Andy & Siew Yew

I Will Rise - Chris Tomlin

2010-01-13T20:52:00.000-08:00

A very good song from the talented Chris Tomlin, from his album Hello Love.

Good shot

2009-09-27T07:39:00.000-07:00

My church friend Bro. James took this pix of Min Jed when she was performing during our BB & GB Camp recently.

BB & GB Annual Camp

2009-09-16T08:55:00.000-07:00

A total of 87 campers participated in the annual camp over the last weekend at Eastwood Valley. More photos are posted on BB blogsite..

Farewell to Arthur

2009-08-07T06:53:00.000-07:00

We bid farewell to Brother Arthur tonight at our small group gathering. He is going to Melbourne next week to join his family there. May the Lord continue to shower His blessings upon him and his family. Take care my friend!

Driving to KK

2009-06-06T00:11:00.000-07:00

We always wanted to drive up to KK since a few years ago, and we finally made the trip during the Gawai Holiday. Together with some friends, we set off in three cars on Sunday morning (31st May). After almost 9 hours of driving (because we stopped many times throughout the journey), crossing two rivers with ferries, and passing through multiple immigration check points, we finally arrived at Sutera Harbour at around 4pm. The journey was surprisingly pleasant without much traffic.

We went to Manukan Island the next day. It turned out to be less than memorable. It was crowded and the water was no longer crystal clear as it used to be. We did not see as many corals and fish as it was a few years ago during our 1st trip to the Island. I don't think I will go there again.

On the 3rd day we drove to Mersilau Nature Resort, and spent two nights there at Low's Peak Lodge. It wasn't easy to find the Resort and we had to turn back from Ranau to Kundasang village. The access road was steep and slopy, and my MPV could barely made it. Once there, we forgot our grouses and just enjoyed the nature. It's worth the trip, although I must say for the price we paid, I expected the facilities to be in better conditions.

On Thursday, I drove a record of 12 hours journey from Mersilau Nature Resort all the way back to Miri. Will I do it again? No way!

Overall, it was a good trip, especially the time we spent together with family and friends. I look forward to another trip soon, but it will have to be by air :-)

The pictures I took during the trip (I did not bring along my DSLR .... which is another regret):-

One of the ferry crossings.....

.... and immigration check points.
Having our meals in the car to save time.

The kids at the Sutera Harbour Resort.

Taking a speed boat to Manukan Island.

Min Jed and Min Waye at the pool.

Having breakfast at the famous Fish Noodle Shop .... quite pricey!

Outside the restaurant at Mersilau Nature Resort, near Kundasang.

The lodge we were staying for 2 nights.

By the way, this is one of the very few photos we had on Ming Yih, who is now extremely camera-shy. I thought he looked quite good leh !?

Min Waye took this picture.

Family photo #1. Mount Kinabalu at the background.

The crystal clear stream at the back of our lodge. We could hear the running water from the lodge. The water is extremely cold, and no one took my challenge to take a plunge into the water.

The Rock Garden.

Group photo at The Pine Resort.

Family photo #2 and #3.

Ladies ... seated according to "certain order". Siew Yew and Min Waye were at both ends!

And the guys.

Visiting a vegetable farm.

Family photo #4.

Take my Son

2009-05-05T05:21:00.000-07:00

Received this story from a friend.

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art. When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas, there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands. He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.'

The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.' The father opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.'

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection. On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?'

There was silence.

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.'

But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'

Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh's, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!'

But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the long time gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting.' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

'We have $10, who will bid $20?'

'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.' The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son. They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!' A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!' The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'

'What about the paintings?'

'I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned... Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.

The man who took the son gets everything!'

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: 'The son, the son, who'll take the son?' Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE....THAT'S LOVE.

Creative Art - Balloon

2009-04-12T03:00:00.001-07:00

Terminator !?

No, not Terminator. It's Poodle with Harley Balloonson! If you thought this is a product of some skilled balloonist, or now they are called creative artists, you are badly mistaken! It's made by none other than our very own Siew Yew! After attended the Sunday School training course last month, Siew Yew found a new hobby - making balloons. You can see some of her other products in the pictures here.

The workers of various children ministries (Sunday School, Boys' Brigade and Girls' Brigade) attended a training course last month. We were blessed with the teaching and sharing from Sister Dorothy Tay and Brother Sam Tee (a.k.a. Mr Button). We hope to put to good use the knowledge and skills we have acquired from them. May God bless their ministries and that they will continue to equip others in the service of Christ in children ministries.

Group picture at the end of the class.

4th Miri BB Has a New Blog

2009-03-01T05:11:00.000-08:00

As part of the church wide effort to create a blogsite for GMC with links all its ministries, I have created a new blog for 4th Miri Company. Please click on the title of this post to visit the blog. In future, all BB activities will be posted on the new blog.

Happy Birthday Min Waye

2009-02-07T22:09:00.000-08:00

Min Waye celebrates her 7th birthday on 7th Feb. She was just a tiny tot when we came to Miri more than 5 years ago. She is now in Standard 1 at Chung Hua Krokop. She is also the class monitor! From the pix you can see how fast she has grown. Happy Birthday to you, Min Waye.

6th birthday.

5th birthday.

4th birthday.
3rd birthday
2nd birthday.

More Photos - Siew Yew's Family

2009-02-07T21:03:00.000-08:00

Here are the group/family photos taken on the last day of their trip.

This photo has everyone in it - 25 of us!

Eldest sister & family.

2nd sister & family.3rd sister & family
Father and younger brother & family.

Another younger brother & son.

Siew Yew's father and the grandchildren.

The 4 sisters with their father.

Finally, a short video clip capturing some of the memorable moments.

Chinese New Year in Miri

2009-01-31T05:55:00.000-08:00

Siew Yew's family members arrived safely in Miri on the 2nd day of CNY. This has been a long anticipated visit ... in fact we have waited for 5 years for this!! Finally, capitalising on the zero fare promotion from MAS, 20 of them came to Miri to celebrate CNY.

We were worried of the weather because it had been raining for weeks. Most of our program were outdoor, including visiting the famed Niah Cave and Lambir Hills National Park. Going to these places during monsoon season was not really a good idea. We took a wait-and-see attitude .... if the weather was not good then we would scrap the plan. Amazingly we were blessed with fine weather and were able to cover all the planned activities! Praise the Lord for answered prayer!

The gathering was such a blessing. Imagine 25 persons, young and old, squeezing under one roof! There were so much of catching up to do. Some of the children (well .... teenagers to be exact) managed to learn how to cycle during the short stay at our place. Cycling is not something one would pick up in KL, given the safety and security consideration.

After 3 days of fellowship and fun, they left for KL on Friday, leaving behind fond memories.

Group photo at Lambir Hills National Park. Some family members were not in the picture because they decided to trek further to another waterfall. Look how happy Siew Yew was.

Splashing time at the waterfall.
Taman Awam. Notice the sunshine in the picture? It was still raining when we arrived. The sky cleared up and the kids (including some over-aged ones) managed to play at the pool.

Meal time. Praise the Lord for our maid who did most of the cooking.

At Canada Hill.

The Ladies visiting the Grand Old Lady of Miri.

We were pleasantly surprised that the Petroleum Museum was open.

BBQ dinner at our place.

Sharing from Pastor Law after the BBQ dinner.

Min Jed, Min Waye and their cousin, Kit Hoe at the beach.

Taking a boat ride to cross the river to Niah Cave.

Group photo at Niah Cave .... (technically this is Deer Cave, just outside of Niah Cave).

Blessed New Year

2009-01-26T07:31:00.000-08:00

Wish everyone a Blessed Chinese New Year!

Today is the first day of Chinese New Year. As in previous years, we decided to stay in Miri to celebrate the new year. After the church service in the morning, we went visiting friends. The first stop was our small group leader's home, Simon and Sally at Piasau Garden. Tien and family went with us. Pastor also showed up later. We also visited Jimmy & Amy, Peter & Margaret, and later in the afternoon Tien and Bee Gin.

We were the 1st visitors to Simon & Sally's place. The keropok was gone in minutes!

Pastor Law and family came later.
Jimmy & Amy's cosy home was our second stop. The hosts treated us with mee shua.The kids enjoying themselves.

Simon & Sally together with Herbert & Mui Foon dropped by our place for a visit.

Later in the evening we had Tien's family and Lucy & kids at our place. We were keeping to the Chinese tradition, visiting one another during this joyous occasion. My girls were happily counting their "ang-pow" money, reminding us when we were their age.

Siew Yew's family members will arrive tomorrow for a 3 days visit. 20 of them in total, and many of them will be visiting Sarawak for the very first time. We have lined up some interesting program for them .... but have to pray that it won't be a wet vacation!

4th Miri BB 2008 Year End Party

2008-12-18T05:52:00.000-08:00

We had our year end party last Saturday, then we were off for a holiday break until 10th January 2009. The party was jointly organised with 4th Miri GB. Here are some of the photos taken:-

Lt. Roseline receiving her certificate from our Chaplain, Rev. Pastor Law.

Sim shaking hand with Rev. Law, after receiving his badges.
Yong Shiuan getting his Gold Award. He and Ming Yih (who was away for the youth camp) were the 1st two recipients of this award from 4th Miri. Well done!!
Playing games.

Thank you Siew Yew ... you are always there to support.

The party begins!

This is a short video showing the 2008 activities:-

Cambodia Mission Trip (Part II)

2008-12-16T18:33:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday I shared my testimony during the church service, both the morning and evening sessions. The key point was we as Christians should make mission work as part of our Christian life. There are some members of our church who do just that: going for mission after mission. Praise the Lord for giving them that vision and a humble heart to serve in this manner.

Cambodia opens its door to the world. Along with progress and development came certain negative influences. Christian organisations around the world are working very hard to bring the Gospel to this land. An important strategy would be to help the local Christians to be on their own footing and be self sufficient. To this end both short term and long term mission works are an essential part to realise this vision. I am glad to know that there are already a number of brothers and sisters who have already signed up for the 2009's trip. Amongst them are two of my young colleagues in my department.

It took me 4 years before I signed up for mission work. The Disciple (I) course and the 40DOP campaign helped me to realise the importance of doing mission work. We as children of God need to offer ourselves as vessels for Him to use to bring the Gospel to others. The love of Christ and the grace of God is not for us to keep to ourselves, but to share with others.

I used these two videos during my sharing:-

(1) Cambodia Mission 2008

(2) Cambodia Children

Most of the photos used in the videos are taken by Dr Edward Tiong.

Glory to God.

The Candy Cane Story

2008-12-15T23:55:00.000-08:00

Received this story through email from a friend:-

Legend has it that in the 18th Century somewhere in Europe any public display of Christianity was forbidden. No crosses or Bibles were allowed and the Christians were greatly oppressed. One old man, a candy maker by profession, was particularly distressed by this. He loved the Lord with all of his heart and couldn't stand to not share that love with the world. His heart especially went out to the children when Christmas drew near and no one was allowed to have a nativity scene (or crèche`) on display in their homes.

He prayed for God to show him some way to make Christmas gifts for the children which would teach them the story of Christ.The answer was the candy cane. The candy cane was in the shape of a shepherd"s staff to show them Jesus is our Shepherd and we are His flock. A sheep follows his own shepherd, knows his voice, and trusts him and knows that he is totally safe with him. The sheep will follow no other shepherd but their own. This is how we are to be with Jesus if we truly follow Him ( John 10:11; Psalm 23:1; Isaiah 40:11).

Upside down the candy cane was a "J", the first letter of Jesus' name. ( Luke 1:31) It was made of hard candy to remind us that Christ is the rock of our salvation. The wide red stripes on the candy cane were to represent the blood He shed on the cross for each one of us so that we can have eternal life through Him. He redeems us and cleanses us with His shed blood - the only thing that can wash away our sin. ( Luke 22:20) . The white stripes on a candy cane represented the virgin birth, sinless life and purity of our Lord. He is the only human being who ever lived on this earth who never committed a single sin. Even though He was tempted just as we are, He never sinned. ( I Peter: 22) The three narrow red stripes on candy canes symbolized that by His stripes, or wounds, we are healed and the Trinity - the Father, Son (Jesus) and Holy Spirit. Before the crucifixion Jesus was beaten; the crown of thorns was placed on His head; His back was raw from the whip. We are healed by those wounds. He bore our sorrows and by His stripes we are healed. ( Isaiah 53:3)

The flavoring in the candy cane was peppermint, which is similar to hyssop. Hyssop is of the mint family and was used in Old Testament times for purification and sacrifice just as Jesus sacrificed His life for ours. ( John 19:29; Psalm 51:7) The old candy maker told them that when we break our candy cane it reminds us that Jesus' body was broken for us. When we have communion it is a reminder of what He did for us. ( I Cor. 11:24) If we share our candy cane and give some to someone else in love because we want to, it represents that same love of Jesus because He is to be shared with one another in love. ( I John 4:7,8)

God gave Himself to us when He sent Jesus. He loved us so much He wants us to spend eternal life with Him... which we can do if we accept Jesus in our hearts as Savior and Lord. ( John 1:12; John 3:3,16) Some people believe this story of the candy cane is just a legend. Others believe it really happened. We do not know for sure exactly how the candy cane was invented, but there is one thing for certain... it is an excellent picture of Christ and His love for you.

Cambodia Mission Trip 2008

2008-11-23T04:42:00.000-08:00

21 of us from different churches in Miri, Bintulu and Sibu participated in the mission trip to Cambodia this year. The team had the opportunity to do medical treatment/screening, social concern and children ministry at a number of locations, both in the province and Phnom Penh. The team departed for Phnom Penh on 15th November. Rev Jessica Tiong, Brother Steven Yeoh and wife Jennifer greeted us at the airport. We travelled by bus to the Cambodian Methodist Bible School, where we spent a night doing briefing and unpacking (of our luggage) and packing (for the supplies at the province). Early next morning we set out for the Takeo Province, and after two hours we arrived at Trapeng Reang Methodist Church. We stayed at the province for three days, during which time we carried out our medical mission at Trapeng Reang, Angkrosang and Prey Cheul Teal. After that we went back to Phom Penh, where we continued with our work at the Methodist School of Cambodia and the Cambodian Methodist Bible School. We also had time to visit places of interest, like the Faith Engine Vocational Training Centre, Khmer Life Vocational Training Centre, Central Market, Russian Market etc.

Here are some of the photos taken by me and Brother Peter Ting. More photos and stories will come once I have a chance to collect them from other team members.

Group photo taken in front of Trapeng Reang Church. Pastor An Meng Thai and his wife, Pastor Chanti were posted to this church at the beginning of the year.

Sharing of testimony at the church. I had the privilege of having the DS, Rev Prak Vuthy as my translator. Devotion - spending time with God. This is a very important part of the mission. Team photo at Prey Cheul Teal Church. Patients are many, doctors are few ....... Shirley helping with eye assessment.

Dispensary.
Working till night fall. Children ministry. Nail cutting.

Colouring contest.

Grace, our youngest team member. She's only 11.

Delousing.

Hair cutting.

After the haircut.

After shampooing and delousing. Doesn't she look different?

The Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

Children ministry at a local school. Julia, Siew Ping and Candy did a great job.

The young men at the Faith Engine, which provide a 3 months technical/vocational course on car repair.

The Methodist School of Cambodia, where Bro Steven serves as the principal. The school has 540 students now and has become the top school in the country.

The Cambodian Methodist Bible School, one of the two leading bible school in Phnom Penh. This was our "base camp" when we were back in Phnom Penh.

The BB and GB team. From left: Private Egbert Lau, Lt Margaret, Captain Andy, Lt Candy, Captain Siew Ping, Lt Julia and Shirley (she's from 3rd Miri, while the rest are from 4th Miri)

I mingled with some youths who were waiting for a concert. I chatted with the boy on my left (his name is Pol) while his friends looked on. He had not heard about Jesus. I shared the Gospel with him and then prayed for him. May God raise up a generation for His Kingdom.

Many thanks to all the people who made this mission trip a successful one - Rev Jessica, Victoria, YuXia, Betty, Bro Steven and wife Jennifer. Also not forgetting all the local pastors - Pastor Som Sarun, Pastor An Meng Thai and wife Pastor Chanti, DS Rev Prak Vuthy, and Principal of CMBS Rev Svay Youtheroath. Above all, many thanks to our Lord.

Ladies Groups Combined Fellowship

2008-11-12T05:31:00.000-08:00

The 4 Ladies Groups had a combined fellowship at Maggie's place this morning. No men allowed except little Nathan! They all had a great time together with food, sharing, music, etc. I must say we men have a lot of catching up to do! Here are some of the photos taken by Siew Yew.

Group Photo. Unfortunately some late comers are not in the picture.

All smiles .... having a great fellowship.
Maggie and Mary working hard in the kitchen.
Yummee.
The birthday girls (and boy) in November and December.
The food prepared by the ladies.
One for the album.
Singspiration.
Sharing a light moment.
Friends are Friends Forever.
This little fellow is having a great time. Wish I was there.

No Limitation

2008-09-22T07:09:00.000-07:00

A colleague sent me this video couple of weeks ago. She said, "There are no limitations. The only limitations are ourselves!"

Rise & Shine - the BB & GB Annual Camp

2008-09-14T07:11:00.000-07:00

After weeks of preparation, the annual camp was held on 12th-14th September at Petronas Games Village, Miri. We were not able to go to the Lambir National Park as in previous years because the Park was closed for renovation. This year the response from the Boys and Girls was equally good, with a total of 71 participants including the officers.
The objective of the camp was to help develop good Christian characters amongst the children. There were many activities from which the children can learn, e.g. tents building, various fun and educational games, praise & worship, mission story, sharing on "rise & shine", church model building, drama performance, and even washing the dishes and cleaning up the place.
Many thanks to the officers, helpers and parents. And above all, we thank God for His grace and protection. As in previous years, He blessed us with good weather and smooth running of the camp activities. In the days leading to the camp, it was raining almost everyday, but God answered our prayers! We can trust Him in all things.
Here are some of the photos taken:-

All participants in the Camp T-Shirt, designed by our GB.

Part of the camp site early in the morning.Group Galatia won the overall competition. The team did superbly in the drama performance.
Another group in their drama scene.

Yet another group........

The GB girls with their "makeup" for the drama.

Grace Methodist Church.

Hair washing competition - the group with the tallest bubble wins.

Girls are not spared ...... and they are very sporting!

What a way to cool down after a hot day! Do you recognise the one with the bucket of water? Yes ..... Siew Yew.

Building the tallest tower with just newspapers, with an egg on top!

The food counter, manned by officers and parents.

Writing the theme verse.

Find your group with just "meow meow" or "arf, arf"!

Praise & Worship

HSM Ice Tour

2008-08-22T08:49:00.000-07:00

If you have young kids at home, you will not be unfamiliar with HSM, i.e. High School Musical. They can tell you the story from beginning to the end. Fortunately for the kids, the Ice Tour was on when we went back to KL. We bought 5 tickets and off we went to our first ever Ice Skating show. For the kids, they enjoyed watching their favourite characters 'live' (though they are not the original actors). For me, it was a spectacular show of light & sound, which was also a great opportunity to test out my camera. Here are some of the photos taken :-

Overall, it was a great family outing. The girls loved the show, but I was not so sure about Ming Yih. We thought he liked it, although he denied it. Anyway, the important thing was that we spent some time together.

A Rewarding Spiritual Journey

2008-08-10T16:24:00.000-07:00

The 40 Days of Purpose campaign organised by our church drew its curtain on 10 August with a celebration service. We can read more about this on our GMC 40DOP Blog. On reflection, I have personally enjoyed a rewarding spiritual journey throughout this 40 days.

At the launch of the campaign, I was a reluctant participant. I knew of the demands of the campaign and at that time Siew Yew was still recovering from her illness. Bible taught me to be submissive to the "authority" and make the burden of our leaders light, so I signed up as a participant, and so did Siew Yew. Little did we realise that we ended up getting involved in three small groups! I now appreciate that we need to make ourselves available before God can use us. This is important because God wants to use us (imperfect we may be) to reach out to his children, especially those who have yet to know Him. I thank God that at the conclusion of this campaign, one of our small group member decided to take up bible study (she gave a testimony on Sunday), and another two groups will continue to meet separately on Wednesday morning and Saturday night. There are a number of non Christian friends in these two groups and I see the power of the Holy Spirit working within them. Praise the Lord that both Siew Yew and I can play a part in their journey to seek God.

I did not take any photo during the Sunday Celebration service, because I wanted to try out my newly acquired camcorder. I will post the video clips progressively (it takes a long time to post one video). Last night I posted the video clip of the drama performed by our i-Youth. They are really talented, especially our dear sister Alyssa who can act and dance so well (in the video she's the girl being tempted by all kind of evils who finally returned to God). I was overwhelmed by their performance and the message they conveyed. May God continue to bless our youths and use them mightily for His Kingdom.

Busy Weeks in July

2008-07-13T07:04:00.001-07:00

It has been a rather busy month so far. We started the month of July with our 15th Anniversary on the 4th. This was the 5th time we celebrated our anniversary since we came to Miri in June 2003 (and yes, we are into our 6th year in Miri).

Siew Yew was all smile when the flowers arrived.

The small group for 40DOP campaign was also underway. By the grace of God we are hosting 3 meetings at our home, (i) Tuesday morning, with Sister Julia as the Leader, (ii) Friday night, with Sister Sally as the Leader, and (iii) Saturday, with Siew Yew as the Leader.

Then we had the recital for the kids at Chicago School of Music.

Min Jed and Min Waye playing the piano.

Ming Yih with his drum.

Earlier on the same day there was also a Fun Day at School for Min Waye. She had a great time.

Min Jed at her Story Telling Competition at school.

Launch of 40 DOP

2008-06-28T08:17:00.001-07:00

28th June is the day when the BB 4th Miri Company launch the 40 DOP Campaign. We commit ourselves for the next 40 days to search for the answer of What On Earth Am I Here For?

Explaining to the Boys how the program will be run.

Playing games to foster better relationship.

Lt. Yong Hui as the Game Master.

Group photo taken by Bro William Ting. This is the shot with my camera. Will get the shots he took using his camera later, which I am sure will be of much better quality!

This is a small farewell party for WO Chia ~ his last day in BB today.

For the 40DOP Campaign, the Boys will be divided into 3 sections, namely (i) Senior, led by Lt Yong Hui and Bro Charles, (ii) Junior, led by WO Margaret and WO Simon, and (iii) Pre Junior, led by WO Roseline and myself.

"Save one more for Jesus!"

The last words of Jimmy Warren, on his death bed, to his son Rick, the author of

The Purpose Driven Life.

Also took the opportunity to award the Certificate of Participation to the Boys and Officers who participated in the BB Pesta in KK recently.

Farewell, Brother Chia !

2008-06-22T07:17:00.000-07:00

I have come to know Bro Chia a few years ago in the BB ministry. He is humble and full of zeal to serve. He can be depended upon to carry out his tasks without fuss! Bro Chia is a gentle person who places relationship highly, and rightly so since we all belong to the body of Christ. Now it is time for him to follow his calling to pursue his theological studies in Singapore. We are going to miss him in BB (and other ministries, too, especially the BM ministry). Thank you for your support in BB ..... your efforts have contributed much to the development of the ministry. We pray that God's blessing will be richly upon you!

Bro Chia challenged Bro Simon to take over his position in the church office, which drew laughter from all, including the man himself!

Pastor Law, ex-Captain Clement Chin, GB Captain Siew Ping, were present to bid Bro Chia farewell.

Can you imagine fellowship without food? We all had a enjoyable dinner and fellowship.

Well, farewell to you dear Bro Chia! We will remember you in our prayer. It's a tough act to find a suitable replacement for you in BB. I pray that God will provide!

Tribute to a Good Christian Soldier

2008-06-15T03:58:00.000-07:00

Today is the Christian Soldier's Sunday, a special day for us to give tribute to our Pastors and full time church workers. I have known Pastor Law for more than 4 years. He is indeed a true disciple of Christ. He works tirelessly to preach the Gospel and care for his sheep. I must say we are very blessed to have him as our pastor.

To me he is more than a pastor, he is also a friend. Unfortunately our busy schedules prevented us from having more frequent fellowship than we would like, but each time when we did meet up, we had a lot to share .... family, theology, personal struggles, social issues, etc.

Pastor always encourage me to serve, giving me many opportunities and support. However, I know I am still not doing enough :-)

Anyway, Pastor, I pray that God's blessings will continue to be with you, Julia and your children! It is my privilege to know you in my journey of faith.

A recent photo of Pastor Law and his family.

Photo Shoot

2008-06-06T04:56:00.000-07:00

Owing to good weather, I decided to take a photo shoot this morning. My daughters posed as my models, and all I needed was my Canon 350 EOS and a good spot to take some photos. Here are some of the shots:-

With extra exposure and a bit of computer tricks .... well, I think it's not too bad.

Recognise this place?

Thanks to Min Jed and Min Waye for a good and enjoyable day!

BB Pesta 2008 (30 May - 4 June)

2008-06-04T06:04:00.000-07:00

7 Boys and 4 Officers from 4th Miri Company flew off to KK on 30th May to participate in the 2008 BB Pesta. The Boys who went were John, Richard, Nick, Kenny, Egbert, Yong Shiuan and Ming Yih. The Officers who made the trip were Lt. Yong Hui, WO Margaret, WO Roseline and WO George.

(Some of the team members arriving at KK International Airport.)

One of the highlights of the event was the Bamboo Dance, which broke the Malaysia's Book of Records for the highest number of participants (more than a thousand).

(The team holding the certificate from the Malaysia's Book of Records.)

The opening ceremony ~ all the Boys and Officers are required to wear their ceremonial uniform.

Feedback from our Boys have been positive. They learn to take care of themselves, look out for one another, make new friends, etc. This has been an enriching experience for all of them.

We also participated in the Singing Competition. Although we did not win anything, it was an awesome experience for the Boys (and WO George) to perform in front of more than a thousand people! Watch a short video clip below.

All pictures and video are taken by WO Roseline.

Trip to KL (31 May - 3 June)

2008-06-04T05:38:00.000-07:00

The purpose of this trip home was for Siew Yew to see a specialist. Since it was also a school holiday, we decided to bring Min Jed and Min Waye along (Ming Yih was in KK attending the BB Pesta 2008).

We stayed at the home of Siew Yew's sister in DU. Many thanks to you - Loi, Christine, Kah Hoe, Kin Hoe and Kit Hoe. Kah Hoe & Kin Hoe, we hope you had a great time at the DUCF's camp.

Although it was a short trip, we met many family members. My parents drove down from Ipoh to meet with us, and we had lunch at 1-Utama together with my elder brother Seng Cheong and his daughter Kyrina (who has just turned 21 only a week ago ~ happy belated birthday!). Siew Yew's family members also came to visit - her dad, Siew Kim, Siew Hwa, Kok Seng & wife, Ah Lei and Ah Eng. Siew Yew also bumped into See Luan, a childhood friend, at Centre Point.

We will be home again in August.

Ming Yih plays drum in i-Youth

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Ming Yih has a keen interest in playing drum (I wish he has the same interest in his piano). He learns from Uncle Lau in Chicago Music School in Miri. He is given the opportunity to practise and serve in the Sunday School and more recently in the i-Youth. It is a good thing to encourage our children to take up music at a young age. When Ming Yih started his drumming lessons some 2 years ago, I didn't expect he would be able to serve in the children and youth ministries. Thanks to those who give him the opportunity and encouragement.

If your children have an interest in music, do take the time to help them develop further by sending them for lessons. Also, encourage them to serve the Lord through music. After all, we are created by Him to serve Him and His people.

Watch a short video of Ming Yih playing drum during i-Youth service recently.

Some family photos

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4th Miri Company BB Enrolment Sunday 2008

2008-05-24T08:04:00.000-07:00

Welcome

2008-05-24T06:10:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Andy Chew's blog, created on 24th May 2008.