iBasic

So we had a most stellar retreat this last weekend. All church in fact... almost 400 people (inc youth and kids) showed up, though, strangely, it was about 250 or so by the last day (which still included 2 of the 5 sessions...) I'd have to admit that Hong Kong is the only place that I've ever been where it's normal to leave retreats early so you can work on a public holiday... or even to answer your phone in the middle of a teaching session with 300 people.

But yes, the Adults were doing a series called "Basic Life Principles" founded by Bill Gothard. The core of the teaching revolves around 8 "Principles" of life ie. Authority, Design, etc. and how they relate to the Bible and us. It's actually pretty good stuff at that level, however BLP takes it a step further, often declaring certain things as sin which the Bible does not ie. that rock music is inherently evil, or that TV makes you an enemy of God. While a strong argument could be built to support such a thesis... to declare something as sin which is not shown thus in the Bible... well that smacks of religion to me... but yes

Also the delivery was eight 70 minute video sermons by one white guy who was dubbed over in Mandarin.

But just to reiterate... I don't hate or even dislike BLP, the people are REALLY nice and obviously take the super safe approach with life, which is by no means wrong for them personally. I just disagree with some of their doctrines... and that's why the Youth decided to run with

iBasic =P

Yes... I stole the i concept from a friend of mine in the States... but iBasic does have a nice ring to it, and we did want to cover the basics of being part of a church, if not life as a whole.

So the sessions were pointed and convicting, Dan lead them all, which was fine by me cause I had to worry about the games and the worship (and eventually lost my voice) and general all round direction of a group which included lots of middle school boys. (and rather argumentative 14 year old girls..). We played night games, started fires (for a BBQ), did trivia, organized 400 people to compete against each other in physical activities (which was also quite tough), chatted heaps, played euker, did archery (and I AM getting better! Sweet!) and all round had a great time!

I also forgot to take photos for the most part... which means that I'll have to rely on others to make a slideshow... hmm.

Anyway, I was super tired, but after two days of sleeping, reading, DVDing and eating, I'm feeling better. Looking forward to seeing AP on Saturday (for like 3 hours or something) and also to October... THAT's gonna be a crazy month... camps, extra sermons, M coming, packing... *sigh.

Craziness!!

Man, who would have thought my last 2 months would be so busy? Last night was at my flatmate's studio for ages, working on some upcoming video clips for a conference we're doing... it's a fun concept, which I can't write about until after I post the first one, (don't want to spoil the surprise for the youth that read this). Still only 45% done too... hmm.

So now I've only got two months to go, and to be honest, it's a bit sad... but at the same time, I'm really looking forward to going home. I'm suddenly very homesick... which may be why God has chosen to give me this break before speaking about the next part of my life. Some of my friends over here are starting to receive some awesome callings by God, and soon they will be scattered to the four corners of the globe, feet bringing the gospel of peace, winning our world for our God!

I see such an amazing picture, such a grand scale... yet I think this year has changed me. For the first time ever, I'd be equally content staying in a tiny village imparting into a small community of believers as I would be crossing the earth to speak to millions. (Ok well maybe not a TINY village... that'd be quite tough for me... unless there were lots of horses, mountains and forest...)

Anyway, the end of my time here approaches... and strangely I can't even visualize much of what Melbourne is like. I remember faces... but places are starting to fade... I barely remember life outside of HK, lol. This city is crazy.

Oh ps. If anyone wants me to get them something from HK, please let me know soon! I think I'll be sending back some of my stuff with M, so I'm trying to balance it all out cause I don't have many KG for my trip back.

The beginning of the end... of the beginning

You know, when I first came to HK, I didn't really know exactly what to expect, nor did I really expect exactly what would happen. However all that has happened here was truly far more than I had dared hope... and now I see, with just that little bit more clarity, how much I can trust in my God, who can and will provide for me, watch over me, and guide me in all that His perfect will has decided.

I'll save my massively long post for the last week or so, when I will summarize my trip and try to describe how I feel at that time etc. However for this moment, I'm giving you, the faithful readers of my blog (who mostly don't comment lol) the heads up first.

Over the past few weeks I've been asking God for direction about my life, and I believe that He's sending me back to Melbourne for the next two months before my month in Malaysia. I'll be heading back to Aus on the 3rd of Nov (arriving at 6am or 8 am on the 4th... sorry mum, I booked the ticket but forgot the exact time) and will stay in Aus (hopefully at some point going to Sydney) until the 8th of Jan, when I go to Malaysia for my cousin's wedding and Chinese New Year.

Of course the obvious question that everyone asks after that is "then what?" To which I invariably answer, "no idea." I believe that God will lead me from there, and I'm not in the least bit worried. While I wait on His will and plan, I'll probably look for a job. So yes, just letting you all know what's going down.

And no, I'm not in any way sick of HK, either the place or the people =D I'm just following the will of God.

Nine Oh...

Well, it's been 90 posts now... which is just 10 less that Portal to my World, the blog after my initial blog... I think Portal was definitely the blog filled with all the randomness, crpytoxicity and other fun goodness. Reading over one of my friend's posts definitely reminded me of all the good times... and some sad, that we had.

To be honest, looking back on my life, the friendships I've made, the people I've gotten to know... not even the massively life altering decisions... I can really say that I don't regret much. Even the glaringly obvious mistakes and sufferings have more than served to strengthen my perseverance, in turn building character and now giving me hope... Looking back at my life, though there were definitely parts that I hated living through (the first 4 months of HK spring to mind lol)... I realize that without each and every part... I wouldn't be the man, Christian or friend that I am today.

Anyway, as I continue to wait on God's plan and purpose for my life, please pray for me today (Wednesday) as I take some time out to seek His face.

A poem of expression (hopefully)

O, who can express the thoughts within
Catastrophic, like a raging wind
Emotions, feelings, desires unchecked
Thoughts, beliefs, white and black
Constant music, altering one's state
In all we do, this sound creates
Where to, what for, who with
Through these questions, my mind sifts
What person can truly understand
The soul and mind of fallen Man
Even their own hearts are sealed
Their thoughts barely to us revealed
For these and more, in God I must
Put without fail, all my trust
To lead and guide, to light the way
Until, He comes, in glorious display.

Artic Ice

So I suppose that, as a Chinese, this would be a good day to make a post. 8/8/08... no matter if you're American or Australian, it's still a very 8ty day... lol.

I was actually at CWB yesterday, waiting for my friend to finish work, and I was looking for deo... and I found a canister of my OLD deo from way back in grade 8. Which seem a bit random, even for me, but you know, using it, the smell brings back memories =P. It's apperently scientifically proven that scent is the strongest sense linked to memory... and while I think that hearing is pretty strong too... the odor (funny how DEodorant has it's own odor) reminds me of Dalat... of being young... of how much I hated life back then... and how far I've come... yet also how little I've changed.

I guess these periods of introspection are common when we're faced with big decisions or the end of something... and I really wonder what the next step is... although people have been randomly encouraging me about that impact that I'm making in lives... cool people, but people I haven't talked to in a while. So I know that God hasn't left me hanging on this one... it's just gonna take some patience...

I swear I haven't prayed for patience yet... humility yes... patience heck no!! Why is this happening to me!! *sigh ;)

... now it hits me

For the 1st week, almost half way through the 2nd, I was fairly good. I wasn't missing China, I wasn't lonely, I didn't have a massive craving to go back to Du An and ride a Tuk Tuk... I thought to myself 'hey! I've gotten better at this whole re-entry thing'.

*sigh

It's all Dan's fault! (I'm actually not joking, but I don't blame him lol). He made me compile a massive album, between his camera and mine. Looking over the photos, remembering the emotions and PEOPLE who are represented by these 2 dimensional squares of color... it's... heart wrenching to be separated I think.

Especially the AAREY/CNEC photos...those two really got me.

I miss the times we had, the fun games we played
I miss the songs we sang, the places that we stayed
I miss the hearts of people, actually changing the world
I miss the smiles of our students, every boy and every girl

I miss the colors, those yellow and blue shirts
I miss the tuk tuks, bikes covered in dirt
I miss the freedom, being always with friends
I miss the sharing, and the games at the end

I miss you all, those near, those far
I miss you all, wherever you are
I miss our time, the photos, the laughs
I miss it all, even the silly chants

Now I sit here, alone at my desk
Remembering it all, or trying my best
Wondering if, a taste we've had
Of heaven indeed, where hearts are glad

A poem of China 08 by Josh

(Best read aloud, slowly with cadence, pausing after each verse =)

Three times gone, three times returned

The wind blows where it will, through the mountains and over the seas, howling with such force through the trees and across the sand, murmuring like a tiny child through the cities and towns... the wind is free... or is it?

Three times I've set out, three times return... the first trip, and the results of my homecoming, yielded so many changes in my life... the making of life long friends, the destruction of innocent pre-conception, the beginnings of humility. Two years later and I returned, doing what I could, and the result was a momentous shift, the best decision of my life.

Now the third year, once more I made the same pilgrimage, though the group is larger, and even my departure point is a different place. As before it was incredible, awe inspiring, humbling to see the hand of God move, to see the joy on our children's faces.

In many ways it was very much the same as the year preceding. We spent a lot of time drinking mango juice and playing cards, although this year, being part of the HK team, I actually roomed on the same floor as all the card playing, which somehow made it seem all the more accessible, and prevalent. (And, as was noted, I did disappear from the cards for some of the 2nd week) As before, I made some awesome friends from across the world (back home in Sydney actually) and now have so many more people with whom I will one day try to visit, no matter where they are in the world.

Yet there are some stark differences. Most notably, the harshness of it all. Never before had I felt so drained, so glad to be home, and indeed, every moment, while exhilarating and precious, was also incredibly tough. I was also a leader within a team, which was far more involved than I had anticipated... especially with all those team meetings... though I do believe that it helped me stay connected.

This year was also the best year of the three, I believe in most part due to my awesome teaching team, Ariel and Anny... both of whom was beyond 1337... and individually ragged on me about as much as M, Al and S do put together = P... (Which, for those of you who don't know, means they teased me a LOT). Hopefully it was all in the name of good clean fun, and it certainly made our kids laugh heaps!

However now, even as the memories begin to fade, and all we have to remember the past is Facebook (that evil, yet incredibly useful technological advancement)... I look once more to the future. Before it had always been apparent the direct effect that the trip had. Now, I'm just waiting, once again that breath of air... that wandering gust of wind, willing to go where the force that guide our lives will take us, waiting for the calling... listening for the voice of God...

There are a lot of pics on my Facebook, if you don't have an account, I suggest you get one, and add me.

Writer's block

I don't know what the reason is... but I haven't written anything in any of my stories in months! The last piece was a modification on Inner Peace on the 21st of May.. and that wasn't even very substantial. Since then, I've dropped a few posts on my blog... but I've lost interest in writing... I wonder why that is... maybe I'm just too busy.

My parents are here, was really awesome hanging out with them, even if it's a bit weird to go back to being part of a family after living by myself for 8 months... especially as a 22 year old young man. Was very cool though, got to show them all sorts of HK things/places and they even got to hear me preach, which was most cool!

Of course seeing my brother was awesome too, though we didn't really talk much, since he's so quiet around his family... lol. I don't think he has said more than 1000 words since he got to HK... and most of them were asking how much clothes costs. I wonder if that's what he's like normally. Maybe I AM an abnormality within the Male gender... hmm.. I talk a lot... and even a fool sounds wise if he keeps his trap shut...

Well I've got overseas trip coming up, would really appreciate if everyone would pray A: that I don't get over run by bugs, B: don't faint from the heat and C: really can have a good impact while still being united with the other teams from around the world.

Anyway, I hope to have a good vid clip of the trip up when I get back. Will def try to upload it here.

Cya all in 2 weeks!

Trusting in God

I've been really convicted lately... of whether I truly trust in our Creator. I suppose it's easy to say you do, and even possible to believe/want to... but to act like you do... I don't know.

For me, uncertainty has always been a large part of my life... where I would be schooling, whether I'd ever be able to keep the friends that I made (no = P hehe)... I would often have very little knowledge of what the future held... and thus never had much stability. I suppose at one level, I've thus always longed for that foreknowledge, and yes despite how much I complain that my parents were Asian and all, I always did have that security and comfort in having them follow me (or me follow them) around the world.

Obviously this relates to coming to HK... without my family, but also I think my journey to this place shows how I'm growing as well... to no longer need to be in control of my life, constantly nagging God for answers, for His plan. I suppose this goes on from my last post... it comes down to trusting in God. Do I truly believe that he can supply all my needs according to his glorious riches in heaven? Do I truly believe that he will work all things for the good of those who love Him, those called according to his plans and purposes? Or that God is able to make all grace abound to me, so that in all things at all times, having all that I need, I will abound in every good work?

There are a lot of things that I need to trust God for... and I won't get into all of them here =D, I wonder if my faith will be enough... but I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.