baby boom

The interesting thing about being in church long enough, is that you get to see your counterparts grow up and move on in life.

Last year, we had a wedding boom - two couples who met in JAMs got married.
This year, they moved on and both couples' wives are pregnant and ready to give birth within this year.
Talking about growing the church!

Besides that, every other month someone in the cg is giving birth and adding to the nursery.
We have 6 babies for this year end - two have shown their faces, another four still on their way!

Oh yea.. And when the cycle is over, it shall restart next year, with new couple, like below.

Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it..

[by the way, notice that guy with the white shirt on the left.. He is perfectly straight --- only he is possibly one of the funniest guys we ever seen. Talking about being a gentle-man.]

bedtime stories

I took a 45-min walk home from my colleague’s house today, listening to music from the FM receiver at the same time.
Nighttime radio music is actually quite harmful to my soul.
But I still like to indulge in it sometimes.

When I am left alone at night, I often find myself thinking about the past.
The sight of things around me can create quite an emotion.
Like tonight, I saw an older man riding a bike with his wife sitting behind him.

I thought of my parents – of how my dad could survive alone without any company these days.
I thought of growing up with family members and having to leave home to come to this place and spending the rest of my youth on my own, without anyone close.
A stranger in a foreign land without any case of identity…
And so on… Almost fell into a nostalgic journey.

The funniest part is, I hardly think of him or my family at all when I go about my daily routine, or when my mind is filled with other thoughts.

Emotion is not bad. After all, we all have souls and our soul should prosper too.
It’s just sad to see how some people are consistently filled with sad thoughts of the past and refused to move on.

I come to conclude that, in your mind, you either stay in the past, or you look forward to the future.

For me now, if not for the math syllabus and my students, my mind is mostly at a state of rest – non thinking – not of the past, nor of the future (haha)
It is often during the night time when I am idle, that my mind starts to wander to the past, and I tread the path backwards.

That’s why, God told us to be transformed by the “renewing of our mind”.
Re-NEW: Allow new things to enter
New things that probably have yet to take place in the past – new ideas, new dreams, etc

An empty and idle mind is a good place for emo-attack, especially at night, when one is left alone.
Fill the mind with the WOG. Meditate on all good things.

Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things.

Do not get stuck in an emotional rut.
Move on.
Instead of filling it with things of the past, change the wineskin, so that new wine can come in too.

word power

Empowering the mind
These two days we have Word Power in JAMs Church. Santhi got the students to memorize 17 verses, together with their references.
It is important to note that these are not all simple verses, like “Jesus wept”.

Among the verses given:
Psalms 119:11
I have stored up Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You.

Psalms 32:8
I will guide you and teach you the way you should go. I will give you good advice and watch over you.

1 Kings 8:58
May He turn our hearts to Him, to walk in all His ways and to keep all His Word and all His Laws, which He told our fathers.

What impresses the most is how few of these students, with IQ that could possibly be less than 70, are able to memorize all the verses, together with the Bible references – something we adults find it hard to do at times.

It is amazing how the capacity of a person can be increased if expectation is lifted up.
And once increased, they are never the same again.
Who would have thought that intellectually disabled students are able to learn so well?
Indeed, one can do all things through Christ who gives them strength.

This brings me back to the students at my school.
I am awaiting the day when their minds are able to be stirred to think deeper.
What has been locked up in the past school system needs to be unlocked once again.
May the LORD give patience and power for us to endure and to birth forth the new things in them.


Changing the heart
Last Saturday, a worker shared with me of how he witnessed one JAMs student ate his own faeces in the toilet. He of course stopped him immediately, but was stained in the process of struggle.

He told me he cried – not because of the stain caused.
He questioned why a person would think and behave in this manner, and about the things that go on in the student’s mind.

I was very touched when I heard what he said.
I believe something is changing in his heart.
This is the same worker who was beaten several times by another 200-pound Japanese student in JAMs on several occasions.
This is the same worker who went with me to babysit the hyperactive Choon Kit at his home at 8 am in the morning.

I told him that he was very blessed to experience the beatings, the toilet experience, etc.
What other better ways to increase one’s compassion than through all these experiences?
He had the chance to go through these trainings of the heart.
I am very jealous.


Looking back, I feel very blessed to be in this ministry for the past 9 years.
My mind and heart are much much stronger today than 9 years ago.
It is amazing to see students grow up and grow deeper in their minds and spiritual lives.
It is awesome to see workers, to see myself learn to be more humble and more loving every week.
To be more accepting of others’ weaknesses.
(This reminds me… I need to love my fellow workers more, even those I cannot stand – argh)

God has used the foolish things of the earth to put to shame the wise.
I am experiencing the reality of this verse, in a literally-speaking way.
This is my prayer this year..
That my heart will never grow cold, but burn more with passion and love every day.

A pure heart and a strong faith, O God…

A letter to you all

You...
Chose to be absent during important lessons (or for that matter, any other ones too),
You claimed to be sick or working,
And when you did show up again,
You looked blur and the last lesson had to be repeated to you again.

You...
Showed up after the foundation of the lesson had been laid,
Entered and talked loudly to your friends,
Sat down without acknowledging your lateness.

You...
Left your calculator at home,
Refused to bring your pencil/pen/eraser/ruler/whatever and had to borrow,
Stared at us passively, refusing to ask even if you didn't understand,
Left your scribbled notes behind when you left the class.

You...
Claimed we are your favourites,
Claimed to want to do well for exams,
Expected extra lessons,
Expected everything from us,
yet showed no action matching up to your claims.

It doesn't matter if you do not understand,
It doesn't matter if we have to repeat all over again.
It doesn't even matter if we have to tolerate your loudness or rudeness at times,
or had to smile even admist our anger,
or to hold back our tears when you placed the last straw.

It doesn't matter if you stand up from remedials forgetting to thank us.
Just please show that you are more keen than us for you to do well.

It doesn't matter if we feel drained at the end of the day,
or so disappointed that we have not made our points across,
or upset that you don't understand how much we want to help you.

Just please, put your heart and mind and energy...
Bring the calculator, pen, pencil, paper, whatever you need,
Come punctually, or even when late, acknowledge us,
Come for remedials esp when you know it is scheduled esp for YOU!
Open your mouth and ask when you don't get it...
Have more energy, more than what we are showing you..

...
...

[that's the part when the teachers cry and are at a loss for words]

And one day when you should look back,
remember to thank God for the patience and love shown here.
And have some guilt,
for the heartaches you sometimes (or so OFTEN) create.