All good things must come to an end.

This wasn't the most fantastic blog but it wasn't the worst either. Since I've taken on many more offline activities, this will be my final post in this blog.

Thanks for visiting and leaving comments. It's been fun! =)

Here comes 2009

All I can conclude is 2008 was a year of mistakes and growing up the hard way. Some were avoidable, some were definitely inevitable no matter what preparation is done ahead. Life is funny like that.

I can't say 2009 will be devoid of any problems but I can say that it started off pretty well. Perhaps the key to contentment & fulfilment is enjoying and appreciating what you've been blessed with and trusting that God will bring us to the next level when the time is right.

As always, it's easier said than done. So, my goal this year is FOCUS. Let's see how well that goes.

CHANGE

Nothing against President-Elect Obama, but I think we can't change the world/nation, if we don't start changing ourselves first.

2008 is almost over and as the workload slows down, there is time to consider some changes for 2009. Baby steps are necessary to eventually cultivate healthy habits.

Change of mindset: Healthy is fit, active, flexible, not skinny and starving.
Change of exercising activity:
1) Ditch that weighing machine ~ Zhen
2) Regularly running at various locations & ENJOY it ~ Pest
3) Quit gym after contract ends

Change of eating activity:
1) Graze - use the portion cup to allow multiple eating sessions but lesser amounts
2) Allow one "fav"item each day
3) Eat more slowly & ENJOY it

I have other aspects of life to change such as finances, spiritual and project management, self learning etc but later. I'm learning to focus.

Trouble in Asia Pacific region

On our way back from Jakarta, the news were blaring with news on terror attacks in Mumbai and the protests in Suvarnabhumi airport, Thailand.

I travel quite a bit in my job and having travelled to these locations, I feel something when I read these reports. I'm truly sorry to hear what has happened.

6 months post-Japan Mission trip...

Thought I was done by now, hmm? No, I still think about it because when I first embarked on the planning of this short trip, I really questioned my motivations and passions. I thank Pastor Ivan for helping me think this through. Is missions something I should consider? Or does God have something else intended for me? In my last trip to Kuching, my koko and I had a very brief conversation on this. He said that he was very skeptical of missions. Most ppl he knows take those "missions" as an opportunity to vacation.

Yea, it's pretty harsh and I reluctantly acknowlege his view. That thought actually makes me sad. I guess it's the human weakness to not be able to clearly identify our heart's motivations. I can only hope that the Holy Spirit will prompt me to take any projects/trip/church activity seriously and sincerely.

To sum things up, three last questions from D&J before we left:

1) What are the expectations from this mission trip?

• To find a way to use comics to convey the Good News in Japan Good question. HJ and I are still figuring out how to do this for the hikikomori but she has connected me to some folks who are interested in creating manga for Christians. I'm not sure how this will materialize but I have the connections. It's up to me to make it work through God's Grace and Strength.
  

• To learn more about the culture in Japan Yes, this has helped a lot. We met different groups of people, ranging from kids to senior folks. I particularly have a heart for young ppl, especially those who are transitioning from college to the workplace. Not only that, many things I observed in manga comics, are pretty representative of what happens in Japan! Interesting!

• To understand the challenges missionaries deal with in Japan Yes, I thank D&J and HJ for giving us insights into their job scope. As I increase my correspondences with my Japanese counterparts in Tokyo [business-wise], I'm starting to understand the situation the house churches encounter in their outreach.
  

• To discover if I can really make friends from Japan While I understand that being a true close friend in its strictest sense is very difficult, I shall be thankful for two individuals whom I still keep in contact with. In fact, one of them came over to visit Singapore. ^_^ Thanks to Mayumi & Masa-san for staying in touch. I sincerely hope we can meet up again if I make trips to Tokyo again. Lastly but not least, I also made friends with D&J and HJ whom I'd love to stay in touch with.

2) What are your good memories? What are your bad memories?
Good: Many....too many to list but it was mostly the university visits. I realize that I really want to reach out to university students. It was in college when I gave my life to Christ for real. =) I also want to help Christians transition from college to the workplace because it's really tough! Lastly, I realize that reaching out to ppl in Japan requires a bit of creativity. For example, instead of inviting ppl to church, you can invite them to ktv sessions! You don't necessarily talk about Christ but you can draw about Him. The language barrier actually forces us to be more creative and I welcome that!

Bad: I won't consider it such a bad thing. We had some internal conflicts and dramatic scenes among the youth team but I can manage that. ^^

There you have it: No regrets from my last trip and I'm looking forward towards harvesting fruits from this experience!