2009 was a humbling and a self-discovery year for me.
I ended 2009 with the 1st half of the book Ezekiel and started 2010 with the other half. Just this book alone contains 66 out of 73 repeated phrases "Know that I am the Lord" in the entire Old Testament (OT). I found so much comfort in this phrase. In all the happenings in life, God slowly, gently, graciously, woos mankind back to Him so long we are willing to LOOK UP.
With this phrase, I strain forward to the new year, trusting in His Providence.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Thursday, January 15, 2009
January 3rd, 2009 Peru Amazon Medical Trip - Day 8
The combination of the noise from the heavy rain and the stifling air due to the inability to control the temperature of the AC in our hotel room at Europa Hotel woke me up a few times during the night. Nonetheless, the air was crispy fresh after the rain. Not sure whether it was still early or because of the rain, at 6:45am, there were very few cars or people on the streets in the heart of Iquitos.
The continental breakfast was rather simple and definitely pale in comparison to what we had had at Chosen Vessel.
Around 7:30am, Christian came and helped us arrange the free airport shuttle service provided by the hotel. Luis did show up later at the airport to say good bye.
With a window seat assignment, I was able to snapshot aerial pictures of the Amazon River, Andes mountains, and later the Pacific oceans as we approached Lima airport.
Hugo and his wife Naomi were already waiting for us at the airport. They rented a rather big and comfortable Mercedes van with a u-haul-like cart latching behind the van to store our luggages.
It was a huge contrast between Iquitos and Lima in every aspect of life. This type of conspicious contrast can only be found in the third world countries where its urbans are well-developed while its rural areas are way under-developed. One in particular that caught my attention was that brand new cars were hardly seen on the streets in Iquitos but they were everywhere in Lima. Lima is just like any big cities in the States, overcrowded with people and vehicles.
The scenic ride along the Pacific Ocean in Miraflores was very satisfying. Watching those high waves made my heart leap. Would it not be nice to swim in it? Naomi said Lima is a surfer heaven, and she was right considered the good number of surfers in the ocean riding those big white waves.
Hugo and Noami took us to El Hawaiano Restaurant for a big buffet-style feast. The food was unbelievable - the best I ever had.
Huaca Pucllana was next stop. It was a ruin site. I learned that Cairo is the largest desert city in the world and Lima second. The last time Lima had a rain was in 1970.
We spent 1 1/2 hours in Indian Market for shopping-spree. I bought four scalfs, one pair gloves, and a hat.
We then spent some time strolling in the heart of the old town around the Plaza Mayor until 9:30pm where we stopped by for a bite before heading to the airport for USA.
This is a trip I will forever cherish in my heart...........
The continental breakfast was rather simple and definitely pale in comparison to what we had had at Chosen Vessel.
Around 7:30am, Christian came and helped us arrange the free airport shuttle service provided by the hotel. Luis did show up later at the airport to say good bye.
With a window seat assignment, I was able to snapshot aerial pictures of the Amazon River, Andes mountains, and later the Pacific oceans as we approached Lima airport.
Hugo and his wife Naomi were already waiting for us at the airport. They rented a rather big and comfortable Mercedes van with a u-haul-like cart latching behind the van to store our luggages.
It was a huge contrast between Iquitos and Lima in every aspect of life. This type of conspicious contrast can only be found in the third world countries where its urbans are well-developed while its rural areas are way under-developed. One in particular that caught my attention was that brand new cars were hardly seen on the streets in Iquitos but they were everywhere in Lima. Lima is just like any big cities in the States, overcrowded with people and vehicles.
The scenic ride along the Pacific Ocean in Miraflores was very satisfying. Watching those high waves made my heart leap. Would it not be nice to swim in it? Naomi said Lima is a surfer heaven, and she was right considered the good number of surfers in the ocean riding those big white waves.
Hugo and Noami took us to El Hawaiano Restaurant for a big buffet-style feast. The food was unbelievable - the best I ever had.
Huaca Pucllana was next stop. It was a ruin site. I learned that Cairo is the largest desert city in the world and Lima second. The last time Lima had a rain was in 1970.
We spent 1 1/2 hours in Indian Market for shopping-spree. I bought four scalfs, one pair gloves, and a hat.
We then spent some time strolling in the heart of the old town around the Plaza Mayor until 9:30pm where we stopped by for a bite before heading to the airport for USA.
This is a trip I will forever cherish in my heart...........
Saturday, January 10, 2009
January 2, 2009 Peru Amazon Medical Trip Day 7
So long those jungle villages....... So long those villagers... So long those cute innocent children... In what ways have we touched their lives? In what ways have they touched ours? Only in heaven we can fully know...
The extra time spent with the translators in Iquitos was quite memorable. The long walk from downtown Iquitos to Belen after a rainfall was rather refreshing and relaxing. We took quite a few pictures along the way. The local farmer market was extremely unhygenic that Christine found it unacceptable and unbelievable. Due to the notorious pickpocketing, we stopped at the outskirt of Belen.
It seemed to me that only hotels are equipped with A/C in Iquitos. None of the stores we passed by are air-conditioned.
Instead of taking a nap like the rest of the team, Elmer, Luis, Jessica and I visited a local electronic shop to check out the prices. All electronic gadgets, in general, even with older modals are more expensive compared to their counterparts in America. We also stopped by one of the Internet Cafes in Iquitos, for Elmer would like to show us his family pictures.
Below is our daily formal report.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amazon Medical Team final update, 1-2-09
Today's report was given by Steve Yeh:
They left The Chosen Vessel and visited the mission compound in Iquitos. It is comprised of a school, hospital, living quarters for the workers, a woodworking shop and a dock for The Chosen Vessel and 3 auxiliary vessels.
They had a "little adventure" today and took a boat tour of an anaconda farm (finally sighting those critters!). Monkeys were jumping all over them, and there are pictures of team members holding snakes. "This was the only wild thing we did."
On the streets of Iquitos, they passed out 400 tracts and 250 "Jesus Loves You" buttons. They also gave free meals to five street kids outside the restaurant where they ate.
Today, they made contact with a member of the Chinese community in Iquitos, They started off by talking with a Senor Younge, who is both a local Chinese politician, and an evangelical Christian. He gave them the name of Yi Wong, who is the president of the local Chinese benevolence association, and the owner of a Chinese restaurant. Mr. Wong had been given advance notice of the team's coming, but when they arrived, he was "extremely unfriendly" and essentially refused to talk with the team. He spoke only Mandarin, but handily, Hannah Ong is fluent in Mandarin and translated for the team. They tried to convey to him that they had come all the way from Chicago, and represented an equivalent Chinese benevolence association (the Pui Tak Center), but he still was hostile to their overtures. The team decided to eat in
his restaurant anyway, and later identified a young man in the dining room as the son of the owner. He was home on break from York University in Canada, and spoke English quite well. After spending some time talking with David (the son), Mrs. Wong (the wife of the restaurant owner and mother of David) came out and apologized, saying they were "too busy to talk." She asked the team what they wanted, and the team replied that they just wanted to make contact and see how they could bring medical supplies and help to the Chinese community (as they had been doing for the local Peruvians). Finally, Hannah and Steve went to the kitchen to wave goodbye, and Mr. Wong came out and gave them his business card, a sign that he had finally thawed at least a little. The team spoke again with David, and then left. Steve said they will write a letter to Mr. Wong.
Tonight the team is staying at the Europa Hotel in Iquitos. The team will leave tomorrow morning at 7:30, and expect to be in Lima in the afternoon. They will return home to the States by overnight flight and should be back in Chicago around noon.
Steve reported that everyone is in good health, with recovery of those who had motion sickness from the boat. He requests prayer for:
1. the Wong family. Despite the seeming initial reserve, if not actual hostility, Steve feels they made good progress. Pray that God will grow this relationship, and for opportunities to make inroads into the Chinese community in Iquitos, which does not have a history of good relationships with the native Peruvians
2. safety on the trip back
The team is in good spirits and is eager to share what they have learned and experienced on this trip. Overall, the team visited 7 villages and saw 627 patients.
By His mercy and grace,
Eudora and Te Hua
PS. If you are interested in tracking the route of the team, please go to:
http://tinyurl.com/ccuc2amazon
The extra time spent with the translators in Iquitos was quite memorable. The long walk from downtown Iquitos to Belen after a rainfall was rather refreshing and relaxing. We took quite a few pictures along the way. The local farmer market was extremely unhygenic that Christine found it unacceptable and unbelievable. Due to the notorious pickpocketing, we stopped at the outskirt of Belen.
It seemed to me that only hotels are equipped with A/C in Iquitos. None of the stores we passed by are air-conditioned.
Instead of taking a nap like the rest of the team, Elmer, Luis, Jessica and I visited a local electronic shop to check out the prices. All electronic gadgets, in general, even with older modals are more expensive compared to their counterparts in America. We also stopped by one of the Internet Cafes in Iquitos, for Elmer would like to show us his family pictures.
Below is our daily formal report.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amazon Medical Team final update, 1-2-09
Today's report was given by Steve Yeh:
They left The Chosen Vessel and visited the mission compound in Iquitos. It is comprised of a school, hospital, living quarters for the workers, a woodworking shop and a dock for The Chosen Vessel and 3 auxiliary vessels.
They had a "little adventure" today and took a boat tour of an anaconda farm (finally sighting those critters!). Monkeys were jumping all over them, and there are pictures of team members holding snakes. "This was the only wild thing we did."
On the streets of Iquitos, they passed out 400 tracts and 250 "Jesus Loves You" buttons. They also gave free meals to five street kids outside the restaurant where they ate.
Today, they made contact with a member of the Chinese community in Iquitos, They started off by talking with a Senor Younge, who is both a local Chinese politician, and an evangelical Christian. He gave them the name of Yi Wong, who is the president of the local Chinese benevolence association, and the owner of a Chinese restaurant. Mr. Wong had been given advance notice of the team's coming, but when they arrived, he was "extremely unfriendly" and essentially refused to talk with the team. He spoke only Mandarin, but handily, Hannah Ong is fluent in Mandarin and translated for the team. They tried to convey to him that they had come all the way from Chicago, and represented an equivalent Chinese benevolence association (the Pui Tak Center), but he still was hostile to their overtures. The team decided to eat in
his restaurant anyway, and later identified a young man in the dining room as the son of the owner. He was home on break from York University in Canada, and spoke English quite well. After spending some time talking with David (the son), Mrs. Wong (the wife of the restaurant owner and mother of David) came out and apologized, saying they were "too busy to talk." She asked the team what they wanted, and the team replied that they just wanted to make contact and see how they could bring medical supplies and help to the Chinese community (as they had been doing for the local Peruvians). Finally, Hannah and Steve went to the kitchen to wave goodbye, and Mr. Wong came out and gave them his business card, a sign that he had finally thawed at least a little. The team spoke again with David, and then left. Steve said they will write a letter to Mr. Wong.
Tonight the team is staying at the Europa Hotel in Iquitos. The team will leave tomorrow morning at 7:30, and expect to be in Lima in the afternoon. They will return home to the States by overnight flight and should be back in Chicago around noon.
Steve reported that everyone is in good health, with recovery of those who had motion sickness from the boat. He requests prayer for:
1. the Wong family. Despite the seeming initial reserve, if not actual hostility, Steve feels they made good progress. Pray that God will grow this relationship, and for opportunities to make inroads into the Chinese community in Iquitos, which does not have a history of good relationships with the native Peruvians
2. safety on the trip back
The team is in good spirits and is eager to share what they have learned and experienced on this trip. Overall, the team visited 7 villages and saw 627 patients.
By His mercy and grace,
Eudora and Te Hua
PS. If you are interested in tracking the route of the team, please go to:
http://tinyurl.com/ccuc2amazon
January 1, 2009 Peru Amazon Medical Trip Day 6
Quite an experience to have spent my 1st day of the year in Amazon. The daily meditation on Proverbs at the deck has uncluttered my mind and definitely has enabled me to put things in perspective.
For reason still unknown to me, I was kissed on the cheek by a woman in this village. She is the only woman we encountered in the jungle who wore make-up and dressed rather fashionably. She asked for sunglasses.
We returned to Chosen Vessel around 4pm, a bit earlier than the three previous days because we needed to head back to Nina Rumi to avoid bad weather. The children followed us all the way to our skiff and even helped push the skiff from the bank. They kept waving at us as we sailed away. A sense of sadness seemed to have written on all our faces. "So long, villages!"
The rain cooled off the temperature quite a bit. We all sat at the deck chatting, reminsicing our experiences, watching children and waving at them at the bank as our boat sailed through. Suddenly someone suggested to do the wave thing as what we do at the stadium in USA. With hillarious laughters, it took us a while to practice. Tanya helped us record our wave practice. So, each time the boat passed a village with children/adults standing at the bank, we would "wave" at them. What a good way to end our trip with something as silly as this.
With the boat moving at 8-11 m/h, we couldn't fish.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Amazon Medical Team update, 1-1-09
Today's (very energetic report) was given by Eric Feltes:
The New Year was ushered in yesterday with their countdown at… 8 pm! their all-out bash included wintergreen mints and M&Ms.
Today, they were at the small village of Jorge Chavez. They saw about 120 people, but it is thought that this represents two villages.
Eric started off by requesting prayers for:
HEALTH of the villagers:
1. They saw many people with parasites, more than in previous villages, possibly because the hygiene is not as good. Parasitic infection at Jorge Chavez appeared to be a really big problem.
2. there is a family of burn victims (4 in all) who were burned 2 years ago when their mosquito netting caught fire. The scars are still quite visible, and one four-year old child is in need of plastic surgery for his third degree burns
3. there were many pregnant women, one even as young as 14 who already has another child. Most of the pregnant women appeared to be married, although not all.
4. a man who was recently hit in the head by a hammer suffered a skull fracture and is at risk for developing meningitis
5. all of the villagers appear to be suffering from headaches
6. cataracts are very common amongst the villagers. Eye drops were`handed out, but these will not cure the cataracts
Pray also for their contact with the Chinese community in Iquitos (tomorrow)
Today was their last day of visiting villages. In every village, team members have enjoyed playing with the local children. Eric says they are very athletic and entertain themselves. He drew particular contrast to the States, where we are surrounded by high tech toys.
The Peruvian village children are very content, and are very eager to play. Today, team members played volleyball, tag, and soccer with the kids. They brought out a parachute, something these kids have never seen before, and they really enjoyed playing with it. The ages of the children vary from village to village. In Jorge Chavez, the kids were on the much younger side and most seemed to be 5-6 years
old. Some of the children drew pictures for the Pui Tak students, as return gifts for the pictures they received. The children also played with a frisbee, something which again was new, and at which they were surprisingly good. Barry gave away his frisbee today.
Eric gives praise that all has gone well, and that all the team members are healthy. He also raved about the great food they have been having. When I kidded him about this recurring theme, he replied that one doesn't expect great food on missionary trips! The team is also very grateful that the weather was cooler and milder after it
rained. Even the locals think it's been hot. The team was telling them about icy streets in Chicago, something which was absolutely unimaginable to the villagers.
The highlights of the trip include a Barry and Tanya getting a great salsa recipe, and Eric learning a new song from one of the locals (stay tuned for his CD!). Still no anacondas, although they are threatening to use Bryan as bait.
The Chosen Vessel was sailing during our conversation. They are about 3 hours from Iquitos, where tomorrow they will be about to tour and have time to relax.
For reason still unknown to me, I was kissed on the cheek by a woman in this village. She is the only woman we encountered in the jungle who wore make-up and dressed rather fashionably. She asked for sunglasses.
We returned to Chosen Vessel around 4pm, a bit earlier than the three previous days because we needed to head back to Nina Rumi to avoid bad weather. The children followed us all the way to our skiff and even helped push the skiff from the bank. They kept waving at us as we sailed away. A sense of sadness seemed to have written on all our faces. "So long, villages!"
The rain cooled off the temperature quite a bit. We all sat at the deck chatting, reminsicing our experiences, watching children and waving at them at the bank as our boat sailed through. Suddenly someone suggested to do the wave thing as what we do at the stadium in USA. With hillarious laughters, it took us a while to practice. Tanya helped us record our wave practice. So, each time the boat passed a village with children/adults standing at the bank, we would "wave" at them. What a good way to end our trip with something as silly as this.
With the boat moving at 8-11 m/h, we couldn't fish.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Amazon Medical Team update, 1-1-09
Today's (very energetic report) was given by Eric Feltes:
The New Year was ushered in yesterday with their countdown at… 8 pm! their all-out bash included wintergreen mints and M&Ms.
Today, they were at the small village of Jorge Chavez. They saw about 120 people, but it is thought that this represents two villages.
Eric started off by requesting prayers for:
HEALTH of the villagers:
1. They saw many people with parasites, more than in previous villages, possibly because the hygiene is not as good. Parasitic infection at Jorge Chavez appeared to be a really big problem.
2. there is a family of burn victims (4 in all) who were burned 2 years ago when their mosquito netting caught fire. The scars are still quite visible, and one four-year old child is in need of plastic surgery for his third degree burns
3. there were many pregnant women, one even as young as 14 who already has another child. Most of the pregnant women appeared to be married, although not all.
4. a man who was recently hit in the head by a hammer suffered a skull fracture and is at risk for developing meningitis
5. all of the villagers appear to be suffering from headaches
6. cataracts are very common amongst the villagers. Eye drops were`handed out, but these will not cure the cataracts
Pray also for their contact with the Chinese community in Iquitos (tomorrow)
Today was their last day of visiting villages. In every village, team members have enjoyed playing with the local children. Eric says they are very athletic and entertain themselves. He drew particular contrast to the States, where we are surrounded by high tech toys.
The Peruvian village children are very content, and are very eager to play. Today, team members played volleyball, tag, and soccer with the kids. They brought out a parachute, something these kids have never seen before, and they really enjoyed playing with it. The ages of the children vary from village to village. In Jorge Chavez, the kids were on the much younger side and most seemed to be 5-6 years
old. Some of the children drew pictures for the Pui Tak students, as return gifts for the pictures they received. The children also played with a frisbee, something which again was new, and at which they were surprisingly good. Barry gave away his frisbee today.
Eric gives praise that all has gone well, and that all the team members are healthy. He also raved about the great food they have been having. When I kidded him about this recurring theme, he replied that one doesn't expect great food on missionary trips! The team is also very grateful that the weather was cooler and milder after it
rained. Even the locals think it's been hot. The team was telling them about icy streets in Chicago, something which was absolutely unimaginable to the villagers.
The highlights of the trip include a Barry and Tanya getting a great salsa recipe, and Eric learning a new song from one of the locals (stay tuned for his CD!). Still no anacondas, although they are threatening to use Bryan as bait.
The Chosen Vessel was sailing during our conversation. They are about 3 hours from Iquitos, where tomorrow they will be about to tour and have time to relax.
December 31, 2008 Peru Amazon Medical Trip Day 5
Amazon Medical Team, 12-31-08
Today's report was given by Hannah Ong
Sunrise was at 4:44 am
Sunset was at 5:03 pm
The schedule today was the same as yesterday. The team has group devotions every morning right after breakfast, and then a meeting to go over the day's schedule. Twice every day they talk with Mike Dempsey, the head of the Chosen Vessel ministry: at breakfast and at lunch to see if any changes need to be made in their outreach. At night (around 8:30), the team meets to summarize the day's events, and talk about potential areas for improvement. They end their self-assessment period with group prayer.
Today, they visited Puarto Libre, a smaller village of about 120 people, of whom about 100 showed up. Apparently villagers here were not on vacation, as were those in the villages visited yesterday and the day before. There was no rain today, so the weather continued hot (guessed at 90 degrees) and humid. The water level continues to be low. Whereas normally the river is quite full and the village is right at the water's edge, today the team walked about 1000 feet on the riverbed to the village. It appears that the local church has not penetrated as much in Puarto Libre as Puerto Rico or Vanilla. The villagers did not seem as familiar with the Bible, and the church doesn't appear to have a regular pastor.
Today, they met in a classroom newly built (2006). Steve Yeh gave a different kind of altar call: first he asked church members and leaders to come forward (this was about 15 people). Then he asked all the kids who loved Jesus to come forward (about 25 came up). Next, he asked if any adults who loved Jesus wanted to come up. 10 did so. About 35 remained in their seats, and some were in the doorway. Steve asked them to come in, and after much cajoling all but 5 eventually came in.
Tonight, being New Year's Eve, the team will celebrate by playing games, and sharing snacks they brought along. The boat is going to travel through the night.
Hannah requested prayers for:
-continued safety and well-being. All team members are healthy and doing well
-that the team would communicate well with non-believers
-a successful outreach/meeting with the Chinese community (I didn't clarify where, but we think Iquitos) on Friday
Today's report was given by Hannah Ong
Sunrise was at 4:44 am
Sunset was at 5:03 pm
The schedule today was the same as yesterday. The team has group devotions every morning right after breakfast, and then a meeting to go over the day's schedule. Twice every day they talk with Mike Dempsey, the head of the Chosen Vessel ministry: at breakfast and at lunch to see if any changes need to be made in their outreach. At night (around 8:30), the team meets to summarize the day's events, and talk about potential areas for improvement. They end their self-assessment period with group prayer.
Today, they visited Puarto Libre, a smaller village of about 120 people, of whom about 100 showed up. Apparently villagers here were not on vacation, as were those in the villages visited yesterday and the day before. There was no rain today, so the weather continued hot (guessed at 90 degrees) and humid. The water level continues to be low. Whereas normally the river is quite full and the village is right at the water's edge, today the team walked about 1000 feet on the riverbed to the village. It appears that the local church has not penetrated as much in Puarto Libre as Puerto Rico or Vanilla. The villagers did not seem as familiar with the Bible, and the church doesn't appear to have a regular pastor.
Today, they met in a classroom newly built (2006). Steve Yeh gave a different kind of altar call: first he asked church members and leaders to come forward (this was about 15 people). Then he asked all the kids who loved Jesus to come forward (about 25 came up). Next, he asked if any adults who loved Jesus wanted to come up. 10 did so. About 35 remained in their seats, and some were in the doorway. Steve asked them to come in, and after much cajoling all but 5 eventually came in.
Tonight, being New Year's Eve, the team will celebrate by playing games, and sharing snacks they brought along. The boat is going to travel through the night.
Hannah requested prayers for:
-continued safety and well-being. All team members are healthy and doing well
-that the team would communicate well with non-believers
-a successful outreach/meeting with the Chinese community (I didn't clarify where, but we think Iquitos) on Friday
December 30, 2008 Peru Amazon Medical Trip Day 4
Amazon Medical Team, 12-30-08
Today's [very upbeat :)] report was given by Annie (McLorn) Carpenter:
The Chosen Vessel remains anchored at the same spot. Because of continued low water level, the team again took the skiff to today's village, Vanilla.
They woke up this morning, and had breakfast: "really good food, awesome food." The dentist went over Vanilla around 6 am, the rest of team followed later at 7 am. This village has about 500 people, but again, many are off visiting relatives during the school hiatus. The team saw about 200 people, although, because of word-of-mouth, many seemed to be repeats from yesterday. Hannah Ong and Bryan Woosley manned the eyeglasses station. Jessica Suen and Lois Yeh were at the toothbrush station. Eric Feltes, Annie Carpenter, Tanya and Barry Jeong were on the evangelism team. Eric speaks Spanish and translates for the team. Annie read some books in Spanish, and Barry was taking pictures and videotaping. Paul Poy directed traffic. He doesn't
speak Spanish, but apparently certain gestures are universal! Christine Shih, Steve Yeh and Anne Poy, along with a Peruvian doctor comprise the medical team. They saw, amongst other medical conditions, a child with cerebral palsy, one with seizures, some with cataracts, many with scabies and a host with other parasites (including worms).
The stations finished up around noon, and then at least some team members went off with the villagers to see some of the locally grown fruits, including mango, lime and cocoa. Some of the more adventurous members (Annie being one of them) sampled some of these fruits.
The team then returned to the boat for lunch (empanadas, described as "really, really good"). Rain during lunch seems to be the continuing theme. They debriefed, and got organized for their evening program.
They went back to the village, where they were joined in the worship by the local church. The songs were the same as yesterday, but the drama was "the best it ever went." This has been videotaped (hopefully for our later viewing pleasure!) The evangelism program tonight also included videotapes of testimonies (not shown yesterday) of Alex and Marguerita Higgs, Louis and Raphael (sorry, I didn't get the last names). Most of the adults stayed for the evening program.
Annie said that "a lot of them seem to be getting it" and Bibles were also handed out. Many of the villagers were asking for Bibles. While the evangelism program was being presented to the adults, some of the team members played soccer and volleyball with the children. The pictures and drawings from Pui Tak students were handed out to the children.
Annie requested prayers for:
-cooler weather. She didn't know what the temperature was, but it has been very hot and humid and they are in long clothes.
-the evangelistic outreach
Thanks be to God that:
-the outreach seems to be having an impact on at least some of the villagers
-Bibles were requested
-those team members who were feeling ill are much better
Today's [very upbeat :)] report was given by Annie (McLorn) Carpenter:
The Chosen Vessel remains anchored at the same spot. Because of continued low water level, the team again took the skiff to today's village, Vanilla.
They woke up this morning, and had breakfast: "really good food, awesome food." The dentist went over Vanilla around 6 am, the rest of team followed later at 7 am. This village has about 500 people, but again, many are off visiting relatives during the school hiatus. The team saw about 200 people, although, because of word-of-mouth, many seemed to be repeats from yesterday. Hannah Ong and Bryan Woosley manned the eyeglasses station. Jessica Suen and Lois Yeh were at the toothbrush station. Eric Feltes, Annie Carpenter, Tanya and Barry Jeong were on the evangelism team. Eric speaks Spanish and translates for the team. Annie read some books in Spanish, and Barry was taking pictures and videotaping. Paul Poy directed traffic. He doesn't
speak Spanish, but apparently certain gestures are universal! Christine Shih, Steve Yeh and Anne Poy, along with a Peruvian doctor comprise the medical team. They saw, amongst other medical conditions, a child with cerebral palsy, one with seizures, some with cataracts, many with scabies and a host with other parasites (including worms).
The stations finished up around noon, and then at least some team members went off with the villagers to see some of the locally grown fruits, including mango, lime and cocoa. Some of the more adventurous members (Annie being one of them) sampled some of these fruits.
The team then returned to the boat for lunch (empanadas, described as "really, really good"). Rain during lunch seems to be the continuing theme. They debriefed, and got organized for their evening program.
They went back to the village, where they were joined in the worship by the local church. The songs were the same as yesterday, but the drama was "the best it ever went." This has been videotaped (hopefully for our later viewing pleasure!) The evangelism program tonight also included videotapes of testimonies (not shown yesterday) of Alex and Marguerita Higgs, Louis and Raphael (sorry, I didn't get the last names). Most of the adults stayed for the evening program.
Annie said that "a lot of them seem to be getting it" and Bibles were also handed out. Many of the villagers were asking for Bibles. While the evangelism program was being presented to the adults, some of the team members played soccer and volleyball with the children. The pictures and drawings from Pui Tak students were handed out to the children.
Annie requested prayers for:
-cooler weather. She didn't know what the temperature was, but it has been very hot and humid and they are in long clothes.
-the evangelistic outreach
Thanks be to God that:
-the outreach seems to be having an impact on at least some of the villagers
-Bibles were requested
-those team members who were feeling ill are much better
December 29, 2008 Peru Amazon Medical Trip Day 3
I wake up at 5:30am and found myself coughing with chest tightness. Luckily the coughing didn't linger long. Having my devotional time at the deck with sunrise as the backdrop was a great blessing. The book of Proverbs is my focus for this entire trip.
Today's update was provided by Tanya Jeong
The team is in the same place as yesterday. Since the river water had receded, they could not take The Chosen Vessel, the name of the large boat which is their "home base" on which they travel from village to village. Instead, they had to take a smaller boat about 20 minutes to the village of Puerto Rico (same name as the US territory). This is the first time the village of around 250 people has been visited by The Chosen Vessel ministry. School is out, so about half the villagers were away visiting relatives. School vacation notwithstanding, the team saw about 120 people (i.e., almost all of the remaining villagers) this morning at the five stations which included the eyeglass, toothbrush, evangelical, pharmacy and
medical/dental stations.
The team returned to the larger boat for lunch, where they experienced a heavy rain storm. After it passed, they returned to Puerto Rico to present their outreach program. They gave fishing kits to the men, beauty kits to the women, and finger puppets to the children. Their translators are very musical and had praise songs in Spanish. The local church helped lead the worship. Members of "our" team sang "I
Can Imagine" and "Here I Am to Worship" in Spanish. Prior to presentation of the drama, a video (with Louis) was shown, explaining what the audience was about to see. The audience found parts of the drama humorous, but an encouraging comment from at least one of the villagers was that it was "beautiful." The translator team closed with worship. No formal evangelistic call was given, but the local
church will follow up.
The team then returned to The Chosen Vessel for dinner. They played volleyball; Lois Yeh found guava; and Hannah Ong, Bryan Woosley and Eric Feltes caught some "weird looking catfish." After dinner, they finished debriefing.
No anacondas have been spotted yet (parents, you can relax!), but Tanya reports that they have seen many beautiful birds.
Thanks to God for:
-the team catching up on rest. They went to bed about 8:30-9 pm last night, and spontaneously awoke around 5:30 to 6 this morning, before their scheduled wake-up call Tanya asks that we pray for:
-the program tomorrow, that they would "smooth out the kinks"
-the hearts of the people who are hearing the Gospel, that they would have understanding, and would respond
-health for the members of the team (McLorn, Anne) who are experiencing colds
His mercy and grace to you,
Eudora and Te Hua
Today's update was provided by Tanya Jeong
The team is in the same place as yesterday. Since the river water had receded, they could not take The Chosen Vessel, the name of the large boat which is their "home base" on which they travel from village to village. Instead, they had to take a smaller boat about 20 minutes to the village of Puerto Rico (same name as the US territory). This is the first time the village of around 250 people has been visited by The Chosen Vessel ministry. School is out, so about half the villagers were away visiting relatives. School vacation notwithstanding, the team saw about 120 people (i.e., almost all of the remaining villagers) this morning at the five stations which included the eyeglass, toothbrush, evangelical, pharmacy and
medical/dental stations.
The team returned to the larger boat for lunch, where they experienced a heavy rain storm. After it passed, they returned to Puerto Rico to present their outreach program. They gave fishing kits to the men, beauty kits to the women, and finger puppets to the children. Their translators are very musical and had praise songs in Spanish. The local church helped lead the worship. Members of "our" team sang "I
Can Imagine" and "Here I Am to Worship" in Spanish. Prior to presentation of the drama, a video (with Louis) was shown, explaining what the audience was about to see. The audience found parts of the drama humorous, but an encouraging comment from at least one of the villagers was that it was "beautiful." The translator team closed with worship. No formal evangelistic call was given, but the local
church will follow up.
The team then returned to The Chosen Vessel for dinner. They played volleyball; Lois Yeh found guava; and Hannah Ong, Bryan Woosley and Eric Feltes caught some "weird looking catfish." After dinner, they finished debriefing.
No anacondas have been spotted yet (parents, you can relax!), but Tanya reports that they have seen many beautiful birds.
Thanks to God for:
-the team catching up on rest. They went to bed about 8:30-9 pm last night, and spontaneously awoke around 5:30 to 6 this morning, before their scheduled wake-up call Tanya asks that we pray for:
-the program tomorrow, that they would "smooth out the kinks"
-the hearts of the people who are hearing the Gospel, that they would have understanding, and would respond
-health for the members of the team (McLorn, Anne) who are experiencing colds
His mercy and grace to you,
Eudora and Te Hua
December 28, 2008 Peru Amazon Medical Trip Day 2
After a 6-1/2-hour sleepless flight, we landed in Jorge Chávez International Airport, Lima at 2:18am. Hugo, our contact person in Lima, was nowhere to be found. After some aggravating and fruitless trials of trying to reach him via satellite phone, we decided to proceed to the checked-in counter with only the confirmation number; otherwise, we would have missed the connecting flight to Iquitos at 5:15am. There are only two daily flights to Iquitos from Lima, one at 5:15am, another late at night, to avoid the numerous flying birds during the day sucking into the plane engine which could cause plane crash.
Most teammates were sleep deficit, by this time.
The high humidity and temperature in Iquitos made me feel right at home in Malaysia. Lois collected our boarding pass with checked-in luggage tag on it and gave them the airport personnel for our luggage retrieval.
Mike Dempsey was there to greet us with big smile. His workers helped loading all our big luggages to the top of the big unair-conditioned van. Then, we headed to Nina Rumi, the base of his mission organization in Iquitos. The streets were filled with "tuk-tuks", the taxi equivalent in the States.
It took 25 minutes to reach Nina Rumi. Half of the journey was on a bumpy dirt road. We embarked onto the Chosen Vessel, our home for the next five days, and Annie was my cabin roommie. She was sick - couging.
As we had our first delicious breakfast at 8am, the boat was moving to farthest point of our journey, which was 8 hours from Nina Rumi. There was NO hot shower on the boat. Taking cold shower in an air-conditioned cabin was indeed challenging.
While the rest of the teammates were napping, I chose to sit at the bow of the boat to enjoy the Amazon breeze and enjoyed the scenery lined up along this mysterious Amazon River. Nonetheless, fatigue did catch up with me. I managed to nap for an hour.
After lunch, we met at the deck to go over our programs, preventions, job assignments, and drama for the next four days at various villages. My assignment was to dispense reading eyeglasses to the villagers with Bryan.
Steve and Lois shared some of their wonderful trips in the States and how they helped some of the accident victims and got blood all over them when enroute to their vacation destinations.
Instead of joining some younger people to play board games, I decided to have some quiet time in my cabin.
After dinner, we sang hymns and practiced our spanish songs in the dining room. Around 9 pm, we went up to the deck and Jessica called TeHua via satellite phone for the update of the day.
The sky was especially clear in the pitch dark of the Amazon river and a perfect place for star gazing. We tried but hardly identify any stars.
Steve, Paul and Bryan did some fishing, but I chose to retire early.
(Additional updates from TeHua and Eudora)
This morning we heard from Paul Poy who called at 7:05 to let us know the team had arrived safely in Peru. After a 3 hour delay, they departed around noon on Saturday from O'Hare Airport. Since the flight from Atlanta was also delayed, they were able to make their connecting flight to Peru. They landed in Lima at 2:20 am, and took a
connecting domestic flight to Iquitos. Everyone made the journey intact, albeit understandably were tired. The luggage also all arrived without being stolen or confiscated.
This evening, we heard from Jessica Suen, who told us that the team spent the day reviewing their schedule and practicing their drama. The team has been joined by another doctor and a dentist, bringing the total number of health professionals on the team to four. The food is "great" and they are "being well fed." Bryan Woosley successfully went fishing and was able to catch a small fish. Presumably he is not
their only source of food! The team (perhaps only certain members?) are hoping to spot (any) anacondas in the water. They've been told they can grow to 30 meters long (??) When asked if I should pass this along in an emailing list that includes anxious parents, Jessica laughed and said, "Sure!"
Thanks be to God for:
1. safe arrival of team members and supplies
2. resolving nausea in those team members who experienced this side effect of the preventive anti-malarial drug they are all daily taking
Specific prayers requested by Jessica:
1. be praying for their program, including their drama, which will debut tomorrow when they go to their first village. They anticipate around 250 patients, so along with family members or neighbors who may accompany the patients, the total number they could be presenting the Gospel to might be quite large.
2. please also pray for the distribution of the goodwill gifts
Please also pray for:
1. physical rest for the team, as they spent many hours in transit, and sleeping on a plane (not to mention needing to change planes at 2 or 3 in the morning) has resulted in a sleep deficit
2. unity and harmony amongst team members. This is really the first time the whole team has been together
3. receptive hearts and minds of those who will be hearing the Gospel
4. clear communication of Christ's love, despite language and cultural barriers
5. safety and health of team members
Most teammates were sleep deficit, by this time.
The high humidity and temperature in Iquitos made me feel right at home in Malaysia. Lois collected our boarding pass with checked-in luggage tag on it and gave them the airport personnel for our luggage retrieval.
Mike Dempsey was there to greet us with big smile. His workers helped loading all our big luggages to the top of the big unair-conditioned van. Then, we headed to Nina Rumi, the base of his mission organization in Iquitos. The streets were filled with "tuk-tuks", the taxi equivalent in the States.
It took 25 minutes to reach Nina Rumi. Half of the journey was on a bumpy dirt road. We embarked onto the Chosen Vessel, our home for the next five days, and Annie was my cabin roommie. She was sick - couging.
As we had our first delicious breakfast at 8am, the boat was moving to farthest point of our journey, which was 8 hours from Nina Rumi. There was NO hot shower on the boat. Taking cold shower in an air-conditioned cabin was indeed challenging.
While the rest of the teammates were napping, I chose to sit at the bow of the boat to enjoy the Amazon breeze and enjoyed the scenery lined up along this mysterious Amazon River. Nonetheless, fatigue did catch up with me. I managed to nap for an hour.
After lunch, we met at the deck to go over our programs, preventions, job assignments, and drama for the next four days at various villages. My assignment was to dispense reading eyeglasses to the villagers with Bryan.
Steve and Lois shared some of their wonderful trips in the States and how they helped some of the accident victims and got blood all over them when enroute to their vacation destinations.
Instead of joining some younger people to play board games, I decided to have some quiet time in my cabin.
After dinner, we sang hymns and practiced our spanish songs in the dining room. Around 9 pm, we went up to the deck and Jessica called TeHua via satellite phone for the update of the day.
The sky was especially clear in the pitch dark of the Amazon river and a perfect place for star gazing. We tried but hardly identify any stars.
Steve, Paul and Bryan did some fishing, but I chose to retire early.
(Additional updates from TeHua and Eudora)
This morning we heard from Paul Poy who called at 7:05 to let us know the team had arrived safely in Peru. After a 3 hour delay, they departed around noon on Saturday from O'Hare Airport. Since the flight from Atlanta was also delayed, they were able to make their connecting flight to Peru. They landed in Lima at 2:20 am, and took a
connecting domestic flight to Iquitos. Everyone made the journey intact, albeit understandably were tired. The luggage also all arrived without being stolen or confiscated.
This evening, we heard from Jessica Suen, who told us that the team spent the day reviewing their schedule and practicing their drama. The team has been joined by another doctor and a dentist, bringing the total number of health professionals on the team to four. The food is "great" and they are "being well fed." Bryan Woosley successfully went fishing and was able to catch a small fish. Presumably he is not
their only source of food! The team (perhaps only certain members?) are hoping to spot (any) anacondas in the water. They've been told they can grow to 30 meters long (??) When asked if I should pass this along in an emailing list that includes anxious parents, Jessica laughed and said, "Sure!"
Thanks be to God for:
1. safe arrival of team members and supplies
2. resolving nausea in those team members who experienced this side effect of the preventive anti-malarial drug they are all daily taking
Specific prayers requested by Jessica:
1. be praying for their program, including their drama, which will debut tomorrow when they go to their first village. They anticipate around 250 patients, so along with family members or neighbors who may accompany the patients, the total number they could be presenting the Gospel to might be quite large.
2. please also pray for the distribution of the goodwill gifts
Please also pray for:
1. physical rest for the team, as they spent many hours in transit, and sleeping on a plane (not to mention needing to change planes at 2 or 3 in the morning) has resulted in a sleep deficit
2. unity and harmony amongst team members. This is really the first time the whole team has been together
3. receptive hearts and minds of those who will be hearing the Gospel
4. clear communication of Christ's love, despite language and cultural barriers
5. safety and health of team members
December 27, 2008 Peru Amazon Medical Trip Day 1
With much anticipation, this day had eventually arrived - my first medical mission trip to Peru Amazon.
David Young from CCUC gave Bryan and I a ride to the airport. The weather had warmed up dramatically from 20s to 60s over 24 hours and as a result it caused severe thunderstorm.
We were the first one showed up at O'Hare airport and then Jessica 5 minutes later. The malaria pill (Malarone 250mg) upset my stomach quite a bit. To ease the GI upset, I ate the whole sandwish bag of grapes.
TeHua, who was our key contact person in Chicago when we were in Peru, reverified all our emergency contact information so that he could send out daily updates to them via email. Realizing Mary was in Costa Rica, therefore I quickly replaced her with Chun-yen. But then, immediately I realized neither Chun-yen nor Mary has my family contact in Malaysia. Silently I prayed that nothing would happen to me or my family members for the next 9 days.
We took a group picture before proceeding to checked-in counter. The e-checked-in machine failed to read my Malaysian passport in which it required the assistance of the agent in order to issue my boarding pass.
Due to the gust wind exceeding a certain knot, our flight "sat" in the runaway for nearly two-half hours before take-off at 2:33pm. During this waiting period, my mind uncontrollably wandered off to the analysis mode of what had taken place in my personal life for the past 5 months.
Our connecting flight in Atlanta to Lima, Peru was pushed to 8:30pm. I had a great chat with Tanya and Jessica in regards to the need of having an Adult Bible Fellowships at CCUC for singles ages between 30s-40.
I have criss-crossed the transatlantic and transpacific for the past 16 years, but I had never encountered one in-flight medical emergency. This time, I did. The flight attendance called for medical doctors on-board for assistance, and all three of our medical doctors went up. However, only Steve got to see the deceased, who was a 85 year old Japanese lady. She died of a heart attack, and by the time she was discovered she was already beyond resuscitation. Luckily, her family members were with her on the plane. The pilot did ask Steve if an emergency landing was necessary in which Steve answered, "No".
Most of the teammates seemed to be able to rest a bit, except me.
The in-flight service of Delta airline wasn't as satisfactory at all, and how I missed my 5-year of flying on first-class service when working for Worldspan.
David Young from CCUC gave Bryan and I a ride to the airport. The weather had warmed up dramatically from 20s to 60s over 24 hours and as a result it caused severe thunderstorm.
We were the first one showed up at O'Hare airport and then Jessica 5 minutes later. The malaria pill (Malarone 250mg) upset my stomach quite a bit. To ease the GI upset, I ate the whole sandwish bag of grapes.
TeHua, who was our key contact person in Chicago when we were in Peru, reverified all our emergency contact information so that he could send out daily updates to them via email. Realizing Mary was in Costa Rica, therefore I quickly replaced her with Chun-yen. But then, immediately I realized neither Chun-yen nor Mary has my family contact in Malaysia. Silently I prayed that nothing would happen to me or my family members for the next 9 days.
We took a group picture before proceeding to checked-in counter. The e-checked-in machine failed to read my Malaysian passport in which it required the assistance of the agent in order to issue my boarding pass.
Due to the gust wind exceeding a certain knot, our flight "sat" in the runaway for nearly two-half hours before take-off at 2:33pm. During this waiting period, my mind uncontrollably wandered off to the analysis mode of what had taken place in my personal life for the past 5 months.
Our connecting flight in Atlanta to Lima, Peru was pushed to 8:30pm. I had a great chat with Tanya and Jessica in regards to the need of having an Adult Bible Fellowships at CCUC for singles ages between 30s-40.
I have criss-crossed the transatlantic and transpacific for the past 16 years, but I had never encountered one in-flight medical emergency. This time, I did. The flight attendance called for medical doctors on-board for assistance, and all three of our medical doctors went up. However, only Steve got to see the deceased, who was a 85 year old Japanese lady. She died of a heart attack, and by the time she was discovered she was already beyond resuscitation. Luckily, her family members were with her on the plane. The pilot did ask Steve if an emergency landing was necessary in which Steve answered, "No".
Most of the teammates seemed to be able to rest a bit, except me.
The in-flight service of Delta airline wasn't as satisfactory at all, and how I missed my 5-year of flying on first-class service when working for Worldspan.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Morning (8:20am) Prior to My Peru Departure - December 27, 2008
As usual, a bookworm that I am now seriously debating whether I should bring C.S. Lewis's devotional book. Ponder it a while, I decided NOT to bring any books other than my journal and my Bible. I want to enjoy the people I go with, just as what Amelia E. Barr said, "The great difference between voyages rests not with the ships, but with the people you meet on them.”
Weird but true, I already begin to miss C.S.Lewis' brain. :(
My heart is ready for this adventure. I will definitely do some fishing and sacrifice some of my sleep just so I can watch sunrises and sunsets on Amazon River. How my heart soars at this moment.. I wonder how strong piranhas will be when they get hooked. I look forward to the thrill of reeling them to the shore.
Life is about taking risks and adventures, at times. This is my first one.
Weird but true, I already begin to miss C.S.Lewis' brain. :(
My heart is ready for this adventure. I will definitely do some fishing and sacrifice some of my sleep just so I can watch sunrises and sunsets on Amazon River. How my heart soars at this moment.. I wonder how strong piranhas will be when they get hooked. I look forward to the thrill of reeling them to the shore.
Life is about taking risks and adventures, at times. This is my first one.
Friday, October 10, 2008
Have-It-Not vs Have It
Having-it-not may not be as painful as having-it and yet can't really love it without being guilt-stricken or grief-stricken.
One of my girlfriends, due to a complex legal proceeding, ended up giving up her only son for adoption. The separation has definitely NOT weakened/lessened her love and longing for holding that little boy of hers. The thoughts of him brings excruciating pain.
Is love blind? Maybe. It is far better to have no one to love than having one that you can't love legitimately due to his/her marriage status. Is it possible to genuinely love someone even when the nature of the r/ship is morally wrong? True love has a price tag, and it is neither for cowards nor part-timers.
One of my girlfriends, due to a complex legal proceeding, ended up giving up her only son for adoption. The separation has definitely NOT weakened/lessened her love and longing for holding that little boy of hers. The thoughts of him brings excruciating pain.
Is love blind? Maybe. It is far better to have no one to love than having one that you can't love legitimately due to his/her marriage status. Is it possible to genuinely love someone even when the nature of the r/ship is morally wrong? True love has a price tag, and it is neither for cowards nor part-timers.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
『誠信』漂流記
大陸高考滿分作文：『誠信』漂流記
下面的文章是中國大陸前些年高考的一篇滿分作文，文章樸實簡單,要找出用字遣詞比這篇好的文章實在數不勝數，然而為什麼這篇小短 文卻可以在千萬中國考生中得到滿分，我覺得理由是它真正的把每一位的心聲說了出> 來，撼動了每一個改考卷的老師的心靈.....
大家想想,現在社會不正如文章中所言,誠信變得一錢不值,人人喊打, 為了保護自己的安全,大家在自私的心理作用下,以欺騙,暴力,鬥爭的手段在生活著，要賺錢,要有地位,都得靠關係,...唉不多說了...
大家先細細品味這篇文章吧！
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
話說誠信被那個『聰明』的年輕人投棄到水裡以後，他拼命地游著，最後來到了一個 小島上。
『誠信』就躺在沙灘上休息，心裡計划著等待哪位路過的朋友允許他搭船，救他一 命。突然，『誠信』聽到遠處傳來一陣陣歡樂輕鬆的音樂。 他於是馬上站起來，向著音樂傳來的方向望去：他看見一隻小船正向這邊駛來。 船上有面小旗，上面寫著『快樂』二字，原來是快樂的小船。 『誠信』忙喊道：『快樂快樂，我是誠信，你拉我回岸可以嗎？』 『快樂』一聽，笑著對『誠信』說：『不行不行，我一有了誠信就不快樂了，你看這社會上有多少人因為說實話而不快樂，對不起，我無能為力。』說罷，『快樂』走了。
過了一會兒， 『地位』又來了，誠信忙喊到：『地位地位，我是誠信，我想搭你的船回家可以 嗎？』『地位』忙把船划遠了，回頭對『誠信』說：『不行不行，誠信可不能搭我的船，我> 的地位來之不易啊！有了你這個誠信我豈不倒霉， 並且連地位也難以保住啊！『誠信』很失望地看著『地位』的背影，眼裡充滿了不解> 和疑惑。
他又接著等。
隨著一片有節奏的卻不和諧的聲音傳來，『競爭』們乘著小船來了， 『誠信』喊道： 『競爭，競爭，我能不能搭你的小船一程？』 競爭們問道：『你是誰，你能給我們多少好處？』 『誠信』不想說，怕說了又沒人理，但『誠信』畢竟是誠信，他說：『我是…… 』『你是誠信啊，你這不純心給我們添麻煩嗎？如今競爭這麼激烈，我們'不正當競爭' 怎麼敢要你誠信？』言罷，揚長而去。
正當誠信感到近乎絕望的時候，一個慈祥的聲音從遠處傳來：『孩子，上船吧! 』 一個白髮蒼蒼的老者在船上掌著舵道：『我是時間老人。』 『那您為什麼要救我呢？』 老人微笑著說：『只有時間才知道誠信有多麼重要！』 在回去的路上，時間老人指著因翻船而落水的『快樂』、『地位』、『競爭』， 意味深長地說道： 『沒有誠信，快樂不長久，地位是虛假的，競爭也是失敗的。』
下面的文章是中國大陸前些年高考的一篇滿分作文，文章樸實簡單,要找出用字遣詞比這篇好的文章實在數不勝數，然而為什麼這篇小短 文卻可以在千萬中國考生中得到滿分，我覺得理由是它真正的把每一位的心聲說了出> 來，撼動了每一個改考卷的老師的心靈.....
大家想想,現在社會不正如文章中所言,誠信變得一錢不值,人人喊打, 為了保護自己的安全,大家在自私的心理作用下,以欺騙,暴力,鬥爭的手段在生活著，要賺錢,要有地位,都得靠關係,...唉不多說了...
大家先細細品味這篇文章吧！
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
話說誠信被那個『聰明』的年輕人投棄到水裡以後，他拼命地游著，最後來到了一個 小島上。
『誠信』就躺在沙灘上休息，心裡計划著等待哪位路過的朋友允許他搭船，救他一 命。突然，『誠信』聽到遠處傳來一陣陣歡樂輕鬆的音樂。 他於是馬上站起來，向著音樂傳來的方向望去：他看見一隻小船正向這邊駛來。 船上有面小旗，上面寫著『快樂』二字，原來是快樂的小船。 『誠信』忙喊道：『快樂快樂，我是誠信，你拉我回岸可以嗎？』 『快樂』一聽，笑著對『誠信』說：『不行不行，我一有了誠信就不快樂了，你看這社會上有多少人因為說實話而不快樂，對不起，我無能為力。』說罷，『快樂』走了。
過了一會兒， 『地位』又來了，誠信忙喊到：『地位地位，我是誠信，我想搭你的船回家可以 嗎？』『地位』忙把船划遠了，回頭對『誠信』說：『不行不行，誠信可不能搭我的船，我> 的地位來之不易啊！有了你這個誠信我豈不倒霉， 並且連地位也難以保住啊！『誠信』很失望地看著『地位』的背影，眼裡充滿了不解> 和疑惑。
他又接著等。
隨著一片有節奏的卻不和諧的聲音傳來，『競爭』們乘著小船來了， 『誠信』喊道： 『競爭，競爭，我能不能搭你的小船一程？』 競爭們問道：『你是誰，你能給我們多少好處？』 『誠信』不想說，怕說了又沒人理，但『誠信』畢竟是誠信，他說：『我是…… 』『你是誠信啊，你這不純心給我們添麻煩嗎？如今競爭這麼激烈，我們'不正當競爭' 怎麼敢要你誠信？』言罷，揚長而去。
正當誠信感到近乎絕望的時候，一個慈祥的聲音從遠處傳來：『孩子，上船吧! 』 一個白髮蒼蒼的老者在船上掌著舵道：『我是時間老人。』 『那您為什麼要救我呢？』 老人微笑著說：『只有時間才知道誠信有多麼重要！』 在回去的路上，時間老人指著因翻船而落水的『快樂』、『地位』、『競爭』， 意味深長地說道： 『沒有誠信，快樂不長久，地位是虛假的，競爭也是失敗的。』
家有中等生
I received this message via email. I enjoyed it tremendously and hence shared it with my viewers/readers. Though this little girl may not have high IQ, she definitely is very wise at her age to distinguish the essential of life.
家有中等生 其實沒有遠大理想也不是什麼壞事，這輩子能夠做一個正直的人就可以了。女兒的同學都管她叫“二十三號”。她的班裏總共有五十個人，而每每考試，女兒都排名二十三。久而久之，便有了這個雅號，她也就成了名副其實的中等生。我們覺得這外號刺耳，女兒卻欣然接受。老公發愁地說，一碰到公司活動，或者老同學聚會，別人都對自家的“小超人”讚不絕口，他卻只能扮深沉。人家的孩子，不僅成績出類拔萃，而且特長多多。唯有我們家的“二十三號女生”，沒有一樣值得炫耀的地方。因此，他一看到娛樂節目裏那些才藝非凡的孩子，就羡慕得兩眼放光。後來，看到一則九歲孩子上大學的報導，他很受傷地問女兒：孩子，你怎麼就不是個神童呢？ 女兒說，因為你不是神父啊。老公無言以對，我不禁笑出聲來。 中秋節，親友相聚，坐滿了一個寬大的包廂。眾人的話題，也漸漸轉向各家的小兒女。趁著酒興，要孩子們說說將來要做什麼。鋼琴家、明星、政界要人，孩子們毫不怯場，連那個四歲半的女孩，也會說將來要做央視的主持人，贏得一陣讚歎。十二歲的女兒，正為身邊的小弟弟小妹妹剔蟹剝蝦，盛湯揩嘴，忙得不亦樂乎。人們忽然想起，只剩她沒說了。在眾人的催促下，她認真地回答：“長大了，我的第一志願是，當幼稚園老師，領著孩子們唱歌跳舞，做遊戲。”眾人禮貌地表示贊許，緊接著追問她的第二志願。她大大方方地說：“我想做媽媽，穿著印叮噹貓的圍裙，在廚房裏做晚餐，然後，給我的孩子講故事，領著他在陽臺上看星星。”親友愕然，面面相覷，不知道該說些什麼。老公的神情，極為尷尬。回家後，他歎著氣說，你還真打算讓女兒將來當個幼稚園老師？咱們難道真的眼睜睜地看著她當中等生？其實，我們也動過很多腦筋。為提高她的學習成績，請家教，報輔導班，買各種各樣的資料。孩子也蠻懂事，漫畫書不看了，剪紙班退出了，週末的懶覺放棄了。像一隻疲憊的小鳥，她從一個班趕到另一個班，卷子，練習冊，一遝遝地做。可到底是個孩子，身體先扛不住了，得了重感冒。輸著液體，在病床上，她還堅持寫作業，最後引發了肺炎。病好後，孩子的臉小了一圈。可期末考試的成績，仍然是讓我們哭笑不得的二十三名。後來，我們也曾試過增加營養、物質激勵等等，幾次三番地折騰下來，女兒的小臉越來越蒼白。 而且，一說要考試，她就開始厭食，失眠，冒虛汗，再接著，考出了令我們瞠目結舌的三十三名。我和老公，悄無聲息地放棄了轟轟烈烈的揠苗助長活動。恢復了她正常的作息時間，還給她畫漫畫的權利，允許她繼續訂《兒童幽默》之類的書報，家中安穩了很久。 我們對女兒，是心疼的，可面對她的成績，又有說不出的困惑。 週末，一群同事結伴郊遊。大家各自做了最拿手的菜，帶著老公和孩子去野餐。一路上笑語盈盈，這家孩子唱歌，那家孩子表演小品。 女兒沒什麼看家本領，只是開心地不停鼓掌。她不時跑到後面，照看著那些食物。把傾斜的飯盒擺好，鬆了的瓶蓋擰緊，流出的菜汁擦淨。忙忙碌碌，像個細心的小管家。野餐的時候，發生了一件意外的事。兩個小男孩，一個奧數尖子，一個英語高手，同時夾住盤子裏的一塊糯米餅，誰也不肯放手，更不願平分。 豐盛的美食，源源不斷地擺上來，他們看都不看。大人們又笑又歎，連勸帶哄，可怎麼都不管用。最後，還是女兒，用擲硬幣的方法，輕鬆地打破了這個僵局。回來的路上，堵車，一些孩子焦躁起來。女兒的笑話一個接一個，全車人都被逗樂了。她手底下也沒閑著，用裝食品的彩色紙盒，剪出許多小動物，引得這群孩子讚歎不已。 至下車，每個人都拿到了自己的生肖剪紙。聽到孩子們連連道謝，老公禁不住露出了自豪的微笑。期中考試後，我接到了女兒班主任的電話。首先得知，女兒的成績，仍是中等。不過，他說，有一件奇怪的事想告訴我，他從教三十年了，第一次遇見這種事。語文試卷上有一道附加題：你最欣賞班裏的哪位同學，請說出理由。 除女兒之外，全班同學，竟然都寫上了女兒的名字。 理由很多：熱心助人，守信用，不愛生氣，好相處等等，寫得最多的是，樂觀幽默。班主任還說，很多同學建議，由她來擔任班長。他感歎道：你這個女兒，雖說成績一般，可為人，實在很優秀啊。我開玩笑地對女兒說，你快要成為英雄了。正在織圍巾的女兒，歪著頭想了想，認真地告訴我說，老師曾講過一句格言：「當英雄路過的時候，總要有人坐在路邊鼓掌。」她輕輕地說：“媽媽，我不想成為英雄，我想成為坐在路邊鼓掌的人。”我猛地一震，默默地打量著她。她安靜地織著絨線，淡粉的線，在竹針上纏纏繞繞，仿佛一寸一寸的光陰，在她手裏，吐出星星點點的花蕾。我心裏，竟是驀地一暖。那一刻，我忽然被這個不想成為英雄的女孩打動了。這世間，有多少人，年少時渴望成為英雄，最終卻成了煙火紅塵裏的平凡人。 如果健康，如果快樂，如果，沒有違背自己的心意，我們的孩子，又何妨做一個善良的普通人。 長大成人後，她一定會成為：賢淑的妻子、溫柔的母親，甚至，熱心的同事、和善的鄰居。在那些漫長的歲月裏，她都能安然地過著自己想要的生活。作為父母，還想為孩子祈求怎樣更好的未來呢？
家有中等生 其實沒有遠大理想也不是什麼壞事，這輩子能夠做一個正直的人就可以了。女兒的同學都管她叫“二十三號”。她的班裏總共有五十個人，而每每考試，女兒都排名二十三。久而久之，便有了這個雅號，她也就成了名副其實的中等生。我們覺得這外號刺耳，女兒卻欣然接受。老公發愁地說，一碰到公司活動，或者老同學聚會，別人都對自家的“小超人”讚不絕口，他卻只能扮深沉。人家的孩子，不僅成績出類拔萃，而且特長多多。唯有我們家的“二十三號女生”，沒有一樣值得炫耀的地方。因此，他一看到娛樂節目裏那些才藝非凡的孩子，就羡慕得兩眼放光。後來，看到一則九歲孩子上大學的報導，他很受傷地問女兒：孩子，你怎麼就不是個神童呢？ 女兒說，因為你不是神父啊。老公無言以對，我不禁笑出聲來。 中秋節，親友相聚，坐滿了一個寬大的包廂。眾人的話題，也漸漸轉向各家的小兒女。趁著酒興，要孩子們說說將來要做什麼。鋼琴家、明星、政界要人，孩子們毫不怯場，連那個四歲半的女孩，也會說將來要做央視的主持人，贏得一陣讚歎。十二歲的女兒，正為身邊的小弟弟小妹妹剔蟹剝蝦，盛湯揩嘴，忙得不亦樂乎。人們忽然想起，只剩她沒說了。在眾人的催促下，她認真地回答：“長大了，我的第一志願是，當幼稚園老師，領著孩子們唱歌跳舞，做遊戲。”眾人禮貌地表示贊許，緊接著追問她的第二志願。她大大方方地說：“我想做媽媽，穿著印叮噹貓的圍裙，在廚房裏做晚餐，然後，給我的孩子講故事，領著他在陽臺上看星星。”親友愕然，面面相覷，不知道該說些什麼。老公的神情，極為尷尬。回家後，他歎著氣說，你還真打算讓女兒將來當個幼稚園老師？咱們難道真的眼睜睜地看著她當中等生？其實，我們也動過很多腦筋。為提高她的學習成績，請家教，報輔導班，買各種各樣的資料。孩子也蠻懂事，漫畫書不看了，剪紙班退出了，週末的懶覺放棄了。像一隻疲憊的小鳥，她從一個班趕到另一個班，卷子，練習冊，一遝遝地做。可到底是個孩子，身體先扛不住了，得了重感冒。輸著液體，在病床上，她還堅持寫作業，最後引發了肺炎。病好後，孩子的臉小了一圈。可期末考試的成績，仍然是讓我們哭笑不得的二十三名。後來，我們也曾試過增加營養、物質激勵等等，幾次三番地折騰下來，女兒的小臉越來越蒼白。 而且，一說要考試，她就開始厭食，失眠，冒虛汗，再接著，考出了令我們瞠目結舌的三十三名。我和老公，悄無聲息地放棄了轟轟烈烈的揠苗助長活動。恢復了她正常的作息時間，還給她畫漫畫的權利，允許她繼續訂《兒童幽默》之類的書報，家中安穩了很久。 我們對女兒，是心疼的，可面對她的成績，又有說不出的困惑。 週末，一群同事結伴郊遊。大家各自做了最拿手的菜，帶著老公和孩子去野餐。一路上笑語盈盈，這家孩子唱歌，那家孩子表演小品。 女兒沒什麼看家本領，只是開心地不停鼓掌。她不時跑到後面，照看著那些食物。把傾斜的飯盒擺好，鬆了的瓶蓋擰緊，流出的菜汁擦淨。忙忙碌碌，像個細心的小管家。野餐的時候，發生了一件意外的事。兩個小男孩，一個奧數尖子，一個英語高手，同時夾住盤子裏的一塊糯米餅，誰也不肯放手，更不願平分。 豐盛的美食，源源不斷地擺上來，他們看都不看。大人們又笑又歎，連勸帶哄，可怎麼都不管用。最後，還是女兒，用擲硬幣的方法，輕鬆地打破了這個僵局。回來的路上，堵車，一些孩子焦躁起來。女兒的笑話一個接一個，全車人都被逗樂了。她手底下也沒閑著，用裝食品的彩色紙盒，剪出許多小動物，引得這群孩子讚歎不已。 至下車，每個人都拿到了自己的生肖剪紙。聽到孩子們連連道謝，老公禁不住露出了自豪的微笑。期中考試後，我接到了女兒班主任的電話。首先得知，女兒的成績，仍是中等。不過，他說，有一件奇怪的事想告訴我，他從教三十年了，第一次遇見這種事。語文試卷上有一道附加題：你最欣賞班裏的哪位同學，請說出理由。 除女兒之外，全班同學，竟然都寫上了女兒的名字。 理由很多：熱心助人，守信用，不愛生氣，好相處等等，寫得最多的是，樂觀幽默。班主任還說，很多同學建議，由她來擔任班長。他感歎道：你這個女兒，雖說成績一般，可為人，實在很優秀啊。我開玩笑地對女兒說，你快要成為英雄了。正在織圍巾的女兒，歪著頭想了想，認真地告訴我說，老師曾講過一句格言：「當英雄路過的時候，總要有人坐在路邊鼓掌。」她輕輕地說：“媽媽，我不想成為英雄，我想成為坐在路邊鼓掌的人。”我猛地一震，默默地打量著她。她安靜地織著絨線，淡粉的線，在竹針上纏纏繞繞，仿佛一寸一寸的光陰，在她手裏，吐出星星點點的花蕾。我心裏，竟是驀地一暖。那一刻，我忽然被這個不想成為英雄的女孩打動了。這世間，有多少人，年少時渴望成為英雄，最終卻成了煙火紅塵裏的平凡人。 如果健康，如果快樂，如果，沒有違背自己的心意，我們的孩子，又何妨做一個善良的普通人。 長大成人後，她一定會成為：賢淑的妻子、溫柔的母親，甚至，熱心的同事、和善的鄰居。在那些漫長的歲月裏，她都能安然地過著自己想要的生活。作為父母，還想為孩子祈求怎樣更好的未來呢？
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Passing Feeling 1:
2008 has already gone by nearly a quarter. With the daily bombardment of life issues from every corner, my cluttered mind chases away the joy I once knew and prevents me from writing.. I couldn't even recall since when I stopped venting my inner world through writing. Now that I force myself sitting in front of my laptop with my favorite music playing in the background, I just want to write, aimlessly or aimfully..
Since when I desire anything else but God's Himself? Since when I have majored in minor? Since when I become so unhappy? Since when I can easily feel irritated? Since when I have started to operate my daily life based on my own understanding?
Since when I desire anything else but God's Himself? Since when I have majored in minor? Since when I become so unhappy? Since when I can easily feel irritated? Since when I have started to operate my daily life based on my own understanding?
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Definition of Intimacy
A 17 year-old girl came up with this definition of intimacy:
"It is the capacity to be real with other people."
What a refreshing definition, especially when it comes from a 17-year old!
What does it really mean to be real? To be true to oneself. To be authentic. To be NOT FAKE.
What causes people to be unreal? Fears of being hurt? Fears of being ridiculed? Fears of being too exposed and thus lacking the wonderful sense of secrecy/mystic? I firmly believe these rational or irrational fears have caused invisible walls being erected among people. Nothing is more tragic than when it occurs between husband and wife or between a parent and a child.
Am I real to most people? With whom am I most real and with whom am I not? If a person is unreal most of his/her waking moments, then s/he will most likely be lost in her/his created images one day. What a price to pay!
An unreal person can't be happy! At least I don't see how it can be.
If a person is consistently seeking to change me for his/her selfish/unrealistic dreams, then it is time to shun him/her. Life is just too short to live for others.
"It is the capacity to be real with other people."
What a refreshing definition, especially when it comes from a 17-year old!
What does it really mean to be real? To be true to oneself. To be authentic. To be NOT FAKE.
What causes people to be unreal? Fears of being hurt? Fears of being ridiculed? Fears of being too exposed and thus lacking the wonderful sense of secrecy/mystic? I firmly believe these rational or irrational fears have caused invisible walls being erected among people. Nothing is more tragic than when it occurs between husband and wife or between a parent and a child.
Am I real to most people? With whom am I most real and with whom am I not? If a person is unreal most of his/her waking moments, then s/he will most likely be lost in her/his created images one day. What a price to pay!
An unreal person can't be happy! At least I don't see how it can be.
If a person is consistently seeking to change me for his/her selfish/unrealistic dreams, then it is time to shun him/her. Life is just too short to live for others.
Friday, November 2, 2007
Conversation with Him: Part 1
Be near me
- when the sea of troubles craftily dilutes Hope.
- When the piles of pain dexterously chase away Faith.
- When the actuality of life nudgingly dethrones the reality of LOVE.
Be near me
- when night seems long, but day seems even longer.
- When the hopeful dawn eludes its newness and the colorful dusk loses its attractiveness.
- When talking is burdersome and words are futile.
Be near me.. this I plead
- lest Hope, Faith, and Love mercilessly escape me..
- when the sea of troubles craftily dilutes Hope.
- When the piles of pain dexterously chase away Faith.
- When the actuality of life nudgingly dethrones the reality of LOVE.
Be near me
- when night seems long, but day seems even longer.
- When the hopeful dawn eludes its newness and the colorful dusk loses its attractiveness.
- When talking is burdersome and words are futile.
Be near me.. this I plead
- lest Hope, Faith, and Love mercilessly escape me..
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Passing Thought Part 1: Friendship
Friendship.
Friends come and go.
Some left scars;
some imparted positive influences;
some just disappeared without a trace;
some appears only when s/he needs you.
I thought to myself.
How many friends do I have?
And how many of those can be regarded as true friend?
Probe deeper.
What are the prerequisites to be a true friend?
1. Trust.
2. Sincerity.
3. Disagreeable.
4. Tells the truth in love.
But a true friend is beyond what are listed above.
S/he is forgiving.
S/he doesn't impose.
S/he is not self-absorbed.
S/he understands confidentiality.
S/he takes initiative to keep in touch with you.
S/he doesn't assume; s/he asks for clarification.
S/he doesn't compete with you in every aspect of life.
S/he listens to your problems of life with his/her heart and mind.
S/he accepts you and willingly works with you on your weaknesses.
S/he carries you when your feet are feeble and fades away after yours become strong.
S/he generously lends you his/her brain power when in need of wisdom or suggestions.
Life without these true friends are indeed very meaningless and lonesome.
Fortunately I have a couple friends who have proven themselves as such.
Friends come and go.
Some left scars;
some imparted positive influences;
some just disappeared without a trace;
some appears only when s/he needs you.
I thought to myself.
How many friends do I have?
And how many of those can be regarded as true friend?
Probe deeper.
What are the prerequisites to be a true friend?
1. Trust.
2. Sincerity.
3. Disagreeable.
4. Tells the truth in love.
But a true friend is beyond what are listed above.
S/he is forgiving.
S/he doesn't impose.
S/he is not self-absorbed.
S/he understands confidentiality.
S/he takes initiative to keep in touch with you.
S/he doesn't assume; s/he asks for clarification.
S/he doesn't compete with you in every aspect of life.
S/he listens to your problems of life with his/her heart and mind.
S/he accepts you and willingly works with you on your weaknesses.
S/he carries you when your feet are feeble and fades away after yours become strong.
S/he generously lends you his/her brain power when in need of wisdom or suggestions.
Life without these true friends are indeed very meaningless and lonesome.
Fortunately I have a couple friends who have proven themselves as such.
Lingering Thought Part 1: Home
I walked into the Walgreen store on Jackson street and the radio in the store happened to be playing Bee Gees' Massachusetts, a song I grew up with. Its lyric and rhythm struck me as it always does. Suddenly, a sense of sadness overwhelmed me. Home? Where is home to me? How to define a home? Having been in the foreign land for 15 yrs, and I still try to define my own home? As far as I am concerned, a home has nothing to do with one's marital status... Emotionally, I do feel like those homeless people occasionally..
When my niece and I were in Italy, she frequently mentioned about her homesickness, and I know what she refers to. Personally, is Malaysia or America my home? Or I am still looking for one?.... Perhaps, that is the curse of having too many options.
Though I am still uncertain of my "physical home" on this earth, I am absolutely certain of my eternal home.
Massachusetts by Bee Gees
"Feel Im goin back to massachusetts,Somethings telling me I must go home.And the lights all went out in massachusettsThe day I left her standing on her own.Tried to hitch a ride to san francisco,Gotta do the things I wanna do.And the lights all went out in massachusetts. They brought me back to see my way with you.Talk about the life in massachusetts,Speak about the people I have seen,And the lights all went out in massachusettsAnd massachusetts is one place I have seen.I will remember massachusetts... ".....
When my niece and I were in Italy, she frequently mentioned about her homesickness, and I know what she refers to. Personally, is Malaysia or America my home? Or I am still looking for one?.... Perhaps, that is the curse of having too many options.
Though I am still uncertain of my "physical home" on this earth, I am absolutely certain of my eternal home.
Massachusetts by Bee Gees
"Feel Im goin back to massachusetts,Somethings telling me I must go home.And the lights all went out in massachusettsThe day I left her standing on her own.Tried to hitch a ride to san francisco,Gotta do the things I wanna do.And the lights all went out in massachusetts. They brought me back to see my way with you.Talk about the life in massachusetts,Speak about the people I have seen,And the lights all went out in massachusettsAnd massachusetts is one place I have seen.I will remember massachusetts... ".....
Saturday, October 13, 2007
Traveling...
Time flies.....
It has been 12 days since I got back from UK/Italy.... To be exact, I haven't done any of my own website programming for 7 weeks. With the completion of the travel blog, I can now go back to my enjoyable routine programming life.. For those who love web programming, realtravel.com is quite a neat tool for travel blog, except its frequent down time and sometime can last 5 to 6 hours.
Below is the link to my travel blog...
http://realtravel.com/europe-trips-i5724506.html
It has been 12 days since I got back from UK/Italy.... To be exact, I haven't done any of my own website programming for 7 weeks. With the completion of the travel blog, I can now go back to my enjoyable routine programming life.. For those who love web programming, realtravel.com is quite a neat tool for travel blog, except its frequent down time and sometime can last 5 to 6 hours.
Below is the link to my travel blog...
http://realtravel.com/europe-trips-i5724506.html
Thursday, August 23, 2007
C.S. Lewis: Mere Christianity
When life gets tough, I have tendency to bury myself into books instead of lashing out my disappointments to human beings. The greatest gift I ever possess and cherish the most is the ability to refresh my soul and mind in the world of words.
C.S. Lewis writings have accompanied me through many unpleasant days. He was and still is my soul mate (intellectually) in writing. He will remain so till I exhale my last breath. This book strips away all the unnecessary Religion facades and deals nakedly and intricately with MERE CHRISTIANITY as the Bible presents IT.
C.S. Lewis writings have accompanied me through many unpleasant days. He was and still is my soul mate (intellectually) in writing. He will remain so till I exhale my last breath. This book strips away all the unnecessary Religion facades and deals nakedly and intricately with MERE CHRISTIANITY as the Bible presents IT.
Some books are worth rereading; some aren't. So far, his books belong to the former.
"Atheism turns out to be too simple. If the whole universe has no meaning, we should never have found out that it has no meaning..."
I once heard a genuine truth seeker asked a Christian apologetist at a Q&A session, "If the lost of meaning is the problem, then what should be the meaning?"
"My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?"
"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: 'I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept His claim to be God.' That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic -- on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg -- or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to."
"If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."
"Now that I am a Christian I do not have moods in which the whole thing looks very improbable: but when I was an atheist I had moods in which Christianity looked terribly probable."
"All that we call human history--money, poverty, ambition, war, prostitution, classes, empires, slavery--[is] the long terrible story of man trying to find something other than God which will make him happy."
"When you are arguing against Him you are arguing against the very power that makes you able to argue at all."
"You would not call a man humane for ceasing to set mousetraps if he did so because he believed there were no mice in the house."
"There is nothing indulgent about the Moral Law. It is as hard as nails...If God is like the Moral Law, then He is not soft."
"The natural life in each of us is something self-centred, something that wants to be petted and admired, to take advantage of other lives, to exploit the whole universe." "[The natural life] knows that if the spiritual life gets hold of it, all its self-centredness and self-will are going to be killed and it is ready to fight tooth and nail to avoid that."
"The terrible thing, the almost impossible thing, is the hand over your whole self--all your wishes and precautions--to Christ."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)