There is always this period of dryness in any ministry, any person who serves for quite some time and you do not see fruits you get discouraged and disillusioned..
Friends may not respond to you or even want to hear about the reason for your faith in Christ..You feel down, you wanna cry, the people you are overseeing hurts you, you get struck by worry, you struggle to want to let go the problems to go, you want to give up...you see no one running the race with you in something that you are really passionate about, they cannot relate to you why you share so enthusiastically on the things you are willing to sacrifice your time, money and effort into to see that it comes to past...
We all do have that "down" period of times don't we?
That's when I know I gotta slow down and pray, seek God...Do I rely on GOd's standard and timing or on my own? The bible says in Ecclesiastes, there is a time for everything, a season for everything under the sun, and that God's ways are higher than our ways. I fail to understand God too, so the taking a break off everything, to seek God and to ask Him about the purpose about why i am doing all these things healed me.
This trip is definitely therepeutic. I asked God to heal my hurts, tears just flowed, I asked God to give me the grace to love and to forgive despite all the hurts, I marvel at the wonders of His creation and the magnimity of all things including nature. When I saw the sights I saw I was amazed at how once again the simple things of life could actually bring much joy.
This trip has been been a blessing right from the start. Rach Lee had won a Zuji Travel voucher for a trip for 2 to HK which we later change it to Taiwan! Blessing one.
Blessing two. We met all the Hope Taipei bros and sis and they really took so good care of us.
Blessing lost count.. I saw how warm the Taiwanese people are, although I really must say that they way that they "teh" guys and girls alike make me cringe. The shopkeepers will cling onto your arm to thank you for shopping at that place, they like to add a "oh1" at the end of their sentences, they are so civic minded! Students would spring up at their feet when they see elderly board the MRT or bus. No questions asked and they disappear way down into the carriage in their shyness.
There was this one incident which really touched me. There was a group of Koreans sitting near us on the train when one of them started to break out in cold sweat. This father of 3 young girls stopped what he was doing and muttered in his broken English, "Are you okay," to him. Rach Lee helped to translate between the both groups of people what happened and that the guy wanted to help. The Taiwanese father actually wanted to offer the Korean some medicated oil!
Can you imagine such scenes ever happening in Singapore? I was told in horror that Rach had a fren's fren who fainted on the MRT and NO ONE tended to her until she woke up!
They can be so satisfied with the little things in life. All over the places there are night markets when simple games are played such as street basketball, fishing guppies off a small net, shooting water balloons, the Taiwanese crowd all these stalls from playing at these games. I wonder if I had lost in my world of hectic schedules to really appreciate that such simple games could actually bring much joy such as theirs.
Their service is TOP NOTCH! I was at this information counter at Cheng2 Pin3 Bookstore or Eslite BS where I was searching for some Goong1 comics and a particular book by a Chinese author. It was a busy time, the guy there just dropped what he was doing and helped me search all the books I wanted!I was lost in the sections all written in majority traditional chinese.. wow! He even went down to the basement to search the books for me! Many places I went, the people were so service oriented and they were smiling and sincere. Your time and your comfort is important to them as it is important to you.
Hahah i rem we made a joke once among my fellow teacher trainees, what is the most common thing you hear from the service staff in any retail store, say a clothes store and you want to ask for sizes? "IT's ALL THERE ON THE RACK HOR!"
OKay la, we can't compare but it is really the upbringing. Oh yeah one more thing, at the MRT, people actually QUEUE to go into a train! You would get really rude stares if you dun do so and on the escalator, lines are drawn in the middle such that people would have to auto keep right for people to overtake on the left! I remember those times i dread weekends where I had to put my bag in front of me as protection before I can squeeze out of the Singapore MRT or risk get trampled!
wahaha..
Such small things in life...such little wonders that the Lord has shown is to help me see that I am living in too comfortable living conditions that I dun appreciate what I actually have here.
People we are just so so small in this vast world...
Finding God's purpose in my life could be a lifelong process but I am willing and glad that the Lord has placed me here. As Pastor has shared there's a reason for our being here. We are significant.
Recharged , Refreshed, Renewed mind.
READY!
clockwise from TOP LEFT: Hope Taipei bros and sis, Miramar Ferris wheel, YE Liu rock formations, Chang Kai Shek Memorial Hall
Chang Kai Shek Memorial Hall - lovely flowers at the park.
Strong winds at Ye Liu.
Scenic views from the train on the way to Hua Lien. My favourite shot from this trip! :D
