Little Lamb Rachel

This post is really dedicated to my members to tell your the fun that your missed out and hopefully, we can all go for next year’s retreat.

Upon reaching the hotel, we had ice-breakers, led by Kheen Teen and he’s good, very GOOD!!! All 3 ice-breakers broke the ice and there is always a learning point behind every ice breaker and the learning point links back to our Zone Retreat’s theme – CONNECT. In essence, we want everybody to CONNECT to God, CONNECT to one another, CONNECT to oneself.

Can you guess what we were trying to do?

The second ice-breaker that we had was to build the longest standing tower using 8 pieces of newspaper and we only had a scissor and a scotch tape. Remember we did that in CG few weeks ago only but using straws?

After building that tower, we are supposed to make as many connections with the other teams (there will 12 teams) and we need to take a photo first before we can make connection with the other team. After the picture, we need to use rafia string to tie our tower to their tower. It was quite interesting and you can hear lots of shouts, cheers and sense the excitement in the air.

After the ice-breakers, we break for lunch and check in to our rooms and had some free time. Andreas shared the Word during the evening around 5pm and after that, we had dinner by the pool. BUT the sky was not co-operating. After just taking 4 spoonfuls of food, it POURED!!! All of us drop everything and cheong to the shelter. So, in the end, we had dinner under the shelter and was entertained by the musicians and singers.

They not only sang oldies for the older folks, evergreen songs, they even sang Xmas Carols at our request. The best part was they even know how to sing that theme song “Wo Meng Tian” of that Taiwan soap opera that Channel 8 was showing.

We also celebrated some of the members’ birthday in November & December.

After dinner, some members went for massage, others went to have a game of pool and bowling. For me, I was so tired that I can KO while watching them play bowling. So I actually went to bed at 1030pm as super tired.

The next day, we had the sharing of the Word by Agnes. After that, we break for lunch, had some free and easy time before gathering back again in the function rooms to announce the best cheer and some prize giving and appreciation. Then we check out and headed for the jetty.

All in all, it was a fun, balanced, spiritual trip…Just that we all felt that it’s too short. So guys, we are planning that for next year, we should go for a 3D2N retreat. Even if it means that we may need to take leave to go for the retreat, shall we all go together? Your don’t know how “lonely” I was without my members. Haha…

It’s one of those nights that I can’t sleep.
I don’t have insomnia problems and usually is when things bother me or I have “xin shi” then I can’t sleep.

So many wounded sheep but yet the healthy sheep are not really doing much to help, not stepping out of their comfort zone. Seems to me that everyone is so self-centered and couldn’t care less. No emotional support, that’s what one wounded said.

There are so many things that I want to do but how can I achieve them when I feel so lonely fighting the battle on my own? Even when I have met the mature ones and there are certain things that I have addressed before but still I don’t see any change. Either I’m very bad at motivating, encouraging, inspiring people or they are simply not teachable?

Throughout this whole year, I felt so alone in taking the group and I never really felt that they supported me and with me all the way. Have I not given my time, support, care & concern and prayers? Have I not done enough? They don’t even initiate to meet me for a meal or drink, just to fellowship. Now, with a little one, I wonder how I’m going to cope and whether can I still continue? I’m really tired taking the group – no breakthroughs, no deep relationship, my heart is grieved.

Someone said to me, “Many people in this world are takers, rather than givers..” One person told me that he/she felt that whatever he/she has given is more than what he/she has received..Well, that’s what I felt too..Sometimes, I too feel that I have been taken for granted but what can I do when I’m a leader.

Would anyone of them know that I’m writing this blog in the early hours at 1.30am when I still need to feed the little one? Who really cares if I cry over the group?

I’m so tired, so disappointed, with no more motivation, no more fighting spirit, no more reason to continue on…I’m also a normal human being and there’s also so much that I can handle.

It’s the hearts of the people that really saddens me…

Two of my cg members are going for mission trip tmr..After being a leader for sometime,I’m really happy that finally I have members who want to go for mission trips and experience for themselves what it’s like to be out there in the mission field.

I’m proud of my members for taking that step of faith to do it. Though there were many last minute changes – like they were told at 7pm+ that is postponed to May. Then suddenly at10+,they were told that is on again. Mission trips are always like that – there will always be last minute changes here and there.

Just pray for my members to be able to rest well in the coach tmr morning and they will go there with a great attitude and their lives are tremendously impacted. I can’t wait to hear what they have to share with the cg next week..

One of my CG member was sharing with us just now how God has blessed her in her job.

The God that we serve is indeed a God who is faithful & true to His words. Malachi says that “we can test God in the area of giving…” And indeed tithing opens up the heaven over our life.

In the midst of a economic recession where companies are cutting jobs, my member received a letter of promotion and pay increment of 15%. PRAISE THE LORD! One of the pleasure or happiness that I dervied in my serving as a CGL is to see all my members doing well & shining for the Lord.

I’m so happy for her. I pray that all my members will be protected from this economic storm & all of them will prosper, be promoted, favor of man & increment to come in their life.

I’m also praying for my bonus, which I will be receiving end Feb. I pray that God will answer the desires of my heart. In the midst of giving to A&B, renovating my hse, etc, God will be the One who adds into my (and of course my dear dear) life.

It’s been a wet & rainy Xmas 2008 this year.

Good thing is it didn’t really dampen the mood though the feel of Xmas isn’t that strong this year. Probably due to the gloomy economy or the weather. It was still a joyous celebration in church, seeing many people touched by the love of God & giving their lives to Jesus.

Till now, I have not step into Orchard to see the Xmas lightings but my member was telling me that it’s not really that great. She said, “Oh,it was like many lights on a garbage truck lor…” I was like, “HUH, really??”..

Whether there’s Xmas light or not, Jesus is still the light of the world & I’m really happy that as a zone, we have 22 decisions made for Christ and I have 1 salvation decision in my CG. Praise The Lord!

My CG is organizing a BBQ next week & I’m very proud of all my members. Instead of always waiting for instructions from me, they started the ball rolling by booking the pit,planning the food & even automatically inviting their friends to join us.

It started with one member emailing everyone to confirm if they can make it & somehow,the chain of emails started by the rest saying what they can help out with. Hmm.. Is this a hint to me that maybe next time I shall leave it to them to plan such outings/fellowship sessions? Probably when they begin to do it,there is a sense of belonging & ownership.

I’m really happy to see all of them putting their help & volunteering their service to make the BBQ a success. Now,we have to pray for good weather & all the friends will turn up & everyone will enjoy themselves and know one another even better.