Everything started out on the 7th of June. That night was a hectic night! I was rushing through my work, reports and stuff then I rushed back home to meet my ex-colleague to pass her a gift. Then I went back home and had dinner. I took some time to teach my mum something on my PC and I did something for my sister. By the time everything was pretty much done, it was already 11pm. Start packing my backpack and went to sleep. Couldn't really sleep though cause I was too excited about the holiday to come! Well, nonetheless, my tired body gave up and I fell asleep about 3am. Woke up at 5am instead of 6am (too excited) and then got ready!
Jan came to pick me up (in a cab) and we went to pick Noel up and we went to Newton Carpark. Boy was it a place filled with excitement! Everyone was catching up with everyone before getting up the buses. CLs were looking for their members. Shepherds looking for the sheeps. Kawan looking for their Kawans. People were making calls, waving real hard to another person, hugging and filling up the white cards.
I really don't know the other buses but the bus that I am on, my Unit was really noisy! First, we (my CG) had 爱心早餐 that was made my Yanling. Oh man!! It was SO yummylicious that I can still taste that cheese in my mouth now. Then, we chatted. I read a book and awhile later, I fell asleep. Ok.. the bus was still quiet then. But, after we reached YongPeng, we drank & ate and refreshed.. And when we got up the bus, Yanz took out her guitar and we had a good time affirming our CLs & UL through a song (Er.. I forgot what song though!!!)
We were brought to Mahkota Shopping centre for our lunch. At the same time, we gotta get a gift for our secret pal!! (Well, each of us were assigned one secret pal to bless during this church camp) We only had an hour. We rushed to KFC, we rushed to eat and we rushed to get a gift for our pal. At the same time, some tried to slot in some personal shopping too.. hee.. I had a good time of chatting with my bus buddy, Caren, on the bus. We shared about our current life and things we believe in. I shared a little about past regrets too. But on retrospect, I am glad that regret or no regret, God works for the best of His people! We fall but we learn to pick ourselves up. When we arrived at Riviera Bay Hotel at about 3pm, I was so touched, yet again, by the decor that was put up. They literally turned the whole place into a relaxed theme - Kawan Go Melaka. THEN, we had a small little surprise for Noel as a whole Unit to officially welcome this 3 month old baby into our group. Personally, having Noel as a new baby in my CG has been MOST delightful and it is even more encouraging to see the fact that he attends CG regularly and even by coming to the church camp has shown me how great our God is!
We got our keys, went to the room and guessed what? My dear "apartment-mate" refused to let entry to me and my room-mate cause she wants the better room!!! (This apartment has two bedrooms) Haha!! But nonetheless, I must say, the apartment I was in was very nice. It has a perfect (to me) sea view and to top it off, I had very good apartment/room mates. Zann commented that my apartment is very homely. The four of us will sit at the living room, have a drink and we will start to chit-chat. I had the privilege to bunk with Xiaowen, Gloria and Lyan. Honestly speaking, before I went for the camp, I was wondering - How to break the ice? What to chat about? But when we were put together, we just had fun! I had so much fun and it was a great opportunity to get to know people from my Unit. See ah.. How much can we know someone through Sunday Service and Unit meetings? It's really when we stay together and see each other for 4 days do we learn a little more about each other! Anyway, we rested for about an hour and at about 5pm, we went down to have our final rehearsal on the "3 little pigs"!
The "3 little pigs" was one that was filled with laughter. The story line was pretty much the same as what we read when we were young but what made it creative was the fact that we had stage props and a slight change to the ending - the wolf huffed and puffed because he has his dentures stuck in his throat!! Humans became trees and stones. At the same time, we had the "Sound team" too. The actors act without using their own voices. There was a voiceover for them. For me, I was the "sound" of the wolf when he huffed and puffed. Together with me was Daniel who was the voice of the wolf. We had the 3 little pigs who went in their sweetest voice "Not by my hair of my chimney chin chin" and we had stones & plastic bags & sticks to depict the sound of the brick, wood and straw house that the pigs will build. Ah.. Now, not forgetting the actors who acted the wolf, the pigs, the Master and the houses. Well, no words can actually describe how I felt honest. It's like, there are 3 units that came together to do up this play. It spoke to me volumes about unity for a common purpose. It sort of "forced" me to step out of my comfort zone too. I am not quite a person who likes to be in front at the stage though not on stage. Haa.. I remember during the first rehearsal when I was the voiceover, I laughed and laughed and laughed. Just some photos of the rehearsal and on the day of performance itself. Oh ya.. We were awarded the Runner Up.. I must say though, Vivienne did a VERY good job directing us. She was so nervous that before our turn to be up on stage, she had her last minute gushes of nervousness but I am so glad that she was there to encourage us all!
In this camp, my Unit were mixed up. The members in the 3 CGs were all mixed up and for me, I had a part-time CG. I was really welcoming the idea - Not that I don't like my own CG ah!! But I thought it was really a fabulous idea to really get to know other CLs and other Unit mates. We came together every morning for QT and you know la.. When we share about God's word, we get into the lives of people and I guess, that's what doing life is all about! During one of the QT sesson, I got to know my apartment-mate, Lyan, a little more as we come together to share God's word and pray for one another. I have come to appreciate the idiom that says "Never judge a book by its cover". I think it's really true. Getting to know someone by first impression is never enough.
Oh ya.. On the 2nd day morning, after QT, it was workshop time! For me, I went for Creative Caregroup and boy! Chris shocked (or rather, surprised) me with his new outfit! Without a doubt, I knew I was in the workshop already. Together with him was 2 others. When we stepped in, I smelt the incense, I could hear the music and I saw that the room was done up with NOTHING but food on the floor. Jorry and another gal (didn't catch her name) was right in front of the room "worshipping". In the later part of the workshop, we played games. One thing that striked me most was that humour and fun can be injected into CGs setting. We gotta know our identity in Christ and be secure in it. God is a creative God and He has made us in His image. So ain't we a creative bunch of children? I learned, too, that it's ok to be funny. It's ok to laugh at myself. It's ok to be embarrassed sometimes. I think this issue of culture where face plays a big role can sometimes be a hinderance! Something that caught me - The facilitators said this: Play on the 5 senses of the group. The reason why we were astonished by the whole make up of the workshop was that it touched base on our 5 senses.
Not that the 2nd workshop wasn't good. It's just that, I didn't bring my camera along to take photos of that workshop! Hee.. But, I attended the workshop called Discipleship in the Postmodern world. I discovered that there is a difference between Shepherding and Discipleship. Discipleship is making another "Me". Shepherding is taking care of someone & doing life together. Hmm.. However, there ARE elements of Shepherding in Discipleship. That's so true. How to disciple someone whom you have no relationship with? Through this workshop, I felt the need to build very very very strong relationship with my sheep. Which is still work in progress. Relationship building is usually not as easy as ABC but I am resoluted to.
On the 3rd day, we had Aloha night for dinner!! Heee.. as usual, it was photo-taking session! Everyone looked so beautiful and handsome. Can't help it but to snap snap snap away. Hee.. This year's camp was a little more relaxing. We had the time to relax and well, gals being gals, we went photo taking in between lunch and teaching.
What captured me was after Aloha night, there were the leaders showcase! Boy oh boy! The leaders amazed me. Despite their busy schedules, they still set aside time to perform for us. Tears just drop. Knowing the fact that leaders are only just humans. But they are humans appointed by God to have a spiritual authority over us. I just felt - Man! It must have been tough on them. I salute them cause I felt that it really isn't easy to care for a Unit/SubDistric/District. Their heart capacity is BIG. At this point, I really want to also affirm my UL and the CLs in my CG who, though tired, still unrelentlessly arranged programs for us. I guess.. Many times, we hardly see the background work that was done and for me, one thing I took home with me was that I want to affirm the work that the leaders have done for us, if not, for me. After which, there was the extended worship and Ps Jeff spoke on Releasing Forgiveness. My mind wandered to people whom I know and doesn't know God. They seemed lost and angered easily. Some vent it out by hitting themselves and some just hit others. I wonder - How nice and how good it is if they were to know God. Isn't releasing forgiveness the better way to handle anger than not? God is indeed good.
At our Unit wind down, we had a few hearts bared out to us and as a member in my Unit, I am glad to be under the authority of my leaders. And I am convicted that, as an armour bearer, I will serve God alongside with them. Disappointments may get in the way but isn't disappointments part and parcel of life? I am proud to be part of my CG and Unit. I am glad that God is still moulding us into the child/ren that He wants us to be.
This year's camp's theme is Kawan Go Melaka - Friendship, I must say that I am glad to have found friends in this place call Hope. Sharing lives, doing lives together is something that is good! When we are down, our friends in CG and in church will be there to pick us up. When we are up, our friends are there to rejoice with us! I brought home with me friendships that are established, friendships that are stronger, a clearer vision, a stronger conviction. Though there may still be obstacles but I am sure that with God, with friends, nothing is impossible!! Church is indeed about doing lives together. It's about helping one another up when someone is down. It's about being real, being authentic and being honest with integrity. Before I can even demand for a friend, I first have to check myself if I am a friend.
I went to the camp with the objective of relaxing, establishing new friendships and upkeeping with existing ones. At the same time, to pray for God's direction in the area of missions. I had my time of relaxation. I had new friendships established and my existing ones are further affirmed. Though in this whole camp, with the arrangement of the part time CG, I didn't spend as much time with my own CG but I felt closer (somehow) to my CG (Must be the work of the Holy Spirit). I had a good session of outpouring of emotions to my shepherd asking her to pray for me. On the last day, we also had a good time of sharing about what we have learnt in the camp. Though it was a short one, I somehow felt refreshed. Don't know how to explain in words though.
After the church camp, I stayed on in Melacca with my friends. We planned to stay on one more night at Mahkota Hotel then the following day, to go further up to KL for one night. Went to play with Nic.. It was REALLY heartwarming to hear him call my name THOUGH shyly! Each time I see him, somehow, my heart just melts. Someone passed a comment that he is easy to love because he has a very sweet spirit. And I second that. He is REALLY very easy to love.
How I spent the extra night in Malacca is yet another story already! For that, it will be in another blog. For now, this is Kawan Go Melaka for me.
5 comments:
whaoo..nice pics! btw, i get what you mean now abt your creative class?? Pic speaks a thousand words..hahaha..=P!!
=) Who's this? Heee.. I have a guess but you tell me. Haaa....!
Oops..hey dear, its me lahh!anyway if by any chance you have decided to put into prac what you have learnt in yr workshop..pls pre-empt me ya! So, when can we expect tt to happen??heheheh..should be fun!!
Welcome back to Sing!!!
Penn: Haha!!! So it's you.. I was guessing along the line that it was you cause I didn't really speak to anyone else with regards to the Creative CG workshop. Hee.. INdeed, picture speaks a thousand words! Yes.. Indeed..If I were to put into prac what I learned in the workshop, I better pre-empt you. But then again, let me pray for GUTS to do the extreme!!
Adrian: Glad to be back!!!
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