I need some help!

Disclaimer: This entry goes out to ALL ESSR-ians... New and Old...

Its the beginning of the new year and our this will be the first entry of the year!!!! Hope you guys haven't forgotten the existence of this lovely blog... i know its hard to keep up with entries because of our busy schedules and personal blogs. But its ok! As long as you remember this blog and come on once in a while to read/blog then Amen and Praise the Lord!

The beginning of a new year in actualy fact doesn't mean anything more than a reminder to ourselves to evaluate the past year and to come up with some short term goals which wil eventually lead to our long term goal of nurturing the kids and teaching them to build their life on a solid rock! ANd of course... for ourselves. To be able to eventually say hello happily to our father in heaven when the day comes... "till we see you face to face and grace amazing takes me home.."

Let me just try to evaluate yr 2005 briefly ok? Generally, i must say we've grown alot closer. Each and everyone of us in ESSR, its amazing really but i think at some point in 2005 we've had a low point and God has always interceded and given us a knock on the head. Like what frances said, June camp 2006 was a camp "of a difference." Yilin left the camp with a happy heart! The rest of us left the camp with a couple of phrases embedded on our (often) thick skulls. "Speak words of LIFE not DEATH!" and "Watch their backs!"

I must say we've done pretty well! Really! Gosh, i still remember when we always gathered in the church office after praise and worship to just talk and complain about certain sensitive topics... back then yeah, we were really an unhealthy alliance at some point. BUt right now, this very moment. I think we're really starting to earn our rights to speak up and to proudly say we're ESSR! We're servants of GOD! We love our kiddos! And we're no longer the youth rebels who never attend any youth events! HAhahahhaa... But we've got to keep putting in the effort yeah?

Melanie told me the other day that yanquan said during camp Helius... that "You'll be seeing more of me in youth.." And i say 'Roly Poly! You rock my socks man!!!!' =)

As youths... we've matured and really grown in year 2005. Its really by grace that God has kept us this close. What with Okinawa san flying off ever so frequently, urban male Mel studying in Brisbane, Frances with her crazy accountant work commitments, Helena with her new job, Esther with her latest addition in the Lam family, yizhen with her attachments and school, Yanquan with his work work work work and soccer soccer soccer soccer, Lebbie with his army commitments and PEi xuan xuan pei xuan xuan and me with all sorts of commitments Church, school and friends plus plus plus! If you don't know it yet... You guys are the bunch of siao gee na's i tell all to!

So yes, individually we've grown, we've improved. But let's get down to serious matters right now and talk about yr 2006. This year, the SR committee are considering not having children camp. I don't know how most of you feel... but i'd really like to know. But this is what i think... ignoring the question as to whether you'd personally want to have the children camp or not. What does this consideration of NOT having a children camp say to you?

It says to me that our fore runners in Solid Rock are really getting tired. They've been working hard for such a long time and i believe, with the new addition of ESSR's its time for us to move forward and take on some duties or at the very least understudy these 'old folks' (haha paiseh la). As individuals we've grown but i think as servants of God, we need to take our step of fear, together. We may feel that there's already alot of responsibilities in our life right now and that we'll never be able to commit.

Why don't we meet up one of these days? When everybody is around? To really just spend some serious time of praying and encouraging, to talk about our plans for year 2006? To discuss about what more we can do? How about that? I'm really looking forward to many more years of working with all you guys... continue our nasty scandals... even after we're all attached and what nots. Haha... so i really believe its absolutely necessary for us to come together. As youths. As youths of this ministry to share with each other problems we face, in school in work and how things of the world might hinder our work in this ministry. OKai?

Melanie wil be leaving for Brisbane on the 18th of Feb... so it'd be best if we could have it before then. Man let's make 2006 a happening one! DRop it like its hot man!