Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Title__*::Assam Trip Reflections (26 Dec 2008 – 9 Jan 2009)

Located on the scenic backdrop of the Assam mountain ranges is the Burrows Memorial Christian Hospital, first set up in 1935, and currently headed by Dr Gnanaraj. Our team was led by Dr Jason Lau, who envisioned for us a trip that integrated medical expertise and learning, with missions and a heart for the spreading the Word of God. Initially, many of us faced parental objections due to safety concerns, exacerbated by the recent bombings in Mumbai. However, after much prayer and considerations, seven of us embarked on this trip in faith! The pre-trip preparations included preparing our hearts, thus we did a lot of research on various issues pertinent to the trip such as Assam and India’s healthcare policies, culture and taboos, and other areas, so as to get the big picture. In the meetings, our team leader emphasized a lot on having perspective and having our personal goals for this trip. When we first meet a patient, three things should come to our minds: what are the needs of the patient, how can I meet the needs of the patient, and how does God want me to help the patient. Therefore, we kept this in mind as we left for our trip.

Though the hospital was small, it had more advanced technology than what we expected of its rural setting. Being a Christian hospital, they have very interesting styles of evangelism. For example, when they encourage the patient to drink more water, they will draw a link with Jesus as the Living Water, and if we drink of Him, we shall never thirst again. Also, when patients come in for operations, they will record the whole procedure on a video for the patient, with a gospel message before the procedure, so that the Word can be spread to them. Furthermore, every morning they start off with morning devotion for the staff in order to prepare their hearts in service for the Lord. After the lovely time of sharing and praising the Lord with their voices, they proceed to the wards to sing a morning song to the patients, followed by breaking up into small groups to pray for each patient. It is a really bright start to each new day, keeping the focus on God and our service for Him.

As we went there during the Christmas period, the hospital was very beautifully decorated. It is simple and unassuming on the exterior, but made beautiful by the love eminent in the handmade decorations. Colourful wall murals with Scripture verses, handwritten Bible verses and elaborate ceiling decorations of coloured paper are all proof of the efforts put in by the hospital staff to furnish their home with love. The Christmas trees were also handmade, with green leaves from different kinds of trees and branches.

From this trip, I got to experience medical missions at the frontline, and I learnt that the missions field is indeed always under attack from Satan. Dr Gnanaraj, the head doctor there, shared that medical missions is not as “glamorous” as it sounds, and it is not what many people imagined it to be. Before the trip, medical missions would impress on me notions of a white collar type environment, but in reality, it is very down-to-earth and practical! It entails arduous amounts of hard work, and financial dilemmas are very real in poverty stricken countries . It is easy to say that God will supply all their needs, but a lot of effort is made to make sure that the hospital is self-sufficient, with a stable income for the staff. That is why the hospital is now working on a health insurance scheme to ensure a steady inflow of money. Currently it is still relying a lot on foreign donations. Through this trip, I have learnt that castles in the air must be supported by a firm foundation of hard work, and missions is not about a once-off event where we go and stay there for 2 weeks and help with whatever we can. It is about finding out the needs of the people and truly help them. It requires unwavering faith and perseverance, with continual trust and reliance on God. It is heartwarming to witness how the hospital staff seek God and pray for the patients before operations. Also, medical standards are not lowered at missions hospitals! In fact, they are called to a much higher standard, for they are bearing God’s name in serving the people.

The people there are very warm and hospitable. I was very touched by their love for God and how they make the effort to honor Him in little ways. The hospital was located on the mountain, and in order to reach the venue for morning devotion, we had to climb a long flight of stairs. There was one particular morning when we were having morning devotion, when an elderly man walked in the midst of our prayers, panting very loudly and quickly and for a long time. The quiet of the room was interrupted, and some people were startled, but I was really so touched by how he made the effort to climb all the way up there. It is very easy and effortless for us to climb the flight of stairs, and we often take our healthy bodies for granted. However, for him, it takes so much more effort and energy for him to come! Every step that he climbed must have drained him of his energy, but he persevered on, panting with every step, until he finally walked up to the room so breathlessly, and continued to pant so loudly and for so long. I was really touched by his reverence for God and his decision to come for morning devotion. Another instance where I was very touched by the people’s love for God was when we went home visiting, and we met this young man who was blind from glaucoma at the age of eight. He reads Braille, and plays the guitar. It would have been so easy for him to be resentful at God for taking away his sight, but instead, he chose to trust in the plan of God and praised God with his guitar instead. He sang a song for us. I put myself in his shoes, and I really felt for him. To be blind, in total darkness, and I could sense his apprehension and fear when he first came out to meet us, a whole group of people. I had no doubt at all that he could sense the atmosphere so acutely and so keenly even if he cannot see. He will know it if we are hostile or looking down on him, and he will also know if we are warm, welcoming and kind. I felt so sorry for him, and I am so touched by how he praises God with his fingers and his voice even though he lives in darkness. It is easy for us to praise God when everything is going smoothly, but do we draw closer or further away from God in times of trials and temptations? I am very thankful for this chance to meet people who really live out the faith.

Another important lesson that I have learnt is that interpersonal bonds are ultimately the things that matter. In doing medical procedures for patients, I found that there are no hearts touched and no bonds built if I do not communicate with the patients. However, when I try to ease their anxiety and try to get to know them on a personal level, care is given from my heart to theirs. We must continually strive to be patient-oriented and not task-oriented. A patient is just another file in the folder, another figure in the statistic, or just another case for the annual review, until we make the patient our own, by spending time with him, communicating with him, and caring for the patient from the heart. Only then will hearts be touched and God’s love be made tangible to those to experience it. A teammate of mine mentioned before that the key to communication is just to be sincere and show genuine interest in the people we are talking to, and I find that it is really true. As healthcare professionals, we are called to care for the person in the patient, and may the love received from our Lord overflow from our hearts into the lives of our patients!

We also had cross cultural exchanges, and for some of us, it was the first time we attempted eating with our hands. It was quite an interesting experience. I am so glad we brought the hand sanitizer along! The people were also very friendly and invited us to their homes for visiting, and we learnt some Nagaland dances and songs from them as well. Wherever we went, we presented some songs to the locals. I am so glad that music transcends all borders and cultural differences, for we can all relate with music. When we visited a small church in the Manipuri tribe, we also had the chance of teaching them the song Peace Like a River, with the actions. The whole team had a very happy time of bonding through music and singing. We also learnt how to cook thosai and wear sarees. As Assam was known for its Assam tea, we also visited the tea gardens and tea factories to see how tea leaves were processed into tea granules. Assam tea has a very special fragrance and we all loved it! We also got to meet a cross-cultural missionary who is working among the Mai Tai people in Manipur, and were very encouraged by his ministry there. India is a place with many different cultures and languages, and this missionary learnt their culture and language in order to communicate with them and spread the gospel.

It has been a great experience to go to BMCH and open my eyes to the world around me. It is indeed touching to see how doctors and missionaries get out of their comfort zone, sacrificing luxurious and comfortable lifestyle to do the work of God. Medical missions is really something very practical and down-to-earth, and the challenges are very real. It is not a job for the faint-hearted, but for those whom God has called to serve in this field. It takes unwavering faith, perseverance, and trust in God in order to accomplish His work. “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.” Matthew 9: 37. Are you ready to offer your heart and life up to God, to be used as His vessel of peace?

Friday, February 08, 2008
Title__*::hello again!

haha friends, it's just so rare that i'll update my blog, but anyway, here i am again! haha nothing much la, just that latly i've been sleeping so late due to many distractions, even as late as 5.30am.....i cant believe myself, sleep has been reduced to such a low priority... worrying about studies, i have not touched my books for the past 4 weeks ahh, and now im worrying abt it over CNY holiday, cant really enjoy myself. but still grateful for the rare break from studies. the Lord will sustain me, I will do my best for Him!!! i truly truly want to be a good nurse, from the bottom of my heart. It shall be a goal that I strive towards, studying not just for results, but to be the best nurse i can ever be. YEA!!!!!!!!!!!!

so now, for practical actions, i have to S-T-U-D-Y!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, September 21, 2007
Title__*::hey hey HO!

[this is written for the ONE WEEK blog, but i discovered i was writing all abt myself, so i decided to copy it here onto my blog haha]

My dearest ONE WEEK!!! How's everyone doing? haha i dont think many ppl will come to read this blog, but anyway, i would just like to encourage everyone to persevere on!!!

im so glad surfer's bday provided the chance for us to meet together, just that lolly is in the philippines, and poor mojo was not feeling well. but no worries, one week is always together in spirit!!!

how are u girls doing? Enjoying ur uni life? haha i dont really expect to get a reply here on this blog, but anyway we will always get to chat abt everything when we meet up! seriously, im enjoying my studies! i passionately LOVE anatomy and physiology, although it's really super hard, with tonnes of stuff to memorize. haha time to set my grey matter working again. and i just enjoy sewing!! as u all probably know, im tied up for 16 hrs a week to do costumes for Raffles Hall concert, and it's super busy la, with no time to study. actually im supposed to study right now, but since i am already online, i might as well take some time out. haha i feel rather guilty though. yup but anyway, i love sewing! just that it really takes up much time. i got stuck on this terrible sleeve, and it just looks weird, but i shall rectify the mistake as best as i can. i sure hate unpicking the stitches, and i dont particularly enjoy making the measurements haha, but it's all part of the job!

well, today i just cleaned my room for the first time ever since i moved into RH, and the dirt and dust was HORRENDOUS!!! it was so terribly shocking that i've been living with dust and dead body cells for 1 1/2 months! ahh! haha the floor was mopped about 6 times or more, and each time the water was pitch black. eeks! and guess what, i discovered that i've been harbouring mosquitoes in my wardrobe!! i killed at least 5 mosquitoes with my bare hands. it's a case of kill or be bitten haha. and all were from my wardrobe. it's super shocking and EEKS!!! haha i inferred that it must be because i always hang my wet laundry in my room in front of the wardrobe, so the mosquitoes got attracted there and took residence in my wardrobe. so, to solve the prob, i finally bought a small clothes rack, with the help of surfer's sharp eyes!! dear surfer is truly a lifesaver! she saved many milliliters of my blood haha. the mosquitos that i killed were all fat with my roommate and my blood, yucks! haha that's what i've learnt from staying in hall =)

other than costumes, im also involved in aerobics, campus crusade for christ, and also welfare and softball, but those 2 have not started. haha busy, but fun la.

ok i've updated lots abt myself already, i'm just wondering why am i typing these here instead of in my own blog haha, as it seems to be all abt myself. or should i copy and paste everything into my own blog? perhaps i should =)

haha my dear friends, take care, and stay fit and healthy!! =)

wednesday signs off,
22 sept 2007 sat, 12.33am

Sunday, August 05, 2007
Title__*::long time no update!!

hey hey hallo!! long time no update haha, ever since nov 2006, and it's currently 5 aug 2007! that's like 10 months? it's because i forgot my username but i remember my password, so cant sign in anyway, then today i suddenly remembered my username, so tada! im blogging again.

but there isnt anything much to say la, the last blog was before A levels, now it's happily after As, and the lovely 7 months holiday is over already. i've been to china, hong kong, scotland(YEAH!!), and have been working in a pharmacy and clinic, and of course, not forgetting all the catching up with my friends. now uni life is about to start =)

im staying in hall la, and orientation is for 2 weeks, but i missed like almost half of it, so my heart goes out to the expensive orientation fees haiz. but just some thoughts on uni life... it's like, we have finally taken a turning at the crossroads of our lives. after As everyone was pondering over which path they ought to take, and now the path is chosen, and we are about to take the first step down it. it's terribly exciting, and also with a mysterious element about it, like nobody knows what's going to happen. im just so glad that i've got Jesus by my side yea! Never will He leave me, never will He forsake me!

hostel life is..new and needs some getting used to. the first night i was without my bolster and i couldnt sleep at all la. and i need walls around me to lean on. then got to wash clothes etc. i still haven found out whether there's an ironing board in hall, and i sure hope there is. how can i go for lessons without ironing my clothes?!! haha

anyway im determined to make the most out of my hostel life, and enjoy it to the utmost, cos im not sure if i can commit so much time to earn hall points to stay on the next year. it's going to be so super busy!! my timetable shows that on mon wed and thurs, lessons are from 8am to 5 pm (?!!), and on tues, from 8am to 3pm, and fridays should be for practicals. then plus the ccas and stuff, how am i going to manage my time?! but still, God must come first, cos im first a Christian, then a student, not vice versa. then after God it will have to be studies la, cant possibly neglect my studies for cca. no way man! im going to put my all in my course, and do my very very best! =)

haha k i'll end off la, dont know when i'll blog again, so see how la =)

Sunday, March 26, 2006
Title__*::VALUE of studying

i've thought it through finally. lately i was so so so stressed over my schoolwork, and i do not really know why. probably because im too results-oriented, and i stress myself out when i do not get my desired results. i get so stressed over every little test, and it was so unbearable. then one day, i was just reminded that results are not everything!!!!

really thank God for reminding me of that - that results should be a bonus, definitely not the focus. "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as if working for the Lord and not for men." Colossians 3:23. and yep, whatever i do, whether im studying or what, my main aim should be to please God and do my best for Him!! not just for the results, but for the deeper meaning and reason behind the results. must not look at the results on the surface, but focus on the value beneath, and the REASON for wanting to study. yep, and that reason is to please God. so long as i do my best and i study for glorify God, i will have done my best.

yep, that is what i've been reminded of. not just to study aimlessly for the vague goal of your supposed "bright future" if u do well, but more for the value behind studying. and of course, this kind of motivation is so much more sweet and positive.

Thursday, February 23, 2006
Title__*::x*-friends forever

hallo people! have not blogged for a long long long time. mainly because no time la. hmm..lots of things happen, people change, i can hardly keep up with the changes that are taking place. plus the enormous amounts of homework and everything. sometimes feel abit overwhelmed. and oneof the big shocks (or surprises) is that our mrs mouses has finally found a mr mouse! hmm... mr mouse had better not bully mrs mouses, if not i'll give him a tight slap. its so strange to see everyone growing up and leading their lives themselves, and its like there are less and less common interests? is time really a crucial factor in maintaining a friendship? actually i think so, but some people say it's the quality of the time spent together that matters. i think it's the quantity of quality time spent together. like what ms ashari said when she asked us to write lots and lots for literature (in Sec4), how can there be quality if there's no quantity to contain that quality? just hope that no matter how far apart we are, ONE WEEK will always always always stay together forever. forever? is that an illusion? am i being naive in thinking that friendships can last forever? am i being too idealistic? hopefully i am not.

im really so thankful for PEI AH JIA!!!!! pei ji u are such a good friend, and u're always there for me, and making AJ a much nicer place to spend my 2 years in!!! and plus how u always console me and counsel me and teach me and for just being by my side --- THANK YOU! =)

piano and guitar is great! haha really can relax after a long day by playing the piano. and if i play the sad sad tunes, can cry for a while to destress. haha never know that ememe has the same method of destressing as me! no wonder we're june babies. and eileen has revived my love for the piano once again cos she's always so enthusiastic to play during breaks. of dear me, the korean tune of The Classic that she introduced to me is soooooo beautiful that the song has been in my head for like..4 days? music is just so lovely, but yet i dont really know how to appreciate it actually. i only know that when i listen to beautiful music, it kind of sends me to another dimension where all things are beautiful. and of course, im talking about the nice nice tunes, not those horrible rock music or the noisy noisy type. i can watch people play on the piano for ages, just standing there and watching their fingers fly over the keyboard, and then marvelling at how we can actually produce this kind of lovely sounds.

haha ok enough of blogging, i've got to do my homework... im glad that im stressed actually, cos it shows that im normal? and another bonus point of feeling stressed is that after u get through that phase, u can really truly understand and empathize with friends who feel stressed too, and can encourage them in a more..sensitive way? cos u really understand that feeling. that feeling of hopelessness, desperation, stupidity, and a kind of disgust at myself at being unable to understand the supposedly simple things that everyone understands except me. yep..main point is that can help u relate to people and be a better friend to them.

and God provides a way out! He always does. thank God for His providence and grace and mercy!!!!! He'll never let me be tested beyond what i can bear. it's like the refining of silver.. the silver has to be put into the fire until the Maker can see His reflection in it. in the same way, we have to go through trials and tests to strengthen our character. the Maker will never abandon us! =)

Wednesday, January 18, 2006
Title__*::perhaps someday i will be truly happy

perhaps someday, sometime, i will never never have to be alone again. wanted to blog about the east coast trip with my friends actually, but now i cant, because my mood just doesnt fit the happy atmosphere of that day.

yep, one can never truly understand loneliness unless one has been through it i guess, just as one can never understand how it feels to be alone in a crowd until one has experienced it. should have learnt my lesson from last year and not take it so seriously, but what can i do about it? nothing i guess.

hmm or maybe i can thank God for letting me be alone and experience these feelings, so that i can empathize with those who felt the same way. in this way i can truly relate to those left out people and be nicer to them? because i know how it feels. so perhaps this will make me a nicer person if i can be nice to others. and perhaps i have to go through this so that i can comfort others with the comfort that i have received from God. yep it's not essentially a bad thing i guess.

and who knows, perhaps this is training for me in future, when i have to be alone when doing God's work? this may also be a chance for me to draw closer to God and experience Him more through my loneliness? i've got to learn to rely on God more and confide in Him and trust in Him. yep. for He holds my future, and He holds my hands!

one day i will say, it was good for me to be afflicted that i may learn Your decrees.

i must not be weak. i must be strong, be brave, and face whatever im facing now with strength from God. all glory and honour to God!!

* by the way, really thank God for Peijiajia, because she's really a GREAT friend!! always there for me =). Peij-ah, if u happen to read this, just want to say a big THANK YOU to u!!