Dear Lord,

Just as the change of seasons refreshes the Earth
May the new year bring renewed hope and strength
that comes only from You such that the year will be a good one.
One that benefits me in spite of trials or obstacles
And one that lets me witness God's hand upclose in my life
Such that I'll end 2010 knowing that You have walked every step of the way with me.

Amen

In a while, we'll bid 2009 goodbye. Perhaps we can just slow down, quieten our feasting and partying hearts and reflect on the year past; His grace that came along with those challenges, His mercies that was new every morning, His love so steadfast, so unconditional, His providence that was always more than we needed.

May your 2010 be one filled with God's abundant love and blessings!

Blessed New Year!

In Loving Memory

Nine years on . . . still fondly remembered as the
"Finest BB Boy we've known"

Its my hope & prayer that I can be to my CG, what my Uncle Jimmy was to his 49th Company.

Teachers Plant Seeds of Knowledge . . .

... that will last forever.

Last night the CG met up at my co-leader Eugene's place for a post-Christmas gathering. It was a small gathering cos some were away and some were at another youth's house for a separate party. It was a cosy gathering, I brought the wii along so the guys were up against each other in a game of boxing and tennis. We chatted over pizza and chicken wings, talked about our plans for the new year. As I watched them bond over good food and the bottle of wine they smuggled out of the supermarket (well, some of them are 18 so that's legal) I felt God telling me 'these are the fruits of your labour and love' - I was happy.

Gideon found time to join us yesterday. Having left CMC for a year now, he's happily settled into BRMC and I praise God for the work He's doing in Gideon's life. He wasn't an easy youth to mentor and he went through some pretty rough times during his time with us when he had to cope with the expectations of being a pastor's son. He also lost his sister during that time and leaving CMC was a way of putting that chapter behind him. He gave me a card yesterday and a magnet with the words "Teachers plant seeds of Knowledge that will last Forever". The card was my very first from him after all those 4 years of being his CG leader. In it penned some of the most sincere words I've ever heard from a 18er. He finally recognised the effort taken to nurture him, the support he got from the rest of the CG during what was his lowest point. He now understood why God told me not to give up on him and how God knew back then - 2 years ago - that He was using me and the CG to fulfill His plan for him. Next year, Gideon will be taking on the role of CG leader to a group of 14ers in BRMC. The work that God is doing in his life is amazing and I praise God for that. I take heart that God had used me as a vessel to help plant that seed along the way.

Every year around this time, I reflect on my Ministry with the youths and year after year, I ask God for affirmation that this is where He wants me to continue serving in the new year. Next year will be my 6th year with the CG. Every year I see new leaders emerging, and God seems to be telling me now - through Gideon - that even if I don't see some of them rising up now, they may do so in the future and my responsibility is to help nurture them so that God's plan for these young people may be fulfilled one day.

Its a great responsibility since the intention is to raise these youths up as future leaders of the Church. I feel unequipped sometimes and there's so much more I know I can do to mentor them. I can only pray for that empowerment, strength and grace for God to continue using me as a mighty vessel to make a difference in lives of the chosen generation.

Pray with me.

Happy Birthday Jesus

Blessed Christmas Everyone!

The best part of Christmas amidst all the presents, feasting and sweet treats is basking in the love of family and loved ones! Chets, Jude & Sophie being home has made this Christmas extra special! I hope you too had the chance to spend this Christmas in the company of your loved ones! Have a truly Blessed Christmas!

Love, {me}

Busy @ Christmas!

All that caroling practices and late nights from the card making left me with a really bad throat yesterday! By the afternoon, I was running a high fever - on the day of caroling of all days! But I really didn't want to disappoint the CG so armed with whatever voice I had left, I led the CG to the two homes we were assigned to visit!

When you honour God, He honours you in return! My fever miraculously subsided as I was singing Hark the Herald Angels Sing at the first home. I could literally feel the heat lifted off my body! Praise God! We had a good time! I was really happy that Gideon found the time to join us, its been a year now since he left for PLMC but he knows this CG always welcomes him back! The hubs was our photographer and videographer for the night - if only he could tweak videos the way he does photos than I may consider putting up a clip of our singing!

Thank God I was well enough to get my baking done today! This year's Christmas creation for the colleagues - Chocolate muffin with Vanilla buttercream frosting! Finally got to use the stash of baking deco I got from London! The final product - a pretty sight to withhold and muffinlicious to the bite!!

Can't wait to celebrate Sophie's first Christmas with her! Stay tune for my Christmas posts!

Sophie - LIVE!

After months of thinking we're just cartoon characters that pop up on her Daddy & Mummy's Mac, Sophie finally got to see her YiYis and Uncle Piao LIVE in person! We on the other hand finally got to pinch that chubby cheek of hers, kiss that cute adorable face and were well introduced to her all powerful lungs - this 4 month old, 6kg little peanut no more *can* scream and she'll make sure everyone knows that!

Since her coming back, the house has turned into a playground. For once, Grandma isn't nagging at the mess and no attempt has been made to tidy up since it'll only be messed up again. Pacifers lying here, towels there, socks on the table, teething toys on the sofa, mattress on the floor etc - thanks to Sophie, all this is OK with Grandma (for now)!

5 things you should know about Sophie:
1. She can so flirt! After a 23 hours flight and at 2am in the morning, this young lady was giving out sweet smiles and killer looks with those angelic eyes!
2. She can scream with a capital 'S'. No, actually, caps it all! When she screams, its like crying murder! No amount of '1-2-3' and 'Yeah Sophie' that she loves will calm her down!
3.She's has yet to understand the concept of 'Saving the Earth' - the number of diaper changes she goes through a day is enough to burn a hole in the ozone!
4. For some strange reason, she loves chewing on animal heads. Her top faves at this point - giraffe and bumble bees!
5. She is so A-D-O-R-A-B-L-E, you'll forgive her for all the killer screams she lets us. In her father's words - "Lucky you cute ah!"

Of sushi, mickey and shrines . . .

Tokyo is one H-U-G-E city! If the number of subway stations we visited were anything to go by, I don't think we've even covered 1/4 of the city in our 5 nights there!

Its my first time in Tokyo. Before this, friends tell me that everyone who visits Tokyo will fall in love with it and they were confident I would love it too! I had no doubts about it. I mean sushi afterall is one of my favourite food! And I never say no to Japanese strawberry shortcakes so how wrong can Tokyo go? What's more, I'm a sucker for all that kawaii knick-knacks and stationery you find at Kinokuniya! Well, the food sure didn't disappoint, the strawberry shortcake so good but soooo darn expensive and all that cute knick-knacks were kawaiiness with a capital 'K'! But I'm not sure if I like Tokyo as much as London and I'm not sure if I would want to go back there so soon. Not as much as I wanted to go back to London immediately after my first trip there in '97 (which I eventually did just 6 months after). Well, not that Tokyo has been a disappointment but let's just say I thought I'll like it more. I was pleasantly surprised by Kyoto though and that will be a city I'll like to return to again before Tokyo!

Anyhow, it was in all a fantastic trip! Praise God! He kept us safe and well throughout the trip! Everyone enjoyed themselves thoroughly though the hubs and Sam found themselves having a massive nasi-lemak craving by the end of Day 10.

The top 10 highlights of this trip for me:
10. Visiting Disneyland! Nobody is too old for Disneyland! I short of Eurodisney in Paris and Disneyland in Anaheim and I would have visited all the Disney resorts! Orlando's still the best so far!
9. Visiting Studio Ghibili! The musuem was an animation playground for the young and old! Not forgetting the gift shop that sold everything Kawaii! Thanks chets for helping us get the tix! They were priceless!
8. The warmth of the Japanese. Read: when you ask for directions, its not just 'go straight, turn left', its either (a) take out pen and paper from brief case, draw you the map or (b) walk a good 1km or so with you and personally take you to the place! That happened a good 3-4 times! We S'poreans have a LONG way to go!
7. Soba @ Yabu-soba! For the first time, I really didn't want to share my plate of noodles with anyone! In the end, I guess I love the hubs more. But i *really* wanted to finish it all by myself! Even my mum cleaned up her bowl of tempura soba. My mum *never* finishes her noodles.
6. Being mistaken as a Japanese countless of times in the shops and even at the airport! When talking to us, the salesperson will rattle on to me in Japanese but to everyone else, they'll attempt English immediately. It was quite funny seeing the surprised look on their faces after they realise I can't speak Japanese. They must be thinking what a disgrace I am!
5. The Japanese service standards. Never once was I handed my purchase over the counter. They personally step out from the cashier area to hand us our shopping bags. Amazing!
4. Our ryokan stay @ Kikokuso. The hospitality of the host was heartwarming- she sent us off and continued bowing till the cab took a turn and was out of her view, the comfy futons and the oiishi dinner. And not to forget the 42 degC hot bath - so relaxing!
3. The Shibuya crossing. I'm not surprise that its the busiest street crossing in the world and has the highest density of cell phones than anywhere on Earth!
2. Lunch @ L'osier. This 3 Michelin star French restaurant was truly quite quite magical! That dessert trolley - I felt like I was like L in the Japanese manga - Death Note.
1. Surviving the complicated subway and JR lines and figuring out the transits from one line to another without getting too lost.

Here's Tokyo in photos. Enjoy!

Of temples & traditions

Kyoto was a lovely city. I {heart}! Our first night there, we put up at the quaint little Hotel Monterey which was a nice walk from the Gion area. The main Shijo-dori road was lined with little shops selling traditional Japanese items from cloth bags to bowls to tissue blotters! Expensive tissue blotters for that matter. The Nishiki market that we visited was fascinating to say the least! Tofu donuts, bonito flakes in every possible grade, tamago like we've never seen before etc etc . . . dad was of course the happiest person at the market. In his state of greediness, he bought a stick of we-know-not-what, bite into it and literally had to spit it out. He says that remains the only culinary disappointment on this trip thus far!

The highlight of Kyoto will have to be our stay at the Kikokuso ryokan. Its the first for all of us - a ryokan stay that is and we left the inn wishing we had stayed longer. We had the entire family room to ourselves - like a camping trip tatami style! Needless to say, the dinner was culinary art at its best! Our host lady ended up calling my dad - Papa! It was really quite funny!

I left Kyoto wishing I had more time to discover the quaint little city. The hubs promised we'll be back and I'm looking forward to it already! . . . The big Tokyo city next! Stay tuned!