passion @ uwa

CAM Vision Day

2010-08-16T09:53:00.000-07:00

Hey guys!

What if I told you that for one day, you'll be able to learn things you’d normally only dream about? That for one day, you'll be able to try things you’ve never tried before, but always wanted to? And that for that one day, one afternoon to be exact, you can put your gifts and interests to the test and see if there's anything else you can do to hone those talents and make it better?

Well, look no further!

On the 22 August, ZPH will be conducting our CAM vision day.

CAM stands for our Creative Arts Ministry.

There will be 6 different electives conducted in a single afternoon, namely...

1. Finding your voice

2. Worship Leading in cell

3. Photography 101

4. Dance for life

5. Techie (PA)

6. Songwriting (with Guest Speaker: KC Gan from City Harvest Church, Singapore! pix below)

It doesn't matter if you're not looking to join any ministry at the moment. Just come! You’ll never know what you might find there, be it a newfound interest or an added skill. For those currently looking to join a CAM, this will be THE place to be with all our different ministries under one roof! Even if you think you're not talented enough, just come along! You'll be pleasantly surprised at what gifts He has blessed you with!

If you honestly have never thought about what God has blessed you with, and what your gifts are, I strongly encourage you to come.

It's about time you found out. =)

To end it off, I shall leave you with a verse.

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10 (NIV)

Why don't you use what God has gifted you, and serve today? Know and trust in Him, for He has a plan for you.

God bless, and have a good week ahead!

Written by blog writer,
~Johnson Tan~

Have a comment, question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!

From A Freshie's Point of View - Part 3 (Blend in or Stand Out?)

2010-08-15T19:17:00.000-07:00

You probably don’t know this, but yours truly isn’t a UWA student. However, I am probably the university’s biggest fan and would definitely go there, if only to be amidst the gorgeous, sprawling campus and all its aged charm. Anyway, favour me with your attention as I walk you through my (imaginary) first day at the university you’ve probably come to affectionately refer to as “U-Dub”.

Thank goodness winter’s weaning off, the nasty chill easing its way out the back door of the season. It’s lovely outside, with blue skies dotted with puffs of clouds, the sun feeling comfortably warm, an amazing remedy to the breeze that often causes you to shiver uncontrollably. Perhaps I’ll do what all sun-loving Aussies do- lie on the grass and just unwind, relax in the brilliant sunshine. Admittedly, I wouldn’t mind exploring the rest of the campus, maybe sit and revel in the stillness and silence of the library, taking in the novelty of the aged shelves and even the worn tomes that sit atop them. Nah. I couldn’t be bothered moving from where I am, sprawled out in the sun, a spectator to the symphony of the fountain, birds, even the whistling wind. Was there ever a day as perfect as this?

But wait. What’s wrong with this picture?

The imaginary me frowns slightly at this intrusion, exploring the ideas of what could be amiss. Deciding that it’s just some mild paranoia playing up, I lay back again, looking up at the sky. “Hey,” I say, lifting my hand to point upwards. “That cloud looks like a- ”

Oh.

Blushing, I purse my lips together, as if to eradicate all traces of my monologue.

Because there isn’t anyone I could’ve been talking to (aka, I realised I was talking to myself out loud...embarrassing!).

“It’s very possible to go through an entire course at uni and still be invisible.”

If you’ve read enough from me, you’ll probably be aware that I’m not out to scare you silly, but when my cousin said those words to me at the very beginning of my university experience, I never considered how true they could be. And believe me; I’m glad that he pointed it out.

Of course there isn’t anything wrong with exploring and unravelling the expanse of impressive scenery, to take a moment to appreciate the spectacular architecture and whatever attributes of the campus that strike your fancy. And of course lying in the sun in blissful contentment is certainly no crime against humanity. But what is worrisome would be a lack of human companionship.

“Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” -Matthew 28:19, NLT

Now I’m sure there are few of us who would rather be alone than with at least one companion. But if not for yourself, may I suggest that you step up and be social for the sake of your faith? As ambassadors of Christ on this earth we’re called to be bold and steadfast, out there and not hiding behind the person in front of us, hoping to go unnoticed and unobserved.

Yes, I do realize that not all of us are social butterflies who grace the world with their fluttering ins and outs, but consider this: wouldn’t it be sad if you had been in a class for (at least) three years and no one knew you? That they could look at their graduation photo years later and wonder “Hmm... who was that?”.

And perhaps you’re shy, and of course, understandably so. I mean, you’re away from home, from your closest support groups, from the people who have come to know and love you, into an entirely new and socially-dry place. But think of this as a chance. A situation overflowing with opportunity and possibilities. Think of all the new people and cultures you can be exposed to and learn from.

Think of the lives you could touch.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”- Matthew 5:16, ESV.

Even having said that, we, the lights that should illuminate and display the form of our Saviour seem to be dim and waning. Perhaps we even put our hands over our brightly-burning flames hoping that being a little bit more conservative, low-key, and to just simply blend in with the crowd will allow us to be more socially accepted and inept.

“No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house.” Luke 8:16, NLT.

And even if you may reflect internally and consider your own faults and failings (not that I am to judge), you may think that your light is weird.

It’s awkward. It sways funny, and goes a weird colour when in certain conditions. My hair isn’t straight enough, my teeth are too crooked. I’m not smart enough. My accent is weird and I have issues speaking in public. How can I show the world a flame like this? How can a tiny feeble light like this possibly light the world?

Well, firstly, consider that you’re not alone. Like I’ve mentioned in the other instalment of the series, besides an awesome and all powerful God, you’ve brothers and sisters in Christ who are always here to help you along, to support, encourage, and motivate you. Also bear in mind that your light isn’t of you, but of God. A God who is flawless and entirely lovable. You may see flaws in you that you reckon would repulse and put off others, but you’re perfect, complete, whole, and more than just presentable. You are “fearfully and wonderfully made” (Psalm 139:14), the flawless craftsmanship of the master craft man, ready to emerge and not only be accepted, but be applauded by and marvelled at by others.

...So how many new friends have you made?

Look who’s stepping out today. ;)

Yours in all companionship,

~Su-lyn Y.~ =)

Have a comment, question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!

40hr Famine - What's it all about?

2010-08-12T19:20:00.000-07:00

Today, I woke up to a faulty Blackberry whose backlight decided not to light up anymore. And I tell Sarah-Ann, my bestfriend, I hate my blackberry, I’m gonna get the iPhone 4. And now, as I sit here typing on my 2 year-old MacBook, whilst also being very annoyed at how laggy it is, I think to myself, I need a new laptop.

But HALT! Before you decide to go Ew, spoilt brat! or Ha, it’s Vera, what do you expect? I think you might want to reflect on yourself. Like it or not, we’re ALL guilty of that. And as I proceed into le state de self réflexion, a medley of regretfulness and remorse consumes me.

Within two minutes, I could come up with a gazillion things I absolutely detest, ten of which include:

Being Fat
Waking up early in the morning
Studying
Exercising
Eating Vegetables
Doing laundry
Feeling left out
Traffic Jams
Being controlled by my parents
Mess & filth

Then something began to blow my mind.

THERE ARE PEOPLE DYING BECAUSE THEY’RE TOO SKINNY AND I HATE BEING FAT?!! SOME PEOPLE CAN’T EVEN WAKE UP THE NEXT DAY AND I HATE WAKING UP EARLY?!! SOME PEOPLE CAN’T EVEN AFFORD EDUCATION AND I HATE STUDYING!!! SOME PEOPLE DON’T EVEN HAVE THE ENERGY TO SIT UP AND I HATE EXERCISING????! THERE ARE PEOPLE DYING OF STARVATION AND I HATE EATING VEGETABLES! THERE ARE SOME WHO DON’T EVEN HAVE CLOTHES AND I HATE DOING LAUNDRY!!! SOME PEOPLE DON’T EVEN KNOW HOW IT FEELS TO HAVE A FRIEND AND I HATE BEING LEFT OUT AMONGST FRIENDS?? SOME PEOPLE HAVE NEVER EVER SAT IN A CAR BEFORE AND I HATE TRAFFIC JAMS!!! SOME PEOPLE DON’T EVEN HAVE PARENTS AND I HATE BEING CONTROLLED BY MINE?! SOME PEOPLE LIVE IN SLUMPS AND I HATE MY ROOM BEING MESSY?!!

??!!!!?!?LOSS!??!?!?!?!??!?!?

??!!!!?!?!??!FOR?!?!??!?!?

??!!!!?!?WORDS!??!?!?!?!??!?!?

So, just as a picture speaks a thousand words, here’s one to sum it all up:

Except, mine will look more of something like this:

Now now, on a more serious note, THIS is the kind of world we live in today. We can’t afford to go to Europe for a holiday and we think the world’s crumbling down on us. We put on 3 kilograms and we feel it’s the biggest problem in the world. We don’t have enough money to buy the latest Louis Vuitton bag and we think life is so unfair.

Yet on the other extreme of the spectrum, we have over 1 billion people who don’t even have the basic necessities of life! Things like water, food, and a home are foreign to them. We ARE indeed very blessed pals, but that doesn’t give us the right to forget about the less fortunate. And before we fall deeper into this trap, let us remember that whatever we have is all God’s and not ours to keep, but ours to SHARE.

I believe that 40 hour famine is not only an annual fund-raising event but a life lesson. So let us take this opportunity to learn to really appreciate every bit of whatever we have and share God’s blessings upon us with others. That said, it is my prayer for us all that a burden be placed in our hearts for the billion over souls who need us.

No doubt, we cannot do everything, but we can do SOMETHING.

And that starts with 40-hour famine!
Have you signed up yet?

*40hr Famine booklets are available outside SSLT after UWA Live! Come to the booth or approach your Cell Leaders if you have any enquires! *

Written by blog writer,

~Vera~

Have a comment, question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!

FRESHIES WELCOME: You're In...vited......REALLY!!!

2010-08-10T17:18:00.000-07:00

It is NOT mere coincidence that you are reading this. [So, just keep reading! =)]

Hello everyone! How’re you doing? If you’ve been here for quite some time and are now back for another semester, welcome back! Hopefully this has been a good beginning for you so far and be assured that God is by your side even though you may find studies stressful. However, if this is just your first semester here in UWA – CONGRATULATIONS! Yep, you’re the one that we are searching for; you’re who we call a freshie!

To be honest, when I first came to UWA, I felt a little insulted being called a freshie, ‘the noob’, I thought. Haha. But hey, tell you two good things about bearing this title. Firstly, you will for sure get help more readily from us (not that you won’t get any if you’re not one, haha). Secondly, we’re having a wonderful celebration specially for all of you freshies, which is what I am going to tell you more about now:

Freshies’ Welcome Sem 02 Year 2010!

If you don’t know what Freshies’ Welcome is, it is basically something that we do at the beginning of each semester to welcome those who have just started out their university life. It is a church service, but we would like to see it as more than that – it is a great opportunity for us to make more new friends and get to know you better (something we love to do), with the objective of making you feel welcome in this new foreign land, away from your family and hometown.

Of course, if you think that church is a boring and dull place to be – you’re WRONG! On the day itself, you can expect to see many lovely, friendly and dynamic people putting on different performances (yes, in a church!), from the energetic dance team to the gently-inspiring choir and of course, the awesome drama. It’s not our profession to put on a show but we are going all out to entertain you and make you feel at home! Moreover, who can resist the offer of a complimentary dinner (in other words, $0!) after that?

Here are the details of UWALive! Freshies’ Welcome Sem 02 Year 2010:

Date : 14 August 2010 (Saturday)

Time : 4.30 pm

Venue : Social Science Lecture Theatre, UWA

Well, if you still cannot make up your mind whether you are coming, or if you think this has nothing to do with you – why not just come and check it out? Remember the first line of this article? It is NOT mere coincidence that you are reading this! I believe the fact that you have come across this invitation means that there is something wonderful waiting for you here – be it an authentic friendship, care and support in times of need, a seem-to-be-uncertain life purpose or a message of hope and love from God! It doesn’t matter whether you’re a Christian, whether you’re lonely, whether you’re burdened or whether you’re all-good – we just simply want to help you, love you and connect with you in the same way that God has first loved us (and He does and will still do although you may not understand it now). We’re not perfect, but as Christians we are called to love one another, so we hope you’ll allow us to reach out to your world.

As for those of you who have been in this family for some time, I just found out something interesting recently. Not too long ago, one night after I watched the movie “Inception” with some of my friends (sorry for spoiling the fun if you haven’t watched it yet, lol!), we were discussing about the movie on our way back home. The movie ended (‘annoyingly’) with the totem spinning on the table and just as we were catching our breath waiting to see whether it stopped spinning, the movie ended! This means at the end we didn’t know if Cobb succeeded in getting back to reality (the totem will wobble and halt) or was trapped in his dreams indefinitely (the totem will never stop spinning). And you know what? After the discussion, I discovered that everyone secretly likes a GOOD ending, haha!

This brings me to my last point. We all like a good ending, don’t we? May be some of you will think that this is just another Freshies’ Welcome, just another event that we do every semester. However, think of it this way: your one invitation, one smile, one handshake, one encouragement out of love and concern can mean a lot to one person – it may turn someone’s world upside down beyond your imagination! While Jesus is the author, aren’t we called to love and be the link in a person’s journey towards salvation? What a beautiful ending that would be!

Yes, this is just another Freshies’ Welcome…… UNLESS you do something about it to make a difference! Invite your friends, housemates and families. Talk to someone new and listen to them.

Can’t wait to see all of you there! God bless! =)

Written by blog writer,

~anony'W'ous~

Have a comment, question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!

From A Freshie's Point of View - Part 2 (Studies)

2010-08-08T17:53:00.000-07:00

It’s an auditorium. A lecture theatre. A hall meant for lessons and tutorials for the masses. Even the uniform tiers of seats giveoff a nerdy and studious vibe. Then why is there music playing? And you notice that everyone is smiling and excited. It’s hard to decide which is louder – the music blaring in the background, or the chatter of the occupants who move about the hall, separate entities to the band of musicians upfront. Someone takes your hand, your attention grabbed at the reception of a warm handshake. Oooh, is that pretty booklet really for you? The person smiles at you.

Welcome to Zion Praise Harvest.

Picking up from where I left you in the first part of the series, I assume that you have attended at least one service at ZPH. If you haven’t, you must, with great haste, repent of this preposterous, unforgivable sin and- Oh, I kid, I kid.

But back to the description in the opening paragraph – the lecture hall. Besides being the place where ZPH services are held, your lecture halls play their fundamental and essential role, leading to the second tip I would like to share, that is to value and place a heavy priority on your studies. What I have found is, yes, being sent abroad to study is a fantastic way to broaden your horizons, views, gain a firsthand experience of the cultural diversity and customs of another land. However, it’s also so important not to lose sight of your initial goal, that is, to further your education.

As nerdy as it sounds, I have found that coming back to considering why I’ve been sent to Perth in the first place always puts things in a clearer and more mature, responsible perspective. Because I know that my parents paid a whole sum of money to get me here and into an educational institution, I’m of the opinion that academic excellence always comes first, but that if I can (and you will, fear not!) gain other experiences and life lessons, that’s always a bonus.

At this point I can pretty much sit back and cringe as I re-read everything that I’ve typed. Yes, dear reader, even I haven’t come to terms with how nerdy and square I come across as. And I’m not saying that you should stow your camera away, hang up your dancing shoes, decline every offer to hang out with friends, and Heaven forbid, dare to even dream of taking a road trip to explore the country. It’s about balance, which I will elaborate further on, later in this article.

Now that I’ve got you thinking of things of the academic and studious variety, perhaps you’re breaking out into cold sweat, nervously glancing at the whole barrage of assignments, tests, and projects you’re expected to produce by the end of the semester- and it’s just one semester! Worry not, as I share a little secret with you – it’s near impossible to fail a unit unless you really just couldn’t be bothered with the subject. Because so long as you perform decently in all your course work, attend lectures and sit for the necessary exams, it is actually difficult to fail. Having said that, I by no means guarantee that you’ll pass if you’re out late partying when you’ve an assignment due the next morning. Keep at your work consistently and you’ll definitely pass.

However, if you’re dissatisfied with merely passing, let us return to Aristotle’s eudaimonia for pointers on raising the performance level (if you have no clue what this is, check our Su-Lyn’s earlier post!). Two important factors are knowledge and balance. So if you’ve taken up the eudaimonia challenge, which I strongly encourage you to, here are more details to assist you in that effort

Knowledge, part of Aristotle’s eudaimonia was a quest for rationale and enlightenment, so that an individual may be equipped to make the rational decision, that virtuous and right actions become logical and natural to the individual. Applicable to all students such as ourselves, this earnest striving for wisdom, whatever your major or degree, causes us to be increasingly efficient, professional, and skilled in our future professions.

Eudaimonia also operates on the Principle of the Means. Likened to establishing a sense of balance, this principle says that one is to settle for a mean value, one that is neither lacking or in excess. For example, courage (an approved virtue) sits between cowardice (lack) and foolhardiness (excess). Even as you do so with virtues and moral deliberation, consider applying it to your life and daily activities. All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, but Jack would also be an utter dunce to play all day and end up with no work or future.

If I am worrying or making you anxious, do forgive me. My goal was to make you only a tiny bit uncomfortable. (Grin)

But in all good intentions, I do hope that this article was of any use to you, if only to tickle your mind a little. And with that, I shall leave you with an assurance that transcends not only whatever little of my experience, but sometimes even defies logic and natural capabilities and expectations-

“For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.”

-Proverbs 2:10

This is an assurance from an unfailing God. Claim this promise for not only your studies, but for your learning voyage through life, allow Him to knock memory into your head, get your way round difficult concepts, with a wisdom that teaches, unravels, reveals, enlightens, and inspires you in ways you never even thought you were open to or capable of.

Written by blog writer,

~Su-Lyn~

Have a comment, question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!

Unstoppable - Victorious Life

2010-08-04T16:52:00.000-07:00

The evening wind heralded its arrival with the fragrance of the sweet acacia as it danced gracefully into the living area. The fragrance, coupled with melliflous music, enchanted the entire atmosphere as I gazed lazily at the shimmering chandelier which filled the room with its warm orangey colour. My heartbeat paced rhythmically along with the smooth and slow music. Everything had never felt so serene before.

The melliflous music... the warmth..the serenity ….it felt like a dream …well it WAS a dream, my dream in fact! Only after waking up did I realise the fragrance of sweet acacia was from my housemate’s baking and melliflous music from my iTunes (can’t account for the chandelier, must have been my sub-concious mind!). I was left with this question, “how good would it be if my dream was the reality of my everyday life?”.

It is said that life is not a bed of roses, there are trials and turmoil in reality that causes doubts and complains …even towards God our heavenly Father! Questions like, “God, do you have a plan for me? Do u see what I'm going through now? God, you are so great, can't you just answer my prayers and take me out of this mess that I have created?” I think the vast majority of people out there know that God is good, wise and answers our prayers, but we are often too anxious and short-sighted to unravel and understand that God’s plan and timing are perfect, and more importantly perfect for us! So we always end up questioning God.

This is where the “Unstoppable” sermon series really spoke to me, especially “Victorious life” by Uncle Lawrence (from Curtin). “Victorious life” was about gaining victory over flesh(eg. anger, depression) and the ABC's of our emotions. Everything is hinged on our “belief system” which is a powerful two-edged sword that it could either cause one to be distraught or be emboldened to do mighty and powerful things. Sadly, the belief system of the majority clicks negatively in the face of trials and crisis, even Christians alike!

We often forget that God is always in control and all we need to do is to believe in Him. For the Bible tells us in Phil 4:6 “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God”, and in Matt 6:26-27- “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?”.

As for myself, my belief system works negatively as well! If you didn’t know, some years back I made the major decision to drop out of Chemical Engineering in National University of Singapore (NUS) and switch to the Jazz course in Lasalle College of Arts, I felt strongly that this was my strength and more importantly, what God has intending for me.

The first year in Lasalle however, was a nightmare. The teachers in the school were amazing players but unfortunately not amazing teachers. I found it hard to just depend on the teachers to get through the requirements of the course so I did badly for the first year in Lasalle. I felt like a ultimate loser because I could not convince and prove myself that giving up my Chemical Engineering degree in NUS for music was the correct decision. I could not face my parents who had faith in me and were, at the same time, bombarded by unneccessary suggestions from other people. To make things worse, I failed in making connections in school and no one in Lasalle approached me for jamming, let alone gigs. I did not know what the future held. Negative belief system kicked in and I was at the lowest point in my life.

This was where God met me, at the end of my human strength and the start of His. Discipline and perseverence with Him and through Him was the key! I decided to spend the semester break practising with belief … not in myself anymore, but in God, and that this was the path He had chosen for me.

This hardwork paid off when I improved in the second year and managed to earn gigs from a guitar teacher in Lasalle who “discovered” me during my graduation recital. I had never knew the guitar teacher, Mr Derrick Tan, before but he gave me opportunities to perform in Singapore's Esplanade and the Singapore Jazz Orchestra. All this from discipline, perseverence and most importantly, a change in prespective … that God may appear to be silent but He is definitely at work within our lives. With God, there is unstoppable courage, unstoppable joy and unstoppable life. All we got to do is believe and and never stop trusting in Him!

Written by blog writer,

Esther Li

Have a comment, question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!

From A Freshie's Point of View - Part 1 (Arrival)

2010-08-01T18:15:00.000-07:00

So maybe you’ve just stepped off the Boeing747, gotten past the never-ending queues of borderline security and the luggage carousel, hoping beyond all comprehension to catch even the slightest glimpse of a familiar-looking piece. Stepping out from behind the automatic glass doors, you’re hit by a strong gust of wintry air, the smell of clean, piny air filling your lungs. Good grief, even minus the snow, no one told you it was going to be this cold.

Welcome to Perth.

First time studying abroad? Longest period, or maybe even the singular (event, time), you’ve ever been away from family, friends, and home? In the very first of a series, fellow newbie Su-lyn Yeang shares a few pointers on what it takes to not just survive, but to flourish in the whole new experience of being an international student.

So perhaps it’s already been a few days, maybe even weeks since you first set foot in this new (and possibly alien) part of the world. Textbooks and stationery neatly stacked on a yet-to-be-familiarized-with desk, you wonder what’s left to settle before you get submerged, then paddle neck-high, in assignments and course work.

“But first be concerned about God's Kingdom and His righteousness, and all of these things will be provided for you as well.” –Matthew 6:33 (International Standard Version)

One of my favourite theories on morality is by the Greek philosopher Aristotle. He theorized that the main goal of all our actions should lead us to ‘eudaimonia’ - flourishing, excellence, happiness, success. Eudaimonia is being the best of you, all that you could possibly be. He believed that this state of excellence was only achievable if one habituated the practice of rationality and virtue. However logical that may sound, the main flaw in this theory is that there wasn’t (and isn’t) any way to know what actions are right or wrong. But I believe that he got the concept right, and that it can work for any believer who is willing to read, know, and live His Word and commandments, one who participates in the Body of Christ- His church.

“So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.” – Romans 12:5 (NIV)

Now I know that this may sound preachy and you may think “she just wants us to go to church”, but think about it. You’re in a foreign, alien even, country with pretty much no links to anything or anyone here. Being a part of a congregation provides you with not just physical protection (not that ZPH has big, burly, bouncer-like guys, worry not!) with people who care for and take notice when you start to get the sniffles, your body still adjusting to the winter chill, but also a spiritual covering, with fellow cell members keeping you in prayer at all times.

Also consider the church as a place to meet new people, those who share the same faith as you. With them is a special bond and connection, unique to any other relationships- with these people you identify, worship, and sing praises to your God. But not just that, think of them also as comrades in arms, all of whom battle against the same menacing, vile, and terrifying perpetrator – stress and examinations!

Oh, but it doesn’t just stop there. Your Christian circle doesn’t just face the same hardships during the exam season, but the same temptations and trials along the way as well. So it’s also important to be able to have people who you are able to be accountable to, who can and will help you steer clear of stumbling blocks and aid you along the clear and straight path.

Last, but certainly not the least, it’s because He has commanded each of us to be a part of a congregation. And if you know our God, He takes notice of such obedience, and will cause those who do so to grow – not like a stunted plant struggling and desperately competing with others for sunlight and nutrients, but like a well-tended flower that blooms and flourishes.

So now that you’re here, miles and miles away from a place you call home, think of what you really want to achieve here, consider the things that are of utmost importance to you, and as you begin this new chapter of your life, go over the things that are closest to your heart.

Is your goal for your time here in Perth one of eudaimonia?

Written by blog writer,

Su-Lyn Yeang

Have a comment, question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!

Zion Food Fest!!!

2010-07-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

Hey guys, how’s everyone doing? It’s like first week of school, and you’re probably busy adapting to school life after that month long holiday you had. All the best for your studies and your timetable as well. =)

Anyway, I hope you remember that Zion Food Fest is happening this Saturday on the 31^st July! If you don’t know what this is about, continue reading on! Even if you do, you can read on about my personal interpretation. =P

We all know that the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, hence what better way to spend quality time with one another than over a meal?

Basically, every semester, ZPH invites the most talented of talented people who can cook to set up a booth at the Zion Food Fest.

Think mamak stall style, in a sense that there’s loads of stalls on the day. You get to see loads of different stuff, ranging from

I remember my first Zion Food Fest, it was CRAZY!!!

I had to queue up for Josh Lim’s famous Kolo mee for like 10 minutes, but it was well worth the wait. For those not from Kuching, kolo mee is this awesome noodles that you definitely have to try whenever you visit the capital city of the state of Sarawak. The taste is indescribable, and you have got to taste the chilli. =)

Rachel also made her famous and delicious curry puff which had heaps of stuffing that made you wonder if you’re eating curry puff, or curry with a hint of puff!

The highlight is not just the food and fellowship. On that night, the organizers have gathered the talents of ZPH to perform for us. Music was awesome, and everyone was just mesmerized by it. The host even organized some games so the entire crowd could participate!

Sounds exciting? It is! So book this Friday up, bring cash (we don’t have etpost!) & invite your friends for a night to be remembered! Here are the details!

Sat 31 July 2010

6:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Queens Park Recreation Centre

Centre Street, Queens Park

$10 ($5 entry fee & $5 coupons)

For more details, speak to your cell leaders or you can contact Samuel Tan @ 0423 513 932

I’ll see you there, and we’ll more talk over good food. =)

God bless!

Written by blog writer,

Johnson Tan

Have a comment, question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!

A note from the Editors

2010-07-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

*for information regarding Orientation events, please scroll down for the post below. Thank you!*

Hey loyal UWALive readers and new readers,

If you thought UWALive was on hiatus, you were right! Are we dead and gone, by no means!!! UWALive is going to be bigger and better with the addition of many talented, deep and yet humble writers who bring the extra to the extra-ordinary.

So, stay tuned for more heartwarming, tear jerking and of course laughter evoking testimonies and posts that the contributors hold personal to them and we invite you to know us as we get to know you.

I don’t want to give off any teasers/spoilers, youtube has too many of those as it is! What I will say is this, “I hope that you will be blessed and have fun reading the posts because we certainly have fun writing them”.

Semester 2 of 2010 has started! And so has the UWALive blog! Check back every other day for an update!

From your wacky editors

Have a comment, question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!

Excited for Orientation?!?!

2010-07-19T02:10:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Guess what time of the year has come around again? Orientation! That’s right – it is that time again when we welcome the newcomers and drive away all feelings of homesickness. However, as all the senior (read: OLDER) members of Zion Praise Harvest will tell you, orientation time is not just about meeting new friends – we all get to have a good time while doing that too!

The organizers have put together a whole list of events for orientation week and the week following it!

Monday 19 July

Potbless Dinner!

This is the day when the freshies will have their first day of orientation. So what is the best way to end a long day of talks and seminars and absorbing new (and crucial) information for survival in Perth? With delicious home-cooked food, of course! And what is on the menu? Malaysian and Singaporean food! Curry, fried rice, bak kut teh are among some of them. If the idea of a taste of home does not get your appetite in gear, then probably nothing will! So do join us on Monday evening for a night of fellowship and good food!

Tuesday 20 July

Movies! Karate Kid and Knight and Day

An African-American kid finds himself migrating to Beijing, gets into trouble with the local bullies, is saved by the Master Shifu janitor and then proceeds to learn to deal out some kung pow chicken of his own. A dashing super-spy crosses paths with an everyday girl and then finds that they have to rely on each other if they are to stay one step ahead of their pursuers. What is in common with these two situations? A good time at the movies, that’s what! Join us for the 8.45pm show at Greater Union Innaloo this Tuesday evening!

Thursday 22 July

Late Night Shopping @ IKEA

I don’t know about you, but most of the furniture in my bedroom is from IKEA! Needless to say, IKEA is the lifesaver for international students who find themselves in a new home and no bed to sleep on. With the (ahem!) extensive furniture-hunting experience we have under our belt, why not we make it our pleasure to show the freshies the ropes? If not for anything, there is always the infamous meatballs and the FREE air-cond! And all those comfortable armchairs strewn all over the showroom…

Thursday 29 July

Dinner + Ice-cream @ Fremantle

Dinner. Ice-cream. Fremantle. Need I say more? Let us show the newcomers why Fremantle appears in every list of ‘Places You Must Visit in Perth’!

Excited yet? Then hesitate no more and inform your cell leader of your interest to participate in any, if not all, of the activities listed. Remember the purpose of orientation: to help ease the newcomers into their new life in Perth and, in the process, hopefully gain a new friend. One more for Jesus! Remember how all of us were once freshies and brought into the church through these events….

For any enquiries about orientation or any of the events, please contact Ian LEOW at 0401861153.

Hope to see you guys soon!

Have a comment, question or suggestion? Email us at uwalive@gmail.com!

new cell list!

2010-06-22T19:40:00.000-07:00

this is the official cell list for sem 2, 2010 :D
winter cells are labelled by "A", "B" and "C" !!
please click on the picture to enlarge the list, heh sorry its abit small.

love,
blog admin team :)

Wu Pang Jin

2010-05-20T05:31:00.000-07:00

Today we interview the recently-attached, immensely talented, much-loved Jim Wu! Ever the academic, it’s tough to find some free time but ever the gentleman, Jim willingly obliges to answer some questions which I have conjured out of my flights of fancy (along with some by popular demand of the zone of course)! Happy reading ZPH-ians!

Mark: Your first sem cell leading!! What has it been like for you? Tell us the things that you found the hardest to cope with and the things you love most about the responsibility!

Jim: Hardest? Spending time with my cellies. I’m a very busy man when it comes to my studies. I put a lot of priorities in it, thus, quite difficult to juggle between those two. It’s like, whenever I have free time, I’ll study or try to finish my assignments. That’s what you become when you were a total nerd for a year and a half.
Things that I love? Delegating of course. Calling my core and telling them what to do. The best part is that they are so willing and they always say “yes”. It makes cell leading so much more easy. A huge thanks to my core.

Mark: Delegation is important you know Jim…it’s a codeword for ‘legalised sabo-ing’ by the way! Certainly has been an awesome sight seeing you in action as a cell leader! Have you been blessed by the role?

Jim: Definitely!! I’ve learnt a lot from my cellies. The best part is that when you see your cell members grow and you see the potential in them that will bring them to even greater heights in their life achievements.

Mark: Even the Master learns from his students =). Has your vision for your cell been achieved this sem?

Jim: Well, honestly, I can say, half of it only, but the more important thing is that I see growth in my cell whether the cell vision is achieved completely or not.

Mark: Sem’s not over yet!! So it can still be achieved!! And how would you encourage others to step forward to fill this role in the future?

Jim: Just do it!! You might think that you are not up for it but you’ll never know how awesome and wonderful it is to serve as a cell leader. Yes, it might be scary and stressful at times but the reward that you receive far outweighs the “sufferings”.

Mark: Who is the best cook in your cell? Don’t be afraid to say yourself HAHA!

Jim: I gotta say it’s Soon Eng! Just give him meat, and he can surprise you.

Mark: Soon Eng eh… I gotta get his number .. or pay him a surprise dinner visit soon… aside from the cooks, who is the life of the party in your cell??

Jim: Haha, the Singaporean girls -> Deborah, Weiping and Ansley, because they are the only girls in my cell...hahaaha.

Mark: So, some same old same old incoming… What is the first thing you wanna ask God when you see him?

Jim: Hm…never really thought of it though. I don’t really have any questions for Him at the moment. Well, I guess when I get to meet Him, I might even skip the part of asking questions and go straight to worship!!

Mark: I’ve heard that you play like…. MANY musical instruments (Talk about market value, Li Jim you lucky girl!) which exactly are the instruments you are able to play?

Jim: Haha, many people had asked me this before. Well, there are many but if you asked me which instruments that I can really play, I gotta say it is the electone(organ), bass guitar, acoustic guitar, DRUMS!!, Chinese flute(dizi), recorder….yea. That’s all I think.

Mark: Is there an instrument you really wish to learn that you don’t know how to play yet?

Jim: The PIANO!! Seriously!! Not joking!! I want to be like Jim Brickman, hehe, no pun intended.

Mark: Mr Wu Pang JIN, you know it’s coming man…. and I’m sure everyone whose been reading has been waiting for this! WHERE and HOW did you ask Li JIM to be your girlfriend?

Jim: By the way, my name is spelled “pHang”, pronounced as “pang”, like the word “punk”.
Oh man, so many people asked me this. Haha, okies. Mat Bay, and it was during sunset. Er..how? I just asked directly. Straight to the point.

Mark: A man’s man eh? What do you think is Li Jim’s BEST physical attribute?? Don’t be SHY! No LYING!

Jim: HER EYES!!!

Mark: Eyes eh... her big round puppy eyes sure got you! What do you think is her best NON-physical attribute?

Jim: Her service, her habit of always wanting to bless people, her sacrificial character.

Mark: Wow. Looks like you scored man... What do you think Li JIM likes best about you?

Jim: Hm…a lot of stuff but I guess the mains ones must be my honesty and me being open to her, and also me being a very nice MQBF(M**** Q**** Boy Friend , don’t worry, it’s not a swear word) !! HAHa..

Mark: ?!? Alright everyone, you will have to ask Jim what MQ means yourselves! Jim, Is she your first girlfriend?

Jim: Yups!!

Mark: First-timer eh… that’s good! I’ve heard it’s Li Jim’s first time too if my info is right? Talk about a fairytale love story haha! So, is she the prettiest girl you ever laid eyes on?

Jim: In my eyes, YES SHE IS!! I can’t stop looking at her..haha.

OLJ/Li Jim must be crying tears of joy after reading this..

And that’s all for our interview with Mr. Jim Wu folks! Hope you enjoyed his honest (we hope) answers! Stay tuned for the next cell leader interview!! Who is it going to be me? Find out soon and in the meantime you’re most welcome to contact me (Mark) for questions to ask! God Bless!

~Mark~

Baptism - A Testimony from Vera Lee

2010-05-18T06:12:00.000-07:00

For those who could not attend last Sunday's Baptism ceremony, you must understand that you missed something so great! 16 Baptism candidates, 11 from UWA zone! We cannot replicate the atmosphere nor how the sun broke through the gloomy clouds but we can bring back a little something special from that day. Sharings from our very own zone! Stay tuned for a 3 part special on Baptism Sunday, First up - Vera Lee!

As some of you know, I’ve been a catholic since I was about 11 years old, but I never truly understood what God was all about. However, it was only until just about two years back where I experienced God so so personally. And that really changed my life. I’ve come up with a poem to share this wonderful journey so here goes!

It was that very fateful night
Which put me in a terrible plight
9 examinations with 2 weeks to go
I broke down I gave up, I hit a new low
I ran to my room, distraught and hopeless
I needed God, to fill my emptiness.
I knelt down and told God I needed some help
I called, he answered, my heart he felt
There and then peace filled my heart
I went back to my books and I felt smart
The Lord came to my rescue when I was defeated
Hope and confidence he gave when I pleaded.
This is my God, who always provides
Especially His love with no clause to abide.

At times horrible voices pollute my mind
You’re ugly, unworthy, so go hide behind.
The enemy knows my weakness and makes me blind
Nothing good about me am I able to find
But the Lord is my rescuer, my fortress, my king
He saves me from lies that the enemy brings
He opens my eyes to the things unseen
He tells me I’m beautiful despite what I think.

Many things in life I regret having done
But God always gives me a second chance
This is our God who constantly forgives
His unending love for me I truly believe
Indeed amazing grace saved a wretch like me
I was lost and blind but now I see.

I thank God for everything that He has done
He is my shepherd I shall not want
His glory now fills my universe
His light makes my life’s darkness fully disperse
His presence brings peace into my heart
His love accepts me no matter what.
It’s by His stripes that I am saved
With Him will I always be amazed
In Him I know my future’s secure
Despite any endeavors I’ll have to endure
Today I declare that He is my God
And with Him forever will I follow and walk.

~Vera~

The Exclusive Interview - Max Ting!

2010-05-12T05:06:00.000-07:00

After a brief housemate to housemate wrestle because one of us left the dishes out last night. *pant* We get to sit down and ask the tall bean of our zone, my housemate, some questions! Enjoy!

So Max, what's it like being UWA zone's tallest Zone Sup??

*pants* Well to be honest, it’s quite nice to have people look up to me literally, but not so nice that I have to look down on almost everyone … I mean … it hurts my neck u know?! :p

Right … as if that’s a big problem! How’s the air up there?

If the air down there makes you look like … YOU, I’m pretty sure the air up here is better.

Ouch … Do u poke fun at the other two shorties???

Is that how you talk to your leaders’ BOY?! I will show you some manners later on. *cracks knuckles*

I think there is a constant barrage of teases amongst the zone sups, helps keep us on our toes, but I don’t think the issue of height really comes up much. I would like to think we prefer to fight it out with our wits instead, but in reality I think we just have a lot of fun together.

Does Peter or Josh get teased more?

Definitely Josh, his constantly falling into the “you-asked-for-it” syndrome! Plus he has a wonderful gf who always needs him to bail her out of trouble & he bites the bullet for her each time so what can you say? What a man!

If Josh Lim is the zone's saboteur in chief, you must be a close push for second.... any plans to dethrone him?

What for? I get to do all I want and he gets the blame, sounds like a little piece of heaven to me!

What is the biggest sabo you could ever pull on Josh?

Fake a break up letter from Letitia, burn his clothes, spray paint his car, finally get him into the duck pond, msg Letitia with his phone with a “wrong” message to another girl, tie him up and rub chilli over his face … hmmm … you can tell I have thought this through huh? Hah Grow eyes on the back of your head Josh, a storm’s coming!

Same same old, if Pete and Josh were drowning... WHO would you save???

Oh this is a real dilemma, I mean after BOTH of them have happily announced they would let me die, what can you do?!! I could (1) let them both drown and laugh my head silly OR (2) give my life to save the both of them and let them live with the guilt for the rest of their lives. But I know these guys too well … there will be NO GUILT. So if it came down to it, I think Peter because a girl out there hasn’t been blessed with his love yet, and I can’t rob that girl from that joy. That’s right Josh, the truth will set you free!

Do you think Jacq is the hottest babe in ZPH?

(within 2 nanoseconds), Y-E-S!!!!!

U SURE U AREN'T LYING????????? HAHAHHA

Mark, you got a real deathwish you know that? All I can say is, you want to get together with someone who would brighten your day when you see her, especially (after married) waking up in bed. If not … seriously, you’re in trouble!

And dude, if she reads this … you’re dead man. hah

Whoops, better switch questions then. Wedding bells ringing... WHEN WHEN??
ahhh… this question. The answer ain’t coming easily for any of you reading, you have to earn it. But what I CAN say is … earlier than Josh so go and read his post first :p

Who is the most 'steady' cell leader in ZPH in your opinion?

Well that would be Jacquelyn of course … since me & her are going “steady”? HAHA But seriously, to be able to organize, lead, counsel members AND serve in their various other ministries? All our brilliant 10 Cell Leaders ARE ALL steady. All have their different strengths so I really can’t pick a head runner.

IP Man VS Iron Man??

As in a fight? IP man is cool and all … but I highly doubt Wing Chun could do anything to a few tons of heavy metal!

Which would you choose?

Hmm .. IP man is noble, moral and has super OP (Overpower) fighting skills. Iron Man appears to the general public as not moral and noble BUT he actually is, and is super brilliant (like 10 times more than Henry), super charming (10 times more than Francis) and what’s more is SUPER RICH (1000000000000 times more than Vera!). All this plus his OP suit + computer … no brainer. IRON MAN … I WANT I WANT I WANT I WANT *drools*

What excites you most about serving in ZPH??

(1) I am part of building something great!! (2) I am part of the life journey of each member! (3) It’s FUN doing what I do in serving the Lord!! Especially when it means calling Lijin on Friday to tell her that she’s doing Tithes & Offering … ahh small joys … small joys :p

What is the biggest advice you can give about serving in ZPH for potential leaders stepping up?

Serving as a leader, especially cell leadership will be the most rewarding experience you can ever receive! I will bet my last dollar on that! HOWEVER, being a leader will mean you will be stretched, you will be pushed, but only because it is getting the best out of you, and in turn making a better you SO THAT you can receive the greater blessings in life. Not for the faint hearted!

What is the biggest question you wanna ask God?

Why is my best friend so ugly but can get such a beautiful girlfriend?!? It defiles logic man

Only because God is good and He has great plans to prosper us! Claim it! Well we have come to the end of another awesome interview. The Zone Sups are done HOWEVER … we will be starting to interview your Cell Leaders from here on! And first up is …. JIM WU!! So if you have any questions for Jim, just post them on the chatbox and we will include the good ones! Be blessed!

~Mark~

A Devotion - All Day Long

2010-05-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

"Lead me by your truth and teach me, for you are the God who saves me. All day long I put my hope in you." Psalm 25:5

Some people are morning people. They awake refreshed, renewed, and ready to meet the day, but by evening, the enthusiasm and energy begin to wear down. Others take a little longer to get going, but when the rest of their family and friends are ready to call it a day, they are hitting their stride, eager for more. But both kinds of people have to make it through the day—and do it well.

The middle of the day can be the hardest time for both.

Among the early risers are those who have developed the discipline of a quiet time of devotional reading, meditation, and prayer before they face the challenges of the day. There is much to commend this approach—but not if you already have difficulty getting out of bed in time for work! The evening people can just as easily reserve time during the lunch hour or before they retire for the night to engage in specific spiritual exercises.

George Herbert, the sixteenth-century Anglican pastor and poet, gave some of the best advice. He wrote,

"Sum up at night what thou hast done by day. And in the morning what thou hast to do, Dress and undress thy soul"

The idea of dressing and undressing the soul, just as we dress and undress the body, has special appeal because it points to the fact that the whole day needs to be lived in the light and power of our relationship with the Lord. This requires both preparation and evaluation. The day will present many and varied challenges and opportunities for which we need to be prepared and about which we need to be concerned.

Perhaps David said it best—”All day long I put my hope in you” (Ps. 25:5). He stated no preference for morning devotion or evening reflection, but his commitment to daily communion with the Lord and concentration on him probably required both.

Spiritual preparation and evaluation should make spiritual concentration easier during the day. Spiritual concentration is a matter of putting our trust in the Lord “all day long.” Should it be objected that the busy surgeon can’t be thinking of the Lord when he is taking out a tumor or that a truck driver can’t be praying when he’s driving a huge eighteen-wheeler down the freeway at sixty-five miles per hour, the objection would, of course, stand. However, it is possible to have an awareness of the Lord, and an inner sense of reliance on him, while doing these tasks.

If all men, including truck drivers and surgeons, start their day with a conscious waiting on the Lord, and they bear in mind that they will talk with the Lord about it at day’s end, they will be aware of living before the Lord “all day long.” Should crisis hit, their instincts will turn them promptly to the Lord.

And at the end of the day, when the patient is sewn up or the truck is parked, they’ll hear the Lord saying, ”Well done.”

Confessions of A Chairman

2010-05-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

No … not the expensive suit (and no doubt rich) CEO chairman, but the (not so rich) person who goes up after worship in service… that chairman!

Today I want to use this opportunity to let you into the mind of a chairperson, to have a glimpse of what goes through our minds when we are up there, doing what we do.

It’s all about confidence …

Firstly, you must know that confidence is the greatest key for public speaking. It truly rises and falls on this account alone. And confidence is built upon experience, and experience is basically failing a lot of times and remembering what NOT to do up stage!

But really … we are scared (at least for me!)

But don’t mistake confidence having a lack of fear. There is always fear. Fear that I would forget something, fear that I would mispronounce something, fear that my jokes aren’t funny, fear that I’m boring or just plain fear that I wouldn’t do a great job.

Let me share 2 things that get me scared.

1. When there’s last min changes especially the ones just before sending me up!

2. When no one laughs or when people start looking down!

But you know what? Just have fun!

Took me a long time to realize this, but when God calls you into ministry, you will always find joy in doing it … which I have in … “educating” others about certain people. Heh

But be careful on making enemies

Never never never let someone know they are the topic of your chairing, they will find means to get back at you! And to certain people in the PA and Projection teams … TRAITORS!!! You know who you are! BEWARE … *growl*

Tricks of the trade

If you are ever considering chairing or if you want to do better with public speaking, here’s 3 advice (that have been told to me) and now I pass them down to you. So listen young Palawan …

1. Believe in what you share

If you don’t, why & how would others believe you?

2. Be enthusiastic about what you share

If you are truly enthusiastic , people will be too.

3. Monkey see, monkey do

By far the greatest advice I have ever gotten. The audience will mimic the speaker, if something happens and you show that you’re embarrass, people will feel embarrassed for you. In contrast, if you take it casually and laugh it off, people will see the funny side of it and will laugh with you!

But not all the tricks of course :)

There is more of course to chairing, especially what goes through our minds, but this post is long enough and hey … we can’t give you all the aces can we? But I hope you enjoyed this post!!

As much as I enjoy serving the Lord in chairing service for you all, I am now on a vengeance path to right the wrong that has been done to me! Beware you traitors! A storm is coming!!!

~ Max ~

Giving

2010-04-30T22:06:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

Well, I have been thinking for quite awhile now and I finally decided to share my 2 cents worth of thoughts on giving. Yes I know by now, most of you would have been bombarded by the series of messages on giving and building fund. And the last thing you probably want to read about on this blog is me sharing my thoughts on giving. But come on guys, let’s admit it. Giving, be it time or money, is something we all do struggle at some point of time in our lives. And it's usually at the most inconvenient time. It is pretty obvious why the Bible talks about giving and money so much more than other things.

I started going to church when I was about 15 and as a young christian I had this youth pastor who had a five year old son. Being a pastor, he would make use of every opportunity to teach his son Christian values. One of which was taking a packet of chocolates and giving one to his son and asking him to give the chocolate to one of us. As his son scrambles to give us the chocolate, he would then give him another one to give away and it would go on until everyone had a chocolate. He did this pretty often with his son except for this one particular time, where there wasn't enough chocolate to go around. So finally it came down to the last chocolate, he put it in his son's hands and showed him the empty packet. Things are a little bit different now that the kid knew there wasn't enough for everybody and he was a lot more hesitate to give away the chocolate in his hands.

It never really did strike me then as a young Christian. All I thought was this dad was trying to teach his son to give and it was a "christian thing" to give anyway. But as I look back now, isn't our relationship with God somewhat similar to this little boy and his father? Like the father, God could have distributed the "chocolates" himself but most of the time he chooses not to. Instead, he uses us so that we may learn to give.

I have been working for about 2 years now and when I was still studying, I always had this perception that its easy for young working adults to give because they are all working and earning money. There's not need to worry about not being able to pay rent or school fees. But sadly, the matter of fact is, it is actually still if not more difficult to give as a young adult. With the mountainous amount of bills, giving to parents, tithes, Hillsongs trip, saving up for my house and for some mortgage, I would be lying if I said that it was easy for me to decide the amount to give and that I'm all ready to give it all for the building fund. Like that little boy, many of times I'm unsure and hesitant. But seriously, I wouldn't need faith if I'm always sure.

The vision for this year is "one more for Jesus". Let us look at the building fund not just mere bricks and stones but lives that are going to be touched and changed through our faith being stretched. Yes, IT IS GONNA BE DIFFICULT AND IT'S GONNA COST. But what is giving if it does not cost us anything. As I look back at the last 5 years of my life in perth, God has never short-changed me in any way. As a student, I was poor but never once in need. I always had enough if not more. In my work, he has blessed me with pay rise after pay rise. Sometimes we do have to give our "chocolate" away for God to give us more. I'm excited to see what God has in store for us and I'm sure it's more than chocolates.

Still bit scare but excited.

~Charles~

Ha-Ooh!

2010-04-29T00:09:00.000-07:00

Hi guys,

Hope you all aren’t fully stressed out by uni this week. For those who are, remember that you have a God which is far bigger than any problem you are facing right now.

For today, I would like to share something I’ve learned from cell which I hope will inspire you all. Let’s start this off with a question. What’s a Spartan without a war? Or what’s a guitar without strings? And lastly what’s a Christian without God?

Firstly, I’m sure most of you all have watched the movie ‘300’ - if not go rent it! Well in the movie ‘300’ we can see that a Spartan’s occupation is well … being a Spartan (HA-OOH!) and their primary occupation is to fight. Similarly as Christians, our occupation is being a Christian and our primary principle is to have a RELATIONSHIP with GOD.

Can you imagine the Spartans being accountants, librarians or lawyers? It just wouldn’t suit them right? When we watch a movie knowing there’s going to be a Spartan in it, we expect a battle don’t we? We expect strong, well trained and fearless warriors ready to put their life down for their country and fellow men. So when we see or imagine a Spartan being an accountant, there is a underling feeling that he is doing something which his not made for.

Many of us we now look to complete our education, find a great job and one day start a family. All these are things which I pray you will all have. But we must remember that, while in the process of aiming for these we must not lose track of our primary principle which is our relationship with God.

Can a Spartan say he’s a Spartan if he has never fought a battle before? Well, there could be the remote possibility that there were no wars during his time. How about a Spartan who has never wielded a sword before? No right? Similarly to this, how can we say we love God but live a life studying 24/7 and not do anything else?

With this I wish you all have a blessed week and may you be a blessing to others. God bless you all.

~Mike~

Another Awesome Interview

2010-04-27T06:40:00.000-07:00

I’ll be honest with you, I have been looking forward to this interview. The man who can’t stand chilli but will shower in cold water … in WINTER! This is a sure sign that our leader is extraordinary, so let’s see what answers he has for us today! Enjoy!

Josh, it's a well-known fact that you're Zion's UWA zone's head honcho SABOTEUR (Max being a close 2nd), but you were once a cute innocent boy too!!! WHAT HAPPENED?

YOU and it was the likes of YOU that happened!!! I WAS an innocent boy, until people like you came into my life, and I couldn't resist. It's like putting a bottle of alcohol in front of a has-been alcoholic. Same thing. Now let me ask you back the same question, Mr.Man-of-many-Questions, if you were in my position and you got to know someone like you, what do you think you would have done?

Oh nothing extragant … a little bow, kissing of feet and some pampering maybe? But that’s beside the point … so How did you get so good??

Practice Practice Practice. The only way you reach where you want to go in life is … Practice Practice Practice.

Right, good advice, so now IF there was one person you could sabo BIG time during chairing, who would it be??

You really want to be asking me this question? I guess, if I really have to answer this, it'll be the person who came up with this list of annoying questions which I have to answer during my work-time. =P

Who are we talking about here? hah So... would you ever make up an excuse to Letitia not to go shopping with her if the guys were to invite you to a MEGA EPIC NIGHT of LEFT FOR DEAD 2 (L4D2)

Are you crazy? Here's the logic: If I go shopping with her that one time, I only lose out on that one time, and she'll be supportive of me playing the next time. Give-n-Take relationship, brother. If I make up the excuse, I'll probably never get to play the game ever again. So, comparing both outcomes, I rather lose that one opportunity than lose my lifetime of L4D2. *Psst... TONIGHT.. 11pm.. New map out..*

Right, I hope Let isn’t reading this :p I’ll pass the word out! Who do you bully most in LFD2?

It has to be Ian Leow. As I have always told him, boys should not be playing a man's game.

Too true, especially when they haven’t broken their voices yet. Alright, same old same old.... 2 Zone supervisors drowning, Peter and Max, WHO WOULD YOU SAVE?

Neither.

???

Firstly, I get absolute control and dominion of the zone. buahahaha! Kidding! Well, they are both 2x or 3x bigger than me, so they'll probably take me down with them, so in calculating all the risks, I guess I'll just leave them there. But if I really really have to choose one, I'll go for Peter. And let Max know for sure if Jacquelyn will save him... Few possible scenarios, 1, he's saved by her and they are both happy, 2, he takes her down with him, everyone wins, 3, she stands at the shore waving goodbye and Max will know the truth and the truth will set him free (John 8:32). And well, Peter because he doesn't have many friends, so... =D

Ahh … so speaking of other halves and truths that set people free … Letitia, Letitia, What do you think is the most attractive PHYSICAL attribute she possesses?

And WHY is that of any concern to you? Pervert! You wanna check out my girl? Huh?!?! LoL!!! Kidding... Her legs.

Check her out? PLEASE!! How about character-wise?

Hmm... character? You mean we're suppose to choose them based on character? LoL!!! Her teachability... =)

Since you said that … are your “teaching” her to be Mrs Lim anytime soon?

Hallelujah. I'm namin` n claimin`, professin` n possessin`. 2012 people, 2012. Avail yourselves, UWA. ho ho ho.

You've been the zone supervisor for some time now, what is the job realllllly like?

Easy, sit around, delegate and send forth the pawns. LoL. Nah, I would deem it a rather Foul-Weathered job. Because when things are going well, nobody really cares who the Zone Supervisor is. When things are going badly, everyone wants to know who's in charge and give him/her an earful. Thank goodness I have Peter on top of me, so he gets the first blow...

Poor Peter … How long do you think you're gonna carry the torch for?

The spiritual answer would be: When Jesus tells me to move on, because I love Jesus and this zone so very much.

The truthful answer would be: When one of you guys step up and take over!!! S.T.E.P... U.P.!!!!!

Step up eh? Is that your vision for the youth of Zion's UWA zone?

Youth? Well, YOU certainly don't qualify so WHY is it of any concern to you? Stop butt-ing in on to other people's business. M.Y.O.B. But, if an interviewer who was, say, 5 years younger asked me that question, I'd say: A generation of believers that realize their realities and values isn't determines by sight, sense and circumstances, but by faith, spirit and word.

Are we getting there?

Slowly but surely. I believe in this bunch of youths (you and the likes of you are excluded though...)

Last question … So what do you think God's gonna look like??????

Young. About 30 years old. I think he chose to "die" at that age because he doesn't like the idea of have an old appearance. haha! And, most definitely, coloured. Definitely either Asian-ish or African-ish. Probably thats why he came middle-eastern-ish. As I always tell everyone, I am amazed by how talented coloured people are. They can play sports really well, sing really well, dance really well, preach really well, act really well, play musical instruments well and everything else! Kinda makes me jealous...

And on that note, thank you Pastor Lim for your time and honest answers. You heard the man folks! 2012 is the year to look forward to! But till then, grow eyes behind your head lest you become the next victim of our no.1 saboteur!

~Mark~

Life Changing Experience

2010-04-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

“Do not follow other gods to serve and worship them; do not provoke me to anger with what your hands have made. Then I will not harm you.” [Jeremiah 25:6]

As I was thinking about my past, lots of memories popped up in my mind. If you didn’t know, I was not a Christian before I came over to Perth. I can say that I was a free thinker or maybe even a Buddhist. But seriously, I seldom went to the temple, maybe once a year? I don’t read those Buddhist things, and the most that I would do was to pray with joss sticks at home when my mum asked me to do so. My mum would even say to me, “why can’t you be more initiative to pray with joss sticks?” After that I would be thinking “Hmm I don’t know…I just don’t like to do this…one of the reasons was the smell of it…I hated the smoke!!”

But since young, I’ve always had this feeling to be a Christian. I don’t know why I felt this way. I still remember when I was in school, I would often admire my Christian friends because they knew so much about the bible. Sometimes, during school times, the teacher would need to fill up some form regarding the students’ details. And I remember that there’s always this question that the teacher had to ask, “Students who are Christian please raise your hands.” Then I would be like…urghhh…I’m not T.T then would feel a bit sad but after a while, I would just let it go, and continue moving on.

Till I came over to Perth, I followed one of my college friends to Zion Praise Harvest. I missed the first Saturday service that time because I was at the city alone, and I couldn’t find my way to UWA, and it was getting late. So I went to ask people how to get to UWA. I was so happy that I finally reached UWA that day. I called my friend and asked where the service was at. Sadly when I arrived, the service ended. But thankfully, the church had actually organized a food festival thingy after service. So I just followed my friend there and got to know new people too. After that day, I consistently came to church every week and I joined a cell group too. I was so happy because I finally got the chance to attend a church service and know more about God.

So I finally made the decision to accept Christ and follow Him forever. I was delighted that I’m now a Christian, learning His words daily and growing in Him more and more each day. Remember, my family is not Christian. So, after I’ve accepted Christ, I didn’t tell them about it at all. All I told them was I attended cell every Friday and church service every Saturday in UWA. At first I was afraid, I was scared that if I told them that I’m a Christian, they would scold me or won’t let me continue my studies here because they once told me that I shouldn’t become a Christian (but I didn’t bother about it). So during the summer holidays, I went back for holidays. As usual, I was reluctant to pray with joss sticks, but I was forced to do so. In my mind, I was like, oh no, will the Lord punish me if I do this because I’ve accepted Him in my life? I was so afraid that time, I even prayed to God before I pray the joss sticks. So, I just did whatever I could that time, and still didn’t have the courage to tell my parents. I continued praying and seeking God. I prayed that God would change my parents’ perspective about Christianity, and one day He would bring them to His kingdom.

I came back to Perth and during one service, the Pastor said that we shall not be fearful or something along the line (I can’t remember who the guest speaker was that time). I still remember that after he finished preaching, he asked us to bow our heads, and quiet down our hearts. During that time, it was this question that popped into my mind, should I tell my parents that I’m Christian? Suddenly, I heard the Pastor said that “You must be brave, don’t be fearful, and lift up everything to God!” I was then shocked. I was like……is he talking about me? And that was when I decided to tell my parents that I’m a Christian. I took up the courage to text them and explained to them about why I wanted to be a Christian. And guess what? They didn’t get offended, instead they were happy for me. Praise the Lord! I felt so relieved after receiving their reply because I was so nervous while waiting to get their reply. I didn’t know what to do if the answer was a NO. But thank God my parents finally know that I’m a Christian.

When I went back during the last summer holidays, I was never forced to pray with joss sticks anymore. In fact, I was able to attend church service at City Harvest KL. I was really happy and amazed by what God had done in my life. Really thank God for his blessings and protection upon my life. And for now onwards, I will continue to pray for my family, that they may be saved one day!

Hmm that’s all from me now. Byeeeee ! And I will leave you with this verse.

In that day you will say: “Give thanks to the Lord, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done, and proclaim that his name is exalted.” [Isaiah12:4]

God Bless.

Venny

The Exclusive Interview - Peter Kenner!

2010-04-19T16:56:00.000-07:00

Peter Kenner ... we all know who he is, being the head honcho zone supervisor is hard to miss, and he is quite big! But apart from fearlessly leading us, how much do we really know about this Victorian born, Aprilia riding man of God? That is our quest today, as I ask him some very tough questions!

Enjoy!

Do you think you’re good looking??

Sometimes. I guess it depends on how friendly the mirror is being that day J But more often than not I don’t think about myself as good looking.

If you were a girl, which guy in Zion would your FIRST choice?? (No lying now!)

Seriously??? What kind of question is that??? Let me think for a while… Ok, it would have to be my housemate Ziech. I don’t think he would be the easiest person to be married to but I honestly can’t think of anyone that I respect more and that you could more safely trust your future to. His number is 0430 459… Actually, if you’re interested just let me know and I’ll add your name to the pile of applicants J

What do you think is the circumference measurement of your right bicep?

Not sure. Hang on… 40cm (41 when flexed so it must be mostly fat)

If you were to join the World Wrestling Federation, what would your stage name be?

The Insomner

What’s the 1^st thing you will ask Jesus when you see him?

I’m not sure that the first thing I would do is ask a question. If I did ask a question it might be something like “why me?” or “what were all those questions I wanted to ask you?”

Do you think ignorance is bliss?

Yeah. There are some things that I would love to unlearn or that it would be much easier not to know. But I also think that it’s unhealthy because acting in ignorance can lead you down a path away from God.

Which is your favorite movie?

I can’t think of one movie that really stands out. But action movies are definitely my favourite. If you were to ask about TV shows I’d say either ‘House’ or ‘Scrubs’

What was your dream job when you were a little boy?

I wanted to be a farmer. Most holidays when I was young were spent on farms and I loved to help milk the cows, hand-feed the sheep, play in the haystacks and mess around with the dogs.

What’s the most embarrassing moment/incident in your life?

When I was young my mum got me involved in a market research taste testing. Each kid was put in a little booth and they would push tiny plates of food through a little door in the wall of the booth. I really (like really) needed to pee and each time I tried to talk to them through the gap when they would shut the door too quickly. I couldn’t find a toilet anywhere and ended up peeing in the corridor ‘cos I just couldn’t hold on any longer. Scarred for life.

What is your personal vision/goal for the youths of Zion Praise Harvest?

I want to see a generation of young people totally surrendered to Christ, totally separated from their old lives, totally willing to go anywhere and do anything for God, totally abandoned in worship and totally outspoken about their faith.

If Josh and Max were drowning…. WHO WOULD YOU SAVE????

Finally an easy question! Josh of course. Max is much more likely to be able to touch the bottom and he’s already lived a long life. Not to forget that it would be a ‘tall’ order to try and save Max.

~ Mark ~

*More details about Peter can be found under Leadership Profiles, have a look!*

Passion Retreat 2010 ~~ Peace

2010-04-16T00:39:00.000-07:00

Peace. Truth be told, when I first heard the camp theme, I was a tiny bit skeptical. Okay, so we’re gonna learn about peace for 3 days. I’ve always thought it was impossible to have peace just after a 3-day camp.

Some of you may know that I have been struggling a lot with my studies since the start of sem. I study hard, give my best during tests, and still, get below average results. Feeling discouraged and inadequate, I questioned God a few times, “If it is Your will for me to be here, why are You making things so difficult for me?

In spite of a backlog of work, lots of Lectopia’s to catch up with and a bunch of course mates refusing to come to Easter Camp because they needed the time to study, still, I apprehensively headed off to camp without expecting much. Little did I know how much God was going to speak to me.

On the 2^nd night, Ps. Harold asked those who wanted a touch from the Holy Spirit to come forward. I felt a prompting from God to go. And I obeyed. But I told myself “Whatever happens, I’m not gonna cry.”

But when Ps. Harold came to me, something quite extraordinary happened. I felt this hardened wall of emotions crumble down bit by bit. I started tearing as he asked me to continue praising God and receiving from Him. And then Ps. Harold uttered the 3 most unexpected words that still blow my mind up to this day. He said “The Spirit of God asked me to tell you this: It is fine. God has heard your prayers.”

“God listens to prayers”- one of the first few things you would learn in Sunday School. It is such a basic statement that it has lost its significance and meaning over the years. Being repeated again and again only made it a cliché to me.

But when Ps. Harold actually said those words out loud, they were so surreal that I almost choked. Not only was I amazed at how anointed Ps. Harold was, but more so, I was in awe of the fact that we have a Living God who listens to our every cry. The God of the universe listens to me. My problems and struggles- yes, no matter how big or small they are, God is there listening (And probably chuckling at how anxious mere mortals can get about the future). Speechless and stupefied, I broke down as I pondered upon what an incredibly loving God we have. And how little faith we have in the God that set the stars in their place.

It is fine. The 3 most reassuring words I’ve heard in ages. Sometimes really all you need to know is that everything is going to be OK, that your future is safe in God’s hands. I feel thoroughly blessed to have had a face to face encounter with my King.

In retrospect, I find the irony of it all quite hilarious. I never expected to come back from camp overwhelmed by the peace of God. Prior to camp, the most I prayed and asked God for was a renewed and refreshed Spirit. But God superseded my expectations and gave me way beyond what I bargained for.

I am now convinced that it is divinely possible to be flooded with the peace of God just after a 3-day camp. For with God, nothing is impossible. There are certainly no words to describe this peace in me. You just have to experience it for yourself. =)

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” [Phil 4:6-7]

~Adeline~

Awesome Easter Camp Experience

2010-04-13T04:53:00.000-07:00

GOD – the Abundant Giver

Jesus – the Good Shepherd

The Holy Spirit – the Empowerer

In John 10:10 (NIV) it says, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”

As I was pondering on what to share for my experience in Easter camp, trying to put together my thoughts, I found myself praying this prayer in my heart, “God, I know you’ve given me so much, you are everything I need Lord, so I ask Lord that you help me to share this truth with others so that your will be done, in Jesus’ name.” And it hit me like a snowball in winter or hailstone in UWA :P

This is my second year going to Easter camp and compared to last year, I wasn’t nearly as reluctant to go, worrying over deadlines, assignments and reports. One thing one of my previous cell leaders has taught me is to have an expectant heart to receive from God. So, this year when Easter camp was first announced in church I was so excited and I believed that God had something he wanted to tell me, teach me or show me. And God being God, didn’t just give me what I expected, but gave me so much more than I expected.

One of the things that I asked God for was, “How can I be a good witness for you?” It is an area that I struggle in and what Karen wrote in the devotional, “There are decisions we must make that bear not only upon our own lives but also upon the lives of everyone with whom we are associated. My life touches my family, my neighbours and my business associates” has challenged me to be a better witness for the sake of my family members and friends who have yet to be saved.

And I thank God that He answered my question on the first night of Easter Camp through Mark Pomery who shared about Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (John 4:1-35). He said this, “The greatest gift that God gave us was His Son, and the greatest gift we can give to others is the message that He has risen”. He went on teaching us a three point action plan - PRAY, ENGAGE & INVEST. Pray, as it is the starting point and foundation of what we do. Engage, to meet people where they are, to be concerned with they are concerned about. Invest, to be interested in people and to consistently give your best to someone. Jesus’ words that invested in the Samaritan woman compelled her to bring the villagers to meet with Him.

If you’re like me, then you’ve probably shied yourself from people at the fear of not knowing what to talk about or how to act around them. Then, there are the times when you muster your courage and finally talk to someone you’ve never talked to before and you get the feeling, they are just uninterested in what you have to say.

This leads me to my last point: Submit and Obey and He will give you the victory. Like David who was up against Goliath, Moses against Pharoah, Jesus facing the pain and suffering of betrayal and crucifixion, and yet submitted to God and followed through to His will, triumphed over their overwhelming circumstances. So, what is the thing you want to overcome in this year? For me, it’s inexperience and the fear of reaching out to people. I don’t know, but can I encourage you that God’s spirit in us will empower us to overcome those difficult situations when we earnestly seek Him.

Alright, enough of my ramblings. Haha. God’s peace!!!

~ Henry ~

Worship and Make God Smile!

2010-03-30T08:09:00.000-07:00

“I’m coming back to the heart of worship;
and it’s all about You, all about You, Jesus……”

Hey dear brothers and sisters, guess all of you are very familiar with this song – ‘Heart of Worship’. ‘WORSHIP’ - this was what we talked about during Passion Cell Group last Friday and is what I am going to share with you all now.

After some hilariously-entertaining games and a wonderful session of praising our Father LORD that night, Mark (in the case of my ‘Lausy’ cell) started word off with a somewhat-abstract question: What does worshipping God mean?

Giving thanks to God
Praying to God
Singing and dancing to praise God
Surrendering our lives to God

These were some of the suggestions we came up with there’s so much more than these! Worship is not about music, not about a song, not just praying or giving thanks. Rather, worship is a lifestyle of bringing pleasure to God by completely offering ourselves! When we pray, we sing, we dance, we rejoice, we give thanks, we love, we serve, we use our talents…… - we worship, because all these puts a smile on God’s face!

“Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”
John 4:23-24 (NIV)

Mark continued to share that, ‘Prayer’, ‘Word’ and ‘Worship’ are three of the fundamental elements in our walk of faith. However, it seems that prayer and the word are more explicitly defined, whereas worship is so much broader in context. We found that many of us had the misconceive idea that worship was just confined to singing songs of praise at the beginning of the service (honestly, I used to think like this), but no! We worship God every day, every moment, in everything we do because of who He is and how He wants us to be with Him!

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.”
Romans 12:1 (NIV)

Lastly, do you know the story behind “Heart of Worship”? Back in the late 1990s, England was actively worshipping in music but in Matt Redman’s home church in Watford, they found something was missing. So, the pastor decided to get rid of the band and sound system for a season. Why? Because they had lost their way in worship and the only way to get back to the heart was to strip everything away.

“I’ll bring you more than a song, for a song in itself, is not what You have required. You search much deeper within, through the way things appear; You’re looking into my heart……”

So brothers and sisters, are you too tired or distracted until you have missed the point? Simply come back and enjoy this intimacy in God’s presence; you’re still the one He loves and wants to be with, after all.

Let’s make God smile today! =)

With lots of love,
Anonymous

Image Matters!

2010-03-26T00:10:00.000-07:00

So after ALLLLL that anticipation and excitement, Image Matters finally arrived! What a spectacular turn out, albeit transport woes amongst others. Once again, Elizabeth Jolley LT was filled to its brim with such an enthusiastic crowd of Aunty Irene Low herself, Zion Praise Harvest members and guests! How privileged one is, to be part of such an event :)

Reflecting back on this special night, the first person that comes straight to my mind is none other than Mr. Timmy Yip, Zion’s very own star of the show. Thumbs up for his incredulous spontaneity, having stood confidently under the scrutiny of 500 odd, in a daring contrast of red shirt versus yellow tie, and of course, a belly that just had to accentuate the contrast. I vaguely remember the conclusions made about Tim’s image but one tip I recall picking up was that ties are to end at the level of belts, not above, not below. So working guys and future wives, keep that in mind!

Then came a session of questions and answers, which I trust was pretty enriching for many. From a crazy crowd of 500 over people, you would never have been able to imagine the variety of questions asked, some of which I have to say were pretty interesting. Examples:

What do you do if you fart during a meeting? Do you admit to being the culprit, or act as if it were someone else?

What do you think of the combination – socks and sandals?

You get my drift, LOL!

Nonetheless, this was the highlight of the night for me, and I sure speak for many. Doubts were finally clarified, including things like the correct way of sitting, exchange of business cards, and so forth. It amazes me how these things seem to be part and parcel of our daily lives, and thus we should technically know them pretty well, yet there seems to be a never-ending barrage of learning to do!

On a more serious note, here and beyond shall detail a dilemma that I have endeavored to solve for quite some time already:

If man looks at the outward appearance while God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7), are we being of the world by placing this much emphasis on our image?

This dilemma stemmed from the mindset that when you surrender yourself to God, it involves following Him in his thoughts and ways. As such, placing a high value on the exterior and claiming image does matter, seems to contradict God’s affinity for the heart. However, from the short sharing Aunty Irene gave on Sunday at the UWA Live service, I finally managed to find a reasonable compromise between these two extremes. In short, BOTH IMAGE AND HEART MATTER.

It seems to be the general consensus that Christians are not the coolest bunch of people out there, and that saddens me. It is my wish that one day people will start to realize that being Christians does not mean you are in any way socially inferior, and that begins with us putting our efforts to represent God to our best of capabilities. After all, being Christian does NOT mean having to devoid ourselves of looking good, as long as it is not for self-benefits but for our beloved God.

Once again, what really matters is the motivation behind your actions, and needless to say, our God takes centre stage in this. If you had a heart after God but with a less ideal image in worldly terms, you still earn points in heaven, and you will always be beautiful in the eyes of God. SO if you really had to choose one to go with, I say go with the heart, DUH!

Alrighty, hope you enjoyed this little piece from me, presented to you directly from my heart. Take care, God bless and REJOICE for the weekend approaches.

xoxo, Vera

Join a Cell Group!

2010-03-15T05:53:00.000-07:00

Hello, fellow UWAians of ZPH! One quick question before you continue reading this post.

Hasn’t Friday nights been awesome since the new semester began? You know what I’m talking about; oh, the usual hanging out with friends and meeting new people; listening to music that gets your feet tapping to the rhythm, and if you’re with a certain AMA, you’ll definitely get to listen to her sweet voice all night long. (Who would ever want to miss that, seriously). Of course, Asians being Asians, how can we miss out the most important part of the Friday Night Party, FOOOOOODDDD (an awful lots of it)!

Yes, I am talking about Passion cell groups held on every Friday! Can’t think of anywhere else to be on a Friday night (TGIF!)? Passion cell it is! Your date has just thrown an aeroplane on you on a Friday night? Come for cell!

Still not convinced about how awesome and passionate people in Passion are? (pun intended) Alright, let the testimony speak for itself.

A perfect Friday evening with God’s sons and daughters begins with gathering at a designated home,a time for ice-breaking, followed by praise and worship (jumpjump, clapclap, shoutshout to our Father!). After a round of announcement on the events happening in ZPH, the cell leader (in my case, the wonderful AMA! or ‘buff guy’ *) would then move on to the word of God!

On a particular Friday, awesome would be an understatement of what we have learned as we are armored with a phrase we should live by, ‘1 more verse for Jesus’ and a memory verse from the book of Joshua - Joshua 1:8 ‘Do not let this Book of Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.’ (NIV)

Joshua 1:8 depicts on why it is important to read the Bible or the word of God constantly(!). Aside from God promising that we will be prosperous and successful, it is important to be equipped with God’s word, i.e. a salesman selling his products. It is also a reminder that the Bible is not of human wisdom but G-O-Dly wisdom, hence it is relevant to everyone and for any occasions, in any size or shape.

In order to draw a better picture of how the Bible is used in every and any context, we were divided into smaller groups and further discussion was made on a topic randomly picked by AMA. A fruitful discussion ensued in the groups itself, which were on worship, wisdom, obedience and love.

A few of the verses shared at the end of the group discussion were:
Worship – Psalms 99:5; Psalms 150, Hebrews 9:9, 1 Timothy 2:8, Exodus 20
Love – Matthew 22:39-40
Wisdom – Proverbs 4:12
Obedience – Genesis 22

I personally love going through discussions or just listening to the word of God because (as stated above), what we are listening to is not human’s wisdom but God’s. And the wonderful thing about His wisdom is that it rings so true and deep in our hearts, souls and minds, that if we allow ourselves to open up to it, it will instill in our hearts and change our lifestyle forever. How? By letting God into our heart and allowing the Holy Spirit to lead our life, for the old is gone and the new has come.

Think I am exaggerating? Experience it for yourself today!

we have moved.

2010-02-22T20:46:00.001-08:00

we have moved to

http://uwalive.blogspot.com

do go visit us there as we include more exciting links like leadership profiles, write up about us etc.

see you there!

Aussie Day in Perth - Asian Style!!

2010-02-02T19:14:00.001-08:00

People MY age & Aussie Day Celebration!

The 26^th of January is a notable day for Australia. It is when Australians congregate regardless of race, religion or colour to celebrate the beauty of our cosmopolitan nation. This was my expectation for the day; however, things did not go according to plan.

Every great story has characters, a setting, a beginning, middle and end. My Australia day experience was no different. The morning began with a lovely sms from AMA, you know it’s going to be a great day when the AMA texts you.

On a slightly more serious note, we met up around eleven in the morning. The setting was picturesque, a shimmering clear blue sky, a cooling breeze and lush green surroundings. Matilda Bay! Today was the best day to be outdoors and praise God we were! Being Asian we had our fellowship over food, lots of it. There were refreshing jellies, scrumptious sandwiches which had an amazing variety of fillings (THANKS FELICIA & CO.), nuggets, corn and pizza! All these would fill our tummies.

But best was yet to be… The most awesome thing was all the MALAYSIANS! (I seriously think people from Kuching are taking over the world…). The number of people who came greatly exceeded our expectations. Our estimate was blown out of the water. We were anxiously concerned whether there was sufficient food! Regardless, God is always good. Everyone ate to their hearts’ content and there were still food left over!

Following our feast, we spent the afternoon playing and enjoying a variety of intense team games (to work off our makan makan)! Dodge Frisbee was the first game we tried. During the game there was an interesting twist as Max had to go for a quick dip in the river to save the Frisbee. Next was an intense and dramatic game of captain ball! This game had it all as people put in their blood, sweat and tears. A game which was played at an incredibly fast pace with a little bit of cheating but most importantly a lot of fun! It was a wonderful way to cap of the afternoon as the game came to a close.

Next, time to chill, relax and get to know others. We adjourned from the bay to the Caporn house.I personally had the most fun. There were individuals - folks from different parts of Malaysia with diverse upbringings getting along harmoniously. Everyone talked and played games as if they had known each other for ages! This to me was astonishing as people were ever willing to take the initiative to chat and be friendly.

The final part of the night was the barbecue and fireworks. There was an awesome array of food. Thanks so much to those who prepared and cooked the food!) The ambience of the evening was unbelievable; the weather was relatively cool and not a cloud in the sky. The fellowship between Passion and Young Adults was wonderful.

Lastly, the glittering fireworks that lit up the night sky. For half an hour we watched gob smacked, razzle-dazzled by the aerial displays, the colours, shapes and motions… For the first time, everyone was actually quiet! (This is actually quite amazing as we are a CHATTY bunch) .

The last job was cleaning up. As some us gathered up the rubbish, I was pleasantly surprised. All the freshies joined in. I thought it would have taken ages but with their helped it was completed in no time! Thank you freshies. Truly, these individuals have a bright future ahead. But my prayer is that God would be the centre of that future. This is our calling, our ministry and our responsibility.

Our vision for Passion this semester is

P=Prayer

T=The Word

L=Loving People

I believe when as we rally together to support this vision, put aside our differences and pride, we can truly be God’s hands and feet this semester! Orientation is coming and the MASQUERADE CRUISE. This is your opportunity to make a difference. Be the difference. You can make the stand. You can make the change. You can be an influence. All you have to do is be willing and God will take you on a ride unlike no other J So let us go and do what we are called to do. Being awesome because we have Christ. (TRUST me people will follow).

Written by:

Anonymous Writer 2

Via Max's Account.

Aussie Day in Perth - Asian Style!!

2010-02-02T19:14:00.000-08:00

People MY age & Aussie Day Celebration!

Our vision for Passion this semester is

P=Prayer
T=The Word
L=Loving People

Written by:
Anonymous Writer 2
Via Max's Account.

Cell 29 Jan 2010 (Max Summer Side)

2010-01-28T04:47:00.001-08:00

Hello to all who read this!!

I regret to inform you that the awesome-ness of ONE cell has finally come to an end and now is the time for us to part ways. But fear not, as we journey in the same direction and the companionship will always remain true!

For those who are blessed (or ARE going to be blessed) to be in my cell, we will be having cell at ...

Where: 35 Caporn St, Nedlands
When: 7pm SHARP - Sabo for latecomers ... I MEAN IT!!

Now, on top of this, we are going to have a little PASTA spread for refreshments. So bring your bibles, brains and tummies .... good looks are optional but appreciated!

If you need transport, please drop gang-ho Letitia a msg @ 0430079158!

God bless and see you all tomorrow!!

Max

Cell 29 Jan 2010 (Max Summer Side)

2010-01-28T04:47:00.000-08:00

aussie day :)

2010-01-24T07:59:00.001-08:00

eloelo :) as promised, details for aussie day, dis tuesday =P

we'll start ard 11am. we'll haf a picnic first @ matbay :) followed by some time to just chill and get to know each other better. and dinner will be bbq @ caporn st hsehold :) we'll also try to catch d fireworks after that along mat bay :D

come dressed casually and comfortably. no heels or dresses or suits.. and just just just incase, be prepared to get wet :)

kk so for details in short,

date: 26 Jan
day: tuesday
time: 11am
venue: mat bay
dressing: casual
things to bring: $10 for food :) (tentative. might be abit more. see what kind of food is prepared)
what to expect??? time of fun and games, fellowship and getting to know each other and maybe, just maybe.. a time of throwing josh n max into mat bay :D

so so so.. invite ur frens, siblings, cousins, freshies, etc.. and pls rsvp to ur summer cell leaders... NOW!!! :) (so that we can settle food etc)

aussie day :)

2010-01-24T07:59:00.000-08:00

Healing Haiti

2010-01-24T06:54:00.001-08:00

On the 12^th of January 2010, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake rocked the city of Port-au-Prince. One of the worse ever disasters in the western hemisphere leaves the Haitian capital in ruins. The death toll is estimated to be between 100 000 to 200 000. More than 600 000 people have been left homeless. Half the population of Haiti consists of youths aged 20 years and younger. Relief workers are working around the clock tirelessly but are still struggling to get aid to Haitians in need. There remains a shortage of medical supplies flowing into the affected areas. This is an emergency appeal to the compassion of your hearts to give to our brothers and sisters in Haiti. They need medical supplies, food, shelter, clean drinking water and rebuilding funds. The organisations we are going through will be either Compassion Australia (http://www.compassion.com.au/cmspage.php?intid=346&linkid=229)

Or Unicef International

(http://www.supportunicef.org/site/pp.asp?c=9fLEJSOALpE&b=1023561)

For donation and aid enquiries contact me at:

Gerald Liew 0421156712

gd_8801@hotmail.com

or at cell this Friday, or at service on Sunday.

Thank you, and do keep the people of Haiti in prayer.

-chopchopburnburn aka gerald-

Healing Haiti

2010-01-24T06:54:00.000-08:00

Or Unicef International

(http://www.supportunicef.org/site/pp.asp?c=9fLEJSOALpE&b=1023561)

For donation and aid enquiries contact me at:

Gerald Liew 0421156712

gd_8801@hotmail.com

or at cell this Friday, or at service on Sunday.

Thank you, and do keep the people of Haiti in prayer.

-chopchopburnburn aka gerald-

Cell 22 Jan 2010

2010-01-21T06:49:00.001-08:00

Once again here are the details for cell!! And once again, we are going to have our little get together as a combine cell since some of our leaders/members (including our fearless cell leader, Josh) will be heading on to Worship Retreat straight after cell!

Let's get excited for cell cos its going to be A-W-E-S-O-M-E!!!!

Where: 35 Caporn St, Crawley. (UWA area)
Time: 7pm SHARP

If you need transport, please RSVP to the ever-faithful and resourceful AMA (Eunice Teo) @ 0433552103 and she will make sure you get to cell just fine :)

Remember to have a light dinner before coming to cell!

God bless and see you later!
Max

Cell 22 Jan 2010

2010-01-21T06:49:00.000-08:00

The longest post ever...

2010-01-17T10:32:00.001-08:00

Peter's India update (part one)

I left Perth at 6am and arrived in KL in good time. After checking in for my next flight I realised that the plane to Kolkata was delayed by about 2.5 hrs so I arrived in Kolkata just as my flight to Mumbai was due to leave. Fortunately nothing in India departs as scheduled so I ended up making the flight and having about another 2 hr wait. I got out of the airport for a short walk and smelt the smells of India. The air is heavy with woodfire smoke, petrol fumes, refuse and an indescribable mixture of unique smells. I also managed to purchase the most precious of rare commodities in India- a coca cola. The flight to Mumbai was great, awesome food and awesome service and I ended up landing in Mumbai at about midnight before the experience of a 30 km ride into the centre of town in a taxi. This was my first experience of the Indian roads and my driver was both extremely skillful and extremely crazy. There don't appear to be any road rules and people overtake and cut each other off with only centimetres to spare. And there are bikes and motorbikes everywhere sneaking into all the little gaps in the traffic they can find. It seems that the most polite thing to do while driving is honk your horn as much as possible to let everyone know that you're coming past. You don't wait for a gap in the traffic to turn or pull out from the side of the road but just pull out and expect the other drivers to slam on the brakes or swerve to miss you. I must admit that instead of being scared by it I was actually thrilled by the risk and skill displayed in the very quick journey. Upon arriving in central Mumbai I found a hotel for a few hours sleep.

I was woken in the morning by the sound of the 5am call to prayer blasting from a loudspeaker just outside my window (the sound came in via the air-conditioner which in my drowsy state had me confused for a little while). There was no sleep after that and I made the short trip to the train station at 7am ready to board the train to Surat. It turned out that the train had been delayed for 5 hours so my taxi driver took me to see the Gateway to India which is just outside the hotel that was bombed last year. He was a nice guy and was going to take me to see most of the sights in Mumbai (and probably make a lot of money from it) but I really had to get to Surat asap to meet Ziech so I could join the rest of the team. So it was back to the station where I managed to buy another ticket for an earlier train which took about 5 hours to get to Surat passing through some beautiful country but also some slum areas. It seems to me that there are very few buildings in India that have finished being constructed. Most building either look half finished or in a state of disrepair. I wonder what will be left in another 10 years from now. My train trip was kept interesting by the constant stream of vendors walking up and down the carriages selling Chai, different foods and weird odds and ends like toys and locks. I also managed to be propositioned by a couple of transvestites and a group of child beggars sat next to me for half an hour tapping me on the arm and pressing their foreheads against my legs after I gave one of them some money. I had paid a little bit extra for a 2nd class sleeper ticket but most of the time different passengers came and sat on my bed so the few minutes when I could lie flat were a luxury.

If I thought the beggars on the train were bad the beggars at the station in Surat were terrible. I had about a 45 minute wait for Ziech who was coming by bus and a crowd of young kids crowded around me poking at me and touching their fingers to their lips asking for food. The tragedy is that most of them will be working for someone else so any money you give them will go straight to someone who is making a lot of money. I gave one of them some popcorn and was shocked at their cheek when they said that wanted my coke as well! Anyway, Ziech arrived soon enough and we just made next bus to Navapur which was about a 3 hour drive. The bus driver was nuts. We were driving on a road with one lane in each direction and at one point he overtook a car which was overtaking a truck with oncoming traffic. Imagine three vehicle side by side heading in the same direction on a road with just two lanes and with cars and buses fast approaching from the other direction. Ziech and I were thankful that the driver was in the worst position but there were many times that he just swerved back onto the correct side of the road with a split second to spare. This is driving with no margin for error. We were spooked after passing a truck on the side of the road with the whole front end buckled inwards but we made it to Navapur safely. Ziech was due to preach that night in a village church and we were running late so we quickly got in a tuktuk (a small 3 wheeled motor-rickshaw that is less powerful than my little postie-bike) and made the 10 minute journey to the little village where we were staying. Almost immediately we were on the back of motorbikes and heading to another village where the rest of the team were already leading worship. During the 15 minutes on the bike there was a stream of tears flowing from my eyes which I don't know whether to attribute to the smokey, dusty air or a sense of peace from God knowing that I was in the right place with a group of beautiful people. Although we were late Ziech and I had to have a cup of chai with the village pastor before joining the team for the last worship song. The team then did a drama performance (the Lifehouse 'Everything' skit) before Fenny and Cindy did a dance to Casting Crown's 'Who am I' telling of how unworthy we are that we have a God who cares for us individually. Then Ziech preached an awesome message challenging the local believers and encouraging some of the non-Christian visitors. It must be hard to be a non-Christian in the villages surrounding Navapur because 90% of the villagers are Christian and strong and passionate in their faith. More than 30 years ago there was a great revival so many of the Christians are second and now third generation believers.

We went back to the village where we were staying in a school bus so I had a change to catch up with all the happenings of the rest of the team. Then it was time for dinner and planning for the next day which was a Sunday. We were splitting up into three groups and preaching in three different village churches whilst also running the childrens churches. I was teamed up with Andre to preach in the local church so I definitely had some preparing to do. We were staying in a grand buliding owned by the missions organisation with three storeys with high ceilings and wide corridors. It stood out from the bark and clay huts that make up the village houses and the rough unfinished concrete building that was the local school. The building housed an orphanage and a bible college and we had rooms on the third floor where my room had light and power during the day but nothing at night. So after dinner I headed back to my room got out my computer and started preparing a message to follow on from what Andre was sharing. I planned to share about continuing on in faith and being like Caleb who at 80 years of age was still just as willing to fight for God as he was when he returned from scouting the promised land with the other 11 spies and encouraged them to be obedient to God and take the land. Unfortunately I fell asleep almost as soon as I started preparing and woke in the morning totally unprepared with my computer on my lap. In the 30 mins I had before heading off to the church I wrote down some scriptures and when it came to my turn to speak I just spoke as I was led and everything seemed to fit together. There were about 200 villagers packed into the little church which had a ceiling draped with most beautiful cut paper decorations of every bright colour imaginable. So beautiful. The message was well received and afterwards we went back to the college for lunch where gradually the rest of the team arrived back.

The rest of the 3 days that I was with the team in Navapur went by with a rush. We were busy with so many things. Each morning different members of the team would wake at 5:30 and do devotions with the orphanage kids and one morning I joined Andre for his sharing to the boys and ended up telling them the story of Jonah and the big fish. We also did sharings with them during the day and one time Fenny felt lead to teach them about how Jesus washed the feet of the disciples so then we washed the feet of all the kids who were old enough to understand. It was really hard because so many of them objected to letting us wash their feet because it went totally against their culture but we finally managed to have about 25 pairs of clean feet and were then blessed when they washed our feet in return. On the last night in Navapur we were invited to the birthday party of the young daughter of the overseeing pastor of the Bible college. We sang some songs in Hindi and then sang some of our loudest and fastest English Christian songs before Ziech shared a challenging message about going where God has called and taking advantage of the gift of our youth. It was an awesome evening and an interesting introduction to the Indian Christian culture of sharing a message during a birthday party. Afterwards back where we were staying we had a worship and thanksgiving session to give God the glory for what had happened during the trip. On the final day in Navapur Fenny, Simon, Cindy and I made a trip to the local school and taught a geography lesson and a back-care lessons to two of the classes. Fenny did a great job with the back-care lesson she had prepared. Later I was lucky enough to hear the last message in a three sermon series on evangelism that Esther had prepared for the Bible college students. We also had the opportunity to pray for them as they were coming to a time where they needed to decide in which area they were going to serve the Lord and they returned the favour and prayed for us as well. I then managed to find some time to explore the little village with Ziech and Andre before heading back to my room to pack and preparing to leave.

The kids in Navapur were so beautiful and really made it hard for us to leave but after some group photos we piled into two 4WDs and made the trip back into Surat where the team were boarding a train to Delhi. It was a fun trip for a few of us in the back seat who sang songs and made a nuisance of ourselves most of the way. On arrival to Surat the 4WD carrying Gagan and me had a detour to visit a local pastor who had booked us some bus tickets to Udaipur on the overnight bus. We made it to the station about 20 minutes before the train was to leave but there was a short lived scare when we got an incorrect report that the train had been delayed for 6 hours. Even though it was now about 7pm the child beggars were making a nuisance of themselves and again weren't pleased with the food that Gagan gave them. The team made if off ok but not before a brief moment of panic for Gagan and myself when she suddenly couldn't find the tickets for our bus trip. I made a decision to never let Gee look after any tickets or other valuables while we were travelling :-) Anyway, she eventually found the tickets and we were dropped off at the bus stop where we were constantly comparing the number plates of the buses arriving with the number on the ticket. We caught our bus easily enough and I had a sleeper compartment which is a 1.7 by .7 metre compartment with just enough room for me to lie flat with my feet touching one end and my head a couple of centimetres from the other end. Gee had gone budget and just had a seat so while I managed to get 9 hours of sleep during the 10 hour overnight journey she didn't get much at all. The streets in Udaipur were quiet when we arrived early in the morning and we quickly found a tuktuk who took us to the Bible college here and overcharged us a lot for the pleasure. Most people were still asleep so we sat on the verandah outside the main building softly playing guitar as it became light and people started appearing. There is such a peace in this place. It's hard to think that it's the hub of an organisation that has planted over 1500 churches throughout northern India. It's like a little oasis in the craziness that is India. It's such a blessing to be here...

The longest post ever...

2010-01-17T10:32:00.000-08:00

India mission update from Ziech (2)

2010-01-14T09:40:00.001-08:00

The mission continues!

There we were. Saying goodbye to all the kids in the childrens home we had come to care for so much over the last few days. Each child amazingly unique in the Lords eyes and each child so beautiful. unfortunately all good things had to come to an end... and as we were getting ready to go... the kids began to hold on saying "leave tomorrow ... leave tomorrow."

The time had come to leave and what a journey ahead. We would travel to Surat by car, then to Delhi by overnight train which ended up taking 17 hours instead of 14, but all the same the team had a great time sleeping, eating, playing cards and worshipping the Lord (competing against the group in the next set of bunks who were singing songs to Krishna). I tell you what... worship really changes the spiritual environment.

From there we spent half a day in Delhi (what a confusion! more to come on this later), before flying back to Singapore for our further onward departures to Perth and elsewhere.

God was so good to us as a team. There are so many great stories to share, and I'm sure others will share soon, but one of the things that really stood out to me was how the Lord brought the team together and the love that really was present in the team. There we were in a foreign land, and our distance from the familiar only brought us closer as a family in the Love of Christ.

What a great experience. An amazing time in India. May I encourage you to join us for the next missions trip in 2010.

Is God calling you to reach the unreached? Yes. So prepare, equip and go!

God's Love is waiting to be shared.

India mission update from Ziech (2)

2010-01-14T09:40:00.000-08:00

Cell 15 Jan 2010

2010-01-13T23:01:00.001-08:00

Here are the details for CELL for those here in isolated PERTH!!

Where: 35 Caporn St, Crawley. (UWA area)
Time: 7pm SHARP

If you need transport, please RSVP to the Metro-man, Ian Leow @ 0401861153 and he will make sure you get to cell just fine :)

Remember to have a light dinner before coming to cell!

God bless and see you later!
Max

Cell 15 Jan 2010

2010-01-13T23:01:00.000-08:00

India mission update from Gagan (2)

2010-01-13T18:11:00.001-08:00

Onwards and upwards to Udaipur!!!!!

i love how India never sleeps!!! blaring horns, a bus that was being driven at the speed of a rocket and constant stops at motels playing loud bollywood music...as chaotic as that sounds, thats what makes India unique :) God's Presence on the bus to Udaipur was so strong and as we zoomed past the vast sky and endless stars, I was again reminded that Jesus is always in control and even though i couldn't understand why on earth i was asked to stay behind for 6 months, He knows and He is with me. and again in that moment, living for the lost world just felt so right, just felt so normal...any other place would be abnormal...

so Peter and I made it alive to Filadelphia Bible college...it was quite amazing to see no cars on the streets at 6am...Udaipur is beautiful at dawn...!! but got ripped off by the rickshaw guy...!! after some chai and some guitar time the week's plans were discussed. it looks like we have a busy week ahead!! I'll be working in the clinic with the women and children with the slight chance of being able to minister in women's prisons around the area. Also working in the children's home at the Bible college and assisting Jean (an American teacher) in teaching english at the local school which is down the road. EXCITING stuff!!!! Peter will be used as the physiotherapist he is at the local clinic and also have a chance to do some jamming with the guys...he is also able to join a visiting medical team from the UK who will be working with the village folks. Have had a chance to get to know the UK team. Thery are doing some great work and their jokes are actually really funny hehe...!!! as well as being meds, they have been organizing prophetic healing meetings at which many of the villagers have been healed!!!! Talk about preaching the Gospel through actions and the Word!

Peter preached at the chapel on the first day. it was quite hilarious because the translator was a guy that was translating for the first time so he kept mixing up the words haha...but despite that tiny obstacle, the Holy Spirit worked in the hearts of the students and they understood it! :) overall a really encouraging message that broke through the barriers of language! went out to dinner with the UK medical team at a local restaurant called "berry's". was great fun and a great laugh on the way back as we decided to experiment with the whole many people in a rickshaw thing...good thing i'm tiny, i can squeeze in anywhere ;) by the way Udaipur is very pretty at night... :)will try and post some photos soon...

while it is great being back here, its quite different without the rest of the team....today, the kids at the children's home followed me around all morning curious to know more :) the schools were closed for 2 days because its been quite cold...LOL!! India is funny i tell you! so the kids have been hanging around alot...and little kids trying to explain things to you in hindi is quite hilarious!! Spent some time with the girls at the Bible college too. They are quite keen to learn English in order to do their assignments better...so from today onwards i’ll be doing some classes everyday for about an hour or so. ...tomorrow we might head off to check out the local school (St Matthews) for a mela (indian carnival) and then do some more teaching/preaching with the Bible college students... having the UK team around has been quite a blessing...could be assisting them with more of their village ventures... thinking of doing some intercession stuff with the girls...getting to know their lives, their hearts and their stories has really challenged me...their hunger and desire to honour the Lord is soo raw!!

good night from the starry skies of Udaipur :)

India mission update from Gagan (2)

2010-01-13T18:11:00.000-08:00

India mission update from Gagan

2010-01-13T18:10:00.001-08:00

Navapur

the name Navapur means new horizon... indeed it was a new chapter for many of us coming to India for the very first time...!!! the kids there really stole our hearts, they broke us, they challenged us, they convicted us...all of them are up by 5.30 every single day to do their devotions... the passion burning in their little hearts lights up their faces as they sing praises to their Lord and King...they live each moment with such simplicity...their whole life is packed in one small suitcase, that contains everything from clothes, food supplies and memories of home... they love like there's no tomorrow and they smile like they've never known pain...really we all had so much to learn from them. one particular day we were doing devotions with them regarding Jesus washing the feet of His disciples...and we were convicted to wash their feet...at first they didnt let us because they wanted to wash our feet instead! such humility!! washing their feet did something powerful in my heart...serving the least of them is such a great priviledge bringing with it a new revelation each time...earlier on in the trip i just looked all around me and saw such tremendous need and as i did i felt that my love is so small compared to God's love for mankind...but as the children turned around and washed our feet...God's love washed over me in waves and floods...once again i was reminded that His grace is so sufficient and the only way we as Christians can respond to the needy is by asking God to fill us with His love more and more...we cant love supernaturally on our own. we need His grace and His love in us to love like He does...powerfully and deeply...for us to be Christians that live out of the deeper places we need to be able to let God take us into deeper places, places where your life, your heart and your all gets wasted for the Kingdom of God...

the Kingdom of God...is such great treasure...a lesson we all learnt at the 4 village churches we visited...people that worship in mud houses in authencity and simplicity...they dont have much, but they have a Kingdom treasure that is impossible to miss...and they hold onto Jesus with such zeal that it makes you want to worship the King of Kings even more madly...for me the best bit about visiting these churches was worshipping in hindi...worship that was just so rich and so pure...on the second last night in Navapur we went out to our translator's church where they were holding a youth rally...i must say that hearing worship rise through the vast and plain surroundings of trees and mud houses was incredible... its amazing that whether we live in a city, or a village, in a proper house or a mud house, for those that believe...Jesus is still the King of Kings...Cindy and Fenny did their wonderful dance entitled "who am I?"...doing the drama was a bit of a squeeze in that place but it worked out well...we had a lot of laughs which was kind of strange because it was a pretty serious song...but after speaking to a few of the village folks we realised it was the first creative drama done in their village and they'd never seen anything like that before...they were all so curious and so welcoming at the same time...i'm sure we sowed some great Kingdom seeds that night... riding on the bus home (back to the children's home) through the village was filled with lots of laughs and chatter...and being out there driving in the middle of nowhere expands the size of the sky as you realize that although you've known God and continue to know Him one of the things you'll never quite be able to fathom is the size of His heart and the amount of love in it for every person...its like this ceaseless bottomless tumbler that continues to overflow and overflow...leading kids church in hindi was a tough one but a good experience...its funny how God places you in a ministry that you dont have a passion for, uses you and grows you in it and then uses you in a totally different environment and country...hahaa He really does all things for a reason :)

on the day we left, the students at the Navapur Bible college prayed for us and wow! was it awesome!! they really are serious about spending their lives in service for Jesus....they know the costs involved and that the road is so narrow yet they are willing to go into some of the most unreached places around... strengthening and encouraging people like these teaches you more and you receive much more than you intended to give...they have such precious hearts!!!

saying bye to the kids was hard...literally because there were soooooo many of them crowded all around us, some hanging onto us, others not letting go of our hands...but also much more because their little hearts had so captured ours... there was this one girl called Manisha, and as i hugged her she said to me, "you wont forget us will you?" even though there were so many of them, its then that you realize that each one of them wants to be loved, wants to be known, wants to be held, wants to love back... they gave us so many cards just to make sure we'd remember them and to say thanks for all we'd done, even though we were only there for 6 days... after one last photo we were off in the jeeps to Surat from where the team was catching a train to Delhi, and we were heading back to Udaipur... there are so many beggars at the stations and especially seeing children begging is quite heart breaking...however some of them are quite cheeky.. you kinda laugh and cry at the same time... :) well this is India... :)

India mission update from Gagan

2010-01-13T18:10:00.000-08:00

India mission update from Ziech

2010-01-06T01:24:00.001-08:00

The day of Navapur

Curries curries and more curries! The last meal we had at Udaipur before leaving for Navapur of course came along with curries.

It is interesting that the concept (and design) of buses around the world varies from the usage of it. From the defaulted buses found on the streets of Singapore and Malaysia to the uber high class coach for those wishing to make a 5 hour journey from Singapore to KL or vice versa. The one we boarded for Navapur was of course, custom made for overnight trips. To call it high class was perhaps overhyping it a little while to call it haphazard was to underhype it. Imagine a bus with a little more leg space than normal added with an extra level for several 2 by 1 metre compartments for that extra comfort of being able to lie down for some shut eye. That was our 12 hour journey transport to Navapur.

The ride was rather smooth together with the usual bumps that one would expect from travelling on the road the colours within the bus was however what I would call scintillating, it was almost like a mini party bus (only thing missing is the disco ball) with neon colours of blue, red, yellow and I think there was green as well and with the constant chattering, it was pure vibrancy!

The amount of shut eye time was good. Most of us got ample rest while in our little bus "boxes" which upon reaching Surat (the meeting point where we would be picked up to head into Navapur), we were all ready and raring to go.

Some highlights have been: joining them in worship, acting out a skit called the lifehouse 'everything' skit (for those of you who know it) with Fenny starring as mankind, and Simon as Jesus, and all contributing fantastically (Zee - money guy, Andre- mr suave, Jason - mr death, Esther - too much drink, char - good looking) and our directors Andre, Cindy and Gee, with only 2 hours practice!! Praise God!! people were really encouraged by the skit and hope to use it in their ministry.
The girls also did a dance presentation for all, and a workshop for the college students. Many of us have given devotions with students including Gee and Andre during the evening time.

During the trip to the orphanage in the mountains, we were moved to pray for a little boy who became crippled due to a fall from his cot. As we hugged him, we could just see him breaking into a smile. That melted all our hearts. Even though we didn't see physical healing, both ours and the boy's faith were strengthened through this experience. We know that God is at work in restoring his soul as we commit to continue to pray for him.

It is encouraging that we are able to use Creative Arts (which is a major part of ZION ministries) to minister to the students. Our activities will hopefully equip and empower them to in turn minister to their own people through Creative Arts.