Chennai, 7-17 Aug 2011: Reflections from Job Tan

Here's another piece of sharing from Job Tan, member of the Destiny team that went to Chennai (he also happens to be one of the founders of Destiny). ;)

Photo: Job (right) with Bro Benjamin who was in charge of feeding all the international delegates.

Every session just got me deeper into the spirit and allowed me to enjoy the freedom in the spirit. So for me it was a renewal experience.

The sweet prayers of children, worshiping, giving praise and interceding for the nations will draw me back again....

I'm also more convinced through my interaction with the locals and looking at my family's response this time [our 2nd trip to the same place :)] that God has given us more grace to love and serve our Asian brothers and sisters, especially the children. God seems to be widening this circle of friends, we eagerly await to see what's to come...

Chennai, 7-17 Aug 2011: Reflections from Soon Yong Liang

Here's the second piece of sharing from another member of the Destiny team that went to Chennai. Photo: Yong Liang (right) with our new friend Petre from HK / Malaysia.

Praise be to the Lord, for He is the giver of every good and perfect gift. The best gift that he gave us is Christ. Like in the book of Romans 5:8(esv) “But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” I am eternally thankful for His grace and His mercy to love an unworthy sinner person like me, that I may worship my father in heaven and also serve in his kingdom’s work.

Anne and Job from the Destiny team asked me whether I was able to go in India Chennai, for a mission trip. However I was considering whether I should be going on this mission trip because of my exams and school classes during this period. Also I was struggling with the thought that this would be the first time going with a team of people whom I hardly know or have not even met. Another doubt I had was, what was I going to do there and how is God going to use me to share the gospel to the people in India. This was not the first time I was going to India and I really love the people and their love for God there in India. Not only that, the previous time I went with my own home church (BBTC), the missionary told me that there are still many people who do not know Christ and their discipleship process was very bad because they do not have proper teaching and knowledge of the word. That really convinced me to go back to India to share the gospel through telling them or even serving them.

During the mission trip there were a few things that I observed that was worth noticing and learning. I think firstly, I really admire their hospitality towards the international delegates in India. I think during the whole trip, we really felt their love towards us. Although the living conditions were not the best, however they tried their best to keep us comfortable and happy. I felt as Singaporeans, we lack that in us as we are quite spoilt and selfish. Many times even for me, we think of our own comfort before thinking of other people’s comfort. The Indian people had very little sleep and time for themselves, however they kept serving us non-stop. As a Christian, I think I should learn this quality that I see in them. This reminds me of Christ's service to us, that he left his throne in the heavens to serve us sinners, even till death.

Another observation that I saw was how passionate they were about praying for people, through their prayer meetings and also their worship, and how they worship God with their actions and dance. They earnestly would worship God no matter how tired they were and even through the night they prayed and practiced. I was thinking to myself that these kids were rejected by people and the lowest in the society yet they were doing great things for God. I was praying for them that they will be the ones sharing the gospel to the world. Sometimes I felt pity for them because most of them do not have parents or they have been abandoned, however seeing them knowing Christ, I did not feel pity for them as they have the best gift of all which is Christ in them.

Lastly, we went to the leprosy village in the outskirts of India Chennai. I was really stunned at the people that were there. Also this was my first time seeing lepers and also praying for them. They were in the outskirts of Chennai, because society has cast them aside. When I was there, I started praying for the people. There were over 100 lepers in the village. We were also able to go into the houses to pray and even hear the testimony of the lepers. Juliana, who was one of my group members, went into a grandmother’s house, because she wanted prayer. When we went in, the house was really small, just like a size of a bedroom in Singapore. She told us that her house would be flooded during raining days because the roof was leaking. Also she did not have any money to pay her medical and electrical bills. During the duration of our stay at her house, the electricity was erratic; it came on and then turned off for long periods of time. This could be prevented if the government could just care for these people. As an engineer, a simple thing like drainage would solve the flooding problem in her house. I do see now how sin causes the world to have poor people. However, we as Christians need to be there with the lonely, the poor and the hungry, as what Jesus did when he was doing his ministry on this earth. He wasn’t just looking at these people from heaven, but He came as a man to serve us to glorify his Father in heaven. We should do the same as He did.

In conclusion, I would like to give thanks to God for his grace and his mercy to the whole team for safety and good health. As God has taught me a lot of things in India, I would like to apply them in Singapore and in whatever I do. Also I would thank my team members for making me feel comfortable and being so friendly. To God be the glory!

Chennai, 7-17 Aug 2011: Reflections from Jessie Chui

We just successfully completed the first-ever Destiny overseas trip to Chennai, India from 7 to 17 Aug 2011! PTL!!

We will be posting the various team members' sharing/reflections one by one. Here's the first one from Jessie Chui. Photo: Jessie (right) with our lovely guide and friend Hephzibah.

This is my first trip to Chennai, which is a very unforgettable one where I received so much love, met many new amazing people and learned new insights which impacted my life and changed me.

First, I am not a very passionate person, I am quite cold at times, I seldom take the initiative to interact with people. But during this trip I saw how passionate these people are, especially the children. They are full of smiles and always rushes to me to say hi to me, hug me, play with me and I changed to taking the initiative to greet people with warmth and hugs even when I’m back in Singapore and I can see the big difference this little change has made, where walls between the relationship just falls and the love of God just flows freely with just a hug and a smile (:

I got to interact with some amazing pastors, missionary and passionate Christians and learned so much from their way of living, which inspired me to go deep into the Word of God and spend a lot of time reading the Word, praying and worshipping as I can see the difference in them, how they shine with the light of the Word in them and they are never weary of doing good and loving everyone passionately.

One of the most memorable nights during the conference was when we were praying for our own country on stage and Pastor Anton said to me that I am a holy child because I choose God which touches me because I am still struggling with my sins yet God sees me as holy because I never give up in fighting to be holy and God gave me the anointing to pray for the youths in Singapore, to be filled by God’s love because although most of us have parents with us but we are spiritual orphans and most of us are using worldly things to fill our voids which only God can fill. Being filled with God’s love is the only way to be changed from our sinful ways. My desire is that Singaporeans will experience and abide in the Father’s love, to be a holy country that influences the other countries around us.

One of the most precious things I gained from this trip is a heart of compassion, which is the Father’s heart. God gave me this heart when this little girl whom I love so much walked towards me, crying her lungs out during the conference and my heart just breaks for her where I hugged her tightly and kept telling her “I love you so much, you’re my precious, I am your Father, I have always been with you and will never leave you.” She cried for a long time and finally fell asleep in my arms where I wished that she would remain in my embrace forever and this is what God feels for every one of us. He loves us so much that His heart breaks deeply when we are going through hardships and how He longs to hold us in His arms forever and watching us sleep in His embrace. Until now I still misses the little girl and would pray for her each time I think of her. Thank You Father for showing me your love for us that is so wide and so passionate, that I am just in awe of your great love, how you love each and every one of us is just so amazing.

I miss Chennai so much. My heart is always wanting to go back to visit the children. To play with them, pray with them, worship with them, sing with them and dance with them! They are so different from the children I see in Singapore because they are “less fortunate” yet actually they are much richer in the spirit. It is because they have little, that they have more of God. Praise the Lord for in Him, the poor say they are rich, the weak say they are strong and God uses the poor and the weak to shake the nations. The weak shall rise up and the strong will fall so that every one will know that He is the Lord and His name will be glorified on earth. Amen!