newfound friends (and freedom)!

Jesus brought these new friends from Japan to me last weekend, and many more from Tokyo and eight other Asian nations. Just like the sticker on the present that Fumiko (not in picture) gave me, which says "Friends love through all kinds of weather" (Proverbs 17:17, Message Bible), i am sure the precious friendships built up during this Gateway Cities Youth Convention (GCYC) will go a long way cos' they were established on Jesus' love and kinship.

More photos and sharing on the way. My camera failed on me on the last day :( . Shall await to see the peektures my newfound friends are going to send me!


(How God used me during GCYC...) (click on)

i went to GCYC with a heart simply wanting to welcome and serve the people that were here, and as usual God never failed to bless me back when i gave. =) In fact, i felt like i was the delegate intead sometimes, when the foreign brothers and sisters received my gestures and myself with such hospitality and warmth. i felt the big family of God, or to put it even better, the BIG God in this gathering of His nations.

Last night when bro bongshua asked me to describe my experience of GCYC, i received a verse in my mind - 1 Peter 4:8b 'Love covers over a multitude of sins'. Indeed Jesus was about His ministry of reconciliation throughout the GCYC. When the Chinese brothers and sisters knelt before the Japanese to ask for forgiveness over any hatred and unforgiveness they had bore against the whole nation of Japan for her past deeds, i sobbed hard. Where else does love and forgiveness mingle, and then flow as easily and freely as before the Cross of Jesus Christ? The next moment, the Japanese brothers and sisters were kneeling and weeping with the Chinese. And we all knew something broke free in the Spirit for these two nations. Praise God.

i went on to read the surrounding verses 1 Peter 4:7-9:
'The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.'

Jesus had truly empowered us to do the above over the past few days.

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Personally i had also felt a greater freedom to serve and love during this GCYC. As i was sharing with bro fun, i felt 'so myself' (to which he replied 'you mean you are usually not yourself?' :S ). Ha, nope. But i really sensed the Holy Spirit using me so freely like never before.

+ i was pretty disturbed within my spirit as Pastor Hee Guan shared about the lack of fathering in China, and how career and survival are a subset of each other's focuses. My dad has been working in China for the past ten years (and is definitely quite entrenched in the Chinese system of personal survival), and i thought i sensed probably a small fraction of the lack of fatherly love in the Chinese. i cried out to God for my father's salvation, because as much as his business is big in Shenzhen, i want him to be influential in advancing the kingdom of God in Shenzhen! My spirit was soaked heavy, in God's compassion, as i teared to my ahpa Yc and ahmi Yp.

+When we were praying for the Chinese delegates, i sensed there was so much restrain and probably fear in the Chinese sister i was near. After praying, the crowd receded to their seats but i held her back, and spoke firmly into her ear in Mandarin 'Jesus wants to tell you He really loves you'. Her face screwed the next instant, and she began sobbing badly. I praised God because i believed His healing had taken place. God's compassion for the Chinese overcome me again... i then continued to pray affirming words (in broken Mandarin, haha...) into my dear sister.

+i bumped into a Thai sister, Safus, on the last evening, and somehow the casual conversation immediately turned into heartfelt sharing, during which i felt that the word God gave me in the afternoon was for her. I prayed Matthew 6:26 into her 'Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they?', and then she tenderly shared that there was indeed a picture she had seen and been touched before - her watching the birds around her and thinking they were so wonderful and loved by God....I praise God because He had continued to minister to and affirm my beautiful sister of her worth. =)

Another Thai sister suddenly popped up, and asked me 'Do you have a word for me too?'. Haha.

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About being a tree.....

Pastor Eugene concluded the GCYC with a word about national revival from Zechariah 3:10 "'In that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'every one of you will invite his neighbor to sit under his vine and under his fig tree'". i was too tired to receive the word completely, but my spirit still went 'Wow'.

On Tuesday ahmi Yp had prayed for me about being the tree that spread out her branches to let many come to gain shade and support. I was overwhelmed, cos i was reminded that i told God two years ago this, 'Father i want to be a tree. A tree to support, shade and shelter many many', when this conviction strengthened my decision to forsake my further studies because i knew He had called me to be a tree to the many youths that He had brought to me here in Singapore.

Exciting times are coming, for me, for Singapore, and for the nations!!! Would you believe with me?