the sound of faith

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

OKAY. I AM BETTER THANKS TO SIR LEAN. and kutless, and GOD.

HAPPY ENTRY NOW, i went to watch the DOH show, HAPPY FEET yesterday!
its not too bad lar. the PENGUINS GOT SOUTH AFRICAN ACCENT. or some mafia whatever.
i watched it with a DOH person. :/

and then after that it was to GODPAPA'S HOUSE, where we had dinner, awesome company,
and 2 tubs of haagendaz. strawberry cheesecake and chocolate cookie.

i hope this thing turns out to be a weekly affair. I WOULD LOVE TO BUY BEN&JERRYS FOR GODPAPA NEXT WEEK.

after that was more screaming of EVERYDAY in his car, like whitechicks driving down califonia's highway 69.
`cept we didnt have the windows down and all that. (:

grace was in front and THE GODFATHER was driving. MMMMM.BTW. the 'twist' thingg is darius's SIGNATURE POST, eversince he did that kawaii video in sihanoukville, he has always been associated with that. MMMHMM, so im going off now.

its vbc tmr! (: more pictures pictures pictures.
oh and if there's ONE THING YOU MUST KNOW TODAY, SELENE IS REALLLEH SWEET. REALLLLEH.

ANYHOW, i shall leave you all with such a sweeet sweet song that keeps running in my head! here's the authetic LAO version. although there was a certain version that i really really love, some female singer sang it.

James Taylor & Carole King - You've Got A Friend

You've Got A Friend - MCFLY

1:13 PM

im done

its this terrible terrible feeling.
i woke up this morning at 7. thou i slept at 2. its the holidays you say,
but it really feels like crap.

i was planning to GO DOWN to idp, to make payments to go to SCHOOL, but everything just doesnt click now. REALLY. i woke up to an empty house, and i thought mummy was going with me, cos we had to PAY. yae, turns out mummy had other plans, she wants to wait somemore.

make me MAKE MORE DECISIONS. i dont like this game. its stupid. i can see mschen saying that paula can read the game well. that was when we were 13. RAH. I NEED SOMEONE TO TELL ME WHICH WAY TO GO. its driving me nuts! PFFFFT*

stupid life and stupid expectations, and stupid people who make money seem so important and stupid people who look down on others, and stupid people who follow them and stupid stupid stupid UPSIDE DOWN WORLD. if only you say, IF ONLY.

Draw Me Close
Kutless

Draw me close to you
Never let me go
I lay it all down again
To hear you say that I'm your friend

Help me find a way to bring me back to you

Chorus:
You're all I want, You're all I've ever needed
You're all I want,
Help me know you are near

You are my desire
No one else will do
Cause no one else
Can take you place
To feel the warmth of Your embrace

Help me find a way to bring me back to you

Chorus:
You're all I want, You're all I've ever needed
You're all I want,
Help me know you are near

vbc- if who you are is made up of all you have, and all you have is lost, then who are you

10:48 AM

im done

Saturday, November 25, 2006

i believe and i pray with all my heart,that our LORD will take care of our beloved cgl. as colleeenybaby says, OUR GOD IS MIGHTY MIGHTY,

mightily mighty indeed.

aunty winnie has ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS believed in the power of prayer. and GOD is faithful. always and forever. and so we shall all have faith! because his ways are not our ways, and neither are his thoughts our thoughts!

it has been a week. time flies by like really fast, i wonder how come it seems to go faster as we age! so much has happened over the week. ive somehow come to a decision in my school. i pray its right. YUPP.

OH AND I'VE GOT A GODPA! and an ULTRA cool one at that! such an indie/elvis/emo-inspired crazy GODFATHER. (and robin, i supposed he has watched THAT show, the one that you love so much>) we went out with him on weds, and after driving min and yan to church for dance, he drove me back, and just as we reached my house, i slid in this integrity CD, and the man went like : " SAY EVERYDAY,"

and my GODFATHER shouted: " EVERYDAY!"

gave me a shock. -.-

YAR. he's the kinda person whom people will just SING like mad in the car with. awesome awesome stuff! RHH. with a godpa like that, you can be ABSOLUTLEY POSITIVE i wanna come back faster! i will miss godpa):

ANYHOWS, i went out with leeeenybaby, on thus. trying my luck, the sky looked SO SO PRETTY , would've been a waste staying home! so i called her, and WHOO, she was free! we went budget shopping(:

and this MAN, he was so mean! he was like, going on and on about how we should help his STUDENT, as she tried to sell PENS. (she looks our age btw) and then he asked us whether we were christians?

we said yes, and he went on and on about ps konghee and pastor prince. i think that's the only 2 pastor everybody knows, but ANYHOW, he went on to say how jesus loved and all that, JUST COS HE wanted US to buy his PEN. WHAT has that GOT TO DO WITH JESUS LOVING LAR. how can he use the name of OUR LORD to make christians feel guilty for not giving him money?? i thought that was utterly ridiculous.

he was like: " people give 10 dollars, but you all students, 4 or 6 dollars also can"

till now, i still dont get why people would pay 10dollars to that girl, for her pen. HMMM. it isnt like they are some charity organisation or some rights group that wanna end poverty!

and for the record, i seriously have no sing dollars now only US and only cambodian riel from my trip. STUPID MAN. STUPID CON MAN.

anyhow, GOD HAS BEEN SPEAKING ALOT TO ME. and that's the summary of it all, too much to put to words, just been really overwhelmed.

ray boltz- thankyou.

omg. i can cry when i hear that song. i remember hearing it on the ship, on the last night for all the cambodian volunteers. and that song , the words speak for itself. GO LISTEN IF YOU ALL CAN!

so its almost the end of november. vbc's coming up (:christmas is coming. more goodbyes up ahead too):

1:45 AM

im done

Monday, November 20, 2006

I'm finding myself at a loss for words
And the funny thing is it's okay
The last thing I need is to be heard
But to hear what You would say

Word of God speak
Would You pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That You're in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In Your holiness
Word of God speak

I'm finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice

that's all i can say.

7:17 PM

im done

Saturday, November 18, 2006

maybe not using the com for like a LONG time, makes me feel like blogging. (:
i dunnno. thankyou LORD for so many things.

when i was young, i used to wish for brothers and sisters, cos my bro always made me play by myself, i always thought of how i'd act if i had siblings. how spoilt they'd be. but very well mannered at the same time.

after doulos, i think i got the hang of wad being a sister is about.

when min and yan whine, i'll laugh to myself. cos its quite cute. (: like thru out the trip there were definitely those times. and yesterday, during jyc, yan left her bottle at one of the stations, and she went, : "mandaaa, i cant find my bottle, can you help me find it? pleassseee."

it always starts with a LONG mandaaaaa and ends with a soft pleaseeeeee?

mmmm. (:

anyhow, ive been reading passion and purity, by Elisabeth Elliot.

you know this missionary couple who were in ecuador, the husband, Jim Elliot, a modern day martyr, who was killed by the greatly feared Auca Indian tribe there, but his wife didnt hate those who killed him, and her forgiveness brought about the acceptance of the gospel.

its a really good book about how she waited, and obeyed God for 5 years, and then when she finally got to marry Jim, he died after a year.

its quite sad, but its a very encouraging book! about how God puts you in circumstances, to let you grow. i mean there was this sentence that meant so much.

how would we learn to submit to the authority of christ if we had nothing to submit?

YEP YEP. GO READ THE BOOK! it makes u think really wisely!

ANYWAYS, the highlight of yesterday was that i found out taking cab COULD be a good thing (: . i got in and told the uncle to go to bedok corner. and he asked me if i was going to church, and i was quite surprised. and he started telling me how nowadays all the young people are going to church. and i told him going to church isnt just a young people thing. - i mean, look at uncle jason, he just accepted christ not long ago! anyhow, after a long chat, the uncle told me if GOD lets him strike toto, then he'd believe in GOD. so i shared my testimony in LOUSY chinese to him. hahahah. whatever. at least i spoke chinese. :D

i told him about how i just came back from cambodia, and how the people there lived, and that money really wasnt everything. and i told him about doulos, cos doulos appeared like ONE WHOLE PAGE in the chinese papers. YEP, i didnt know how GOD would impact him, but i hope by showing him how much love we can give, he'd come to see why i believed in Jesus!

9:45 AM

im done

Friday, November 17, 2006

yesterday, was the last day of alpha.
and darius was like, : " MANDA, you want ice cream? haagendaz."

and i proudly said NO. remind me again why i said that? somebody??

11:48 AM

im done

Thursday, November 16, 2006

mmmm(:
the week has been a blast! its been A week since i came back! AHH.

monday: i went to the ship to bring lissi, my big sister from austria out, (: then brought her to my home, step up, and had dinner on ship, FONDUE. saw alot of ppl from the ship. was HAPPY HAPPY(:

went to meet cg for dinner at esplanade at night. gluttons bay. WHEE. the food's only alright! aud was SO SO CUTE . cos nana and leeen came late, so we THEY had ALMOST done eating. aud was telling leen and nana what not to buy cos it wasnt delicious or whatsoever. YES, and she was complaining about the lousy food and she said this, that made me laugh my butt off.

" WHAT? they call this glutton's bay?! even I this kinda glutton also dont wanna eat!"

with CG (: my momojojo the wisest and sweetest KIDD on earth who whines when she craves carls jr. and that's our HAPPY BROWNIE(:

when we were done with that, all 7 of us who were left squeezed in gen's MINIcooper. MINI. it was a blast and a once in a lifetime thingg! it was so cool! and this MAN. he drove a bmw sportscar right, and he was laughing at us in GEN's MINI LAR. wad an ___. hahahahah. we almost shouted merry christmas! but then, we didnt wanna attract unwanted attention from the police!

and yesterday, min and i went to vivo, yea saw glen(: and UNCLE, and had starbucks .my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE. greeentea frappucino with LOTS of cinnamon powder on my whipp cream. YUMYUM! and then we went to the ship at like 6. our meeting time. (:

AND GUESS WHO WE SAW.

i think im growing OH SO FAT now): my cheeks are so fat. mummy says so!
anyway, the steppers were at the gangway cos they were going out. and it was the first time i talked to the guy from finland, who works in the engine room! he was so dao when we were on the ship, but just because we got the same lumix he started talking to me?!?! i tell you. only when we leave then the dao dao ppl start talking to us -.- .

and so the steppers went, and darius came(: so some people talked to junior while, min and i, talked to AUNTY. anyways, so darius drove us and junior to lau pa sat for dinner. we walked to the MERLION, where we met DWAY and lionel.

junior's the one at the bottom, and DWAY is the sarcastic fella beside me. he's so sarcastic i dont know why i even bother being nice. HAHAHA. he works in the engine room too. OKAY. so after that we drove round to see christmas lights, and had alot of laughter and screams in the car, but YEP, we made it through. then went it was just me min yan and D, in the car, darius told super cool jokes. LOL.

tonight we'll see darius again! WHEEE. got missions debrief or whatever that's called. :D

9:37 AM

im done

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

MY LIFE BE LIKE OooOoAHhhhhhh.

OMG. that song is sucha hip hop song. fast, upbeat, cool, rappy. WHATEVER,
it makes me feel sad ):

i will remember I-NIGHT, because jiamin zheei danced to that song. i will rmb the chats with jiaminzheei and her being ever so nice to us.
I MISS UNCLE AND AUNTY TOO.

sometimes i think im mad, im surrounded by so many people, but i just feel lonely.
i might have one thousand and ten people i owe dates too, but i dont feel like going out. deep in my heart i know the date to drydock is running closer, and it'll be time to say good bye to douloids for EVER, till we meet in heaven. ): so, although im feeling bored and lonely, i just stay at home and bum around. wallow in whatever im wallowing in.

RAHH.

this is madness.
maybeGOD's preparing me from the greatest goodbye next time.

MY LIFE BE LIKE ________________ oOooAHHHHH.

1:54 PM

im done

Sunday, November 12, 2006

i was thinking alot. alot about missions and all.
i read jiaminzheii's blog. and i saw AUNTY, UNCLE, and HER on TV! (:
all of them looked so cute, uncle in his suit and tie(:

anyhow's i did some kinda put together of alot of the pics. during our trip.
im feeling kinda sad. because i dunno if my parents would support me if i wanted to go into the mission fields.
not even thinking THAT far. i dont even know if they would be happy to let me go on doulos for 2 years.
by the time i finish studying, it wouldnt be doulos anymore, it would be logos hope.

and then i thought about life on the ship.
WOULD I BE ABLE TO SURVIVE 2 YEARS?

none of my friends. maybe even FEW asians. this time, i absolutely ADORE everyone on the ship! ive found good friends in them. GLEN, JON, li, jiamin, UNCLE, AUNTY, WING YAN, too name a few, yea, the list does go on. but then i thought to myself, would i be able to tahan the CONSTANT goodbyes, because every preship leaves once their term is up. would i be able to survive a life like that?

i really loved the 2 weeks i spent on doulos, i think it was the most meaningful thing ive ever done with my life. it beat getting any As on any essay paper, it beat getting my first pay check, and kissing the stack of 50 dollar notes. i dont remember feeling as elated as this. i can feel myself smiling like from within! not the USUAL amandabennett smile that everybody is coming to imitate. but YEA, you get what i mean.

ive got so much love and things to blog about my missions cos SO much has happened and i have grown SO SO MUCH. but then i will think of what i have left behind and feel quite sad all over again. sometimes i wish we can all go up to heaven faster, ): i dont like saying goodbyes. i miss working with tina, i miss working with the douloids. i even miss talking to darius!

darius and i went to a village church together on our church day. i had to do some balloon drama which i learned in 15 minutes. GOD was so amazing! he can really move mountains.

darius had to preach(:

i learnt alot and thank GOD for such an awesome fake gor gor on the trip! he brought us so much laughter, when laughter was badly needed. i remember feeling TERRIBLY cranky like once on the trip, HEY, IM HUMAN TOO. (this is for those that ask me if i ever get angry) i was cranky prolly because i had very little sleep, and was really tired, the tired was the TOTALLY been sapped kind, and things around were just getting me, i was trying so hard to keep my irritance to myself, and darius could just make me smile(:

he's the only grown man who acts EXACTLY like my cuzzin, and he's the only guy that i know that ask me to act cute when im taking pictures. HAH. this was taken while we were having a drill. it was so funny, cos right after we took that picture, lionel pulled darius backwards by his lifevest and gave him a HUGE shock. it was hard for darius to see who did it,cos we were kinda restricted in our movements and vision. (the lifevest was quite big) i was so amused by his reaction that i kept laughing, and if it were me, i would've gotten mad, because it was quite a bad prank, but OMG, im amaze at his patience (:

mmmmm, sometimes we all get to a point in life, where we meet so many good people that we just get sick of saying goodbye, HUH.

sheesh. i even miss uncle jason! and mr andrew from ireland. AND just about the whole ship!
but i must add, I DO FEEL OH SO LOVED. (: mojo was like, mandaaaa you took soo long to come back!

7:45 PM

im done

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Let your Glory Fall

Father of creation
unfold your sovereign plan
Raise up a chosen generation
that will march through the land

All of creation is longing
for your unveiling of power
Would you release your anointing
oh God let this be the hour
Let your glory fall in this room

let it go forth from here to the nations
Let your fragrance rest in this place
as we gather to seek your face.

Ruler of the nations
the world has yet to see
the full release of your promise
the church in victory

Turn to us Lord and touch us
make us strong in your might
Overcome our weakness
that we could stand up and fight

Let your kingdom come
(Let your kingdom come)

let your will be done
(let your will be done)

let us see on earth
(let us see on earth)

the glory of your son

doesnt this picture just speak so much of love? i think it does. yan took it while she was on church team. church team is different from E day, cos we go out with different douloids. i was with darius, and i learnt alot. I think darius is a really cool guy. and i do miss him too(: he's like dead funny, but very wise too. when he was praying, cos he sounded so serious, i wanted to laugh, but in my church team, he was a PREACHER, so i was like tahan-ing(if there's such a word) . i will show u my church team pictures when i get them. we went to a village church that was more like a house. they had like around 10+ members, and i thank the lord for the pastor, and what he's done. BUT you guys must continue to pray for the church, and the pastor, because, the GOVERNMENT, is taking away half his land, to make way for the new airport, that means his church is going to go.

when i say land, i dont mean it as if its VERY BIG. maybe his whole land is the size of my house, and half of it means that he has to resettle the WHOLE church, and need money, and need space, SIGH. wad a sad sad thing to hear. BUT, i believe that GOD will expand the church! and make it so much bigger in terms of members and the body!

the visit to this village church, seemingly insignificant, means a WHOLE lot to me. i've learnt that alot of people think im stupid with this theory of mine, but i still stand by it. i still believe that doing things for ppl with your heart means alot. im sure those villages felt it. i felt the connection with the people, their eyes showed it all.

after being on doulos, ive learnt alot about missions, and what it means to be successful in life. i think alot of people view monetary wealth as security. i dont disagree that money is essential, i did doubt that i could get by without it, but GOD has showed me in so many ways than one that he will provide.

cos our GOD is an AWESOME GOD, and there's no denying that.

3:01 PM

im done

Thursday, November 09, 2006

im back im back im back!

im not delighted to be, but im back! i miss the ship ALOT. but as darius said, i do thank god for the opportunity to be on the ship! there's MUCH to do, and alot to feel now. im terribly sad i dont get to see my friends on the ship anytime i want to, but that's life aint it? the most horrible thing is my world keeps bobbing up and down! ITS REALLY IRRITATING! cos i didnt get sea sick at all, and now i get land sick?! it was due to the voyage i guess!

i'll put up MORE pics next time cos im running short of blogging time! (: my brother has this new com, over the time im gone, and he put some stupid password to prevent me from using the com. my mom's planning to get a wireless router or whatever that is, but i think its a waste of money! i mean, i'll be gone soon anyway!

most of the pics here are from talent night. we were really lucky cos jiaminjie said that the ship only has it like trice a year. TALENT NIGHT IS SO COOL! cos the ship has many sections and each section would really dress up! there's main street, and sections 1-5. we stayed in section 5, as guests(: section 2 was the BOYBAND section, section 4 was the YMCA guys, section 1 ,i think was the MATRIX, section 3 was the SPICE girls, main street's theme was starwars, and our section was princesses. there was also a pirates section, and everybody did dress up!

but back to life on the ship, THIS IS JONATHAN. (: he's really fun! and i miss him alot! he's a great budd and realleh wise! i like talking to him and seeking his oppinion cos they are REALLY wise! lionel and him taught me to play the guitar better! and now i can play BETTER(:his section was the matrix thinggy and that explains the outfit.

his from msia. cool huh! never tought id have a great friend from msia! (: our neighboring country! i miss jonn! RAHH.

and then there's jiaminjie, you gotta say the jie like zheei u know, the laohong way, but yea, she's really cool and fun! she's so nice, like some bestfriend you've known since forever! she has taught me so much, about missions, and just by watching how GOD has impacted her, and her life, she's truly awesome! (:

we were eating wanton mee at a market in cambodia, (: it was so cool! the market was so, ancient, the kind that u'd never find in spore, as i sat in the market, i imagined mummy scolding me like mad, about watching wad i eat. but i wanted to trust GOD, and it was the first time i ever said grace totally trusting GOD not to give me diarrhea, cos i have like a really weak stomach, and you know what?! WE DIDNT GET FOOD POISONING LAR. any way, we had to make the injections we took worth it RIGHT? (:

i still rmb waking up at like 5+ to go to the market! some people just overslept. LOL.

this is lionel, he's also from msia. looking at him, u'd never know how much GOD has worked in his life. never ever be able to see what kinda past he had, but through him, ive amazed even more at how magnificent our GOD is!

then there's GLEN! the fire man! omg, i loved the south africans and their accents! glen told me his testimony, while i was working with him and it was so so
encouraging! he's really cool, and AH. everybody on the ship has a story, one filled with GOD's perfect planned sprinkled all over it!

and there's rowand and bj! they are awesome awesome man and woman of GOD! bj is the pirate, and rowand is the dancer! he break dances, and dance really really well, FOR GOD, with a broken thumb! he has 2 bones broken in one finger i thing? i dunno what that means, but yea! i got to know all of them while working on the deck, as a deckie(:

it was really tough, but BOY, very encouraging, somethings you guys will hear me say when i share on stage, YEP. dont wanna repeat everything i say, THAT would be a bore.

working as a deckie is REALLY tough job, and i depended on GOD alot, through every department i worked in, or just GETTING through the day, you talk to GOD alot, and he was really MY source of joy, strenght and perseverance! i dont know how i stayed sane through all the slight conflicts but i did,

doulos, is greek for servant. everybody on the ship has a wonderful story, everybody has a past, everybody has a well crafted future ahead, as long as we surrender all to God, we'd be able to see that being stubbon is of NO USE! the ship has taught me far to much that words cant compare. GOD's love is as vast as the ocean, and his mercies goes beyond one's imagination. some of my friends have the most horrible past anyone would ever wanna have. drugs, gangfights, parangs, parents death, horrible desires, horrible past. but you know what, that doesnt matter because they turned back. THEY REPENTED, they accepted god as their savior. its really touching and warming knowning how deep GOD's love for his people is.

my past isnt too bright either. i do regret stuff i did before. people make mistakes. GOD forgives, we look to the future, and how we'll act in future, and not the past and degrade thyself. ALRIGHT. if u believe in jesus, u'd know clearly well how much he loved his son, that his son died for us, JESUS's BLOOD washed away all sins. and therefore, we shouldnt keep condemning ourselves. IM REALLY SORRY, but i feel very strong about this.

because the ship has taught me so much about that. the ship has taught me about grace, patience and love, and about judging others. i thank GOD for all my experiences and i stand in awe of him. i really wanted to come home and tell my mom that i wont be studying next year, and that i wanted to serve on the ship cos i would be of legal age next year. but then, i realised even more that i wasnt ready. GOD had other plans. i guessed i achieved what i set out for myself at the beggining of this trip.

i wanted to hear GOD clearly, and to wait on him, and not be impatient and head strong. ive learnt how to surrender to his plans, all for his GLORY, and one day, we'll see his face.

come ask me how my life was changed on the ship, there's alot more to this entry. or u can wait till the first sunday of dec, and 23rd dec when NATTY ask me to share for worship night. i've learnt alot about his glory, and not mine. I WANNA JUST TELL THE WORLD THAT THE LORD IS GOOD,

ALWAYS AND FOREVER

10:02 PM

im done