Tell and share

Migrating to a new blog

2009-01-30T15:50:00.002+08:00

Hello and a Happy New Year to all my Chinese friends!

We're back from our holidays after a week's break!

I won't be posting anymore in this blog and I look forward to your visits and comments in my new blog.

Thanks and have a great day ahead!

Sunshine today!

2009-01-21T18:35:00.014+08:00

I'm sure many people in Miri were relieved when there was sunshine today after a stretch of wet days for the past two weeks. With Chinese New Year just round the corner, the unwelcome excessive rains might spoil any holiday plans especially to those who balik kampung by road.

My family and I did some last minute shopping on last Sunday at the new Parkson Grand. The new clothes were washed and thank God, they were able to dry completely today! I took this photo of the beautiful, clear blue sky around 6:15 pm from my home balcony. Can you see the birds? Click on the photo for a bigger picture. We're all praying for excellent weather for the days to come, xD!

I'll be taking a break from posting until after the Chinese New Year holidays. Do drop by then! To all our Chinese friends, we wish you a Healthy and Blessed Year of the Ox! And travel safely if you are going anywhere, ok?

The Rain Has Taken Its Toll

2009-01-16T11:38:00.023+08:00

The incessant rain for the past week finally took its toll in Miri when a landslide seriously damaged a petrol station in the early hours this morning. Road traffic was slow as I headed towards town around 9:30am. I later realized that the jam was caused by a temporary road closure. Pockets of concerned people were already there when I reached the site. Two units of excavators and teams of men were working frantically. I asked a fireman standing next to me what they were searching for and he resignedly told me that they were looking for casualties. You can see a wooden shed (in blue) perched precariously at the edge of the slope. I hope it has been evacuated. The ambulance vehicles were on standby. The heavy rains had caused the uphill area behind the petrol station to be saturated of water for the past week. This resulted the slope being unable to withhold the extra pressure. I guess the feather that broke the camel's back was last night's pouring rain.

*Update @ 2:00pm from Bernama.

Latest updates - Bro Columba in Kuching

2009-01-08T10:13:00.014+08:00

Jan 6, 2009 - A dinner was organized at the Sarawak Club for Brother Columba. You can view more photos at the Picasa Web Album uploaded by Dr. Chan Lek-Lim. It's great to see that everyone had a great time with Brother Columba!

Dr. Chan writes about the reunion:

"A dinner was organised by former students of St Joseph's School, Kuching for Br Columba Gleeson in the evening of 6 Jan 2009 at the Sarawak Club, Kuching. These group of students were from Form 5 of 1971 and Upper 6 of 1973. When Christopher Kho Ting Hua (who lives in Sydney) first received news in mid-December that Br Columba was visiting Kuching, he starting phoning and emailing classmates about the possibility of having a dinner with him. When the possibility was firming up to reality, he called Br Columba to fix the date mentioning a few names. So when Br Columba was picked up for the dinner on 6 Jan, he thought he was going to dinner with 2 or 3 former students. The number turned out to be 20. He said he was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the evening very much.

Ting Hua had specially arranged to fly back all the way from Sydney to attend the dinner - a decision made about 2 weeks before the dinner. Another former student, Peter Chin who lives in KL also flew in for the function."

Photo credit - Dr. Chan Lek-Lim

Thanks to Dr. Chan for allowing me to share his story and pics in this post.

Donations

2009-01-07T10:10:00.021+08:00

Yesterday the Christian community of Miri handed over the money raised during the Miri City Christmas Parade 2008 to the Miri Kidney Dialysis Centre and the Miri Cancer Society.

The 2008 Lay Leader of my church, Brother Ting Kong Yu was the Organizing Chairman for the successful event whereby an unprecedented number of churches from different denominations grouped together to celebrate Christmas with the people of Miri. In his welcoming speech, Brother Kong Yu thanked the committee for their unwavering support and also thanked the public for their love and generousity towards the less fortunate. YB Lee Kim Shin, in his speech, praised the committee for a job well done and encouraged this year's event to be even bigger and better.

YB Lee Kim Shim received the cheque on behalf of the Miri Kidney Dialysis Centre.

Mr. Jackson Goh received the cheque on behalf of the Miri Cancer Society.

Where are you now, Class of '76?

2009-01-06T10:02:00.019+08:00

Following the two postings on Brother Columba over last weekend, I am now in contact with another "new old boy" James Yong who left a comment in my blog yesterday.

James, based in Singapore was also present during the Brother Columba's reunion gathering. He is now compiling the Class of '76 name list through his blog St Joe - Form 5 in 1976. If you know of anyone who was in Form 5 in 1976 in St Joseph's Kuching, please pass on this information for reconnection, xD.

Oh yes, I found another blog of James' to be interesting. Again we witness what quality seeds St. Joseph's has sown. He has done St. Joe and Sarawak proud in his field of work. We wish you well, James! Two thumbs up!

1st Sunday Service of 2009

2009-01-04T14:42:00.016+08:00

This morning we held the first service of the year in my church Grace Methodist. Enjoy the photos! Sanctuary.
My cell group was on duty. They did an excellent job! Holy Communion.

Latest updates - Bro Columba

2009-01-04T12:45:00.016+08:00

Thanks to the Borneo Post, today's edition in the Home Section (on page 10) features Brother Columba's visit to Singapore and the reunion dinner on Jan 2, 2009. The write-up includes the history of Brother Columba's years at St. Joseph's Kuching, the ex-students who are prominent professionals based in Singapore and also on the coming reunion in Kuching on Jan 17.

I was pleasantly surprised to know that our Urban Development and Tourism Minister Datuk Michael Manyin also joined them for the reunion gathering in Singapore.

Bro Columba in Singapore

2009-01-03T16:28:00.030+08:00

At last I've received information from my sis Ruth on Brother Columba's visit to Singapore! We communicated this afternoon and I was able to talk to Brother Columba briefly too. I'm glad that our beloved principal sounded well and happy. Still going strong at 75!

Twenty eight ex-Josephians (SJS Kuching) including some of their spouses joyfully gathered to welcome Brother Columba last night. The previous gathering was two years ago; but this time round the number was almost double. Impressive!

The reunion venue, recommended by Dr Pierce Chow, was at the Royal China Restaurant, Raffles Hotel Arcade. I wasn't there but I would imagine everyone had a fabulous time reminiscing the good old days with the La Salle Brothers (how the men in white gowns struck fear into us, hahaha!). My sis also told me that Dr Lemmy Teo and Dr Chow helped to decide on the food menu; Song Seng Wun brought along copies of the School Rally with Michael Chin helping to lead in the singing. Michael also invited Brother Columba to fellowship at all the three tables at different times.

Needless to say, no reunion can be complete without the Guest of Honour saying a few words. Brother Columba thanked everyone for the dinner and warm friendship, and mentioned that in a way his visit served as a catalyst for ex-Josephians to get together.

Group pic of the proud "forever" Josephians with the best principal in the world! Brother Columba saying a few words of appreciation. Just look at the "principal" poise - what a presence! We can never truly appreciate enough how much impact he and the other selfless brothers have made in the lives of many generations of Sarawakians. They were the true educators of our time! From the bottom of our hearts, we say a big "Thank You" to you Brother Columba! Everyone present signed on this copy of the School Rally. My sis will scan it and email back to them as a souvenir. Ahem, what a eco-friendly way (digitally) to remember the reunion! Photo credit: Group pic - Dr Lee See Chung; Brother Columba's pic - James Yong.

I really look forward to meeting Brother Columba on Jan 17 in Kuching!

1st Cell Group Gathering

2009-01-03T11:26:00.021+08:00

To celebrate our first cell gathering, we had a steamboat dinner at my home last night. Most people prefer to have steamboats in restaurants because the preparation of food varieties can be quite tedious and time-consuming. But that does not apply to my cell group because my members are "highly-acclaimed chefs" when it comes to food, LOL!

We were blessed to have the young and dynamic Pastor Connie Yong as our guest! And I shamelessly asked her to pose, hahaha! Son Aaron warming up for the Praise and Worship. Roseline and I prepared gifts of appreciation for cell members. The Juniors were too engrossed in their own activity.
Taking a group photo before dinner.

Smiles. Food, food and more food...

What do the two signs (Sign Language) mean? xD The thumb pointing to the lips means "delicious" and the other other sign of "pulling the chin" means "salivate".

All glory to God as we seek for a blessed 2009!

Sibu Trip - The Last Evening

2009-01-01T11:45:00.020+08:00

This is the last of the series I'm blogging about my family's recent Sibu trip. Time passed quickly when everyone was having a good time! Roseline even did some vege pau (steamed dumplings)! On the evening before we returned to Miri, we had a home-cooked meal at home. Photo shows my two sons with their cousins. Roseline's younger brother Jimmy managed to buy a 4 kg Marble Goby freshwater fish (locally called "Motutu" or Soon Hock in West Malaysia) at Batu Niah when he drove back to Sibu from Kota Kinabalu. This was the best steamed fish we had for the year 2008! After dinner we ventured to the famous Pasar Malam (night market). I took this photo facing the entrance. Unlike during my previous visits, I was surprised that there was no bustling crowd and only a few vendors sold food and beverages. Could it be that people now have changed their preference and shop at locations nearer to their residential areas?
We went to Sing Kwong (a supermarket and departmental store) to find out. The huge carpark was full and there were many shoppers there! Shopping in Sibu has always been a pleasure. It is quite common to find the prices of consumables lower than Miri by 10% or more. That's why it's hard not to overbuy, xD.

Sibu Trip - Bloggers Meet

2008-12-31T15:02:00.013+08:00

Dec 27 - Through the coordination of Philip, five bloggers met and dined together for the first time at Cafe Pamelia in Premier Hotel.

When I first knew that I would in Sibu for the Christmas holidays, I contacted Bengbeng and suggested a meet-up with Sibu bloggers. Of course he agreed but unfortunately he mentioned that he would be away and therefore arranged with Philip to coordinate.

Roseline and I were also very priviledged to meet Steve, Victor and Yan. After the initial introduction and pleasantries, I found that our new friends have typical Foochow traits; they were so warm and friendly! Roseline with Yan, who insisted on buying dinner even before the order was taken! Thanks Yan, we are waiting for you to visit us in Miri so we can reciprocate your hospitality. Not much attention was focussed on the food when the main topic was on blogging and photography. LOL! The food was okay in general; I ordered chicken drummets. And teh tarik. Roseline ordered pan-fried fish. Unfortunately it was over-cooked. Steven ordered fried noodles. The half-dozen sandwiches seemed to overwhelm appetites! Our gathering went well and we looked forward to meeting with more bloggers the next round.

Sibu Trip - High Tide and Rejang Esplanade

2008-12-31T12:54:00.016+08:00

The following day was Dec 27.

I was surprised that the water level outside my parents-in-law home had risen overnight. I took this picture while standing in the middle of the road around noon time. Flooding in Sibu brings back sweet memories for me because I was courting Roseline in Dec 1983 when there was a massive flood in Sibu! LOL! So all of us were stuck in the house until 5:00pm when the tide receded. Without wasting time, we went to Rejang Esplanade for a photo shoot session. According to the information given, the two trees in the background were planted in 1863! The light was perfect for a photo shoot. Now look here, dear. Sons doing a "Sa-rang-hae-yo" leap to the air! The big leap. Reflections. Enjoying the view.

Sibu Trip - Birthday

2008-12-31T09:15:00.013+08:00

On Dec 26 night we had a small gathering of close friends and relatives at Sheraton Restaurant to celebrate the birthday of my parents-in-law.

Though the birth dates of my parents-in-law are different, my wife (being the eldest daughter in the family) decided to celebrate the occasion on this day when most of the immediate family members could attend. For birthdays, the first dish was of course the indispensible mee suah. This fried version was served with boiled eggs and black chicken soup. It was superb! I like the Eight-Treasures warm all the time. The pan-fried black cod was beautifully cooked! No wonder my parents-in-law couldn't stop smiling! The #1 daughter-in-law from Brunei serving. This is the best yam cake dessert I've ever tasted! Roseline's youngest sister with her hubby. The ~~beautiful~~ dutiful daughters with their loving parents and Second Aunty. Sa-rang-hae-yo! Two nice shots for the family album!

Sibu Trip - Christmas Concert

2008-12-30T17:44:00.008+08:00

Many thanks to my mother-in-law who invited us to a concert on Christmas night organized by Masland Methodist Church at the Dewan Suarah.

We were overwhelmed by the performances from different age-groups! Yes, it was the best concert we have ever attended! I took many photos; enjoy the slides!

If you want a copy of the original photo, just drop me an email. xD

Sibu Trip - Christmas Eve Church Service

2008-12-30T14:43:00.016+08:00

Like what we did last year, we went to Wesley again for the Christmas Eve service. In anticipation of a full house, we were there early. I was able to find a good seat to take photos.

The Sanctuary was warm and impressive (WMC underwent extensive renovations), unlike what we saw last year. The acoustics was clear and crisp with no feedback. More importantly I can feel God's love and grace in this beautiful church.

Celebrating its golden anniversary this year, Wesley is one of the most distinguished and oldest Methodist churches in Sarawak.

Here are some of the photos I took.

This young man is a good pianist.

The famous Wesley choir. As expected, they performed well.

This is one of my favourite photos. Spontaneously shot through a glass wall separating the Sanctuary and the Cry Room. The cute girl was one of the "lambs" from the Sunday School waiting for her turn to perform. Isn't she adorably sweet? After that, she refused to a second pose and shied away. xD

The Sunday School children gave an outstanding performance their teachers and parents would be so proud of! It was a priviledge for me to capture the special moments on camera!

The service ended with everyone lighting up a candle and singing. Note the warmness of the Sanctuary when the lights dimmed. It was an evening my family and I enjoyed thoroughly.

Sibu Trip - Hair Salon at Sg. Merah

2008-12-30T12:33:00.003+08:00

We proceeded to Sibu's arguably most famous hair salon at Sungei Merah on the day 0f arrival. My wife wanted to trim her hair a bit but in the end the enterprising towkayneo convinced her to trim and perm.

While waiting I also took the opportunity to have a haircut by a hearing-impaired barber. I was pleased with the good job he did. And cost only RM6.00!

I really appreciate this salon for keeping inflation under control!

Latest updates

2008-12-30T09:02:00.009+08:00

We're back in Miri after spending the Christmas holidays in Sibu.

Thank God we covered quite a few "items" during our five-day stay; Roseline went for a new hair perm. The whole family attended the Christmas Eve service at Wesley. The next day we attended the Christmas Day service (conducted in Mandarin) at Xin Fu Yuan. On the same night we attended a Christmas concert by Masland Church (fantastic!).

We also celebrated the birthdays of my parents-in-laws, met up with some Sibu bloggers (for the first time), and "accidentally" had an encounter with my "long lost" cousin.

I took many photos on the different occasions so I would need some time to select the nice ones to post.

Time really flies...I've past the first year of blogging! xD

Oh ya, I've changed the picture of my blog header. It's taken at the Rejang Esplanade around 6:00pm while Roseline and I enjoyed watching the sunset and the river.

The photo is an "untouched-up" picture; I love it! xD

Breakfast with the Lees

2008-12-23T10:25:00.009+08:00

We had dim sum with my church member's parents this morning. The Lees from Kuching are visiting their son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren during this festive season. During the course of our breakfast fellowship I was delighted to find out that Bro Michael's parents are firmly anchored in Christ.

I quickly grabbed the opportunity to take a picture of this blessed family.

Dongzhi (The Winter Solstice Festival)

2008-12-21T21:00:00.011+08:00

Today is Dongzhi, traditionally a very important festival in the Chinese calendar.

In China, Dongzhi was originally an end-of-harvest festival. Today family members gather for a reunion dinner when Tang Yuan are eaten to symbolise family unity and prosperity.

My wife went to the wet market early this morning to buy the conveniently premixed Tang Yuan. Gone are the days when Tang Yuan are only available once a year. You will be spoiled with so many choices available in supermarkets all year round! Don't you think this really takes away the "looking forward to" excitement of traditionally-available-once-a-year food! Sigh.

We celebrated the festival at home. Except for the roast duck, the rest of the dishes were home-cooked.

Everyone's favourite - mee suah!
Roseline says my version of the Foochow Rice Sticks is an award-winning dish! xD
And a plate of vege
I still prefer the way how Roseline prepares the Tang Yuan; with chopped peanuts and sugar! I hope you won't feel hungry after looking at the photos.

So how did you spend your Dongzhi? xD

A Holiday Tradition Continues

2008-12-20T09:55:00.021+08:00

It was joyfully not a "Silent Night" when my cell group gathered yesterday evening. A holiday tradition continues!

The Christmas caroling last night brought us the spirit of warmth and love of Jesus Christ as the SIB Krokop Evangelical Church youths visited us upon our invitation.

Suddenly and so rarely, my neighbourhood was alive with much cheer!

Thanks to Bro Garry Lin, who took the photos using a Nikon D60. You can click on each picture for a bigger view.

Taking a group photo before the caroling

Getting ready
What a beautiful photo!
Using Sign Language to sing

Our appreciation to Pastor Grace Gundersen and her hubby Bro Kurt

We also wish to extend our heartfelt thanks and appreciation to Pastor Solomon Bulan for arranging last night's caroling for us.

Last but not least, we also want to thank Bro William Ting who dropped by to help take photos too. Enjoy the nice pics taken by him at this slideshow!

SJS Class Of '78 Reunion Gathering

2008-12-18T11:16:00.015+08:00

Were you in the Class of '78 in St. Joseph's Kuching? Or have you ever taught the students of the Class of '78?

If the answer is yes, then we invite you to come join us in the reunion dinner with our beloved principal Brother Columba! Here are the details:

Date - Jan 17, 2009
Venue - 360 Hotel, Horizon Cafe, Kuching
Time - 7:00pm
Price per pax - RM80.00 inclusive of drinks

To participate, please email Seng Kong at richardwong05@yahoo.com or Kho Ping at khoping@eritel.com.my

I can't remember exactly when was the last time I met up with Brother Columba. I left St Joe in the third term of Form One in 1974. After that I met Brother Columba once when I was in my 20s, and that's it!

This photo was taken in Singapore two years ago during a gathering coordinated by my sister Ruth. I can't recognize most of Josephians except for Dr. Pierce Chow. In case you've missed the details of Brother Columba's visit then, you can read up here.
I also managed to retrieve some scanned photos from here - the classes of '78. Let's take a nostalgic walk down the memory lane and view the pics, shall we? xD
Form 5 S1

Form 5 S2

Form 5 A1

Form 5 A2

I've confirmed attending so see you all there! xD

Christmas Party at Sherwood

2008-12-18T08:53:00.003+08:00

In line with the annual tradition at Sherwood, the kids at Roseline's centre had an awesome time last Saturday celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ with a gathering and an exchange of gifts.

Thanks to one of the parents, Mr John Hii for the fabulous photos taken with Canon PowerShot G10.

More pics from Christmas parade

2008-12-08T12:28:00.007+08:00

Many thanks to Ling Ling of Mei Ann Methodist Church, we have more photos for you. From the smiles and joy shown on the people's faces, we know that presence of our Heavenly Father was with us during the celebration.

Enjoy the slides!

Beautiful evening

2008-12-07T22:27:00.024+08:00

The Visit of the Shepherds

Luke 2:15-20

When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let's go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about."

So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them.

But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (KJV)

The Christmas Parade and celebration last night at Miri City Fan was awesome. Thousands of worshippers from different denominations arrived at the venue as early as 5:00pm. Thank and praise God for the excellent weather!

We arrived at 4:00pm to do the finishing touches.
View from the Pustaka around 5:00pm.

The view from opposite side, facing the Pustaka.

The Praise and Worship team (in white) on stage. Watch the opening video here.

Our church members arrived early too!

Y.B. Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr. George Chan declared open the parade by drumming.
The Boys' Brigade from Methodist churches - our pride!
So cute!

A wise young man and a shepherd boy.

As chief usher, Roseline had her hands full!

The walk around the town.

The working committee group photo. All but one of the volunteers were from my cell group. It was a great priviledge to be able to serve our Lord.
After completing our job we went for supper. xD.
We want to thank and praise God for giving us the opportunity to celebrate Christmas and remembering the birth of our Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ! It was a beautiful evening we will treasure in our hearts forever.

Miri City Christmas Parade 2008

2008-12-02T11:47:00.036+08:00

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son."
- John 3:16

Joy To The World. Our loving Father, knowing our need of the gift of salvation, reaches the world through Jesus.

Come this Saturday Dec 6, thousands of Christians and their friends will gather at Miri City Fan for a parade to celebrate Christmas, the birth of our Lord Saviour!

Organized by the Christian Community of Miri, the inaugural event will be participated by the worshippers from churches of various denominations. Beautifully themed "Christ, the Perfect Gift of Christmas", the event was first suggested by Y.B. Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr. George Chan when he met up with the local Christian leaders earlier this year.

Leaders from other religious bodies as well as community leaders have been cordially invited to the event too.

Offerings collected on that evening will go to the Miri Kidney Dialysis Centre and Miri Cancer Society.

Where To Park Your Car
Indoor/Outdoor Stadium and Dewan Suarah carparks

Programme
5:00pm - Arrival of Participants, Guests and Friends
5:30pm - Opening Prayer (Rev. Fr. Ramdan Mejem, Anglican Church)
- Praise and Worship (SIB)
- Offerings
- Christmas message (Pastor Eden, Chairman of ACSM)
- Thanksgiving prayer (Rev. Fr. Gabriel Chong, RC)
6:15pm - Arrival of Invited Guests
6:30pm - Arrival of Guest of Honour, Y.B. Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr. George Chan
- Negaraku
- Welcoming address by Organizing Chairman (Bro. Ting Kong Yu, Methodist Church)
- Christmas speech by Guest of Honour, Y.B. Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Dr. George Chan
7:00pm - Parade starts
9:00pm - Participants return to Miri City Fan
- Benediction (Pastor Lim Thien Leong, Baptist Church)

Where To Be Seated

Parade Route Organizing Committee See you there!

Combined Cells II

2008-12-01T09:29:00.026+08:00

Last Friday night we had an awesome gathering with Bro William's group at our church's Fellowship Room. It was the second time for us to combine with another cell (the first one was with Sis Sii Ling's group) since my group was formed three months ago.

The food theme was "Western". Wa... I didn't know there were so many super chefs in our midst. Arguably their culinary skills could be better than any five-star hotel restaurant chefs in Miri! Roseline with her famous signature dish, the Shepherd pie! It took her almost four hours to do it!
Peter, our dynamic visitor from SMCGC, lead in the Worship and Music. Thanks Peter, you were simply amazing!

To make the fellowship more fun, we had a bible quiz. Divided into two groups, it was a battle of the two genders! I anticipated it would be a close contest but...

but the indomitable sisters beat the brothers easily! :-(

Richard from my cell group was the first to share his testimony.

Jennifer from my cell also shared. Notice the LCD screen in the background? For the benefit of our hearing impaired members, the words were typed out simultaneously as the speaker shared.

Who is this vivacious sister? xD

Victor, our hearing-impaired brother also shared by typing his thoughts onto the screen.

The wonderful evening ended with a closing prayer by Bro William.

Thank you Bro William for the beautiful photos, and thanking all for blessing us!

Laksa brunch

2008-11-23T12:29:00.011+08:00

We had several Curtin University students worshipping at our church this morning because the Senadin centre is closed for the long year-end holiday break. We also had the attendance of some students who are studying abroad and are now back for their vacation. It's good to see them again!

After church service we went for a laksa brunch. The food was awesome but the fellowship was even better!

Group photo
Wah... Judy was concentrating on her bowl of laksa!

This is Fenice, the gifted Praise and Worship vocalist with the heart of a servant from SMCGC. She will be returning to Sibu for good soon. Sigh... our loss is someone's gain. Fenice, thank you for coming into our lives and blessing so many of us. We shall miss but we will never forget you. May God bless you richly always!

This is the first time I took pics with my Nokia 6500 phone. I'm amazed by the quality of the photos! xD

Four beauties and a Lee

2008-11-19T15:36:00.011+08:00

Have you ever experienced the urge of calling a friend whom you know quite well but never got to have lunch with?

This was what happened to me. I have known my church member Stephanie for a number of years now; in fact I knew her and her hubby since the day their children enrolled in my wife's preschool.

So I took action and arranged this afternoon's lunch. The one hour fellowship was wonderful with Antonio (Stephanie's husband), Mike (Michelle's husband) and my son Aaron joining us.

To see Stephanie and her three sisters together was like seeing God's grace! Their strong sense of sibling unity is indeed worthy of praise.

By the way, my wife is a Lee. xD

Sign Language Class completes

2008-11-17T09:12:00.009+08:00

How time flies! The Sign Language class which started on Sep 22 has ended yesterday. Intended as a language programme undertaken by my cell group members for the benefit of the community, the free Introductory Course was conducted by Victor and his wife Kristy. Roseline also helped.

From what I could see yesterday, everyone had a good time.

Here are the pictures taken yesterday afternoon at SMCGC.

Class in action

Class monitor's appreciation speech

A gift from all the participants to Victor

Group photo

Roseline reading out Victor's message on his bookmark gift to his students

Celebratory feasting!

Combined cells

2008-11-01T10:46:00.032+08:00

Last night we held a combined fellowship with Sis Sii Ling's cell group. Planned two months ago, it was a first for my new cell to get to know better the other members from church under a joint endeavor.

No fellowship can be quite complete without Bro Willi am Ting, the church's Cell Group Coordinator and my close buddy. We were really glad when he and his family turned up. The food theme for last night was "wrapped food" (as creatively suggested by Sis Chang Yi) and we were overwhelmed by so many varieties! I was impressed to find out the many hidden talents in our church!

We started off with a prayer of thanks. Then dinner. We opened the Praise and Worship with the song "How Great is our God" lead by Aaron. Reminded by the following verse, I could feel God's grace and the presence of the Holy Spirit as we sang our hearts out to the Lord!

"Where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I in their midst." - Matthew 18:20

Yes, the bible quiz. To encourage unity, we purposely mixed the two groups together to form two teams. I selected the questions that were tough and easy, from the Book of Matthew. Sis Mui Foon kindly helped to be the judge.

Following the quiz we took time to share some personal experiences. It was encouraging to hear stories of love and care experienced in cell groups. I took the opportunity to invite Bro William to share on cell group ministry. I also grabbed the moment to thank Bro William, the "Ananias" in my spiritual journey. We also presented a gift to Sis Mui Foon who has helped my new cell members to build a strong foundation in topical studies since we started the new group two months ago.

My wife and I thank all present last night and thank the Lord for His rich blessings!

Now enjoy the beautiful photos from Bro William!

At the table
Wow...wrapped food from Sis Chang Yi! Sis Chang Yi calls it "fusion food" - impressive and delicious!
Look at the 5-star variety - a gourmet fest!
D-I-Y Taiwan-style popiah by Roseline. A favourite health food!
We sang out our hearts out!
Bible quiz in session
Bro Victor invited a senior Japanese couple
Sharing by Sis Chang Yi
Sharing by Bro Richard
Attentive listeners
Bible quiz winning team
Bible quiz participating team
Appreciation gift for Sis Mui Foon
Appreciation gift for Bro William Ting

At last!

2008-10-31T11:00:00.010+08:00

Yes, at last we have graduated from Discipleship One course! On October 29 we had a simple potbless dinner at church, followed by a service and award of certificates. Time really flies. Some of you may recall I first blogged about the nine months course in my Jan 7 posting. The class helped me in my Bible reading and understanding - I'm glad I experienced it! Here's the group photo taken by Bro William Ting. The group consisted of students and facilitators from Discipleship One and Discipleship Two classes.

Taking a break

2008-10-28T11:09:00.045+08:00

Roseline and I managed to take a short break last weekend. Yes, you are right - we needed to re-charge! Went to Singapore via Senai. Sis came to pick us. I felt so relaxed with two super women in the front! We went to Kopitiam for dinner. Yong Tau Foo is one of Roseline's favourite dish. Look at the selection - you'll be spoilt by the choices! The Kopitiam card is a dining stored value card with 10% discount for every purchase! Clever marketing - pay first, eat later! I couldn't resist the high cholesterol oysters omelette! The teh-c and kopi-o were awesome! The mee pok was so-so only. Kampua is still the best! At Plaza Singapura we seized the opportunity to watch the musical movie Mama Mia. The movie brought back sweet memories for Roseline as the Abba songs reminded her of her students days in the UK. I was thrown out of orbit when Meryl Streep did her version of The Winner T akes It All. I didn't realize the 2-time Oscar winner could sing like that! This is so far the best movie we've watched this year and I highly recommend it to those who are in my age group!
On Sunday we worshipped at Pa ya Lebar Methodist Chur ch. It's a beautiful church and I could feel the presence of God's grace and love there. After service Mabel (a close friend of sis) brought us to a restaurant at Serangoon famous for its chicken rice. We ordered additional dishes of mixed of Tofu mixed vegetables and Ngo Hiang. The bill was less than S$38 which I thought was value-for-money for four persons. I am recommending this restaurant.

We were also at VivoCity. There was a maddening crowd - did you say times are bad, excuse me... what recession? Daiso is ~~one of our~~ everyone's favourite shop - every item at S$2! At Senai airport, we had a light snack before flying back to Miri yesterday. So tell me, when was the last time you took a break?

Tofu Fa

2008-10-11T09:47:00.010+08:00

Homemade tofu fa! My cell group member Jennifer sprang a delightful surprise last night when she presented the delicious dessert which my wife has been wanting to learn how to make! Made from soya bean, tofu fa is a popular Chinese treat. It is a favourite dessert yet many people hesitate to have it homemade. Why? Because there are just too many steps and time-consuming! And moreover it is quite tricky and if the scums are not properly filtered out, the end result is you might not get a smooth tofu fa.

What can I say about sister Jennifer? She's simply amazing!

Memory lane

2008-10-06T10:18:00.025+08:00

My dear wife was away during Raya last week. It was a double bonus trip when she went to Sibu, visiting her parents as well as meeting up with her siblings from Sydney, Brunei and Kota Kinabalu.

The festive holidays provided an additional window for the Lees to strengthen their already closely-knitted family ties as they drove to Bintangor and Sarikei for a day trip. Along the journey - Elizabeth, Roseline's sister from Sydney took the following pictures using a Nikon D60 camera.
From 1971 to 1973 my parents-in-law resided in Bakong (a zone outskirts of Bintangor) where they had a small pepper farm. They also reared fish. This is the house that the Lees owned. According to Roseline, the original structure stood on stilts without any enclosures on the ground level. Roseline has such happy memories on Bakong that her eyes will sparkle whenever she recites her years there. Strangely I don't get bored hearing her story a thousand times for the past 24 years - maybe it's because I too have experienced a wonderful childhood with many outdoor activities. I can smell fresh air by just looking at the picture - what a wonderful place to enjoy longevity! I can live anywhere in the world as long as there is broadband and kampua. Roseline and her sister-in-law Mary at a relative's house. Roseline with her younger brother and mom. Hang Kwong Methodist Church, Bintangor - where Roseline received her baptism.
Like many typical trunk roads connecting towns, one can find roadside stalls at various points. The dry shrimps (hay bee) from Sarikei are the best in the world. Pineapples too.

Mother, daughter and daughter-in-law together - what bliss! Lastly this photo was taken at the hawker stalls at a wet and dry market near the Sibu Civic centre. Roseline's sister Elizabeth is the lady in white blouse. I don't recognize the other lady; Roseline tells me she is Letty, a former classmate her of brother's at SMK Tung Hua in 1978.

Celebrating Pastor Connie's birthday

2008-10-05T17:35:00.014+08:00

Today our cell group organized a potbless lunch to celebrate Pastor Connie's birthday - she was caught off-guard completely and very touched! I think this is one surprise she will treasure and remember for a long, long time.

Happy birthday Pastor! May our Lord bless you mightily always!

Since the beginning of this year, the young and dynamic pastor has been in charge of Senadin Methodist Campus Gospel Centre (SMCGC). The good shepherd is doing a wonderful job for Christ and we are so proud of her!
In line with Chinese tradition, Pastor Connie was served with a bowl of mee suah and a hard boiled egg cooked in authentic Foochow chicken soup with red wine. My wife Roseline was away in Sibu for the past few days and she was able to buy the finest mee suah for today's special occasion.

Mee suah is traditionally served during auspicious events like birthdays, anniversaries and on the first day of the Lunar New Year because it signifies longevity.

It is not easy to prepare a five-star, mee suah chicken soup - even the best ingredients may not guarantee you a satisfactory outcome. I'm one of the remaining few who know the closely-guarded secret recipe, xD.

I was nearly thrown out of orbit when the three superchefs (Joyce, John, Jennifer) in my cell group cooked dishes that could only be appropriately labelled as imperial cuisine! A new friend also joined us for lunch. Noel is a new worshipper at my church and we're very happy to welcome this brother-in-Christ from Seoul.

How powerful is your mind?

2008-09-26T18:22:00.005+08:00

I received an email from my good friend Hun Pin from Singapore. I enjoyed reading and quickly asked for his permission to post it.

By the way, Happy birthday Hun Pin! Wishing you a life in which you give yourself the gift of patience and the faith in achieving worthy rewards!

How powerful is your mind? - by Ooi Hun Pin

Exactly how powerful is the mind? I'm writing an article in response to a question for which I don't have an answer. BUT, I can tell you an inspiring story that you will never hear, unless you are a true chess enthusiast.

Miguel Najdorf was a Jew of Polish nationality. He was playing in a chess tournament in Argentina when World War 2 started. Due to the war, he decided to stay on in Argentina. Because of the war, he lost contact with his family. If you remember, the Jews were very badly prosecuted by Nazi Germans then, and Najdorf was concerned and wanted to find his family after the war.

But how? He decided to do a publicity stunt such that the world has never seen, and thus, would be reported in the newspapers, and hopefully, would give his family news of where he was. What did he do that the whole world would be interested to notice?

He played chess. Not any kind of chess but a simultaneous chess exhibition, i.e. he would play with many people at one time. This by itself is nothing special, and even in Penang Free School, I would give such chess exhibition matches for the PFS Chess Club by playing with 20 to 25 players at one time. This gives the less experienced players a chance to play with me, and except for the top 3 players in PFS, the rest of the chess enthusiasts would usually join in.

Najdorf decided to play against 45 adult players. BUT, he needed a much more sexy story if he was going to get a huge publicity. So, he decided to play all the 45 players at the same time, BLINDFOLDED. This means that Najdorf was not allowed to see the board and pieces, but his opponents, all 45 of them, can see properly.

In my young days, I also play blindfold chess with my fellow junior state player (anyone below that standard would be lost as to where his pieces are in less than 10 moves. It takes my full concentration to play a game of more than 25 moves, but it can be done, with some strong willpower of the mind. It's not only about remembering where your pieces are. You also have to calculate a few moves deep on where each of the pieces should be. That's a real test of your brainpower.

And here he was. Najdorf was going for his publicity stunt blindfolded, playing 45 games at the same time, remembering the positions of the 1,280 chess pieces at play. Also, it is usual that the moment your opponent moves, you would move in less than 10 seconds, so as not to keep everyone waiting too long. The chess exhibition lasted almost 24 hours. It was so long that a number of players gave up, and had to be replaced by other players who continued to play the position. All this while, Najdorf stayed awake and played till the last game was decided. He scored 39 wins, 4 draws and only 2 losses!

This is the power of the mind and will power to win of a strong Chess Grandmaster.

In a scientific test, it was found that the memory of the strong chess player was no different than that of a normal person. Actually, there were two tests. The first was that a group of strong chess players and another group of weak chess players, were shown, and asked to remember, as many of the board positions shown. It was found that the strong chess players could remember significantly more, and thus, the conclusion then was that the strong chess players had better memory.

But another scientific experiment was conducted about 10 years later, and the first scientific experiment was repeated with similar results. The 2nd Experiment was conducted whereby, the chess pieces were not put in accordance with the rules of a chess game, i.e. they were put at random. It was found in the 2nd Experiment that there was no significant difference in memory performance between the strong chess players and the weaker ones.

This is a landmark discovery in science. It means, in general, that your mind and mine, are practically similar in memory power. I guess both must be 2 GB RAM today. Whether DDR RAM or SD RAM, I'm not sure. The point is, we are both given the same mental faculties as far as memory are concerned. The difference lies in how we think and process information, and how we link them / associate them from one piece to the next. When we have a causal link, we remember better than if we have a random reference on the information / data.

So, in conclusion, your mind is powerful enough. All you need to do is to learn how to use it correctly, i.e. check your user manual on page 403, or alternatively, send an email to Microsoft Help Desk. :-P

Some of you will be happy with this information. Wow, I have a mind equal to that of Ooi's and GM Miguel Najdorf, at least from a RAM Memory perspective, and not CPU, which is speed of processing. Another will feel very upset. You mean after all the folic acid my mother took when she was pregnant with me, I'm no different from that idiot??? Hahahahahaha.

Warning - Please note that you should not attempt to play blindfold chess on a simultaneous exhibition basis. This is because some of the prominent chess players who have done this in the last 100 years have ended up mad in their old age. Whether this is due to chess, no one knows. But, please be warned that at one time, Blindfolded Simultaneous Chess Exhibitions were banned, and even today, you don't see a chess genius like Garry Kasparov trying a stunt like this. Playing a blindfold game like I did, on a one on one basis, should be fine, as it is only slightly more taxing on the mind than deeply analyzing complicated positions at a tournament without moving the pieces.

As for giving normal simultaneous chess exhibitions, the challenge is not whether your mind can take it, but whether people respect your standard of play enough to want to be a participant. It would be pretty embarrassing to offer to play such an exhibition, and no one turns up for the challenge! :-[

Some updates from the weekend

2008-09-22T10:03:00.022+08:00

Badminton
Congratulations to Hwai En Methodist Church (Team A) for winning last night, dethroning defending champion Mei Ann (Team A) in the deciding set thriller! My prediction that my church could reach the final was wrong. We lost in the semi-final and the subsequent 3rd placing round to better teams. Congratulations to Mei Ann (Team B) too.

Sign Language class at SMCGC
The Sign Language class had a great start! There were 30 sign-ups, exceeding our expectations. Roseline welcomed the new intake and also introduced Victor the instructor.
Pastor Connie opened the session with an opening prayer. At the end of the two-hour class, every student learned quite a fair bit including their own names in sign language!

Baptism and confirmation
My cell group member Kristy was among the three persons baptized last night - praise the Lord. Following that, her husband Victor was confirmed as a member of my church together with five others. Roseline was present also to help out to sign to Victor and Kristy as Rev Law Hui Seng read out the rites and affirmation.

The Sitiawan connection

2008-09-20T09:06:00.020+08:00

Thanks to Chang Yi again!

This time she unwittingly linked me to her friend from KL whose family was a neighbour of my maternal grandma in Kampung Koh, Sitiawan.

It all started when I returned Chang Yi's call last Wed. She first revealed to me about an airline booking complaint and shared the biscuit Hui Bah recipe. Then I asked Chang Yi to go support our badminton team this Sunday. I can't, she apologized. Because I will be sending my friend to Brunei - she's visiting her brother Dr Yong.

Wait a minute. I know this Dr Yong - isn't he the good doctor in Brunei? His family and my maternal grandma were neighbours in Kampung Koh, Sitiawan!

So for the first time yesterday Roseline and I met up with Ai Lin and her husband John in Miri. They flew in from KL the night before. We had lunch, and reminisced all afternoon before they departed for Brunei in the evening.

I managed to ask Ai Lin some questions on Sitiawan; but she couldn't recall the "neighbour's connection" because she was much younger. Ok, Ai Lin I understand ... hey, we're talking about the early 1950's!

So how did I get to know all this history? It was picked up though the years during family dinner-time conversations. And through Dr Yong of course, in 1986 when I first met him in Brunei and during subsequent "coffee times".

I enthusiastically related the encounter to Aaron and Abel last night over dinner. But it seemed that the story did not appeal much to my sons. Sigh.

Here are some additional pointers I picked up while browsing online:

- The Foochows arrived in Sitiawan from China in 1903
- Everyone hoped to "make it" and return to China rich
- in 1901 Wong Nai Siong led another group to Sibu and named it Sin Hock Chew or "New Foochow"
- The Foochows were staunch Methodists and church planters
- The early pioneers first grew rice because they didn't know about rubber planting (they later prospered in the latter)
- They emphasized much on education; it was common for children to go to Chinese and English schools on the same day, one in the morning and one the afternoon
- Despite limited opportunities in Sitiawan, many made good through sheer hard work and with a fighting spirit
- The contributions of the Foochows to this country were/are tremendous
(From the book The Foochows of Sitiawan - A Historical Perspective by Shih Toong Siong)

These tough women were also known as "Soldiers of Axes" and "Soldiers of Cangkuls". Like all other immigrants, our foreparents really worked hard. Slaved hard actually. Today many are beneficiaries of a fulfilling life because of our foreparents' labour of love. Photo credit to book The Foochows of Sitiawan - A Historical Perspective by Shih Toong Siong

Sign Language Class

2008-09-18T15:31:00.008+08:00

PEOPLE WITH A HEART FOR GOD HAVE A HEART FOR PEOPLE

My cell group member Victor is starting a new class this coming Sunday (Sep 21). We are much encouraged by the good response; so far more than 20 people have signed up for the free course which is to be held at SMCGC.

When my cell group was formed last month, we had a discussion among ourselves on how we could do more besides having the weekly Friday night gathering. Victor did not hesitate when I put forward the Sign Language proposal to him. As the 10-lesson course is free and open to public, I am reminded of the selfless act of a brother and his gratitude for the salvation he has received from God.

Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so some may have unwittingly entertained angels. - Hebrews 13:2

I thank and praise God for sending Victor and his family to GMC.

Inter-church badminton

2008-09-16T11:03:00.019+08:00

The inter-church badminton competition started last night. Ten Methodist churches in the Miri district took part in the round-robin tournament.

Last year we participated for the first time and was placed an impressive second. This year we have an even more formidable team and I predict GMC will be in finals again.

Pastor Reverend Law Hui Seng (the ~~great~~ greatest Pastor- cheerleader I know) with a group from GMC were present last night to cheer our team.

Permyjaya Methodist Church(PMC) did their best and displayed good sportsmanship but unfortunately they lost to a stronger GMC team.
Pastor Connie Yong was also present to show her undivided support for the SMCGC team.

SMCGC's Fidella psyching herself up before the match! Don't play, play! Inter-church activities are really good - they bring us all closer together. Praise the Lord!

Mooncake Making Fever

2008-09-12T09:33:00.029+08:00

Following the demo at SMCGC last Saturday, the mooncake making fever has finally caught up with my wife! Yesterday Roseline took the opportunity to introduce the traditional Chinese confection in her day care centre through experiential learning. In preparation for the younger group, Roseline prepared the colloquial ping pi "ice-skin" in advance at home.

I couldn't agree more when Aristotle said:

"The things we have to learn before we do them, we learn by doing them."

The children were awed by the ping pi. Some liked kneading it - some were intimidated by its stickiness!
Here they are - the imperfection is perfect!
The older group had their turn in the afternoon. Because of their age and finer motor skills, the mooncakes turned out to be more 'professionally' done! I think the kids will remember this experience for the rest of their lives! Do you have an indelible preschool experience to share? I'd love to hear from you!

Yappy Kopitiam

2008-09-11T20:04:00.023+08:00

I drove across the border to Bandar Seri Begawan on Monday night to take a short break (~~and a little indulgence~~). Though Brunei is not a gastronomic destination, there is this delightful Chinese cafe that I enjoy patronizing and yet have procrastinated to blog about it.

The Yappy Kopitiam is a family-owned eatery, or rather owned and managed by the indomitable, petite Yap sisters! I've known the wonderful Yap family since the late 80's (three out of the five sisters married my dear friends). But in all fairness, will I allow "guanxi" to cloud my two cents? Never mind, I'll just share my experience.

Opened last November, Yappy Kopitiam is located at the corner of a nondescript row of shops, adjacent to the Kiulap Plaza Hotel. It is not easy to find if you are not familiar with Kiulap area. Fear not - you can find some more write-up, photos and a good location map by a Brunei blogger here. The single ground floor unit cafe has its seating capacity limitation because of its partitioned aircon and non-aircon zones. But this disadvantage is easily overcome by the warmth and friendliness every patron will experience. For the first timer, you will be impressed by its cleanliness (including in the toilets - very important point) and an ambience reminiscent of the yesteryears coffee shop. There are also modern conveniences like free wi-fi and Astro tv to accomodate today's savvy consumers.
From the substantial menu, you will be spoiled for choices on Chinese and local food. No pork or pork-related ingredients are used. Each order is an individual plate serving; but any variations can always be arranged, Irene Yap smiled as she told me. We always try our best to use the freshest ingredients and keep the prices affordable despite rising costs, added the dynamic entrepreneur. What can I say - every time I visit the cafe I witness a good crowd. Good food, fair price and good service; a definitive recipe for long term success! These are my close friends. I have known them since 1990 and it was a rare opportunity that we could meet and have a cup of coffee together. Yappy Kopitiam's address is:
Unit 4, Ground Floor
Seri Anigma Building
Kg Kiulap, BE1518
Bandar Seri Begawan
Brunei Darussalam
Tel +673 2232168

Reservations are not a must, but it's better if you called because of limited seats. I hope you find this post useful; let me know about your experience and any other great places to eat in Brunei.

How to make mooncakes

2008-09-07T12:57:00.012+08:00

SMCGC organized a DIY mooncake-making session ahead of next Sunday's Mid-Autumn Festival. Roseline and I were at their centre last night to pick up some tips.

We were impressed with Louis who demonstrated his mooncake-making prowess much to the delight of those who were present. It was an eye-opener for me as I observed how he made the non-traditional "ping pi or ice skin" type. The filling Louis used was red bean paste which is now widely sold at bakery shops or supermarkets.

Louis had confidence and poise even though it was his first "public performance"!

Roseline couldn't wait to try after observing how the delicate "skin" was done.

It was fun and the fellowship was awesome!

Everyone had a go at it!

Being at the right place at the right time!

The end-results were gratifying!

Roseline and Pastor Connie showing off their results!

Hakka popiah

2008-09-06T13:36:00.013+08:00

During last Monday's lunch my cell group member Jennifer impressed us with her Hakka kacangma and last night she delivered another knock-out treat - Hakka popiah! The 'skin' is specially pre-ordered from the noodles vendor at the wet market; it's the same as those used for kueh chap. The filling consists of minced meat, bean sprouts and long beans. Everyone loved this healthy version - so wickedly delicious! One of these days we should organize a Popiah party, where each family will present their own DIY dish!

Lost and found

2008-09-04T14:59:00.019+08:00

Guess what? It pays to be chatty!

I found my "lost" cousin when I chatted with Chang Yi yesterday. My church member and I exchanged some updates as we have been out of touch for the past few weeks. Out of nowhere the topic of a certain retired teacher turned blogger from Sibu cropped up! After a few qualifying questions I was delighted to know that this ~~bugger~~ blogger was indeed my cousin!

Actually my cousin is more like a friend to me. I can still remember the days when we patronized Royal Flush (the nondescript cafe @ the petrol station, junction of Oya Road/Brooke Drive) during my secondary school years. Being the senior (and working adult), my cousin was always generous in treating/subsidizing us (i.e., me and the gang) to meals. His indomitable sister was my classmate from 1979-80. Somehow through the years we lost contact after I went to work in Brunei in 1986.

I once read a heartwarming article "Too old to make new friends" by Sumiko Tan. The prolific Singaporean columnist wrote of the kinds of friendship and "friendships that die because they have simply run their course". My heart sighs at this inexplicable truth as I reflect upon how many friends and classmates I have lost contact over the past years. Hey, if you are "lost" friend of mine out there reading this now, please email me! xD

Back to my cousin.

I left a message on his blog yesterday afternoon asking for his mobile number. He responded this morning and I immediately called to say hello. When and where was the last time we met? I asked. Six, seven years ago - maybe at Bintulu or Miri airport, my cousin replied confidently. How come you can't remember? You're younger than me, he jabbed. Aha, I see he still has his sense of humour!

We agreed to meet up this early October - yes, in Sibu! This time round I won't lose keeping in touch anymore.

SMCGC's blog

2008-09-03T14:39:00.008+08:00

I was thrilled to learn from my son Aaron last night that Senadin Methodist Campus Gospel Centre (SMCGC) has set up a blog recently.

I have also noticed that my two sons have been visiting SMCGC regularly on Friday and Saturday nights for the past two months. And I'm pleased that they like SMCGC, and they have been active in the music worship for the English-speaking worshippers. My wife and I are glad that our sons serve with a servant's heart like many of the worshippers at SMCGC do; because they love Christ. Clearly SMCGC thrives on His presence and grace as more and more people join as worshippers!

David Casland puts it best when he says:
Christ the Lord set the example for all who would follow Him, confirming that it's not what we're called for, but what we do that counts.

And in the words of Sper,
When Jesus took a servant's towel-
His honor set aside-
He humbly showered us how to serve,
And how to conquer pride.

Double bonus

2008-09-01T17:26:00.013+08:00

Acts 2:46 states:
They worshipped together regularly at the temple each day, met in small groups in homes for communion, and shared their meals with great joy.

Page 25 of the 40 Days of Purpose Small Group Curriculum Study Guide states:
Plan a time in the next 3-4 weeks for your group to hang out together. Get out your calendars and pick the date. This could be a party, picnic...

Yes, we had a double bonus today! We gathered for a pot bless to complete our final 40 Days of Purpose assignment. What a blessed coincidence that we could also celebrate Sister Yieng Eng's birthday too! The birthday girl was caught by the element of surprise as she had no idea what was in store; I think she will treasure the overwhelming moments forever!

After the birthday song we sang praises to God. Our worship was strengthened with Pastor Connie and her flock joining us.
We are truly blessed with so many great chefs in our midst! It was difficult not to over-eat!
Roseline's close friends and classmates Helen and Ngiik Sieng also joined us. They arrived from Sibu three days ago. The last time I met up with them was during this Chinese New Year. How time flies!

I received five-star compliments on the beef stew I cooked. Sister Mui Foon said she looked forward to getting some cooking tips and recipes from me!

Lesson 1

2008-08-30T09:23:00.021+08:00

Can we know God? What is He like? Who is He? These were the first questions put to us as we commenced "Understanding Christian Beliefs" in lesson one for my new cell last night. Since my group consists mainly of "infants", we have unanimously agreed to start with "milk powder", i.e. with the Navigation series which would provide us with a firm foundation in bible studies.

First we learned from Isaiah 45:5-6,
"I am the LORD; there is no other god. I will give you the strength you need, although you do not know me. I do this so that everyone from the end of the world to the other may know that I am the LORD and there is no other god."

We were greatly encouraged when our shepherd Rev Law Hui Seng dropped by to welcome the new flock. Our group is blessedly unique; there are four members who are hearing-impaired, five who are pre-Christians and all who are thirsty for His Word!
Time seemed to pass too quickly when everyone had a good time. Our facilitator Sister Mui Foon did a fabulous job; her clear and crisp instructions encouraged much interaction and interesting discussion.

Thank and praise God for His Grace was upon us last night. The walk has begun!

Thanksgiving service by SMCGC

2008-08-18T15:16:00.018+08:00

In conjunction with its 5th anniversary, Senadin Methodist Campus Gospel Centre (SMCGC) presented a wonderful Thanksgiving service at my church yesterday. Lead by their pastor-in-charge Connie Yong, more than sixty young adults (most Curtin undergraduates) presented a service that was full of grace and worthy of praise!

SMCGC is special to us because GMC and its members (lead by Rev Law Hui Seng) played a major role in its formation and nurturing. Like many Christian centres, SMCGC has had its humble beginnings at a rented premises before moving to its self-owned shophouse building two years ago. Only a handful of worshipers attended the services in the beginning. Today the combined Mandarin and English services make up of more than 100 worshipers!

Getting ready to start the service.
Opening dance presentation so elegantly choreographed! Watch the clip here.

A dynamic music worship team!

I was particularly impressed with their choir doing a rendition of an African song for the Response Hymnal. Watch the clip here.

You can view more photos at Brother William's blog here.

The birth of a new cell group

2008-08-16T12:55:00.009+08:00

Last night we held an orientation for our new cell group. Much to our surprise and delight, we received a bonus - Victor brought along two new friends - all glory to God!

After years of nurturing by my ex-cell group leader, Roseline and I have stepped up one level to start a new unit! In a way Brother William was my "Ananias" for "restoring" my spiritual blindness. That is why I am truly grateful and appreciative of what he has done for me. Thanks so much, Brother William! Timing also played a decisive role; after the 40 Days of Purpose, some of my group members decided to stay put and continue the fellowship. This motivated my family to progress spiritually as we learn to exert influence for God on others.

The majority of the members are new believers. We were quite touched last night when they indicated a desire to grow together spiritually as a group. We also discussed about the group's shared vision and objectives so that we have a common purpose to sustain our spiritual walk together. As a group we intend to take a proactive approach in the marketplace.

We expect great happenings to come!

40 DOP Grand Finale - Celebration Sunday

2008-08-11T11:14:00.020+08:00

We witnessed a beautiful finale yesterday at church. Here are the pics taken by William.

Aaron lead in the music worship. So proud of him, Abel and the team from SMCGC - they did an excellent job!
Victor and Kristy are a hearing impaired couple. Their sharing was read out by Roseline from the pew as Victor "signed" while his wife pointed at the words. Many were touched by their testimony.
Watch the Christian drama performance by i-Youths here. Their performance received full marks!
Angnes (a rare name indeed), Carrie and Soon Leong from SMCGC.

Here are some more photos from my camera.

Pics from Missions Fair today

2008-08-03T16:46:00.012+08:00

The Missions Fair was held in the foyer of my church after this morning's service. I am extremely proud of the Missions and Social Concerns volunteers - they did extremely well to impress upon prospective volunteers!

Teacher meets student = Wow! My 40 DOP Small Group member Joyce meets her former teacher Chang Yi from Methodist Secondary School, Sibu!
This is William, the passionate photographer. He is my cell group leader as well as a close buddy of mine. So often he's the one always taking photos of others but this morning I managed to "shoot him"!
The future leaders!

Welcoming dinner

2008-08-03T16:06:00.009+08:00

Last night Senadin Methodist Campus Gospel Centre (SMCGC) lead by Pastor Connie Yong organized a dinner to welcome the English-speaking cell group members as the new semester has commenced at Curtin. There were more than 30 people present; Roseline and I were there at the invitation of the cell group leaders Duan and Angeline. Aaron and Abel helped with the music worship. We really enjoyed ourselves thoroughly, with the fellowship and the ice-breaking games! I was particularly impressed by a student from China - he was so surprised and touched that SMCGC celebrated his birthday for him and he said he would forever remember that special moment for the rest of his life!

Added the video clips to YouTube today (Aug 5, 2008)
Praise and Worship clip here.
Ice-breaking game "Rat Race" here.
Punishment for losing the game here.

New song "Heart of a Servant"

2008-07-28T15:19:00.005+08:00

I went to watch Aaron and his team rehearse for the Celebration Sunday (Aug 3) music worship. As usual they rehearsed at Senadin Methodist Campus Gospel Centre (SMCGC) for about two hours. There is one song "Heart of a Servant" which I discovered online a month ago. I requested Aaron to consider presenting this new song during the grand finale since the lyrics are so appropriate to the 40 DOP. "Hati Hamba" or "Heart of a Servant" is a new song written by Sari Simorangkir, one of the members of True Worshippers, the famous Indonesian Christian band. You can find many videos by the True Worshippers on YouTube. I feel songwriter was truly blessed by the Holy Spirit to be able to write such a beautiful song that when you sing it, you could feel the presence of Jesus.

And here's the video clip of "The Heart of A Servant" they rehearsed last night.

More pics of Ministry Fair from my cam

2008-07-28T14:48:00.012+08:00

Pics from Ministry Fair

2008-07-28T10:50:00.007+08:00

This was an awesome moment captured by William! See the background - I just happened to walk by at the when the photo was taken.
Yes, Batman fever is on!

12 hours to the big event

2008-07-26T20:12:00.012+08:00

Thanks to William for the photos as the canopy tents were installed this afternoon. I can't believe it - we are now just 12 hours away from the much awaited event - the Ministry Fair! Ten ministries from my church will showcase their booths tomorrow and try to recruit as many people as possible to serve. After the tents were installed, the Boys' Brigade, Girls' Brigade and Cell Group Ministry immediately took to task and did some preliminary works. Of course, I was impressed with their initiatives and commitment!

Small Group at SMCGC

2008-07-25T10:33:00.016+08:00

Last night Aaron and Abel went to rehearse the Celebration Sunday music worship with fellow musicians at Senadin Methodist Campus Gospel Centre (SMCGC). I tagged along (never mind missing my Korean series) because I've always enjoyed visiting SMCGC. Also I wanted to give moral support to the worship team - they are so dedicated to giving their best on the grand finale (Aug 10) of the 40 DOP.

Before 8:00pm, Irene Chee (a 40 DOP Small Group leader) turned up - I was surprised to see her because I knew she's not in the music worship team. That meant there was to be a Small Group session that I wasn't aware of. Earlier Soon Leong (the Music Worship Leader at SMCGC) had confirmed with me that there would be no other activities at the centre. Pastor Connie arrived shortly thereafter and invited me to join them for the group study. Of course I accepted without hesitation!

There were only four of them with Irene as the leader.

This was the smallest Group that I have attended so far.

Immediately this verse flashed across my mind:

"For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:20 NIV

Small and beautiful - small the group may be, I found them to be closely-knitted and sharings were from their hearts! I truly enjoyed their session - praise the Lord! Thanks to Irene, Pastor Connie, Joseph Chew and Mann Zone for a blessed evening!

Aiya - didn't bring my camera - opportunity lost for a group photo in this posting!

P/s On the way home in the car I asked Aaron whether he enjoyed the rehearsal - he said it was not a rehearsal; it was a fellowship - an awesome fellowship he hadn't experienced for a long time!

Sign and sing

2008-07-20T12:42:00.010+08:00

I've noticed for the third week running during Sunday worship that my wife Roseline and another church sister Lucy have joined our hearing impaired couple Victor and Kristy in sign singing! When the lyrics were projected on screen, Joseph the son of Victor and Kristy would use a pointer on the lyrics while the four "singers" perform the song. What a beautiful way to sing to our Lord!

Among the several visitors this morning worshipping at our church were two prayer warriors Ruth and Shirley. They were passing through Miri and returning to Kuala Lumpur after their Ba Kelalan prayer trip. I was delighted to find out that Shirley's hometown is the same as my Mom's - Sitiawan, Perak.

40DOP Assignment

2008-07-19T16:50:00.007+08:00

During our session three group study last night, it was mentioned on page 25,

"Plan a time in the next 3-4 weeks for your group to hang out together. Get out your calendars and pick the date. This could be a party, picnic, movie night at someone's house, or something as simple as having a meal together before your group meeting."

Before the session ended, we decided it would on September 1 (Monday - a public holiday) that we held a pot bless lunch at my home. We can feel God's grace and encouragement upon us as we continue our weekly meetings.

Heartbeat of Small Group

2008-07-18T09:06:00.010+08:00

Photos by William Ting.
Time really flies! Tonight is the third time the Small Group will gather at my house. We have 16 participants; with Roseline c0-leading one group with Yieng Eng; and another is lead by me. Our group is richly diverse - we have in our midst a Form 3 student, four undergraduates, two young working adults, two hearing-impaired and six pre-believers!
So how do we feel the pulse of our group study? Are the participants excited? Do they need to be reminded every week to attend? Are they responsive? Do they enjoy the sessions? For the first gathering, I did call every participant. But after the second week, I only called one who was absent during the first week. The turnout was 100% last week which I thought was really encouraging!

Heavenly Melody from Taiwan

2008-07-11T08:20:00.016+08:00

Last night we attended a Christian musical at a local golf and country club. We left home early because the show was supposed to start at 7:15 pm - still we were caught in a jam for 20 mins. Look at the long queue of cars behind us as we drove into the club entrance.
There were people everywhere when we arrived. My estimate was there could be two thousand people attending. My cell group leader William told me this morning there were three thousand. No, we did not miss the opening song - we were in time!
The seating sections were triangular - this was the main section facing the stage.

Founded in 1962 in Taiwan, the Heavenly Melody is indeed worthy of praise. All of us were awed by their presentation of songs, drama and personal sharings. You can read more interesting information about them here.

Training in Kuching

2008-07-06T17:51:00.007+08:00

Aaron together with his colleagues left for Kuching early this morning. They will commence their first module of 40 hours of intensive training organized by their firm from tomorrow until Friday.

Praise God for my friend and ex-cell group member Vincent in Kuching! He kindly fetched Aaron at the airport upon arrival and proceeded to worship together at Trinity Methodist Church. Thanks Vincent!

Photo showing Roseline together with Aaron and his colleagues at the airport this morning.

Covenant

2008-06-30T14:34:00.005+08:00

Thank and praise God! Last Saturday's screening of Pastor Rick Warren's sermon went on smoothly in church! The Sanctuary was almost packed. We also had new friends visiting us for the very first time.
Roseline and I have started reading the Purpose Driven Life book last night; one chapter a day. I'm really priviledged that my wife will be my buddy as we discuss and navigate through the book for the next 40 days. In doing so, we also signed our commitment in front of each other.

"Two are better off than one, because together they can work more effectively. If one of them falls down, the other can help him up...Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone. A rope made of three cords is hard to break." Ecclesiastes 4:9 (TEV)

Friends Forever

2008-06-26T10:29:00.011+08:00

Close friends gathered for a breakfast this morning as Leonard is leaving for his tertiary studies at USM Penang tomorrow. My sons Aaron and Abel have known Leonard since secondary school and over the years they have grown to be close buddies.

I'm so proud of them because I can see God's grace in them. Actively serving in church, these fine youths are firmly anchored in Christ!

The Greatest Multiplier

2008-06-24T18:43:00.009+08:00

I'll never forget yesterday.

I was surprised to see husband and wife Richard and Joyce, new worshipers in my church (since two months ago) visiting me at my office. I was even more surprised when Richard handed me the 40 DOP participation form for himself and his wife! Never would I dare to imagine Richard would join because when I first invited him last month, he told me he had gone through it last year. God has answered my prayers!

For the past two months I have trying hard to get participants. I know I can never over-promote such a wonderful Godly program! I even set a personal goal. I also promoted at cell groups by making personal visits to them. I sent out countless sms'es. Now I see that when we do His Work, the fruits our labour will come! Just like planting one water melon seed - we get a bunch of water melons with hundreds of seeds in them. In the same way, God multiplies whatever we give him.

Let's remember this verse:
"Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness." - 2 Corinthians 9:10 (NIV)

And the proof:
With the 2 sign-ups in the morning, my friend and church member Rita (whom I've already recruited) called me around noon and told me that she was going to submit 7 forms to the church office! That was the knock-out punch to me - in a wonderful way! To complete the beautiful day, I went out last night to recruit one more - yes, a perfect 10 to God's glory!

Remember when we give a seed of faith to God, HE will multiply it.

I'll never forget yesterday.

Brothers

2008-06-22T16:26:00.008+08:00

William captured this rare "siblings' moments"of Aaron and Abel after church service this morning. I'm really proud of my sons for they serve our Lord whole-heartedly. Aaron completed his last paper at Curtin last Tuesday - come July 1 he will join one of the Big 4 based in Miri. We thank and praise God!

Last Friday's meeting

2008-06-22T13:48:00.016+08:00

This photo was taken using William's camera. William is my close friend and brother-in-Christ. I invited him to my 40 DOP Sub-Committee meeting also because we needed to discuss about the proposed dual LCD projection on Simulcast night.

Campaign Director Paul Wong and his wife Maggie, and Michael Lee also dropped by because they needed to sort out the Small Groups listings with William.

Kim attended our meeting for the first time and we gave her a real dynamic "mosquito clap" welcome!

From the pic, you can see Roseline has permed her hair; she did it while in Sibu last week. The meeting ended around 9:15 pm with snacks. My wife cooked tau suan - served with you tiao, baked a loaf of mixed fruits bread, made freshly-made soya bean drink and goreng pisang!

I think everyone over-ate as the sandwiches brought by William were left aplenty! Tien quipped when the next meeting would be and he looked forward to it! Hahaha!

So busy

2008-06-20T11:34:00.010+08:00

With my church's 40 DOP kickoff event only eight days away, I now feel that I have still much to do with little time left. Am I stressed or what? For starters, I've only achieved about 50% of my personal target of participants recruitment sign-ups! Hmm...

High gear happenings during the past two days! On Wednesday morning I accompanied my Pastor to do "Our Father's Business" for the 40 DOP. "Two is good when doing God's work," Pastor gently reminded. We met up with four friends (two were Pastor's school mates); one signed up on the spot, and the other three asked for more time - still it was encouraging results. Need to follow-up with them next Monday. I also called up a new church member and invited him to join - he agreed to sign-up after hearing how beneficial the 40DOP would be! That's not the end of the story yet - my wife returned from Sibu that evening and she passed me a 40 DOP shirt from my friend who worships at Wesley MC.
I think I'm the first guy in Miri to own it and I really appreciate my friend who gave it to me.

Yesterday I received visitors from Brunei and that meant half-a-day was gone. But in the morning I managed to get two more sign-ups with my first phone call of the day!

The Special Events team is meeting tonight at my home to finalize all details for June 28. The momentum is now unstoppable!

Brainstorming

2008-06-11T22:45:00.007+08:00

My team partner Tien and I were at Coffee Bean just now. We had managed to tie all the loose ends for the layout plan for our church 40 Days of Purpose Ministry Fair booths and Mission Fair booths.

Look at the untidy scribblings! Who would be able to decipher?

I'm really privileged to have such a great team of 10 awesome church members (Tien, Yieng Eng, Wendy, Sherene, Angeline, Rachel, Chong Ing, Glynis, Grace and Kim) to assist me in the Special Events during the 40 DOP.

Special Events scope covers organizing the kickoff Simulcast screening of Rick Warren's video (June 28), Ministry Fair (July 27), Mission Fair (August 3) and the mother of all events - the grand finale Celebration Sunday (Aug 10). It is a great blessing to be able to serve!

Customer for 3 generations

2008-06-06T18:38:00.019+08:00

Roseline ordered new specs this afternoon because she wasn't able to see clearly. After check-up the prescription was her near-sightedness has improved with age! I was impressed! But Albert the good optometrist quickly cautioned that her far-sightedness and astigmatism checks could yield different results.

The shop is International Optical, located at Soon Hup Tower. You may be surprised - yes, you guessed correctly - my dad, me, my sons had our eye glasses made by the Tiongs.

I remember my first pair of glasses was made by Uncle Tiong (founder, the boss) 34 years ago in his shop at Wong Nai Siong Road, Sibu. Our family members are so used to Uncle Tiong's impeccable service; and now his son Albert (in the pic, writing) has done an equally good job!

Albert's other two elder optometrist siblings are based in Sibu.

The Tiongs are truly unique. Humble and professional too. Excellent people skills. New customers quickly become their friends easily. I won't be surprised many families like mine are loyal customers to the Tiongs for three generations or more!

Do you have a similar story like mine to share too?

She's back!

2008-06-05T11:27:00.033+08:00

My wife returned home yesterday exhausted. Together with seven boys and three officers, Roseline attended the 18th Pesta from 30 May to 4 June at UMS Kota Kinabalu.

She also couldn't wait to show me the headlines from The Borneo Post (Sabah edition) "Bamboo dance enters Book of Records" reporting how the Boys' Brigade from Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines set a new record when a total of 881 members took part in the 20-minute dance with 402 pieces of eight-foot bamboos used! Amazing! Congratulations to the BB!

The practice.
"Warriors" getting ready to create new record!
Jubilation after setting the new record!
A visit to the cultural village.
Printing the participation certificates.

My wife told me it was an unforgettable experience with Sarawak sending the biggest contingent of 380 members!
Gala dinner. These three youths from the prestigious 1st Sibu Company (of Wesley Methodist Church) Wow, look at the badges!
For the past 24 hours I have enjoyed thoroughly Roseline's anecdotes of her first Pesta experience.

More on the same story in my church member (BB Captain) Andy Chew's blog.

Night of learning and fun!

2008-05-31T17:00:00.030+08:00

Photos by William Ting.
At the invitation of my cell group members husband and wife team Duan and Angeline, I was at Senadin Methodist Campus Gospel Centre (SMCGC) to give a personal development talk last night.

It was good turnout of Curtin undergraduates and 7 of my cell group members.

I really appreciate Duan and Angeline who are humble and effective in serving SMCGC, and I would also like to thank my cell group members and my sons Aaron and Abel for their presence last night. My wife Roseline missed it as she was away with our church Boys' Brigade at the 18th Pesta Kota Kinabalu 2008.

I can see Pastor Connie Yong has done brilliantly at SMCGC and the members there are exceptionally caring and cohesive as one family! Clearly God's hand is at work on this growing centre!

Enjoy the wonderful moments captured by William's camera!

More good news!

2008-05-29T21:59:00.023+08:00

More good news!

Two days ago I received a surprise present - a set of 6 coffee cups complete with saucers from my church member! Yes, I'm a kopi drinker and I really appreciate the original design (and thickness) of these cups! Thanks a million, Chang Yi!

I also received a wonderful email today from another church member's daughter telling me that she's a recipient of the prestigious Public Services Department (JPA) scholarship!
She will do her Cambridge A-Levels in West Malaysia soon before going abroad to study Dentistry. I called Lynthia up immediately to congratulate her! Yes, the ex-Head Prefect of SMK St Columba is the other outstanding youth in my church whom I mentioned last week that I would blog about.

I take this opportunity to also congratulate Frederick and Nora, the parents of Lynthia. All glory to God as several our GMC youths have done well.

Good synergy

2008-05-24T15:46:00.024+08:00

Last night I dropped by Regina's cell group. It was my first time visiting them.

Most of the people present were young professionals. I must admit I was very impressed by their dynamic fellowship.

There were eight guests who were first-time visitors too. Some of them are new to Miri, taking up employment here.

Hwang (in grey and white stripes shirt) played host with warmth and hospitality.

Winston (in black tee) lead in the Praise and Worship. I've never heard of this song they sang - I like it! Watch the clip here. Carol was at the piano.

I also didn't know Mindy (seated, in blue tee) was such a great hostess in games. Everyone had such great fun!

This photo was taken by Hwang.

Towards the end I had the opportunity to promote the 40 DOP campaign that would be launched by my church on June 28.

I'm really proud of Regina and her cell group. Really good synergy! So blessed!

Sharing at SMCGC

2008-05-22T15:03:00.005+08:00

Angeline, my cell group member called me last week to remind me about May 30.

Angeline and Duan host the English-speaking cell group (mostly Curtin undergrads) at SMCGC (Senadin Methodist Campus Gospel Centre). Earlier this year the husband and wife team had extended an invitation to me to speak at their gathering.

I will share on a topic I believe it is important for young adults as they embark onto the real world after graduation.

Also my cell group leader William Ting will deliver a sermon on June 2 at the same centre.

We are glad to be able to serve SMCGC in a small way.

Visitation

2008-05-19T15:59:00.031+08:00

The last paragraph of page 143 in my Discipleship class study manual requires the participants to do a special assignment.

Photo credit: James Wong

It states: "Because the commands are clear in Matthew 25, make one visit during the week to one of the following places or persons ... Don't do all the talking; be there to listen ... Go to a situation you have never been before ... Tell your group members next week about your experience and what you learned about yourself."

Rev Law Hui Seng was facilitating my class yesterday when he suggested a visitation to a cancer patient he baptized last month.

We agreed to go this morning as today is a public holiday. The good shepherd was seated in the front passenger seat in our church van with Soh Pei as the driver.

The destination was Tudan, outskirts of Miri. It wasn't easy to find the address had it not been for Soh Pei's help. It was my first trip and I wasn't aware that there were so many houses and artery roads in that area. Yes, it's easy to get lost there especially driving at night.

Taking a group photo upon arrival.

To the house.

We also brought along some food provisions as encouraged by Rev Law earlier.

Our brother-in-Christ was bed-ridden. The signs were not so encouraging either. Rev Law noticed and remarked that Linteng's condition had deteriorated since the last visitation.

But I found strength in the faith of Linteng's wife. Despite of her present circumstances, Selia showed warmth and hospitality in her words and deeds. She also told us that she found much comfort in our Lord now Linteng was baptized.

All of us prayed for the family before we left.

Tonight I will share the tale of my visitation with my family over dinner and then write an email to thank Pastor for today's lesson.

We also stopped by to view the piece of land which Tudan Methodist Church will be built. This church is close to our hearts because it was planted by GMC.

After the visitation I went to Mei Ann Centre where Roseline was attending her Boys' Brigade 2-day E.O.T.C. I managed to take a group photo of them, with the three facilitators seated.

On my way out, I noticed the impressive 40DOP buntings and poster at the church foyer. Later I was even more impressed to find that Mei Ann Church was targeting 1000 participants from their strong congregation of 600 members.

All glory to God!

[Edit 21.05.08] Received news from Rev Law this morning that Linteng was called to the Lord last night around 8:00pm.

On target

2008-05-17T11:14:00.027+08:00

I went to watch Judy train yesterday. Located next to the tennis courts at the Miri Sports Complex, the outdoor archery range is presently still under construction.

Photo credit: James Wong

Judy is the daughter of my church members Peter and Jennifer Yong. She's a good Christian whose fine qualities make her parents, family, friends and church proud!

I was amazed to find out that the current national champion only picked up archery four years ago when she was in Form Two! You can read more of Judy's story here.

As a model student, Judy's talent is not only confined to archery skills; she also excelled academically in the SPM exam last year, scoring 8As and 4Bs. I understand she's already been offered a 3-year nursing scholarship. Awesome!

Come June 2, Judy and her team mates will be leaving for Terengganu to represent Sarawak in the Sukan Malaysia (Sukma XII).

We will be cheering (and praying for) Sarawak team all the way!

Next week I will be blogging on another outstanding youth from my church. Do drop by!

Mother's Day

2008-05-12T12:27:00.025+08:00

Instead of celebrating Mother's Day, my church used the occasion to honour all parents in our congregation yesterday with every Mom or Dad receiving a gift! (big & small, I mean, xD).

As far as I can remember it has been the tradition in my church to combine the Mother's and Father's Day into one celebration.

Photo credit: James Wong

The youths also gave a performance to honour the parents. It was awesome! Watch the clip here.

The kids also sang their hearts out to their Moms and Dads! Great show! Watch the clip here.

In praise of Fernice's cooking

2008-05-02T10:16:00.018+08:00

Roseline and I were invited to lunch at Fernice's home at Senadin yesterday.

Fernice had wanted to invite us since she started work three months ago after graduating from Curtin last December. She has been offered a good post with a leading local conglomerate in Miri.

I was impressed that Fernice could cook well - she's so humble; a few days ago she even sent me a sms reminding me not to have high expectations for the home-cooked meal.

Roseline and I missed this Foochow soup so much! It's called ... er... I'm not so sure about the spelling "Chow Huey Da", but if you're a Foochow reading this, you will instantly know what I'm talking about because it's a favourite rejuvenation herbal soup for Foochows. The last time we tasted it was years ago. Fernice said her Mom sent the ingredients to her from Sibu and she simmered the soup the night before - no wonder it tasted awesome!

I'm also impressed with the sweet and sour pork dish. The flavour was again very authentic Foochow - just like how the famous restaurant Hock Cheu Lau in Sibu cooks it.

The vegetable dishes were delicious too!

Fernice surprised us by inviting Pastor Connie Yong! We were very glad to see her and some of the faithful members (mostly Curtin students) of the SMCGC (Senadin Methodist Campus Gospel Centre).

I took the opportunity to share with them our 40 DOP campaign and asked for their help to introduce the programme to university undergraduates. They agreed to help without hestitation!

More photos from Enrolment Sunday

2008-04-29T11:18:00.030+08:00

More photos from my camera. Enjoy!

Also view the clip of GB Juniors singing a song using sign language and doing a pom pom dance here.

Enrolment Sunday

2008-04-28T21:54:00.027+08:00

Our church celebrated Boys' and Girls' Brigade Enrolment Sunday yesterday.

A picture speaks a thousand words so let me invite you to enjoy the beautiful event, viewed through the camera lens (Nikon D3) of William Ting.

More photos here.

Course for home-based childcare providers

2008-04-28T14:51:00.026+08:00

The Persatuan Pengasuh Kanak Kanak Berdaftar Miri are recruiting single mothers with low income for a five-day course. The objective is to help them to upgrade the know-how on child handling in the current times and also to train them on how to manage their time effectively.

This basic course to help home-based childcare providers is made possible through a special funding from the Ministry of Finance to the Persatuan Pengasuh Berdaftar Malaysia with the support from Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat Malaysia.

Angela Goh, the pro-tem Secretary of Persatuan Pengasuh Kanak Kanak Berdaftar Miri was at Radio Televisyen Malaysia with DJ Dymas this morning. The radio interview over FM channel 95.7MHz in Bahasa Malaysia covered details about the upcoming course in August and September. Roseline, the pro-tem President of Persatuan Pengasuh Kanak Kanak Berdaftar Miri was also present.

Last Wednesday the same good news was aired through the same channel. Roseline was then interviewed by the Mandarin services DJ, G.B. Wee. I managed to take a photo of them at the recording studio this morning having missed last week's session.

Visiting Sii Ling's cell group

2008-04-26T11:05:00.013+08:00

Went to visit Sii Ling's cell group last night with my sons Aaron and Abel. It was a visit that I had wanted to do since last year.

We were warmly received by my family friend Chang Yi as the meeting was hosted in her home. There was dinner waiting for us when we arrived at 7:45pm - much to our surprise! Earlier on my sons and I had dinner at Pizza Hut. We were much touched by their kindness.

Two dishes that caught my attention were the beef rendang and native salted fish.

We had a great time of fellowship over the dining table. I couldn't eat anymore except some slices of steamed cake. Chang Yi made me a cup of my favourite beverage, coffee.

Sii Ling's group is a really blessed one. Three school teachers, one English teacher. The smarter gender outnumbers the other by 7 to 2!

Central to last night's discussion was the 40 DOP. I took the opportunity to share more on it and clarify items that were unclear. Sii Ling then urged all her fellow members to attend the important briefing on the coming Monday, April 28. I was deeply encouraged by their enthusiasm and support for the campaign.

We left around 9:20pm to fetch Roseline at the airport.

Church Directory 2008

2008-04-19T09:33:00.032+08:00

Yes, the new directory is ready for release tomorrow!

There are 35 pages (as compared to last year's 27 pages) with bigger font and different layout orientation for members' details.

Due consideration is also given to our hearing impaired couple Victor and Kristy. There is a remark that mentions Victor communicates via text messages.

One notable addition is the posting of blog addresses as more members start to pen their thoughts online. This is encouraging as it shows that we are up-to-date and relevant.

I applaud Wong Sing Ngii, Jessy Yong and Wendy Tiong for the many tireless hours of effort in delivering such a quality job.

All glory to God as we constantly strive to improve!

Comments: End of the Spear

2008-04-19T08:45:00.005+08:00

Yes, it was a great movie on mission ministry!

My cell group also discussed about the movie based the questions given from this site.

Christian movie: End of the Spear

2008-04-18T14:49:00.028+08:00

My cell group will be watching a movie that came highly recommended by Rev Law Hui Seng. I did some homework and read the review from Christianity Today. The story is about five missionaries who were killed while on a mission trip to Ecuador. Unknown to me, this story has been told in Christian circles for the past 50 years.

One point that intrigued me was the killers later became Christians!

Tonight we shall see how good the movie is.

Health talk at Imperial Hotel

2008-04-18T09:15:00.013+08:00

Last night Roseline and I attended a health talk by Dr Lin Mei Yueh from Taiwan. The event was organized by my business associate VIVA Life Science.

My wife and I have known Dr Lin since 2001. A gifted public speaker, Dr Lin's presentations are always interesting and informative. Her message has been consistent all these years; prevention is better than cure. We like and respect Dr Lin very much.

It's amazing how Dr Lin is so energetic despite her busy itinerary. Her first destination was Hong Kong; then to Penang, Medan and Bintulu. It's a privilege that Dr Lin visited us in Miri last night. She'll be in Sibu tonight and in Singapore on Saturday before returning to Taipei.

Here's a short video clip of her talk last night.

New laptop

2008-04-17T11:16:00.017+08:00

My new laptop with matte black finish and dark chrome accent was delivered to my doorstep.

Dell Penang stated 2 weeks for delivery and as expected, they always under-promise and over-deliver! The laptop arrived on the 7th day - they are really good in marketing!

It was the 3rd Dell laptop I've bought in the past 14 months; the other 2 units were for Aaron and Abel.

I had to incur this extra cost (or investment?) because my old laptop's fan has ceased functioning. Sent it for repairs. My technician responded after 1 day, "Sorry - I called up Acer. They said this model is obsolete."

Hoping for a "spare part replacement" miracle, I next sought the expertise from the computer geek - the son of my cell group leader. After examining my old laptop, Jonathan politely said, "Uncle, maybe it's time you changed your laptop." In a way Jonathan helped me make the decision to get a new one.

So XP or Vista? Most brands do not bundle XP as the operating system anymore as it is being phased out.

I chose the model Vostro 1400 because it has the OS option of XP or Vista (can upgrade to Vista in the future).

With XP, of course.

Basic specs - 14.1" widescreen, Core 2 Duo Processor T7250, 2.0GHz, 2MB Cache, 800 MHz, 3GB Dual Channel DDR2 SDRAM, 120 SATA HD, 8XDVD,+/-RW.

Roseline's birthday today

2008-04-17T09:40:00.008+08:00

Today is my wife's birthday.

Our cell group member and good friend Wendy called Roseline early this morning. Wendy sang over mobile phone to wish her a happy birthday! Wow, how creative! And so touching! How come I've never even thought of that?

We opted to celebrate the birthday dinner last night because we need to attend a health talk tonight organized by my principal at Imperial Hotel.

This year is the 24th year that I have been blessed to organize and celebrate Roseline's birthday.

Looking forward to doing many more! xD.