4th service is moving...

13^th November 2007

Dearest Family,

After a day of slumber, I’m finally awake to face the world and return to work (reluctantly :P). How was your first day back at work? 

This year’s retreat is the first time we have the FOC joining us with the kids and house helpers in tow and boy! has it made the retreat more exciting and challenging! Many thanks are due to the Children’s Ministry leaders who anchored the Children’s ministry time to ensure that the kids are well-occupied during the teaching sessions.  Thank you for your sacrifice during the teaching sessions to be with the children so the parents may be able to benefit from the sessions. 

Huge thanks are also due to the Retreat Committee led by Jiahui who looked into the venues, accommodations, food, programme arrangements for the entire retreat. Thank you to each and everyone one of you for serving the ForeRunner zone in the ways that you have in spite of your busy daily schedules and commitments. 

A big thank you to Adrian as well, for being God’s willing instrument to guide and teach us through yet another series of teaching. To each and every one of you who prayed before, during and after the retreat, thank you for being the prayer warrior that you were, and for partnering God through your prayers.

Thank you also for your individual sharing during the Worship Extravaganza sessions which no doubt encouraged the hearts who were listening. I’m indeed very privileged to be able to hear and witness for myself, the transforming work of God in each and every one of your lives. 

I know God has spoken in His own way to every one of us and I pray that we will continue to take the lesson with us every single day as we come down from the “mountain-high” experience. Let our hearts and minds soak up the goodness of His word to us during the retreat so we may carry them into the rest of the days ahead of us. 

PS/ This is not my testimony; this is my love letter to all of you. 

In His love,

Esther Marikea

The Seed of God's Love, The hand of His faithfulness.

A Testimony From Sister Silvia (Ching Yen)

1- 3 Nov 2007 is our annual staff engagement activity at Cameron Highlands.

It would be the first time i invited my family members to join. And i was delighted that both my parents and my aunt could make it for the trip.

Next come a shocking news: my boss has asked me to invite the pastor from Miri to come and join us, so that he could share the gospel during devotional time.

My task, is to make sure that my parents would attend the devotion as well.

Gup...as i recall how my dad has shared with me in the past that he would debate with those pastors until humiliation is done successfully. I begun to sweat.

God, surely if You have arranged this, you will shield your servant as well, right? Pastor Liik is a very good pastor, i do not wish to see him being humiliated by my dad.

The first day devotion is a killer. The pastor made me cried in public. With good intention. He was inviting me to share on my parents' love to me... very difficult indeed as it has never been said before among my family members...about love. I lost my speech towards the end with tears as i describe how my dad loves me... my mom step forward to hug me so that i no need to continue the sharing. Very embarrassed indeed.

Then the pastor continued with sharing on the love of God. My dad has shown "Bo Cap" face while the pastor is sharing, but he did not say a word to rebuke him.

After the session was over, my parents invite the pastor along to join them for breakfast while we staff continue with our staff session. My heart was worried while they were out. Will my dad debate with him in the car? When they returned, it seems nothing has happened. The pastor joined my family for all outings in this trip. Peaceful and joyful indeed.

When the trip is over, my dad did comment that if the pastor had asked him to share, he will surely share something to attack Christianity. Then he smiled when he said, "He asked you to share instead."

It was the one & only time, my dad sit still to listen to the gospel for 1 hour long. Major motivation for it: i think it is my sharing that has stopped him from retaliation and keep him quiet for the whole session. The pastor encouraged me while we bit farewell to each other: "Do not worry, if he has experienced God's miraculous healing, and now listen to His love, i am sure God has plans to save his life even if he does not respond now."

Yes, i believe so. God is patient in leading stiff-necked people like us to embrace His love.

The second day devotion...somehow God prevented my family members from joining. And astonishing indeed, this time round, Pastor Liik shared about his own personal struggles in life, in serving Him. He brought forth a very important message to me as i was searching for clue on how i should live my life next year in serving Him. He shared how painful it is as he grow up with pride and insecurity...then he concluded, "Forgo the past glories and failures, start from zero, learn to do it all over again like you have never done it before, learn to embrace His wonderful new plans, new wisdom & new experiences. While the previous skills and experiences are what God has given you, your obedience and reliance on Him is the key for you to unlock His plans for you."

It is a wonderful trip indeed.
My dad, has finally heard the gospel.
I know what i should do. Be it my church ministries, my workplace, and my relationships.
Thank God for His amazing arrangements.

Thank God for Pastor Liik Tong Yeu, the ever friendly and helpful Methodist Miri District Superintendent and a pleasant company to be with. Thank you so much. =)

1 week to retreat...

Let us all arise and pray:

1. Remember to put on the armor of God as we go about the preparation for the retreat and our daily lives
2. Pray for the blood of Jesus to cover us and our love ones from the crown of our head to the sole of our feet.
3. Pray for unity among all the people involved in this retreat
4. Pray that all logistics to be available and ready
5. Pray for the hearts of everyone who's going fof the retreat ( to be open, sensitive and receptive when God speak to them)

Dont know about you guys but felt more and more excited about the retreat as the day is coming soon as really having this inkling that God is doing and going to do something during the retreat. SO, while waiting to see what God is going to do, let's partner Him in prayers and start praying NOW if you haven got down to doing it!!! :)

Serving with you,
Mummy Ho - Prayer IC of The Retreat 2007 Committee.

A special thanks from Ms Lim Jing En

RETREAT 2007 - A PASSIONATE LIFE

We are about 6 weeks away from our zone retreat which will happen on 8th Nov till 11 Nov.

Once again, we urged all of you to join us for this annual event and start applying your leave for 9th Nov. :)

The retreat committee has worked hard to recee for the best venue that is affordable to all at Singapore Vision Farm and we are in the midst of firming up the program plus ordering new zone t-shirt for all of us.

The study books "A Passionate Life" have been ordered too.

We are committed to make this retreat a success because we truly believe that all of you will be able to encounter God as we spend 4 days together, setting aside time to learn His word and to rest in His presence.

WHAT TO EXPECT?

1. Doing "A Passionate Life" book study by Mike Breen and Walt Kallestad

This is a 8 sessions group study and we will complete 4 sessions during retreat and finish the remaining 4 sessions after retreat. (Details to be confirmed of post-retreat)

http://www.lifeshapes.com/

Introduction from textbook

Countless people today are disappointed with the way their lives are going.

Although they truly believe they were created for a Divine purpose, deep in their hearts, they wonder "What's so great about knowing God?"

Perhaps you can relate.

Do you have friends who talk about how wonderful God is and what he's doing in their lives and secretly long to know him the same way?

Maybe you go to church every week, only to go away empty and thinking There's got to be more.

There is more!

Mike Breen and Walt Kallestad want to show you how to live A PASSIONATE LIFE!

You will learn how to live your faith the way God intended.

You'll learn what it means to be a true follower, and by using easy to recall shapes (Called Lifeshaped),

you'll learn to apply those steps to every situation and relationship in your life.

Soon the enthusiasm you'll be feeling will be real.

You will have a PASSIONATE RELATIONSHIP with the Creator of the Universe.

You will have a PASSIONATE conviction to impact the lives of the people in your life.

You will have A PASSIONATE LIFE!

2. SILENCE TO FIND GOD

Have you been busy with your work and trying to juggle your church commitment and ministries?

Finding it hard to rest and instead of growing in your spiritual walk, you are getting burned out physically..

Instead of hearing from God and resting in His presence, you are frustrated with your duities and responsibilities?

Then it is timely for you to learn to hear God in retreat.

Yes in silence, right in a farm, we want to devote few hours to rest in His presence and renew our sense of hearing His still small voice.

3. WORSHIP EXTRAVAGANZA

God gives us different stories and unique life experiences.

Worship extravaganza is a wonderful opportunity for you to MAKE A DIFFERENCE in a small and fun way. :)

Share and express your story or your worship to God in anyway you are comfortable with.

You can do it alone. Or you can grab someone else to create an item to bless the rest of the zone.

THIS IS NOT SELF-ENTERTAINMENT. IT IS A WORSHIP.

We have been deeply blessed by the transparent sharing and authentic worship put up last year.

I am sure this year will be another year of breakthrough for many of us.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

4. ZONE T-Shirt

I think we are the only zone in Ang Mo Kio Methodist to have a Zone Tee Shirt? :)

We see the need to have a lighter colour teeshirt since the weather is getting hotter in Singapore. Ha!

Which is why we are going for a brand new white colour T-shirt. Design will be the same as the black-one (design by Aichoo) :)

We encourage the whole zone to order the new Tee-Shirt and this will also help to reduce the cost further with more quantity purchased.

Cost - $12.50.

Sizes will be the same as the black t-shirt the previous time.

For those without forerunner t-shirt presently, to ask a friendly cell member of approx the same size to gauge size :-)

Please let your cell leaders know your size in COMING WEEK.

Deadline: Cell Leaders to let Jiahui know by 12 Oct 07.

THANK YOU FOR READING TILL HERE!

LET US PREPARE OUR HEARTS TO MEET GOD IN RETREAT! :)

FROM 2007 RETREAT COMMITEE

God comes through once again!!

This is an update from previous prayer request by Sister Ching Yen.

Hi everybody,


Camper registered to date: 5216 (numbers are still growing, we have about 200 cards have yet to key in).

Well, we will normally cater for a 10-20% drop-out rate, but we foresee we will have some to turn up on the spot to register.

Funds received as at 11 Sep : RM1,074,681.00

Interestingly, the moment we invite God to help us on the week of 21 Aug, and send an SOS message to you all, the funds and numbers came in with a double - triple jump from last week.

The camp is on this Sat, and i am reminded by Him again to learn from Moses. "If Your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here." - Exodus 33:15
Unless God goes with us, we will not move.

Tomorrow we will have a final staff brief, i will make it a point that we will keep this verse in mind. Some of us will have a prayer walk the day before the event.

And yes, i will fast and pray starting tomorrow onwards.

Thank you for all the prayers. May His will be done. =)

chingyen