trip update 21 - 22 July 07

wah, this trip had been great! God is great!

got home late on fri (in fact i got home on Sat morning), so i didn't have much sleep. woke up about 7+am. was quite 迟钝 as i made my way to Harbourfront. reached around 9.30am, definitely not in time for the 9.50am ferry, so i bought the 12.25pm ticket. i forgot to bring tissue paper, hand lotion and cotton pad and other tools for manicure.. =x was thinking of buying, but i didn't bring enough money. i had only brought $60 for the whole trip. later u will see how God has blessed me with enough, despite my shortage of money! walked around, went to Seah Im food centre for teh tarik as well as to prepare for sharing for cell grp. took my time since i was 2 hrs early for the ferry. after that i went back to Vivocity to take a walk, and i took a seat outside Page One. then a familiar face appeared before me. my sec 3/4 classmate Yuhua! she had just bought the latest Harry Potter book. haha. so we chatted until it was nearly time for me to check in.

the ferry was late. took a seat as i waited for it. in front of me was a woman with a little boy, quite cute. she was with her mother, who carried a baby, most likely her younger son. then the ferry came. took a seat in front, and just behind me was the same woman with her mother and her 2 children. wah the "cute" boy was super noisy during the journey! he refused to sleep and disturbed me quite a bit. he was really naughty. and the grandmother was quite ...irritating as she was trying to googoogaga the baby. :S as u know i had very little sleep, so i was trying to catch a nap on the ferry. so buey tahan! kept praying that the boy will finally go to sleep. in the end halfway through the journey i suppose the woman realised that her son had been disturbing me, she suggested moving to the back of the ferry. Thank God! i finally can get to sleep. almost didn't know it was time to embark until the men behind started to talk quite loudly. woke up and got off the ferry.

my ferry ticket was $44 so i had $16 left. i changed $10 for 60,000Rp. Phei Phei was there to fetch me. paid 8000Rp for my return ticket. we took Oplik to Indo-Yani cuz i haven't had lunch. so i had Mie Ayam for 8500Rp and a bottle of green tea for 5000Rp. went to buy hand lotion for 7700Rp. wanted to buy cotton pad also, but PP says she still have extra from the last time we did facial for the Ladies' Ministry. whee~

went to put down my bag at Asun-gu's hse. not very sure what was going on but Wati seemed to have made plans to go to watch a band for the evening, but i think PP asked her to come for cell grp because we would be doing manicure and pedicure. after that we went out to look for Wati's friends to ask them along for cell grp. wow, we made 3 visitations around the area (saved money on transport) and met her friends. all quite pretty, and very easygoing. Jenny, Liping, Meihua... asked them to come for cell grp and they readily agreed! after that i went to PP's hse to get the cotton pad. my first time inside her house actually. had a great time of catching up as she showed me her old photos. we wanted to go out to eat, but her mom had cooked dinner. save money again! PP returned me money for the assessment book she asked me to buy for her, about 36,000Rp.

found out from PP that she actually doesn't have a list of the cell grp members' birthday and contact number. quite surprised. so i asked her to compile one. i think it's true that there isn't much accountability in the cell grp yet. we took oplik to church and prepared to start cell grp. actually we shld have started earlier. hmm anyway. Wati, Jenny, Liping, Meihua turned up with another girl, Jing Mei. and a guy, Weilun! i asked Weilun how come he would tag along, and he said he's there to escort the girls home later. so sweet! and i asked him if he's close to the girls, and he said he grew up with them, 从小玩到大. if only the other guys think like him, the cell grp would have more guys. i was surprised he would turn up today, as i mentioned, also partly because i had told them that it would be a manicure and pedicure session, and usually guys would feel awkward to be around. and i didn't want guys to come because i was hoping that this session would be a time of bonding for the girls, since some girls would feel shy to share deep things with a guy around. but weilun is very cute la. girls would like him to be around one.

played an icebreaker game called "How Well Do You Know Each Other?" something similar to what Amos conducted during the cell retreat, but a simpler version. i asked them to think of 2 questions abt themselves, then asked 2 other pple to answer their questions. if their friends answers correctly, they will get points. so far it was well-enjoyed, until it came to Baoling's turn. Baoling is Cailing's twin sister, but i think Cailing is less shy than her. Baoling refused to play. quite a big disappointment to me, because she's unwilling to let the cell grp get to know her better. felt that she's there to receive and receive, and not give at all. pardon me if u feel that i'm making a judgment here, but i wanted to observe the cell grp during this trip.

shared with the cell grp from Romans 15:1-13. at first i didn't expect newcomers, so i had wanted them to go one round and share openly one weakness abt themselves and one good thing abt each other. i wanted them to be comfortable and accountable to one another, but i guess they wouldn't be comfortable with the newcomers around. so i briefly explained to the newcomers about God and Jesus. i hope PP will follow up with them. in the end i just briefly went thru the passage and explained that i hope the cell grp will become comfortable with one another. Maybe in future we can do the exercise.

after that we went upstairs for manicure & pedicure. hoho~ basically just taught them the steps and let them do themselves. wanted them to do pedi together first, then mani. Wati had to do mani because her foot was injured. so in the end some did mani some did pedi. i'm not experienced la, i just shared with them what i know abt it lor. haha.

Step 1: soak feet in warm water for 1 min.
Step 2: use exfoiliating scrub on feet.
Step 3: wash off and dry feet.
Step 4: trim nails to desired shape and length.
Step 5: use the cuticle stick to dig out the dirty stuff around and under the nails.
Step 6: use emery board to file the nails.
Step 7: buff the nails. (all of them never heard of buffing before! esp Wati, she was surprised that after buffing her nails they actually shine!)
Step 8: (optional) apply nail polish - first use a base, then a colour, then a top coat.

for manicure, similar steps, except for step 2, instead of using exfoiliating scrub, use hand lotion.

actually this beauty session was to reinforce the idea of getting comfortable with each other, to the extent of applying nail polish for each other etc. i was quite surprised and amused when Jenny asked Weilun to help her remove the nail polish on her feet because she had just applied nail polish on her fingernails. Weilun is soooo sweet! i think they're a very cute and fun bunch of friends.

the mani and pedi took quite a long time, and it was getting late, so weilun sent the girls back. we invited them to join us for cell grp next time, and they were quite happy and agreed. then i went back with Wati. wanted to go and catch up with her parents, but i think they were asleep by the time we returned. so i took a shower and did my QT then went to sleep. i thanked God for the weather - it had been raining on and off, but it was quite cool, so i didn't perspire much, and it was easy to sleep. i thanked God for the newcomers, and i feel that this cell grp has hope. haha.. actually because we lost all the boys and a few girls.

had a good rest and woke up at 7.30am, despite having set 3 alarm settings. still in time to catch my ferry back la. Wati walked me to the main road to take the oplik to the jetty. i was the only passenger, so i was a little scared, what if the driver brought me to somewhere else to sell? but thank God i reached the jetty. bought tempe and pisang goreng for breakfast (which later caused me to fall sick =x). paid 10,000Rp for tax. and i brought 50,500Rp home. as if i didn't spend any money!

took the ferry back.. don't know why it seems like no one was rushing to board, unlike usual. slept on the journey. went thru customs in less than 5 minutes... praise God! then took train and went to church.

the reason i came back is for the MCG bible study in the afternoon. then decided to come back earlier for service as well. joined my cell grp for lunch nearby, then went back to church for the bible study. it was good discussion. taking the passage from Proverbs 24, we could actually relate it to missions & evangelism. can say that we were focused on our purpose in MCG. went home to sleep.

trip 21 - 22 July 07

going to Tanjung Balai this weekend, to have a GIRLS' EVENING OUT. hee. Phei Phei had described to me the situation in youth there. The boys are either working or attending other churches. hmmm... and Wiky is studying in Batam... sobz he didn't tell me when..

About the girls I felt that their bond is still not very strong. They're still not accountable to each other yet. So as I was doing QT one day this week God gave me this idea of helping them enjoy each other's company and friendship. So I'm going over to have a beauty session with the girls! Mainly doing Manicure & Pedicure.

Please pray for me that i will keep in mind the objective of the trip even while i am there. Pray that it will be fruitful! Also since this trip is just after Worship07, pray that I will be refreshed, not tired out and not late for the ferry!

I will be back on Sunday morning, in time for service, i hope.

:: heartache ::

what can pain me more to see the youth ministry in Tj Balai not growing, but losing the passion? Do I have to make a trip this month?

Will update when i find out more from Phei Phei regarding the youth ministry.

Cailing in KKH...

Yup, it's been a long time since i've updated.

21 June - Cailing has come to Singapore for an operation on the tumour at her left side of the face and the operation was SUCCESSFUL!

22 June - I went to visit Cailing with Persis and Joseph at KKH children ward 55 bed 11. bought her a funky massager from Action City. Praise Fellowship pple were there too, they got her a cute music box with 2 dancing figurines. After they left, a lady distantly related to Cailing talked to us about her granddaughter, asking us to befriend her and bring her back from bad company. As she talked she teared. She must be quite troubled to have to support her, as well as other family members. Her son, the father of that granddaughter, had a new family in Tj Balai. Her daughter-in-law passed away. So Vivian only has her grandmother. I was quite troubled by her sharing, wondering how i could help this strayed teenager who dropped out of sch. i was quite scared because i dun want to get into trouble with gangsters.

25 June - I started to sms vivian because after speaking to Gail about her i got more confidence to deal with her. since Cailing was staying at her place, i could use the excuse of visiting Cailing, to look her up too. anyway, her response was quite friendly, but doesn't answer my questions directly. And when i got off work, she asked whether i could buy her a prepaid card. Dunno y but i quickly jumped to the idea that she needs a prepaid phone top-up card (after that i realise she didn't specify that) Anyway i was quite eager to help her buy, in hope that she will like me more as a friend. Quite silly actually. actually i think she's quite smart, because she didn't ask me to "help her buy" the prepaid card, but to "buy (it for) her". Cos later that night she smsed me, whether i will help her next time she has a cash prob. i started to find it difficult to befriend her. if i weren't asked by her grandmother to help her, i would ignore her straightaway. but i replied that i can treat her meals, but not give her money to spend.

26 June - Vivian asked me to lend her money to take cab home because she's not feeling well. again very smart, because i cannot advise her to take bus home instead since she's not feeling well.

27 June - i only replied tt msg the next morning, telling her to ask her grandmother for the money, not me. Again she did not answer my question to the point and asked me to help her. i called up her grandmother, who asked me to lend her "only $10". i felt a bit... cheated... anyway i rejected her because i was at work. and we stopped communication from then. money is not the issue, but it's the relationship. i know nuts about her and i've spent money on her already. friends shldn't be like tt. it's not helping her to lend her money as and when she needs. she was starting to think of me as a financial provider.

anyway those few days i felt emotionally tormented. people who are poor are not necessary pitiful, when they start to become bad and turn to stealing, robbing, kidnapping, etc etc crimes just because they lack. i cried every night for those few days. and then i decided that i don't want to help her anymore. sorry there's not much i can do.