2nd day of the Go4th conference.. oh man... it just keeps getting better! I've not felt this charged up or refreshed since the Joshua 21 conference in 2003. It was simply amazing today, and the best thing is: there are still 2 more days to go. I guess the only thing that is not fantastic is the parking fee, but well, after Australia, I think the parking fee is "reasonable".
Some of the highlights of that day was certainly the 2nd workshop I attended on East Timor. Sue-anne had asked me, "why East Timor?". My reply, "I don't know, looked interesting?" Honestly, I really have no idea why I put East Timor down as one of my electives, but now I have a feeling that God really made me tick that choice.
The workshop was small, just like the nation; but when I walked in I was a bit shocked. As they had really power speakers for such a small workshop. Oh man... halfway through the session I really have to say that my heart was strangely warmed; and all Rev Lorna Khoo was doing was presenting FACTS and history, not even the prayer requests and all that. Maybe it's no coincidence that I want to take Bahasa Indonesia sometime in the coming AY.
But certainly the one thing I will never forget is the night rally, when Rev James Taylor IV spoke. He is the great-great grandson of Hudson Taylor and was raised in Taiwan. And oh man... I just felt so ashamed of myself as he spoke. Why? Because he preached in PERFECT MANDARIN!!!! (and hokkien) In fact the sermon had to interpreted into english!
Shocked and awed... that how I felt as he spoke. And being in NUS Science Faculty, which is almost a mini-China, I felt so challenged and grateful. Grateful that I ended up in neighbourhood schools all my life and had to converse with fellow classmates in mandarin and certainly grateful that I did not end up in a school that has the word "chinese" in it's name but no one really speaks chinese there.
And challenged, because it makes me want to learn how to lead worship properly in mandarin. (The last time I led "King of Majesty" in mandarin definately doesn't count.) It's no suprise I guess that I have been watching webcasts of CHC's mandarin services for some time now. I honestly find the mandarin translation of all those Planetshakers and Hillsong songs so much more meaningful than the original english wording. Less ambiguitiy in the words and so much more personal. Amazing.
Well, we'll see what happens soon. Honestly cannot wait for tomorrow's conference to begin.
