Showing Love

Monday 17th August 2009

Tonight Lisa and Kamal came to my home. Mom and I helped them prepare their Resumes and their letters for job applications.

Helping them required no effort. It was an absolute joy to help. The time passed and I did not even realise that it did. It is so easy to love them. I actually look forward for opportunities to show them love and to bless them. I am beginning to see that the easiest and most fulfilling thing for me to do is to demonstrate love to such precious people.

All other administrative things are important but, to me, showing love and taking time to love each individual and do special things to make each person feel appreciated is priceless. I think that one of the most important things for me is ensuring that everyone knows that they are loved and valueable.

The highlight of any day will always be that look in their faces, that spark in their eyes, their smile, their laughter... the little things that makes me know that they feel safe and loved and appreciated and precious!!

John 13:34-5
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

Pastor Colin

Sunday 16th August 2009

My Precious of the day is *drum roll...... COLIN WOOD

I was soo impressed by Colin today. I saw a change, a willingness to learn and a sense of initiative and growing spiritual maturity that I had never seen in him before. During Deaf Church today, Ian asked him to explain last week's teaching. He wrote Hebrews 10:24 and went on to explain it thoroughly. He said the scripture, he explained what it meant and he gave such relevant examples without anyone prompting. I looked on and it was hard to ignore how good he was! Everyone applauded him energetically.



I was a bit amazed and very proud of the change I had witnessed. When church was over, he said the closing prayer and yet again he grabbed my attention. His prayer was so detailed and genuine. He remembered to pray for the special needs identified in the service and there was a clear sense of maturity in his requests. His prayer revealed that he had paid attention during the teaching. Again, everyone seemed to experience the same joy I felt by the obvious difference in attitude.

I told both Colin and his wife Krystal how impressed I was that he remembered the teachings!! I was so moved by this unexpected change and I was so grateful to God and all His hidden treasures in secret places!

Well, after church, we went to visit a good friend of ours who was at the hospital. Everyone got an opportunity to express a greeting to our friend and yet again Colin stood out!! He volunteerily went to our sick friend and began to give strong words of encouragement and wisdom. I stood and looked on with gladness and awe at God's work in Colin's life. He spoke with such authority and his words were so powerful and uplifting. I believed it but I still couldnt believe that this was the same Colin I knew.

I told him that he was a great teacher, a good intercessor and now a counsellor!! So I started to call him Pastor Colin! When I went to tell his wife, she was happy and she told me that he had already told her about his new name lol.

It was the most encouraging thing to see Colin maturing in the Lord. Today I got a sneak peak of the potential that God has placed within him and I was reminded that I may sometimes overlook the potential in others but God NEVER does. Everyone has spiritual giftings and a purpose to fulfill in life and God in His wisdom and His timing has equipped us with the tools to do what He has called us to do!

prIde

Sunday 2nd August 2009

Today we had fast and prayer at ADC.

Mama humbly spoke about prIde. After a few scripture verses about pride and the Deaf recapping Hebrews 10:24 and 2 Samuel 6 about showing love and Mical's prIde, Mama lead by example and openingly began to confess about her own prIde and how God had to deal with her.


It was a transparent and tearful session but it occurred in an environment of love and trust. One by one, people began to move forward and forgive others and push prIde aside. Wives were moved by Mama's testimony and confession. I also tearfully asked Mama to forgive me for the resentment I held deep inside for her abandoning me in my initial days with the Deaf. I had not realised that I kept that inside even though I acknowledged that God had intented for it to be that way in order for me to depend wholeheartedly on Him!! There was an obvious healing and cleansing taking place among us.

After these public confessions, Mama lead me directly to Man Di and I was able to also ask for her forgiveness and restore our relationship. I really look forward to a long standing friendship with her and I know that God has a wonderful plan and good things ahead for us!

Today we exposed the enemy! I did not realise how much prIde I had. I guess prIde would not allow me to see my own prIde. I was too proud to confess my sins and to ask for forgiveness. I really felt like a burden that I did not even know was there, was lifted!! At the beginning of the session Mama spoke about Matthew 7:3 "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? I was quick to criticize and complain without looking within myself and acknowledge my own sin and repent.

As of today, my admiration of Mama has grown tremendously. I respect her even more for her honesty, for her obedience to God and for her humility. What a woman! I have learnt so much from her today. I have learnt what it means to be human. Our humanity is not so much defined as our imperfections, but more so our ability to admit those imperfections and to correct them; to seek forgiveness and to forgive.

Something truly amazing happened today.

It's ma birthday!!

Tuesday 28th July 2009

This was the best birthday I ever had.

My co-workers, my friends and my family made me feel special. Yet what made the biggest difference this year is my Precious, Deaf friends....*smile :)

I invited everyone to come to my home to celebrate my birthday with me. I was touched to see how Shevon and Roger began to plan the 'event' without me prompting them. Over the years, I have planning several birthdays for friends and organised surprised birthday parties and threw a baby shower and other house warming events but I had never really had someone or a group of people volunteerily plan something for me with such thought.

When Shevon asked people to say a story about me, I found that to be so thoughtful. I was so touched by the things they said. I caught myself smiling throughout!! I was just completely happy. (See link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QPM_251TSA ) Roger shared the story of the 10 Lepers that Jesus healed and the one who returned to give thanks in Luke 17:11-17.



There was a balloon bursting competition (male and female category) and surprising I found the greatest joy in the popping of the balloons!! lol. See link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r2zdTjQC-gI I felt so honoured to be in the company of such wonderful people. Yes I was looking forward to my birthday and all the things that would have been in store but nothing really mattered other than my get together with my Precious-es.

It was also pretty amazing to see the response of everyone after I requested a plant as a gift. I received sixteen (16) plants in total!! Lisa and Kamal gave me five (5) plants!! lol Michelle sent a plant even though she could not be there. I felt so loved, so special ...I was at home with my family...

Well the highlight of my evening was not my cake with the two (2) one (1) candles (although I'm really 23), it was my custom-made pinata!!!!! Roger and Shevon made a pinata for me with the help of some others!! It was my first pinata and I felt sooooo special. Well, the funniest thing is that I couldn't even dent it when it was time to hit it lol. Check this out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIkUM5ddIi4

Roger prayed for my mom and I and all the other people with birthdays in July.

At the end of the day my happiness was complete and it was just much much much more than I imagined or could have imagined. I have so much to be thankful for. I really feel tremendously blessed to have meet Mama and all my Precious friends. Imagine a lonely little girl like me, with all these friends and blessed with so much love!!!

I am eternally grateful...

Sharing God's Word

Sunday 26th July 2009

Today Mama taught during Deaf Church.

I was able to help her by reading the scripture verses while she dramatised. I also wrote the verses on the board and drew some of her drawings on the board as a visual aid. I am ALWAYS happy and willing to help her. She is my mentor, my friend, my mother :D It is a definite pleasure to serve her and so it is effortless and easy to do it with a willing and kind heart.

I thought that the message was very effective. The Deaf understood the lesson and I too learnt. It was a three (3) part teaching. The first teaching was based on Hebrews 10:24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds which being interpreted in the Deaf Bible translates to think about how you may help other people, show love and do good things. Mama emphasized how it is important no to complain and critisize and how listening to someone gossip about another contributes to the sin. We were enlightened. Even though it may seem as a simple message, it is these simple things that we overlook from day to day and need to be reminded of them from time to time.

The second lesson was the story of Moses when God instructed him to keep his hand lifted with the rod in order for the Isralites to win the battle against the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-13). Mama showed how Aaron and Hur helped Moses by bringing a stone for him to sit on and holding his hands when they were tired. In this way, they showed love and did a good thing. Furthermore, she added the story of Miriam complaining against Moses found in Numbers 12:1-15. She stressed the importance of not complaining especially against those God has placed as leaders.

Thirdly, we learnt about the pride of Mical daughter of Saul in 2 Samuel 6:14-23 who despised David worshiping, leaping and dancing before the Lord.

It was a good session all in all. I learnt some lessons that I overlooked before and I know that the Deaf were enlightened.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.

Mama is here!!!!! Come leh we go Arima

Sunday 19th July 2009

This day was such a testimony.

The night before this day, Shevon, Roger and I were trying to decide what arrangements could be made to take 25 Deaf persons to D'Abadie at Divine Encounter Fellowship. A Deaf missionary was carded to speak.

We were unable to secure the church van and so we were trying to tally all the vehicles we had among ourselves to accomodate everyone. Of course, we fell short lol. We laughed at ourselves. First of all, the battery in Mama's car was dead!! Roger and Shevon came up with a mastermind plan to exchange batteries from Mama's car to Roger's car. In this way, Shevon was able to drive to the airport with Mama's car and collect her without worrying about shutting down! LOL Roger was now going to use his car with the dead battery by faith!

They then suggested that I called Mr Cleavon to find out if his van was available for us. I knew that his seven (7) seater vehicle had some problems but I still called. He too decided to go by faith even though the van was not in the best condition.

So off we went Sunday morning. Roger's car, Azard's car and Mr Cleavon's van. Some people came separately with Kamal's brother. Well, there were no shut downs!!!! Praise the Lord!!!!!!

We reached D'abadie safely and meet Mama! YAY!!!! I'm always so happy to see her! God knows how much she blesses me :D. The message was a blessing. It was wonderful to see a Deaf person so knowledgable about the Bible and so passionate about God and empowering the Deaf.

Mr Cleavon as usual was another blessing. As usual, he was patient. As usual, he did not complain. As usual, he stretched himself to accomodate the Deaf. Oh! What a blessing he is! Mama, Mr Cleavon and I got an opportunity to sit and talk about the goodness of God and His works. Without a doubt God brought us together for such a time as this!