Korean Grapes

School holiday will soon end and I will be back to where I should be...the place where He 1st placed me...

Being back to hometown was quite great but I did not get much rest as I wish I would get. Anyway, I am thankful and contented with all that I got.

Christmas was a quiet event with no hu-ha. Just eating and more eating but most of all, I began to ponder what Christmas is all about. It is nothing about food, nothing about carols, nothing about Christmas tree and gifts...nothing about Santa. It was because of His great love for us...that Christmas existed.

So, what are we celebrating? We are celebrating the glory of His presence...we are celebrating Emmanuel...God with us!

After 4 years, I finally read "The Heavenly Man". This is one remarkable book all Christian must read....and repent of how shallow we really know the meaning of being a follower of Christ. I am brought to the ground...to the lowest...to humbleness and humility. All my service were down to nothingness in comparison to what Brother Yun had went through and did and are still doing.
It might sound crazy to some but I truly believe it without any doubt.

Ok....hehe....let me introduce something new to me...and it might be something new to you too.

KOREAN GRAPES!!!

The grapes is round...very round...and the skin is quite thick. The taste...marvelous....very unique....it tasted like wine...I guess they use this type of grapes to make wine. Wahla...it's marvelous....fantastic....so very different from normal grapes I have eaten. We actually bought it by accident thinking that it was a normal grapes.

Now, there is a special way of how you actually eat this Korean Grapes...here's how...

Hold it like above...with it's "head" on top...

Squeeze it and it will come out quite naturally...and eat it...

The skin are not to be eaten...but it's up to you...it's a little bit thick though..

Enjoy!

Blessed Christmas!

Let us remember how much God loves us...that He sent His only Son to earth, so that He might show us the way back to Him.

Christmas is all about His glory
Christmas is about His grace
Christmas is about the gift our Father gave us
More than just a time of giving
This is God's eternal plan
Christmas is reason we can sing again...

A Night of Carols

This year...once again...the carolers from the Anglican came to our house to sing carols and pray....and finally.....makan!!!

My mom invited a few neighbours..some came..some did not...but generally we all had a time.

We ordered the super duper nice nasi dagang and also so-much-better-than-last-Monday satay.

My brother did fruit salad and my mom made some jelly and kuih...

There was only one thing missing this year...my dad...*sigh*

Anyway...Christmas is not about us...it's all about our Lord Jesus...

"For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Saviour,
who is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:11

"A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles,
And the glory of Your people Israel."
Luke 2:32

Wartaku...Sebelum Natal

Countdown...

88 days since TCF Cambodia Mission

23 days since GMC Cambodia Mission

13 days since Pa Adang Mission

11 days since balik kampung

13 days to new school year

81 days to a change of digits

Masa berlalu dengan kelajuan yang begitu laju sehingga saya merasakan bagai baru sahaja semalam semua di atas berlaku.

Fikiran dan hatiku masih berada jauh daripada badanku ini. Saya masih tidak dapat melupakan wajah-wajah guru yang kami temu semasa di Baray serta Phnom Penh. Semangat mereka masih dapat kurasai dan adalah menjadi doaku setiap hari agar semangat itu akan sentiasa berkobar-kobar di dalam diri setiap individu.


Time spent with TCF exco members and others were time I value a lot and it shall stay a sweet memory for me, for as long as my memory stays with me. Being able to meet them in person after seeing their names for years was like a dream come true. I truly value their involvement in TCF because I believe God uses them to keep this TCF alive and energetic. May God continue to use them in many ways and years to come...never think that you are too old for anything because our God is a great God. He uses the weak to shame the strong...the old to shame the young.


Bagi ahli exco yang baru, semoga anda meneruskan perjuangan yang telah diturun-temurun kepada anda dan setiap generasi baru yang akan datang. Ingatlah bahawa nama Tuhan yang kami agungkan dan bukan diri kami sendiri. Oleh itu, berikanlah yang terbaik demi nama Tuhan yang teragung and termulia serta demi pendidikan masa depan. Dia layak dan patut menerima yang terbaik daripada setiap umatnya.

Cambodia is still very much on my mind and heart...so also Pa Adang. "MISSION" is a word that I can never separate from...what more divorcing it. The most challenging mission ground is not those far away from me but it was the very first one God called me into....the school...my school now.


Namun begitu, banyak kali saya cuba menafikan bahawa itulah tanah misiku, kerana tanah itu begitu sukar sekali. Walaupun tanah itu dipenuhi oleh mereka yang bergelar diri mereka pengikut Yesus....Kristian...namun begitu sukar sekali untuk mempercayainya dengan setiap apa yang berlaku dan diperkatakan. Sering kali saya cuba melarikan diri daripada tempat itu dan sentiasa mencari peluang untuk menjauhkan diri daripada tempat itu.

It's just like being in a prison where you are free physically but lock up mentally and emotionally. Just look at those "prisoners" when they were set free...just look at their faces...smilling all the way...the joy that sprung out of them....never looking back even an inch.


Walau apapun yang saya lakukan dan cuba melakukan, untuk berada jauh daripada tempat ini....Tuhan tetap mengingatkan saya bahawa ada tujuannya Dia meletakkan saya di tanah misi ini. Inilah tanah misiku yang pertama dan "bukan bagiku untuk melakukan sesuatu tetapi adalah bagi Tuhan untuk melakukan segala apa yang ingin Dia lakukan. Saya hanyalah pekerjanya sahaja." Ini merupakan kata-kata ibu yang tidak akan saya lupakan sepanjang hidupku di dunia ini...kata-kata yang membuatkan aku merendahkan diriku dan mengubah setiap pandanganku terhadap setiap pelayananku.


I should not chicken out when times are tough and challenging but instead, I should pray and seek Him even more than I should. May the new school year bring much changes into how I handle situations and people...Christian....so-called Christian dan non-Christian alike. May there be a change in my heart and my attitude.

Tuhan dimuliakan di atas segala-galanya!

Junglely Goodie Foodie

This is the story of fruits and wild boar...the halal and the non-halal food. Enjoy it here as much as I enjoyed it there...

This is the way we have our meal every day...a big family of God...
Most of the food were taken from Lawas town and transported into the jungle.
My next story will be food purely from the jungle...

Introducing to you, Thomas...the hunter who helped us hunt a wild boar. He was given 5 bullets but he only used one bullet. This is him after the hunt and back with a wild boar.

This wild boar weights about 80-90kg. So, you can imagine how strong he was in carrying this animal all the way from the jungle back to this valley. Look at the way he tied the wild boar, perfection. The Penans were trained since young to walk through the jungle and carry heavy stuff. They are very strong people, that includes the girls and ladies as well, but it is not good for their health.

I was not at this scene, so I have no idea what was he doing but I guess, preparing to slaughter that animal. Suddenly this wild boar does not look so big anymore..haha

The Penan mothers helped us chopped the wild boar and will help us cook for the big makan later in the night in conjunction with Christmas celebration.

Some find this thing yucky. I agree. It look so "gelifying" BEFORE it is cook but it tasted magnificent AFTER it was cooked. Our missionary Mary boiled soup for us. It was fabulous! No picture, so good no one remember to take any photo.

This is the way we and they cooked all our meals, using firewood. That was the reason why food tasted so nice at this place...the tricks...FIREWOODS...

BBQ pork rib...delicious.... It was little too burnt though but still tasted good. I love it!

This is just a sample of cooked pork. We had this for supper. This is not the same wild boar. This was much earlier. The quantity was limited, so we were all rushing for it like we had not eaten for days....except those who were busy doing dunno what...hehe...

Next...fruits...

This is supposed to be langsat but ok, not so fresh langsat because when I remember to take it, it was already the next day. The new ones? Too nice and too busy eating it. We had lots of langsat during this trip. See how they collected it...

The need to cross over the rivers and climb up the tree to collect the fruits. This is Aron...yes, again...climbing up the tree so naturally.

The girls too, they were the ones collecting langsat for us for few days. Imagine them climbing up the trees. Beautiful people...a unique creation of God. I am amazed.

The wild fruits from the jungle...except the mata kucing, that was from trees planted by one of the pastors.

Don't ask me the name, I don't know. It tasted a little bit like rambutan but not exactly like it. The skin of the fruit is quite hard. The taste...oklah...some sweet, some not so sweet. Anyway, something new to me. Oh yeah, looks like pulasan though.

Aha! This is one fruit I must introduce and recomend. It is actually quite small but I took this picture closed up. The skin is quite soft and opened quite easily. It has seed in the center but it tasted very sweet and juicy. Even though the skin might look a little bit old and rooten but the inside still is perfect. I took lots of this as well. I have never seen this fruit before. I wish they sell it in the market...but too bad...none. Again, don't know the name. *sigh*

-The End-

My Fulfilled Mission..Baa Adang

at the crossroad before the adventure began

I had fulfilled what I've said 2 years ago after my 1st trip to Pa Adang in 2007. I promised that I would return again to this place. Finally, this year, I had the chance to be there once again.

here starts the adventure...Baa Adang Challenge 2009

stuck in the river...the sand was too soft

The last time, the journey on our part was difficult. On 4WD for 4 hours and another 4 hours of jungle trek, crossing 5 rivers. This time, journey on our part was easy. On 4WD for roughly 5 hours, plus trying to get out of the mud and jungle trek for only roughly an hour, crossing only 2 rivers.

Aron, the Penan boy, going against the current of the river.
As you can't see, there's a lot of rocks at the bottom...big and small ones

some of us and the Penans crossing the rushing river...
you've got to have strong legs in order to cross it...
if not, you'll be swept away...hehe

Crossing the 2 rivers as we entered into the jungle were easy because water level was low, because there were hardly any rain those few days and the river looks perfect and beautiful but it was not the same on our way out from the jungle. It rained almost every afternoon, evening and night despite us praying for good weather especially the night before we went out. It has to be no rain, if not, the water level might rise up and there's a possibility that we might not be able to cross it. Haha...God is still our God. It rained the whole night, heavy rain. The 1st river were totally different from what we saw on our way in. We prayed before we crossed it. As how God opened way in the sea during Moses' time, I was very sure, He will make a way for us to cross that rushing river. He did...and I am thankful. That goes for the 2nd river too...that was not so bad but the under current was still quite strong.

Three 4WD on the journey in..another one by Ps Tom,
the rest was driven by David and Samuel..

We had 2 experienced 4WD drivers this time. They were really good and boy, it was not an easy drive....especially the route after crossing over the river. Horrible, terrible and.....vegetable... hehe. But I believed, God was behind every of our journey. Prayer does make a lot of difference. We prayed even harder when we got stuck in the mud and sand and we praised Him for every inch of our perfect journey.

the team with pastors and families, and missionaries

It was nice to meet again with pastors, their wife and family, and also the 2 missionaries including a new one. The kids we met in 2007...most of them had grown up. Some of them moved away. I am really missing them. Almost all of them are attending boarding school. What was left were those small children, in kindergarten.

the congregration presenting a song in Penan language during Sunday service

The church had been shifted to the once upon a time, the classroom. The reason....the old church flooded and it took them a long time to clean the place. They started building new houses for the widows. It's really nice. Built by both Ps Tom and Ps Yahya.

the cast for Christmas skit

the "little angels"...singing carols

We had the priviledges to celebrate an early Christmas with the villagers and giving them a big makan. We came up with a little skit on the day our Lord Jesus was born and sang a Christmas carol. Our bro Peter had prepared us and all with all that were needed for the whole Christmas celebration, clothes, props and Christmas hats for all. It was wonderful even though not many turned up because of the rainy weather. Those from other villages did not turned up.

me, leading the Sunday service worship...
Siew Ping and Adeline, as my back-up..thanks a lot sisters...

I on the other hand, had the privilege of leading all the worship, Wednesday night meeting, children ministry, Christmas celebration and Sunday service worship. I am not a pro but why did I agree with it anyway? Because of only one reason, I love playing guitar and singing at the same time...not for me but all for the glory of God. For God's sake, I'll do anything because I know when He called, He will also equiped. Indeed He did helped me a lot...it's all a new experience for me plus I had the support of wonderful team members.

story and teaching session...the Creation

sun glitter...

Preparing for 3 days children ministry was not easy especially when I had to prepare for my Cambodia mission as well but again, God proved His goodness by giving me ideas just in the nick of time. He came up with 3 Bible stories, the creation, the birth and the cruxifiction. and ressurection. Complete, the most important of all. God created the whole universe, God send His only Son, Jesus Christ to save the world from sin and death, Lord Jesus had to die on the cross so that we could be save and ressurected to show the final victory in the Kingdom of God.

decor...their finished product...very creative children

As I needed to come up with 3 craft works that is related to my teaching, He gave me what I needed. Sun glitter with stickers of all He created (I could find all the type of stickers I needed for creation), the thing that you hung on the door on Christmas...I have no idea what's the name and finally, some decor stuff....just look at the picture lah.

the kampung...part of it..early in the morning...

It was a sad moment to leave this place once again. I still miss Baa Adang very much...and wondering will I ever have the chance to come back. I didn't want to think of this trip as my last but many more to come because just like Cambodia, it's my heart.

the villagers...some of them were shy to take photo...

Cambodia...the 2nd Time Round

My second trip to Cambodia this year had given me another new experience and a totally different view of Cambodia.

the streets of Phnom Penh

In September, the hot weather greeted us at the airport, Phnom Penh and Baray but surprisingly, in November, the cold wind and temperature of only 20'C greeted me as I came out of Phnom Penh International Airport. Something which I did not expect from this land of Cambodia. I felt as if I was in another land and mind you, I was shivering the whole day and night and I did not bring any sweater. I thank God that because of such cool and cold weather, my clothes was enough because I hardly sweat.

the students in one of the schools...5 to a small table

Previous trip I was the young ones with the older ones managing most of the responsibilities, but on this trip I was the not-so-young ones with responsibilities to hold. Keeping and handing out money is my job and indeed a quite confusing job because of the 2 currencies this country is using, paying in USD but getting the change in Cambodian Riyal which holds not much value. Delousing and washing hair for I have no idea how many children and some youth was a new experience for me and though my hands and legs were tired but every work done is for God and His people and I am glad I was a useful tool for Him.

children in Preh Cheak Tuel

God was really good to me this time round, He knows how much I can handle a situation. Most of the time, I will definitely somehow be involved with children but this time, I was not directly involved with children but I just cannot help but 'kehpoh' with children. My heart just cannot go far from them because everytime I see them, the more my heart goes out for this land and it reminded me, the future of Cambodia is in the hands of this young generation and of course, the future is in God's hand. So, it is very important for children to know God before they grow too old to accept anything.

along the Mekong River...

I'm most of the time, almost all the time a solo traveler that includes this trip to Cambodia and carrying some medicine which I have no idea to declare or not. I've prayed much before the trip, during the trip and as I go through the immigration that I would be able to go through it smoothly. Indeed, God showed His goodness once again. They did not ask anything, they did not open anything and I just handed them the declaration form and walked through it. Thank God for such a smooth journey.

the dusty roads

I was 3 hours up North in September to Baray. Now, I was 2 hours down South to Takeo. The journey went through the main roads and also the roads in the village. It was cool season but very dry as well and the roads in the villages were those roads with orange soil. So, when we passed through, the ground will be totally filled with orange dust. I pity the villagers on the road. Their white shirts will definitely turned orange in no time.

The places we went was more than in September. We visited 3 villages, Ang Krosang, Preh Cheak Tuel and Trapeng Reang, all in the province of Takeo. We visited the Methodist School of Cambodia, Methodist Bible School, the garbage dump, a local church in Phnom Penh, missionary's house and a shopping mall (there are many shopping malls in Phnom Penh!!). We walked through the side of Mekong River, the park near the palace and passed many parks and Naga World, the one and only casino in Phnom Penh.

beef noodles...from a shop...not the one in Russian Market

Last but not least, food. Got to try out more types of food and some were same food but at different places. Cambodia is quite rich with food especially Chinese food. The best food still can be found at the local hawker stall. People dare not eat from the hawker because they were afraid of the cleanliness of the stall and food but it's proven quite safe. I finally managed to eat a bowl of beef noodles at a still inside Russian market and a cup of freshly squeezed orange juice. It was the best breakfast I had in Cambodia. The traditional and unique way of eating. We managed to see a little bit more of Russian market. That place actually sells everything.

medical mission

That's all I would like to share this time round. There's so much to share but I guess this is enough. Lastly...to God be all the glories!!! =)