Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Dear LOG
It's really happening (ahh!), I'm leaving in 12 hours. To be honest, besides my family, the next thing I'm worried about leaving behind and being away from is the community :( You guys have been a huge part of my life for the past 5 years and we're almost like a family, so it's really going to be difficult being away from everyone. It's gonna be scary to be out of my usual Sunday church routine and I'm quite worried about slackening in my faith in Hongkong. So please please skype and talk to me okay! We can have bible sharings over skype. Haha
I'm kinda apprehensive about missing out on your lives and worried that our friendships won't be the same when I come back... Everyone's going through new phases of life or ending a phase - guys in uni, girls moving onto 3rd year, younger ones with o levels, new relationships and new friends. 4 months in HKG and by the time I'm back, things will be so different. But I'm trying to trust that perhaps change is good and I definitely can't stop it, so go ahead guys and have change - good change okay. Don't let me find out you've disappeared while I was gone, that's bad change!! Also, you guys will be continuing with the social teachings of the church and that's something I'm really quite interested in, update the blog with stuff that you guys are learning/having okay!
So keep me in your prayers, I'm feeling a little bit of excitement/apprehension/worry, but mostly looking forward to having some time to myself in HKG, I think I really need it at this point of my life. To experience new environments, meet new people, to rediscover myself and to be more daring with life. Will miss you guys like crazzzzy, so please talk to me on msn/skype, get twitter cos I'll probably still tweet regularly. I'll be back for Christmas, and I can't wait to see how different and even more beautiful people you all will be then (bringing girlfriends and boyfriends for Christmas mass :b)
Love you all very very much.
Jess
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Heart Issues, Hard Decisions
Hi guys
Last monday, Mark, Melvyn, Soo and I went for this forum titled "Heart Issues, Hard Decisions". Basically, it was a discussion about ethical issues in pregnancy, ie the topic of abortion in light of the recent excommunication incident. Plenty of medical and ethical issues were covered but the main thing that struck me was a sharing by this married couple, John and Joan and their story is what I will attempt to share with you :)
John and Joan was expecting their first child, a boy and during one of the routine medical checkups, they found out that their child had several deformities - holes in heart and intestines growing outside the body. They were distraught but they were insistent on not aborting the child. Time passed and they went for some genetic chromosome testing and found out that the baby had Edward's Syndrome, meaning he wouldn't live past the first month aft his birth. Eventually, the baby didn't survive and died in Joan's womb and they had to induce labour so as to deliever the dead baby. They had a normal second baby boy. However, they faced a similar situation with their third child, who also passed away. Now, they have a fourth child. After all they had been through, they still had so much faith in God and were really blessed with God's graces. They shared about how their first baby had accomplished his mission, which was to teach them more about love...
I simplified the story a little, giving only the main details of their story but what really touched me during their sharing was their sheer faith and trust in God and how strong they, as a couple, are to be able to go through so much emotional, physical and spiritual difficulty. Going into this talk, I've had problems with abortion. I know that the act is wrong, but I also knew that if placed in a situation of unwanted pregnancy or having a baby with down syndrome, I would selfishly consider the option of abortion. However, when I was listening to their sharing, I was really overwhelmed with so much emotions and I couldnt stop myself from breaking down. I can't really explain where the tears were coming from or why I was so overwhelmed.. Perhaps because the issue was something I was struggling with or I could feel the emotional difficulty the couple must have been through. All I know is that the Spirit was leading me somewhere, thus explaining the stirrings in my heart and soul.
After the talk, I can safely say that I am surer about not considering an abortion than I was before the talk. The couple's story was such a real testimony of God's strength, providence and will and I think their story has increased my belief that if I am placed in a similar situation, that God will be greater than any human emotion that I feel and that He will provide :) They're really such an inspiration.
Sorry if my thoughts arent really coherent or expressed right, I'm having difficulty translating my feelings and thoughts into words.. a bit rusty from the absence of school, haha. Okay, that's it! Praise God for the sharing of John and Joan :)
Love, Jess
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Friday Night Thoughts
Hey. been a while since I posted!
Dear LOG
It's really happening (ahh!), I'm leaving in 12 hours. To be honest, besides my family, the next thing I'm worried about leaving behind and being away from is the community :( You guys have been a huge part of my life for the past 5 years and we're almost like a family, so it's really going to be difficult being away from everyone. It's gonna be scary to be out of my usual Sunday church routine and I'm quite worried about slackening in my faith in Hongkong. So please please skype and talk to me okay! We can have bible sharings over skype. Haha
I'm kinda apprehensive about missing out on your lives and worried that our friendships won't be the same when I come back... Everyone's going through new phases of life or ending a phase - guys in uni, girls moving onto 3rd year, younger ones with o levels, new relationships and new friends. 4 months in HKG and by the time I'm back, things will be so different. But I'm trying to trust that perhaps change is good and I definitely can't stop it, so go ahead guys and have change - good change okay. Don't let me find out you've disappeared while I was gone, that's bad change!! Also, you guys will be continuing with the social teachings of the church and that's something I'm really quite interested in, update the blog with stuff that you guys are learning/having okay!
So keep me in your prayers, I'm feeling a little bit of excitement/apprehension/worry, but mostly looking forward to having some time to myself in HKG, I think I really need it at this point of my life. To experience new environments, meet new people, to rediscover myself and to be more daring with life. Will miss you guys like crazzzzy, so please talk to me on msn/skype, get twitter cos I'll probably still tweet regularly. I'll be back for Christmas, and I can't wait to see how different and even more beautiful people you all will be then (bringing girlfriends and boyfriends for Christmas mass :b)
Love you all very very much.
Jess
1 Comments:
seee yaa!!
______________________________________________
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Heart Issues, Hard Decisions
Hi guys
Last monday, Mark, Melvyn, Soo and I went for this forum titled "Heart Issues, Hard Decisions". Basically, it was a discussion about ethical issues in pregnancy, ie the topic of abortion in light of the recent excommunication incident. Plenty of medical and ethical issues were covered but the main thing that struck me was a sharing by this married couple, John and Joan and their story is what I will attempt to share with you :)
John and Joan was expecting their first child, a boy and during one of the routine medical checkups, they found out that their child had several deformities - holes in heart and intestines growing outside the body. They were distraught but they were insistent on not aborting the child. Time passed and they went for some genetic chromosome testing and found out that the baby had Edward's Syndrome, meaning he wouldn't live past the first month aft his birth. Eventually, the baby didn't survive and died in Joan's womb and they had to induce labour so as to deliever the dead baby. They had a normal second baby boy. However, they faced a similar situation with their third child, who also passed away. Now, they have a fourth child. After all they had been through, they still had so much faith in God and were really blessed with God's graces. They shared about how their first baby had accomplished his mission, which was to teach them more about love...
I simplified the story a little, giving only the main details of their story but what really touched me during their sharing was their sheer faith and trust in God and how strong they, as a couple, are to be able to go through so much emotional, physical and spiritual difficulty. Going into this talk, I've had problems with abortion. I know that the act is wrong, but I also knew that if placed in a situation of unwanted pregnancy or having a baby with down syndrome, I would selfishly consider the option of abortion. However, when I was listening to their sharing, I was really overwhelmed with so much emotions and I couldnt stop myself from breaking down. I can't really explain where the tears were coming from or why I was so overwhelmed.. Perhaps because the issue was something I was struggling with or I could feel the emotional difficulty the couple must have been through. All I know is that the Spirit was leading me somewhere, thus explaining the stirrings in my heart and soul.
After the talk, I can safely say that I am surer about not considering an abortion than I was before the talk. The couple's story was such a real testimony of God's strength, providence and will and I think their story has increased my belief that if I am placed in a similar situation, that God will be greater than any human emotion that I feel and that He will provide :) They're really such an inspiration.
Sorry if my thoughts arent really coherent or expressed right, I'm having difficulty translating my feelings and thoughts into words.. a bit rusty from the absence of school, haha. Okay, that's it! Praise God for the sharing of John and Joan :)
Love, Jess
1 Comments:
see ya
______________________________________________Saturday, August 14, 2010
Friday Night Thoughts
Hey. been a while since I posted!
Just a couple of thoughts while reflecting past weeks since coming back.
I didn't think coming back to church would be weird really, like I didn't even think about how church dynamics would've changed in 6 months. I kind of just expected it to be the same when I got back. So when I actually came back I did feel very awkward, there were so many people I did not know. Familiar faces I usually look out for in a crowd suddenly disappeared (or became attached.. to others. haha) It is strange when you see a crowd and don't know what to do. Nobody really notices you or says hi, not that I really want the attention :\
Anyway it's been a little difficult adjusting. I want to go for TOB but sometimes I feel so uninformed and on a different level so I just end up not going. I was equally hesistant on bible sharing because I didn't want to be stuck with people that weren't on the same level as me.
However, after 2,3 weeks of bible I have come to realize that bible is probably the best thing about LOG for me. It makes me feel like there are people willing to share and makes me feel like I belong to a community. Without bible I think I would still feel rather alienated.
Another thing is the sec 4s. Talking to Maryanne and Greg has really made me look back a lot more. I used to think that it would be an issue because I'll be 'been there done that, move on' but making me relive those secondary school days has had an effect on me. I feel a little more drive and something in me just kick started. I don't want my faith to fall. I have been lazy and my faith has been stagnant and wavering yes but thinking about those god driven and prayerful times is just inspiring. I just wanted to affirm you guys for all the sharings and for being around despite the studying torture. thanks (: and praise god.
My life has been so bland that sometimes I pray that God gives me a hurdle.
Schools starting, guys are back in school, jess is leaving for hongkong and the sec4s have Olevels! Exciting times!
Can't wait for Christmas!
Cheers,
Jeslynn (:
2 Comments:
lol xmas is a longgggg time away~
By 
MeL,
August 14, 2010 11:23 PM
i'm glad you're back(:
By anne,
August 15, 2010 4:44 PM