A Small Accident and A Few Salvations

While preparing for Sunday this morning, Siew Yee slipped and fell down the main staircase in Hope Place. She sprained her left ankle. A medical nurse in our church brought her to a nearby clinic. Upon X-ray examination, the doctor found a hairline fracture in her left ankle. She is now plaster bandaged. She can't really walk without help and as the weather is hot now in Lima, it feels extremely itchy inside. We are really worried how we could leave Peru next week on the 13th. This "small accident" brings us much headache. For a while, I really wondered what God was up to. Bad things continued to happen within these two weeks.

Upon really counting the good and the bad, God did bring a lot of joy to us in the midst of our pain. Last and this Saturday, we had two youths (Frank and Linda) who genuinely received Jesus personally into their hearts. Today as I am writing, we just had two new brothers (Ricardo and Walter) who genuinely received Jesus personally into their heart during our adult service and for the first time in our service, they publicly acknowledged their personal decision. What else can beat this joy of salvation, even though in the midst of pain?!!! What's more to also that many of these salvations are really the works of Paul, Apollos (our core team and members) and the Holy Spirit!! God is advancing His Kingdom when we seek first His Kingdom and His Righteousness, God is showing His sovereignty that in His power, he works out everything good and bad for the good of us according to His Grand purpose.

Once again, we have learned that God only gives us more net gain than pain in the obedience process. God, you deserve the Praise!!

A Shocking News

I was shocked by what recently happened back at home.

When I called home this morning, my oldest brother told me that my niece went through a major surgery of her life two weeks ago.

About nine years ago, my niece was born with a hole in the heart. I don't know the medical term for this condition. She was born purplish in the skin. Though cute and loving looking, she always looked pale and was kept from doing those strenous activities that many kids love to do. Because of her condition (which basically means lack of oxigenated blood), my sis-in-law raised her with great care because any cuts or injuries could be extremely damaging and disastrous. She went through a lot of minor surgeries that treat the condition. The last and major one is the most important yet critical. In April last year, she was prepared to go for the major surgery. However, upon checking her blood and other conditions, the chance was only 50-50 survival. The doctor was reluctant to take the risk. So the surgery was indefinitely postponed. This is not uncommon according to the doctor, because many people in the similar condition waited and even never got operated because of the risk, and carried this condition all their lives.

Two weeks ago, my oldest brother and sis-in-law checked her into the KL hospital they used to go. The doctor re-examined and expressed more confidence in the surgery with her condition. The doctor advised that that could be the only better chance she could have for her life. To my oldest brother, it was a stressful decision to make for his daughter. But he took the risk for his daughter.

In the KL hospital, the surgery ended and my niece went into comma. For a week, she didn't wake up and her pulse, blood pressure went from bad to worse, to critical.....my sis-in-law fainted a few times because the pulse and blood pressure dropped below the critical level a few times. My niece almost didn't survive......I could imagine the kind of worry and pain that my oldest brother, sis-in-law and dad suffered, which was almost like what we suffered 5 years old when my mum passed away.

Thank God after one week, her condition stabilised. She woke up, but unfortunately she woke up fearful. She cries and has not been able to get into sleep at night. She sleeps in the day time and gets up in the middle of the night and stays up all night. She says she feels someone like a devil touching her at night. She always cries for more protection. Her other behavior's also changed. She no longer likes to write and draw like before. The doctor is now referring her to some psychological treatment.

For the first time in Peru, I really wish so much to be home sooner. God assured me this morning from my devotion in Psalms 29:11, "The LORD (The voice of the Lord that is powerful, in context) gives STRENGTH to his people; the LORD blesses his people with PEACE." I really pray for God's voice to bring peace and strength to my niece against the voice of the devil that is disturbing her soul now. I pray that God will send people to speak His Peace and Strength to her heart before SY and I reach home. O God, we are far, but you are NOT. We're limited, but you are NOT. I believe in a GOD that made the universe and fills the hearts of His every child. In His name, I will believe. AMEN.

My friends and family who are reading this....pray and believe along with me.

An Enthu Kid in Learning Chinese

Siew Yee has an enthu kid in her Chinese class this holiday. She wore a very Chinese costume for the first class. She looked really cute in it. SY was also very impressed by her creativity in the paper cutting work she did. Some photos were captured about this interesting class they had

together.

Thank YOU, brothers and sisters!

We have received a whole big box of stuff from S'pore.

Our eyes were lifted up at seeing many chili sauces, bread jams, ba gua, milo, etc, many gifts, cards, many teaching and reading materials. It's a joy to count the many stuff one by one because on each count, we heartily "count" it as a blessing from God. And there were more 20 blessings!!! What's more wonderful than receiving 20 blessings in one day!

Haha....allow us to share this joy over here and thank the many minds that think of us, the many hearts that desire to warm ours, the many hands that bought, wrote and wrapped the cards and gifts. Thank YOU! We can only appreciate you guys gratefully like a little blessed child of God. It's just short of taking a photo to show you our grateful faces. Anyway, we are a bit "malu" (shy)to do la (sorry, for non-sporean/msian reader, you gotta understand our slang ya...:)

Never Forget 2009!

I'll never forget year 2009!

A new culture came to our world. A new family shared our lives. A new church life took our breath away.....

SY & I really came to appreciate again more of Peruvian culture - a different culture from we are from. We Chinese are more reserved, colder and more peace-loving. We came to the warm, affectionate and competitive (when there is something to be won, the people's eyes literally open) part of the world. Now we feel adjusted, in fact, we've started to fall in love with it.

Tis year we also opened up our lives to many church members. We visited them in their homes, besides inviting them to ours. We know their lifestyle, their livelihood, their daily routines..much more. Indeed, very refereshing to be able to experience first-hand what our new families are going through in their daily living.

The church life is fun, warm and relaxed. People like to hang out with each other more, people enjoy talking nonsense (haha...even the serious ones) more, people enjoy hugging each other out of more real and heartwarming affections. This has really opened our eyes as to how God's love and affection flows among the congreation.....it's breathtaking when unlikely people love each other...:)

We've really enjoyed ourselves. Our lives have been enriched by this one whole year of unique experiences. God has stretched our abilities to relate and lead across the congregation, from kids, youths, adults, parents and older folks. In this one year, never did we imagine that out of the 'sacrifices' and 'cries' we made, the Lord turned our lives to become more beautifully painted in our hearts, with richer colours and more animated life graphics:)

Lord, thank you for giving us more than we gave you! We'll try next year to outgive you, let's see!

RRR Trip in Northern Peru

Christmas is a low season for outreach and Peruvians are high on spending time with their family during Christmas.

So, 3 of us grabbed the opportunity to go for a RRR (rest, relax and reflect) getaway trip to a very beautiful northern city -- Trujillo. The 10-hour bus ride almost killed us! Nonetheless, the moment we stepped into the land of Trujillo.... our eyes were.....opened!!

Trujillo is an important historical city due to the city's proximity to many huacas (sacred places) where the Moche and Chimu civilizations were founded. We visited many huacas including the Chimu's mud ruins in Chan Chan, the world's largest city built out of adobe, and Huaca del Sol y Huaca de la Luna built by Moche Civilisations. We were so fascinated about the history of Moche and Chimu! (especially Miss Yeo)

We also went to see Marinera ( National Dance of Peru) y Caballos de Pasos (Horse Dance) show, where TK had a good time pretending to be a Peruvian Horseman.

On the second day, we took a day tour to Chiclayo, we visited the Bruning museum where the remains of the "Lord of Sipan" is being kept. It was another yet amazing eye-opener because of the amount of archaelogical works involved behind the discovery. In the museum, the tour guide explained to us how archaelogists spent years to dig the huacas with great care, how they drew (not took photos) to precisely depict the imaginary position of remains (broken bones, shells, body accesories) when it was in its original form. We also visited the pyramid in tucume where the remains of dead bodies and ceramics were found. At the site, we could tell even pictorially how the different burials were arranged sequentially. As many archaelogical works are still ongoing in the region and more new historical sites being discovered.

It was indeed a fruitful and blessed trip, all the way to the end! At the end of the trip, our bus was upgraded to "suite" bus due to bus delays. Zzzzzz.....God gave us a sweet sweet journey home. PTL! After the whole trip, We were so tired that we slept another whole day on Christmas Eve...haha..!! Gracias to such RRR as this, hooray to the great cultural heritage of Peru...so rich and interesting:)