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Showing posts from 2016

Thoughts in a Foreign Land on Christmas Day

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The year is 2016.  The fire-crackers and fire-works are going off in my city in Honduras.  Latin dance music is blasting from a home nearby and I am unable to tell if this sound is coming from next door or from the back of my house.  People are celebrating one of the most popular holidays in this nation.  Christmas, generally, seems to be about feasting with family, friends and strangers who become friends over the feast. To the Christians, Christmas is about reflecting on the birth of Christ some 2000+ years ago in a town called Bethlehem. Another Christmas weekend and I am home alone in a foreign land.  Christmas Eve was special to me this year. I usually wake up very early - as early as 3 or 4 in the morning.  It's one of the best times to be awake and have a conversation with God.  Sometimes, I just think about God and listen to worship songs.  But this Christmas Eve, I woke up exactly at 3:33am.  I immediately thought of Jeremiah 3:33. This last week has been intense; Go

Mutuality & Community - A Reflection of God

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I wrote a blog a few days ago, referring to Dr. Jackie Roese's article, for GProConnext .   I came across an article by Dr. Jackie Roese accidentally.  But I must say her writing resonates with me, and perhaps with other men and women of God.  This issue of women in leadership has been contentious for the longest time.  Why must it be so?  Coming from Singapore, one of the most educated nations in the world, it is extremely difficult for me to fathom that Christ-following women's leadership is limited to certain categories of the church population - mainly to children, youths and women.  Worst still, in some sectors of God's kingdom, it is expected that the woman follow instructions from a male leader.  Or put it another way, women can be leaders but there is a limit to how far they can advance in the kingdom.   My interest lies in the faithful usage of gifts and talents given by God.  If a brother is far more gifted and better in serving in a particular capacity, so

Honest Responses: On Praying & Financially Supporting Missionaries

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We are three-quarters into 2016.  It's that time of the year where most of us, missionaries or not, probably look into our budget and see if we have enough to move forward, whether we need to make some adjustments along the way and how we can possibly live within our means. Most of my friends know that my ministry depends on donations given by cheerful givers.  Personally, I value the prayers of our intercessors and definitely appreciate the timely financial gifts that sustain  Faith Ablaze International Ministries ( FAIM ).  But this time, I was compelled to find out some personal beliefs and thoughts about why some Christians would want to pray or give financially towards missionaries.  Here's a biblically based article written by David Peach that might interest you:  http://www.whatchristianswanttoknow.com/importance-of-missions-7-reasons-to-support-them/  . The assumption here is that both prayer and giving financially are ministries.  The following are honest respons

Vlogging

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I have travelled to so many nations and have a variety of stories to tell. I definitely like to see them in print.  So, vlogging or video blogging is something new.   So, what's a vlog?  Straight from the online dictionary: vlog vlɒɡ/ noun a blog in which the postings are primarily in video form. "you can add travel vlogs to the growing list of travel-related material popping up on the Web" We have set up a FAIM channel on YouTube.  And we just want to share our daily faith walk in Christ with the world, from wherever we might be.  I hope my team-mates get on the bandwagon too but no pressure, here.  By the way, nothing is professional - yes, no make-up or lighting.  It is as you see.  We are keeping it real.  Should God provide a capable volunteer videographer, We would definitely welcome the services.  Till then... So, just for your praise pleasure - please do click on the following links, watch, like, subscribe and give God all the glory! 1. Goodness of God in India -

I See Ghana

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Wow, it's been a long time since I blogged.  But I am remembering my trip to Ghana today and praying for this nation. I was expecting some changes in Ghana since the last time I visited in 2015.  I was in for a shock and here are some thoughts that crossed my mind in these two weeks in May 2016: The Good Thoughts Thank God, FAIM Director for Ghana and his family have finally moved into their new home. Thank God that the weather was not all that bad. Praise God that I had some ministry opportunities. Thank God that The Reading Club Ghana (TRCG) at Manhean Primary School, Tema New Town, and at Okyinsu, Eastern Region has begun. Praise God that FAIM might be starting a 3rd TRCG in the Eastern Region. Thank God that I finally found one honest, reasonable taxi-driver! Thank God for the excellent seamstress who charges reasonably. Thank God for the TV interview on ZTV Ghana - that was fun discussing about leadership. Thank God that one sma

Righteousness and Peace Kiss

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When eyes watch the horrors of bloodied bodies, bomb-blasted trucks and cars, when ears hear sounds of machine guns, bombs and grenades, the mind wanders on its own streets till it comes to a corner and  stands still. Pausing for the moment, thinking of lives lost, of families broken and separated from loved ones - tiny or not. The heart has hands of its own, and it feels like a tight clench, as if the heart might stop with unbearable pain mixed with anger at all this non-sense, at all this cowardice of men motivated by fear that they refused to hear even the cries of their own, the nations moan and groan. Terrorists may think that they have won, won the fear of people but what they have done, is further instill resolve to love life, resolve to live life, resolve to expose their cowardice. All around the people come together, and in unity resolve  to live in peace. In peace, you find kindness towards each ot

A Reflection of Joy & Peace through Art

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When I was in Israel, I took time to catch up on life with my Israeli friend Susie or Shoshanna as she is called.  I met her in Seoul, South Korea at Onnuri English Ministry where we were members.  And we were also part of the Intercessory team. So, it was good to meet with Shoshanna in Bat Yam.  She travelled 1.5 hours y bus to join me for lunch. I discovered that Shoshanna has been painting, working mainly with oils.  She is interested to showcase oil paintings that have a Biblical theme.  She is passionate about expressing the joy and peace through her colorful paintings. Do visit  Shoshanna's Paintings .        Shoshanna's paintings can be bought as originals or in prints.  These paintings are a wonderful gift to give away or to be personally appreciated.  Colors play a big part in her paintings. You can contact Shoshanna through the link above.  If you are in Haifa, you might even want to meet with her .   Invite this Israeli artist to showcase her pain

Thinking Holy in Holy Land

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Six years ago in 2010, I visited the Holy Land as part of a sabbatical gift to myself.  I wanted to step where the Lord Jesus had stepped.  My desire was fulfilled. Wearing Palestinian Shoes One of the key and first places I visited then was the little town of Bethlehem in Palestine.  I stayed with a Palestinian Baptist pastor's family.  They were hospitable and over tea, I asked a lot of questions about their life and culture.  I was familiar with Arab culture but even among Arabs, life would be different in different places.  Bethlehem came across to me as a city with people struggling with poverty. On Palm Sunday in 2010, I joined a Palestinian Christian family to queue with hundreds of other Palestinians at the checkpoint.  We needed to walk through this long, closed corridor to get our identities checked.  Meanwhile, I saw young Palestinian families with crying toddlers waiting patiently.  I saw elderly frail-looking Palestinians hanging onto their canes, waiting pat

Car Transaction the Honduran Way - One Female Foreigner's Perspective

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God found it fit that a foreigner like me should wait at least 16 months to buy a car.  A big reason was that I did not have any funds for a car but I also knew that God wanted me to experience the local bus and taxi rides.  Needless to say, they were frustrating times when a reliable taxi driver would not or could not answer my call, or answered it too late.  It was also frustrating when I had to wait in the really hot sun for a bus.  After awhile, I got used to this way of travel.  I jumped into taxis when I was warned not to do that; I realised too late that my taxi driver had a scar on his face and this meant that I should not have got THAT taxi; and then, there was the 4am bus ride from Gracias, Lempira where I was the only woman in the mini-bus for a good hour before I saw another woman. And after 16 months in Honduras, I finally searched for a car.  I would spend 30 minutes a day looking at various websites.  But my most trusted Honduran confidantes were my Catholic house-o