Prayer

Been reading the book Prayer by Philip Yancey and been challenged to think hard about my perspective of prayer and what I pray about. A few of the chapters are about our partnership with God and how prayer and action (living out our faith in God) go hand-in-hand. This is an interesting little bit of text that is found in the book that makes you really consider what the focus of your prayers are and the actions you do and do not take as a result of those prayers.

A Franciscan Benediction

May God bless you with discomfort
At easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships
So that you may live deep within your heart.

May God bless you with anger
At injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people,
So that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.

May God bless you with tears
To shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger and war,
So that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and
To turn their pain into joy.

And may God bless you with enough foolishness
To believe that you can make a difference in the world,
So that you can do what others claim cannot be done
To bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.

On another note, I'm almost half-way through my MPD! Sitting on around 45% monthly and already have over 50% of the one-time gifts needed!

It doesn't feel quite like Christmas (I don't know what Christmas is supposed to feel like anymore), but aside from being reminded of the salvation we have through Jesus, and to trust in God's timing, this Christmas seems that much more special because reaching the half-way mark in my support raising is a huge answer to prayer and experiencing firsthand God's provision is one of the best gifts anyone could receive.

But what is still needed to get me over the line: more prayer and action.

Testimony by a North Korean student

Watched this video awhile ago now. Her testimony was very moving. Really need to pray for North Korea.

I'm so bad at updating my blog! Christmas is coming up so soon too!

Been having a lot of appointments to meet people and share about what I'll be doing next year. I'm currently at about 35% of the total and and slowly getting less and less people I can contact, so if you know anyone else who might be interested in supporting the ministry in Japan next year please let me know!!

Only two months to go before the deadline!

Gen. 26

I'm a quarter of the way there! Around 26.5% if I want to be a little more exact. Really hoping to be half way through by the end of this month. By my own efforts that would be impossible but I'm really reminded of how God provided for and blessed Abraham and Isaac, recorded in Genesis 26:

²The LORD appeared to Isaac and said, “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land where I tell you to live. ³Stay in this land for a while, and I will be with you and will bless you. For to you and your descendants I will give all these lands and will confirm the oath I swore to your father Abraham. ⁴I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and will give them all these lands, and through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, ⁵because Abraham obeyed me and did everything I required of him, keeping my commands, my decrees and my instructions.”

God always keeps his promises! And even though I know I'm going to be away from what I'm comfortable for awhile, I know that as I stay, obey and do as the Lord tells me to then His blessing will be there too. And of course He is there with me every step of the way.

Will be exciting to see how things turn out in the next month and half of MPD before Christmas!

john 3:16-17% lol

I didn't calculate how much I've raised so far quite right last time so I guess I'm further along than I thought. Hovering around 16-17%. Sort of a big jump but it was because I took out the one-time expenses so it's just out of the total monthly needs. Anyway, money aside, I had three MPD appointments today. The time was really precious as I really got to share about what God has placed on my heart and also hear about what has been going on in the lives of the sisters I met up with.

I realise how easily I've gotten distracted by things during this period of time that has even led me to forget that God is with me in this whole process. But God used the appointment I had with a good sister and aunty to remind me and speak to me of many things:
+ that MPD is so much more than what I initially thought it was (just looking for partners to support in prayer and finances)
+ the challenge and initial opposition by my parents on my decision was really God's way of confirming to me that this is where He wants me to be
+ I have a limited time with my family before I leave so I should really be spending quality time with them
+ how humbling it is that I have the privilege and opportunity to serve as a missionary
+ and that I don't need to worry because God is always with me.

So many more things that I can add but emotions have been running sorta wild today so that'll be it for now.

God is working.

STINT: Ministry Partner Development (MPD) update

Got the ball rolling with support raising! So thankful for the opportunity I had to share at my church last Sunday. I had hoped I could do the sharing in Chinese but I realised my ability is not enough to express all that I wanted to say (too many difficult terms!). But it's in my weaknesses that I see God's power and grace, especially as a good brother in Christ (CJ) at church was doing Chi-Eng/Eng-Chi translation. I'm on 5% now! Still a long way to go but I know that I can place full trust in God and His provision. I'm already slowly seeing God working in this and I really can't wait to be able to share with people how things turn out in the next few months!

So many emotions are running through my head, especially as I realise I still have so much to raise! But I'm feeling really excited about being able to meet and share with people about how God has been leading me and I'm quite happy to be support raising now (I can't believe it haha)!

God is good.

God is amazing!

So encouraged by this. God is amazing! :)

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/10/14/the-story-behind-the-chilean-miners-jesus-t-shirts/

The t-shirts that many of the Chilean miners wore as they were being rescued were a gift from Campus Crusade for Christ (Agapé), Chile, and read "thank you Lord" on the front, and on the back: "In his hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are his also." Psalm 95:4.

I'm so proud to be part of this global movement of God. Click here to read more

Source: http://peterwhitfield.blogspot.com/2010/10/gracias-senor-chilean-miners-t-shirt.html

Praying for them...

two more weeks!

Less than two weeks before my graduation ceremony! And officially finishing up with helping Student Life at Monash :( Time has seriously flown by. It's been 5 years! It's a little hard for me to believe that my time as a uni student is already OVER. I wouldn't change any of it though.

The SL spring ball was already over a week ago too. Feels like so much was put in but then it was over in a flash. So thankful to my sister, Gina, for helping with so much. Without her, it wouldn't have happened. And for the people who came earlier to set up too (Vincent, Cecilia and Nelson). It was a good way to end my time at uni and with Student Life at Monash as a student. So grateful to God how He used SL to work in me and also in my sister. aw I'm sad to be leaving :'(

Anyway, God has been teaching me so much as I've been leading a small group of teenage girls at church and going through some really important concepts about who God is and what it means to be a Christian. I've read some really cool stories and analogies about different topics so I should share them on my blog in the future.

While I was looking for materials/resources I came across the videos on the American Every Student website. I watched this 3 part testimony by Josh McDowell, the author of the book "More Than A Carpenter". His story is so powerful and so worth watching:
http://www.everystudent.com/videos/joshm.php
http://www.everystudent.com/videos/joshm2.php
http://www.everystudent.com/videos/joshm3.php

Graduation!

I'm GRADUATING!

YAY! Had a little scare about it after I checked the website on Tuesday because it didn't have my name under the degree! The next day I went to my faculty to ask about it and it was because I had done subjects out of order from going on exchange. Anyway, it was fixed yesterday so now I can graduate as expected on October 21! (My parents will be overseas though *sad face*.)

STINT: ACCEPTED!

WOOHOO! I've been officially accepted for STINT in Nagoya next year!

This week has been big! With news of finally being accepted and also near confirmation for my graduation in October.

Now onto support raising! I have about 4 and a half months (not including Christmas and New Year's time) to raise everything. Gotta get all my things ready for it now.

Yay thank you God!

STINT: Next step

I have an interview tomorrow for my STINT application at 2PM.
Your prayers would be greatly appreciated!

If I pass I will be working here next year!

much needed update on life!

I need to update my blog more often :[
Anyway, so much has happened since the last post!

I got through reading the transferable concepts that I needed to read for my STINT application awhile ago. There was a lot of challenging stuff that stood out as I read through the concepts, particularly on fruitful living and what it really means to be walking in the Spirit. The concepts are quite long but are definitely worth reading and understanding well.

These particular pages and quote stood out for me:
http://www.ccci.org/training-and-growth/classics/transferable-concepts/experience-gods-love-and-forgiveness/02-greatest-relationship-ever-experience.htm
http://www.ccci.org/training-and-growth/classics/transferable-concepts/experience-gods-love-and-forgiveness/05-receive-gods-love-and-forgiveness.htm

Why should a Christian desire to walk in the fullness and control of the Holy Spirit moment by moment as a way of life? There are several important reasons: to please and honor the Lord, who delights to have fellowship with His children; to enjoy a fuller, richer, more exciting life with our Savior and with others; and to be more fruitful in your witness for your Savior.

Sharing Christ with others as an expression of gratitude and as an act of obedience to the Lord is the natural result of walking in the fullness of the Holy Spirit.

Since every Christian is commanded to be a witness for our Lord, not to be involved and committed is to disobey Him and would indicate that the Christian is not walking in the control of the Holy Spirit.

=======================

So yeah, I already sent in my STINT application! Right now I'm just waiting for an interview time to be set up. The day I sent in my application, I went to Sydney and got to hang out with Mission Megumi friends, Maicy (Mac U missionary) and other Student Lifers. It was a really good catch up time and I had an awesome time of sharing throughout the whole trip. I was so grateful and blessed during the times I spent with Maicy and hearing how God led her to work with CCC and being able to share with her about what I had been going through. It was a trip that God really used as confirmation for going on STINT for me. YAY (^___^)

I also got two part-time tutoring jobs last week. It happened so quickly too because I sent in my resume for the jobs on Saturday night and then got replies/calls within the next two days. So crazy how God provides (especially because my parents kept nagging me about getting a part-time job)! I've only started one, tutoring two Korean kids and their mum for two hours and then one hour with their dad, three times a week. It's a struggle because the kids and mum don't speak very much English at all so it's really hard to explain things to them, and for the husband, he's sorta hoping that he will improve really quickly despite the whole family only being here for another month. It's a challenge to continue being patient with him as well because his thinking and some things that he shared with me are things I don't agree with. I just hope that I can be a reflection of Christ to this family.

The other job is tutoring English to Korean students over skype. I don't know how it will turn out yet because the employer is still organising the things needed for me to start working. This will be ongoing which is good since once the other family I'm tutoring returns to Korea, I will still have a job.

Last thing, Student Life ball is in a little over a month's time!

Big week!

It's been a big week! Results came out and I passed my final subject so I should be able to graduate in October! I also gave the pastor's reference form for my STINT application to my dad to fill out. I still feel like I need to talk to my parents about the details but from what I've heard them say, they have accepted the idea of me going so YAY PRAISE GOD!

Another thing that happened this week (today) was that I translated for the sermon at church for the first time! I was able to prepare a bit before by looking at the passages and the main points that dad was gonna talk about but it was still pretty nerve-wracking. Anyway I was glad that I could serve in that way, because it taught me to really trust in God for understanding and clarity in the translation.

In the last week I was also able to go out sharing at Deakin Uni with an American summer project team. On one hand it was good "practise" for next year but of course it was more so a pleasure and a joy to be able to tell others about God and see their responses! For example, them wanting to keep the KGP to think more about it or really shocked/excited about hearing the Gospel for the first time! The American team will be at Monash this week so really looking forward to the people we will meet and the conversations we will have! (They already led four people to Christ! Hallelujah!!!!)

MYC 2010!

Just put up a post from about three weeks ago (the one before leaving for MYC) and looking back over what I wrote, I'm quite amazed to see how MYC has impacted me and my attitudes towards different things.

I have to say it was quite intense being on the organising team. But it really was a pleasure to be a part of planning for the conference since it has always been a highlight and favourite time of year for me ever since I started attending. To see how God works through a conference such as MYC and how many students were impacted was a real blessing. And it was great to just see people having so much fun, making friends and just enjoying the whole experience. Hopefully it all just propels people to get involved in God's work at their uni and in the other areas of their life.

On a personal level, the talks by John North really spoke to me, both in challenging/convicting me and also reassuring me. In relation to my STINT application, I wrote last time that I still wasn't fully sure of my decision, but after the last talk at MYC I was much more certain to go through with it, even if my parents aren't entirely happy with my decision. Something that came up during the last talk on God's orchestration of salvation or just things in general really spoke to me as I realised that everything that has pointed towards Japan was not purely a bunch of coincidences but orchestrated by God and there was such a strong desire to be part of God's orchestration of salvation in people's lives in Japan.

This was the video that was played:



Anyway, I don't think the application process will take as long as I thought it would either and I'm aiming to get everything done by the end of this month (the interview as well). Hoping to bring it up again with my parents real soon.

MYC!!!

Tomorrow Renee and I are driving up to Albury to get stuff prepared for MYC starting on Sunday!
It's been a crazy and hectic two last weeks but we've managed to get everything done. Some stuff messed up :( with the pens and the booklet that I was in charge of but oh well we have everything we need so it's all good.
I'm excited that it's finally here but at the same time I know time will fly by quickly and it will all be over before we know it. Should be loads of fun! Can't wait!!!!!!!

rant of random thoughts...

July 11 - post of random thoughts that I wrote a few weeks ago (June 22)

I got the STINT application package last week from Renee. I think it will take longer to fill out than I thought. I realise that this is a pretty big decision that I have to make and I'm a little worried that the decision I make isn't what God wants me to do. I've temporarily put aside the thought of my parents being 100% supportive of my decision to go on STINT because if this is my calling then I will follow through with it even if my parents don't entirely like the idea. But at the same time I'm still concerned because I will need my dad to fill out my pastor's reference form. I don't know why I feel this way, but the thought constantly comes up that I need to prove that I'm worthy of going on STINT to my dad (and to others), even though I know that I will never really be 'qualified'.

Not really sure either, why the thought has crept in that all the things that have happened in the last 2 years that have pointed towards Japan do not actually equate to a call to go serve there as a missionary. Having said that though, my desire to go serve there hasn't diminished in any way in the last half year since Mission Megumi and those thoughts I've been having are probably a result of feeling a bit lost about my future and having completed my course. I guess I've been a little insecure about graduating from studying education since I've haven't been 100% sure whether this is what God wanted me to do and am not even sure if this is the area I want to work in in the future too. Even though I hoped the uncertainty would go away, it has stuck with me throughout the whole duration of my course; whether I made the right choice to study education or not. And my parents didn't help a whole lot because even though they encouraged me in my decision to study education, I could always tell that they didn't really think I would ever make a good teacher or be suitable for such a job.

The other thing that has crossed my mind is whether there are things that certain people should simply not do. Was I just trying to force myself into the teacher mould even though I'm not suited for such a role? I wonder if I really fit such a position...

This is not that related but also, as a Christian, shouldn't the ability to lead a bible study or teach on a passage/topic be something that we can all do? Shouldn't we all be able to share the Gospel with someone with the same ease that we have when it comes to say breathing or eating? People try to excuse themselves from certain areas of service because they're not "gifted" in that area or are they just too lazy to learn or too comfortable with how things are. It's something I've seen at my church with people in all age groups who would rather be spoon-fed and stay as a baby who can't do anything for themselves, rather than be challenged and actually grow in maturity. argh I don't know

Finished!

ALL DONE WOOHOO!

Final week as a student

:( Last week was my final week 13 as a student. Even though I will still plan to stick around uni and help out at SL for the rest of the year, the reality is that I'm no longer a student! Last Wednesday was the final weekly meeting for me as a student too. I did feel a little sad when we were watching a video Brian made about the semester that had just passed. So much happened and the time seriously has just flown by. It really feels like yesterday when I first started uni and didn't really have any idea what I was doing. I'm glad to be finishing though. I had a few bad dreams though about not being able to graduate because of problems to do with my subjects, but luckily they're just dreams.

It was also my final week working at Nando's. Sad that it's all over, to not be working with my workmates there anymore and no more free food :( But at the same time, very relieved to finally finish up and not have to work there anymore. After I worked my final shift I attended the last ISM meeting and was farewelled. We had a time of sharing and praying for each other which was very encouraging, especially as it seemed like everything was wrapping up for me to move onto another stage of my life. I was also glad to have the opportunity to share with an international student and encourage them to come to MYC.

While there have been many "lasts", there have also been a few "firsts". We had our first MYC fundraiser on Saturday which I MC-ed with Arni and our first try at a study break/chill out area during SWOT VAC today. The fundraiser was a success and I think those that shared their testimonies (Roxanne (student), Brian (missionary) and Anna (former student)) were greatly used by God. Also got to catch up with my old discipler, Meredith and meet a guy who has a heart for Japan! As for the study break area we were running today, I could see that some students really appreciated the services we provided, especially the food/lunch, so hopefully in the next two days it will continue to be a positive environment and that we will have the opportunity to have spiritual conversations with students. I tried to get involved today but kept thinking back to the assignment that I have to finish. Hope I can get most of it done tomorrow so I can go in on Wednesday and help out with the study break stuff.

it's all coming to an end

I wrote my resignation letter for work and am going in to hand it to the managers today. It felt good to finally write the letter after wanting to quit for awhile. :( I will still work a few more times before I finish up.

Today the US summer project team arrives too. I have the opportunity to head up this week's weekly meeting. It seems like there is quite a lot to do and don't really know how things will turn out. But am really trusting that God will be in control of everything that happens, especially the outreach this week and main talk on Wednesday.

Aah and I gotta finish my last assignment and get it out of the way. That way I can concentrate on all the things that need to be done for MYC!!! Also, today is my very last lecture EVER! Don't know if I should be happy or sad!

what's been happening?!

So much has happened in the last two months! I was meaning to do a post at the start of April, but never got around to it. Anyway, just an update on what's been going on in the last two months:
- Went on my last Connexions camp :( but it was a great three days! Got to serve on the worship team and Carrie the 2nd year student I've been meeting up with one-on-one also went.
- Completed 50% of my assessments for the subject I'm doing. Not long to go before the semester's over now too! (4 more weeks!)
- Got to organise an SL social with Devin and Jason so all the people who attend different bible studies could meet and hang out with each other. It was very successful and a lot of fun! Got to plug MYC there and 3 of the students were quite interested.
- Went to Brisbane for SL Summer Projects forum. Got to hear and talk about Summer Projects and what they would look like being student led and how the different modes of evangelism play a part in the different projects. Was a very long (tiring) day but took a lot away from it and was really motivated to go on one last project as a student!
- Finished my very last placement at Mount Scopus Memorial College (a Jewish school). It was only for 5 days but I learnt a lot and it has given me more interest in learning about the Jewish people/history/customs and Hebrew as well. I still have one more assignment which will be based on my placement.

Yeah so that's pretty much all. Right now, I'm just getting through the last weeks of my classes and working to finish the assignment, as well as preparing/planning for MYC with Renee and Maicy (missionary from Sydney). I'm still considering my future and praying about going to Japan next year for a one year STINT. Hoping to make a definite decision by the end of this month. Time flies!!!!