Kaki Bukit Mission Trip Day 3: Passion, Tension, Salvation

1. Rise and Shine

It's getting harder to wake up early. Xuan Yi was waiting for me to go for a morning basketball game. The spirit was willing but my body was weak. Nonetheless, with much reluctance, I was awake for devotion. It's Sarah's turn today, but by the time she said: "Let's pray!" My mind shut off immediately. So, I have completely no memory of what she said thereafter. My mind only responded to the sound and smell of breakfast.

2. Morning Session with Youth

It was 9am and the youth had yet to have their breakfast. Yik and Matthew went out to buy them breakfast and they happily ate as we prepare for their session. We started off with a time of worship. I whipped out my faithful Ukulele and we sang to the glory of God.

As suggested last night, Angela led a game of Charade. You can basically do anything with a tablet these days. They have an app for everything. And yes, they have an app for charade. It was a fun time with them. In the game we can really see the usually quiet ones became noisy, and the not-so-bright ones outshone the rest with brilliance. The game was a great ice-breaker and it gave us a good launch into our next session.

Charades!

We watched another short clip titled "The Invisible Man". We hoped the clip might relate to the youth as they seek their identities and place as teenagers. God is their Heavenly Father, who finds them significant, special and important. May they find love and satisfaction in God alone.

3. Gua Kelam

The best part was coming. OUTING TO GUA KELAM! I don't need to say much, just look at all the photos!

Yup, a lot wefie, none of Gua Kelam.

Hey wait! Here's one!

4. VBS is BACK!

Yup! Back to VBS! Actually the modus operandi is completely the same: Worship, go to stations, ending worship and bye bye!

But things must be exciting for anything that involves Joash!

So, it's back to more game! The youth started off with the Criss-Cross Hands. This is a game where the youth cross their hands with two other persons and they are to untangle themselves. Oh well, it was awkward. Like a lot of awkward. The boys were shy and the girls were disgusted. Hahahaha! Anyway, it was a havoc.

Then we headed down to the field again. We played another round of Captain Ball again today. But instead of the conventional way of jump-ball to decide who to start the play, we played around of Horse-Ride Relay where the team will form a saddle by two persons crossing their arms with one another and carry the rider on the saddle. Then they will carry the rider and run towards the turning point and return. The first team to complete 5 rounds wins. Oh well, they weren't too keen to play.

The youth carried that lazy and reluctant atmosphere into the Captain Ball game. The game went one-sided as one team was on a winning-streak and the one gets seriously demotivated. The losing team began to resent one another and communication began to break down. The winning team went on to taunt and celebrate senselessly. Sensing the unhealthy progress of the game, I stopped the game and got them to huddle up in their respective team circle.

Meanwhile, Zeson and Yik at games

I attended to the winning team first. I could clearly hear the losing team arguing and fighting among themselves. I want to give them the space to experience the tension and their emotions. I complimented the success of the winning team but asked them to tone down on their celebrations. Then I walked over to the losing team and calm the team down. I asked them what do they think went wrong. They went on to finger-point at one another. I put a stop to their blame-game and ask them to trust one another. I also asked them to be committed in the game and to play as a team. They were instructed to take time to communicate and discuss strategies. I gave them about 5min to talk to one another and it seems that the team finally made some progress and compromises. Then I led them to do a team cheer and send them back into the game. Finally, the losing team began to start scoring and the game went on well again.

After the game, we watched a video together: the Shape of our Heart. It is a video about a man searching to meaning in his life that can fit and satisfy the shape of his empty heart. But the more things he finds, the more hurtful it gets. The moral of the story is that only God can truly satisfy our heart's desire to be loved and accepted. Then, we listened attentively to Yvonne's testimony. Her encounter with God was amazing and it eventually lead her to believe and trust in Him.

Yvonne sharing her testimony

As a closure to our time with the youth, Angela presented the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the youth. At the end of her sharing, we invited them to believe. Although none of them raised their hands to believe, but I am convinced that we had done our very best to plan the seed of the Gospel.

5. Meanwhile, the actual VBS

Everyone was basically doing the same thing as yesterday, but the content was a little different. Yik and Zeson had some string maze with the children. There were lots of fake bugs and creepy-crawlies but the children were all excited. They also learned new moves from Sarah while Ai Hua and Chea Yeong taught them even more crafts today.

Chea Yeong (right) posing with the children

As the sun approached the horizon, and so did the end of VBS approached. The children had a great time of learning about Jesus as their Guide and they went home cheerfully.

I will spare you the horror of the packing and cleaning up. It's tiring just to mention it. Keke

Goodbye VBS

6. Too Late for a Goodbye

When we arrived back at church, the youth were all packed and gone. A part of me was greatly delighted, a bigger part of me had a little regret for being a little late for a goodbye.

Dinner was a little late today, but it was a great opportunity for the worship team to practice before the service begin later tonight. Some of us didn't even manage a shower before the service.

7. Same God, Different Stories

Zeson sharing his testimony

We began the service at about 8pm. We started off with worship. There were more of us than of them. The church were attended by mainly town folks in their late 40's and early 60's. Pastor invites us to share testimonies. The first to dare the stage was Zeson. He shared his story of how God had been prompting his heart to search for Him. His spiritual life hit a milestone when he met Sarah, who unceasingly pointed him to God. And as he get to know God more, God began to work in his family as well: Zeson's father accepted Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior too. It was an amazing story to see how God works miraculously.

Then it was Auntie Li Fang's turn to share. She told us about her friend who was diagnosed with a cancer and asking for a prayer. She was panicked because she knew she does not have the gift of miraculous healing. But she prayed for her friend nevertheless, with a faith that completely trust that God is the Greatest Healer. After weeks of praying and visiting doctor, the doctor was shocked to discover NOTHING. Really, nothing! No cancer at the place where it was supposed to be. It was just GONE! Though miraculous healing like this does not always happen, but when God chooses to do it, it always amazes us!

Yik and Angela were the next to share, but Eliz was again the spotlight. To share their stories, Yik and Angela prepared thoroughly. It was an amazing presentation of their story. Angela shared how it was a difficult to decide to date Yik, who at the time was not a believer. But as they began dating, both of them were sure that they wanted to marry one another. For a long time, Angela continue to pray for Yik's salvation, and in the process learning how to trust God to change hearts instead of trusting the wisdom of men. God was working on His plan in Yik's life too without Angela's knowledge. Yik began to ponder about questions that eventually led him to believe and he had not regretted the decision to believe.

Angela, Eliz and Yik on their encounter with God

Personally, I see Yik as a living testimony of God's living and amazing grace. Knowing his stories reassures me that the God that we believe in is active and powerful. I also see in Yik a passionate heart to serve the living God. Even at his age where people would worry about many things, he is able to place God and his family first. His love for Angela and baby Eliz is a great reflection of our Heavenly Father's tender love for us. Sometimes, I fight hard to resist the temptation to call Yik my "Papa!" Hahaha! In a nutshell, he has been a great blessing to the church and myself.

The service ended with a group photo. Tada!

8. Goodnight and Goodbye!
As we call it a day, Chea Yeong was busy packing. Tomorrow morning will be the end of her journey with us, where she will diverge her path that leads to work. We all had wished that she would stay for the best part tomorrow.

Eliz practiced for her Korean drama. She believes that practice makes perfect, and true enough, she no longer needs eye-drop to put up a dramatic cry scene. She also wants to make sure that the director can have as many shots as he wants, so she practiced crying for an hour.

Then, pastor beh tahan.
~~~
Things were going very quickly today. So much happened yet so little time to process everything that happened. In my university years, I would still be awake in reflection and writing my mission journal, but it seems that it has gotten harder since I started working.

Tomorrow will be a time of relax and reward. Or so I thought.

God's Character, My Encounter.