SAFRA Retreat '09

Safra Retreat '09
[19th-22 June]

I have been previlage to share with a few people's sentiments that the Annual church camp over at Malacca was just too short! Am Glad & thankful that people were blessed with the speaker Kent Smith's sharing & the fellowship moments over meals & walkabouts in the city(:

I thank God for the weekend I had at Changi. The commercial planes flying over the area, the sea breeze brings back memories of the BMT days on Pulau Tekong.
It's been a very long time since the 1st Safra Retreat get-together was initiated by my mum.

It warms my heart to watch cousins grow up together,
the funny moments when we play card games, to now mahjong, younger times we spend sleeping late,
trying to wake up early at the direction of older cousins who were Scouts that deemed waking up earlier masculine.
cramping up together on the mattresses in the living room instead of the comfort of rooms upstairs.Bowling, walking at the beach, swimming

Now we're a little older, more sensitive to lack of sleep.Personally I slept in at 3am after a friday & half saturday rehearsing for SAF day & NDP.Only got up at 11am, must get my 8 hours or else I know i'm gonna fall sick again.

The beauty is it takes everyone to put this retreat together, from my mum who coordinates everything, to ah ma who makes prawn rolls, to aunty who cooks laksa Uncle who buys extra sausages & another drinks.

Thank God for the weekend(:

School people are gearing back for school in the midst of the H1N1 influenza, people are going back to work, May we rely on God even more after recharge weeks at VBS ,church camp or chalet(:
Have a blessed week ahead!

The Crocodile Dock '09

"I don't need to worry cos My God is always here"

That's just one phrase in a song that the kids had to remind them to FEAR NOT! for GOD is here with us.

The last week I was part of a team conducting children's camp/Vacation Bible School[VBS]..
I am thankful for the 2 1/2 days that i manage to spend there...

I was blessed with a group of workers who were dedicated to ensure the children's time was well spent safely(:
the relationships between the children, crew leaders just connected everywhere through the activities they were doing, the sleeping in dorms sure added to the excitement with lots of them spending their 1st nights out without parents.
of course the guardian in each dorm ensured orderly especially my bunk with younger children. need to make sure they are woken up to use the toilet before continuing their sleep:
All of it would not have been possible without HIS providence(:

This year I was tasked with games, I asked God and reminded myself, " make sure the game reinforces the learning point for the session."

With that in mind, Ryan, Vernon & myself implemented the games.
It as been a previlage for me to have worked with these 2 individuals, they used their talents & abilities to serve our children.
With Ryan having to leave us cos of classes on Monday and Tuesday, after the 1st session,
vernon & myself went on with the rest of the sessions

I thank God for the synergy of suggestions&Vernon staying up with me to run through what we need to do for the following day.It was tiring but what's tiring when you see the children having fun Completing, Competing themselves in friendlies(guys versus girls always seem to motivate them to move faster:p)

Just going back, listening to Jordan my brother, cousins talking about camp camp camp, the bonding games the crew leaders play before sleeping,singing the songs, refreshing my mind with scenes of children & crew leaders interacting with one another, friendships forge leaves me 'WOW'

are we game for next year?:P
rest up 1st and we shall debrief to share in preparation for next year!

Its chalet@Safra this weekend, another time to spend with family
Have a wonderful week my friends & people who are going up to Church Camp(:

Doing your best for whom?

"Even you are doing it for children, you must do your best." said my batch mate.

It hit me, "Jacob, what are you doing all these things for?"

Was preparing this gift for the Won Children, which i spent some time painting, and He walked over deciding to help me paint, and he went on painting it as he mentioned what I should be doing.

He's quite an observant person, recently conversations revolved around the topic of i being distracted & doing things halfway.
which was really true, I received feedback that I need focus things and get it moving.

Sitting there is not getting me anywhere & when you do it, do it well, don't be sloppy about it.
Whenever I do things, do my best for the Lord, who gave me this previlage to serve others & use my gifts in ways to be a blessing.
Learnt something(:

alright, time to rest up before the week begins, with VBS!

May the games that the children experience allow them to grasp what the concepts are sharing.
more rehearsals, continuing to rely on my Father for his strength.

Have a blessed week ahead my friends(:

Square 1

Thank God for the rain that showered this evening...

I have not been very consistent walking with HIM, so distracting...
how difficult is it to lay back and say,
" ahhh, that can wait"
time with God can wait,

cos there seem to be more pressing things that you thought you had to do. You Thought so...

F.O.C.U.S i will work towards
May the Love for my Creator each day be ever new...


Have a blessed week ahead!(:

Departures

-time: 5.30am on a monday morning-

This past week Phebe's Grandma passed on.
I listened on to the sharing by uncle Danny & eulogy from Phebe's Uncle, Peter.

"just like our life,the tent that we are are housed upon for the next few days of the funeral are just but temporary...and we return to our Father's House."
or
how grandma tells her 5 children to be united like the fingers to a hand.

I have been shown that funerals are a time where you see the human become ever real again, where people come together, coming closer to one another,
edging their older folks to rest while the younger generation survives the task of watching the night shift at the wake.

On top of a person leaving this world, while we are filled with missing the person, the trademarks that repeatedly fly through our head, the face, the person's prescence. he/she has graduated in the Lord's Glory & we celebrate that(:

-something that you do while doing night shift, especially getting hungry-
-walking home in the morning-
-the earlier bird gets the worm-


Have a blessed week my friends(:

Remembering

-Is it gonna rain?-

The weather this past week has been WOW.
it's sunny and bright in the day, and next thing, clouds gather at night, cumulonimbus clouds(word taught from my younger brother, joel) ,
strong gusts of winds that slams your unsecured doors shut & blow the clothes that you hang outside down to the 1st floor.
the lightning seems like GOD wanted to take a picture of me half awake.
thank God for the cool weather and the Sun rising up with beautiful colours filled in the sky.

The moment I decided that i shall not be so distracted from GOD, the distractions start coming, sending me the message that 'it's ok, just take a break for a while'..
what a tough one.


Con't to pray,have faith in stading firm on my stronghold.

Have a blessed week ahead my friends(:

Moments

the Last week was filled with different emotions.

with keen hoe's grandma who has gone to be with Lord,the stories of what your grandparents do that you remember, how can you forget them?

to interesting conversations that began because of being at that event that evening.

It was a week walking against the current of falling into my distractions, actively seek HIM, and defend my 'FORT'.And it continues on...

this week had me thinking about some people to be praying for instead of the mundane motion that I go through in my safe zone.

my mornings & nights in camp are always filled with GOD's paintings up in the sky.
May it be stars, wind, the rising sun, the lightning that i saw flash in front of my face this morning, his affirmation of how BIG my creator is. Thank you Lord

feeding on the word at my monday 吃饭了sessions.
we shared about Luke 8 :40-56 this week...
got me to rmbr that the points are not opportunities to see who had a quicker divinition from God, but experiences from your lives that were made real to encourage others in their struggles with you.
praying for others like you mean it(:
GOD make my days real,
not just a 'cover' for people to see a 'pious' jacob.

have a wonderful week ahead my friends and good rest over this weekend(: