The Summon

This hymn touched me in a very real, very particular way. Just thought i share it :) God bless.

1. Will you come and follow me if I but call your name?
Will you go where you don't know and never be the same?
Will you let my love be shown? Will you let my name be known,
will you let my life be grown in you and you in me?

2. Will you leave yourself behind if I but call your name?
Will you care for cruel and kind and never be the same?
Will you risk the hostile stare should your life attract or scare?
Will you let me answer prayer in you and you in me?

3. Will you let the blinded see if I but call your name?
Will you set the prisoners free and never be the same?
Will you kiss the leper clean and do such as this unseen,
and admit to what I mean in you and you in me?

4. Will you love the "you" you hide if I but call your name?
Will you quell the fear inside and never be the same?
Will you use the faith you've found to reshape the world around,
through my sight and touch and sound in you and you in me?

5. Lord your summons echoes true when you but call my name.
Let me turn and follow you and never be the same.
In Your company I'll go where Your love and footsteps show.
Thus I'll move and live and grow in you and you in me.

Giving from the heart. A heart warming email

I received an email that brought me to tears... here's an excerpt (used with permission, name omitted to protect privacy)

"I heard you speak in church on Sunday mass and I cried with you. You are doing a wonderful job for our lord and he is with you all the way. At present I'm out of work of my own choosing and it makes me sad because I will be able to find another job tommorrow. In the Phillipines there's no such choices the people continue to suffer …

Yesterday I gave my last $20 to your good cause and it made me very happy. I know in my heart that the children will benefit it more than I do. I thank God that I was born in Singapore, it's not that I never suffered in life it's just that I know there are people more worse off than me. I will pray for you and hopefully when I'm better off I will do my best to contribute to your good cause and may God Bless you and keep you"

Thank you! And keep your emails coming. God bless.

A Big Thank you!

Thank you all for your support and generosity at the Church of the Risen Christ last weekend. It is a great blessing for all the people who will be benefitting from this. I can't wait to go back and tell them the good news, and i can already foresee happy faces lighting up. On their behalf we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

Some of you have some great ideas, do keep them coming via email. Some might be more feasible than others, but i really appreciate every email and phone call. And i will reply them all. Some of you have offered clothes, toys etc, unfortunately i cannot bring them all with me, i wish i could! Some of you have contributed specifically to the monthly children's birthday party, now we might even have enough to make bigger cakes and get a simple present.

Some have come forward to sponsor a child.
As in the song 'I the Lord of sea and sky, I have heard my people cry'...I'm sure this desire to support a child/teenager is put into your heart by God himself. As for details of how much, covering what, how to send etc, You will be emailed at a later date. Thank you for bearing with me.

To all friends who have helped at the church. Maraming Salamat po! BIG BIG thank you to you, without you i would not be able to talk to anyone nor be enabled to fund raise at all. You have also contributed directly to the missionary work.

To all my personal friends and some new friends who have come forward to support the day to day living expenses of missionary life, i thank you for enabling me to continue being a missionary full time. Your support means i can pay for the various fees, government taxes, visa applications and renewal, air ticket back to singapore once a year, and other day to day neccesities. This year I will also be leading a group from the Philippines to participate in the World Youth Day in Sydney. Part of this cost has already been raised. Thank you thank you so much.

Some of you are interested in what goes behind being a missionary, watch for this blog at a later date as i write more about day to day living in a missionary community.

In the meantime, i hope that every trinket/ear rings/keychain is a joy for you to witness Christ in your homes, workplace, among your family, friends and colleagues.

Through the miles, we're separated only by a prayer. God bless you all.

Text (sms) of the Day

Sometimes the road may be lonesome.
Take courage and always remember...
love isn't just for a day.

Quote of the day

Sometimes we think we have so little.
Little blessings
Little work
Little salary
Little allowance

But if we start to appreciate the 'little' things in life
We will find that we have SO MUCH
family, friends,
SO MUCH love

If we don't appreciate what we already have today, we will never feel we have enough for tomorrow.

Christmas 'Reverse' Caroling

Carolling!
A couple of weeks back, we packed food into plastic bags enough for a spagetti meal which most of those we reach out to will not have. This food 'hamper' also included canned food, daily neccesities like sugar, etc. Then off we went, together with guitars in hand, members of our parents group and some of their children came carolling with us! But this is a different kind, in reverse, instead of receiving money for our song and dance, we gave them! Many of those we visited did not know how to react, were pleasantly surprised, many cried, many were touched.

One of the parents who came with us said "We are poor too, but it's so good to go to the poorest of the poor and still be able to give". How true, everyone has enough to give, if it comes from our hearts, we always have more than enough.

New Year for youth

New year for the youth
Last week, together with my team, we lead the youth into a time of reflection for the 2007 and goal setting for 2008. And a time of giving thanks for the gift of each other and asking for forgiveness for the past year. This year we continue to hope to give them more of Jesus. Another Life in the Spirit Seminar for the new ones and those who did not have the resources to attend last year. In a couple of weeks, i also hope to be able to give each of them a journal. For many in Singapore, journalling is a matter of having time or not. But for these youth, it could just be a question of having a book to journal or not. I hope to be able to raise some money to buy a decent book for each of them to journal in a couple of weeks.

World Youth Day
Many have registered, but it would take a miracle to raise all the money to pay for it. It costs about a paid worker's 8 month pay to go for World Youth Day in Sydney. What more these youths who are still in college/school. Yet having attended WYD in 1997, i know how much it can change a person's outlook in life. And I desire so much for those who desire to go to have the resources to go. Do keep us in your prayer for the finances to come. If you are in Manila, and want to join us, we will go to Melbourne for the ICPE Festival and join the Days in Diocese before going to Sydney for the WYD proper. See you there.

Children Christmas party

For many of these children, a fast food meal is a celebration. The team managed to raise enough funds to enable each child to have a pack of 'Jolibee' the Filipino version of MacDonald's. Each child also received a gift pack of simple school stationary. We played games, sang carols, danced action songs. Generally having a ball of a time. They were all so excited, they came in the best clothes they had! A once a year event!