Monday, December 29, 2008
-2:24 PM
Hi Gals,
These are the photos we took during Christmas and the Matthew and Friends Party.
If you want the pictures for the Cell Christmas, pls go to
http://picasaweb.google.com/Joelle1001/MERRYCHRISTMAS?authkey=_96OdV2T-aQ#
If you want the pictures for the Christmas Party at Abrie's parents house, pls go to
http://picasaweb.google.com/Joelle1001/CHRISTMASParty?authkey=hQvatkPFbAg#
Labels: Photos
Saturday, December 27, 2008
-7:25 PM
Dear all,
I just finished the harvest event. 20 of my pupils came, and they watched the video of Neville Tan, which some of you have not watch. I want to thank Joanne, Joyce and Vanessa for coming over to help out. I want to thank Joyce especially, for sharing her testimony. It's not easy.. =)
There are 2 things that I want to share with you..
1)The Workers Are Few Matthew 9:35-38
Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."Things to Ponder 1:This harvest event is not something that I just just told you last minute. It's something that I've been saying for months.. But yet, when the harvest is here, the labourers are few. Where then are the workers?
2)Jesus Sends Out the SeventytwoLuke 10:1-9
After this the Lord appointed seventy-two others and sent them two by two ahead of him to every town and place where he was about to go. He told them, "The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field. Go! I am sending you out like lambs among wolves. Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road.
"When you enter a house, first say, 'Peace to this house.' If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you. Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
"When you enter a town and are welcomed, eat what is set before you. Heal the sick who are there and tell them, 'The kingdom of God is near you.' Things to Ponder 2:The scripture says Jesus appointed 72 people and sent them out 2 by 2. The disciples are to go and bless the people, fellowship with them, meet their felt needs and evangelise to them. It doesnt mean that when they are sent out, they wait there for the people to come and receive Christ. We have to
go to the harvest (in this case, it means the people who came for the event), and we have to spend time with them, eat and drink with them, and not sit at a corner and wait for them to come to us. We have to take the
initiative. When you are with the people, you have to
go down to their level and mix with them(regardless of their age or interests or gender). We should not be waiting for them to come and mix with us...
Jesus said to the 72
"Do not take a purse or bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road", meaning you are to focus on your harvest (the people) and not on your handphones, mirrors, your games, etc. If your focus is not on the harvest, it'll be as if your presence is not there. What's a body without a soul? Remember, people will know you love God and that God loves them, if you really love them. I pray that one day, you'll love the lost like the Lord loves them.
I'm not here to rebuke you, but to share with you the things that God showed to me. So, dont feel accuse or hurt, alright? I shared with you, so that next time we will all be ready for the harvest and do better in our next outreach. If there's any area that you did not do well, it's cos I have not taught you well. I hope that you catch my heart.. Most importantly, the heart of Jesus.
This time round, you may not be ready to catch the harvest, i pray that the next time harvest comes round again, you'll be ready to catch the harvest.
I pray that God will speak to you. God bless you. =) Rest well, I'll see you tomorrow.
P.S: Please wear a black shirt for tomorrow's youthnet photo taking, after service. Cell group meeting at 12noon tmr, usual place. Please do not be late.
Friday, December 26, 2008
-1:52 PM
I came from a broken family. My parents divorced when I was only 6 years old. When I knew that they were divorced, I felt nothing, I had no reaction. It’s maybe because my father did not leave a deep impression in me. Sometimes when I see a happy family, I would wish that I could have a whole family. But now I do not think that way, I learnt that although I’ve lost my father, I can still have a happy family. God is my heavenly father. He loved me more than my earthly father.
I have an elder sister; she is older than me by 5 years. Since young, my relationship with her was not good. We always quarrel and we even fight sometimes, but I always end up losing and I would lock myself in the room and cry. I don’t know how or why, but I could cry up to 1 hour. I was always crying and the reason would always be because of my sister. I felt like dying, I kept asking God why I was born. I even thought of jumping out of the window. As my sister is always bullying me, I hate her to the core. I felt like killing her. I remember one time, when I was in the kitchen, I saw a knife. I really felt like stabbing my sister with the knife and then stab myself to death. Of cause, I did not do it. When I cooled down, I felt foolish to have that thought. If I really did it, I would be giving in to my anger. My mother would be very sad, and I would have lost my sister and my freedom forever.
After being bullied by my sister for so many years, I actually got used to it. In fact, I actually thank God that I have this kind of sister. Because of her, I learnt to be strong. The problems I encountered, I could actually handle it. From her, I learnt how to face people outside, especially those who are hot-tempered and difficult to love. God showed me that my sister too, may have faced problems outside and could not take it, so she took it out on me. I learnt to see from her point of view, trying to understand her more. I stopped asking God why I have this kind of sister. I figured out that God always have a reason for putting you in the situation you are in. Rather than asking God to change her, I asked God to change my heart, help me to love her.
What I really want thank God for is my studies. All along, my English has not been good. In secondary school, I always get border line passes. I really want thank God for my end-of–year exam results this year. I did not finish my English composition in time. I only wrote 3 paragraphs, and the worst thing was that I wrote the wrong question number. But yet, for the overall results, I passed marginally, although I expected myself to fail my English. For my history paper, the weightage for the paper was 50 marks. I didn’t do the last two questions which carry about 13 marks, as I did not have enough time. For some of the questions I anyhow do, because I did not study the chapters that came out. However, when I got back my history paper, I got the shock of my life. I passed! I was short of 1 mark to get an A2. When my teacher realized that I needed 1 more mark to get an A2, he gave me that 1 mark, because I was always attentive in his class. I was expecting myself to fail Literature because I was not good in it. I even got F9 for term 1 & 2 but I passed with a C5 in the end. I thought that I would fail my geography but I managed to pass even though I did not managed to finish it. I prayed that I will be able to get into top 10 positions in class, but I never think that I would really get it. But, not only did I got into top 10 position in class, I also got into the best class next year.
God has blessed me with good results and I’m very thankful to him for making all things possible for me. Without him I could do nothing. Whatever I have was given by him.
I thank God for what he has done in my life, and I pray that God will bless you too!
Labels: Testimony
-12:58 PM
我是在一个争吵的环境下长大的，我爸总是早出晚归，甚至不回家。父母的不和，让妈妈的心情很低落，而哥和我也就成了被发泄的对象。当时我就会觉得妈妈很爱发脾气。多年的离婚话题，他们终于分开了。我知道，也很明白，妈妈受不了了。那个时候的我，大概十岁左右吧！爸爸对我而言就只是个陌生人，他们的分开对我而言根本没什么。我没感觉不难过，只是会怀念。
来到新加坡之后，我经历了很多。在这个陌生又压力的环境下，我觉得很孤单无助，还很痛苦。想家，想家人，第一次想他——我爸。有时，真的太难受，也会想自杀，不过认识了神以后，我变了。我变得坚强，还有独立和相信。我知道神做什么都一定有道理，所以我学会去接受和感谢祂。因为祂让我懂得去体谅我妈妈，了解她当时照顾我们时的心情。祂让我懂得珍惜自己所拥有的。
神，祂帮助我成长了许多......希望你也会和我一样，有机会认识他。愿主祝福你。
English Translation:
I grow up under a quarrelsome environment. My father always leaves home early and returns home late, sometimes he doesn’t even go home. The disagreements with my father, made my mother felt very low. My elder brother and I often become the object of my mother’s anger and frustrations. At that time, I thought that my mother has a very bad temper. After many years of divorce topics, they finally separated. I knew clearly that mother couldn’t bear it anymore. That time I was probably about ten years old. As far as I’m concerned, my daddy is only a stranger. Their separation doesn’t concern me at all. I don’t feel sad, I just miss those days.
After coming to Singapore, I went through a lot. Under this strange and pressurizing environment, I felt very lonely and helpless, very painful. I miss my homeland, miss my family, and for the first time, I miss him -- my father. Sometimes, I felt so terrible that I wanted to commit suicide. But, after knowing God, my life changed. I became strong, I became independent and I also learnt to have faith. I knew that whatever things God allowed to happen, there’s always a reason. Therefore I learnt to accept it and I give thanks. God helped me to forgive my mother, and I understood how she really felt that time when she was taking care of us. God made me treasure what I have.
God helped me to grow a lot. Dear Friends, I pray that you will also have the opportunity to know him. May God bless you.
Labels: Testimony
Saturday, December 20, 2008
-12:29 AM
Hi Girls,
Almost forgot to tell you. Next week's Matthew and Friends Party at Abrie's house (Tampines) is confirmed. It'll be on 28th Dec, 12noon-3.30pm. I've invited my ex-pupils. Praise God, I received an sms from one of them telling me that she's coming. =) Continue to pray for me and my pupils alright?
Pray that they will get the message, I wasnt able to contact them, but i've posted on my class blog. Pray that they will be able to see it and they can make it for the event. Pray for me also that I will not get into any trouble with the authorities or the parents.
P.S: I invited Huiwen and Joanne to my house this afternoon to do scrapbooking. Couldnt get all of you to come altogether, cos my house is not that big. Everyone take turn to come ok? Lol..
This is Joanne's takeaway for the day. Her theme is
"FUN"!
Friday, December 19, 2008
-11:27 PM
Hi Girls,
I've just uploaded the pictures. Hope you like them. Thanks for bringing your friends. =) Do invite your friends for the Christmas service on this coming Sunday (21st Dec).
Next Sunday (28th Dec), we'll have our cell Christmas party. Can all of you buy a Christmas gift (about $5)for the gift exchange? Invite your friends too.. =)
For more photos, go the the web below or just click on the link.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
-2:01 AM
I was a Buddhist and I always go to temple before I believed in Christ.
When I was in Primary One, I attended a family kids camp held at a hotel. During the camp, someone shared the gospel with me. They told me that God sent Jesus to die for me, so that I can have eternal life and I was touched. I started to worship God.
After I received Christ, my life was changed. I became a happier person and life became more comfortable for my family too. Now I’m attending cell group and service at Faith Community Baptist Church.
Labels: Testimony
-2:00 AM
My parents are Christians, so I was born as a Christian. But I wasn't a very strong believer then, I just followed them to church and sang songs. However, my life was full of friendship problems. I don’t really know who to talk to about them, because I was scared that if I do something about it, I would end up hurting my friends even more. I was living in a world of fear.
I really accepted Christ into my life when I was in Primary 6. It was a turning point of my life. This was how it happened. When I received my PSLE results, I realized I didn’t make it to the cut-off point of the school that I wanted to go to. My mom, upon seeing how devastated I was, told me that this was what God had planned for me and she held my hand and prayed for me. I said to myself that I would work hard in the school that God sent me to and I prayed that he would guide me through the next 4 years of my education in a totally new environment. I thank Him for having such a supportive mother who led me to know more about Him.
After I received Jesus Christ into my life, my life was never the same again. He changed my character and taught me how to live. Being in a new environment helped me to be more trustworthy and tolerant. Whenever I have any doubt, I will pray to God and ask Him to help me with my struggles. He is always there to listen and to guides me. I always knew who to talk to and who to depend on whenever I’m in dire need of help. I trust God to be there for me whenever I need help and I know that He is always looking out for me. I thank God for His love for me.
Labels: Testimony
-1:59 AM
Though I was born a Christian, I only got to know more about GOD when I was older. God has done quite a number of things in my life and with him around there’s nothing I need to worry about. He has given me a great family, friends and rather good results for my Final Year Examinations, which was rather surprising to me because I didn’t expect to pass some of the subjects. God has proven to me that He can make miracles happen and the things which I thought will never happened actually happened when I started to believe Him. He loves everyone and doesn’t choose who to love like we do sometimes. He treats everyone equally, and I really thank God that He loved me enough to send Jesus to die for me so that I can have eternal life.
P.S.: This one is a bit short, cos Joanne did it and emailed me before i posted the sample questions on the blog. She's still editing it. =)
Labels: Testimony
-1:59 AM
I accepted Christ into my life when I was about 7 years old, so I vaguely remember why or what happened. That time I was attending Timothy Club, the Sunday School for children in my church. When I was at home one day, I approached my parents and tell them I wanted to have Jesus in my life. They led me to say the sinners’ prayer and that was how I received Christ into my life.
Whenever I am afraid, I will pray to God and ask him to give me the faith to believe that He is with me. When I first got my Bible, there is a scripture verse that God spoke to me. He said, "Do not be afraid, for I am with you". Therefore, whenever I feel down, I will talk to God. This really helps a lot because always feel much better after talking to God and letting out all those bottled feelings. So I would like to encourage you, no matter how upset you are feeling, whatever you want to say, God will lend you a listening ear.
During my examinations, I always pray that God will be with me and give me a calm and clear mind. He spoke to me through Luke 17:6, "If you have faith as a mustard seed, you can say to this mulberry tree, 'be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea,' and it will obey you."
Dear friends, trust him at all times. God bless you.
Labels: Testimony
-1:54 AM
Hi Girls,
Thought that it might be a good idea to share these real life testimonies with you. Those of you who have sent me you testimony, thank you for sharing with me your life. Those who have not, it's ok, we still love you.. =p
I was really encouraged by the things these girls have shared. I hope they'll encourage you too. I will post up the testimonies one by one k? Do take some time to read and ask God to speak to you too. For those who have not sent me, please take some time to write even after the party.
God bless you.
P.S: I've edited your testimonies, hope none of you mind me editing.
Regards,
Joelle
Labels: Testimony
Thursday, December 11, 2008
-12:32 AM
Hello Girls,
If you do not know how to write your personal testimony, these prompters might help. Try and answer the questions, probably it'll get you somewhere. There are 3 parts that you need to share.
1)
BEFORE I TRUSTED CHRIST - What was your life like before you trusted Christ?
2)
HOW I TURSTED CHRIST - Where did this happen? What was the occasion? Who shared the gospel with you? What need(s) prompted you to receive Christ? What did you do and say?
3)
AFTER I TRUSTED CHRIST – How has Christ changed your life?
The Christmas party will be held at Pearl's house on this Saturday (13th Dec) at 2pm, and Sunday (14th Dec) after service (at about 5.30pm).
For the sat party, Huiwen will be the one leading ice-breakers and Natalie will be helping me with hosting, as in saying the welcome speech etc. If any of them need help, please help them k? =) Thank you for serving.. The sunday party, jiejie Abrie's girls will help out.
I'll probably ask for catering or fastfood that day, so less hassle. Will be collecting $5 for food from all of you. The rest of the amount for the food will be paid by me and jiejie Abrie.
All of you are supposed to email me your testimony, please do so by Friday morning, alright? Don't worry too much about the language, no one will fault you for grammar or tenses mistake... hehe.. so far, only Natalie has emailed me.. hmm...
Let's pray together that the people whom we invite will be touched by God and will be saved. Pray that everything will be smooth, and that God's Presence will be there. Pray that God's will be done.
May God's protection be upon all of us. =)
P.S: Those who have yet to pay me the money for the T-shirt can pay me together with the food money.
Hi Girls, 
