Just Another Blog Out There

Went to try out rock climbing with Huayang and friends this morning. It was quite a fun exercise, and this is the "gift" I got from the rock wall:


No big deal actually, I had worse experiences with rope burns. Actually this photo is just for comic relief, so laugh all you want (especially for HY...go ahead... :)

Didn't managed to climb all the way up the wall, simply because I lack in both strength and technique. Nevertheless, I think it's a good sport to take up, considering that I always wanted to get into rock climbing since JC days, but never got around doing it.

I like the way Weiqiang 'sees' the rock wall and rock climbing: it's really nothing more than a wall, where you can put all your focus in conquering it, and you can challenging yourself with different routes. Some routes are easy, while there are others that will test your limits.

Isn't it the same with life? No matter what life throws at you, live life with a focus, and know that there are many ways to achieve a dream.

It was cross-cultural missions at my doorstep.

The Gateway Cities Youth Convention (GCYC) concluded successfully...by that I mean all the foreign delegates have packed their bags and went home. However, the work done in me because of this convention is far from finished. Frankly, I initially wasn't too keen on going for this convention (was thinking of purposely planning a overseas trip to coincide with the GCYC dates, but didn't come to pass for some reason or another), because my mindset is that to take three days/one weekend off to listen about and pray for other countries isn't really what I look forward to do over a weekend. :/

But as always, God never shortchange me when I just submit to His purposes. It is tiring to sit through the presentation of 18 teams from 11 countries, listening and praying for them. What I received in return, beyond expectations, was immense blessings by simply serving, loving and praying for them. The problems youths are facing in these cities can be very different from what we experience in Singapore; the church in Vietnam faces persecution from the authorities, while Tokyo faces an alarming youth suicide rate, while other cities are not that different, such as an aging church population and declining moral standards among the youths.

What was most fulfiling, beyond all the presentations, was the chance to meet foreign Brothers/Sisters-in-Christ up close. More than just a name on the map, I now can associate the city with a face—there is a friend I know in Ho Chi Minh City or Medan or Kuala Lumpur. There is now an affective bond (as opposed to just a cognitive one) that links me to that city. And as Ps Eugene shared in one of the sessions, the purpose of this whole convention is to achieve just that. The doctrine of being one body in Christ regardless of our nationality, colour or tongue suddenly becomes (more) real.

I pray that as God leads, let this not be an end in itself, but rather a start of something larger.