Sunday, June 19, 2005

Hi..i'm finally settled back down from being away for a week...haha...anyway..ben-gen camp was really awesome!!! God reassured me that He loves me so so much!! here's e details.....

Day 1: woke up very early to be at clementi at 7am..yawns..was to meet huixian(my roomie) at 630..hee..but in e end i reached at like 650? haha...when we reached e meeting place..it was like WOAH! so many ppl..we finally managed to fing our bus group..& made friends with this pair of sisters-serena & sharon..we talked a bit & found out serena works at a blood bank! & sharon actually studied comm studies in NP before...so cool rite? :) then e buses that were hired finally came & we board e 40 seater bus..was quite a breeze thru e s'pore & malaysia customs & we board another bus-26 seater..was really quite comfortable....it was my 1st church camp..so really think God wanted to make me fang xin..our bus journey was a breeze all e way to e hotel..along e way..i was looking out of e window..my bus actually din get caught in e traffic jam like other buses..we jus went passed e traffic jam..so amazing! we were like e 2nd bus to reach e hotel..at 230pm...during dinner..heard from others that actually some buses got lost, tyre punctured..causing them to reach at 5++pm...so think God really wanted to let me know He is good to me..cos i told Him while on my way to clementi: "God, let me hv a safe & enjoyable journey." amazing rite? anyway that evening we din do much cos of e delay caused by e other buses...

Day 2: woke up to breakfast & morning service..Pastor Joshua was talking abt relationships, sex & stuff....din really pay attention..haha..cos me, my roomie, & e other campus girls in my group felt that it's not applicable in our lives yet..haha...it was undeniably a good sermon for folks who are looking for such answers..jus not to us...haha...but God made me realised one thing: i'm not destined for a loveless live..(psalms 88:18 -- lovers & friends were taken away from Jesus so that on the cross, Jesus redeemed us from a loveless live.) anyway we made fast friends with these 2 other girls-Pearlyn & Xuehui..they're both in NUS..one yr older than me...but we clinque real well...we went out to this shopping mall called Mines Shopping Fair during e afternoon R&R time...me, huixian, pearlyn & xuehui...it was quite a big shopping mall..with lots of shops selling quite cheap stuffs...haha..i bought a bag! a sling bag...hee..my only regret was not buying e adidas bball..think it will only cost S$10 max..but i din buy!! sobs......but it's ok..i'm back here le..

anyway after shopping..we were to take a cab back to e hotel..wah..was a ride from hell man..the stupid driver drove so fast & went so near e car in front of us that e dist between e 2 cars is like 10cm? e 4 of us were gripping on to e car & softly said to each other: pray in tongues! cos e driver is malay..so shld be muslim..so jus in case..we din want him to know we're christians..though i think he knew cos we kept laughing & saying "God" in between our sentences..haha..but thank God that xuehui knows malay..so she told e driver to slow down...but obviously he didn't la..but think if xuehui din know malay..he'll drive even faster...finally when we reached e hotel..so relieved to step on solid ground...it was like a real life daytona ride..except that this one we can't afford to flip over our car! but Praise God that in the face of death & fear..God made us laugh & show e driver little fear...

we made lots of noise when we entered e hotel & into e dining ballroom.haha..think pastor joshua was quite puzzled by us..cos his table was by e door..& we came in saying & laughing quite loudly..with "thank God", "life & death" in our conversation..haha...anyway we ate quite little dinner cos we felt a bit like throwing up after e taxi ride...haha....had fun at "intelligent games" after dinner & then to bed.....zzzzzzzzzzzzz................

Day 3: woke up to breakfast & morning service again..haha..then lunch..then games day! our group was really very sporty though most were quite old ppl...haha...e only sad thing is my group only has campus girls..no campus guys..all my group guys are like wking adults..with 2 or 3 old enuf to be our father...haha...but they're all really sporting...so we had a really fun time playing e games...got all wet & sticky..so went back to e room to bathe b4 dinner..after dinner was really a power pact praise & worship session!!

started off with fast songs & we're all jumping & dancing ard!! there's this super nice song called "my heart overflows" i think..but i can't find it..e chorus is "You put a gleam in my eyes, You put a skip in my step, when my hope is gone, Your love remains yet, You put a song in my mouth, You put a sword in my hand, my heart overflows with e goodness of e Lord." anyone knows e song tell me k? anyway it comes with actions..so was really fun to sing to e Lord.. ;p after singing into slow sings..deacon chin went into ministering time..he got all e leaders to go ard e ballroom to pray for ppl...so naturally..seeing/hearing ppl being prayed over..i also want la..& my cg leader, jessica appeared! she was praying for me & God's final words to me thru her was so awesome! He told me: "Joanna, dun think tat My love for you is only in this camp..I love you today, tomorrow, & every single day..even back in s'pore..I love you!" i was so overwhelmed by His love that i started crying...i hugged jess, anna who came up to stand behind me..then i was actually kneeling down when this other leader came & pray for me again...i din really hear what he prayed abt..hee..cos i was still crying..but i just felt God's presence & love even more... :)

Day 4: woke up..had breakfast & then there was a Q&A ssession..during e 1st 3 days..there's a box for ppl to post questions..so answers were given to e many questions...but most of them abt relationship, sex, marriage, careers..only one was quite funny...

Q: Does Christian women like sex?
so Deacon Chin was like," This one i must stand up & answer"
A: You know..the question shldn't be "does christian women like sex?" but "does christian women like YOU?"

it won applause from all e girls..haha...
anyway after that we went to KLCC..din buy anything cos it's all like s'pore price..no point buying there...finally saw Petronas Twin Towers..but erm..wat's so special? haha......went back to e hotel & had dinner & another power pact praise & worship..haha...was simply awesome...after that our group had a sharing session..was really touched by God's goodness in our lives! anyway was too awake to sleep after that..so went to val & anna's room...was sharing with them abt God's love for me..& anna told me that God actually sought me out! on day 3's praise & worship..after jess prayed for me..i kneeled down rite? anna told me that normally after a leader prayed for u..another leader won't pray again..but that night..after jess prayed..anna saw that e other leader actually walked across, passed many ppl..just to pray for me! when i heard that i was really amazed!

Day 5: ate breakfast & after that..my group leader, colin got e group to gather & asked who needs prayer..then our whole group prayed for those who needs prayer..i was asked to pray for this other girl, jamie..it was like a sudden thing to pray...cos i dun know her real well..so i just said to God, "let all that comes to mind be from You, so that she knows it's You talking to her, not me.." so i started talking & i jus said wat's on my mind..After that..she actually told me that wat i prayed was really wat's in her heart..besides e one issue she mentioned b4 e prayer..i actually touched on something else she wanted to be prayed abt but din say..how amazing can God be?! really...only God can know wat's on her mind...& God uses me to translate that to her! WOW!!!

anyway that was like e end of camp..& we came back to s'pore..reached golden mile at ard 545pm...& guess wat? 10 of us from our group went back to suntec for bible study! haha..we just can't get enuf of God! ;p

-----------------------------------------------------------
beLoVeD jkMy out
@ |7:00 AM|