Monday, November 22, 2010

Love Revealed 2010 - Part 2


Don't Give
I (Daryl) work in a charity organisation where donations are crucial to the service to our beneficiaries. Very often, the term 'donor fatigue' comes up. This is where generous people like you become so inundated with so many requests for funds for so many different causes that it no longer is a joy to give. In this article, I'm supposed to be writing about our team's trip to Nepal on 3 - 12 December 2010. I'm supposed to write about how much we need to raise and I'm supposed to inspire Charisians to give generously.

Maybe the best thing to do is NOT to give.

Why am I asking you not to give? Because it can become quite a strain on the supporter in a missions-minded church like ours, especially during missions season in December. Maybe the best thing to do is to take a step back for a little while and pray. Allow God to inspire the joy to give. The last thing we want is become a burden to the church. I think the Apostle Paul explains this concept in his letter to the church in Corinth. (2 Corinthians 9)
 
He told them not to give reluctantly or under compulsion.
He understood that when we give cheerfully,
it allows God's Grace to abound in every good work.

In our last trip, we were invited to accompany the girls to school. This was a 20-minute walk away. The girls were as vibrant as always, joking among themselves, preening each other in preparation for school. School was a privilege for them and it seemed that they were all very aware of it. When we began our journey, I noticed that one of the girls had not properly zipped up her bag. As I moved closer, I saw that the zips were actually broken. (see pictures on reverse side) Looking around, I quickly spotted several bags that were in a similar condition. 


We have seen a need.
We would like to invite you to be part of the solution.

Ultimately, what we want is to translate the joy of your giving into blessing the ministry in Nepal. With your partnership, we seek to lift up the overlooked, the unloved, and the forgotten. We want to cause smiles and coax tears. We want to be there when their eyes light up when we tell them about Jesus. Do prayerfully consider if God has put it in your heart to support this ministry to meet the needs of the youth in East Nepal and the girls in the Sophia Home. We know that you will rejoice with us when you see the fruit of your giving.

. The Love Revealed Team .


Trip Information:
·         Daryl Goh, Samuel Teo, Gerald Wu, Jon Tang, Stefanie Oh, Georgina Tay, Elissa Oh,
·         3 – 12 December 2010
·         $7500 left to raise

Our involvement:
1.      Youth Camp for 60 youth in the Jhapa District in East Nepal
o   Facilitators in the games for youth camp
o   Teaching the youth a mass dance
o   Ministry (Prayer / Worship)

2.      Sophia Girls’ Home
o   Painting the walls of the common areas
o   Organising some activities and games
o   Doing devotions with them
o   Buying school bags for the girls


Ways to contribute:
  • Pray for our team
  • Giving cash or a cheque made out to cash;
  • Bank fund transfer to POSB savings account ###-#####-#
    *Do SMS the amount and reference number to Stefanie @ ########

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

You Fought For Me

Most would begin with memories of growing up together. But by the time I had any recollection of you, you were already on the edge of adulthood. What I do remember is that we were roommates for a few years and our room smelled of girly things. Everything was pink. From the figurines of sheep, dolphins and precious memories dolls to the bedsheets. Most days, you would stare into the mirror putting on makeup, almost poking your eyes out with those pesky contact lenses.

And there were books everywhere. They were thick and the pages were brown. They never ever had any pictures and they smelled funny. I hated them. But when you weren't home, I would read because you were always engrossed in them. I thought that maybe, if I spent the same amount of time looking at the words it would work for me as well.

I was going into secondary 3 and my teacher said my results weren't good enough to get into the literature stream. I just didn't understand why they had to ask all those stupid questions about the characters when all we needed to do was enjoy the story. But you saw it differently. You barked at my teacher for not giving me a chance. You said you were an expert in Literature (always so humble) and you would ensure that I would do well for my exams. You said you would guarantee it. On hindsight, I'm glad I didn't get into that stream. They might have killed my interest for reading.

You used to be so aggressive. A forest fire or an avalanche. You might think that you've toned down. But I think you've gone from fighting loudly to fighting wisely. You choose your battles now, shaking your fists at the enemy - Ignorance, faithlessness and fear. But loving its victims back to wholeness. Most of the time I overhear stories about you. Whispers of how you inspire and how well you teach. How your name comes up when we are discussing who could serve up something to satisfy those who are hungry for the Word.

Most of all, I'm grateful for your consistency in pointing to Jesus. Thank you Jie Jie!
Happy Birthday, Lynette.

Monday, November 8, 2010

That You May Fulfill Every Resolve For Good

I’m a sucker for good stories. When I was a little kid, my dad would lie my head on his chest and weave worlds out of words. These were not fantasy or science fiction. These were worlds of children blazing through paddy fields, growing up with cows on farms, and adventures of bare feet. Maybe that is why I am drawn to Nepal. It is where the stories are fleshed out. It is where sight, sound and smell take imagination by the hand.

After this trip, I am convinced that the Love of God has to be demonstrated through the time spent building relationships. I am convinced that as we bless unconditionally, we allow for others to get a glimpse of God's character. And I am convinced that God uses us as an instrument to create opportunities for them to experience Him.

I will never forget the last night when the team prayed for all of us.
I could sense God’s presence so strongly in the hall that I broke into tears.
| 17 year old from the Sophia Girls' Home |

I love happy endings. They are the best things about stories. There is resolution. When our team went to Nepal in June this year, we were heavily involved in the youth camp and the praise festival. But as I said goodbye to the friends I made in the church in Nepal and the girls in Sophia Girls' Home, I couldn’t help feeling that this story wasn’t finished yet; that God still had more to say through us. That is why we are going back; to continue to bring the resolution of God’s Love.

Pray for us. That our God may make us worthy of His calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by His power, so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in us, and we in Him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

My First Haiku

i can't do haiku
its too short for me to write
i am too lor sor

- Daryl Goh