Dear Brothers And Sisters,

One month before you come guys we are so excited about it. people in Taribubu wondered why you really want to visit us, they are so much excited to see you, they are wondered what kind of people you are, but when you came life is just like the same for us but for them who saw people that came  from other places is so different, your action is not just the same as they are, specially your face is not just like with us your eyes your skin, the way you talk and many more are not just the same as in us.We can see that our lifestyle here is harder than yours you don’t need to fetch water and exert more effort for you can get water. you don’t need to plant rice for you can survive, you are sleeping with smooth and wonderful bed, you are eating such great foods,thats means GOD is so great in your life. He is pouring such blessing to each of you. we are so much happy of what we have right now but we are still looking forward and work for it.You Brothers and sisters are so much blessed of what you have right now thats means God is working in you. Praise God Having you. you make us realize that we can make it if we just try to trust God.Thank you so much for being such nice to us, thank you brother Edward, you are always there. Thank you brother Winston your life make us realize that either you are at big, small if you commit all to God he will take care of you. Thank you Brother Boochie you have that courage to serve  even your things are stolen for you everything is fine. Thank you Brother kelvin now we know we need a youth minister like you. Thanks Marisa your such a nice mother we love you so much. To all of you Shawn, Andrea, Sharmane, Nehemiah, Ervin, Sheryle, Valmond, Chinye, Alistair, Joseph, glen,olivia Luis  all of us here miss you guys so much. we are so much blessed by you. No words can express how.God Bless you all Guys we are looking forward again to see you. we love you

Sister Babes

This Tuao youth mission trip has been both a learning as well as a spiritual trip for all of us.
The first thing that strikes us in the Philippines is the warmth and hospitality of its people. Three brethren from Baguio city, Shem, Ephram and Julius were there to ferry us from Clarke airport and Tuao with an overnight stop at Ramon. They went back to Baguio city for a few days while we were at Tuao and returned to drive us from Tuao to Clarke. We were very warmly received everywhere we went especially by the brethren at Ramon and Tuao.

The people of Taribubu in Tuao are mainly rice farmers who led simple lives in less than comfortable surroundings and with basic amenities just barely there. Yet they appear happy and contented with their lives and are able to serve and worship God fervently. You can feel the passion they have for God in their singing and their desire to know the Word of God. The minister Jhun Ma and his wife Babe, transplanted themselves from their comfortable urban homes to serve God in Taribubu. We really admire their sacrifice.

Conditions in Taribubu were challenging, with frequent and heavy rains during the trip. December is in the midst of the rainy season, and the two typhoons, although it did not hit Tuao directly, brought along heavy rains to the region. One direct result of the daily rain is the presence of mud everywhere in the village. Once you step out of the house you inevitably end up wading through mud.

Although there is electricity supply in the village, power failures are frequent. On the first night of the youth’s overnight stay with their host families, a power failure plunged the entire village into darkness except for the occasional candlelight in some homes. But when you gaze upwards, you see beautiful clear sky studded with numerous bright stars twinkling in the distance. In fact, a few of the youths saw shooting stars that night. It was a breathtaking sight. It appears as if a message had been written in the sky to let your light shine before men.

And our youths really did let their lights shine during this mission trip. I am very impressed and really proud of this group of PP youths. They were very focused in their efforts to serve God and spread the Gospel. During the school visits, home bible studies, Sunday bible class/sermon, and project works such as helping to fill the floor of the new church under construction with gravel and painting signboards, you can see the enthusiasm and joy in their faces.
During the project works, groups of villagers and their children gathered to watch this group of pampered urban youths merrily performing their tasks. It is a strong testimony to the faith and passion of our youths.

The attitude and resilience shown by our youths were nothing short of amazing. All of them were ready for anything that came their way. Nothing fazes them. Not the ubiquitous mud, the very basic toilet facilities, frequent power failures and incessant attacks by mosquitoes and other unidentified arthropods. Some of the youths have quite prominent “battle scars” to show for that. They took it all in their stride without any complaints. I must specifically mention our four ladies, Charmaine, Olivia, Cheryl and Andrea who were really outstanding in coping so well with the physical and environmental obstacles during the trip and effectively reaching out and engaging the children in the village.
The youth’s resilience was also very admirable. There were many minor hiccups and setbacks during this trip. After a few disruptions to the schedule, punctuality was no longer a major concern as long as the scheduled event took place. What is remarkable is that after each setback, the youths were able to bounce right back with renewed strength and enthusiasm.

This mission trip has not only touched the lives of the people in Taribubu but also impacted strongly on our youths and in fact everyone in the group. At the farewell in Tuao on the penultimate day of the trip, there was hardly a dry eye in the group. This mission trip has been a powerful learning experience as well as a form of spiritual renewal for everyone.

Ooi Boo Chye

to my surprise, there was an sms from an unknown number with +63 in front and 10 digits.  as i read on my excitement grew, because here was exactly what i read:

“H!,h0w r u?wat makes u bz dztym?gerlyn s h!r,,wat u d0!ng?”

why, this must be the gerlyn we know from tuao! and +63 is the extention for numbers in the philippines.  but reading the sms over, i was and still rather in disbelief that she really had sent the sms all the way from there. 

this must have been the sms i have spent the longest time reading over, and the longest time thinking of what to reply; or rather knowing whether or not to reply. 

in the end i did, though i havent gotten another sms, but i guess it must be expensive to send overseas smses from there. 

reading the sms over, i REALLY REALLY wonder if it came from tuao.  and i wonder if my reply got through.  but for me the sms came at a time where i was just totally exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally from the stresses of school, and i’m really thankful to God for sending a giant ray of hope.  last night before i fell asleep the experiences of tuao just swept before my eyes again, and i realised that this mission trip is not the end.  it is only the beginning.. of eternity.

I want to start by saying that I believe God has really chosen each and every one of the 13 youths and 5 chaperons to go on this mission trip to Tuao, Philippines. And he has made use of various ways to make this trip possible for each of us. Even though I think none of us can say that we were completely prepared for what lay ahead of us, I think God had really use what we have and work his way in them. I had wanted to go on this trip because I hoped to take my relationship with God to a whole new spiritual level and to see and experience more things so that I would become a nicer and more matured person.

The trip started on a good note and we arrived at Clark airport at about 1130am as planned. However, the van in which the girls were traveling in soon began to malfunction and we had to stop at three different locations to have it fixed. The last stop at a village was the longest and lasted for 2 hours. As a result, we were unable to reach Ramon by the intended 7pm and I finally understood why it was intended to have it that way. As Philippines is located more towards the east, the sun somewhat sets earlier and by 530pm the sky was like what you would see at 7pm in Singapore. I remember looking out of the vehicle window and seeing absolutely nothing as the darkness was just so penetrating. Thus driving was actually a very dangerous task as the streets often lack lampposts. This task was even made more dangerous by the fact that we had to navigate through two mountains on these curvy roads and dodging those approaching trucks. Olivia actually got motion sickness from all that swirling but she didn’t even utter a word of complain. It felt as if the devil was trying to dampen our spirits for serving the Lord although I highly doubt he was successful.

We went paddy rice planting at wet rice cultivation on our third day in Tuao. I have never seen so much mud in my life but I have to say that I wasn’t a least bit worried until I took my first step (the only time I ever saw a wet rice cultivation was in my geography textbook). I cannot remember much of the experience because everything seems to have past by in a whirl but I heard I pulled along quite a number of people into the shin-deep mud. Every step I took was somewhat a screaming hysteria for me as I struggled to not fall into the mud while my very untrusty flip-flops kept on getting stuck and sucked into the mud like quicksand. We found the back-bending rice planting activity rather enjoyable as we only did it for half an hour but those farmers actually wake up at 4am to start work. I am glad I got an opportunity to try out rice planting and now I can proudly say that I am not as afraid of getting dirty and muddy when required anymore.

Fishing was also something I tried my hand at for the first time on Wednesday and I have to say that it is a real test of patience. My fish took the longest time to bite onto the hook/bait but I got to say that the wait was worth it as I caught the largest fish (: It was definitely a camera-worthy moment as Nehemiah and uncle Edward took a picture of everyone with their fish. We did not exactly fish in a pond or river – it was a fish farm. Not exactly the most inspiring spot huh.

Majority of our last day in Tuao was devoted to mountain climbing at a mountain which was a one-hour jeepney ride away. It was not an easy route up and all of us were tired but happy that we managed to scale a real mountain and not just the cemented path of Bukit Timah Hill. We had our lunch at a pavilion at the top of the mountain and ate the food prepared by our sisters in Christ on site.  Another cause for rejoice is the baptism of a sister in Christ at the foot of a waterfall. It just seems so surreal that in the middle of all this nature someone is getting baptized being added into the kingdom of God. During the trek down the mountain, I got a stick that was to act as a staff to help guide my path down and that stick provided me with so much support, relief and hope. The first part of the Bible that occurred to me then was what King David wrote in Psalm 23 “Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” If even a stick can provide me with so much ease in my trek down, I cannot even begin to imagine what having God in my life and trusting Him can do to my life.

I think this trip and the building of bonds with many Filipinos have also taught me to be more people-conscious, more contented and less selfish. We were all brothers and sisters in Christ but theoretically speaking, we were strangers whom have never met one another before. However they never hesitated to give us the best they could provide. They cooked us simple but delicious food with all their sincerity and went out of their way to serve us even though we were there to serve them. And many a times, e.g. the mountain trek they carried all the stuff while we carried nothing. Also Elgin often offered to help carry my belongings and even though I admit that I do as him to take my stuff occasionally, he offers more than I ask. I think this is a rare sight because in Singapore if you ask children to carry plastic bags, they will start complaining and insist that they don’t have to and don’t want to, as it does not belong to them. I think the Filipinos truly demonstrated love in its purest and simplest form just like how Christ’s love for us is so unconditional and everlasting.

As I have failed to mention before, Elgin is a eleven-year a boy whose family hosted me and charmaine during our home stay for two nights. I have to say that those two nights were one of the most unforgettable experiences ever. One of which was hoe Charmaine and I bathe in this open space that was only surrounded by haversacks and the haversacks only covered us till about our waists, which means we had to squad to bathe. There was no floor, just soil with two stone slabs laid over it. Charmaine and I had conveniently found this experience extremely hilarious, which resulted in non-stop laughter through out our bath. Honestly, it sounds funnier when she recollects it so I shall leave it to her to report it. O yea did I also fail to mention that I pee-ed in a potty as there was no toilet at Elgin’s house.

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday also saw Tuao East being plagued by a power failure, which resulted in the entire village being plunged into complete darkness. We could only see a few feet ahead of us with the torchlights that we were carrying. Furthermore the ground was extremely muddy because of the constant downpour. As a result, turnout for the Bible class on Monday was a tad bit disappointing. However I think Irvin did a fantastic job at being not too affected by this and delivered an impactful lesson about sin nevertheless. Valmond and Chenyi then followed up with the lesson on Tuesday and Wednesday. I guess what is really miraculous and definitely the work of God was how Thursday was greeted with the return of the power supply and a clear sky. I think this is really special because Thursday was the campfire night and it was an amazing opportunity for us to reach out to more people and tell them about God in a different way. And God made it so much easier for us by presenting this opportunity with such favourable conditions. Many people turned up and I am convinced that they did receive the message we were trying to tell them and now its only left to God to work his magic in them.

There was not a dry eye in sight while we got ready to leave Tuao on Friday morning. Seeing sister Babe cry and singing “If We Never Meet Again” certainly brought tears to my eyes. But they weren’t tears of sadness they were tears of joy. Joy at how each and every one of our lives were touched and changed by the Holy Spirit. And even though there were definitely feelings of missing them after spending ten days together and although some of us may indeed never see each other again, we know we will once again meet in Our Father’s kingdom.

Those ten days were filled with much fun and laughter-infused moments, however this immersion was so much more than just fun and laughter. It is undeniably the most uplifting, memorable and purposeful and experience-filled experience for me. I feel so blessed by this trip because I did so many things I never thought I would do and experienced what it felt like to really go out there to do mission work for the Lord. And to learn that he has a far more perfect and wonderful plan for everyone and thing as our self-drawn up schedule simply crumbled. Nothing was ever for us or about us but for Him and about Him. I use to want to go for camps during June and December because it always leaves me with a period of emotional high after that. But like Irvin had said during the sharing at Cassily: feelings of spiritual high are not what we want because feelings will eventually vaporize and we would be back to where we were before. Instead we should aim to bring our relationship with God to a more stable level for it to last. Even though I don’t feel like this all of a sudden drastically changed and scrubbed young lady, I know that God is slowly working in my life and changing me to be the person He wants me to be.

Cheryl Soh

Those involved, please be reminded to drink lots of water, rest your voice and avoid hot and spicy food on Friday.

May God be glorified through our voices and the CD we will be cutting.

The songs we will be recording

1. Lord I Lift Your Name On High
2. Days Of Elijah
3. The Power Of Your Love
4. Here I Am
5. Walking Down Heaven’s Road
6. If We Never Meet Again
7. Hallelujah To The Lamb
8. I Lift My Hands
9. Ammok Ni Cristo Sibibiag
10. When The Night Is Falling
11. Shout to the Lord
12. Rivers of Babylon

Lord I come to You, let my heart be changed, renewed, flowing from the grace, that I’ve found in You. Lord I come to know, the weaknesses I see, in me, will be washed away, by the power of Your love. Lord unveil my eyes, let me see You face to face, the knowledge of your love, as You live in me. Lord renew my mind, as Your will unfolds, in my life, in living everyday, by the power of Your love. Hold me close, let Your love surround me, bring me near, draw me to Your side. And as I wait, I’ll rise up like the eagle, and I shall soar with You, Your spirit leads me on, by the power of Your love.

Would you expect such a simple song, a prayer to be so powerful, to have different meanings and significance to different people?

When such a prayer of one with a contrite heart is met with the power of analogy, the impact is irreversible, is life changing. It gives you a feeling that would be similar to how Moses must have felt when he saw God in the form of a burning bush: dazed.

That is exactly what has happened.

Our mission was to change lives, to sow the seed of the Word of God. And what could be better than starting it off by planting rice, an imagery of what we were about to do for the people of Tuao, for God. Walking in the mud for so long before getting to the designated field was the first of many humbling experiences. It was arduous work that required so much focus and effort to walk to the designated field as well as to actually plant rice. Wouldn’t you say that’s symbolic of spreading the word? It requires focus, focus on God; effort, not to be bogged down by the sticky mud, a distraction to all, and time, loads of it.
However, the whole process of God’s work began even before the trip. It was during the preparations for the trip, the deep reflections and sharing that we really felt inadequate. Being with sin, being so far from perfect, who were we to tell others what they should do, to behave like Christ, to emulate a perfect one? We saw the weaknesses in us, but we prayed for God’s mercy, for His guidance, and did not let that the brokenness stop us. And really it must have been the power of His love for us, for His people in Philippines, that enabled us to work through our weaknesses to gain strength to worship and glorify Him. He made what was our main weakness our strength, that being confidence, and in so doing blessed not only the people of Philippines but us also.

Even before we had reached Tuao, we were already standing in awe of God. The mountains and the rivers and the sunset and the stars, were all testaments to how powerful God was, to create that which we can never understand, yet which is so amazing and so beautiful at the same time. It was indeed a general revelation and one of the ways we could see God through His works.

The minute we stepped into on Taribubu soil, we were not short of being welcome. The people were extremely warm and inviting and this was really moving. It was like a reflection of God’s love for His people, and we saw it through them. What’s more, the love and kindness they showed us did not taper down once the feeling of novelty of having visitors died down. On the contrary, it grew, then became contagious and forged between us a bond that will never be broken, just like the bond between God and us because of His love.

How refreshing it is, to see how we could impact people by just singing praises to God. How powerful the twinkle in the eyes of a child, the smile on the faces of the people, as we sing, can be! It’s really amazing how God can choose such moments to touch us, to let us feel joy and in doing so spur us on to do His word even more zealously, to renew in us a spirit of God, the drive to serve God.

As we continued to sow the seeds and attempted to provide the right conditions throughout the rest of the week, I must say we were blessed. Nothing went according to schedule. A three hour elementary school session became a 45 minute session instead; A three hour session with 100 over high school kids became one with about 600 kids instead; Additional visits to the mayor and a child care center; Bible study sessions instead of project work and so on. However, everything just mysteriously fell into place. God really does work in mysterious ways. Our thoughts are not His thoughts, our ways are not His ways indeed. So, what a joy it really was for everyone to be resilient enough, to really submit to Him and letting him lead us to what we’re supposed to do, instead of forcing ahead with our own schedule. And how much more rewarding it turned out!

Usually, a mountain top feeling would complement the joy of doing God’s word. This trip, not many of us may have had that feeling. Instead, we had a mountain top experience when we climbed a mountain and learnt through analogy, and through God’s creation of nature, the importance of getting back on our feet after we slip and fall on mud, the importance of keeping focus as we go up and down the steep slopes and the importance of getting a good foothold on solid rock while wading through the river. Extrapolating these points to how we should live our lives in the Lord serves as a very powerful reminder that we need support, guidance and who better to rely on than God?

Through all this, God really blessed us and gave us the most comfortable conditions to work in. Electricity supply was cut quite a few times, but always came back on and lasted during crucial moments when it was time to study the bible or the likes. Supplies disappeared, but turned up again just when they were needed. Even the weather was on our side.

I really could go on and on because there is not end to telling of how wonderful God’s love, grace and creations are. We have come to realize that and have been reminded that we’re all subjected to His will. But just as importantly, we also have learnt to be strong in the Lord, allowing Him to mould us so that we will be in better shape to do His work. And it is through this that we gain renewal in spirit, grow closer to God, and feel the bar representing the lowest of our spiritual state rising because of the knowledge that God is constantly carrying us, guiding us, and being with us.

I came on this trip not knowing what to expect from it. I wasn’t even sure if I was looking forward to it. What I did know was that I wanted to dedicate the 10 days I had there entirely to God, and to do my best for Him in everything. I wanted to return from the trip knowing I had made the best possible use of my time there, and feeling that I have accomplished something.

What first struck me was the fact that conditions were not as poor as what I imagined from what was described to me, and so I didn’t find it too hard to adapt to them. Resolving not to complain about anything also made it easier, because I was both intentionally and unintentionally looking at things in a more positive light. I did realize, though, how much luckier we are in Singapore, because of the small things I always took for granted. But even so, I was learning to appreciate the kind of life the Filipinos lived there.

For one thing, the absence of street lights made the idea of ‘Night’ more real to me than it had ever been. At ‘Night’, you could see the millions of stars in the pitch-black sky. At ‘Night’, you walked home not being able to see beyond three feet. ‘Night’ was magical, yet frightening at the same time. And it was at ‘Night’ that I realized the true power and genius of God. It was at ‘Night’ that I realized how weak and in need of God’s guidance I am.

Cold bath water made bath times seem less inviting, but also made me thankful for even having water to bathe with at all. And after tasting ‘rusty’ water from the pumps, I shall never again complain about Newater.

The frequency of ‘brown-outs’ (our own term for black-outs) proved to be quite frustrating at times, but they made the nights with electricity that much more precious.

The trip also brought a lot of first experiences for me.

It was the first time I bathed in the open, squatting down throughout. I was so fearful of exposure at that time, but looking back now, it was probably too dark for anyone to see us.

It was the first time I hiked up waterfalls, rocky rivers and muddy slopes. I would never have thought it possible for me to get through all that, but I did - with the much-needed help of the Filipino children of course. It was quite humbling, having to depend on them for support, but if I can depend on them for help, what more God?

Through it all, what amazes me most is how the people took whatever happened in their stride. They’re just so filled with joy, especially the children, and I really love them for that. I love them for their warmth, kindness and generosity, but above all, their contentment. I never expected to develop such love for total strangers over 10 days, nor find that I envied them for their simple but happy lives.

I cannot describe how grateful I am for this trip. I met many wonderful people through it, I experienced nature at a whole new level, and I got to know myself a lot better as well. I’m also really, really thankful for all the youth who went for the trip with me, because it was the company that provided me with a lot of encouragement in everything I did. The entire experience would have been very different without each of them.

Most importantly, I feel that this trip has helped me know God on a more intimate level, and has got me started on a more two-way relationship with Him, for which I am most thankful. I believe we can all agree that this trip has changed a lot in us, and it is my prayer that whatever each of us has gained, we will never lose.

Each of our youth shared the gospel powerfully and we baptised one lady into the Lord on our penultimate day there - in a stream a top a mountain. Many hearts were turned towards God as they realised only God’s love could explain why a bunch of city-based youth would come to their forsaken village. All the preparatory work truly paid off. The bible came alive for us as we were transported back in time to appreciate the parables Jesus spoke about. Come for this Sunday’s evening service to hear more about it as we give glory and thanks to God.

God was in total control of the trip, and even the mis-adventure with Boo Chye’s stolen medical equipment became one where God was glorified. We had a team which was faithful and enthusiastic for the Lord, and He responded with overflowing blessings. Thank you for all your prayers. Every single one was answered!

Deacon Winston Chong

And let the report begin.

Day 1, 7/12/06
Woke up at 4:30am in the morning to meet at the airport at 5:30am. Well this was the first time for me at the budget terminal so was quite a new experience. The flight TR 502 left at 7:20 and we touched down at 11:30 at the Clark airport. A budget plane is smaller than a normal plane, and you have to pay for in flight meals. On the plane I was looking out of the window and watching the clouds, and it was really beautiful; one of the reasons I love to travel is because Singapore really lacks a lot of the nice scenery that is overseas. When I was on the plane I couldn’t help but think of Psalm 19:1–4.

Cleared the Philippines customs, which took quite long, you need a tag for every single bag you checked in. We then met Julius and Afren (how to spell?! Lol) at the airport with the vans they rented. They had sacrificed their time to drive down all the way from Baguio to come and pick us up. We went to a nearby shopping centre for lunch and I had the first taste of Filipino food which was a pork chop. We then met Shem who drove down in his Ford Escape and we set off for Ramon. The way Filipino drivers drive is truly remarkable. To be honest, I think our van had less than 100 horsepower. But with that tiny engine Julius was reving the engine to its limits just to overtake lorries and trucks that were 3 times as long as us. The roads in the Philippines were also very precarious, and most of the time there were usually only one lane in each direction, making overtaking even more dangerous. After a long journey and a few technical difficulties with one of the vans, we finally reached our destination at 9:45pm. We had dinner at Ramon COC and then checked into the Country Farm resort for the night.

Day 2, 8/12/06
We woke up early the next morning, and went to Ramon COC to present a few songs and to introduce ourselves. Uncle Winston shared a heartfelt devotion on Psalms 23 and many were visibly moved in our short time there. The hospitality of the brethren at Ramon was only foreshadowing what was to come at Tuao. We had breakfast at a school nearby, and I had the first taste of toilets in the Philippines, and I tell you a toilet seat is a luxury. So is a flush. I shan’t say more, but theres more to come later *wink*.

Following that we embarked on a four-hour journey to Tuao. We checked into the Cassily Resort at about 2pm, and left for the Tuao COC.

We then had our first taste of true Filipino culture in that we rode to church in Todos. A Todo is basically a motorbike with a carriage strapped on to it. Another thing about Tuao was the ‘long dusty roads’ that ran through the endless paddy fields. Well but you see when dust mixes with water what you get isn’t the best of roads. Which did make the hour long Todo ride to church all the more exciting. When journeying down the bumpy road and taking in the wonderful views of the padi fields, one can only stand in awe of God’s creation. The ride in the todos was also a once in a lifetime experience, with its one of a kind suspension system. Many a time the engine would stall and we would have to get out and push the todo out of the mud, but we all took it in good fun. One also realises the skill with which the drivers here drive with, as the ground was uneven and careful judgement was needed to find the best way to clear a bump. Yeah we did get stuck a couple of times, but the Todo me, Nehe, Alistair and Shawn rode didn’t break down on the way, hurray. We then met brother Jhun Ma and sister Babe at the church, and before we ate our lunch we sang a few songs. And what was really jarring to most of us was the power of the Filipino voices.

We had lunch at Tuao COC and had some activities with those present. Just before dinner we made visit to the family of Julie, a lady widowed by her husband who committed suicide. We pray that our visit to her and our sharing of a few songs have lifted their spirits in the household slightly. Brother Jhun Ma also gave us a those present a timely reminder that even though the family had lost their father, they, and all of us have our father in heaven. ‘Ask and it shall be given to you, seek and you shall find, knock and the door shall be opened unto you’, Matthew 7:7 was another verse he shared.

Following that, we returned to the church where we had another presentation of songs, and an introduction of ourselves. The Filipino brethren also responded by singing a couple of songs for us, and also introducing the youths who attended the church. After dinner we journeyed back to Cassily (in a jeepney this time) where we had a devotion by Shawn.

Day 3, 9/12/06
The highlight of the first half of the day was the immersion of ourselves in the locals’ lifestyle of rice planting. Once again, the muddy nature of Tuao became more evident to us, and the first step to getting dirty was the hardest for many of us. The mud came up high, almost halfway up the lower leg. Rice planting was really not easy. Here’s how the procedure goes. The rice seedlings are in bundles, and you take 5 – 10 seedlings in one bunch and using your fingers plunge then into the soil. Planting the seedlings and keeping them upright is one thing. Planting them in straight rows is another. And so is the speed, as we saw from the professional rice farmers.

Through this experience of rice planting we indeed saw how simple life was for the residents of Tuao, and also we experienced one of the first instances of generosity. The owner of the field must have great faith to sacrifice a plot of soil and seedlings to a group of complete strangers who could have damaged their crops and affected their harvest. Who knows, our seedlings could have very well just died the next day. Haha. Through this experience we all learnt humility, and how we should surrender ourselves and our pride to God.

Later in the afternoon we also built a canopy with bamboo outside the church. There were 6 steel bases that we filled with rocks to wedge the bamboo beams upright, and then create a series of beams to support the canvas for the roof of the canopy. Through this we really saw the power of God’s creation, as the bamboo beam could really hold a lot of weight. Following that we also began work on the signboards.

Later that evening we witnessed the baptisms of Vijay and another girl whose name I cannot remember at the Cassily resort swimming pool. Before that I was having a talk with Vijay atop the roof of the Jeepney and he was telling me quite a lot of things, translating words from English into Tagalog for me, and also telling me about life in the Philippines. In the Philippines people really get married really early, like in the 17 – 20 year old age group. And he was 16 and had a girlfriend already haha. It was really nice to see him get baptized that night too, and they celebrated the baptisms by.. going swimming in the pool!! Lol. I gave him a church camp t-shirt and a pair of shorts to change into after the baptism.

Day 4, 10/12/06
Day 4 was Sunday at church, but the service was nothing like we know back in Singapore. We had the service under the canopy that we built the day before, and it started pouring. We first had a lesson by Irvin, then a sermon from Louis, with translation from Jhun Ma and Babe, and then a sharing for the communion by me. After church, me, Valmond, Alistair and Cheryl went to the Ragindin family to do a house bible study. Although we did four completely unrelated mini-lessons, we managed to find out more about the family, and one of the sisters there was a teacher, and we found out that even being a teacher in Tuao was not easy. She also had several children to attend to. Just before dinner we also visited the family of sister Sonya, who me and Nehe who were initially posted to couldn’t visit because it was raining and the house was too far. Kelvin’s lesson on Jesus calming the storm and our presence there moved sister Sonya to tears.

Day 5, 11/12/06
In the morning we went to the first elementary school to spend about an hour and a half doing some lessons with the children there. We did not have the full 3 hours we were initially allocated because the school was rushing their curriculum, but we made do with what we had.

In the afternoon me, Valmond, Charmaine, and sister Sharon went to the Julian family for a house bible study because we couldn’t carry on our project work as it was raining. It was only when I spoke to this family that I discovered the full extent of the hardship that some of the people in Tuao faced. The Julian family not only had problems with marriage, they also faced financial difficulties, a 51 year old lady in the family who fractured her wrist, and a bedridden grandmother who was losing her memory living in the house, as I found out later when I asked them for prayer requests. Just hearing the problems of the family just really ate away at my soul to the point which I could not sympathise with them, and I felt really terrible and ashamed, talking about problems I faced at school and studies when I shared Matthew 6:25–34 on Do Not Worry. But I guess God has his ways and I do hope that our presence there has made a difference to the family. I also pray that the family pulls through this hard time with God’s help, because if they do pull through, they would have a really powerful testimony to share. Sister Sharon also shared a really appropriate song, Still. The words that ring in my head the most significantly are the words of the chorus ‘I will be still, know you are God’.

In the evening we had Bible study at the church, despite the small number of people gathered there, and Irvin shared a powerful lesson on sin.

That evening at Cassily was also quite a shocker for me, because Nehe discovered a long trail of red ants leading right through my room, into my luggage bag, to my cup of instant noodles with just a slightly broken seal. Which by the way was on our bed. After some initial panic we evacuated my luggage bag out of the room, but in the end Nehe had to sleep on the floor. Sorry Nehe!! Haha. That night I slept with quite a bit of insect repellent on myself, but thankfully the ants didn’t cross over to my side of the bed. An absolutely hilarious experience.

Day 6, 12/12/06
In the morning we went to the high school to do a session. Based on the feed back we received it was quite a good one, through the songs, skits and lessons. The feet washing was especially powerful, I think it even influenced the guy whose feet Irvin washed to come to the church for the campfire on the last night. At this point in the trip we also started to realize that right through the age groups the guys in Tuao seemed to be much more shy and reserved that the girls.

After that we had to rush off to the mayor’s birthday party. The mayor’s name was Mr Mambo *major laughing fit* (internal joke, lol). Even though the environment was that of drunkards, uncle Winston shared that he felt God had a purpose for us there, and that was why he decided to say a prayer before we sang the songs.

The late afternoon was spent doing project work, which was covering the mushy floor of the new church building with gravel. The procedure was to use shovels to pile up stones into these wooden boxes with four handles for two people, then to lift them up and empty them in the inside.

The evening bible study saw even less people show up for the bible study, and Joseph had an idea that we go down the street and knock on the doors of houses and invite them to go down to the church for Bible study. God answered my prayer that at least 1 person would come down because of our actions, and not only that several joined us for Valmond’s lesson on baptism.

That night uncle Winston shared with us that he observed hat the novelty of the trip was going away and that the through test of the trip was here, as the energy levels went down. However, I felt that my conservation of my introverted energy still helped me pull through many of the activities, even though I was not so active in conversation when we were riding in the jeepney. I feel that this is one of my strengths, that I am a person who is consistent, so I hope that was how I contributed to the team. The Chaperons also shared with us that although sometimes we do not realize it but everything we did touched peoples’ lives in one way or another.

Day 7, 13/12/06
Day 7 saw us going out to the elementary school in the morning. But before that I must share with you a truly hilarious experience that I had on a night I can’t really remember when but I think was on the morning of day 7. In the middle of the night I suddenly had the urge to go pangsai. So happened that when I was just about to finish, it blacked out. And I can tell you, the fear that overtakes you is truly overwhelming. I got out, went back to the room and fetched my torchlight, went back to the toilet and flushed it. But the moment I got back into bed the power came back on again. LOL. Anyway the water supply also ran out the next morning and it was really funny because I hadn’t bathed the night before as it was too cold, so I spent, yes, two days without bathing. Haha.

Anyway, the kids at the elementary school were rather noisy and there was no hall so we had to use a grass patch under the hot sun. This time we managed to cover the full ‘curriculum’ with them, including the songs, skit, story, and then later breaking up into different classes to conduct sessions with them. Shawn and I took a grade 4 class and we must say they were quite well behaved. We could really see them treasure the stuff we gave them, the markers, glue, scissors, and the craftwork. They meticulously coloured, cut and pasted the pieces of Joseph’s coat of many colours together. We then gave the prizes to the teacher to distribute for us, and taught them ‘With Christ in the Vessel’, which we had taught to so many other people before already.

In the afternoon we continued with the project work and fishing went fishing (I caught a fish, hurray!!), and then in the evening I gave my lesson on living a joyful Christian life to a slightly larger audience than before. I also asked uncle Edward and sister Sharon to share their experiences on living joyful Christian lives. Sharon’s testimony was that she was initially involved in the media industry but decided to take a break to do God’s work. Uncle Edward shared for quite long about his younger days and how his youth moulded his heart that he has now for poor people.

Following that me and Valmond proceeded to the house of the Ragindin family, the family who we first had a house Bible study with for the homestay, and we went there with Shawn, Andrea and Olivia who were going to brother Ernesto’s house for their homestay. If I’m not wrong one of the members of the Ragindin family was one of sister Mildred’s sisters. We then had supper which was chicken porridge made with native chicken and I decided to share a couple of verses about lamps and light, Matt 5 and Psalm 119:105 as they were using kerosene lamps as the electricity had not come back on yet.

That night me and Valmond didn’t sleep very well, because we trapped some mosquitoes under the mosquito net we had, and Valmond’s stick on repellant didn’t seem to work very well. Not to mention that I had to diarrhoea 3 times that night. Lol. But what I come to realize on the last day was that the Ragindin family had given all they could to us; the room that they gave up to us was actually their master bedroom. Which uncle Winston’s sharing lead me to draw the connection between their actions and the widow who gave her last two small copper coins in the Bible.

Day 8, 14/12/06
Even though I almost didn’t feel well enough to go for the mountain hike that morning I still decided to go anyway, and I didn’t regret going because the mountain hike was a truly unforgettable experience. For the climb up the mountain, well yeah we were used to treading in mud already, but muddy slopes are a different thing, haha. There were also several streams with rocks that we had to be careful to step firmly on in order not to injure ourselves. When we reached the peak of the mountain, we went to check out a waterfall, and I can tell you that it was truly beautiful. I just sat at the top of the waterfall and took it all in without talking much to anybody. Yeah I did try to take one or two photos of the waterfall but it looked uncannily 2D and what is a waterfall without the sound of flowing water. One of the thoughts I had in my heart was that when I would be ready to go and meet God, I would be able to stand alone in the presence of God’s creation, and sing I Stand in Awe with all my heart yet not have tears stream down my face. Then I would know I’m ready to be reunited with God in heaven. But that’s something I’m not able to do now.

We also witnessed the baptism of a sister Jovy at the pool near the waterfall, and she was moved to tears as well, as uncle Winston baptized her into Christ, in the natural and beautiful surroundings of God’s creation. How I wish my baptism were like that haha.

The trip down was equally tiring, but the view as breathtaking. The tall grass was quite sharp and gave us quite a bit of cuts, and the path pretty muddy too. My sandals probably carrying twice its actual weight on the way down because of the mud caked to it, and the grass that stuck to the mud. But how I wish we had more time to take in the view of the mountains from where we were. Forget Bukit Timah hill man.

It was then back to the Ragindin family for a shower and then back to the church for the campfire. Oh yes I forgot to mention that shower heads and piped water too, are a luxury. Chances are your bath will be out in the open, but me and Valmond were lucky that the Ragindin family had Comfort Room (CR, toilet) with a door (no lock btw) to bathe in. But I did get to bathe out in the open once because of a communication problem but never mind it was a good experience haha.

The turnout for the campfire that night was much larger than usual, and we gave the performance and skits our all. Shawn’s lesson was great, and the ‘Why me?’ skit was really powerful, so powerful that brother Jhun Ma was too choked up to give the invitation and Kelvin had to impromptu it. I really hope that during the campfire many hearts were touched, and that new people would be attracted by the church, to God. We then returned to our homestay families, and I gave a closing verse, 1 Thes 5:16 – 23 for the Ragindin family and gave the family a map of Singapore as a personal gift.

Day 9 15/12
We woke up at 5:30am this morning (with crazy screams from Alistair over the walkie-talkie and amidst a leg cramp) to go down to church and bid farewell to the people there. And I can tell you, there was not a dry eye left, and I did keep my tears inside me either. The emotion was that of gratefulness for their hospitality, for how they gave of themselves to us like the woman with two mites, to show us how simple their lives were, and the song we sang ‘If We Never Meet Again’ really summed it all up, that even though we might never see each other again, we would see each other on that beautiful shore, of heaven. The feeling was really indescribable, and I will never forget the people I met there. Oh and just before I left the church, I decided to leave my black guitar behind, as after I looked at all they had given us, so much out of their poverty, my guitar didn’t really mean so much to me that I couldn’t give it away, and besides I couldn’t let them play on that cracked piece of wood with strings attached that couldn’t hold its tuning, that they called a guitar. Well I don’t know how long my guitar will stay without damage, but well that doesn’t really matter to me because every time I think of what they have done for us, everything else becomes so insignificant.

Taking in the scenery of Tuao from inside the Jeepney one last time, I could not help but feel that I would miss Tuao and especially the people there a whole lot. In the jeepney I said a silent prayer just thanking God for the whole experience and praying for all the people I came into contact with throughout the days we were there. We then made the long journey back to Manila where stayed at the luxurious Holiday Inn chalets, and ironically that was the only night that I had to use my sleeping bag with the floor, because there weren’t enough beds and I left my exercise mat back at the church. But it was okay because I told God that now that the important part of the trip was over he could let anything happen to me, including falling sick. That night we really had a heartfelt sharing and affirmations of each other, but only managed to get through halfway, and we retired to bed at 2:30am.

Day 10 16/12/06
This morning we continued with the affirmations and I shared my thoughts about the trip. So here it is.

Personality wise, I haven’t changed. I am still that quiet reserved boy who doesn’t really like change, and who doesn’t talk a lot. Preparation wise for this trip, I think its really amazing how I pulled through this trip, as it was really quite physically exhausting, especially that mountain climb which I estimate as more than 10km. Well you must understand that I didn’t do anything before the trip except for eat, sleep and play guitar. Mentally, I didn’t really have any expectations of what to expect on this trip, I just took whatever came. If we were going rice planting, fine. If there was a blackout, fine. If I had diarrhoea, fine. From what I see when I reflect, I was really, really riding on spiritual energy throughout the trip. To have survived with an average of six hours of sleep for more than a week is not something I do all the time, even during school term. The only thing I prepared for were the verses that I used in the sharing during the trip, and I think that really helped my spiritual growth even before we departed for the trip.

In terms of music, I’m still searching, and yes I think people generally cannot take long classical pieces. I think my standard of playing guitar has dropped drastically but it’s okay, I was doing God’s work throughout the trip. I’m still learning much about music, and I think I will not be able to answer what God’s true purpose for my music is until I die, so I will keep searching.

I will miss several things about Tuao. I will miss the beautiful scenery. Like what Kelvin shared, the parables of Jesus really come alive in Tuao, where we seem to go back in time to the times of Jesus. I will miss the beautiful never ending spans of rice fields, the blue skies, and of course the mountain scenery. Another thing I will miss is the concept of time in Tuao. In Singapore, I think we really place too much emphasis on time. A 45 minute journey to somewhere is really long to us. But in Tuao that’s how long we took to get to church each day. There is really no need to look at your watch when you’re there and that’s something I’d really miss because in Singapore we’re so couped up by schedules and deadlines and everything has to be so precise. But when I was in Tuao I just took whatever came my way, and my stress just disappeared.

This experience for me was different from other spiritual experiences in that it wasn’t a surreal emotional high experience. My emotional level generally remained relatively constant throughout the whole trip, and I would describe this trip as a very real experience, where the problems were real, and the people there were also so real. I will miss the people there, and I think the most important part of this mission trip was meeting the people. Brother Jhun Ma and Babe, who gave of themselves so selflessly, brothers Oscar and Ernesto who I talked to quite a bit, and their simple attitudes to life, and of course the Ragindin family who gave so much of themselves for us.

Throughout this trip I had been looking for a spark (uncle Winston preferred to call it glow) to keep with me after this trip, as what I know is that the greatest challenge I would face would be now when I’m back in Singapore and facing the challenges of schoolwork (I just found out I have 4 days to finish up the rest of my homework), the challenges of the people at school, the challenge of schoolwork, so much. And I was looking for this thing to keep with me when I came back to Singapore, and I think it all culminated on the last day when we were bidding our farewells to each other, that I understood that what I’d take back with me were the peoples attitudes towards life, that they had such great faith, that although sometimes they may not even have a profit during harvest time, and I look at myself and my dreams and my goals for success and I feel so ashamed. I have also learnt to take whatever comes my way, a step at a time, and I think that is how great things can be done. I also realize the power of scripture memory, as it really fills the mind with pure thoughts. What I have been doing all this while was to simply memorise book, chapter, verse but not the very words of life, and this is my resolve in continuing my Christian life. I know it will be hard to change some of the ways I see and view things, but I’m sure God will be with me in this.

Through the sharing that drew till sunday morning, I think all of us who went on this trip have been drastically changed for the better after this trip, and I know that this trip will be only a stepping stone for more to come, and so I close with the final statement:

‘I am blessed by this trip because of the warmth and hospitality of the people there, and the simplicity of their faith in God.’

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