Happy Bday Dad =)

Celebrated my Dad's birthday @ the Rose Veranda,

Shangri-la hotel. Guess what? they were having a discount

based on the age of the "birthday boy" so it wasnt that ex

My 2 dear sisters, Grace & Gloria whom

i missed alot while in holland =)

Here they are acting cute/guai haha

Here's dad with his complimentary cake, we added

the funny candles so you can check out his age!

Grace & i got him the helium balloon and he was sporting

enough to pose for so many pictures hahaha

My parents (amazingly my mom's trying to blend

in with the couch lol)

Our family - 6 pple so its 6 times the fun, joy and laughter,

but also 6 times the trouble, nonsense and nasty stuff

All in all, thank God for seeing Dad thru 55 years, praying that

we'll remain a close knit family all the way =)

Cheers!

Daniel

Exploring Maastricht - 13th June

Our exchange is coming to an end and i can't believe that

5 months have passed just like that! It seems just yesterday

when we bid everyone goodbye at changi airport...

You know, Maastricht is a really small town and theres practically

nothing much to do here except chill out at the many pubs and riverside

restaurants. Jay and I were pretty bored so we decided to check out

this restaurant called Chalet Bergust which was just beside St. Petersberg.

Here's the dutch rendition of Satay, its spelt as Sate here.

To describe how it tastes like... i would say its still far from

the usual satay we have in S'pore... this one tasted more like

peanut butter instead, but it was still nice

Jay's burger, this one costs an affordable 6 euros and

it came with fries as well

I snapped this picture really quick cos i didnt think it would be

nice to take it without their permission, but anyway it shows you

how the table would have looked like... plus the background scenery.

The place was quite crowded (it was a saturday) and the families

were enjoying their lunch, some even brought along their dogs along

Spent some time roaming around the place and exploring

the area... We came across many interesting sights for you to

check out below

There's something about green and blue that when put together,

just sets your heart at ease... a picture of tranquility

A view of the town from the hilltop, our hostel is somewhere

near that church which you can spot easily in the picture...

This cluster of wild flowers has been waiting patiently for

any strangers to stop by and snap a shot...

Here's my bike that's served me well these 5 months,

its a pity i'll have to sell it and once i'm back in S'pore

there'll be little opportunities to get around on a bike

since the distances between destinations are too far to cycle

We found the quarry, which actually hosts a vast network of

manmade tunnels dug deep within... guided tours are available

but there wasnt one in english that day so we couldnt join in.

Here u can see the machinery and plants which process the sandstone

which is mined from the quarry.

Further up we came to this tower, more info in

dutch if you google it...

Yup so its called Ruinetoren van Lichtenberg

which means "Tower of Ruin, Lichtenberg"

This tower is a remnant of the castle built in 1212 by a certain

bishop. The house beside it dates back to the 17th century.

Here's the view on top of the tower, its really beautiful

A panoramic photostitch (around 180 degrees)

This is the farmhouse beside the tower, its now used as a

chalet which you can book and enjoy the peace and quiet,

far away from the city area

Thou art My Rock and My Fortress

Its been ages since i've last updated my blog...

The truth is that these few weeks have been really trying for me, it all started from a simple flu after i came back from Paris. Ok, it was quite bad - the type i get like once a year (cos i don't fall sick often but when i do its quite jialat), but anyway i knew it was coming because i felt very heaty, throat getting sore, etc...

Compound this with a bit of homesickness, a dash of travelling fatigue and a "conducive environment" to slack, i ended up wasting my time and becoming very lethargic. With a running nose and blocked nasal passages plus coughing and a whole lot of green phlegm and mucus, it gave me the perfect excuse to put everything aside. Well, at least one perk was that i was quarantined from cooking and doing dishes (we were all speculating it was swine flu, but the good thing was that nobody caught my bug). But because of this i started becoming more ill-disciplined than ever, sleeping really late (4-6am), waking up really late (1-3pm), feeling too sick and lazy to go for fellowship and procrastinating till the late minute to complete my assignments and projects, even skipping services for two weeks... It was also a time when there was zero motivation to do stuff, i couldnt be bothered to blog or call back much, really terrible... in fact there wasnt any motivation to travel and i was sort of glad we missed our flight to berlin because it would give me all the time in the world to do nothing and while away the days (more info on the missed berlin trip in the blogpost below)

But God is gracious, do you believe that? I could feel myself sliding, drifting away further and further as things got out of hand, and if you've tasted and enjoyed fellowship and walking close - it doesnt take much time for you to realise that you've settled for something less. But it takes a whole lot of struggling and effort to get back on track and i believe its something we can't do by ourselves, but thru the strength of the Lord.

Now why am I writing this now? I usually do not like to write such stuff openly because i have many friends who arent Christians and they might not understand what we go through, but for the sake of my family(whom i believe want to know more) and friends do bear with the verses and other stuff or skip right thru this blogpost to the nice photos k =)

It was Sunday and incidentally the morning's message was "do you believe that things will turn out ok?" Something happened the day before that was really bothering me and though i kept trying to put my trust in the Lord and believe that "All things work out for good", doubts too kept arising in my head, saying: "Why do things still fall apart even though i've committed them to the Lord?". It was not till the end of the day that i realised that His ways are higher than ours and even though sometimes we may commit things into His hand, the choices and paths that He directs us towards may be drastically different from what we previously envisioned - but all because it is His best and not what we thought was good.

Have you ever struggled with obedience and discipline? Have you ever tried kicing a habit that you really wanted to get rid of? The thorns in my flesh are procrastination and ill-discipline, which all those who know me well can easily testify to it. For those with an awareness of sin, you know when you've not been doing what you're supposed to and its a natural response to say "sorry", but what happens when the same thing repeats itself over and over again? I had trouble once again with this: "Why do i have to keep saying sorry but fail over and over again, no matter how hard i try? Does God take pleasure in this?" It was a feeling of being down, defeated and demoralised - to the point where you have the feeling that you know you're gonna fail even before you start trying. Have you ever felt this way before, or are you also now thinking along these lines? If so, you're on the right track and i encourage you to continue struggling and trashing things out within yourself and with the Lord.

Dad reminded me "These struggles/challenges/trials (cant remember exactly) come and become even stronger/worse when we're trying to obey" and its very very true. But one thing we musnt forget is that no matter how many times we fail, God is more than gracious to forgive and pick us up again. In fact it is always Him who draws us back - not the other way around, though we would very much like to perceive it so... But yeah, back to the prob, even strong and godly men struggled with this, like Paul who saw a warring in his flesh (romans 7) and even requested for the thorn in his flesh to be removed.

So take a good look at the people around you now, and take a good look at what I am. Store the characteristics, values and "the kind of person he/she is" at the back of your mind. Then look back later in years to come and observe the changes that take place in their lives. I can assure you that we'll be sanctified and grow stronger even as we fall time and again - that each time we refuse to give up and instead continue leaning on the Lord for strength and wisdom, somehow we are changed gradually. "for my strength is made perfect in weakness", this paradox exhibits itself when we are willing to acknowledge our inadequacies and rely on Someone bigger than us for help. At this point i'm sure that even my non-believing friends can bear testimony to the faithfulness of God, that even though i may be a procrastinator and someone who doesnt have lofty ambitions or big plans for the future - Somehow things just work out perfectly to their amazement(i'm sure it doesnt make sense to you sometimes right?). "Damn lucky la you", "heng xia" or "tyco", all these fail to grasp the concept that i believe in, but i just pray that even thru my weakness, my testimony will still be one that gives God the glory, because all these that i have and all i shall be are not via my own efforts but by my heavenly Father who blesses.

So i went to this nice place called Fort St. Petersburg immediately after service. I had lots of time and i wanted to spent it alone with God to get right with Him. It was a beautiful day, the sun was bright and the sky was cloudless + there was a slight breeze in the air, so i camped at the top of the hill overlooking the fort and read some passages which spoke to me.

Psa 71:3 "Be thou my strong habitation, whereunto I may continually resort: thou has given commandment to save me; for Thou art my rock and my fortress"

Actually Christiana shared with me this verse several days ago, but it didnt seem so real then as it did now - as i was sitting just beside this magnificent fort that overlooks the entire city of Maastricht(you can see the other pictures below). A fortress that watches over the city - that provides it with security, assurance and peace. A fortress that sees beyond the horizon and beyond our own shallow perspectives - that knows what is ahead of us. A fortress where we can continually seek shelter, in times of storms or distress. It also reminded me of Psa 18.

Another passage that spoke to me was from Lamentations 3:21-24

"This i recall to mind, therefore have i hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will i hope in Him"

Read V 25-26 & 31-32 too if you have the time.

It was one of the best Sundays ever where i could just sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to His still small voice. Busyness (& its opposite, lazyness/idleness) take their toll on all of us at times, but it is good to rest and spend some time alone with Him. It was also the 4th week and they were having holy communion for the evening service, so i was glad i didnt miss this one.

At the end of it all, i'll remember this verse from Psa 34:1

"I will bless the Lord at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth"

The reason for doing so is found in v4,6,8,17-19, do read them and i hope they come in handy when you are discouraged too...

Thanks Mom, Dad & all those who have been keeping me in your prayers - i really appreciate it and theres good news - prayers are being answered! Will tell you later but i've gtg, miss all of you guys back home =)

Man proposes, but God disposes

Steamboat Party!! - May 15th

Paris: Day Four - Versailles

Paris: Day Three

Paris: Day Two

Paris: Day One - 29th Apr

Keukenhof Flower Gardens, Amsterdam - 25th Apr

Lake Districts, London - 15th to 17th Apr

Visiting Elder Jack Ford - Apr 14th, London

We paid a visit to Elder Jack Ford on tuesday, a day after

the Easter camp ended. I can only give a brief intro about him,

but what is really amazing is that he's 96 this year and is still full of

life! In fact he's able to walk and has a good sense of humor =)

We dropped by to visit Eld Jack and let him know about

our plans to celebrate his birthday on sat, where several

church members would be coming down to give him a bday

bash (of sorts haha)

Rev Lim and I travelled to heathrow station, where Uncle Peter

and Aunty Hazel picked us up in their car and we proceeded to

the retirement home a short drive away.

Here you see Eld Jack going: "I'm sorry i cant remember that well"

I could sense he had come to terms with old age, where pple forget

stuff and have difficulty recalling even recent events. He was also

somewhat embarrassed and kept apologizing for it, but we reassured

him that it was perfectly ok =)

Eld. Jack's very particular about being informed before a visit, so he can

be dressed in his best and do something (like play host) for his guests.

Its a really kind gesture, but since we popped in on him he wasnt prepared

so he was sorta "you should have called me earlier to inform me". Haha i guess we got his point and we told me we would definitely call again b4 visiting on sat.

Here's Eld. Jack with his walker,

he's pretty strong even though he's in his nineties!

We had a great chat, but soon it was time to say our goodbyes

After seeing him to the dining hall we parted ways, God willling

i'll be able to visit him again. I've learnt many things from interacting

with elderly people and thru serving in Ju Eng home, one of the most 

important takeaways is that we all need some form of company, care or concern no matter what age we are. But even more so when we're lonely and alone. I'm glad that people still care, and people still bother about their welfare and even their birthdays; i hope that when the time comes i'd be able to do the same for my grandma, parents and those who are close to me.

Bidding Winter a Warm Goodbye

You know it takes just a month or two of winter for you to 

really appreciate the coming of spring...

Take a look at these two pictures & you'll understand how 

different these two seasons are!

The once lifeless roundabout is now filled with colourful flowers

and the cherry blossoms bloom a beautiful rosy pink...

What better way to appreciate this than to look back just 2 months ago 

when everything was dull, colourless and bleak? 

What a contrast!

If only we were able to see e potential in these "dead" & "lifeless" trees...

And if only we had the patience to wait till the coming of spring...

To me personally, its a reminder that there is hope even in the bleakest

of seasons, when things seem dull & dreary and when there's nothing but

coldness. Let others mumble and grumble about how cold we are, and let

them complain about how "dead" we might be. But as for me, I'll continue

holding on to the blessed hope that once spring arrives, we'll be filled with

warmth & joy, when people start to sprout up and grow. Continue serving

and be strong, Aunty Lilian, Justin, Jun Hao, Christina, Charlene, Alissa;

and be encouraged by the little signs of "spring" that we're seeing =)

Even the seasons are a promise from God:

"While the earth remaineth, 

seedtime and harvest,

and cold and heat,

and summer and winter,

and day and night shall not cease."

Genesis 8:22

Bidding this winter a warm goodbye...

NLBPC Manse + Easter Camp (10-13 Apr)

I realised i havent shown you guys around the Manse

in the church (Manse means house inhabited by a minister)

This is room no.5, actually its sort of a study room, but there are

beds for people to rest too... Two of the rooms have an attached bathroom

and there's also one main bathroom.

Here's the kitchen, its well stocked with foodstuff (alot brought

over from singapore too haha)

I learnt how to make ba kut teh from Rev Lim the last time i came, 

this trip we cooked chicken rice (but chopping the chicken after its done is

really tricky...)

here's the living room, theres also a CCTV for security,

you'll be able to see who's at the gate b4 u let them in

 

You can see the dining table from this angle

We had an easter church camp from the 10th to the 13th

The guys slept in a large room on the ground floor, whereas

the gals occupied the loft right at the top of the church building

The messages were taken from Matt 5, on the Beattitudes

Rev Lim was the speaker for our camp and it was a wonderful time

of feeding, fellowship, rest, fun & gd food =)

Here's Zachary, or Zac, in short..

He's the son of Joey, one of the church members who's

posted overseas and working for SIA

Zac's very cute, had to bribe him into calling me kor kor by

letting him play with my camera haha

That's his dad, Zac's taking pictures from his own

kiddy perspective...

Haha, still getting used to aiming properly so its inevitable

that some heads get cut off =)

Here's John, our camp commandant. He did a really

good job planning + organizing the camp! Helped us out

alot too for our trip to lake district later on + he was our

bbq chef for the bbq on the last day. (*thats 1/4 of Li wei btw...)

Its great to have this bunch of faithful members who help out 

in New Life London, not forgetting Anthony, Johnathan, Sharon,

Uncle Daniel & Maureen Poh who practically do the ushering, chairing,

music and set-up every Sunday. Do pray for our London mission, esp that 

things will go smoothly and that Rev Ki's visa will be approved so that he can take up the post of Resident pastor this coming July.