Sueanne's Story Unfolds

Welcome to my page!

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Love

Sometimes we never realise how our thinking and mindset can go really way off until something hits us.

Just last Sunday, God totally shook me. He broke all the "religious" mindset that I have. Well, I guess I didn't even realise that it has gone quite 'off'... that even little common sense should have made sense... but I just wondered why I didn't think of it. Well, I guess that's what we call being "blinded".

But well, light has dawn on me... now I see :)

Anyway, here are some things I would like to pen down to tell myself (in future) -

1. Love practically, with actions... not just words or with prayers. But do something! Like instead of praying, why not look at it as I being the answer to the prayers. Eg, if someone if in need, instead of just saying "let me pray for you", why try to meet that need.

2. Love, not when it is convenient for me only... but to love takes the trouble to go the extra mile.

3. If people don't see love in me, then there is something wrong with me. Cos God Himself is love. If I call myself a Christian and yet people don't see love through me, how can they see God in me?

... I guess its still not too late to make a new year's resolution...
to love

Monday, January 14, 2008

My Trip Pics

Day 1 - Departure from Changi at 7.20am! 4 hour flight to our destination. On arrival, we were greeted by the whole bunch of Americans working the ground there. Lunch (almost 30 of us!). Briefing. Then we were seperated to our pairs and hosts. I was with Ruth, staying with L and R in the north part of the city. Bought some ingredients to bake cookies for the following night.

Day 2 - BS with a local. Lunch and P-walk.


The university entrance where we where. The family there is experiencing growth like never before! Our host left us there to make new friends. It was scary but thank God through His leading He lead us to a bunch of students. We made contact and even exchange numbers! Thankfully, we had the chance to meet them up again... and made some 'deep' conversations.

Our second night - We had a Christmas cookie decoration night where we invited girls over to decorate home made cookies. Many pre-believers came over. We had such a great time fellowshipping with them. About 4 or 5 heard the Christmas story for the first time. And the few of us had the opportunity to talk individually to the girls and shared our personal testimony. It was amazing!

On a side note: One of them has joined the family recently!

Day 3 - Weekly team time to interceed. Rest. Meet another local for dinner. At night, we had a girls book club. It was basic living as many of them are new in the family and some who have yet to join. During that time, we also had the chance to share how with our local friends how we God had made a difference in our life (i'll have to remember to blog this in my next entry). It was really a good time as we shared with them. And really reminded me to go back to basics about living as a new creation.

Day 4 - Team meeting. The Singapore team gathered to share our experience with each other and it was just a fantastic time! God is really working among the students. How often we hear of so many open doors and opportunities! Challenged to bring this back to Singapore, to where we live.



One of the tourist spot we visited in the afternoon. Its something like Jonker Walk, Melaka. Tried smelly tofu (not smelly tho, to me la). Met another 2 locals for dinner. We spent a few hours sharing and encouraging them.

That night, we had English corner. Its a place where people will gather to speak English. Made some more friends. It funny how there are so many types of people we meet. From the 3 hours there, I realised that their worldview, or specifically the student's worldview.. was that of any modern country. Materialistic. Trying to be better. Wanting to achieve so many things. Yet, I could see they are so lost, without hope or even reason to live... (to con't in next entry). At the end of the few hours standing in the open air with freezing temperature, we exchanged contacts. And suddenly one guy said he was interested! wow, opened door! just like that.

Day 5 - P walk, decorate house Ch - . Bump into one of our friends. Spend lunch time with them. Met her again for BS and shared with her.
That night, our host had this crazy idea. Invited a whole lot of local friend over to sing carols. Not just where we live, but to sing to the entire block! Close to 30 people came. We went door to door, sang some carols to complete strangers. They graciously listen to us and hopefully seed is sown thourgh the songs and little 'papers' given out.

This is how an apartment block looks like.

Day 6 - We met another friend and tried hot pot (hot pot meals usually last a few hours)! Lunch was amazing. We again shared our testi. Its like every meal we try to have it with some friends. And over the meal, we build that relationship and share something into their lives. It just opportunities everywhere! And since I have been back here, am really asking that I will have such chances here. (tho have to admit that the ground here is different. like Heidi Baker said yesterday... that the people here are lost, hungry, poor... but they don't know that they are).

Night, attended service. It was great to finally meet the family there! There was just so many people. And many pre-b. There was a special visitor from America, who is a teacher of the word. The locals realised that he was knowledgable in the word and was able to bring it so clearly. Immediately, they got hold of him and started asking him so many questions!

That night, I saw the hunger they had. The need for teachers to give the locals solid teaching is great. Yes, the need to reach out to the lost is great too. And when they come into the family, they need to be nurtured. But there is just not enough teachers! I really saw that labourers are needed urgently... more so, when we expect His kingdom to advance there. It really broke my heart to see such a urgency and need, not just in this country and in many unreached people groups.

Day 7 - The locals immediately arrange for a special BS while that American teacher is still in town. SO there it was, a few hours later, we were gathered at the same place, learning the doctrine of the faith from Romans 1-4. I was good to see that they wer getting solid food. The second half, was on the Holy Spirit. They have not experience Acts 2. And we studied through the book of Acts to see instances where people received the baptism of the HS. After that we prayed for them to receive likewise.

Night, another service. Many heard the good news.

Day 8 - Observed Sabbath with the whole bunch of workers. Services in the morning. We gathered at one of their house and the pioneer of this ministry happened to be in town. He shared something that really shook all of us. Not an easy topic... Laying down everything we have for His sake. Spend time rededicating ourselves. It was really a powerful time that we ended at 2plus pm!

Evening, our friends brought us to a tourist place. There's a square with musical fountain at 7pm everyday. Hotpot again. And a superb conversation over the long dinner. We could see that God is slowly but surely moving their hearts. From total disbelieff about the existance of God, they are now asking us our testimonies! We shared so many with them!


Day 9 - Gave BS in the morning. Rest and reflection. Spend the night with our host and shared our journey. "spiritual conversations" as one of them puts it!

Day 10 - Bid farewell to our host. Met up with the rest of the team and completed our trip by visiting the Panda Research Centre!


May our lives be truly changed by this trip. Never same old, same old. But let the fire burn!

Wednesday, January 09, 2008

My december

I noticed that I have not updated my blog for a month!

Some updates about me:

1) I just moved to a new place at Everton Park (Outram Park mrt). After a long, super long story... and facing much frustration, feeling of being cheated, robbed (...whatever you call it), we didn't move to the place we had planned to move. Talked about being deserted by people, being let down by friends... having to part with the 1 month deposit... and it all happened while I was away in China... not to mentioned that it was not my fault, yet I have to bear the cost.

I prayed so much for grace to forgive and to not let my heart be troubled my the "loss" of money.. though it more than half my salary hurhur...

2) That aside, I had an awesome time in China. Spent 10 days in C-city with missionaries from America (under an organisation that hopes to reach out to tertiary students in the country). It was freezing, the air was poluted (that the municiple has to spray the trees with water to wash them), and the food was amazingly spicy! We made friends, hosted parties, taught the word, encouraged the family there and ... personally had a good time away from my routine life... just to be totally focused on the kingdom work there. I find that its really nice and yeah, I wouldn't mind trading what I have now for that.

Having the chance to stay with the missionaries (and not being treated as though we are on a 'holiday cum mission' trip) really exposed me to what their lifestyle is. Saw the intimacy of their walk with the Lord (which really is their power source), the frustration behind the scenes when things just didn't turn out the way they plan, how tiring it can be when we serve him "full time" (I mean there was no time to say - God, I don't feel like doing it today) and how focused they are on the field.

I learnt that one thing about being effective for Him. The answer is CONSCIOUS EFFORT. When I was there, my mind was set on fulfilling the great commission... because I know that I am on a trip. Hence, I set my mind to be focused, to make effort to reach out.

But back to "reality", where we are everyday, its so easy to be sucked into what everyone else is doing... to be sucked into the small daily affairs of life... to be sucked into routine. Not that they are not important, but they make us lose focus on the more important things that God has in mind. And hence, slowly, little by litte, we find ourselves drifting away from Him...away from His purposes... and then our mindset starts to revolve around us, our career, our need, our wants... and the list goes on.

And then we ask ourselves, what have accomplished at the end of the day? Are any of these of eternal value? Are they something we can be proud of to tell God when we face Him in the day of judgement? Are they worth the price that Christ paid?

Yeah, k, that's my reflection. Better stop before I end up preaching! hahaha.... but yeah, am pondering on that.

Will post some pictures of the trip soon!