when i can :)

I will update when i can. But the chances are slim. Grins. Perhaps a few times in this 2.5 months. Well, i'll be back in no time :)

I better get to bed in a jiffy. I am gonna miss my dear bed too. hehe.

smiles. i'm not going alone.

Dearest friends :)

As i think about leaving for Nepal tomorrow morning, my heart is filled with anticipation of what the Lord has prepared for me as i serve alongside Him and the other co-labourers He has provided. It is indeed a great privilege to be setting foot in that land. Even as i prayed and sought the Lord the past 2 weeks, i have been encouraged time and again that i am going "not by might, nor by strength but by His Spirit" and i believe with all my heart that it is gonna be a great time of discovery and experiencing God in ways that i have never imagined before. Because of that, i am excited by all that the Lord is going to do in and through my life. As one of my teammates says, "I'm pretty sure Gos is gonna surprise us in many ways..." and that, i embrace.

I would like to share with you all how the Lord has been encouraging me with these verses,
2 Timothy 1:6-7 "For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands, for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."

And i especially like what verse 8-9 says,
"Therefrore, do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me (Paul) his prisoner, but share in the suffering for the gospel by the power of God, who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began..."

Isn't the God we serve so awesome? I am going in His power! I know i do not go by my own capabilities or becasue of what i have but because He knew that i was going before i even did. It never fails to amaze me how God desires to use our weakness to make His strength complete. It is my heart's desire that i will, by the grace of God, inspire others to worship the King of Kings and give Him the due worship. I like what John Pipers says, "Missions exists because worship doesn't." and yes, that is my prayer that the Lord will use me in whatever capacity possible to bring people into being awed by this great God that we worship.

As i leave, i covet all your prayers. We are going together during this 2.5 months because you are fighting the spiritual battle together with me as you pray. :) So here are some things you can pray for:

1. Sensitivity to the Spirit
- That i will only act according to the wisdom and discernment God has given me
- That i will speak boldly the words He places within me
- To be sharpened in hearing the voice of God

2. Family
- God will be their trust and reliance
- That they will be assured that God is watching over me. Indeed He is faithful to do that!
- Protection from the darts of the evil one

3. The Team (Kit Peng and Jessica Tan will be going with me)
- Unity, that we will serve with one mind and spirit
- Relationship to be strengthened
- Us to compliment one another in our working styles
- Openness and communication to be effective
- To spur each other on to love and good deeds

4. Nepalese
- That our love for them will manifest Christ's love for them
- Favour in relationship building with the youths, children and local church workers
- We will build into their lives in any way possible
- God to prepare there hearts (receptivity to the ministry that we will be doing there)

There are countless things to pray for, but these are the most pressing. Please pray as the Spirit leads as and when you can. :) Rachael Lim will be my prayer co-ordinator and will update once in a while through the "prayforus" yahoogroups. So if you aren't in the groups but you will like to be, please let her know.

Thank you very much for all the support that has been showered, the encouragement and the prayers that have already been uttered. You have no idea how much they have been a blessing to me. I really appreciate it. :)

Have a great few months ahead, will miss all of you dearly :)



See you in August with lotsa good reports,
Rachel :)

indeed it is a privilege.

2 more days till i fly to the land of Nepal.
It is getting easier by the day as i cast all my concerns one by one into His hands.
Yeah, you are right, "missing is not a bad thing..." and to that i add, "... allowing it consume you is."
So my dear friends, i will miss you dearly, the relationships i have here and the things i leave behind for this 2.5 months.
But i am so much more prepared to go- It's gonna be such a great journey. Smiles.
Thank You Lord, for this privilege to go.
I'm all ready for Your magnificence to be displayed. :)

I like how kit peng puts our trip to nepal so aptly,

"It almost like starting a new job, but the difference is that your boss is the Man himself." (paraphrased)

Indeed it is. A new journey, a new relationship with the great I AM. I am truly excited. Hope you can join me in my excitement... :)

walking the dirt paths.

As i prepare my mind, spirit and body to leave for Nepal on the 28th of May, there are mixed feelings within me. One part of me is all ready to conquer the world, step out in faith and set foot on the land. While well, the other part of me is apprehensive and fearing the element of unknown. Thank God at this point of time the former is stronger than the latter. I know that i will never be prepared enough of adequate enough for the work that God wants to do in and through my life while i am there a short 2.5 months. But one thing i know for sure- His grace is sufficient for me and His strength is made perfect in my weakness. And because of that, i may look foolish in the eyes of men to be doing something like that, but i believe that His power will be demonstrated in this weak vessel of clay. Thus, i take delight in the challenges that i may face there- the dread of having to preach, (yes, the very thing i run away from when asked to do in Singapore.) going there not fully prepared with resources or equipped with the skills needed for ministry, having to adapt to the culture, people and food only to find myself returning after i have settled in. Believing that in all of this it is really a process of moulding and the Lord doing a work in my life.

I can almost picture myself and the kids, running around, singing songs and just having fun- showering all the love i can upon them. Talking to the youths, hanging out (not 'chilling out' coz its gonna be so darn hot there. hehe.) and sharing life with them. Right now, the best i can do is to imagine all these things, but in 12 days, i'll be there and i won't need the imagination anymore- it'll all be reality. Smiles.

So even in these few days as i get excited about all the things that i have to do and worried about the things i can't do, i am reminded that in all of this the Lord wants me to do His will. And how will i know what His will is for this trip? I really got to pray. I really have to hear what the Lord desires for me in this trip, not what i want to accomplish or what the team desires to see, but what God wants for each of our lives. And thus, at the 12-day mark, i covet all your prayers that i will have the discipline to be more prayerful and learn to hear from the Lord. That i will not be caught up in the doing that i forget what this is actually about- Deepening my relationship with God so that i will be satisfied in Him and which results in Him being supremely glorified. :)

to walk down the dirt paths/sleep in wooden houses/travel along bumpy roads/hold the hands of kids with dried-up-mucus-faces/see them smile at the simplest things/being contented with all that the Lord gives them/praising Him for life.

That's really all that matters. :)

bridge to terabithia

I really enjoyed Bridge To Terabithia not because of the graphics or the effects (well, i would rate that part only as so-so and boy, it is nothing like Chronicles of Narnia- don't let the previews fool you.) but because of the rich meaning behind the plot, themes and symbols. And i started to miss doing literature all over again... This is one of those shows that you could really like or think that it was okay-only. But i really liked it because it brought back so many memories of things i used to do in my childhood- the pretend-play that i enagaged in, imagination all gone wild... maybe thats the reason why i am so visual now. (right cheryl?) laughs. But it really brought out the reality of escape into the world of imagination and how the mind can do wonders.

I will not spoil the show by describing it all here. Hmm, and well, i will recommend you to watch it but i will also add that it is not a must-see. But i really loved it lah. haha. So you decide for yourself if you are gonna catch it. Smiles. As i said, it is one of those shows they will show on channel 5 two years down the road. Grins.

"Just close your eyes... and keep your mind wide open."

-Leslie Burke in Bridge To Terabithia

strange but good.

It felt kinda strange, (although when i told hann he said it wasn't) but yesterday as i was studying for my counselling module, i found myself subconsciously praying for my future clients. Well, this has never happened before, much less happen without me realizing/planning for it. It was strange coz i actually "caught" myself doing it. But well, i found it such a delight studying the module from then onwards because i was reminded that i am not doing this just for the grades but so that my future clients will be blessed. It's amazing how God can mould your heart if you choose to allow Him to. To place in you a compassion that you have never had before...

And today, i took the paper praising God for the lives that i will meet in time to come. Its gonna be another one more year of studying (if all goes well, i'll be doing my honours. heh.) before that happens and really, i hope this is not talk only- i know how tough it is in reality but like all feisty undergrads and fresh grads, we are all ready to conquer the world. laughs. let's see what happens a few years down the road huh? i pray that i will still be as burdened and compassionate for my clients. Yesterday, Joey asked me whether i am excited to start work and i said yes, but i rememeber adding that it's gonna be hard work coz the world's pretty sick. And well, i'm thankful i'm not alone in this coz God is going to be with me in the counselling room, groupwork sessions and house visits and i am there just to facilitate His work. Grins. It's gonna be an adventure i'm sure. To all those graduating this semester, go all out for it yeah? i'm waiting to hear all your stories! :)

Having said that, today's paper was do-able, and well besides that, i really learnt loads about relationships, people and the human heart though this module so i am thankful. :)

So 4 down, 1 more to go! heh.

Holidays, i know you are waiting for me, be paitent alright? grins. keke.

yet i will rejoice.

"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vine; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation. The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He will make me as surefooted as a deer and bring me safely over the mountains."

- Habakkuk 3:17-19 (NLT)

主的喜乐是我力量

主的喜乐是我力量
你的救恩是我盼望
虽然橄榄树不效力
也许葡萄树不结果
我仍因救我的神欢欣快乐

我要赞美 无论得时或不得时
我要赞美 每天从日出到日落
我心坚定与你 每天赞美不停
我要赞美 跳舞赞美
我要赞美 自由赞美
大声欢呼 你是永远得胜君王

Gosh, as i listen to the chinese worship songs, i am reminiscing about my trips to China. How the Lord was so gracious both times i was there, and blessed me so tremendously with the lives of the people there. I miss them. And i miss the fellowship we had there. But i take delight that with every trip abounds new experiences and mercies, Nepal- here i come... :)

okay rach, please remind yourself that you still have two more papers. haha. laughs.