I come, I see, I eat, I shoot....End of Sem.. A Week left in Hong Kong

In the midst of rushing for my final papers, I decided to update my blog!!
I attended my last lesson in Hong Kong on Friday two days ago. Time flies!!
Will be flying back on the 27th April.
This trip has been fruitful and experiential. I have traveled to a number of places, eat a lot of stuff and meet a lot of people!
Glad that I came. No mistake about it!
The lessons I took here are quite interesting! and I don't mind having more assignments to replace the exams!
Bought my flight ticket too early so I have to forfeit going to more places in China :(
Initial plans to go to Tibet was discarded due to a need to prepare for a big trip in May-June period---> Xinjiang Trip + Gobi March 2009
I have booked my flight from Singapore to Beijing and are finalizing the itinerary for the Xinjiang portion with a travel agency in Shenzhen (not with a tour group).
I will be traveling alone!
Eagerly anticipating this trip even before I leave HK. :)

The beautiful 赛里木湖 , the wilderness, the flora and fauna, the goats and horses and donkeys of
Xinjiang awaits!
This Epic trip will takes 15-16 days before the start of Gobi March 2009!
Just hope that I won't shag myself out even before the start of the race :)
Hope to start a new blog for this Epic trip.
Right now, its back to work!
God Bless and tata for now!

Total Depravity

I guess everyone of us has used these tool before.
The mistakes that was masked out would still be there, albeit underneath the white "ppt" (just look from th eother side, if the paper is translucent enough)
Its like Man's Sin. No matter how one tries to hide it or mask it, it will never go away.
My hair grows rapidly. Yes it does! Together with the white hair.
It wont take long after I dyed my hair for all these white hair to surface again.
Similarly, I guess I cant conceal these white hair forever.
Even after dying it, you know that beneath the dye, it is still white hair.

My Mum says, a leopard cannot change its spots.
Yeah, i totally agree. A leopard is always a leopard.....A sinful man will forever be one....

I understand all these and testify to them
I need a Saviour and I found Lord Jesus Christ (or He let me find Him)

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

I thank God for my salvation.
To save me from the bottomless pit I was in.
To redeem me through the blood of His only Son.
A person as wretched as me.
I thank God thee
for this act of compassion and love for us

From the website:
Christ Our Redeemer
http://www.abideinchrist.com/selah/jan7.html

The great Gospel of Jesus Christ not only redeems us by the payment of His death, but it goes a step further. Jesus purchased us out of the slave market and permanently set us free to never return to its bondage. The redeemed person has come under new ownership and management.

The apostle Paul wrote, “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, which He lavished upon us” (Eph. 1:7-8; cf. Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 1:18-19; Matthew 20:28).

Some points to ponder

Have you paused and thanked God for His Son who actually shed His blood to ransom you?

Have you ever considered the exceptionally great price that was paid for your salvation? It is the most expensive gift you will ever receive. It is not cheap just because it is free.

Moreover, your gift of redemption has been paid in full. All that you can possibly do is come with open hands to receive it. “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).

The next time you are tempted to throw in the towel and call it quits remind the tempter you are not, and never will be up for sale, ever again.

Why should you ever want to doubt your salvation yet again? It does not depend upon you, but upon the permanent completed transaction by God through the Lord Jesus, your Redeemer.

Ex Shalom End- The Passover

From left to right
Prudence, Me, Senen, Eric and Cynthia
Whao!!

What an end to this incredible journey!
Its the Passover and the streets are empty....
However, i only realised that the train service will not be up till like 11pm in the evening.
Went for dinner which took abit long.
Was planning to tag along a cab, which i decided against it....cos there is already 3 adults and a big kid and many luggage.
So Eric and I rushed to the Central Bus Station to catch the first bus out...he is going to Jerusalem and I am going to the airport.
We arrived there at 755pm. and there was the security check (again...) at the entrance...then i bid farewell to Eric and ran up to the terminal.
Arghh. couldn't find the bus....ran up an additional floor then back down again.
Asked the information counter
and the next moment was just sprinting....
a girl was running in front of me...
i was the last one to board the bus before it departed
asked around some passengers which stop to get off and i easily got the help i needed.
a serviceman learnt that i was heading there and showed me the way to another bus stop for another bus to the airport itself...

After that more security checks....

yeah...everything is done and waiting for the flight back to HK :) :)
Falafel and hummus are nice but an overdose is bad haha
I still like my rice and noodles and of course at a cheaper price

Though expensive (very), this trip has been wonderful

In the midst of fun, I hope I have learnt more about my faith

Praise the Lord!

Its a heavy cross to take up everyday in the walk with the Lord!
but with the Holy Spirit and self discipline, it can be done!
Yeah! i am going back!

God Bless and tat for now!

A Wonderful Journey of Fun and Learning :)

Currently in Jerusalem. Over the past six days or so, I have experienced and seen many things!
A really enriching trip :)

Tel Aviv

The beautiful sunset of Tel Aviv

Caesarea

The Herodian Amphitheatre and the Bathhouse in the Caesarea National Park

Haifa

The Bahai'i Garden

Rosh Hanikra

Beautiful but marred by a standoff between the Lebanese and the Israelis gunboats

Akko

The Templar's Tunnel in the ancient city of Akko

Mount Tabor

Tiberias

Sea of Galilee

The Golan Heights

Qumran

The site where the Dead Sea Scrolls were found

En Gedi

Lovely Walk and springs

The Dead Sea

Totally mind blowing and whole new experience and meaning to swimming :)

Jericho

The friendly Palestinian kids

Israel is really a land of wonders. A place so small and yet it offers so many!
Israel is very safe. Definitely much safer than the US!
History has sometimes been cruel to this wonderful place.
Yet, we should not lose hope that one day, this beautiful land will see true peace and harmony!

The children of Israel were promised complete victory in their conquest of the Promised Land if they remained faithful and obedient to God. This victory, though, was not given automatically; they had to fight each battle one at a time. In the first seven years of conquest, Israel did not lose a single soldier in battle except on one occasion. The battle at Ai is found in Joshua 7. In this conflict, Israel lost 36 men because of the sin committed by one person, Achan. Once this sin was confessed and punished, Israel again became victorious. Unfortunately, after seven years, Israel turned their eyes away from God and their victorious life ended.

There are three lessons to be learned from Israel’s conquest of the Promised Land. First, a life of victory does not include an absence of problems and conflicts. Second, there can be victory and rest for the believer in this lifetime. We can have consistent victory in all temptations and trials we face. Finally, this victory and rest is dependent solely on our obedience to God.

Hebrews 4:1-11 exhorts us to "enter into His rest." This rest is compared with the rest (or victory) Israel had when they first entered the Promised Land. There were many Old Testament Hebrews who missed God’s rest and victory because of their unbelief. We, as Christians, can choose to enter into His rest or face a life of frustration and struggles.

God created the world and universe in six days and on the seventh day He rested. The work had been completed and God rested. Likewise, the book of Hebrews exhorts us to rest in the same way God rested on the seventh day. He has done all the work for us through Christ who died on the cross. Now, we can rest from our inner struggles. God created the Sabbath Day to provide the Hebrews with physical rejuvenation. Likewise, God has created an inner Sabbath Day rest to provide us with spiritual rejuvenation.

The choice is ours. We can rest in Christ, draw from His strength and produce fruit naturally, or we can live a life of fruitless struggles and frustrations. Entering into His rest is not an option for the Christian worker; it is a prerequisite.

God Bless All and tata for now!

Israel

After a long long trip....I finally arrived in Tel Aviv.
From the aircraft Israel looks great!
The people are nice :)
So looking forward to tml...
Shall update again!

Blitzkrieg in Seoul! 首尔攻略！

Blitz thru two areas in Seoul this afternoon...
I almost freeze to death in the gusty cold of Seoul's wee morning.
I was only in a short-sleeved shirt and a light jacket....it was the most torture experience....luckily i was saved by Dunkin Donuts and StarBucks Coffee!

Ooops gtg, laptop batt dying and my flight gonna depart soon!
Will update soon!

Teaching in Shantou

First Night at Shantou. The nightview is quite nice!

This is one of the classrooms

The school is dilapitated...

There is no flushing system

This fridge looks more like a museum with the no. of unknown 'artefacts' in it

The seven brave souls for the the third part of the Shantou teaching trip!

Young and Hyein (South Koreans) giving their first lesson of the day!

Me and Ayaka in action in the other classroom

The students!

These young girls are really keen to learn English.

Sumptuous meals in the school

There is a pavilion on top of a hill besides the school

On top of the pavilion!

Rose and Myra!

Snow wolf (the name he gave himself)

School canteen and shop

Last few pictures before we left for the City Tour

Farewell!

We had our lunch and left Shantou with much things to think

The trip to Shantou really left a humbling effect on us. The condition of the school is really bad in any Singapore or Hong Kong standards. However, the students there are not deterred by the environment they are in and I can see that everyone of them are very eager to learn. Yet, a lot fo people with access to better schooling conditions are wasting their time away in school.
When we introduced ourselves and place we come from to the students, I can see that they are very envious of us. Most of them seems to be resigned to their fate that they will not be able to get out of their hometown as they are poor.
There are so many things that they do not have. A multi-function phone is all they have (camera, mp3, phone and QQ- a Chinese version of MSN)
I asked one of the students and they told me that the subscription for the service is around 10 -20 yuan per month but most of them actually spent only 5 per month)
Their monthly allowance is about 400 yuan/ month to cover food expenses.
The students love KTV and every tuesday, they will go to their school hall for a KTV session! However, most, if not all, of the cds they used are pirated one. Somemore, its bad quality ones.
However, they are undeterred by all these and one really see that they enjoy what they have
I tried to encourage them to try and tell them that they have control of their future and must not let 'fate' dictates it for them.
In the future if I am able to, I will surely donate money to rebuild the school !!!
The students deserve something better!
This trip has been a fruitful and memorable one. One has to really take a different perspective of one's situation before complaining about everything and anything.
These students are very 纯真and 单纯. Hope that they will remain uncorrupted in the midst of the rapid changes in China
May God Bless these students in 礐光学校!
Tata for now!