Wet and Cold Tuesday

Above: Sitting in the library...

Finally finished the missions practicum reflection paper! *phew* Praise God. Handed it up today, feeling very victorious - in the Lord of course :P - if not for His grace, I wouldn't have been able to think of what to write! Of course, my brief encounter with Pig yesterday on Gtalk cheered me up loads. Thanks, girl!:D

Attended chapel mid-morning. It was good to sing 'Give thanks... with a grateful heart' - and remember that because of what He had done for us, the weak can say they are strong...and the poor can say they are rich. Felt very encouraged by the message preached by visiting lecturer, Dr. Jeff Anderson - who is an American...but he's been spending many years in Somalia, Kenya and Ethiopia, doing the work of God. It really spoke to me about the urgent need of missions work all around the world. Brought me to remember the words in a song that challenged me 5 years ago, "Who will go for us... who will shout to the corners of the earth...that Christ is King..." The voices of the people in the unreached nations still hungrily cry out today for the truth... "Who will come to us...."

Who will go to them?

Anyway... After chapel, I handed up my assignments... then climbed all the way up to the library (tomorrow, I am going to make it a point to count the number of steps), and sat there to do my quiet-time. As it did not stop pouring outside with rain, by the time the bell rang for lunchtime, I was freezing and shivering! Was glad of the warm lunch served at the canteen! Rice, stir-fried spinach, vegetarian dish, curry squid. Yum! :)

I want to thank God for never letting me go hungry while I study at MBTS... Even though the money in my savings might run low... but somehow God makes food come in unexpectedly from various places! Fruits (the commonest item received), biscuits, occassional yogurt bars, fruit-juices (It's like a sign I'm supposed to load up on the vitamins!!! Probably to keep my immune system strong...), etc... The Wongs are the main channels of provisions of course, and it makes me very paiseh when they do give me presents of food or when Aunty Wong cooks nourishing meals to feed the hungry (me)... coz they know and I know that I can't possibly pay them back anytime soon. I just hope I am not draining off their resources or something. May God provide their needs in full, for blessing me so much. We are supposed to love our neighbours as we love ourselves... but they seem to love me more than they love themselves sometimes. Aunty Wong and Uncle Wong sometimes give me things that they wouldn't even buy for themselves.. @_@ Talk about going the extra mile! Their generosity and hospitality humble me all the time.

Thank You, Lord... for the Wongs.

Learning to be a good and creative steward of God's provisions is not easy. But I am eager to try hard each month. All kinds of methods have been tried... :P *laughs* I think the one I am currently using kinda works best. Might try this for a few months, and see what the outcome is. However, I am very grateful for little love-gifts that come rolling into my lap every now and then - they've honestly stretched and sustained my provisions - that I have faith that I'll have enough to last me till the end of this year - even after having gone for mission trip and paid all my fees! Beyond that, I know God would bring in more provisions from now till then, so that I would have sufficient to live on for the months ahead.

Anyway, enough with the money talk!

Kevin T. (our mission team leader) created a very wonderful poster for our mission trip (Every mission team that attended STCM i.e. School of Transcultural Mission, was supposed to come up with their own team posters to be displayed somewhere sometime - hehe, I apologize for my blur-ness)... Sorry it can't be enlarged, but I have got to say that I like it very much! :) Good job, Kevin!

Meditated on Psalm 40 today - and it brought me much joy and strength to read the words the psalmist wrote...especially in the following verses:

Vs 4: "Blessed are those who make the LORD their trust, who do not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods..."
Vs. 5: "Many, LORD my God, are the wonders You have done, are the things You planned for us. None can compare with You; were I to speak and tell of Your deeds, they would be too many to declare."
Vs. 16: "...may all who see You rejoice and be glad in You; may those who long for Your saving help always say, 'THE LORD IS GREAT!' "

Amen! Indeed, the LORD is GREAT!