year 2007

as i mentioned to a friend, in comparison to the past 2 years, this year is less eventful. no big changes or terrible national exams. but a year well-lived still requires reflections and thankgiving to the One who sustains all things.

-studies-
not much change in this area - study, do projects, make new friends and take exams. but geog has allowed me to have an appreciation for the Creator. i didnt do well for that particular physical geog module but studying [or trying to study] it makes me think God is a geographer. bio this sem too makes me think He is at the same time a biologist. i guess He is really all things:)

the year hasnt been easygoing but God really brought me through it without anything more than a scratch. i thank Him for his presence and the providence of timely friends along the way. things i really need to work on include cultivating discipline and not settling for anything less then the best. i have slackened on the second one especially in the semester that just ended.

-church/ministry/general christian activities-
i somewhat started becoming a sunday school teacher [on-the-job training] this year at around feb. it is really challenging and i struggle with feelings of inadequency all the time. and at the same time, the whole "not doing my best" to prepare for lessons' temptation is there. i have learnt alot from the past year and it has to be credited to sharon and eugene for being very good 'mentors' with an infinite amount of patience [esp sharon:)] i couldnt have had better people to learn from. im still a work-in-progress in this area and its my prayer that God would continue to refine me more.

tuition programme was pretty great this year:) i really enjoyed myself with the kids. although i know the are so not scared of me lah. watching the class over the past 2 years has been very encouraging esp when the shy kids make friends and all that. but its a heavy commitment so it has to be sacrificed for the coming year. i'll miss teaching and interacting with them.

i started g3 when the current academic year began. its a missions training and exposure programme that FES [parent body of vcf] runs. phase 1 was pretty ok and i especially enjoyed the mauritian pastor's talk abt mauritus. its really unfortunate that g3 wont be able to conduct the exposure trip there. and perhaps the best thing that came out of phase 1 was that i got to know stella [agnes' mauritian friend from uk]. thus far we are trying to keep up a facebook/blog reading thing and i really hope it lasts. did g3 make me more 'missions-minded'? i cant say it yet but it has certainly made me very much more aware about a lot of things.

-friends/people in my life-
the 'gang of 4' is still pretty much thriving:) and for that i really thank God. long phone conversations, jap food sessions, [window] shopping outings, fellow blog tracking and so on are quite naturalised already. we have our differences/quirks-that-irritate but perhaps the beauty of it is that we still can get along well:)

in the last month especially i have gotten-ed to know alot more vcfers with the anntic camp and prc camp. thank God for that:) at least fts and combined stuff wont be so weird now. i still struggle with forming good [as in not superficial] friendships with some people i am supposed to know better but we shall see. my best new friend of 2007 hails from vcf too though [we are more complexly linked actually:)]

i have realised that im not really good at keeping friends. i can make good project group friends [jokes/great project sessions and all that jazz] for a semester and later cannot sustain it through the next semester. i also do not make new friends very easily. it bugs me because i dun think its healthy. i guess its mostly myself to blame because i hate talking "for the sake of it" - a little strange behaviour for a person who likes talking. but at the same time i wonder if i need to change all that just to make more friends? its somewhat an issue i have been struggling a little with.

-self-
i think i have grown in my own way this year. a certain very bad habit has been conquered [thus far] and i continue to rely on God's strength for it. on the whole, age coupled with self awareness has been making me more self-intrusive - a skill which i see merit in. but at the same time, i realise my usual optimism for life in general has been diminishing, a change which i dun think good. i know that surviving the entire year has been nothing short of God's endless grace and im humbled by His love. God indeed continues to be very faithful and i can only pray that i would be faithful to Him and His work too.

-in conclusion-
i thank God:)

*this year's reflections are out slightly earlier [and a little more hastily done] because i have a church youth chalet from the 30th till the 1st.