CG Pic- Left to right: Guang An, Sherwyn, MeiYun, Rachel, Tim, Peijing & Moi!
The last post was a sad one. Now for the happy post.
New believers' party was really more fun than i had expected. I had imagined that it would be a very formal kind of buffet lunch or something of a pot luck party, but never in my wildest imaginations would i believe that it would be a steamboat dinner, japanese style. And the kitchen, you won't believe how many of us were running in and out of it, desperately trying to find empty pots to store the enormous amount of food. Hui shan and i were supposed to be slicing up the meat, but i think in the end we just started chopping up the pieces of meat so we ended up with many chunks of meat instead of slices.
Well, food was not too bad... the usual steamboat fare, but what was most endearing and memorable was the atmosphere. This is what a Chinese New Year celebration should be like. Amidst the shouts and chatterings and many sudden bursts of laughter was a great sense familialness. Forgive me for mangling the English language. I admit that my spelling is atrocious and my regard for the many rules, almost non-existant. This was a feeling that i had felt many years ago during reunion dinner, when i was still a child, running around my granny's place and jumping up and down on the sofa.
Games were quite fun, though a bit hard. Till now, i can't think of a song with the word Father in it. Mother is easier i think. There's spice girls' "Mama" song but no "papa" song. I even contemplated sing "Happy ____'s Day to you" but i think they won't catch it either, coz it could be mother's day, birthday, father's day, sister's day... yada yada...
Finally it came to DNA... not dioxyribonuclic acid, but the Dead Now Alive ceremony. It's supposed to be an initiation for Yan Xiang and me. At first i was a bit freaked out because they were talking about shedding blood and goats and chickens. It wasn't that i believed we would be doing anything with those stuff but i thought that we might be doing something really silly. In the end, it was the most memorable event of the party.
At first we had our spiritual mentors affirming us. I'm not so sure what affirming means but it seems to me that it's like sorta an evaluation of what you've done so far. Yan Xiang is really good... I'm impressed that he finished the entire new testament in 3 months! 27 Books in 3 months=9 books in one month! I did like 2 books in 1 month plus? Aiyo.. very very slow... Hehe... =) We were asked to carry candles, (courtesy of zhi yong ) and it was meant to symbolise our past lives. Then we mulled over our transgressions of the past and things that we would like to have rid of and symbolically blow them out. After which, we had our candles relighted to signify a new beginning. Well... i guess i focused a bit too hard during that time and almost burnt myself with the candle!
Seriously, i think God is all-knowing. In his wisdom, he knew the persecution that Christians would face would be one that drains the soul and leave many of us empty and lost. To help us cope with it, he made us draw from the strength of our brothers and sisters. God must be one great psychologist! At the end of it, my CG presented me with a present that is nothing short of being thoughtful! I feel bad that they have been giving me gifts; a keychain, Jollymah sheep and now a milk bottle! My beautiful milk bottle has animal pictures of it and most importantly, loads of messages which are meant to feed my spirit?! =) I forgot what it's supposed to feed, my soul or my spirit.. but you know what i mean. =P
At the end of it, my CG presented me with a present that is nothing short of being thoughtful! I feel bad that they have been giving me gifts; a keychain, Jollymah sheep and now a milk bottle!
My beautiful milk bottle has animal pictures of it and most importantly, loads of messages which are meant to feed my spirit?! =) I forgot what it's supposed to feed, my soul or my spirit.. but you know what i mean. =P
Well, Thank you so much Lord for putting me in Hope and in this wonderful CG and NYC! Thank you all of you who've helped me grow, despite the busy schedules that you have (you know who you are =)
Grateful Ciaoz!