7 years in Miri

Countdown

37 days to Cambodia (TCF)

111 days to Cambodia Medical Mission (GMC)

153 days left 4 me to meet the person

Happy 7th year in Miri to me, myself and I.

This was the day I arrived Miri 7 years ago...in the year 2003. My 1st room I rented was at Lot 196, then I moved to Lot 169 and soon...I shall be moving to a HOUSE!!! Finally...

God has been very good and faithful during this 7 years of my life in Miri. I came here not knowing anything about this place but now, I feel deeply in love with this land. I consider this my 2nd home...this is where my heart is.

Many things had changed during the period of 7 years. This town used to be quite safe and clean but not now....too many cases of gangsters, house broken into, vehicles broken into and stolen, rape, killing and snatch thief and everything else a city in Malaysia would be famous of.

But despite all, the harvest is just so plentiful....just waiting for people to harvest it but it's really sad to see that only a handful of people saw the harvest and do something. The rest saw and did nothing...others....saw nothing or just couldn't care less.

May God continue to use me as His instrument in this land that He had placed me...to be a blessing and to be blessed as well.

May God continue to bless this land and its people...that one day, all shall come before Him in declaration that He is Lord of all.

Thank you, Father for this 7 wonderful years in Miri...I'm proud to be a "Mirian"...hehe....

The remaining years, may it be fruitful....

To God be the glory!

Miri TCF Teachers' Day

Countdown

Done with Miri TCF Teachers' Day-Glorious day!

4 days to 7th year

41 days to Cambodia (TCF)

115 days to Cambodia Medical Mission (GMC)

157 days left 4 me to meet the person

It was the fastest moving weekend. One second I was at the start of it, another second I was at the end of it. With not much break in between and kept on moving, I partly know not what was I doing, I was simply doing.


It was a wonderful conference and dinner. The talk...sharing was fabulous. So encouraging, so building, so on fire. I'm humbled by the many sharing of teachers after the talk in the morning. It burnt the fire that was slowly dying in me.

Dr Tang

The sharing by TCF Sarawak chairman, Dr Tang was wonderful. He traveled almost the whole of Sarawak, into the interior to visit teachers. Wow...I'm glad someone is doing that. It has been my dream to do that, to encourage the teachers, to show them that they are not forgotten...but it's just MY dream that was not the LORD's dream for me to do. He had other dreams for me but the fire to continue to reach out to the indigenous people of Sarawak in still very much alive in me. I believe this is the reason God sent me here.

The bubbly Ms Khoo a.k.a. Aunty Seok Lin...
She's one amazing and awesome creation of God.
So lovely...so beautiful...I stand amazed.

Ms Khoo Seok Lin a.k.a Aunty Seok Lin, the main speaker for the whole Saturday, morning and night was just an awesome speaker. Why I say this? Haha...Because I was already very fond of her even before I met her, but to be able to meet her in person, to hear her share in person was a huge bonus from God.

"Why?", you asked. It's a long story but in short, her writing in In Step which God had particularly chose for me to read among the so many In Steps, touched me and through that article, God spoke to me and it changes my life from the inside out. How could I forget such things?

The group at the conference in the morning...
small...means lots of people...hehe

I am always reminded from which the heights I have fallen and how far God went to pick me up. Her story in the article and also what she shared in the morning speaks very much of my own life. It actually brought tears to my heart. God's beloved! Wonderful!

Two of God's living testimonies of His goodness & faithfulness.

Thank You, Lord for always showing Your goodness and faithfulness to us..to me...to everyone. I stand amazed at Your work.

*picture source : FB of John Liew

Me in Desperation :P

Countdown

3 days to Miri TCF Teachers' Day

11 days to 7th year

48 days to Cambodia (TCF)

122 days to Cambodia Medical Mission (GMC)

164 days left 4 me to meet the person

Time is running out. I'm still at the crossroad. Pening...pening...pening...

Desperate case...so many things, so little time....with a little bad virtue, malas. Aiyo!

Sleepless nights just thinking about it. Prayed about it but too anxious to be listening to Him....bad.

Learning to be still before Him but can you imagine it, praying time also still thinking about it...gila.

Help...give me ideas...give me suggestions...!!

In desperation...I need to be still and fully surrender it unto Him, just like once upon a time. It does help. Why can't I learn from the past?

Today's post is out of desperation and gilaness...haha...

Welcome to my life!

And, wahla...this year Cambodia medical mission, guess what's my responsibility?

Children ministry....LEADER!!! Help needed once again!!!

Must be reminded....no complain....and..."When He callled, He will also equips".

I'm trusting in Him.

I am not able but He is able and He will enable me to do what He wants done.

To Him be the glory!

Help!

Ngiling Bidai

Countdown

6 days to Miri TCF Teachers' Day

14 days to 7th year

51 days to Cambodia (TCF)

125 days to Cambodia Medical Mission (GMC)

167 days left 4 me to meet the person

Ranyai...the tree in the middle with gifts hanging on it.

Last night, we had a wonderful Ngiling Bikai celebration even though I was hardly in the hall to watch the whole event going on. I have been in Sarawak for almost 7 years but this was the first time I heard of that term. The teachers worked like crazy...tired we may be but it's still an event I managed to experience.

Ngajat (dance), cut the gift, throw in the money

Ngiling Bikai, simply translated means, "gulung tikar". This is not the same meaning as the 'simpulan bahasa' which carries the meaning bankkrup but it marks the end of Gawai Dayak Celebration, just like Chap Goh Meh for the Chinese New Year.

Pansuh manuk -chicken cooked in bamboo...delicious local delicacies

There's this one thing I just found out after all the visitation to long house. Hmm...I just found out that during certain celebration or receiving of visitors, the long house would actually changed their floor mat to rubber floor mat along the 'ruai' and changed it back to normal rattan mat or whatever leaves mat after everything is over. Cool! The trouble they take...impressed me.

Life is rolling fast before me but work is crawling slow along with me. *sigh*

For once, I'll be sharing tomorrow on mission to SMK Suai and till now, I have specific idea on what to actually share. Like always, I'm simply trusting the Holy Spirit to give me words. May all that I share be not directed to me, myself and I...or we, and ourselves, but be directed fully unto Him who enabled it.

My new hairstyle...not on my request

Sometimes....

Countdown

10 days to Miri TCF Teachers' Day

18 days to 7th year

55 days to Cambodia (TCF)

129 days to Cambodia Medical Mission (GMC)

171 days left 4 me to meet the person

Some of my colleagues of Spe Ed

As you can see, I've been quite occupied the last week. It was craziness...not because I had so much things to do but, because I do not really know what I need to do even though I know I need to do it. Confusing? That was the real situation. Totally confusing. Anyway, part of the confusion is gone for the moment, meaning TODAY! It's another whole new story TOMORROW!

Arrival of students & teachers of Imgok Middle School, South Korea @ Miri Airport

TODAY...is indeed the day that the Lord had made...but I spoilt it. I count it a totally messed up day. Not a day I would like to remember but I think I would remember it for the rest of my remembered life. Meaning, as long as I remember it, I would. :P

Visitation of the Koreans to long house...
They (the students) should learn a little manners...*sigh*

SOMETIMES...life really sucks!

SOMETIMES...I'm totally lost in the presence of God...so unworthy, so wrong, that I have no words to say except, "I'm SORRY!".

SOMETIMES...life just does not make sense...and I seem to living in fantasy, hoping for something which clearly I know is not important at all.

SOMETIMES...I did the most stupid thing that I regretted even thinking about doing it...ok...maybe I was not even thinking, I just did it.

SOMETIMES...I just wish I could shut my mouth and "see" nothing, "hear" nothing, "speak" nothing, "do" nothing.

SOMETIMES...I just wish I could run and run and run and run and run and run....hit and hit and hit and hit and hit and hit and hit....just to release my tension.

AND I thank God that all above does not happen ALL THE TIME! =)

Just SOMETIMES!

TODAY is the day of SOMETIMES....

AND today is when I know that I need Him ALL THE TIME because I am so weak.

JOY in the time of CHALLENGES! *smile*

The infamous "KP" resting at the long house.

Sabah...Cuti-Cuti Malaysia

Countdown

Done with Christian Teachers' Day, S'wak

19 days to Miri TCF Teachers' Day

27 days to 7th year

64 days to Cambodia (TCF)

138 days to Cambodia Medical Mission (GMC)

180 days left 4 me to meet the person

Wow! Looking at my countdown, my "mission" will be ending soon..I hope to be saying.."I've done what the Lord had asked me to do and brought glory unto Him...and now, I am ready to go." .....haha... I wish. Oh yeah...minus the last countdown, even if I did not meet that person, it does not matter at all....because I'll be meeting my Master....the best part of all.

Well, enough of some nonsense and introductory of my post for today.

I've yet to post about our trip to Sabah...cuti-cuti Malaysia.

It's like a dream come true for me. I've heard so much about Sandakan and I told myself, "I must go to this talk about place."

Finally, I managed to go there last holiday after my PTK examination, together with DL. What's greater than just going there? We DROVE there! And we drove a total of 1997km. I'm breaking my own record and wonder when will be my next breaking record again.

View from Kinabalu Pine Resort, Kundasang

Again, just a reminder to you, my dear readers (if anyone actually read-lah...haha...if not, that would be me, myself and I), it's all by His grace and enabling. I give no credit to myself but all credits should to One who were with us from the very beginning of our journey till the end of it. We went there by faith and He proved Himself faithful till the very end. Thank You! I owe it all unto You.

View from Fairy Garden Resort, Kundasang

Anyway, we took a total of 8 days to travel all the way from Miri right up to Sandakan. In between, we stayed 1 night in Sipitang, 2 nights in Kundasang, 3 nights in Sandakan and 1 night in Beaufort. We entered into Limbang, Lawas, Papar, Tamparuli, Ranau where we had our lunch when we stayed in Kundasang, Telupid and not forgetting the infamous Kota Kinabalu and Likas.

My faithful Myvi that we traveled with...Perodua Boleh!

I love the weather in Kundasang, cool and fresh, cold in the night. The scenic view was so lovely I could stay there forever. Mount Kinabalu was very visible early in the morning, bringing back memories back in 2004 and 2005, when I was once there and younger. Only one thing, new construction was heavily in process causing the Kundasang town to be jammed pack with cars, dust and deserting the whole shops in town. The whole place was so so totally different when I was there 5 years ago where the town was full of live but yet, peaceful and the freshness was there, unlike now. Sad...

Town of Sandakan...not the main town

Sandakan is indeed a lovely place after we were there a little longer but frankly, we were quite disappointed and regretted coming to Sandakan, when we first arrived at the town center. It was so old and ancient and it felt like as if we were in the wrong era. Anyway, our view changed after we know of the whole area of Sandakan. It is actually a very huge area with lots of people and cars. I like the most was The English Tea House...simply because it was so English...and I wish it has the weather of Kundasang, then it would be perfect.

Fishing Village...the house where we had our breakfast.
Photo taken from Restaurant Sim-Sim 88.

Food was the main attraction in Sandakan...especially seafood...cheap and fresh. I was so tempted to buy the huge prawns for just RM25 per kg. It was so cheap and it just came out of the sea. I dared not take so much prawns due to its high cholesterol but boy, it was really tempting...I love prawns...and all kinds of seafood. I am so thankful I am not in Sandakan, then I don't think I would be able to be the size I am today...no way...I'll be like double or maybe triple my size.

1 Malaysia...steamboat place where it's up a hill... Who would know such eating place existed..

Language was a huge problem to me in Sandakan and actually the whole Sabah. I do not speak any Chinese dialects except Hokkien, but I did relearned my Mandarin when I was Miri because everyone speaks Mandarin BUT...I was shocked that everyone speaks Cantonese in Sandakan!! I understand a tiny bit of it and spoke none. That's it, I was doomed in Sandakan. What's worse? This people should learn how to speak English and maybe our national language, Bahasa Melayu. I mean people and hawkers in KL are fast improving themselves, they speak English very well...or at least they speak and understand English-lah.

The nice and lovely St Michael's Anglican Church, Sandakan.

Then, when it comes to BM, aiyoh....begitu Indon intonasi mereka. Gue gak ngerti apa luk cakap. I tried to speak even more baku than when I speak in Sarawak but I still could not get their "song". Problem...but somehow I understand the important stuff, like when I asked for directions. Thank God.

Seafood fresh from the sea...cheap...very cheap...

We enjoyed our trip there very much and give our thanks to our Father and to many other people who made our trip a memorable one....and made us look forward to another trip to the Land Below the Wind...particularly, Sandakan, because I have yet to try my lobster, Ocean King Seafood Restaurant and UFO, and the Tip of Borneo, Kudat.