I am a missionary, but different from the others, I work in Singapore! haha!!
i work in a cross-cultural context in a local setting, I feel as if I am becoming less and less like a Chinese already! But thankfully, my love for the Chinese culture is strong enough to keep me rooted and not confused.
Everyday, I face non-Chinese at work almost 90% of the time. My awareness stop at the factual level initially. However, more and more, I find that emotionally and spiritually, I am beginning to respond to this fact. I need to be reflecting to myself what it may mean to me. Its just different working in a cross-cultutal context...
Monday, November 24, 2008
2 Peter 1:3-5
Went to Sentosa today with the youths. J's brother, N, was also there. As I was feeling tired, and he was feeling shy to join the group, so we happen to sit together and had a nice chat. It was a nice chat we have but I forgot to tell him.
He is 19 years old and going to the army. Just 3months ago, he told me he was going to be married with his girlfriend in 2009. But found out today that they just broke up. His girlfriend cant accept him for who he is, he said.
Given his golden dyed hair, tattoo-ed body, and some other behaviors different from mine, it seems a little strange that he is talking to me about acceptance. He even said that he does not want his girlfriend to be a gang member, does not want her to smoke and drink, and go to pub. Perhaps everyone really desire to be normal and accepted.
He's a rather nice chap, tends to like to boast about his past misdeeds that all. But given the background and the people whom he mixes with, what else can he boast about other than his misdeeds? How else can he command the respect of others if not for the fact that he belongs to the presumably largest and therefore most powerful secret society in Singapore.
As I reflect about this, my heart aches for the young people. For survival, they have to cling on to anything they can find. If it means to be in a gang, then so be it.
Lord, your divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of you who called us by your own glory and goodness. (So give these youths and children a sense of your personal calling and a glimpse of your glory and goodness. There really can be more to life than this). Through them, you have given us your very great and precious promises, so that through them, we may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desire. (Each of them need your help to escape the corruption in the world. Deliver them Lord...) 2 Peter 1:3-5
He is 19 years old and going to the army. Just 3months ago, he told me he was going to be married with his girlfriend in 2009. But found out today that they just broke up. His girlfriend cant accept him for who he is, he said.
Given his golden dyed hair, tattoo-ed body, and some other behaviors different from mine, it seems a little strange that he is talking to me about acceptance. He even said that he does not want his girlfriend to be a gang member, does not want her to smoke and drink, and go to pub. Perhaps everyone really desire to be normal and accepted.
He's a rather nice chap, tends to like to boast about his past misdeeds that all. But given the background and the people whom he mixes with, what else can he boast about other than his misdeeds? How else can he command the respect of others if not for the fact that he belongs to the presumably largest and therefore most powerful secret society in Singapore.
As I reflect about this, my heart aches for the young people. For survival, they have to cling on to anything they can find. If it means to be in a gang, then so be it.
Lord, your divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of you who called us by your own glory and goodness. (So give these youths and children a sense of your personal calling and a glimpse of your glory and goodness. There really can be more to life than this). Through them, you have given us your very great and precious promises, so that through them, we may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desire. (Each of them need your help to escape the corruption in the world. Deliver them Lord...) 2 Peter 1:3-5
A box of ice-cream
Met this 16 years old at my corridor while I was on my way home. He was pushing a cool box and as I walked by him, he asked me if I wanted to buy a box of ice-cream from him. He said he is saving up for his polytechnic education. He claimed that a box of ice-cream was $12 and he is selling at $14.90 because he wants to earn a little.
Well, a side of me wanted to belive him, but the other side of me was a little skeptical. I needa little time to think so I showed him where I stayed and said perhaps he should go and ask my mother if she wanted the ice-cream. But as I stepped into the house, he didnt even have to say anything, I begin to dig out money from my wallet. I guess I decided that I want to risk believing in him.
I donno if I might have been cheated. Maybe he might be laughing at me and say what a fool I am.. But it does not matter. Wisdom and foolishness really depends on which side you stand on. Widsom to the world is foolishness to Christ, and the reverse is true.
For the sake of Christ, I am willing to be a fool.
Well, a side of me wanted to belive him, but the other side of me was a little skeptical. I needa little time to think so I showed him where I stayed and said perhaps he should go and ask my mother if she wanted the ice-cream. But as I stepped into the house, he didnt even have to say anything, I begin to dig out money from my wallet. I guess I decided that I want to risk believing in him.
I donno if I might have been cheated. Maybe he might be laughing at me and say what a fool I am.. But it does not matter. Wisdom and foolishness really depends on which side you stand on. Widsom to the world is foolishness to Christ, and the reverse is true.
For the sake of Christ, I am willing to be a fool.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Counseling..
While waiting for my appointment with Santi, I realised that I donno what to do. I could have prepared for camp, prepare for work, read etc etc.. But I dont have the materials I need at home. I wanted to go tJ but there is not enough time. So anyways, here I am typing my blog.
My sup asked me what counseling model I think I wanna go into more details and learn it. Different models suit different people. I wonder if I can go into christian counselling. Other than this kinda of counseling, I am not sure if I can make sense of wat the other counseling models are talking about. Or rather, I am nt sure if I can be convinced of wat the rest of the models tries to convince people.
I want to base my work upon the word of God. I need to check with her if it is possible to go into christian counseling in our centre. Anyway, if not, I really needa know what i can learn and apply already.
Learning and applying a particular model can really change a person's outlook and perspective. Its like a lens that you view the world from. If what I learn is not going to be sound biblically, I worry that what I say to people would nt be truth. But of course, saying this, even if some claimed to be christian counseling, i still need to evaluate it based on the word of God.
Love you so much, Jesus, Love you so much... How my soul longs for you, longs to worship you forever.. For you are my strength and shield...
My sup asked me what counseling model I think I wanna go into more details and learn it. Different models suit different people. I wonder if I can go into christian counselling. Other than this kinda of counseling, I am not sure if I can make sense of wat the other counseling models are talking about. Or rather, I am nt sure if I can be convinced of wat the rest of the models tries to convince people.
I want to base my work upon the word of God. I need to check with her if it is possible to go into christian counseling in our centre. Anyway, if not, I really needa know what i can learn and apply already.
Learning and applying a particular model can really change a person's outlook and perspective. Its like a lens that you view the world from. If what I learn is not going to be sound biblically, I worry that what I say to people would nt be truth. But of course, saying this, even if some claimed to be christian counseling, i still need to evaluate it based on the word of God.
Love you so much, Jesus, Love you so much... How my soul longs for you, longs to worship you forever.. For you are my strength and shield...
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Smoothie Smoothie!
I want to give thanks to God for the program yesterday. Because D is on leave, so I am prety concerned that I will not be able to cope with the program! (You never know how emo the children can be sometimes!) anyway, so I thought I better have an engaging program that they will enjoy and that I dont need to deal with them running around becuase of boredom.
So we made Smoothie! heehee.. Well, perhaps personally I like to cook so I guess that makes things easier =) And before we made the smoothie, we had a Treasure Hunt where the kids have to find all their materials =) I am pretty excited as I combined these ideas from a book and it actually works! To see theory translating into reality is exciting =)
If you wonder how does making smoothie and treasure hunt benefit the children, let me tell you! haha! Other than having fun, it helps them to be willing to read. They may be unwilling to read in a textbook context, but giving them a recipe and treasure hunt clues certaintly motivates them to read =)
Anyway, though they were excited about making smoothie, they didnt actually like to drink it. I guess its a little sour with all the fruits together...They love the ice-cream that top the smoothie rather than their smoothie. But its ok, they dont have to like what I love =)
Thank God, Thank God, Thank God! Thank You Lord!
So we made Smoothie! heehee.. Well, perhaps personally I like to cook so I guess that makes things easier =) And before we made the smoothie, we had a Treasure Hunt where the kids have to find all their materials =) I am pretty excited as I combined these ideas from a book and it actually works! To see theory translating into reality is exciting =)
If you wonder how does making smoothie and treasure hunt benefit the children, let me tell you! haha! Other than having fun, it helps them to be willing to read. They may be unwilling to read in a textbook context, but giving them a recipe and treasure hunt clues certaintly motivates them to read =)
Anyway, though they were excited about making smoothie, they didnt actually like to drink it. I guess its a little sour with all the fruits together...They love the ice-cream that top the smoothie rather than their smoothie. But its ok, they dont have to like what I love =)
Thank God, Thank God, Thank God! Thank You Lord!
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