Wanted: High School English Teacher

Tuban, a township in the island of Java, is in need of an English teacher who will teach in several Secondary Schools within the area. Tuban is about a 3-hour drive from Surabaya, the capital city of East Java. The residents of this area are predominantly muslims so applicants must have a "big heart" to serve the muslims. Applicants should be available to start immediately.

Applications should be sent to . Please include expected salary.

Please forward to anyone who might be interested. Thanks! 

Being a Winner!

I guess winning has been quite a usual thing for me lately...heehee...well, actually that's an overstatement. I've won in two contests this month, actually one was a raffle. But the reason why I'm making such a big deal out of this is that all my life, I've only won a prize in a contest once, a general admission ticket for a Gary V concert in Zamboanga, and that was when I was still in high school. But then this month, all of a sudden I was a winner in not just one but in two contests... It really feels great to be a winner. 

I was in a Cebu Pacific flight two weeks ago. As usual, there was a "Bring Me" game on board the flight. I usually don't participate in these games coz I am always seated in one of the back rows. And I noticed that people in the back rows don't really get to win any prize. But in this particular flight, I was seated in the second row. So when the game started, I wasn't really excited.  But since there was nothing else to do I told myself that I will participate in the game. When the flight attendant asked for the inflight magazine, I raised up my copy not really expecting to win. After scanning the crowd for the winner, the flight attendant motioned to his colleague to give the prize to me. My eyes grew big not being able to believe that I was the winner. (I guess being a teacher, I acquired this habit of exaggerating for dramatic effects.) I was on cloud 9 the whole duration of the flight. I was a winner!

Then, just today on my way to class,one of the school's security guards told me that I had a package. I was confused because I wasn't expecting to receive any package. So I immediately tore the box open and read the cover letter. It turns out that I was one of the winners in Reader's Digests' annual sweepstakes. I vaguely remember joining the sweepstakes 'cause it was last year's raffle. I thought they had the raffle draw several months ago. It turns out that they just had it this July and I was one of the minor winners. I really couldn't believe that I was a winner, maybe not the grand prize winner, but I was still a winner. I was ecstatic. I was a winner!

Well, I've been declaring much about being a winner lately. And God has shown me that I am indeed a winner. These two incidents are just foretastes of what being a winner really is. I am indeed a winner. No matter what people say, no matter what happens, I am still a winner. God has already prepared into my future everything that I need to be a winner. I just have to keep on expecting for the "breakthroughs" to come. Now, I will keep on believing 'cause faith will keep me going. I am a winner! I am a winner!

Prophetic Word for the Philippines

Last weekend, I attended the International Prophetic Conference at the Supermall Convention Center. It was a 3-day event but I only got to attend the last 2 days. On the 3rd day of the conference, Pastor Benaiah of Malaysia gave a prophetic word for the Philippines. There were three points to the word he gave:

1. People should pray for the upcoming Vice-president of the Philippines. He will be like Joseph. We all need to pray for wisdom for him.

2. The Lord will move within the military in a new way. Fellowships will arise in the military. God will do a great thing in the military, something that He has never done before.

3. The construction and service industries will be 2 of the most booming industries in the country. New constructions will arise. 

During the night service of the 2nd day, Cindy Jacobs said that a prayer tower will arise in Bora-Bora that will open a gate to the Philippines. She didn't elaborate on the "Philippines part" 'cause she was concentrating on Bora-Bora but I believe that the Philippines will play a great part in bringing revival to this region... to Southeast Asia, to all the countries in Asia. Let's rise up to our destiny! Let's decree all that God has promised for our country.

The Ants

A week before the classes were to end, I got a very special surprise from one of my kindergarten students. One morning, Gavin came up to me very excited. He said, "I have something for you! I have something for you!" Thinking that he's discovered my "addiction", I was hoping to get a bag of chocolates from him. While he was getting that "something" from his bag, I looked at his class teacher and raised my eyebrows silently asking her if she knew what it was. She just giggled and said, "Yes, he has something for you!" Gavin finally came back and gave me that "special something" - ants.

I laughed out loud and lovingly said "thank you" to Gavin. It was so funny, there I was expecting a bag of chocolates but what I got was a plastic of ants, 2 big black ants to be exact. I hugged Gavin and proudly showed the plastic of ants to his classmates. I saw how proud he was of himself. He even offered to explain that those ants were "guard ants". For me it didn't matter what his gift was, the thing that mattered was "his heart" when he gave it to me. I will always treasure Gavin's gift to me.

This made me realize how God must feel for us. He must feel much love for us when we try to do things for Him. He treasures everything that we do even if these things may be very feeble. Most of the time we fail in our endeavors, but I know that He still lovingly looks at us and tells us that He appreciates our efforts. 'Cause He doesn't look at the whats of our efforts but He looks at the whys of our efforts. The only thing that He wants from us is a relationship with Him not our ministry, not our accomplishments, not our worldly successes. He wants all of our heart, not just a part of it but ALL of it. So the next time that we go to God and try to do things for Him, we have to remember that it doesn't matter what we do or whether we succeed or fail 'cause He will always be like a father to us. He will always be proud of us 'cause He knows our hearts.

Completely (from Facing the Giants)

The secret of life is letting go
The secret of love is letting it show
In all that I do
In all that I say
Right here in this moment

The power of prayer is in a humble cry
The power of change is in giving my life
And laying it down
Down at your feet
Right here in this moment

chorus:
Take my heart
Take my soul
I surrender everything to your control
And let all that is within me lift up to you and say
I am yours and yours alone
Completely

This journey of life is a search for truth
This journey of faith is following you
Every step of the way
Through the joy and the pain
Right here in this moment

Right here, right now, and for the rest of my life
Hear me say

I am yours and yours alone
Completely

Prince Caspian

(with Irene and Yola at TP Mall)

I've waited for this movie since last year. I finally got to watch it for free last Wednesday, thanks to my school. There were about 200 of us from Mawar Sharon (church and school). Anyway, the movie wasn't what I expected. I expected it to be "grander". But then, it doesn't matter, I still loved it cause it's Narnia. I'm a die-hard Narnia fan. Go, Narnia!!!

I just hated the part where Prince Caspian and Susan kissed. I didn't think it was necessary. The movie would've been better off without it. But then, it's Hollywood, what could we expect. :-(

Anyways, I got three things from the movie:

1. I have to be passionate about what I do. (Reepicheep and his troop)
2. Be proud of my work.(Again, Reepicheep and his troop)
3. Anything that I do, I do it for God! (When they finally figured out what they were fighting for. That it was all for Aslan.)

Hurray for Narnia! Hope they make another Narnia movie. :-)

Abiding...Not Striving (James Hudson Taylor)

Last week, I was reading a book about Hudson Taylor and his wife Maria and a chapter in the book struck me as something so true...and so liberating.


From Chapter 20 of the book "Hudson and Maria, Pioneers of China" by John Pollock.

He (J.H. Taylor) opened and skimmed through letter after letter from the stations, from home, from Shanghai.

He came upon one from John McCarthy, written a day or two after Hudson had left. It was a long letter. He read on and on, attention riveted. "I seem," McCarthy wrote, "as if the first glimmer of the dawn of a glorious day has risen upon me... I seem to have sipped only of that which can fully satisfy." McCarthy had found the secret they sought. Hudson looked at the letter again. "To let my loving Saviour work in me His will...Abiding, not striving or struggling..."

Hudson came to the last paragraph. "Not a striving to have faith, or to increase our faith but a looking at the beautiful one seems all we need. A resting in the loved one entirely, for time, for eternity. It does not appear to me as anything new, only formerly misunderstood."

Hudson was amazed at his own blindness. His eyes opened wide. As in Barnsley twenty years before, as at Brighton four years before, a long inward struggle resolved in a split second. "As I read it, I saw it all. If we believeth not, He abideth faithful. And I looked to Jesus and saw (and when I saw, oh, how joy flowed) that He had said, "I will never leave you." In shorter time than it took to describe afterwards, Hudson grasped that e must not struggle to have the strengthand peach of Christ. "I have striven in vain to abide in Him. I'll strive no more. For has not he promised to abide with me - never to leave me, never to fail me? The effort to 'get it out' was a mistake.

"I am one with Christ," he cried as he explained the glorious discovery to the whole Chinkiang household, hastily gathering them together and reading McCarthy's letter. "It was all a mistake to try and get the fullness out of Him, I am part of Him. Each of us is a limb of His body, a branch of the vine. Oh, think what a wonderful thing it is to be really one with a risen Saviour." And in some such words as he wrote a few weeks later to his sister Amelia in England, he expounded the truth he had missed so long: "Think what it involves! Can Christ be rich and I poor? Can your right hand be rich and your left poor? or you head well fed while your body starves?"

Wow! It's just so amazing to know that God is always there ready to guide us, ready to help us. We just have to abide in Him. He promised never to leave us nor forsake us. It just gets so tiring when we struggle to abide in Him thinking that He abandons us when we are unfaithful, but then we don't have to struggle 'cause He is always there... He will never leave our side. :-) Life in Him is always bountiful 'cause everything that is His is ours too. We have everything that we need to fulfill our destiny, we just need to abide in Him.

Shining Like Stars

My friends and I 'stole' this little boy a few days ago. His name's Raka and he seemed so comfortable in our house. Raka is just one of the many kids who play outside our gate every day. Right after moving to the new staff house, I felt a burden for the kids in the neighbourhood. I knew that I can bless them by teaching them English. However, I didn't know who to approach or ask for help about starting the ministry.

Last month, Ms Lina, also a teacher in MSCS, told me that she was planning to start a ministry in our neighbourhood and she was wondering if I could help. Immediately I said yes. I knew that this is an opportunity for me to be a blessing. I was excited. We started our English class 2 weeks ago. The children are always excited, very eager to learn. It is such a joy teaching them. :-) I am so grateful that God has opened the door for me and my friends so we can shine like stars in the darkness.

Gibby

I met Gibby at a children's revival meeting last week. My friends and I were jumping up and down during praise and worship when he suddenly appeared in front of us and showed us the 'right' moves. I couldn't help but laugh coz he looked so adorable and funny.

I took pictures of him while he was dancing. But he came to me and asked me to erase them coz he said he didnt want me to take pictures of him. He tried to look shy. But then, after a while it didn't really take much prodding to have him pose and smile in front of the camera. :-) I'm glad I met Gibby coz I was reminded that life was just so simple. And there's always lots of reasons to smile.

Humility in Service

"For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."

Mark 10:45

We had our Easter celebration yesterday and all the students prepared a short presentation. The Kindergarten 1 students presented a skit on Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. It got me thinking about the reason why I am in ministry. I was convicted because most of the time I serve people only because of want of recognition or praise, and not because of love.

A few weeks ago, while reflecting on my life, I realized that I am always eager to please people. I want people to praise me, whether it be from my family, friends, boss, colleagues, pastor, co-workers in the ministry, it's all the same. I want them to praise me for the things that I do. I feel important when I am needed. I draw my value from my achievements, from the approval of men. I am on a spiritual high whenever people are applauding my efforts.

But Jesus came to Earth to save us because He loved us. He didn't need the approval of men because He was secure in the Father's love. He served people because He loved them and not because He wanted them to like Him. That is what I'm trying to do now, learning to serve like Jesus. I have a long way to go but at least I'm trying . :-)