UpdateS

So much has happened since I last wrote in March, the last six months has been like a roller coaster ride, with so many Highs and Lows, yet through it all God has been beside me all along on the ride.

* Warning! This will be an exceptionally long post to make up for the lost writings.

As I was telling a friend, this year has been a really significant year (not that the previous years of my life weren’t) but somehow, this year, things seemed a little different and part of the reason was that there were a few ‘firsts’.

One of them was flatting and for a first timer like me, I believe that it is a bold thing to flat with eight people - four girls (all Malaysians at this point of time, but it really depends at how to look at it since I am not a Kiwi, but previously it was three Malaysians/Kiwi girls and one America) and four boys (all Caucasian Kiwis). It has been a rather interesting experience in terms of making decisions, cleaning, cooking etc. As we are part of TSCF (Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship), it is a Christian flat where we learn to build a community of students, supporting each other not only in our walk with God but also in other areas of our lives. Basically, we learn to live life together. It is like a second family and I am still able to call it ‘home’ which often confuses people.

The other first was fund raising for a mission trip which went really well, better than I had expected. God had provided through so many kind people and my deepest gratitude to all who have supported me. This leads on to my next first which was going to Japan where I attended the East Asia Regional Conference (EARC) in Tokyo recently. I was one of the student delegates representing TSCF at EARC. It was a great time of learning more about what God had and has been doing among the university students in East Asia. The stories that were shared by the different movements similar to TSCF have really touched my heart because of God's grace, mercy, love and faithfulness to each one of us. It was also great to be in touched with my Asian side which I truly miss. Someday, I would really like to return to Japan and work or (hopefully) live.

The other thing that was on my mind quite a bit was my future, mainly because this is my final year and trimester and soon, I will be done with university in 3 months time….WOHOO!!!! I am no longer a student. I’m not sure whether it’s a good thing or not. If you had asked me a month earlier, I wouldn't have been able to tell you what my plans were for next year but after my trip to Japan, I am much clearer or what I will be doing next year. I’d say that my trip in Japan has not only taught me more about God but also other areas of my life.

(At committee debrief last Thursday, where we had a SPLENDID time (or at least I did), we reflected on the good and the not so good (which humbled us) that has happened in ICF in the past one year. God has been very faithful to the committee and the group itself. I am able to say that my time of serving on committee has come to an end in God’s own time. I didn't feel like this last year because part of me still wanted to serve.)

Now, I am ready to move on to other things while still serving Him faithfully and that is Minty – an internship with TSCF. I still can't believe how keen and at peace I am about doing it. Besides that, I have been offered a job for next year at an early childhood centre which is part of a church, Elim so I would be working there part time while doing Minty. God is great!!!!

The other thing that I would like to share was a message that I had received from a long lost friend which caused me to nearly be in a state of tears when I read what she ahs written, because of how I thought our friendship was at lost. I don't know when exactly our friendship began to be remote but we are both at fault. However, I thank God for bringing us together (after so long) and I really mean it. I was overjoyed at the opportunity of being given a second chance, knowing that I am still part of her life. Thank you so much. God is awesome!

I think I have also become a stronger person because of the people around me and I think I have definitely changed, hopefully a better and much more matured person than I was before. I must say that it is definitely not without the help of God Himself. He's taught me so much in these five years that I have been here in New Zealand. Although, there is still so much that I am learning about Him and my life.

Ironic, how my previous post was about the tea cup story and it was posted six months ago

; P