Taiwan Trip (Part 2)

The 1st ever Emerge (脱颖而出) Conference in Taiwan begins on 13th Jul 2006.
Am glad to be part of it!

Was allocated to be in Team 5, with Carol, Ivan, BaoTing+husband, Evangeline and many others. Was allocated to be in Usher ministry.
Wonder why they had Teams and Ministry groups...

Ushering is not easy, and definitely not my type. :P
Had to line chairs, get pple to move in to fill up empty seats, draw attendance sheet for area taken care of, collect offering, pick up litter after everything...

It wasn't easy but am glad that I was working with Serene at 1st and I felt safe to have a 'overseer'. Then the next day, still worked with her but with bigger area. And last day, I went under different 'supervisor' totally. She din have ushering experience + the area I had to take care of was bigger so much harder to manage. But thank God that I still managed to fill up the seats except for about 6 seats or so. Think it is really God's grace, cos ushering is really not my kind of thing. :P

Haha, so I also wasn't as wonderful as how a normal trained usher would be lor. But I would say that I really tried my best, so I have no regrets. I find it quite humbling to pick up all the litter after each session, haha, the Taiwanese really litter quite a bit. Perhaps Singaporeans too, I can't compare totally cos I never clean up after big services in Singapore. There was once that I had to be the 'rubbish inspector' at level 3 during lunch hours. The whole level of corridor was hot, stuffy and had the sweaty smell. :P

Thank God for kind brothers who helped me to tie up trash bags when they are full. Taiwanese are very into recycling, so that is why need to have 'rubbish inspector' role, else they won't know how to dispose of the bento stuff after meal. The angry thing was near the end, people wanted to throw plastic cans and empty packet drinks. I told them to throw else where, but they 'secretly' stuffed it on my other tied up trash bags. I was like thinking; 'argh', so uncooperative!
It was really quite an experience.

Yesterday as I tot back, I realised that I was blessed though ushering ain't that easy a job. In this ushering role that I was allocated, I actually get to attend all the 5 Emerge sessions. I also had the privilege to be in the floor area, nearer to the presence of God. All things work together for the good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose!

I managed to talk to a few Taiwanese.

On the 1st session, the guy who was sitting beside me was this guy from PingTung and he performed during TalentTime (sang a song that that he composed himself, played his own guitar). I was privileged. :)

I also managed to talk to a few girls from New Life Cell Group church.
1 was involved in POC (Parade of Cities), another was involved in Obstacles Course.

There were also a few others that I talked too, most expressed their appreciation to us for organising and helping out at the event.

There was this sister (cgl) that Carol and I talked to, she was really friendly and said we can find her when we come to Taiwan next time. She said she likes Singlish too. So cute, I don't think I heard anyone out of Singapore saying that they like Singlish before.

The Taiwanese really love Pastor Kong and CHC, they love Sun very much too! You and I in CHC are very very blessed to be under Pastor Kong's leadership. :)

I took photo with 劉畊宏. He is so 帅! Can't wait to get the photo from my friend and show you.
I really like photos, hope to get all the group photos taken from my friends who kindly shared their cameras. :)

I was very touched to hear the testimonies shared by the youths in New Life Cell Group Church in Taiwan when we attended their church service on Sunday. Their lives are really impacted and transformed. The presence of God was at all the different sessions during the Emerge Conference throughout the 3 days. God really moving in the midst of them!

I just want to say that it was all worthwhile sowing all my energy and time into the 1st Taiwan Emerge Conference. God is really good! It is time for you to GO into the mission fields!

Taiwan Trip (Part 1)

Thank God for April that I get to go on this trip. Hip hip hooray!
And thank God also that one of the leaders in my zone was going and I found out that a few of them were going earlier and I joined them. :)

We reached Taiwan at around 6pm.
And I nearly couldn't enter Taiwan... :(

I went to the immigration counter to get pass and enter into Taiwan. But I was stopped cos they said they did not have records of me in their system. Y? Not cos I am a illegal immigrant or anything, but cos I hold a Taiwan passport but was not born in Taiwan nor have stepped into Taiwan before. So in their system, I am non-existent. Oops, I start to realise that something is not right.

Then they brought me to the Immigration counter. Then this lady asked me to fill up a form, looked thru my passport, asked a few questions and was preparing the receipt for the visa when her supervisor/head appeared. He looked through my passports and heard from the lady that I have not entered Taiwan before. Then he told her that can't issue me the visa and that I shouldn't even be allowed to board the plan. He then showed me a fine liner in the passport saying tht I need to apply for a re-entry permit in order to enter Taiwan.

Then they asked me to wait for the JetStarAsia (the airline I took) person to come. Then this guy told me that no choice that if the immigration doesn't let me in, then I have to go back to Singapore. Tht was despite me trying to reason out with the people for quite a while.

So I told the leader friend (Alice) who was waiting for me outside that things don't sound good.
At 1st I was still hopeful, but after all they say, it seems hopeless... And Taiwan is just so near (in fact I was in Taiwan) but can't enter. Made me think of the Movie where the guy was trapped in the airport for a few years. :P

Thank God, one of the officers allowed Alice to come back in the area to help me. She asked me to call Taiwan embassy in Singapore and I said, "Are they open on Sundays?". But she said just try. Then we went to ask for the contact number and they refer us to a book. And so thankfully, they had a mobile number in the book for the Singapore contact. So Alice called for me, and I talked to the guy. He was very helpful and nice and said he will help me.

Following that was some thru and fro stuff between the immigration dept at Taiwan, the Singapore contact and the international relations dept at Taiwan. Finally, the international relations dept's head talked to the immigration dept and they issued me a temporary visa at S$20. PTL! I could finally enter into Taiwan.

What did I learn?
1. Ask and you shall receive.
You may not receive immediately but as you persevere on, doors will start to open. Of cos, it will be impossible w/o God. I prayed silently while all my friends who already entered Taiwan prayed for me. *Thanks* to all who prayed.
2. Relations is important
Without Alice's help of talking to the different parties nicely for me, I think I wouldn't be able to enter Taiwan too. She talks, listens to them, reacts accordingly and reasons well with them too.
*Many thanks* to Alice!

Think many has shared this as a testimony to others. I actually tot it is quite a paiseh thing, cos it made me feel silly... like I should have checked properly before I went to Taiwan. But eventually I tot, I do not mind being humbled to bring glory to His name. :) But I promise to be more careful in future ok?

What did I do in Taiwan in the 1st few days?
Shop, eat, shop, eat, rest... Haha!

My favorite place to shop is 五分脯 cos it is a distributer area so prices are lower.
But I think as tourists, they still don't allow you to bargain much. Did do very good bargaining, else can get even better deals. :P
Actually 1 guy actually asked me where I open shop, haha! Shld have told him some area. haha!
Would be fun if I can open a shop in Singapore?

Went to Xi Meng Ding and Shilin Night Market and part of Danshui also.

Taiwan Trip (Introduction)

As you might have read/heard, it is my 1st time to Taiwan...
It is my motherland or rather parents' land...
At 1st, I tot that it was my homeland.
But after arriving at Taiwan, staying there for a week and returning to Singapore, I came to understand that Singapore is my home and not Taiwan.

Definition of HOME (from the Cambridge dictionary):
someone's or something's place of origin, or the place where a person feels they belong

I think HOME is best defined as the place where a person has a emotional attachment to.
I find that Singapore is my home tho I am not a Singapore citizen (I'm a Singaporean PR), cos my family and friends are here. This is the place that I was born, grew up at, spent 25+ years of time at. I really feel and behave like a Singaporean too. :)

I thought I might feel something when I went to Taiwan, but nope there wasn't any special feeling. It was just another nice holiday place for me. :P

*Whinings*~

Just feeling a little bored...

Supposed to go watch Pirates Of The Caribbean tonight at around 11pm with friends. But found out that the show is 2.5hours long. Think would be super tired by then, so called it off.
Then after that, have no plans already cos 1 of my friends has to go for lessons till 10pm, another has cg.

Then there are very few pple on msn on fridays evenings...
Just one word to describe the feeling: SIAN.

Maybe it is also cos I'm sorta home alone this weekend.
Mum went to Taiwan, just left on Thursday.
Sister went to some place in Msia for holiday, left this morning.
So till my sister returns on Sunday evening, I will be 'home alone'.

*Whine* *Whine* *Whine* *Whine*
Ok, itz enuff! This is end of whinings... :P