Confirmation Retreat

I think this retreat is one of my GREATEST experiences so far in my relationship with God!! There were so many high points in this short 2day2night retreat! It was my first time being a facil for such an important camp so I was absolutely nervous and scared.

Before the retreat, it was a really testing time for me. I had just received my exam results and I did really badly. Well, things weren't really working out for me. I was quite distraught and was not looking forward to the retreat. However, there was something calling me to put in my all for the retreat. And when Spiritual Prep came, it completely lighten my heavy heart and enlightened me. Confession was also a very joyous experience, one of my better ones.

I think what really helped me was fasting before the camp. I wanted to completely surrender to God for once. So instead of fasting for the 2 days, I decided it would be better to fast for the week. There were so many temptations to break fast, but I really put in my all in all and pulled through. The spiritual prep by Stephen before the camp started was excellent, and I think that really helped me to get into the right frame of mind! Praise God!

The one event that completely healed me, was definitely Nicholas Tan's opening worship. It was really great and I truly affirm him for that! I feel that that was the turning point of the retreat for me. I was really excited from that moment on and God was from that moment, ever so real to me. That was why I was upset that the Confirmands were not yet in the right frame of mind to receive from that powerful worship. It almost put me to tears. God really strengthened me.

Though all that time, I had completely forgotten that we had the skit during Greg and Jessica's session. I felt quite unprepared, so I just let God do the work, and it turned out great!! I was given a wonderful and really open group and 2 amazing co-facils, Alexandra and Aloysius, so I didn't need to struggle or fear at all. Sharing was wonderful. However, I was very disheartened during the mime practice as I had completely forgotten everything and nothing was going well for me though. So I had a rough night.

The next morning, I needed to start out my day with God. So I prepared myself and flew to the Adoration room. I was desperate for God, and I just said to him, "Please just help me today, I need you. Take control." I needed strength again. And God did just that, he took control of me and guided me the whole day.

Cheryl asked us to intercede during the recon while ushering the Confirmands and I experience the hug of God during the whole time. Indeed, God was truly present the whole time. Then we had a truly Spirit filled spiritual prep for the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit!! It was really really draining, and I wasn't the only one who felt drained. I was completely overwhelmed by the amount of power present in the Parish Hall. The atmosphere and setting of the room was completely transformed with the power and might of God! Mark saw Angels and today, I can affirm it, as God really sent down the heavens and he worked wonders during the night. How I wish I was a confirmand this retreat.

Well, during the night, I lead the facils in the Rosary, which I must say, I did not realise that I prayed so loudly. When my group shared about the Hail Mary overpowering the Mic in volume, I was so shocked and so scared that I was distracting them. OH NO!!! I was really scared, right until JP shared that someone in his group started crying during the Ave Maria, then I could finally heave a sigh of relief. haha

Overall the 2 days were really joyous experiences. I went straight to bathe after debrief, but then suddenly remember that there was supposed to be mime practice whilest under the shower..... Praise God it was delayed. On the last day, I really saw the confirmands who were transformed and empowered by the holy spirit!! And I felt that the mime went better than I could ever imagine. I did not even need to preempt what my next move was, it just came to me. That I would say, was definitely God working in me. Praise GOD!!!!

I think Maryanne's testimony really spoke to me especially because I have had that exact experience and life, so I knew that I was not alone in my journey in Christ. So THANKS BE TO GOD FOR HER!!! And she also affirmed me for alot of which happened during the camp. I think she really made my day!



Thanks for reminding me James! I almost forgot to add in!! My God experience this retreat is definitely better than my own retreat last year! So PRAISE GOD FOR THAT!!! I guess it's because I put in more effort to surrender to God this year and I was more open!

Wish you all were there to experience God too!!

Lots of Love,

Jordan

BIBLE SHARING IMPORTANT NEWS

Brothers and Sisters in Christ.


Today, it was a very embarrassing experience for OWL in Bible Sharing.
Firstly, there were only three of us.
Secondly, there was no one who planned bible sharing.
Lastly, WE were supposed to be the ones in charge of Bible Sharing today.


Thank goodness Louisa helped us take charge of bible sharing and save our ass.


I think it was a very irresponsible act. I think that we need to be informed of when we are in charge of bible sharing. It was a really awkward and horrible situation to be in. Neither of the three of us knew nor were we informed that we were in charge of the planning.


It is the basic responsibility for everyone to keep informed of dates and times of events.
Everybody, please play your part in helping the community.


Perhaps you may blame the three of us for not planning to lead impromptu, and perhaps we may be wrong, but at least we came.


P.S. We are doing Bible Sharing or Adoration for BASIC when it is they are roster-ed to lead.

Bible Sharing

Hey guys! Please try and come down for bible sharing tomorrow!! I don't wanna have another htht with JP again!! HAHA no offense JP!!! God Bless! JORDAN

Seeing that people try, even when unpublished, makes my heart warmer. just that much more. thank you sherman and jp, you guys make my day.

Hi guys. You know what? Everybody needs a boost every now and then. So I hope that you remember that when you read this today that God is deeply in love with you. He knows you hurt, he knows your pain. And he has known it from the inside out. God wants to love you in the way that you will take it best. But that too is so dependent on how much you want to open yourself up to him. Opening up to God isn't easy and most people find it tough. But be assured that God knows to hold your hand and catch you when you fall. He knows you best even when you think the world knows you not at all. God loves you a lot. And today he wants to know that Jesus loves you too. He loves you, they love you, we all love you. And for no matter what you are going through today, there is an honest and great love around you. Close your eyes, open your heart, and let it seep right through. Today dear friend, know, love and realise. God loves you.

swee.

have a good day today. yeah?(:

god bless. always.

Eucharistic Meal

Hi guys. Posted this reflection on my Facebook sometime last year, but seeing as this Sunday is the solemnity of Corpus Christi I thought it woul be appropriate to post it up again:


Why is does the consecration of the bread and wine into the Precious Body and Blood still leave the sacrament with the physical characteristics of bread and wine (transubstantiation)? Well, the explanation is simple.

Let's say you suffer from an iron deficiency. You go to the doctor, and he determines you need more iron. If he gave you a solid iron bar and told you to eat it, chances are you'd think he's nuts and you wouldn't listen to him. Even if you did, you could chew on the iron bar for hours and it'll do you no good.

Instead, the doc gives you iron supplement pills. In these iron pills, the iron is in salt form, in the form of iron sulphate. Those of us who take chemistry know that iron sulphate doesn't look like iron, doesn't smell like iron, doesn't taste like iron and doesn't feel like iron. However the iron ions in the iron sulphate are able to be absorbed by the body, remedying your iron deficiency.

In the same way, if Jesus cut a chunk out of His arm and asked you to eat it, and slashed His wrist and made you drink His blood, you'd think He was nuts, and wouldn't do it. However, He comes to you in the form of bread and wine, something we can easily consume. It doesn't look, smell, feel, or taste like His Body and Blood, but we believe that He is truly present in it as Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity, and He will enter your heart and remedy your brokenness. He is present in the form of bread and wine, which is something we can easily stomach, just like how we ingest iron in the form of pills, which is also something we can easily consume.

-Matthew

Con Camp 2011!

Hey all!~

Before i start, I think Swee ought to be affirmed for the effort she has put into this community. From making the effort to talk to everyone, to coming for sessions and this blog, i think she has really been an awesome community member don't yall think! SO YEAH, EVERYONE SEND HER A TEXT OR HUG HER THE NEXT TIME YOU SEE HER!

So anyway, con camp 2011 was a very interesting experience to say the least, and i praise God for every second of it. Right now, i'm missing camp, A LOT:'( Withdrawal symptoms... To start off, i was really filled with nervous excitement for the camp. When i was told that i was Games IC, I honestly was kinda taken aback. I believed that a Games IC needed to be a really interesting, noisy and extremely outgoing person, things that i never thought myself out to be. I took the role anyway, thinking well, i'm just gonna try! I took a lot of time to prepare for the games, thinking everything through, trying to improve on them, especially since there was supposed to be the more spirit-filled/ scripture-based games. I think ultimately i put too much pressure on myself to do well, and i struggled with my personal need to show that i could do well in the role. The day before camp i was sorta panicking because i realised i had a lot of unfinished things to prepare for games. Yet somehow through all that i managed to find time to pray, and i tried to lift everything up to God and to let him take control. Sidetracking a little, I've foung a lot of comfort in prayer recently, through all my personal struggles and everything, so praise God :)

DAY ONE
Day one was hectic to say the least, for the Log team. For me it was a whirlwind of a day. Ice-breakers was nerve-wrecking, to go up there and attempt to be interesting was probably my biggest challenge for the camp. But i think God was there for me, and I HOPE it went well. HOPE because i'm not sure either, but i felt it went pretty well! Plus i had a lot of fun. Like A LOT. Our next job was for the outdoor games, which really was something i wanted desperately to go well. I think I was a little bit on the edge, so i probably snapped at some people, so i'm sorry to whoever was on the receiving end! I didn't mean to be that way:/ I guess that's a result of relying on my own strength, forgetting the words of scripture, " I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength".  It went well, i think, save for the fact that we were pressed for time. I thank God that the Log team helped me out so much during the day, through all the games, expecially the sec4s. They made my job a lot easier and relieved a lot of the burdens that i had. And to Ivan, thanks for helping me plan the day one games! At night i was kinda worried about day 2 games, and people were getting on my nerves as i struggled to brief the team about the games the next day. Dom helped me out though, and upon reflection, i realised that God had always been there in the people around me. And i thank God for it.

DAY TWO
SO yeah, day 2 games were a great worry for me. Partly because i wasn't even sure if i had everything ready, and also because a lot of time had been put into planning them, because of the new aspect that we had tried to implement. But yeah, it went smoothly! And i had a hell lot of fun sounding the siren. PLUS i was CLEAN. For both days. HAHAHA Log team bonding was extremely fun. Like forreal.
The praying with session at night was really moving. I sat at the back and i watched as the confirmands went up one by one. Sitting there, singing the songs and generally being in the moment made me wish i was a sec3 again. It feels very long ago... 2 years. THat night i learnt a lot talking to Raphael and Amanda, and i t strikes me how even in the times where you don't expect to gain anything, you still do. So yeah, it was a humbling experience!
AND baby sitting the confirmands was REALLY REALLY FUN. Iris and Joshua would testify to that. This, i won't share, cause thinking about made me laugh to myself, which is really weird since i'm at home and looking at my laptop. And well, it was time well spent with some really good friends!
DAY THREE
It was supposed to be the log team's slack day, but i still ended running around and feeling really tired.
I actually felt completely drained. But Iris,Hubert Glenn and baltz were around and helped me out when i couldn't find people to do stuff, so yeah praise God for them! And i had a really interesting sharing with Alison, Amanda, Jared, Joshua, Swee, Raphael and Simeon. It strikes me how, every camp we see the communities come to gether and support each other, and i'm really grateful for the YM in SFX and for OWL. I think i received a lot of support from alot of people. The lead up to parents night 2 was probably the most messy and frustrating period of the camp. The hall was chaotic, and i struggled to get things in place. Yet everything fell into place, and i realised that once again i relied on my own strength instead on God's. That night after the session was over i was overcome with tiredness and frustraion at a lot of things. And yeah, i cried. But the support that people gave me, Freeman, Iris, ch'ng, Ivan and even Darius, allowed me to move past that.
Plus, a fun-filled night with Ivan, Teo, Raphael, Amanda, Hubert and Jared really put a smile to my face, so praise God.

DAY FOUR
Most uneventful day of the camp, BUT, I wanna affirm Candice and Joshua for leadin morning praise. It was a really good Session and i had fun! OH, And i joined the 9 am choir. HAHAHAHAHA SO funny omg.

Anyway, that's most of my reflection, i thank God that i was given the chance to meet new people and to build on those i already have. And yeah Praise God for everything he has done for me, Truly he is My God, forever and ever!

<3 JP

Confirmation Camp

Hello friends. I am going to share about my honest opinions during camp. I hope that no one will feel offended by it.

The week came and I was completely dreading this camp. I had second thoughts on bother to wake up and come for camp. I was habouring thoughts about the worst happening during camp and was afraid that it would be a waste of time.

Firstly, I felt that the logistics team was made of too many people. I was feeling insignificant and that my presence was unnecessary. Secondly, I came into camp with many of my own personal struggles and was feeling extremely troubled. Thirdly, I had my own school work at the back of my mind, and felt that perhaps I would not be able to finish my school work by the end of the holidays. Lastly, I have been feeling spiritually dry.

However, I guess I still went for camp as an escape for my secular problems and also because I had a certain desire to serve God in this camp. Also I needed affirmation of God's love. I challenged him to do something powerful and great as I expected nothing amazing to happen during this camp.

On the first session, I had to do a testimony, one I honestly did not really prepare for, and I was very nervous prior to come out and sharing. Well, it went out rather smoothly, although I feel that I could have so much more, but then again that is my own expectation. Also, probably God was happy with all that I said as he definitely guided me and put the words in my mouth.

I guess I can honestly say that this camp was not the most spiritual for me and it was not the most pleasant place to be present in. There was much tension for me and I had tried my utmost best to be as neutral as possible when conflicts arouse.  Of course I was annoyed especially by certain individuals and I guess it is my mistake for being overly sensitive. Oliver noticed that I was truly depending on my own strength and will than surrendering to God and just letting God empower me and use me.

I completely agree with what he said because he was absolutely right. I just could not surrender my problems to God and didn't know how to. I guess that I was perhaps too conscious about the people around myself and didn't dare to surrender and take the risk of breaking down.

I made up my mind to stay in the intercessory room the next day to sort out my mind and try to purify my intentions. I would like to affirm Seah for coming down at 3.30 on Saturday. And I'm very sorry that I gave you certain wrong instructions. Well, everyone makes mistakes! Anyway, I felt that even though I was supposed to lead the intercessory session, Russell saved my butt and helped me to tank almost everything! Thanks very much Russell, I am really grateful!!! :)

Then came the parent's night. There was conflict within the Parish Hall, but I was not involved; let alone present at the scene. I think God placed me at a different room from the rest so that I would not get involved. He foresaw that I would have completely gone berserk and lost myself. And I probably wouldn't have been touched by Aunty Grace's testimony.
Well parent's night was a very bad experience for me. I felt like shit during the entire programme because I was reminded of my past experience, last years confirmation camp. I was ONE of the few who wasn't touched and didn't cry during the course of the night during my own camp. I was extremely upset and disappointed because I felt that God didn't love me. Anyway, after the event, I decided that I needed to put my mind of for some self-reflection. I decided to do other things instead of joining the fellowship in the canteen. I needed to put my mind away from all distractions.

However, it was while I was in the canteen that my answer had come to me. A confirmant was sharing with me her experience how she knew that she was loved by God. I actually found myself telling her about my own experience (well it was not really an experience), and then she said: "I guess that the experience does not really matter, but what happens after that. You are still desiring for God right?" I felt so touched by her words and just stood silent. I was reminded that I always kept desiring for that experience of God, even until today. I used to search for him and never gave up and I would have done literally anything receive that Love of His.

I guess that the purpose of me in camp was to come and receive and not really to serve. And as for the challenge, God responded with an answer I would never expect. Honestly, in spite of all my disappointment, I really felt the Holy Spirit flowing in every room of the church, and that God spoke through many around me. I never expected to learn anything out of this camp, but I guess we will never stop learning!

As one of my wise brothers said, "I guess that God put me in this camp to be put out of the limelight, and just to be humbled in serving others." I can personally testify to this. All in all, I guess there are no real words to express my camp experience, one which was extremely unique.

As for the community aspect, I really hurts me to see my own community fight within itself. My heart was really broken by what ever I saw during camp. I hate to see our community broken and see others ganging up against others. And I am sick and tired of seeing other outside our community who look down upon us. Will you stand up and prove them wrong with me?

-Jordan