Yeahh!! He did it again!

Officially started my first assignment at client's office. By the grace of the Man upstairs, my client's office is just down at Taipan.. which is within the same district where I live in. Yippie!! I can wake up an hour later!! Nyehh heh..

Work ended late on the first day, I got home at 10pm. It's peak period, so...mm hmm :)

Papa rang that night to arrange a dinner meeting with me the next night as he was gonna be around town. At that point, I felt that I couldn't promise him anything because I may work late, again. I really, really wanted me to meet with Papa since I missed his Birthday and Father's Day celebration altogether. I had something ready for him as a present. Being the good ol' Miss Practicality at her best, I got him a Dymo labelling machine. (those who know how much it costs, *SHhhHhhh!!!* He doesn't know the price and it's meant to be secret!! Well, unless he bothers to google it, then... whatever la!)

So... did I end u at dinner in the end??? Well.. the answer is....

......

......

....YES!

Actually, the highlight of this blog is to record down my praises to Him for hearing my heart again-- for allowing me to get off work extremely early today!! There was nothing much to be done towards the end so we were allowed to leave. We were even surprised that we get to see the sun when we got off.... haha!! :P

Anyway, it was a good time spent with Papa. Like I said before, I feel so blessed to have a father with such a great heart for his children. We had Korean for dinner. I'm utterly bad at blogging about the things I eat (that's Charis's forte :P), so... I'll let this photo do the talking.

TADDA!!!

There was only 2 of us but I think the amount we ordered was enough to feed a horse!!!

Speaking of food, met up with Bebe last weekend and we sure did have an exciting ride in the dark alleys of Kuala Lumpur with my very, very temperemental GPS. I paid 2 frigging tolls just to get to 1 Utama from Midvalley...=SSSS Anyways, we had Bak Kut Teh for dinner at SS4 area and the Singaporean gang bought a whole lot of bak kut teh spices back which I think can feed the whole population of Singapore. *LoLLL*

The time spent was invaluable, Bebe!! It'll be your turn to be the tour guide if I visit Singapore end of this year!! Sorry la, my tour guide skill is close to being as lost as a Singaporean.. paiseh! :P

All in all, I had a good weekend. =)

I love to PRAISE the Almighty!!!

Due to bad time management and being inexperienced in gauging travel time needed for the past few Sunday Services, I have been coming in late and usually, I will miss out on the Praise session. I do sense the "missing puzzle" every time I leave service. The feeling of emptiness does stay throughout the week! I miss... I miss... I miss.....

Amazingly, God made me the happiest girl alive last Saturday. Remember I mentioned about gate-crashing a church camp??? Yup, I so did. I gave these bunch of people a pleasant surprise! :P

The best part is, the presence of God was so strong in the hall... it was like having the "time of my life" dancing before the Lord together with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ!!! Talk about God hearing my whines over the nitty-gritties. That really did compensate for the 3-week of missed Praise sessions!!


Praise the LORD! Praise God in His sanctuary; Praise Him in His mighty expanse. Praise Him for His mighty deeds; Praise Him according to His excellent greatness. Praise Him with trumpet sound; Praise Him with harp and lyre. Praise Him with timbrel and dancing; Praise Him with stringed instruments andpipe. Praise Him with loud cymbals; Praise Him with resounding cymbals. Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD!

Psalm 150

Thank you, Jesus!! =D

I think I'm getting immune to goodbyes...

I was at away for the weekend at with the Passion (that's what we're called =D) Cell group for a retreat. Well, we didn't "retreat" to somewhere too far away, though! We were at Tanjung Bungah, which is still within the Penang Island. Lodged at an apartment called Stella Maris. Nice and cosy just next to the beach. Beach activity was fun. We build some sand castles, took lotsa photos and also one of the highlights was going canoeing at the Penang Watersports Centre. I haven't been exercising in a long time since I quit the gym, so... yeouch... my arms are still suffering from aches now!! *shame shame*!!
We also organised a prayer walk at a church-owned primary school at the mainland. One of our church member, sister Hannah has been a teacher in this school for more than 10 years now. The school is undergoing some challenging situations now and my sincerest prayer is that this school will continue to remain in the hands of the Lord. Observing the surroundings of the school has made me realised that I was so blessed during my schooling days.

The school compound. this is as big as it gets.

The classroom

Anyway, I grabbed this retreat as a golden opportunity for me to get to know the Passion-ites better. Don't know when will be the next time we'll meet again because sad to say that this retreat was officially my last gathering with these bunch of lovely peeps. It was not longer than three months ago that I bade my previous farewell and here comes another one. Oh well, bidding farewell is not the funnest thing to do. Perhaps I am preparing myself to be immune, if not used to this sudden flood of departure blues. Sometimes I wonder, whether it's just me putting up a front, showing as though I could handle goodbyes whenever I face one. I just felt that I don't want to tear over departures because I want to believe that one day, there's always a chance that we'll meet again. So I'd prefer to call this moment, "to be continued.. forever." (I got inspired by this phrase from a book I read recently.)

I handmade a personal bookmark each for the Passion-ites as a farewell gift.

The sport that hurt my arms... :S

We're getting better and better at these Kodak moments shots! HEHE... =D

the girls...

the guys...

2 more days before I leave for Kuala Lumpur. More updates to come!

Happy b-Earth Day to me!

Yepsss... so it was my birthday a few hours ago. I had a rather interesting birthday experience this year. It rained for a while the night before and lighting struck the electricity post somewhere in my neighbourhood and caused a blackout at the row of houses in front of my place. Good thing my row was not affected, else Mum would be pretty pissed if she missed the exciting part of her Chinese Drama-- believe me.. her source of entertainment.. very important!

Anyways, I managed to catch "House" on AXN after mum's dramas but my desire to watch "Braveheart" after that, hoping that William Wallace would inspire me once again, on my birthday.... did not come to past. The clock struck 12 and *pouff* the electricity was cut off due to repairs needed to be done caused by the lightning just now. Hmmm...interesting, I had a thought that maybe... just maybe, someone would bring me a birthday cake with candles on 'em and go, "SURPRISE!!!" ... =__= that didn't happen either. HAHA...Wishful thinking!!

Let there be light... *LoL*

However, my mobile rang and it was from the sweetest bunch of people I've ever known! Thanks so much for the call, you know who you are!! The blackout-birthday-"tanglung"-chat on the phone with y'all was more than enough to make my birthday a very special one. (Despite the fact that my parents actually forgot to buy me a cake today...HAHA.. Mummy gave me money to buy one for myself tomorrow, though! Funny! XD)

Also, I got this in my mailbox today!! (Rachybaby, I got yours on Saturday.. ask Post Malaysia, why?? *shrug*)

*ahem* velly velly glamorous, ain't it?? I feel the LURVE....

Thank you all, Judah 7!! I feel extremely blessed to be remembered on this day. What more could I ask for.

And... God never fails to give me the desires of my heart on my birthdays. This time, He blessed me with a job. YES!! I am hired!!! PricewaterhouseCoopers, here I come.....in June! Thank you, Lord, for you heard the little details, too.

"I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD."

-Psalm 40:1-3

Oh yeah, PS: Happy Earth Day, everyone! Save electricity, save water and love God's 3rd rock from the sun =)

朋友们，Shall we keep in touch?

Don't know why, just couldn't help but remember my schoolmates of my high school days -- (I was in an All Girls' Chinese High School) -- I was once teased to be a banana-skinned chic who doesn't listen to Chinese Music, the English language "guru" (which I don't think I am as good as they think I was.).. the bottomline was we live in "different worlds" and it's just quite difficult to go beyond just being school mates.
I found a set of friends and they do certain things I do, but I wouldn't say I agreed with all the things they used to do, but I pushed myself to "fit in".

Things changed when I couldn't push myself to be who I am not, anymore. I slowly stepped back and left in the shadow. No more shopping at the malls together, no more hanging out at the girls' place talking about boys, no more comparing dress senses. All no more. I left my usual seat at the canteen with the girls, empty.

I wondered, are these friendships worth keeping? Wait a minute, were we even friends from the beginning? I confess that I have allowed misconceptions to cloud my mind. I agreed with what my mind thought how I looked like in your minds. I backed away... and now, I feel like I was the baddie, instead. If only glue could make a broken vase look just as beautiful as it was before it fell onto the ground.

Reality sets in to remind me that I am back in this island for good, I remember my alma mater -- my high school mates, especially. Nothing can change the fact that I am a "Peng-Hwa gal."
The island is relatively small. There's always a high possibility that you'd bump into someone you know and it happens pretty often when you were once in a school with almost 3000 students. Strolling around Queensbay Mall brought me in physical contact with quite a number of my ex-school mates already. I see them from a distance, and I just didn't know how to begin with the simple word, "hello" anymore. I even forgot your names. How do I begin with those small talks? After these small talks, would there still be a possibility of keeping in touch? I do wonder how you are, did I ever cross your mind, too? I hope so.

My high school mates. Many of you left different sets of footprints in my life. Some trotted with me through happy times, stood with me through detention, some ran together with me (through the tough times... PMR..SPM~~oh-the-agony of exams.), some lifted my feet. I beat myself for holding on to the memories of being "stepped all over" more than the rest mentioned.

People walk in and out of our lives. I browsed through Facebook and it was one of the girls' birthday yesterday. I wrote a short note to send my birthday wishes. We've shared memories in the past. Most of us, technologically, we're still connected.. just through the wires of a computer. We're "friends" on Friendster and Facebook, but does this label anything beyond the words? You're all at the other end of the world and ironically, I am back here. Will we connect again on hard ground? Will I ever see your feet again? I hope you haven't walked out yet. It's different now. Times have change along with the extra lines we have on our faces. Is there room for grace? My heart cringe when I look at how things ended.... or perhaps, more like "hanging at the cliff", with certain things unsaid.

Well, above all else, my prayer for all of you is that you will be well. Take care.

PS: On another note, thank God for you, Ee Wey. Thicks and thins... You've always been my saving grace :) High School mateys for life!! *HugZ*

PPS: HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, MELMEL!!!!! I DIDN'T FORGET. JUST DIDN'T CALL ON TIME! I WILL, SOON!! ^__^

Taking the right steps...

Last Saturday, I went jungle trekking with Ee Wey and her course mates at the Penang National Park. There were 5 of us, including me. I was pretty excited that morning as it felt like a sense of deja vu recalling memories of the time when I went hiking together at Springbrook with the Judah Seventeers. (Oh, I so miss the singing sessions in the woods with you girls..."the hills are alive.....with the sound of music.. la-la-la.." *hicc hicc* I felt like a drunktard, then.. baahahaha! =P)

We arrived at the Teluk Bahang entrance at about 11.20-ish and got ourselves registered at the counter as day-hikers intending to make our way up to the historical Muka Head Lighthouse, which is sited on the granite peak, fronting the coastline of the Straits of Malacca.

It's a good thing I had the opportunity to step into mother nature that day..the weather was just nice, coupled with some droplets of rain. It's been pouring quite a lot here lately. Truthfully, it happens so often that I forgot how to appreciate it.

Anyway, enough of my ramblings, here are some photos I took during my little "adventure" up the steep slopes and rocky cliffs. I'm a little zonked out so I'll let the photos paint the words. (Unfortunately, I only took photos when I was on flat ground. Aiyaks... I don't really have the photos to prove the challenging paths. =S)

The Entrance

Wey and I at the Sungai Tekun Bridge. We did some "jumping act" on it to *ahem* test its sustainability.
Not bad.. =P

Putting our jumping skills to test...


Ahh...We've arrived at Teluk Duyung aka "Monkey Beach" and this is only halfway through.. *pant pant*


Oh no... obstacle ahead!! The tides were too high that day.... How are we gonna go past this 1-metre deep stream??
Someone came up with a "brilliant" idea..

Taddaa!! Wey preparing for her jumping stunt.. Let's see whether this works..


Oops.. FAIL!!! Haha... Nah, we all made it but she missed it by 1/2 metre.. teeheee!!!


On to the next phase.. 600 steps to climb and some more trekking paths to conquer... (notice that "being" tapping her feet up there?? Size does not matter! Wey's petite but don't underestimate her stamina!!)

Finally, after almost 3 hours, we've made it to the top!! Yay!!

Admittedly, I’d say the way up to the lighthouse was rather challenging. It’s approximately 4000m to get all the way up to the top and definitely tougher compared to the routes in Springbrook because some of the routes had no proper trekking path and also, much steeper. Almost died breathless!!! =S

Interestingly, this hiking experience made me think about decision-making in getting towards a certain purpose. (Gee, I think I am starting to feel like I can really relate to Apostle Paul, associating life like a race with a finishing line. That’s why I love sports! =D) Making a decision in life is like when I was at the rocky cliffs, I had to make sure that I stepped on the right spots to make sure that that spot which I lay my foot on is able to sustain my weight or wasn’t slippery so I wouldn’t stumble and fall. Making the right step is the key to not falling and hurting my bum – delaying the time to reach the lighthouse; it is also like the key to not falling out of God’s will to reach His destined purpose for our lives.

Pondering upon that, yesterday, Mummy was feeling some discomfort caused by the side-effects of her treatment so she had to be admitted into hospital for further observation. When I was in the car, I looked up to the sky; I couldn't help but smile. Why? Because I thought, “There’s no place I’d rather be but to be in this car, driving Mummy to the hospital."

Yeah, that's my foot. Super bad angle, I know. hahaha...FATZZZ!! Not tasty! =P

…I have made the right step. This is the place to be.

As I am writing this post, I am with Mummy right now, in the hospital. The time is now 1.30am and she’s asleep while I type this. Hehe… I brought my laptop so I could keep myself busy. There’s no internet connection in the hospital so by the time this post is up on the blog, I should be at home already.

Anyway, thank you so much to everyone for offering to pray for my mum. I believe she’s in good hands now. She will recover in Jesus’ Name!! =D

Also, Happy Burpday, Amelia Sho shooo!! =D

It’s late now… my eyes are closing~~ Time for bed! Till then… =D

Motivation...

I've been feeling quite sluggish since the day I arrived back home. I realised my body clock turned a little wonky when I started waking up at 7.30am in the morning (which I usually don't) almost everyday. By mid-afternoon, I'd feel extremely sleepy and I couldn't help but plunk myself onto my bed for an afternoon nap. Argh.. Not a very good sign!! So, I thought getting out of the house to do some exercise may help re-energize myself a bit. Ee Wey gave me a ring a few days back and offered to bring me to Fitness First using her Guest Pass. Thank God for her, God really knows what I need at the right time!I was really looking forward to getting back into my gym-ing lifestyle that I used to practice back when I was in Brisbane. So yeah, Fitness First, I am back!!


I love exercising. Not because I am very good at it but it is because of the powerful way it speaks about the word "motivation". I enjoy running on the treadmill and weight-lift with just me, myself, and my trusty little green iPod Nano blasting very upbeat Praise songs like "Running After You" or "The Freedom We Know", which usually helps a lot to keep my feet off the ground to push myself towards my limits. At times, when I am at the edge of giving up, I always visualise and place my focus on something--like I am reaching towards it (Hmm.. maybe think... Haagan Daz Cookies & Creams flavoured ice-cream coated with double-layered chocolate icing etc etc..*drool...* I want!! Just kidding!!!) And putting God as being that "something" never failed to keep me motivated. Often enough, I am reminded of the words that Apostle Paul spoke of:

Hebrews 12:1-3 : Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

So true, isn't it? It all has to do with what's in the head. If you feel defeated, you are defeated. Perhaps you may ask yourself what do you really want to achieve at the end of the day? What actually drew you to endure the struggle all the way to the end? It made me reflect upon how Jesus endured the pain on the cross for undeserving beings like us. He could have chosen to turn back and change His mind when it was just hurting too much but he did not. He finished what he had to accomplish. He thought it was all worth it. Ever wondered what motivated him? The answer is simple, because he loves us.

And.... after that one hour++ of exercise, Ee Wey and Dave brought me to dinner and I had Pan Mee...
Oh the downfall of living in Penang aka Food Paradise. Ha-ha...Let 's just say I still need to work on what we call, "discipline".

Specially dedicated to Judah 7...

PLEASE READ: This is an extremely long post so if you have short attention span (you know who you are!! *ahem ahem*), please read only when you are very, very bored or maybe take breaks in between, like have a drink or go to the toilet or whatever after you finish a paragraph..

Hi everyone ^^
This post is specially created for you--Judah Seventeers. I don't know whether I will continue blogging, we'll see in time to come. Perhaps this blog may help to bridge that gap across the ocean so that we can keep each other updated. This post was meant to be an email, but I thought it got a little way too long and I wanted to throw in some photos as well, hence, I opted to post it here. =)

Sorry this came a little late. I should have done this earlier. Just a short note to everyone that I have landed safely back in good ol' Penang, Malaysia.

It's quite surreal for me to be back here in Malaysia. It felt more like stepping into a "foreign land" instead of returning home. Many may not have heard of this part of my story, stepping out of my "spiritual umbrella" ain't an easy step. Leaving Brisbane was actually the last thing on my mind when I was faced with this unexpected news about my mum not feeling very fit. I expected only a month's holiday back home and I felt that I was ready for the next leg of the race in Brisbane for 2008. I felt that I could achieve more in Brisbane. Ironically, here I am now, I have left Brisbane for good. I battled with God asking why did all this happen. However, I believe one thing that really, really blew my mind was when God revealed this passage to me in Matthew 14:25-32 where it speaks about Peter challenging himself to walk towards Jesus...on water.

God challenged me to put myself in Peter's position for a moment. Jesus was passing by.. perhaps I already had snippets of insight into what Jesus is wanting me to do (I would dare testify, yes. Some of you may have heard.). I saw him, and he stood there at the other end of the lake, inviting me to go for an "adventure" of my life. At the same time, let's just say, I was scared to the brim. And the question is, which one would I choose--the choppy, life-threatening water, or the safe, secure and comfortable boat?
When God showed me that, I think I went through the toughest dilemma of my life. I had trouble sleeping, my spirit kept tugging.. I hid in my room crying like a baby desperately. Many times I asked God, "Are you asking me to leave Brisbane?? This can't be right. It's not written in my plan. It doesn't make any sense. What would people think of me? I can't leave just like that." God, being God (hehe..) He made me read the passage carefully, once again. He showed me how Peter ignored the opinions of the rest of the 11 disciples and took that step of faith to step out of the boat. The 11 disciples may think that Peter was out of his mind, but his attitude of obedience by throwing himself into the "unknown" allowed him to experience a true taste of God's power and glory. By taking that first step, Peter was able to walk on water. Take note, not by his own ability, but by the faith that he entrusted in God, knowing that it is by His spirit that he could walk on water (Zechariah 4:6)

So.. yeah... I did something "religious" this time. I stepped out of my "boat". I am still at chapter one, first passage, now. I'm still trying to do my "balancing act" on water, entrusting my wobbly feet to Him. It seriously amazes me how God really assured me so greatly during this period of testing. Yep, the storm at the ocean is scary, the wind is blowing. I even imagined the thought of sinking (just like Peter did.). Nonetheless, I will never turn back with regret making this decision because God has already assured me by saying, "Take heart, it is I. Do not be afraid." I heard him saying, "Come" , and here I am now. I choose to believe that He will not withhold anything good for those who loved Him (Romans 8:28)

Honestly, I did wonder how do I praise God in times like these? I sense discouragement, disappointment, frustration in the air and I can't help but swinging my arms in the air to sweep them away or sometimes even tempted to throw the towel saying, "I give up." However, when I lift up my arms, I was prompted to look up a little harder. The song "Praise You In the Storm" by Casting Crowns kept resounding in me. Why did I lift my arms? Instead of keeping busy wiping what's blurring my vision, how about I let my arms be lifted to praise and worship Jesus? I was reminded once again, my help will always come from the Lord. (Psalm 121) Then I saw it differently, praise God that He allowed this to happen. Mummy and Papa rededicated their lives to God. They are going to church every week. We started to pray for Mummy's healing every night together. We say grace before each meals. All in all, it brought the family closer. What more could I ask for?
I am called to return to make a difference. The 5 Ws and How, I do not know. Let's just say, I surrendered to Him. He will direct me. (Proverbs 3:5-6, classic!!)

Anyway, I hope that my sharing served its purpose as an encouragement to all of you. Perhaps God has called some of you to step out of your comfort zone, as well. Maybe God may have tugged you to rise up to serve as a discipler, lead a lifegroup, or maybe go forth and join a church planting team... (kudos, MelMel!!!)..what's stopping you? Remember, it's not how you can do it, it's how God can do it through you! A calling is something you discover, not something you choose.

During my last 3 weeks in Brisbane, I pondered and asked God, "Did I really make a difference here, in Brisbane? Can people see You through me? Have I touched lives?" During the farewell night when we went through a time of sharing, God really spoke to me through all of you. It made me think, "I really did that??" I couldn't even imagine people tearing for my departure. Looking back at the path I walked through in Brisbane, I couldn't help it but give all the glory to God. Because He choose me first (Ephesians 1:4), I fell in love with Him. Because of His first love, He created my passion for people and His Great Commission. Thank YOU, Jesus.

Also, besides God, perhaps I didn't say this properly to everyone, but I really want to say thank YOU all for making me who I am, today. All of you--your encouragement, your heart of worship, your passion for GOD and people and the Great Commission inspired me so much to keep my chin up for God. You guys have made my almost-4 years stay in Brisbane an experience of a lifetime. You all hold a very special place in my heart. When I think Acts 2 church, I couldn't help it but fitting all of you, Judah Seventeers into that picture frame. I will never stop speaking fondly of all of you =) I love this quote from Didi: "Once a Seventeer, always a Seventeer." (Wee, 2008) =D

I am trying to shun away the thought of saying that I am not very good in expressing myself with words, so I decided to swallow my pride and stop belittling myself and so, here are some snippets of what I have to say to individual ones in the lifegroup. (I seriously spent almost the whole day preparing this!)

Amelia - I… am… gonna miss my Honda Accord KTV sessions with you~~!! Jom supper in ASIA.. even BETTER! Thank God for the opportunity to get to know you better in the past 3 weeks. Let’s not just dream dreams but trust that the Lord of the Gift (hint: cooking) is wise, He knew exactly what He was doing when He created you. I am believing for many more opportunities to catch up, ya?? “I mizz you like crazy~~” (Moffatts, I forgot which year.) *sobz*

Atieno – I love the way you express yourself when you share about your journey with God. It made me realize again & again how real our God is in our lives. How you depict God revealing Himself in your life makes me want to know Him even more. I am going to miss those times when we could just hang around and chat about anything under the sun. A friend like you just makes walking with God even more exciting. I will visit Kenya during my lifetime.. I’ll see you then =)

Charmaine – Though you don’t really speak much, but your presence in my life just spice things up. Cracks me up when I see you nodding attentively to what I say.. though most of the time I am not making any sense… I think! =P Keep growing in your walk with God. You can do more than what you can imagine! I have faith in you.

Christine – You’re such a go-getter! As you go on to achieve big dreams, I sincerest prayer is to see you surrendering your hopes and dreams to God. I really appreciate this friendship that we built in Brisbane. I see a great hunger for God in you. Keep running the good race, businesswoman of God! =D Who knows, you’ll see me as an entrepreneur one day, too. *wink* Let’s win the marketplace for Jesus!

Diana –… my fellow OCD-er in everything (well, almost!).. we went against our principles wei…tsunami partner~~that is oh-so-not-us! Also, my fellow "kaki" in thick-skinnedness, lameness... Oh Jackpot, I am so gonna visit you again, because of Didi! bwahaha!! Anyway, jokes aside, truly, thanks for all the words of encouragement, wise counsel and also shoulder to cry on when I felt defeated. Together-gether we shall share our happy endings, yeah? Don’t forget *wink*

Eileen – You’ve got super bionic persevering spirit, gal! Seeing you growing and loving God more everyday inspires me. It encourages me so much not to underestimate how God can touch lives through ordinary people. Though there may be times when you feel struck down, when you feel like you’re gonna fall, remember that God is “piggy-backing” you all the way. I wish we had more time. Every moment with you is treasured greatly. We’ll keep in touch, ok?

Fei –Your sweet gentle spirit always gave me an assurance that I’ve got someone to lean on to. Seeing how we pull things through together despite not knowing how, deepened my spirit to challenge myself even more in striving for the impossible. Thank you for supporting me when I felt that I couldn't do it. You have blessed me just by being who you are. Continue to trust in God's leading as He reveals your walkways to you. Though it maybe tough, remember that He's upholding you with His righteous right hand. I miss you already. =( And stop fiddling your ears! haha....

Jacqulin – You’re a beautiful creation crafted by God. You have a heart that cares a lot for people. You always show extra care and concern, you share others’ joys and pains. I truly admire how you persevered through your tough times and your openness to share about your thoughts of life. Your encouragement deepened my confidence to step into the unknown! Let me assure you again & again that God really, really loves you and He is not going to withhold anything good from those who loves Him. Thanks for the teddy bear angel. I will always remember your words when I'm down. Love you.

Joy – Your willingness to serve and love as a leader has blessed many lives - I am of course, one of the many. Like what you say before, never underestimate what God can do in one's life. Let’s just say.. you saved my life. You brought me to Him. I would never be who I am today if it wasn’t for you. I will just let my life speak for itself. Please, please keep in touch!! Love you lots.

Melissa – My pillar, my punching bag, my lifter, my inspiration in worship, walking bible dictionary, the one who slaps me in the face whenever I need it most...the list goes on. Twas an interesting journey thus far. Gonna miss those times when I can just get those bible insights “chicken soup” for the soul with just one phone call away. Thanks for the book you gave me. You always know what I need the most at the right time. As you go on your way and I go along with mine, let’s fix our eyes upon Jesus and let our little mustard seeds grow, yeah? Awaiting great testimonies from you. *Hugz*

Purity – Lovely, I can’t help but say that I miss those warm hugs and pecks on the cheek from you. There's this indescribable essence within you that really shines forth how God truly defines beauty. You’re one with a compassionate heart and I believe that you have a great capacity to love and care for people. Keep loving how you love. Since Atieno believes that I will eventually visit Kenya one day, I will most definitely see you again, yeah? =) *Hugz*

Rachel – Cheeky “baa baa..”, =D Leading you as a shepherd made me realize how important every sheep is to God. It amazes me how you saw things through the eyes of God. You showed me how every soul counted. Your “social engineering” skills can definitely be used greatly in God’s kingdom. You have a great capacity to lead. Don’t despise what you can do. Don’t bury your gifts. My encouragement to you is to listen, pay attention, and obey Him. I’ll hear from you soon, neighbour =) I LOVE YOU (corny, but I mean it!!).

Rose – 我的小羊。It’s been a great privilege having you as my first sheep. With you having so much eagerness to learn and grow, your ‘speed’ made me desire to grow faster and deeper, too! I am amazed by the compassionate spirit that you have for people and I am inspired by how much you are willing to sacrifice for people. When you are tired, go to a secret place and spend that quiet moment with God. Remember to always rest well and don't forget to do your pilates! I am entrusting my Fitness First membership to you. Must use ah!! Anyway, I am already missing our 3-hour shepherding lessons, “holy-chats”, “act-cute” moments etc. Keep in touch and I will drop by Taipei in future. I promise! Love you lots!!

Shuling – Shusy.. I love the way you always keep that smile on your face. It just brightens up a place (notice the photo?? so BRIGHT!! I think I need my sunnies! HAHAHA). There’s a positive spirit within you that always gives me this feeling of wanting to surrender hopes and dreams to God. Don’t know how to explain this, but I think you get what I mean. It just spells out in how you live your life for God. Keep shining for Him! Let’s minum Teh Tarik in KL, yeah?

Andy – Mermaid...!! Looks like we have something in common here. Haha!! Thanks for the countless car rides around Brisbane… (PS: you still owe me a ride to Mount Coot-tha!! hmph.) I promise you a ride in Malaysia…. (I believe u trust my driving skills since you entrusted me with your car along the roads to Melbourne?? Teehee..). I will most definitely miss your cooking, too! =( Abang Andy's masakan, bagus!! Be blessed, bro. Keep that faith in God!

Derrick – I will always remember the times when God allowed our friendship to deepen so greatly when we were faced with similar struggles. You have been my pillar of strength during those times. Your persevering spirit in becoming an overcomer made me spur on to become a fighter, too. Keep up that spirit of excellence in you. God’s gonna do great things through you. Mark my words. Oh yeah, I love you too. =)

Fendi – You may be a very quiet person in lifegroup, but I sense that you have a very enthusiastic heart in things that you are passionate about. Keep the passion for God burning. You were one of the first few friends I made in Brisbane. It’s amazing how God brought our friendship thus far. All the best, brother.

Ian – You always gave me an impression of a faith-filled listener. Although we don’t usually communicate much, I appreciate the way you attentively express your concerns as you take the initiative to speak. You are amazingly filled with wisdom. Continue to dig in deeper as you strive to discover the purpose of God in your life.

Jonathan – Amazing sensitive new age brother. I mean it in a good way, really! Your wits always amuse me. You give me an impression of someone who resembles both intelligence and creativity. Think… Shakespeare? Haha.. I dunno. It’s a pity that we didn’t have an opportunity to know each other more. Nonetheless, we will meet again, for sure. We just live across the borders. By the way, “Darling, I love you (in a sisterly way!) and here’s my smile =D. (teehee…you get what I mean.=P)

Sam – 大哥~~Thank you so much for being there for me when times are tough. I appreciate those times when you free-willingly allow me to use you as my “punching bag”. Thanks for bearing with me when I whinge. Don’t know whether I told you this before, remember the time I failed my driving test? I was at Toowong Village and I prayed for someone to give me a lift from discouragement. Amazingly, God brought you to me when I bumped into you. Let’s just say your presence easily creates joy into my spirit. I pray that one day, we'll meet again. I’m missing those late night walks already =(

Samuel – Hey macho bro, it's been a great 2 years with you in Brisbane. Funny how sometimes you try to read my mind but, let's just say you are not 100% right every time! Teehee =] My apologies for not taking the initiative to write a note for you for your cookie jar. How about let's put it like how you said it before, it's all in the heart. You know, I know-lah! True?? Be of good cheer, like what I told you, in life, there are 2 types of opportunity, 1) it just exists. 2) You create it. I believe there will be an *ahem* 'opportunity' for you to treat me to the countless meals you owe me.. nyahaha.. (hmm.. do I hear the 'pat toh yao' song singing somewhere...??) Who knows, perhaps our paths may cross again. See you at the other end of the world? hehe.. Till then........ =D

Sean – Seansie!!!! You’ve grown so..so..so much!!! Not only sideways (prosperity ok!!!) but upwards towards Godliness too!!! Your willingness to serve and desire to do great things for God’s kingdom elates my heart so much! Your indescribable spontaneity in cracking people up… gosh, classic joker of J7 – those hilarious moments with you around, I am so gonna miss!! Visit KL, Malaysia, truly Asia!! I will bring you go "kai kai".. in a err.. slightly bigger car. hehe..=D

And here... the whole bunch at the airport who sent me off..

All in all, thank you for being such a blessing in my life. The memories will always prevail in my heart. Goodbyes are not forever.Goodbyes are not the end. They simply mean I'll miss you. Until we meet again!
Take care, everyone.

PS: My contact details are in the email.

Always a Seventeer at heart,
Miranda