XXVIII

These humdrum thumps make its demands
against the door of my heart
They say yield!
You reckless, feckless speck
Before disappointment becomes your main -
Stay before your soul gets caught in the cross -
Fire before your pain becomes life -
Long for all you should be in the one life that you've got

Speak up or they'll find someone else
to be all that you struggle so hard to be
The scent of quick lipstick and nylon stockings
were a reminder of what could be lost.
Questions that are answered,
not with sweet wit but with lips licked,
ready to let these words slip.

Don't you know you're scaring me?
She asks when she sees the knuckles pale.
curled up like a clenched fist,
tension thick in the fingers.
Wrapped around this pencil,
with which I will stain this black leather-backed page
like emotions were shaken coffee cups set down too hard.

Don't let me down so hard.
It is my turn to be afraid now;
that one day I might run out of these words to comfort her with.
That one day I might say what I truly mean.
That I am selfish desire
the flashback of lust
but even that isn't enough
for the both of us.

- Daryl Goh

Love Revealed December 2010 - Trip Report Part 2

YOUTH CAMP

We flew up to Jhapa which is in East Nepal to help out with their youth camp. The camp was held in Mahimit Church and all the youth from the churches and preaching points in that district were invited to the camp. The turnout was about 35 campers which was about half what was expected. This was due to the last minute re-scheduling of their school examinations.

Registrations were a great time to get to know the campers and assign them to the various teams. As the campers streamed in, I couldn't help but notice the lively and cheerful atmosphere in the church compound, made all the more obvious by the vibrant colours of the clothes that the youth were wearing. There was a difference in the disposition of the youth. I couldn't help but feel the love of Jesus in that community.

Pastor Gopal and the youth welcomed us warmly to their church and surprised us with the act of pinning ribbons to our shirts and donning us with scarves. I think all of us felt a little bit bemused because it was a new experience to be honoured before we had contributed anything to them. 

Games.

It was an enjoyable time for all the campers. There were many hilarious moments when we tried to explain the rules of the games to the youth. Especially since our translator was one of the participants who seemed to be more keen on winning the game rather than explaining it to the rest. 

For many, the games and fun are the highlight of the camp. However, we also wanted the games to support and enforce the messages about being a believer. There was a game where the participants were blindfolded and had to search for members of their own group using only a single pre-determined sound (e.g. a clap, a whistle). Another game required them to link arms tightly in groups of 3 while playing football. 

The wonderful thing about having a youth camp in a village church is having the neighbours watch us from the outskirts of the church compound. Some of the children had enough curiosity to overcome their shyness to come in to watch.

Mass Dance.

One of the amazing things about the Nepali is how dance is so deeply incorporated into their rich culture. It is a form of expression that most Singaporeans simply do not comprehend. And because of the popularity of the dance from the youth camp in Kathmandu in June, we were asked to come up with a new dance for the one in Jhapa.

The camp theme dance was set to the song, One Way by Hillsong United. Our team taught the campers the moves on the first day of the camp. The youth were so enthused about perfecting the dance; they spent almost every break-time pleading with us to show them the moves 'one more time'. We might have feigned exasperation, but actually we enjoyed every moment of it. It was all worth it when we saw the youth pumping their fist singing the chorus, "One Way, Jesus!"

Ministry.

We had the privilege of laying hands and praying for every single camper, blessing them by speaking truth to their spirits. We thank God for using us as His channels of ministry towards these future leaders.

We also prayed for a girl who had collapsed during the camp. She was sent to hospital but the doctors discharged her from the hospital after finding nothing physically wrong with her. On our last day in Jhapa, she was having convulsions. We were supposed to leave for the airport but we decided to spend a little more time praying and ministering to her. After worshiping and praying for about 45 minutes, her body seemed to relaxed and we felt at ease to leave. She is now well and back to her normal self.

Appreciation from the Pastor.

"Thank you so much for time that you gave to us and also all the services, games and other items which has really inspired our youth camp. It has been a really wonderful and humble service towards our youth. We will never forget it. We will be expecting your service in future also. We enjoyed dancing with you and the fun that we had while playing games. You were really a good brother and sister as well as very close friends to us."

| Pastor Gopal |

Fun Facts.

• Jhapa currently has one Methodist Church and 4 preaching points.
  (Jasing Guan, Badamtar, Dhadare, Surunga)
• The camp was held in Mahimit Church. Mahimit means Glory.
• While attempting to climb it, one of our team members broke a makeshift ladder that led to the roof. There were no serious injuries sustained other than to the team member's pride. 
• There is a game where one had to juggle a ball of rubber bands with one's feet. One of the youth beat Gerald 39 to 26.
• Chia Tea in Jhapa is sweeter than in Kathmandu.

Love Revealed December 2010 - Trip Report Part 1

When we arrived in Kathmandu, Nepal, it felt a little bit like returning home. Seeing Loong and Gloria, the Jars Of Clay Cafe, Wesley Methodist Church (Nepal) and the Sophia Girls' Home reminded me of the story that God had started telling us only 6 months before. We were anxious to go straight to the Girls' Home to see the little darlings. Our experience with them on previous trips proved that they would take a while to warm up to us again. We were right. Most of the time was spent with Auntie Grace finalizing the programs that we would run. Our time was divided over the two weekends that we spent in Kathmandu.


SOPHIA GIRLS HOME

Interaction.
This was basically a time where we used arts and crafts to help us to bond with the girls. The girls were divided into 2 groups where they did either jewelry-making or drawing. Materials for jewelry-making were generously sponsored by Julie Ng, whereas colour pencils and sharpeners were sponsored by Ruey Jen and her friends. The purpose of these activities was to encourage their creativity and imagination.

Service.

In Mark 10:45, it say, "For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many."

We continued our service of Love to the girls by painting their stairwell. Conceptualized by Elissa, the tree represented the protection and providence of God, while the birds were a reference to the verse in Matthew 6:26 where Jesus reminds his disciples that they were more valuable than the birds that God feeds.

Ministry.
We spent time doing their evening devotions with them. Georgina spoke to them about their value because God made each of them in Jesus Christ. She referenced Ephesians 2:10, using it to remind them that they were loved greatly by God and that He was pleased with them simply because they are His creation.

We kept praying for them throughout the trip. I could sense that even in our conversations among the team members, we could not help but speak blessings over their lives.

Games, Gifts and Goodbyes.
On our second weekend at the home, we were supposed to have a programme of activities planned for the the girls. However, the girls used this opportunity to introduce their own games to us. These were games played with hands and with words. I still cannot be sure if they are better off without the kinds of toys that we grew up with.

We also introduced them to some of our own childhood games like "Mother Hen" and "London Bridge" which they thoroughly enjoyed. The fun and games may have made the goodbyes more painful, but it was definitely a great way to spend our final evening in Nepal.

Note:

With your generous gifts, we were able to purchase custom-made school bags for each of the girls at the home.