God that He has everything under His control and I know He will make all things beautiful in His time.

Goodbye Singapore, Hello UK!

I am shivering as I am typing. It is very cold in my hotel room. I just turned up the heater and hopefully it would be warmer soon. Time flies that it is already my fourth day here in London.

Eversince I touched down, it has been helping a dear brother-in-Christ settle into his hostel as he prepares for his PHD programme. We went to do the necessary paper work and also buying of all the items needed for his accommodation. Well, we have settled most of the stuff and it is now for him to unpack and to arrange the room as he deems appropriate.

I just moved to another hotel. I was initially at Earl's Court but I am now in Hammersmith. There will be a couple of commuting to do the next few days. I will be in Liverpool on Saturday, attempting to buy a ticket for the Liverpool - Swansea match. On Monday I will probably be in Cambridge to visit my supervisor. I am considering visiting Ireland but I am not sure yet.

I was supposed to go hunting with an ex-coursemate but he just informed me that it may not be possible due to the cold spell.

Though I mentioned that I have been helping my brother-in-Christ with his lodging matters, I have also been visiting various bike shops to check out some wheels for my bike and also shades for a dear friend. I am basically just making price comparisons before I decide when and where to buy them.

As much as I am enjoying myself so far, my heart has been burdened by grandma's health. I called home earlier and was told that she is not feeling well. I spoke to her and she sounded weak. I pray that God will heal her as soon as possible.

Though I am on holidays, I cannot just simply tell myself that I do not care about matters at home. Hence I still keep in touch with my family and friends via WhatsApp, sms or phone-calls. It also helps me to know what I can pray for them when I spend time with God here.

Anyway, praise God that He has taken care of all matters so far and I shall continue to trust that He will do so till I go back on 15 November 2011.

Well, nothing much to share for now but will write more in the next few days. :)