We were all young when I first saw them
I close my eyes
And the flashback starts
I walked in there
In an Atmosphere of smart alecks

“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55: 8-9)

The flashback naturally started, and my very first CA meeting surfaced in my memories. Oh, I sure can recall that night very much! The people, the food, and the atmosphere in the Atmosphere. The seniors were performing a skit, and it’s about this guy who finds no friends in INTEC, yet in CA he has a family. Yes, a family is very much what we all need when we step foot in this foreign land, especially for those who came all the way from East Malaysia. I hope that you Juniors felt this way too when you first walked amongst us. And I hope the many generations of Juniors to come will always feel that warmth too. As for myself, I dreaded coming to INTEC. Those who knew me well these 1.5 years will know that I missed INTI so much! I had fun there, was just chosen to be part of the INTI Christian Fellowship (ICF) committee, and life was just about to get even more interesting when I received my JPA offer. I was like: “INTEC? Where on earth is that?” Friends were giving all kinds of rumours, wishing me luck coping with a completely Malay culture with very bad food. Really, at that moment, I would die to reject the very offer so many people would “die” for. I asked God, “Why!? Now what!?” That’s all I could ask. I’m not even sure what to ask for…

See the lights
See the party disco ball
The ushers make their way through the crowd
And say hello, oh I wished I knew

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29: 11-13)

We try to figure out God’s mind, cracking up our brains to guess what may be in store. But God made it crystal clear that He has plans, as what was stated in the Scriptures above. Too often we use this segment out of context, and we forgot that God also say that we will find Him when we seek Him with all our heart. In those relatively devastating moments of my life, I guess I just have to submit. Through ICF, I met Huey Huey, who over time I realized were good friends of Jan and Grace. So in 2 separate events organized by ICF, I met Jan, Jien Lee, Philip, and a few more INTEC seniors. This gave me something to look forward to, because though adventurous I may be, fear of the unknown still grips the curious heart. They were in a sense the very first ushers of both CA and INTEC. We become ushers of God’s Kingdom when we stretch out those hands of love! So when I walked into the Atmosphere filled with scholars of all kinds, I kind of asked God again, “Why? Now what?” But this time the tone and attitude was different. During my childhood, I was trained through a church program called Royal Rangers to be “Ready for Anything”, but who can be ready when our God is just not a tame and boring God? Oh I really wished I knew what was coming…

That this is CA, they were children of God
And my buddies said stay away idiots
And I was crying in my exams
Begging it “Let me go!”, and I prayed

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline. (Proverbs 1: 7)

Very quickly we were entangled with assignments and examinations which basically took up all free time for entertainment and relaxation. And here comes the struggle once in a while we all face. “I want to go to CA, but I got a test coming up on Friday, and 3 more reports due this week! How? Haiz…” Well, my friends never objected me coming to CA, but we know all too often when Christian youths leave home, enter college, or started working, we backslide. I didn’t want to be like that. We all don’t want to be like that. Claim all we want, but how sure are we? It’s only when circumstances piles up against us that we are put to trial. Well, I learnt that when it comes to dilemmas like this, we should always remember what our main priority is. We were created for God’s glory (Isaiah 43: 6b-7), and as students, we give glory to God by excelling in our studies. Yes, keep the core, mainly going to church, daily quiet time, prayer, reading the Bible, and personal time of worship. Of course try to engage as much as possible in camps, seminars, activities, etc. to equip yourself for the work of the Kingdom. But do not equate any of these with God. He should be our one and only focus. So if going to CA is too taxing on your studies, no worries, take a break! Talk to your leaders to examine what went wrong (This once again points out the importance of having mature and godly people that more than eager surround you with wise counsel). Realign your self-management. But trust me, put God first, and He will put you first…

“Dear Father take me somewhere we can be alone
I am waiting for someone to let me breathe
You’ll be my Guide and I’ll gladly follow
It’s a love story Jesus please say ‘Yes!’ ”

“But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” (Matthew 6: 6)

Growing up ain’t easy, increasing responsibility, rising expectations, unforgiving odds, and much more. Jesus grew up and went through all of that too. He may not have studied in college, but his life was not any easier. It must be a so agonizing to know that your mission is to die. It’s not like you go into a battle, and if you are lucky you come out alive, maybe a few scratches here and there; if not so fortunate a broken limb or two, and worst case scenario a paralyzed body. Hello, people! Jesus fought a huge part of the spiritual warfare here, and a major victory can be stamped in history IF AND ONLY IF He was pronounced dead (of course He needs to resurrect, and fortunate for all of us, He did). How did He manage to remain sane knowing what was to come? The Bible tells us that He was not alone, because He always find time to be alone with the Father (Google “and Jesus prayed”, read up on how, when, where, and why Jesus prayed). It was during those silent moments between all the hectic ministries when He gets to catch His breath. If Jesus needs that, what makes us different? Don’t get me wrong here, Jesus did pray aloud and in groups sometimes, but what I’m trying to say here is why not amidst our classes, go to a secluded corner in the library to pray? God made communicating with Him so much easier when He tore the temple veil, but yet we are hesitant to just basked ourselves in His light. So instead of rushing to write your name and ID on your next exam cover page, let me suggest shutting your eyes…

So I picked up the phone when Jien Lee called
We kept quiet ’cause we’re dead if we chose wrong
I close my eyes
Escape this truth for a little while

He urged them to plead for mercy from the God of heaven concerning this mystery, so that he and his friends might not be executed with the rest of the wise men of Babylon. (Daniel 2: 18)

Be careful what you ask God for, because you may never be able to turn back! Daniel’s request was simple, for God to reveal to him the dreams of King Nebuchadnezzar, so that he and his friends will not be literally “dead” like all the wise men who failed to interpret it. Another remarkable young man did not think much when he asked to be freed from jail as he was wrongly accused, a logical and fair request too. It was not recorded that he prayed, but in imprisonment I think that would most probably be his plea to God. (Genesis 40: 14-15, 23)  May it be few days or 2 years, what a great surprise it must have been for them when God finally played his next step of chess! 2 things to talk about over here. First, I believe most of us will at least “consult” God regarding major decisions of our lives, but what happens when someone comes to us for consultation? Do we jump into straight into bombarding our friends with load of advices? We may be a blind person leading another blind to their death, just because of an impulsive suggestion that led to a poorly-made decision. Secondly, I was in INTI for a short 6 months, and I always wonder why did God allowed me to go there. What was his idea of doing so? God put me in the ICF committee for 2 months, and then took me away, put me in INTEC. Did I learnt or achieved whatever lesson or purpose God intended for me? I thought maybe these 1.5 years will be a quieter one for me. So I prayed that I will be given chance to serve God anywhere He would put me, with no personal ambitions of high positions or dreams of exhilarating adrenaline rush. Hmn, what a prayer, and what a phone call from Jien Lee…

‘Cause he said “Lead CA”, I was a JPA scholar
And my parents said stay away from distractions
But this is everything to me
I was begging him “Give me time…”, and I prayed

“These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” (Deuteronomy 6: 6-9)

There are two Bible verses that I had considered putting here, the other one being John 21: 17 which will appear down there later. I finally settled for this over here, let me explain why. Jesus told Peter to “Feed my lambs”, Take care of my sheep”, and “Feed my sheep”. Peter was a seasoned fisherman, but “fishers of men” may sound like E=mc² to him. That pretty much sounded like “Lead CA”, and although being involve with so many leadership roles previously, leading a Christian group was completely uncharted waters for me. Stakes were high, as some will worry. Shouldering this responsibility means stepping out of comfort zones and putting myself under unnecessary spotlight or more pressure. But the most “intimidating” task was to do what the Scriptures above say, which is to help the “sheep” in CA grow spiritually (not to mention that the committee will have to grow even faster, haha~). No, my parents were not against it, but nevertheless I have no idea if I was ready. Junior committee, did you felt the same? But there is one very comforting and reassuring truth, God don’t always call the qualified, He qualifies the called! Just look at Abraham, the father of faith. There were times he had to lie to Pharaoh to keep his head, but God didn’t want him to use his own secular shrewdness to go about life. To be the father of many nations, Abraham needed to set an example for generations to come. And so through many hardships, God slowly moulded Abram to live up to his new name, Abraham. Think of life as a role-playing video game. Every new obstacle you overcome, a new skill is unlocked, preparing you for the next mission…

“Dear Father is this somewhere You want me to be
I’ll be willing all there’s left to do is go
You’ll be my King and I’ll gladly obey
It’s a love story Jesus please say ‘Yes!’ ”

So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers, and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power. (1 Samuel 16: 13)

In the course of time, David inquired of the Lord. “Shall I go up to one of the towns of Judah?” he asked. The Lord said, “Go up.” David asked, “Where shall I go?” “To Hebron,” the Lord answered. (2 Samuel 2: 1)

It took approximately 15 chapters from his anointing until his coronation, all the while knowing that he is king sooner or later but constantly living under the pursuit of King Saul. Yet, when finally King Saul was killed in action, David did not immediately summon up his loyal followers and crown himself king. He knows that no king on earth stands tall without the supreme authority given from the King above. He is also not sure whether the Israelites were ready to welcome him. His was a well-known warrior, but there was not yet any heartfelt connection between the people. Thus he begins his leadership by example, by asking God where He wants him to be. I have to admit, I can’t remember what happened during my entire Sem 1 CA gatherings! When the senior committee introduced each of us junior committee during our first meeting, that was the first time I saw most of them, and definitely the first time I saw Shu Yoong (speaking of David meeting Jonathan only after he killed Goliath). We were super blur on what to do, we had no sense of directions, and we our hometowns are way apart for any possible face-to-face discussions with either Beatrice or Joash (our first few meetings were redundant Skype calls during the holidays). Seriously, the only thing we can do is ask God whether this or that is the course He wants us to go, and pray that the committee will be one in spirit. In Sem 1, CA and I was obviously a Me & Them relationship…

“Dear Father save me, they try to tell me what to do
This love is difficult, but it’s REAL”
“Don’t be afraid, I’ll lift you out of this mess”
It’s a love story Jesus did say “Yes!”
Oh oh

The third time He said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.” (John 21: 17)

I initially wanted to put this Bible verse at the “Lead CA” paragraph, but after some thought it fits this context more. I had also thought of putting Deuteronomy 6: 6-9 here too, because just right before that, in verse 5, God said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Ah, a real love, a REAL-ly DIFFICULT love, isn’t it? But let’s focus with Jesus and Peter over here. Peter really loved Jesus. And you know why it’s a difficult love? Because you love an “internationally-wanted, high-profile terrorist cum criminal”! Jesus warned that the world will hate you because of Him, and note that all 4 Gospels have this reminder (Matthew 10: 21-22, Mark 13: 12-13, Luke 21: 16-19, John 15: 18-25). In Sem 2, Shu Yoong will always say, “Gosh! I don’t know what to do!” And it’s true. We just came back from the R.I.U.T. National Conference, ideas were flooding our minds, everybody from inside and outside was giving suggestions on what we can do. But friends (especially our junior committee), there are many things to be done for the expansion of the Kingdom, but not everything should be done by us! We have to focus on what God wants us to do! (1 Kings 8: 17-19, Acts 6: 1-7, and I strongly recommend studying the entire book of Nehemiah to see how he served in his assigned ministry) Yes, be concerned of what others are doing, so that you can catch a glimpse of the big picture of God’s hands at work, but don’t get carried away. So as the committee quieted down in the chaos to listen to God’s orders for us, we got closer to each other, we trusted each other, we reaffirmed each other. God ministered to us, and we to our “sheep”. It’s now Me & You…

 I got tired of struggling
Wondering if He was ever hearing me out
My faith in Him was fading
When I met Him at the foot of His cross, and I prayed

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me, Your rod and staff, they comfort me. (Psalms 23: 4)

Psalms 23, a beautiful passage, reminding us that our concerns and well-being are in the Shepherd’s hand, and there is no cause for alarm. Christ the Good Shepherd was always there for us. He prepares a feast for us in the presence of our enemies, and goodness will follow us forever, as long as we are willing to dwell in His house. But you see, as Beatrice once told me, sometimes we have all these knowledge about God, but it stays in the brain. And when problems arise, when tremendous waves came crashing down, we get anxious and struggle because we think that our prayers go unheard, and slowly the faith that once held on so strongly started to fade away. No, dear brothers and sisters, merely knowing God is not enough. We need to meet Him, taste Him (Psalms 34: 8), experience Him, encounter Him. Allow Him to take us deeper in love with Him, deeper to the depths of our hearts. God isn’t looking for scholars to debate on tough theological issues to prove that they walk with God (the Pharisees and Sadducees were experts in this arena), but He is looking for people who will humbly and simply surrender to Him (Mark 10: 14-15). Those who went for the tour on Logos Hope, you remember that the captain never steer the helm? Someone else does it, but the captain gives instructions on where to go. God trusted us with our lives, He trusted the committee with the CA ship and all the crew onboard, but it’s not our CA, it’s His! He never expected us to scramble around looking for directions; all He asked for is to obediently wait upon Him, and be at peace. Let Him show us wonders, let Him take us on His magical carpet ride (imagine God as Aladdin singing “A Whole New World” and we as Jasmine, LOL~). Be filled with awe no matter at His cross, His throne, His house, or His battlefield…

“Dear Father save me I’ve been feeling so alone
I keep waiting for You but You never come
Is this in my head? I don’t know what to think”
He knelt to the ground and stretched out His arms

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1: 9)

Finally it was Sem 3. AUSMATians were buzzing around with their trials and finals, ALMers start to feel the heat of pounding stress, ADFPians are full fledge ACTP freshman year degree students, seniors had all left us, Beatrice was busy and she couldn’t make it to our 2^nd committee retreat. We were alone! But we were one. Oh yeah, I can say that again. We were one! It’s no longer  Me & Them, it’s no longer Me & You, it was Us. One for all, all for one. You saw it in the video I made, “A Tribute to The CA 2011 Committee~”. I thank God for the wonderful bonds of friendship that He had blessed us with. And it is also such communion we should long to have with our Best Friend. The toughest time I can remember the committee endured together in Sem 3 was that 5 mind-boggling hours of meeting to decide who shall be our “successors”, plus all the intentional hanging out for meals to dig into the juniors darkest secrets. We cracked our heads to analyze each character; we were shifting people here and there to ensure that the dynamics of the committee will be functional. It really seemed like we kept waiting but God “never came”. Who said so? If we were like King Saul who went ahead to offer the sacrifice, God will definitely be unpleased. Maybe He just wanted to wait until we are in the midst of despair and frustration, when all earthly means have been dealt out, only then He comes over, kneel down, stretch His arms, and say, “Come!” Imagine that joy when our eyes lit up upon hearing His call. I guess we all had that experience before. After school or tuition, we chatted and laughed with friends, and one by one their parents came to pick them up. The numbers dwindled, 100, 50, 25, 10, 5, 3, 2… Then you were alone. You sat at the stairway throwing pebbles (like Romeo, LOL~), chased the cat or dog that occasionally came by, smiled at the passing cleaner or stranger, finally began mumbling to yourself. The sky was growing dark, and a flock of birds flew you over your head to their nests. Then just as you dropped your head in boredom and sighed, a familiar engine sound, and your dad or mum pulls up…

And said, “Rest in me Zhong Xiang
You never was or be alone
I love you and that’s all you need to know
I talked to My Dad, go pick out a Uni”
It’s a love story Jesus just said “Yes!”

“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11: 28)

I have to admit, this was the hardest stanza to edit, especially the second-last sentence. So I think I will share tiny little bit on my *er hem* study life here. I did 2 sems of ACTP in INTI, and so coming to INTEC means going back to Pre-U, which is of course intellectually less demanding but much more physically and emotionally draining. I had passion in pursuing my dreams, but drawing energy by believing in that dream is another story altogether. To be honest, I doubt that I ever picked up momentum; and being someone who enjoys reading and learning (as far as my memory dates back), this was the only period which I will describe as “endured the gruelling torment of academic suffering.” But God was gracious, and through many faces and colours He added into these 1.5 years of INTEC life, He had sustained me thus far. Assignments, lab experiment and reports, issue investigations, group projects, research papers, presentations, interviews, quizzes, tests, end of sem exams, trials, SACE finals, they all came and went, but Hallelujah, for Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Shalom, Jehovah Rohi, Jehovah Mekoddishkem, Jehovah Tsidkenu, Jehovah Shammah, Jehovah Sabaoth, He never budged a single inch (Matthew 24: 35, Luke 21: 33). At this point of writing this post, I am still awaiting my conditional offer from my first choice, University of Queensland. But once again, whichever paths He sets me on, I will surely embark….

Yup, coming to the end, it’s time for the long list of THANK YOUs again. A heartfelt gratitude to supportive Pastor David & kind Aunty Phebe, humourous Pastor Joshua, helpful Pastor Liew, trusty Uncle Yong, generous Pastor Ryan, talented Joash & shy May, wonderful Beatrice, cute Melvin, wise Xiu Ying, efficient Huey Fern, random Shin, caring Yoke Ping, charismatic John, cool Suyen, goody-goody Luke, cheeky Shiau Xian, charming Sing Kiet, loving Tricia, sexy Matthew, blur Jayn, artsy Bell, lady-like Caryn, angelic Jane, nerdy Alan, amazing Simren, awesome Kenneth, CA’s very own ecstatic Shu Yoong, all the speakers invited to share in CA, every “sheep” else who made this a dream come true, and especially our Daddy in Heaven! The committee wouldn’t have done it if not for you guys, and in fact I even have thought of doing it if not for you guys~ It was a roller coaster year full of thrill, and we indeed have all grown… Do I still miss INTI? Yes I do, very much. Do I miss INTEC? Be rest assured that I do too, very much more. This is one place I will never regret coming to, and if given a chance to live life once more, I definitely want to replay this scene. So yeah, may all of you grow from strength to strength (Psalams 84: 7) to soar on wings like eagles (Isaiah 40: 31), be hinds’ feet on high places (Habakkuk 3 :19), and let CAMPUS ALIVE continue to shine for Jesus! Don’t stop sharing the Faith, Hope, Love, Joy, and Peace, for His is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory forever, AMEN~

He who testifies to these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus. The grace of the Lord Jesus be with God’s people. Amen. (Revelation 22: 20-21)

Oh, oh, oh, oh
‘Cause we have all grown when I wrote this blog

 Epilogue: Finally, it’s all over! And by this I mean both INTEC days and this long post. What has God done to me through INTEC and Campus Alive? A Love Story, that’s what. I don’t write much, my language is so-so, my grammar was kept in history books, and I believe both Medic students or not can diagnose that I suffer from severe “Vocabularia Deficiency” (thanks for your unending patience to swallow and digest this blog). It was tough trying to be serious meanwhile retaining my signature lameness. I dug out my previous post on last year’s last CA, I’m not sure if the junior committee will upload it, but if they do, checkout another fun-packed day of CA gathering at our blog post titled “The Junior Committee First Self-run CA (14 Oct 2010)”. And to myself, go in peace, and come back in one piece~ See you when I see you …

Zhong Xiang

Coordinating the 1^st CA event as a leader surely has its challenges. Not only me, but everyone in the new committee. And how did it turn out? I shall say that it was quite an adventure indeed. It started with a couple of meetings, many phone calls, and much more confusion, excitement, anticipation, suspense and comedy, but God was there for us!

“No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:5, 9)

Yes, God saw us through it.

Even before the clock struck 6pm, scholars start gathering from far and wide (Hallelujah!) at the famous Akasia bus stop, and so the “human trafficking” began. All went well until Jayn told me that one of the vans was not available so soon, and I went: “WHAT!?” It is last CA of the month/semester/year, we’re expecting higher attendance, people are flowing in, and now she tells me this? Not long later, Jan called me to say that a MSU guy who wants to go to CA was stranded in Seksyen 2 McD, the Cendana van was suppose to pick him up. And worse of all, we lost contact with Matthew (the other transport coordinator, who so happen to be the one fetching the Cendana boys). But thanks to God’s grace, the last shuttle left about 7:15pm.

Arriving at New Life, I was greeted by the sight of Matthew struggling to park his van (it kind of went too close to the other car, 5cm max). I explained to the growing bunch of uncles that it was not that easy, as that van had some problems with the gear. Yet they tried to be smart, “interrogate” us if we even had license, gave a lot of suggestions but sneered at each other’s comments by calling them fools, and one even took the wheel, he failed to help too.

 “He mocks proud mockers, but gives grace to the humble.” (Proverbs 3:34)

In the end, with much anxiety, perspiration, and of course prayer, we got that settled on our own too. Talk about God being an AWESOME Father…

I spend some time trying to shoo people upstairs (I understand that it is very difficult when we have to say goodbye to good food). Praise God that there were quite a large number of newcomers, but Tricia, Sing Kiet, and the ushers quickly looked into that with those broad smiles on their face. While Simren and her team were bustling around the kitchen, Veronica was conducting some AMUSING ice-breaking game which ended up with people walking around with each other’s shoe high up in the air. Worship was simply amazing, thanks to the Senior band and Alan who handled the PA. Just when I was about to heave a sigh of relieve, a few pretty ladies walked up to me with another shocking news… (the frown which immediately surfaced on my forehead even fogged my memory of who those girls are)

“Pastor David will be here only after 20 minutes, think of a way to stall them!” I quickly dived into my mental entertainment database and thank God that he gave me enough resources to pull through. I got Philip to conduct his trademark Pictionary game, and was glad to see the crowd had a really stress-free time trying to express their imagination and creativity. A few moments later, someone told me that Pastor had arrived, and right after the MCs, Royston and Rachel announced his arrival, another person told me that Pastor went to the restroom. “Oh no, you gotta be kidding me!” Well, this time Shu Yoong was quick enough to suggest that we celebrate the October, November and December birthdays first, so that was it.

Pastor shared on “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” based on Matthew 6: 25-34. Next on the list was the farewell for the AUSMAT and ALG seniors. The seniors shot an undeniably Hollywood-standard video titled “The Last Run” starring the Oscar-winning Royston and a senior Broadway cast, voice by Luke and XXX (didn’t get to see who the other guy was). Then there was a short presentation of Mark Harris’ “Find Your Wings” (or Cari Kepak Kau) by both the senior and junior committees. The atmospheres fluctuated around laughter and tears when the outgoing seniors shared their “final words”.

After the wonderful sushi refreshment, Matthew, Jerald, and Jessica started sending the kids home. After witnessing Kenneth single-double-triple-quadruple-quintuple-check that all switches are off and there floor is dust-free, I went down to drive the last shuttle to Cemara. It was near 11:45pm when we arrived, the gate was closed, and we went: “Whoops~” But as the Psalmist say: “Before a word is on my tongue, you know it completely, O Lord. You hem me in – behind and before; you have laid your hand upon me.” (Psalm 139:4-5) The gracious Lord only allowed the guard to “torture” Melvin a little by asking him to sing “UiTM Di Hatiku” because forgot his student ID.

Well, all is over now, and I drove back to New Life, expecting to have a good night sleep and sweet dreams soon. But to my “dismay and HORROR”, Jessica didn’t know that she was supposed to come back for one more round to pick up the drivers! (actually there were another 7 Cendana boys with us) So there we stood, 10 pathetic scholars left in the cold and dark street, so hungry, so lonely… At that moment, Pastor David came by to pick us up! Apparently, someone got in touch with him to inform him about our terrible predicament. And so when the car pulled up the driveway in front of the Cendana guardhouse, the time was way pass 12:30am. We walked in to our respective rooms, and amazingly, the guard didn’t even look up!

This is how I shall end my brief account of the rather turbulent 14 Oct 2010 CA (will be able to write a book if I was to go into every detail). But the conclusion is: Mountains may tremble, oceans may roar; but no matter what happens, don’t worry, trust it to God in prayer, and be happy.

 “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33)

Thank you once again to Shu Yoong, Xiu Ying, Melvin, Sing Kiet, Tricia, Kenneth, Yoke Ping, Alan, Shiau Xian, Bell, Caryn, Simren, John, Jayn, Matthew, Huey Fern, Luke, and the SENIORS for making this CA a huge success.

Zhong Xiang

Early evening, the student left home with a pair of new shoes. Not brand new, but it was on his feet for the first time. No sense of pride, but just hope that the previous pair had held on a little longer. Rain trickled down the windows of the bus; he shuts his eyes to catch a wink or two.

But at last, no sooner after he hops off the bus, the sole gave way! Irked, disappointment and frustration filled him, maybe even slight anger. He asked around, he searched around, he walked around. And there he was, the Cobbler, lonely, skillfully mending his shoes. His customers’ shoes, treated with such care, just like his own shoes.

The student skips across a puddle, treaded towards the Cobbler. The shoe can be mended, he was relieved. He sat down, observing. The Cobbler was quick, his hands darting here and there. Shoes and soles, brushes and glue, needles and strings. Cars zoomed by, people walked by, rats dashed by, cockroaches scrambled by, time slipped by. The world was busy, the Cobblers hand was busy. Nothing slowed down, everything was fast. Yet there was silence. And peace.

Had a chat with the Cobbler. He was happy. His life was simple. He left Aceh in 2007, to find a job here. His family was affected by the 2004 tsunami. But the huge waves did not sweep his passion away. Neither did it sweep his character away. Caring and considerate, he was thankful that he has been given the second chance.

Late evening, the Cobbler had worked over time. Darkened sky, lit city. The job was done, the Cobbler packed. The student paid the fare, bought him dinner. The money was worth seeing the smile and gratitude on the Cobbler’s face. Back in hostel, the student wonders if he will meet the Cobbler again.

The Cobbler love his work, he is gentle with his shoes. Wear and tear of life may wear them away, but he knows what to do with them; he knows how to mend them. They are his masterpiece. The Father in Heaven is no different. The Cobbler is His masterpiece. Wear and tear in life had worn him out, but He knows what is best for him, He knows how to mend him. He loves His work, He is gentle with him. The Father is the Cobbler’s COBBLER.

As for the student, he wonders no more. Meet the Cobbler or not, he knows that He watches over him. In Him the Cobbler will find rest. And PEACE.

Psalm 139

¹ You have searched me, LORD,
and you know me.
² You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
³ You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
⁴ Before a word is on my tongue
you, LORD, know it completely.
⁵ You hem me in behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.

⁷ Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee from your presence?
⁸ If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I make my bed in the depths, you are there.
⁹ If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
¹⁰ even there your hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast.
¹¹ If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
¹² even the darkness will not be dark to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, God!
How vast is the sum of them!
¹⁸ Were I to count them,
they would outnumber the grains of sand—
when I awake, I am still with you.

¹⁹ If only you, God, would slay the wicked!
Away from me, you who are bloodthirsty!
²⁰ They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries misuse your name.
²¹ Do I not hate those who hate you, LORD,
and abhor those who are in rebellion against you?
²² I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.
²³ Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.

Zhong Xiang

Fear. Over the past 2 months, I have been under an incredible amount of stress, and I don’t mean just in academics. With finals just around the corner and the mounting pressure of doing the best I can in my assignments, the additional stress from across the miles that I was facing surely did not help. I was constantly distracted and worried.

While I succeeded in keeping it all to myself earlier in the months, it became evident later on that I wasn’t doing a very good job at it. I was fearful of my CGPA for this semester, considering the fact that I did not do well in one of my pre-calculus tests and was still struggling to even get a satisfactory score afterwards. I did practices but I could see only minimal improvement, if there was even any. My self-esteem was so low at that moment it was to the extent where I felt trapped in my own fears and self-pity. There were moments when I felt as though I was too caught up in my worries, I forgot about God. I attended services on Sundays but I tend to be unfocused during preachings, always thinking about the problems I thought would never be resolved. I started drowning gradually as the days went by.

Alright, so CGPA was one thing. Then came SAT which was drawing nearer. Aware of my lack of practice, no wait, my NON-EXISTENT effort, I was sick to my stomach already fearing the worst. I had intended to get myself well-prepared for SAT since I decided to take it in Nov but nooooo, I ended up occupying my time with other assignments and test preparations. The week before the finals and the SAT day, I was beyond tensed, tired and was on the verge of giving up. I even did, at some points. But with constant encouragement from a friend I hold close to my heart, I turned back each time I did and attempted to do better, although I am still not sure until today if I actually made any progress. :)

That weekend, I decided to leave my worries for one night and just give my all to God at the Planetshakers concert. Little did I know, that night was all it took for me to snap out of my reverie and sort out my priorities. I could feel God’s spirits as we sang worship songs but nothing could make me feel the warmth of God’s love and His power as what I was able to witness after. Touched by God’s love for us, a dear friend of mine who was a non-believer, gave her life to Him there that very night. And that was a wake-up call for me.

I came to fully realize and remember that our God is truly an awesome God and that He would never forsake us.

I went back that weekend, strong in my faith in Him. I prayed, I started reading my Bible every night no matter how busy I was in my final preparation for the exams. I put complete faith in Him that He would be there with me as I walk into the exam hall. I was no longer afraid of my results after, I told myself that I will be grateful for whatever God gives me because it is what He knows is best for me. Although I was concerned and worried about SAT that weekend knowing I should have put in more effort, I still left it all to God and kept Him close even as I was answering the questions. Yesterday was the moment of truth. PRAISE THE LORD for I was overwhelmed when I received my scores for SAT and also my CGPA for my finals. I was overjoyed with my CGPA and my Pre-calculus GPA, both of which had exceeded my expectations. And when I received my SAT scores, I KNEW God had heard me and I knew it was He who had made all that possible. It may not have been the most amazing score, but it certainly wasn’t a bad one either. He had rid me of my worries and had given me the strength I needed to do my best in all that I was most fearful of. For that I am grateful.

I am not here to testify that God will bless you with things you hope for but may not have worked for as hard as you should have to attain, but I am here to testify, as many others have, that God listens and that He knows our desires and dreams. He is always here for us, even when we sometimes forget that He’s there. I can only say to all to always have faith in Him.

Never once doubt Him, never once push Him aside, and never once forget Him because our God never doubts us, never pushes us aside and most definitely NEVER forgets us.

All glory be to God for the wonders he has done for me this semester and will continue to do in my journey ahead as a proud Christian.

Karen Ho

Miraculously, I didn’t let panic triumph on that day neither did I break down. Surprisingly, I calmly controlled the steering as I drove in the heavy downpour at twilight.  The downpour started after I dropped the future drivers at cendana and its intensity reached its peak during the moment when I was lost. Maybe due to the poor vision I turned into a wrong direction. Alone in the van, with my stiff and icing-cold fingers, I drove carefully searching for the words ‘shah alam’ on every sign board that I came across though. The words ‘shah alam’ became my newfound hope. The battery in my handphone was running low. I don’t know who to turn to. Millions of thoughts ran through my mind : fail to attend the homes on that night is the first one, unable to make it to kolej akasia is the next and more importantly was ethics final test paper on next morning.

 The only thing that I could do is to turn to Jesus Christ, who has His cellphone that will never have battery running low and who is an alert shepherd who knows when his sheep goes missing and where to find it before lions or wolves able to engulf it. 

It was really on cue for the CA old van to break down in front of kolej akasia at the beginning of the first driving lesson for the future drivers . The van stalled and refused to start again in front of the side gate of kolej akasia before making a U-turn.  I was shouldered with responsibility to send the future drivers back while the seniors dealt the van with a mechanic.

I believed this was the longest period of driving I ever had.  I miscounted how many times I turned as one road led me to another road to Shah Alam. My biggest fear was that I’m no longer in Shah Alam region. Once I turned wrongly into a road which had only one way but could lead me to another main road. The wheels of the van went up the shoulder of the triangular separation. The impulse when the van went down sprang me from the driver’s seat a moment. Another fear rose up in my mind : what if I met an accident, being called to heaven is considered lucky but what if I survived and had to suffer from long-lasting injuries…. Though its only lasted for a few seconds, the shock from it lasted till now.  When I finally made into the main road, my sufferings had not ended. The main road was so congested with cars that it was a slim chance for me to slip in between the cars.  The extreme situation forced me to be daring and went in between the cars regardless of how the drivers had blasted their horns.  My only wish during the period was to get back to Shah Alam and despite of the accumulated fears, deep in my heart, I knew that Jesus will fulfill it and death is not in the hands of Satan but in the hands of our savior who had died and resurrected.

All praises and glory be unto God.  While approaching a Petronas station, I could sense that the Lord’s Spirit was instructing me to stop there. After halting the van, I used my handphone with limited battery supply to call one of my seniors. According to his instruction, I sought the address of the petrol station and was so relieved to realize that I was still in Shah Alam region. Thanks God for sending two ‘angels’ whereby one of them is a living GPS to bring me back to Kolej Akasia without any harm.

Whenever I recalled this situation, I truly believed that God’s hands were in control of it.  Usually when I lost something, I would become frustrated, panic and occasionally broke down without able to do other things. I’m so surprised under that situation I was able to drive calmly. Everything is God’s doings.

Sharon Tan

The sharing session has made me realize that life is not just about studies, family and relationship with friends.

One’s spiritual growth is also very important. I was amazed when I saw how people are so brave enough to voice out their thoughts and awed by their mature thinking. During the worship and praying session, I felt touched. Never once in my life did i feel so near to God. When I looked back, God did listen to my prayers. I tried to pray during my trial, and God brought me peace and took away all my anxiety so that I can face my exam confidently. Thank God. God is amazing. I’m glad that i went. Special thanks to the ex-committee and junior committee for making this last gathering a successful one. I enjoyed it. Wish you all the best in future.

Jamie Chan

Close friends around me know that I am a buddhist, but religion will never hinder me from getting to know Christian friends. In fact, quite a lot of my close friends are Christians. I am glad that I nodded when Jayn invited me over for the first (and last) CA in my life. It was fun and well-conducted, *applause for the junior committee*, I enjoyed the music and the sharing session a lot. I’ve gain some insightful thoughts, and am awed with your participation in CA.

It gives me a feeling of family.

I love the place and the people. I am glad to meet Pastor Joash and all of you! Last but not least, thank you for the “farewell”, I feel the warmth even though it’s my first time here!With this, I wish all CA members, all the best in your future undertakings.

Mx Tan

I’ve never been to CA before for this 1.5 year and I’m glad to have attended the LAST CA of the year which was my FIRST and of course the BEST of all! I really appreciated                         everything and everyone’s effort in making the last CA a successful one. Thank you all! I really feel the warmth there and it is like a big family. Even though i didn’t                         know most of the CA members but all of you made me feel like I’m a part of this big family too! Thanks a lot for everything especially the junior CA committee! You guys                         have done a great job and keep the momentum up! Lastly, hope all of you enjoy your time in INTEC .

We have got to know the people but not just focus on studies only.

All the best! =)

Chern Chee

I went to CA for several times. What can I say? The last CA was a blast, filled with touching moments. I can truly feel the love from brothers and sisters in Christ. It was kind of regret that I don’t really appreciate every single moment I was in CA. I wish I can attend the upcoming CA(s)! Bravo to the ex-committee! You guys have really made CA a fellowship place, with God as well as with friends in INTEC. You guys are truly amazing people!

Campus Alive has inspired me to grow.

All the best to the junior committee! You all are chosen ones in INTEC to spur the Christ-like environment. God bless!

Victoria Yap

We complain way too much and we are never satisfied with life. We are seldom grateful for what we have and instead, we question why we are not given more. We whine about how life is terrible and how unfair life is for us. Whether it is a test that is coming up, or a pile of untouched assignments, we complain. But have we actually thought about how fortunate we already are? What about the people out there who doesn’t even get the opportunity for education? Next, we complain about our parents being too strict and not understanding enough. What about those people out there who are orphans and who would die to have parents who can nag them and care for them? To us, life may suck. But that’s only because we haven’t seen the lives of those less fortunate. Why compare ourselves to those that are rich and live lavishly? We should instead look at those who are less fortunate and reflect on how lucky we are.

That is the message I got from the sharing from Pastor Elisha last Thursday. He shared with us about stories of people who are grateful just to have a place to stay, people who are so poor that their entire house is the size of some of our living room, and also people whose parents are drug addicts. Upon hearing this, most peoples’ first thought would be that these situations are probably happening in all the poorer countries such as the rural parts of India or perhaps Africa.

But no, it is in fact happening right in front of us, right here in Kuala Lumpur.

This brings us to a call. This calling may not have to be a calling for us to give up all we have to be the next Mother Theresa or to give up our comfortable life and become a volunteer in some remote place in Africa. Instead, this calling is to ask us to do what we can for those in need. It may be in the form of money, help or just time. It also need not be only limited to visiting crisis homes or orphanages. I believe that even simple gestures like sharing your food with your poorer friends who can’t afford to eat a good meal or encouraging someone who has family problems are ways of giving back to society. It is all these small things that touch peoples’ hearts in a big way.

Start reaching out to those next to you! Care for the less fortunate and most importantly, ask the Lord for guidance always as we ask him to break our hearts for what breaks His. =)

Hannah Chen

Hello, my beautiful people from home, (:

I woke up today feeling extremely drained. In the midst of having my midterms, with projects and papers up to my neck this week, the tension mounted and it didn’t help that I’m slowly beginning to feel the pangs of homesickness hitting me day to day. Reinventing my life here, making new friends, finding a new home – nothing seemed harder than to find God in this place where I now live, alone and all by myself. It has been a month or so since I’ve reached Los Angeles, but nothing has yet to register to be “familiar” to me. Everything is (still) so new, and so strange to me. Meeting new people and learning about the many lives of others is what I do every single day. And finally today it hit me. I got out of bed this morning, I felt the stark emptiness filling up the gaps deep in my heart. I didn’t know who I was, what I was supposed to do, how I was supposed to live my life. But God did. I sat down in the dark on my bed, with an overwhelming urge to cry and go home. Praying in silence because my roommate was still asleep, I sought Him to guide me. I prayed for answers – and I was given one. Not quite knowing what I was supposed to do, I went to my weekly bible studies on campus, and there, I was given my answer: Matthew Chapter 6.

I was given this material that said,

SHUT THE DOOR

The Lord said, “But you, when you pray, enter into your private room, and shut your door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.” The private room is the place you fellowship with God in secret; it is the place where you pray without trying consciously to exhibit your prayer. This means to shut out the world and shut yourself in. In other words, it is to ignore all the outside voices and to pray to God quietly and alone.

I was rendered speechless at how apt and precise God conveyed his message to me through his words. Even more, as we got into reading Matthew 6 out aloud.

“Therefore I tell you: do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?” Matt 6:25

“Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matt 6:27

“Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Matt 6:27

“So do not worry, saying “What shall we eat? or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” Matt 6:31

“Therefore do no worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own” Matt 6:34

He knew and He delivered me from my helplessness just like that. The power of prayers really manifested before me, and I was reminded by how we so often ask ourselves, if God knows what we need before we ask, then why should we even ask? Its simple. My bible (New International Version) answered the query by asserting, “Prayer was never intended to inform God of something he doesn’t know. The point of prayer isn’t merely to get what we want, but to NURTURE OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD. As a result, the prayer can change US rather than the SITUATION, reinforcing our confidence in our God’s sufficiency and realigning our will with His will.”

So turn to Him, build your own private room and strengthen your relationship with God by prayer. For when a true man of God prays continuously for His name, kingdom, and will, the Lord takes care of the man himself. Hallelujah.

Best,

Bell.

Thursday’s CA was a real eye-opener.

It is not the first time that I have listened to Pr. Elisha’s stories but I am touched each time I hear them. Coming to CA and hearing his stories on how he has encountered the marginalized has awoken in me again this desire to just do something for the people in need. Pr. Elisha really challenges me. How many times as a student I gripe about what I have? I complain when it is to hot in the hostels. I complain when my lecturers are not very good. I complain when the food is not nice. But, have I ever thought about those who don’t even have food? Have I thought about those who don’t even have a proper place to stay like I do? Have I thought about those who don’t even have a chance to learn to read and write?

It is really an eye-opening session where I started to realize that, I am blessed beyond measure by God.

What am I doing with what I have been blessed with? Am I changing lives? Am I impacting lives? What am I doing for those who encounter injustice? God’s heart breaks for those who are treated unjustly. Does my heart break when I see injustice? Personally, yes it does. But what am I doing with it? Am I acting on these feelings where my heart is broken because of this injustice that I see?

I came out of that sharing with a heart, a will to make a conscious effort to help out those who are treated unjustly or those who are marginalized.

Hopefully this is one way I can do it: To continue on with what Zhong Xiang has been doing, which is, to visit homes like Shelter, Crisis Home and so on. There was this discussion when I was with Pr. Elisha, chatting with him as he ate. He asked Zhong Xiang what he has been doing concerning reaching out to the marginalized this semester. Zhong Xiang explained what CA has been doing in the visitation of homes. Pr. Elisha commented back and asked, “So, is this just a one off thing?” At that point in time, I knew that I was to continue on what Zhong Xiang has been doing. Hopefully I will be able to continue this activity of bringing CA members to visit homes to learn more about the marginalized and to show them how they live in order that they might come to know God’s heart for the marginalized.

I think another thing that impacted me was the fact that Pr. Elisha said we will be the generation that will help these people. It’s a long hard journey to do so but I believe that if I am commit my heart to it, by God’s strength I will.

Will you join me in helping these people who are less fortunate than us?

Every beginning has an ending? Or God has a plan in everything? I opt for the latter.

So CA tonight began as it always has. The other emcee, Kar Suan and I had a hard time getting the people’s attention. I wonder why this happens to almost every emcee. Anyway, we, the emcees, had the event flowing quite smoothly in my opinion. Hopefully my opinion is true.

Worship session has always been my favorite way of drawing near to God. I like to sing and to praise God in a melodic way. And the thing about worshiping God in CA is that you don’t need to care whether your singing is good or the other way round. Nobody cares about that. All you need to do is just sing out and call out loud to God. Above all, I like peaceful worship songs which always make me feel the presence of God. At times when my mind is in a mess, listening to these songs never fails in calming me down. And that is one of the reasons I always attend Campus Alive. It restores me spiritually and physiologically.

We had a very interesting speaker today, Rev. Pax Tan – the senior director of Malaysian Care’s Prison, Drugs and AIDS Service. The way he talked was so humorous that we kept on laughing as he preached.

And he made a lot of points throughout his sharing about us being the future nation builders. Indeed, we are unique in the way that we are all scholarships holders.

We are very much blessed, and we should really thank God by putting us in this position that a lot of people envy and long for.

Rev. Pax Tan has given us a really beneficial preaching. Humorous as it was, it actually contained a lot of messages to build our characters and prepare us to be the nation builders in time to come.

It feels great to listen and learn God’s words, but it feels even better to apply the things that we have learned in our lives.

I hope the others enjoyed Campus Alive tonight as much as I enjoyed it.

Especially the refreshment. =)

Sing Kiet.

I was sitting on the couch with the Cendana boys or I like to call them my “children” when Joash came and he said ‘Come guys, take a picture.” So we smiled for the camera and let Joash do his thing. What hit me was in smiling for the photo, I realised those smiles were not forced, but a mutual feeling among us. I looked around and saw everyone else smiling and laughing, and it struck me of such an awesome movement all this were. I was so blessed that I found CA the first week I came here. Through prayers and worship, all of us are truly a family.

God has had definitely blessed CA, as not only real but also real happy. That was something that calms the soul of those who had emotional struggle that day.

I did have one in the previous CA but new hope came after this CA.

After that, there was a game, which I was confused of and still am, but hearing those laughs and seeing those smiles, I was sure that God was establishing a bridge among us. Following the game session was praise and worship and it was stunning to see how the hearts of those present opening up to God.

There was then a talk from Mr. Pax Tan. He said how God placed us in our respective places and destinations for a wonderful purpose and that we should never forget our roots in God. It was asked why God let His only Son, Jesus Christ to be born in a barn. Was it done deliberately? One I could remember was the senior said it is that God accepts everyone no matter how lowly the person may be.

The talk was surely an inspirational message from God so that we would not doubt his purposes and that He planned something awesome for everyone. With that, it concluded the night.

I hope everyone realised how great God’s love is and for sure, God will speak to all of us to shine a path for our dreams to still be on the road He built for us.

Alleluia and Amen.

Chris Patterson

Recruiting members. INTERESTED?

It’ll be the experience of a lifetime ;)

Rev. Pax Tan

The challenging part is when, on Saturday afternoon, the worship leader, Shiau Xian texted me asking me whether to be the pianist or not. I was pretty excited and in fact, I remembered how I prayed for it because I wanna learn more through serving the Lord in this Ministry. Yeah, so I accepted the ‘request’ after knowing Fiona and Sharon were joining too. That’s why from Saturday I already looking forward for the CA!

After long waiting for 3days, finally it came to Thursday! I was so excited. For the past three days I remembered how 3 of us (me, Sharon and Fiona) keep on calling and inviting the people around us to join this week’s CA. Although people seemed to be reluctant when we called them, they had actually turned up on the CA night itself including our coursemates! It was just so relieved and amazed by God’s grace when we saw them coming out from the lift. I really will not forget that moment I saw them, it was just, so amazing and can’t be described by words.

The CA carried on as usual. We signed up to different ministries. I was attracted to everything, seriously. But then, I think I better make some choices. So I had three, hoped that it’s not too ‘greedy’. And after the signing up to ministries we had the praise and worship carried on. I was quite nervous because I did not really good during the practices I had. Furthermore this is the first time I’m serving in CA, which I suggested that I’m not really familiar with. Thank God that everything went on smoothly, at least better than what I’ve expected. This really reminded me a saying where I saw my friend posted in on facebook:

‘ God doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the CALLED.’

He’s just awesome, right?

The message brought by the speaker was very inspiring too. I don’t know why, while He was giving his message I just simply, thought of all my classmates. He touched about the yeast story, where we, as Christian, should be like a yeast, not expecting someone sent by God as tasks for us, but to go out and make disciples as what is written in Matthew 28:19. It knocked me, hard, asking myself whether which type of ‘method’ was I using before this.

Sometimes we really tend to be waiting for God to do His work, but was it an excuse from preventing us to really reach out to people around us who doesn’t really know who our dearest Christ Jesus is.

There’s a story he shared which inspired me the most, where he said that a person will go 39792137871290 kilometres away to another country to reach out to the people in that country but just ignore the people who are staying in the next street.

What challenge is bigger than physical distance and spiritual distance? The main cause, I guess, is the discrimination to each other.

Think about it, people.

What to say anymore, Campus Alive is just awesome. No, it should be: GOD IS JUST AWESOME! The Almighty that blessed me so much. I had never thought that I’ll experience this kind of LOVE in my college life. May God continue to build each and everyone of us to grow in Him and bring out His love in our Campus, and next bringing more impact to our lives.

Kar Suan

Make yourself available for your very first Cell Group Outing for this semester! Campus alive welcomes you to join us this 17th August 2011. Contact the person in charge if you are interested;)

I am from the Land of Hornbills. This is the first time I leave my hometown for quite long period, fully independent. To say that I don’t miss home at all, that’s a lie. In fact, being all alone in this place I don’t know at all is quite scary to me. I feel so lost…

Until I found home last night.

The feeling of home slowly seeped in my soul as I was observing that the coffee shop next to the New Life Restoration Centre (NLRC) was filled with students from INTEC, seniors and juniors alike. There were more than ten tables which were sat by them. Total unity in the kopitiam. :D Yes, I am weird but that was what I felt. :P

Upon setting my foot at the 5th floor, there were a group of people with smiles pasted all over there face.

Smiles that was sincere enough to make me feel that I am at the right place.

Seniors ushered us in after the registration and my, they treated us like we were some VIPs or something. Well, not VIPs though, as in like what biological brothers and sisters do.

Introduction of CA’s committee members was carried out after the welcoming address was done by a senior called Huey Fern. Following the introduction was the awesome praise and worship session. The entire praise and worship session had reminded me totally about:

John 17:20-21
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

I mean like all of us are from different denominations, have different beliefs and backgrounds but during praise and worship, all those barriers were like set aside to come praise God as one body. Total unity I saw last night. Awesome.

After praise and worship, we were introduced to what is CA all about by both CA leaders. Sad to learn that I’ve missed the theme of Real Before God though. Nevertheless, this semester’s theme is to be Real Before Men which I’m looking forward to.
Something that one of the CA leaders said had left an impact in me.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind and with all your strength.

This had like prompted me to be blessings to all those around me – something I had learnt from CA too.

After the introduction to CA session, we played two games, the Human Rock, Paper and Scissors [A very cute game!] and the Riverbank. My knees were like aching from too much jumping and they were like jelly this morning but it was worth the fun! :D

CA last night had too many cute dances too. Especially the Chuga-chuga dance, Fewah and Daki song. As all of us danced and sang, it really felt like a big ohana to me where everyone had fun, laughing and smiling all the way while moving their bodies to the rhythm of the music. :D

Time really envied us having fun and praising God that it moved so fast during CA. Before long, it was time for some refreshments and then we headed back to our Kolej.

I really like the feeling of being at CA. It feels so like home, closer to Daddy in Heaven in a way. By attending CA, I know I am not alone. Don’t get me wrong, it isn’t like I’m alone at INTEC or Kolej but you know, in CA, there’s like this strange closeness among everyone. Sorry but I don’t know how to explain it though. >.<

I’m looking forward to the next CA. Cheers and have a blessed day ahead.

-Cindy Chai

From afar, under the umbrella; there was a group of people, at the usual spot, under the shade of the Bus Stop. Familiar faces.

Feel the Atmosphere.

Everyone was busy – rushing here and there or coming back from college – getting ready in time for CA or preparing for CA.

The last CA, for the semester.

Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.

Hebrews 10 : 22

Time really flies, isn’t it? It was as if we’ve just started this Jan-Jul semester and to say, it’s already over (well, to some of us it is). And, here I go, talking as if I’ve lived for hundreds of years – I sound like an old hag.

Instead of the usual Thursday meet up, the last of this Sem’s CA was done on a Wednesday and was kick-start with the ‘Appreciation Dinner with your Date.’

Send-off

‘I’ve been to four farewells throughout the four sems, and right now, I thought – Oh, it’s my turn now, eh?’

It was the last CA for the semester – yes, I’ve mentioned that; but for the seniors, it contains a meaning a lot deeper than that. It was the last CA – the last meet up in this place, alongside with these people – of their two years here in college. Certainly, one would have known, this last CA had a much bigger denotation that day; because it also served as a farewell celebration for them.

It might not have been clear to them or maybe it was on how thankful everyone feels for the service – effort and hard work – these amazing people sacrificed into making sure CA was carried out smoothly throughout.

These Servants of the Lord are all worthy of an applause. With thanks and thanks over and over again, there’s really nothing much we can say or do – because what they did were far beyond description; just thinking of the time alone, that was spent regardless of the busy schedules they have or even the possibly forthcoming exams when CA or CG was held, they’ve never let these slipped away from their jobs and let these affect their performance before.

REAL.

 Real God. Real Love. Real Faith.

And what does this mean to them?

‘To be honest, I am still searching for my God. My real God.’

God doesn’t want pretense, He wants our honesty – being honest and real to ourselves, and to Him. In fact, these – all these – of admitting our hopelessness and despair and doubt, can be a statement of faith.

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

 Galatians 5 : 6

‘God is real, no matter how we may feel.’

A Piece : Something New

那一次的CA

感谢赞美神！神真好，每一刻！在这一刻，我突然觉得自己是蒙福的一群，因为我有机会收到一份这一生最美最宝贵的礼物，那就神的救恩及永恒。还记得第一次刚到学院的时候，那时候我真的像一头乡下公鹿不小心地闯进了五花八门的城市，有种迷失自己的感觉，总会担心这个操心那个的学弟啊。唯有神的恩典是真实的，因着神的带领下，我不至于慌了脚步，并明白知道神会为我预备最好的道路！在一个偶然的机会下，我参加了第一次CA聚会，开始了我在这里第一步的信仰之途。在这两年里头，CA聚会给我的感觉是一个很棒的聚会，更是一个可以让基督徒与非基督徒彼此之间沟通的交流平台，甚至可以有机会在这里与各各地方弟兄姐妹一起敬拜及服事神。我知道虽然大家都来自不同的地方，但因为神的爱，把我们聚在一起。那一天也是最后一次CA聚会。心中其实是百感交集，莫明的感触一直涌上心田里。感慨两年的时候就要过去了，并意味着我在SA成长之旅途要告一段落了。同时间，心里展望新的天空因为我深信着神在另一片天空里头又有新的生命旅途！人生是向前进，不畏惧地突破自己之前所不能的。

对我而言，神那一份真实感是可以透过自己与神之间的关系里头感受到的。它更是一段遇见神的旅途，一篇与神同在的生命故事，一出以神为中心的剧场。这一种真实感唯有透过生活中所发生的点点滴滴感受到的。从神话语中学习真理，实践在生命里头，活出一个有耶稣基督的生活。与神之间关系，有时会忽近忽远，因为生活难免会有起有落的，徘徊在人生低潮时期或者在人生巅峰时期，但可以肯定的是神的真实感是永不变的因为他一直都在那里。很多次真实的经历，领受神的祝福，感受神的恩典，有他慈爱紧紧环绕着生命，才有今天被神所摆放的环境中塑造出来的自己！与神的遇见，真的让自己有一段真实的经历！唯有亲身体验，你就会知道他的真实有多真实！愿神祝福每一位！=）

Skinny Boy

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Filled with emotions.

 In the short period of two years (yes, it passes by real quick), these seniors of ours have formed relationships in ways they themselves couldn’t have imagined – both with the people and most importantly, with God. And, of this reason, some find themselves strongly attached.

Family of God – that’s what you call it.

It was sad to think that we may not see them anytime soon, with them leaving far-off to pursue the mighty dreams of theirs. Being able to know and meet, let alone form bonds with each other in this place was truly something magnificent, and we all know it isn’t a coincidence. All part of His plan.

With what they have had experienced, this is sure to be something that will prepare them for what’s to come in the future of their lives.

CA welcomes you all back, anytime, any day (if there’s people there to welcome you =P).

Always.

For the past five months, it has been a wondrous passage with the Lord. I’m sure there are people among us which have been touched by the Lord throughout the journey here in CA.

Success – To know Jesus and to let Him be known.

Success is what all of us will still continue to do together, serving in the family of God.

It differs only in that, while we are doing so, we are all in different parts of the earth.

Never weaker, only stronger :)

Bible Passage

We did bible study this ca, being lead by Miss Beatrice who has been faithfully serving in ca. She guided us through the scripture (John 5:1-15) in a different and creative manner, helping us to visualize and understand more about the background of the few verses. She started of by getting a few members to read the scriptures out loud, followed by a few rounds of sketches, acting out the scene as described in the bible. This bible passage basically speaks about an invalid man, lying by the pool of Bethesda, and how Jesus approached him and healed him. We were encouraged to think and put ourselves in the shoe of that invalid man and discussed about what do we see and feel.

The Invalid Man

Being in a place where all sick people gathered for 38 years, the man would have most probably gave up hope of trying to get healed or might have felt comfortable with his current life. When Jesus approached him and asked if he wants to get well, I think he must have felt that Jesus was different in a way, that he took the trouble to talk to him as he might not being given any attention for a very long time. He was healed. Pharisees who were there confronted him as it was a Sabbath and he was not suppose to carry his mat (he picked up his mat and walk and was healed just as Jesus told him to). After that, Jesus went up to him in the temple again and told him not to sin again.

From this passage of scripture, we can basically see the heart of Jesus that was just so devoted to the needs of his people. He cared more for the people and not so much of the laws. He gave attention and care and healed a man most people wouldn’t even notice of. Besides that, he even took an extra mile to warn that man against sinning as physical healing is not the same as spiritual healing. He wants us to be found in him and grow not just at some point of our life but throughout our whole journey of life. This is the heart of our God, who loves and goes all out to care for his people even if they are non believers. Looking at the heart of our creator, will we stop and spend time investing in the lives of others and look out for the needs of others? We are called to love and loving is simply just by caring and taking interest in the needs of others. Reflecting at our lives, in what ways are we similar to the invalid man? Are there any areas of our life that needs the touch of God or in what ways are we too comfortable in life? We have to make our own decision whether to get well or not before our God can truly move in of our lives. Risk it and surrender the areas of life that needs to be changed, be it the growth of your spiritual walk with god, relationships with people or even as simple as stop complaining and see things from a different perspective? It will surely cost you something but I’m sure God is going to pour out so much more and bring us into a higher level of experiencing Him when you let go and let him take control.

God bless =D

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Noticeably, attendance was reduced this week – might be affected by competitions that was, is and will be held.

:D :D :D

On the contrary however, the spirit to worship God wasn’t affected one bit at all. And, the ice-breaking game was bonding and gluing – literally – each and every one together.

Getting REAL with Jesus was the focus this week. And of this purpose as well, John 5:1 – 15 was chosen as the subject for the bible study.

I’m a WORD ESSENTIAL Christian – Let the word investigate you!

‘What is God’s word asking of me today?’

Often, we wonder what does the stories in the Bible tells us and how can they be related to us, right now, at this point of our lives.

The story of the invalid man – simple but of much meaning it contains – tells us of the things that we never realized was there before. In a way, we are so much different physically when compared to the invalid man, yet mentally and emotionally we do not differ much from him.

The four questions put forth to those present that day, leave each and every one of them with something to really think about – of the things that we have been struggling with, up to the extent we chuck it aside to one far corner of the brain in the ‘Deal Later’ section or the fact that some of us might have lost hope and just given up on the things that was once one of the priority in life.

It wasn’t a dead end, as so we’ve discovered. Things are to be done, and this shows how much we want it, how sincere we are about it and how real we are towards it.

We know God is always there to help us – guiding us as we take our first step in attending the long-forgotten issue. This is a big relief isn’t it? To know there is someone who’ll be there to catch us along the way when we fall. With the comfort we find in his words, we will always find the strong point to carry oneself up and start again.

Praise Him for that :)

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Hannah Wee

It’s blessed when everyone come together before the Lord to worship and adore Him.

Actually I had been delaying my serving as pianist for a couple of times due to some reasons, until the latest CA which was on the 24th, I said to God, that I’ll put Him first, I’ll serve Him, I know He’ll lead me in my studies. So I came, and believe me, it’s amazing. God really showed me that He is able, as long as we trust in Him and put Him first. So amazing that my German exam was on Thursday itself, so it doesn’t affect anything. Glory to God!

Thank God we really had a powerful prayer together, touching worship, and good bible study.

From the bible study led by Miss Beatrice, there’s one question from her that struck my heart, which is “How am I like the invalid man?”
Indeed at times when we are so helpless, it’s the one word of God, that give us strength to stand up again, it’s His very word that comfort us and bring light into our life. Praise to HIM!

Thank God we ended with warm supper from some sisters. May God bless you. =)