One of the worst thing about adjusting to college life must be the internet - or there lackof. It's quite expensive and slow compared, of course, to the unlimited cable that I've been used to. So I'm afraid that updates on this blog, plus replies to any emails might be a bit slow. :(

But other than that, college hasn't been too bad. Believe it or not, we had our first assessment on Monday (yesterday) already worth 5%. It has been most intensive learning NT Greek the past 4 days. We crammed about 6 weeks of work into 4 days. I *think* I understand most of the ideas, but just have a lot of vocab (nouns, verbs and adjectives) and stuff to learn.

Been meeting lots of people as well, and basically forgetting everything due to sheer volume. So everytime I talk to people, we all have to introduce ourselves again. But I think I'm starting to match names to faces now at least.

This week will be a bit more laid back, doing just orientation and things. But I think I'm going to keep working hard on the Greek so I can be ready to go when lectures start next week. So as usual, not much rest of me.

I've met the rest of my housemates, and they're all pretty easy to get along with. In particular, John is an overseas student from Korea here to learn English for the purpose of further theological studies. Very friendly and polite guy. I should have no problems getting along with all of them. Unfortunately, we rotate every 6 or 12 months, and so I'm most likely going to move come June (which is actually only 4 months away - drats!). But that just means more opportunity to get to know the other fellas.

Anyways, they say time is money, and this internet at college is costing me. I'll really really try to update at least every fornight, or even every week. But please keep praying for me!!

<< Thank God for the great housemates and for the many great people I've met over this past week. Pray that as I learn Greek and other subjects that it will not be purely a academic exercise, but that it will be a life changing experience as I get to know God more through His Word and as I fellowship with those around me. >>

Bye bye Wongside and hello SMBC!

I've been spending the last 2 days packing and moving into my new home at SMBC. I was expecting to move into a little room shared with another person. But instead, I'm living in one of the houses owned by SMBC with 3 other guys. I haven't met my new housemates yet, but I must say, it's very much like Brightside all over again.

The house is a little bit old, but all the bedrooms have been renovated and looks pretty good. Except for the kitchen and bathroom which is a bit old. But I guess you can't expect to have everything. I've got a living-room-turned-bedroom and it's almost 3 times my bedroom in Wongside! =) We've all been provided a nice wardrobe, book shelf, desk & chair, and bed and mattress. Everything's in pretty good condition. No old saggy beds or decrepid furniture.

Nice.

Tomorrow I'll be starting my first day of New Testament greek. Looking forward to finally starting college so that I can get some routine back into my life.

<< Thank God for my new home and for the providing such a nice place. Pray that as I get started at college that I can settle into the place and get a routine going so that I can be an effective and effecient servant for God. >>

Last night us guys spent a bit of time sharing and praying, which was a very nice gesture. These guys have been my family for the past 3 years and they've been very generous and encouraging to me. It's been a great time living with them and getting to know them and I'm sure I'll be back to visit often (like those who've gone before me :P).

<< Thank God for the providing these guys in my life and the way in which they've served and supported me. Pray that Wongside will continue to be a place of ministry where the people and the house can be used to bring glory to God. >>

I'll miss you guys! :'|

Aaaaahhhh....good to be back home again. Been surviving on camp food and sleeping on crappy beds cocooned in my narrow sleeping bag. There's no place like home. =)

Firstly, here's a run down on...

Cowra Summer Breakout
To describe it in one word - AWESOME!!! (keke...in joke as well) I was great fun working with my team of leaders in JBs (Jumping Beans) section and teaching Kindy to Year 2 kids. Each day we'd start off in Concert Time with Club 35 (Year 3-Year) kids singing songs and watching Dr. Kaboom blow something up!! Then we'd break up into our sections and have some games, a skit, memory verse, more songs, and crafts.

Our main point was that Jesus is God's Son, and we need to believe/trust/have faith in Him for life. in response, we repent from living the wrong way and live God's way.

I must admit that I was often clueless as to what to do and how to do it. Having never taught little kids before, I didn't know how to discipline them or give appropriate attention to them. But the other members in my section were great! I learnt lots of things from them and they were patient with me. It's hard to put down what I learnt, because it's often just a bunch of little quirky things. But I wanna go back again next year to have another go.

Jen has put up some Mission Reflections and there's a really cool story about two of the JB kids and how they were influenced by the things we taught them.

We also did some visitations - ie visit the parents of the non-church kids and try to invite them to some of the evening events. We had a sports arvo/evening with the kids and it was sooo tiring running around with them I was sore for two days afterwards (hmm...is this a sign I'm getting old...???). Other events included a (swimming) pool night, ladies' dessert night, men's breakfast & darts, BGR night, movie (Matrix) night and a Nathan Tasker concert!

It all ended with the Big Bash on Saturday where there was free face painting, hair spray & wraps, balloon animals, lolly guessing comp, sponge throwing, etc. Some sections also performed songs they had learnt. We had lots and lots (and lots and lots - excuse the pun :P ) of fun performing the Son of Man song.

I also had to preach on Phil 3 twice while I was there - once to my mission team and a second time at the local Baptist church. I didn't get a lot of feedback except to say that the illustrations and applications were good and appropriate. I tried to contextualise it as best as I could and I kept adding and changing things throughout the week with my experiences of Cowra. The only thing I could pick up on myself to work on is making eye contact and using my voice better - esp making sure I slow down and pronounce big words clearly.

I preached at the Baptist church on our second Sunday there (which was also our last day before going home). Towards the last 5 mins of my sermon, I started to feel really tired and I could hear my voice starting to drone. I really had to struggle to just lift myself and to keep going. Which was a bit ironic, since my point was to tell people to keep going in their Christian walk, and in particular to keep going in evangelism and their partnership in the gospel - and here I was losing steam!! :|

A most exhausting trip, but definitely most enjoyable and worthwhile. I had some really good conversations with other team members and got to know a few of them. Look forward to the reunion on Feb 14th (hmm...the date is a bit...awkward...). Though funnily enough, we've already had a mini reunion at KYC 'cause lots of them were there in Katoomba.

<< Praise God for the opportunity to serve in gospel partnership with so many other Christians both from Sydney and in Cowra. Pray for those who have been touched by God's Word and pray that the seed planted in them will come to bear fruit one day as they come to accept Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

Thank God also for the team and especially the members in JBs section. Thank God for the way in which we bonded and worked well together and supported each other. Also thank God for the many things they taught me and pray that I can use it in the future to minister to others. >>

Enough ranting for now. I'll write about the other stuff later.

Ack! Lack of posts and updates again! And the drought is doomed to continue.

I've been flat out preparing for Cowra Summer Breakout. And in particular for a sermon on Phil 3. I've finished it, but I don't feel 100% about it. Need to practice it a LOT and to probably touch up on things here and there.

Busy, busy, busy. Rush, rush, rush! Ahhhhh! I'm sure I've forgotten to pack something!

I'm leaving in a matter of minutes, and I'm starting to feel excited and nervous. My first mission! Don't know what to expect.

<< Please pray that I can work well with my team as we seek to preach the gospel in Cowra. Pray that I can speak clearly and faithfully from God's Word so that lives are changed for the glory of the gospel. >>

Straight after Cowra, I'll be going to Katoomba for KYLC and KYC back-to-back. So that means I won't be around for almost 20 days! So check this space after Australia Day. I'll tell you all how it went when I come back.

Alright, no response from you slackers! Either that, or I've lost my small group of readers due to lack of updates.

Ok, my own reflections on the past year (in random order as I remember them):

Highlights

• Going overseas for the very first time in 14 years and seeing my parents and relatives and revisiting childhood memoirs.
  
• Going to Beijing and seeing some of the cultural heritage on display there.
  
• Being part of RICE and evangelising to 400+ youths from all over Sydney.
  
• Organising EYF's first ever Dialogue Dinner and having 50+ people turn up!
  
• Learning about the OT from great lecturers at SMBC and surviving all the assessments and exams.
  
• Bringing 2 people from my church to Club 5 with me to consider full time paid ministry.
  
• Going to KYLC for the very first time!
  
• Saltlight Productions "This Way Up" Album launch.
  
• Going to Preaching Conference and learning from some of the greatest preachers of our time.
  
• Church camp up at Apollo Resort with our very own camp T-shirt.
  
• Deciding and being accepted into SMBC for next year.
  
• Having lots of my good friends getting married!
  
• Joining a Street Evangelism team with Ecom.

Whoa, this list is much longer than I expected. There is indeed much to be thankful to God for! I shall be a brief with my other lists.

Lowlights

• Leaving work behind, particularly the friendships I've built over the years.
  
• Talking to my parents about Christianity and seeing them in remain in their stubborn and stiff-necked ways in rejecting the gospel.
  
• Being critised and/or unappreciated in my ministries.
  
• Feeling like a one-man-band sometimes in trying to motivate people to be like-minded in how we serve at church.
  
• Sometimes seeing little or no fruits in my ministries.
  
• Seeing those who were at church at the beginning of the year but are now no longer attending anymore.
  
• Anticipating leaving the fellas at Brightside/Wongside/Whiteside.
  
• Not being disciplined with my QTs and prayers at times.
  
• Ungodly actions and attitudes which I made no effort to keep in check.

A lot of the times, these lowlights have become times where God has challenged and taught me things, such as...

Lessons learnt/reminded of

• I am human. I need rest.
  
• Resting is good. It's ok not to be working 24/7.
  
• Holidays are fun! (seeing a theme here?)
  
• God is sovereign and is able to use my strengths and weaknesses to achieve His purposes. So even when I stuff up there is no need to despair.
  
• God is faithful and will look after me in the midst of troubles and hardships. I may not understand why, but I only need to trust Him and see what He is teaching me in this time.
  
• Even though I have been a Christian for many years, I still need to humble myself before God and sit under the teaching of His Word. There are still areas of godliness I need to be disciplined in.
  
• I need to stop judging people so harshly and have more realistic expectations of them.
  
• I am the visionary type when it comes to ministry (ie one who likes to plan and strategise) but I need to work on how to impart my visions to my leaders.
  
• I write terrible essays!
  
• I can be impatient at times and easily frustrated.
  
• I don't like bitter melons (yet).
  
• I don't like being dependent on people but need to learn humility in being served by others.
  
• God is faaaaar more patient with me and is slowly molding me into Christ's likeness.

<< Praise God for 2003 and the many, many things that have happened and the things I've learnt. Pray for 2004 that I won't forget these lessons and will continue to press on! >>

Merry Christmas everyone!!! Hope you all had a wonderful time celebrating the birth of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ. I was able to have a good, quiet, restful, day today just chilling out at home.

Some people (*ahem* you know who you are) have complained that I haven't been writing on my blog. Sorry!!! I've been busy trying to write up my newsletter and get it sent by Christmas. Hopefully you've all got it already - if not, let me know and I'll send it again (there were a few that bounced cuz the account was full).

Only another week of work left to go before I leave the secular workforce. Feeling a mixture of bittersweet. Definitely excited to be starting college soon and leaving my boring job behind, but at the same time, knowing that I'll miss the few friends that I've made while I've been there.

In the past 2.5 years I've been working there, there hasn't been a lot of meaningful relationships...maybe 3-4. Don't know if that comes as a surprise or not. But I find it quite hard because people relate by gossiping, and since I try to stay away from all that, I often get left out in all the conversations and I don't get invited out to lunch and weekend stuff as much. And sometimes their worldly value system is so overwhelming it kinda grosses me out.

You might say that's a good opportunity for evangelism, and that's true to an extent. But it's usually just a few comments in a normal conversation in front of everyone. And whenever I've tried to speak up about it, it either sounds like I'm being self-righteous or I'm taking things too seriously. Is it just that I'm saying things in all the wrong ways? I don't know...but workplace evangelism is quite hard. So for those of you out there who are struggling with it - don't despair, you're not the only one finding it hard. I'm certain that God is at work nevertheless.

<< Thank God for the relationships I've built at work and for the conversations about Christianity. Pray that God will provide other Christians in the lives of these people that one day they too will come to know Christ as their Lord and Saviour. >>

I was having lunch with some of the guys from church today, and we started talking about the past year - highlights, lowlights, what God has been teaching them - and things to work on in the coming year. I'd like to share some of my own reflections on the past year. But I'll save that for my next post.

But in the meantime, I'd like to hear from you guys! Please leave a comment and share with me what God has been doing in your life this past year!

I'm back!

Wow, it was a great holiday and I had a fabulous time!! Shopping in HK and sight seeing in Beijing. Took lots and lots of photos. I'll put them up eventually and say more about them then. At the moment just glad to be back home.

But there's no time to readjust to the Australian lifestyle. It was straight back to work on Monday (with piles of stuff waiting for me when I got in), and lots of ministry stuff to follow up on. I've booked out most of my lunch and dinner appointments this week already! There's plenty of people to catch up with, but here's a few of the tasks I need to get stuck into:

• Write my 4th quarter newsletter.
  
• Raise more funds for the next 3 years.
  
• Prepare 2 sermons on Phil 3.
  
• Finish children's talk for Cowra Mission.
  
• Organise KYLC & KYC.
  
• Prepare for church ministries for next year.
  
• Holiday program for TG.
  
• Upload photos from holidays (as well as a backlog of wedding photos from the last few months).

All this before the end of the year!

<< Thank God for the great holiday and for safety in our travels. Pray that I can be diligent and focussed now as I pick up all my tasks and ministries and prepare for the new year ahead. >>