Amazing Melaka!!! (Family Camp 2009)

We had the privilege.. or rather 'kena arrowed'.. to organise the Family Camp this year. So with Jimmy at the helm.. it was only natural that I ended up coordinating the praise and worship.. nothing new I guess since I've been doing for the past 3 years anyway!!! We eventually decided on Renaissance Hotel in Malacca.. trust dear brother Loo to strike a good deal..

Ps. Christie Ong, our invited camp speaker and incidentally also my 'Shepherd' in the early days of Hope Church, expounded on the topic of 'Faith'..

• God is bigger than anything I can ever think of or imagine
• God will still complete His work despite my lack of faith
• Live out and grow in my faith one day at a time
• I can ask God for blessings and favours, and receive them by faith
  

On this last learning point.. one of my most vivid memory was of Christie teaching me about the God's anointing from the story of Elisha and the widow (2 Kings 4:1-7).. how she was asked to gather as many jars as she could.. then she was told to pour oil into all the jars.. the oil only stopped flowing after the last jar was filled. The hidden meaning was this: God's anointing (the oil) will pour out and fill us (the jars) only as much as we WANT and CAN hold. As I reflect back of all my years serving in church.. I HAVE asked God for greater anointing as a worship leader.. to help me hear the right notes and harmonise beautifully.. to make me more skillful at playing the keyboard and guitar.. and God did answer my prayers by sharpening my senses.. in a way which nine long years of formal piano training never did!!!

The idea of each family unit leading a full P&W session finally came to pass this time around.. no more miscom.. PHEW! It was certainly encouraging for me to see new folks lead worship and support sing. We had a wonderful time being in the presence of God despite multiple errors in the musical chords (yours truly being one of the guilty party) and sometimes off-pitch notes! Ha ha ha! Ohhh.. and I especially loved rehashing some of the 'oldies'.. This Is The Day.. Lord of Creation.. Awesome In This Place.. Where He Leads Me.. A big thank you to everyone who put in the effort to be part of the ministering teams.. :0)


Some of the highlights include:

1. Our own version of Amazing Race.. whereby groups of 2-3 families need to complete the following tasks...

• Find the cheapest clogs at Jonker Street (winner: RM$1.00 for a key chain)
• Get the lowest receipt at Dataran Pahlawan Mall (winner: RM$0.03 for a piece of A4 paper)
• The most creative photo taken with the statue of St. Francis Xavier at St. Paul's Hill (winner: awarded for display of ample derriere)

2. Q&A game of 'How well do you know your spouse?' and renewing of wedding vows.. (The Wan Leng & Mabel version? Ha ha ha...)

The kids had fun at their 'Heroes' camp adventure too.. although Justin seemed suspiciously more excited about shooting rubber bands at styrofoam cut-outs of Paul, Moses, Esther.. hmmm..??? And on our venture to the Jonker Street Pasar Malam (night market).. Jared had a first-hand experience at rolling cotton candy.. Justin ate a funny-looking, cone-shaped, home-made ice lolly.. and to top it all off, we got to ride in a brightly-lit, colourful and flower-decked trishaw. But it didn't turn out to be quite as fun.. cos the passing cars were too dangerously close for comfort and we even had to get out and walk while the trishaw owner pushed the vehicle up a slope! I don't blame the poor chap for not being able to handle our weight.. and wound up paying extra for that short trip.. ha ha ha! In short.. the facilities were good.. the food was great and the teaching was inspiring.. AMEN!!!