Sunrise Service 2007

have not blogged in a while since I started my own japanese journal.
僕の日本語が悪いのに、もう決めて書いた。頑張るつもりだ。

anyway, check out the new operation chiangmai blog, courtesy of Bro Nat who allowed us to be hosted on his gen12 site. There you'll find prayer updates and events in the days to come.

Operation Chiangmai Blog

This week looks to be terrible as the last week leading up to reading week. Tomorrow is my Japanese oral exam, Friday is my game design project due and presentation, also got a gaming essay due then. Followed by a Game Lab due next week. All relatively undone. Pray for strength, peace, courage and a sound mind.

１リットルの涙

been watching "1 Litre of Tears" lately. It's a japanese drama based on the diaries of a Kitou Aya, a 15 year old girl who was diagnosed with the incurable neural disease that would slowly but eventually waste away all her ability to perform everyday tasks. From being clumsy, slowly being unable to walk to not being able to talk or enunciate her words anymore. She kept a dairy till she was unable to write with her hands anymore.

I won't talk about how good it is, but all I'll say is it really speaks to the heart. And I would like to read her diary which is published in Japanese someday.




Someone tried translating some of the entries of Aya's dairy into english here.

早稲田渋谷高校のプロジェクトの感想文

今年日本語四のプロジェクトだから、早稲田渋谷高校生と会える機会があった。二月六日楽しみに早稲田渋谷高校へ行った。学生はフォーマルドレスに着ていた、見て驚いた。あの日に私の服は略式すぎると思った。最初に、女の子の学生は開会の辞を言って、皆を集団にした。学校の案内前に、先ず茶道を参加した。彼女の動作は全て優美だし、お菓子が甘いし、それからお茶がおいしかった。でも、長い時間で跪くから、足が痺れた。いい経験だと思った。

茶道のあと、私の集団が早稲田渋谷高校の学園を見学した。歩きながら、後のクイズは答えられるように、学生がたくさんおもしろい豆知識を伝えた。途中で、ドラムの声が聞けたから、声をたどっていたと、学生のバンドを見つかった。バンドの鼓手はグリーンデイが知っていると言った。それで、私たちに演奏してくれた。実は私たちがグリーンデイの曲があまり知っていないのに、私たちを楽しんでくれた。早稲田渋谷高校の皆は優しい人と思った。集団で有馬さんを知れていた。有馬さんはシンガポールで１０年ぐらい住んでいたのに、なかなか英語で喋れると言ったので、ちょっと信じられない。だから、有馬さんいつもシンガポールで日本人友達しか喋らないのだろうと思った。残念だと思った。

早稲田渋谷高校を案内した日の一週間後、NUSの順番だった。高校生が来る前に、楽しい案内できるように、いろいろなことを準備したり、パンフレットを書いたり、自分のShow And Tellのスピーチをしなければならなかったりしたので、随分大変だと思った。開会辞後で、２０００年建てられたUniversity Cultural Centreへ行って、シンガポール美術の展覧会を見学して、中国語図書館で読んで見て、それから原点に戻って、Show and Tellをした。早稲田渋谷高校の皆はNUSが大きすぎるので、迷子になりやすいと思っていたのに、毎日NUSで勉強なので、そう思わないんだった。早稲田渋谷高校生はNUSが好きなのに、NUSで勉強のことをあまり考えてなかった。原因は、NUSになかなか入学できなそうのだろうと思った。

NUSツウワは楽しかったのに、日本語でなかなか私の思うのが言えないので、ちょっとがっかりしたと思った。自分に「よく頑張っていたら、いつかきっとできる」と言ってくれた。

Ginger Flower

Banana Flower, originally uploaded by 楓 kaede.

Macrophotography last year. I think it's a ginger flower.

advance calculus came and passed(ok, it was bad...). japanese mid-terms tmr.
good news! flash lab dateline on thursday has been postponed to monday! Thank God, I think the game deserves more.

Support Raising Seminar is coming up this Saturday. I'll need prayer on how to present this. I'm sure we all approach raising support in fear and uncertainty, but God is more then sufficient for all our needs.

We continue to look for speakers for the weekly Operation Chiangmai Missions Seminar. Pastor has kindly agreed to speak on the 10 March on the cross and what it means in our lives. I don't know who will come, and how many. But I know my God has a plan far better. Beyond looking at the situation at hand, I praise God for opportunity to show how He is able to work the hearts of people and is always in control and at work in every situation I am in. Praise God!

Missions month is coming up in March. (and so is mid-term exams... haha) but anyway, had steamboat dinner with YF and Sunday School. Somehow, we ended up talking about missions again. haha... I think it's terrible for anyone else, because our topics are so predictable.

Anyway, the missions workshops and seminar topics list with rough dates are done.

tomorrow(technically today) registration for Operation Chiang Mai 2007 ends. Who will God send? Please pray.

just got my blogger stats and I realise how "cold" my blog is... haha.. just an average of 1 view per week. My theory years ago about people not being interested in the things going on in your life seems to be right... at least for mine. haha...

Anyway, had a fantastic chinese new year, with late nights, hong baos, great fellowship... and of course the nice chat with the missions sub-comm we had at Uncle Kok Wah's place. I think God's heart beat is always upon our minds.. and it does seem that no matter what we do, it still upon our hearts. I do wish, God willing, that more would share in the same passion.

Just did up a 1st draft of the topics for the missions equipping workshops/seminars. Praying for God to continue to give wisdom in this area.

I really feel inadequate to do the work, but somehow I'm not so afraid, knowing that it is the will of God. I hope to pray unceasingly in every manner possible as we seek to glorify God in this area.

An essay due this friday, and a flash animation lab, a calculus mid-term paper and a japanese mid term test all due next week. Don't like doing this work... haha..

Today we learnt 2 things.

1. God's plan of salvation and forgiveness of sins for mankind involves all the nations.
2. Every Christian in the body of Christ is placed in a positioned thought best by God and is important and interdependent on the other members of the body of Christ.
   

Thank God for all the faithful ones who continue in studying the word of God, in prayer and in fellowship through this Great Commission group. Though we've known each other for a while now, through this, I begin to feel a deeper sense of friendship and unity amongst us. Perhaps, its just me, but it's still very real, when we work together towards a single goal - to obey God to promote the Gospel to all the world and pray one for another, there is a gladness uncomparable to normal friendships that runs in me. Thank God.

A great reunion dinner tonight, where I learnt many interesting happenings going on. Won't comment too much about it, but suffice to say they are "gossip worthy".. haha... I continue to thank God that I'm in the hands of a God who is constant and loving, that I don't need to depend upon horoscopes, lucky numbers and etc to ensure I have a good year ahead, when I know The Great Shepherd is looking out for His own little sheep like me.

Featured on Waseda Shibuya High School's website. Our little visit to their school and the tea ceremony we had there. 　小さいだけど、いい所だよ！ with an excellent canteen that made good tiramisu @ $1.50!

http://www.waseda-shibuya.edu.sg/s-events06-20070206.html

Today we brought the Waseda High School students around NUS for a tour. As a whole we spent a rather good timetouring parts of NUS that even I have never been to.

For me though, I had an unbearable time with myself... or my lack of ability to speak with them in japanese... The words keep escaping me and it got a lil fustrating. Came back home and prayed about it. I know our Lord is the one who makes the tongue (just as He told Moses in Genesis) and that He was the one who created different languages to scatter the people gathered around the Tower of Babel... He'll still be the One who will give a person ability to converse in a language. I asked that He knowing the desires of my heart, would allow me to be fluent in His time, for His purposes.

疲れている時に誰かに行ける？
罪がある時に誰かに行ける？
泣く時、誰かへ行ける？

Attended a japan missionary's mum's funeral last night. It was quite elaborate, with all the marks of an expensive chinese funeral. Perhaps, what would be sad is to see him at a corner observing his other siblings performing all sorts of rites for the dead. I pray that God will use this for His glory.

Tired out from school and debates. Don't have much desire to do anything... except read the word of God and pray... a sign of burning out. I need rest, will sign out and rest early.　お休みなさい！

Me Church... Where it is all about you.

Anyone shopping for a church?

thank God for a blessed time of studying the 5 part great commission studies, discussion and fellowship. God is indeed at work in our every situation, if we take notice to give thanks to the things occuring around us.

Memorised Matt 28:18-20. God's calling for born-again believers to "Go... and make disciples of all nations..."

I heard of Japan missionary friend whose mother suddenly passed away and he needs to come back to Singapore today. The 2nd such sudden death of an unbelieving parent I've seen in the past 4 weeks. Makes me reflect on my family...

The 5 Great Commission Studies

Well, after coming back and recovering from a cough... thank God for renewed strength to do His work.

I am thankful to God for the many brothers who have agreed promptly at the idea of studying God's word regarding the great commission! We're going to use material from Brother Nat who passed it to us in Chiang mai - 5 Great Commission studies by Jerry Bridges.

It's about the right time now, where I thought we can all come together to investigate the height and depth of our calling in the Great Commission. I pray that God will bless our hearts to His glory and that many more will be able to have the opportunity to join us.

Thank God for His mercies that I'm back in Singapore. Will continue to update the last few days of the blog in Chiang Mai where we went up north and had not net access.

I'm suffering from cough for a few days now. Taking cough medicine. For for the Lord to heal.

So many things to do for the Lord, and so much discipline needed for them...

Teach me to do thy will; for thou art my God... Psalm 143:10

Chiang Mai Mission Trip

well, just want to say... I will be away on mission trip to Chiang mai, you can find the happenings here:

http://romans1015.wordpress.com

will be updating that blog in the next 26 days.

長時間何も書いてないんだね。今は試験期間だから。

じゃ、最近見た感激のCGムービをYoutubeでアップロードした。Enjoy!



そうして、このすごいアニメーションの創作者のサイトを見るようにしてください！
http://lagrangepoint.net/

For the things that you really want in life, giving a 100% isn't quite enough.

Today's food for thought. 100% would mean to fulfill requirement. 100% prayer isn't quite enough, and just making sure you meet the deadlines and turn in all that is needed isn't quite enough. 110%, 150% maybe even 300%.

Learning and growth. Perhaps part of truly taking ownership over my own growth, is to recognise that, meeting requirements isn't enough. Passion to do more and expose myself is part of it all.