It's great to be back at work and some random photos

-
While I was back at work last week Thursday, it is only today that I seem to be getting back into work rhythm. And if feels great (despite my nose deciding to take up running this morning). Only drawback is that I feel cold today!

So far, worked on my Sunday presentation, done my pastor's notes (and worked out the seeds for the next few weeks), and did spadework for my sermon series on parables.

Unfortunately my guest preacher for 1 Aug is not able to make it so it will mean speaking 6 weeks out of 6 instead of 5 out of 6. Good news is that finished the first last Sunday and that response was very good! :-) But I am looking forward to preaching this series so that's a major part of the work done. Even had time for visitation earlier this afternoon and now only realized that I had no time for lunch! Having too much of a good time :-) And it is interesting that my stomach did not growl a reminder (for a change!). Looks like one of the side effects of my Malaysian "run" and subsequent "pain in the behind" might have been the slight shrinking of my stomach size! Some people have openly told me that I have lost weight! What?! In winter? "How can one ..." Tale of the scales confirm that I have indeed lost weight :-)

There's so much to do the next few weeks so it is great to feel up beat rather than stressed. May the good times continue to roll.

I suppose a lot has to do with feeling good to be alive! :-)

Looked at some of the photos in my camera ... first is at our home group's farewell party for Amos. Good memories of good food and fellowship and a group that cares for each other.

Then next is a photo of the courtesy room I stayed in while on transit (in KL) to Phnom Penh. The Pan Pacific Hotel. Crazy! The room and bathroom is at least 2/3 the size of my whole house in Auckland!

Then the next is a family we visited while in Cambodia.  As usual balloons come in super handy. :-)

And the fourth os a photo of some of Cambodian youth who came for the youth camp we organized. This is the pre-group photo shot - of everyone trying to organize themselves so we can take a group photo.

Why the poor quality shot? I am not the official camera man ... Still waiting for the official photo DVD. We all have been so busy since returning.

The last is a piece of craft / art work done by an extremely poor Cambodian girl. She recently (less than a month) became a Christian and made this as a gift to the church as an expression of her thanks and love for Christ. We visited her family and she is dirt poor. Family of six live in a one room hut built illegally but with permission on land owned by a temple. Fear is that if the temple authorities discover she is a Christian, they may no longer allow them to live there. Her mother (interested but not a Christian) is now reluctant to allow the missionary to do Bible study with her at her home. But what was so amazing is that they had so little but gave us longans (mata kuching) and rambutans they specially bought from the market for us. The fruits were clearly luxuries they could ill afford but such was their hospitality. Our hope is to be allowed to help her with her education. She is a bright and hardworking girl.

How can I not be upbeat and thankful to God for work (esp satisfying work) that gives me and my family, shelter,  food and clothing and so many other extras when I see how others have so little and yet are so thankful?

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Forgiving the Church (Henri Nouwen)

-
Had to post this up! Another gem from Henri Nouwen that is so relevant for today! I have highlighted in red what especially resonates with me as it has bothered me for years that there is a fast growing number of Christians who think they can have Christ without the church. Then back to work. I have finalized my magic routine fro this Sunday - now just need to practice and coordinate with "the Weeman" so our acts flow smoothly from one to the other. Forgiving the Church When we have been wounded by the Church, our temptation is to reject it. But when we reject the Church it becomes very hard for us to keep in touch with the living Christ. When we say, "I love Jesus, but I hate the Church," we end up losing not only the Church but Jesus too. The challenge is to forgive the Church. This challenge is especially great because the Church seldom asks us for forgiveness, at least not officially. But the Church as an often fallible human organization needs our forgiven...
Read more

The Ideal / Perfect pastor

-
Image
The Ideal / Perfect Pastor .... from various sources :-) I had better not add my own lest it be misunderstood. LOL The Perfect Pastor The perfect pastor preaches exactly 10 minutes. He condemns sin roundly but never hurts anyone’s feelings. He works from 8am until midnight and is also the church janitor. The perfect pastor makes $40 a week, wears good clothes, drives a good car, buys good books, and donates $30 a week to the church. He is 29 years old and has 40 years experience. Above all, he is handsome. The perfect pastor has a burning desire to work with teenagers, and he spends most of his time with the senior citizens. He smiles all the time with a straight face because he has a sense of humor that keeps him seriously dedicated to his church. He makes 15 home visits a day and is always in his office to be handy when needed. The perfect pastor always has time for church council and all of its committees. He never misses the meeting of any church organizat...
Read more

Geoffrey Woo Ramblings

-
Image
It was nice to reconnect with Geoffrey via Facebook (Yes FB has it's positives) earlier this year. I first met him more than 25 years ago! And I got to know him and his heart when we served together in a special SU Camp. That was the year too I first got to know my good friend Allan Yong. Allan Yong became an inspiration for me (a good role model of a man of God on fire for God ... and he still is) especially in the area of youth work (but that is another story) Anyway Geoff (now may be known as Geo?) made a big impression on me as well. Down to earth and to me a bit of an "eccentric"! A "greenie" before being green was "an in-thing". He would cycle practically everywhere on his bike, often turning up sweaty! :-) But he had a passion for Jesus that was very evident (and I hear that this passion has not waned but has kept growing! Praise God!) One major thing I picked up from him that still has remained as a huge impression on me was his deep sense ...
Read more