Reflections

Just had a dinner party for the fellowship ladies at my place...
Menu for this evening:
-- Cambodian mangoes for appertisers
-- Pasta with pesto sauce
-- Salmon w/ vege n mushrooms baked in sake n soy sause
-- Green tea ice-cream.

Was in Cambodia from 11th to 22nd. 8 days for community service project @ Phnom Penh n 4 days of leisure. Visited 2 poor villages (Koh Rum Dual and Takmao) and 2 orphanages (Klin Kleang and Kulap 4). Main service project was 5-days at Klin Kleang where we repainted 2 dormitories, white-washed the outer walls and taught the kids english. The rest of the places we gave out gifts and provided a meal. As I like to put it, we were scrubbers, scrapers, painters, nannies, teachers, entertainers, and by the end of the trip... hagglers as well!!

Haven't really unpack and hence haven't upload the photos yet.... will give the fun commentary when the photos are ready.... but stuff that impacted me abt the trip. in no particular order of importance...

i) Didn't realize that the organization that we tied up with was Christian and that our Cambodian liaoson (Tommy (French) and his wife Serena (Thai) ) are missionaries. One of our local interpreter, Serena, is also Christian, married to a Singaporean. In a way, it was an answered prayer. Even got to have service on Sunday (12th) at KRD.

ii)Prayed for oppty to share the gospel and prayer was answered.

iii) U have to go out to see the needs and God can use that oppty to speak to u abt His plans for u. The greatest need that struck me wasn't from the orphanages, but from the street kids that I saw at night on the sidewalks... getting high on glue. In fact, if they had been orphanages, at least they have a roof over their heads, meals, and oppty to go to school. My prayer for Cambodia at Ang Kor Wat was for the future of Cambodia, the young, to be kept off the streets, to have the oppty to know and receive God's love. It is encouraging to hear from Serena that the young, but mainly the educated who have had contact with the West, are becoming more open to Christianity.

iv) 40% of the Cambodian population is below 14 years old.

v) the public toilets are way cleaner than I expected them to be (probably better than some of the hawker centre toilets in Sgp)

vi) it felt like I travelled back in time to when I was growing up in Malacca... albeit more polluted... the shop fronts, the large number of motorbikes, the smell of the market...

vii) Cambodian food has lots of MSG... a.k.a. AJINOMOTO... had allergies each morning that left my limbs numb and initially I thought I was just tired / lack of sleep.

viii) importance of not compromising on time spent with the Lord even in a new environment. perhaps... especially in a new environment, one should spend more time with the Lord...

Hopefully more visuals in my next blog....

the team is heading to my place for dinner next Friday... really hoping to catch up again...

Thanksgiving

For the first time on Tuesday night, I sensed in my spirit that the enemy would attack me spiritually during the last week of my work in EDB. I just prayed till peace was restored that my spirit is established in the victory that I know we have in Christ.

Last night, for the first time in a while, I stayed in office till 11ish to prepare for a presentation that I was gonna give at a co.'s customers' event this morning. Largest sales pitch crowd yet, and hence was quite stressed. This morning, I thank God for the conviction to open my bible and not practice my presentation. For there in Ephesians was Paul asking the church to pray for him that he may boldly speak the gospel. The boldness in public speaking I pray the Lord will put to good use in spreading HIs good name.

I thought the presentation was so-so but divine favor made it a success. Praises all round, including from my immediate boss, and I know that glory can only go to Jesus. What can I say, I really don't deserve it but He freely gives. The SVP of the co. and the Dir for Sales in Asia separately made me job offers to join the co. (my first job offer from co. ) But of course, when I told them that there's a couple hundred thousand bond that needs to be paid for ... they told me to keep them in mind when I have abt a year left in my bond... =)

God is amazing... even on my way to Shangri-la for the event, He warmed me up with a delightful conversation with the cab driver abt Him. The uncle had many questions abt X'tianity, did Jesus really resurrect? can God really hear all prayers at one time? I don't know enough to give him very coherent answers but do pray that the seed that was sown will be greatly multiplied. He has a x'tian wife, so perhaps God will work through her.

At the very beginning, I was to start work on Apr 3rd at KPMG and I thought I could go to the US for 2 weeks after my Cambodia trip. then I found out that I had to start work on Mar 27th, before the end of EDB's FY. but 2 days ago, after a quick call to my HR, God gave my leave back and I now can start on Apr 3rd again (they just transfer me over to KPMG on 1 Apr but I start on 3rd). bottomline, God doesn't want me to make the trip to the US yet... i could sense it in my spirit but tried to get tics anyways, and all the good priced tics are already unavailable. =)
so now looking to make a trip to Klang again to visit my cousins and hang out. then chill for a little bit more before I start work.