Prayer for the Nation (Part 4)

(Previously, the dedication ceremony came to a close as Tim struggled with a low point of his mission trip stint. What was to come next?)

Slum Visitation
This was simply one of the most meaningful 2 hours of our lives. As Imm's (undoubtedbly one of our favourtie Ajarns) van steered to a halt, we alighted at the doorstep of a KKCS girl's home. There had just been a Buddhist funeral - her grandfather had passed away - and an atmosphere of sorrow hung in the area. With the help of the Ajarns' translation, we struck off a conversation.

The main aim of the slum visitation was to bless - whatever little blessing we could give in that short few hours. We asked for prayer needs, and Mr Charles Ng signaled for me to pray for the family. Thinking back, I couldn't find the words, it was different praying with a translator beside you, and inwardly I asked God to give me the words. We prayed for joy, for the mourning to turn into dancing, for health, and for the saving grace of God. I opened my eyes to see the girl (of 12 or so) welling up in tears. It was inexplainable, and at that point I felt that sorrow, that pain, and prayed that it would go away in God's time.

I wished I had hugged her, but the most I could do was to ask her to cheer up.

We proceeded with many other homes, stopping by students' houses to pray for every single one. Each home had different needs, but the common need was the need for Jesus, and the need for mending of broken hearts. At one home we witnessed the acceptance of Christ by a old woman, at another we prayed for a girl who had lost her ability to walk, and yet at another we prayed for healing of back pain. Simple things like this opened our eyes up to the bigger world, and put a burden in our heart.

We wanted to stay longer. We would have even liked to stay for the night. But time was short. Empitiness, a void within my heart.

Your Love Is Warmer
And that night we rehearsed again for the Christmas concert item (the christmas concert was the next day!!!) - an item that was conceived about a fortnight back. A medley of 'His Love is Warmer' and 'Therefore, Being Justified by Faith', sang in both English and Thai - with actions.

And the actions took a long time to conjure up - I bore much of the humiliation being the first to demonstrate the actions whilst Wes was doing his thing with the guitar. Many laughs on the debut, more on the solo part (which was graciously taken up by Mr Charles Ng and Mr Azmi later - Go OxBridge!). Thai lyrics were a toughie, and we tried to the best of our ability - I guess it's the heart that counts.

And so as one mission team we did the actions together, the singers belting out but slipping now and then to the tongue-twister-lyrics. many smiles, much joy, we hoped the Thai people would know such joy as well.

Christmas Concert
I led worship that morning. Was quite touched by God during that time
Into Your courts we come, Deep in our hearts we long to be near to the throne of Your glory
Hungry I run to You for I know you satisfy
We lift our voices, we lift our hands, we are an offering

Sticky Rice
Yes, preparation for the Christmas concert, we were employed to help with chair arrangements and other tasks. I served in the kitchen :) packing sticky rice into little packets. Boy, was the rice hot, and our (Was there with Desmond, Mr Alvin Tan - a different one, Yang Jian) hands burnt. The Ajarn just smiled at us assuringly :)

Mr Azmi ate 7 Chillis and amused the whole lot of us - faced stuffed with sticky rice, veges and papaya :). Ping Pong (our fellow chilli-plucker), and Ajarn Hanifar were among those left in stitchs :).

Before the Act
No one can forget the fast that happened that afternoon, where we all went on a spiritual high, sang 'Give us clean hands' in desperation, and pleaded with God for salvation. Later on, from Gareth, I found out that this was one of the less prayerful mission trips, in terms of coporate prayer. Perhaps God had different purposes for this mission trip.

Well, we eventually went down to KKCS for the awaited Christmas concert. Before our item, we went about praying in for the concert, and for the peoples' salvation. The chairs were all layed out (yes...tiresomely, by us, that afternoon), and the ground was ready for sowing, we simply prayed that God would move that night.

Of course, we (meaning the guys) were again swarmed for 'tai luk', photo taking. I did get my share of photo requests - haha, how ego-boosting - but God reminded me that He looked at the heart and not at the outward appearance, so I remembered not to be too engrossed in the whole photo-taking issue - though admittingly, it does make one feel happier (happier, not more joyful).

Show Time
So the guitar went off, an improvised spontaneous solo by Wesley. Screams were heard.

Whilst Wes was entertained the cries of his fan club, we went off to singing and dancing. Not surprisingly I was the front man of the dancers, it was nerve-wrecking, but we kept the smiles on our faces, and enjoyed ourselves on stage, danced and sang for God and not for men!

I think I ruined my image. But well. God's glory not mine :)

Shine Jesus Shine
Shine Jesus Shine, Fill this land with the Father's glory!
Wes, Gareth and I sang this as a prayer as Watchman Loh went up to give his testimony and the subsequent altar call. Unshamedbly singing.

Later, the ushers were called up (that included us) to usher (what else?) the people who had responded to the altar call to a room where we would pray for them. I found myself with a guy who reeked of alcohol. He was a Christian, but one with an apparent drinking problem. I tried to ask for prayer needs with the help of Mr Cheong, but in the end, we decided that he was too drunk to be taken seriously.

I did pray for one boy though - Jim-my, or something close to that, was his name. A little boy of Grade 1 or 2, innocently responded to the altar call. He asked that we pray for love, and his family, and that he would feel loved. It was a touching prayer request, I was speechless for a moment as I realised that he had such a simple, innocent yet deep request - one that only God could provide. Well, we prayed, and I do hope God answers.

Reluctance
Summed up in a word, we were reluctant to leave that night. Many more photos, many more goodbyes, many more nostalgic feelings, many more smiles, hugs and tears. I too felt a strange longing to be in that school, a strange passion for that school - looking back, it probably wasn't 'strange', but God-given. I often wonder, when Jesus left earth, did He too feel a strange sense of longing - did He wish He could stay longer beside his disciples. Well, we'll ask Him in heaven.

Of course, because of our deli-dali (if I might use that word), Mr Charles Ng went cranky again. It kind of ruined the night. But not completely, there was still the joy that came from the whole concert :)

Day of Rest
A more relaxed atmosphere the next day. We took time off individually to rest in God and to rest in each others' fellowship. The major events were finally over, and there was even some R&R that day.

But first, the church service at Khon Kaen Church. Fortunately I sat next to a Thai-married-to-a-Singaporean woman who translated graciously for the people sitting around her. The sermon was about material needs versus spiritual needs, a very fundamental principle in Christianity, but one that we should always revise. Songs and greetings were all in Thai, but for the upteen time, there wasn't any language barrier with God :).

Post service I remembered Ping and the sweetest thing she ever did that whole mission trip - gave me a tapioca puff, and I pushed aside all dieting tendencies and ate it. It was so much sweeter simply because it was a gift of love :) awww.

(and that ends this part, the next will probs be the last - hopefully)