Sarawak Adventure 2007 - Day 6 - Day 7!!! By: The Boss No comments

So I guess not many Ho Ho Ho's anymore eh? By now all the presents should have been opened...all the mysteries in the gift box unwrapped...no more Santas climbing down our chimneys...and getting stuck there...This year, I got some pretty interesting gifts. Some were quite unexpected, some just made me laugh...and some made me go 'Awww...' Many thanks for your thoughtfulness, friends!

And so, our adventure carries on. After leaving Lubok Nibong longhouse, the team then travelled to a nearby jetty, about 30 mins drive away. Due to our lack of transportation, the group had to be split up into 3, which means...bad news. :) Basically, the 1st group that left for the jetty had to wait for almost 3 hours before the all the members could arrive at the jetty! And so, being on the first group...we were praying that there would be shelter or probably even some minimarkets around the jetty...and to our surprise...there WAS NONE!!! No shelter...no minimarket...only the river, and our good ol' friend, the sun! It seemed pretty happy to see us, judging from how bright it shined on us! :)

Anyway, remembered how animals go crazy when you tie them under the sun for hours? Well...not much different from us humans too! Carry on to find out our story...

The 1st team that travelled to the jetty...here seen posing at the jetty with our Tiger Biscuit...the only source of food at that moment. Everyone was dreaming of getting our hands on Alison's packet of Chipsmore!!

And so...when there's nothing much to do for the next 2 hours...and you're all alone at the jetty, what do you do? We tried story-telling, staying in touch with the latest Hollywood gossips from Klang, even tried to earn some money playing the guitar...but hey, nothing beats posing for the camera! Here's Dan doin the one-arm guitar, armpit-exposed, pose!

Hey hey...check this out...It's the SPB! Sarung Party Boys...and err..Shaun, what are you doing with my towel, young man???

To be honest...I have no idea who this fella is. Judging from the possibility of hair on the leg, I'm thinking its one of us guys...*fingers crossed*

Guess what...from the moment these 2 arrived, they immediately got into the act. This is one of those Canon 'emo shots' moment. How often do we get to play on the roads, pose for pics all day long, without getting smacked by some passing vehicle???

Natasha, Cheryl, Letchumy and Tryphena getting their girl band CD cover shot done...

Thank God for the car that was parked at the jetty. Gave us just enough shade for our head. Rest of our body...its sun-tan time!! Woo hoooo...more chindian friends in the making!

The Bering sea...a vast ocean of the some of the world's most dangerous waters...and home to the deadliest catch......

Missionaries!! Here's the team heading towards the ferry that will take us across the river.

More shots of the group on board the ferry. Surprisingly, Cheryl did not do her trademark pose for ONCE! :)

Once we got across the river, it was an hours hike to the next longhouse. Started off on tar road, but then detoured into the jungle for a mosquito-invested hike. Here's Connie and CJ taking the word umbrella to a whole new level! Must be the heat....:)

And so, after a long and muddy hike, we finally reached the next longhouse, Sg. Kali! And for some...its been a really dirty hike. Due to some unavoidable circumstances, some even decided to take a dip and dive into small pools of water along the hike. Why? I dont know. Maybe the stinking water seemed tempting. If you wanna know the story...go ask the victims themselves. Namely Agnes, Chiew Hoe, Sheila...Reuben....:)

And so, after arriving, the team had lunch, washed up and had a time of rest. It was good to be with the people. We were so blessed by their warm hospitality and their generosity. After non-stop eating, it was time to begin the night service. Let's get this party started!! Here's Reuben introducing the team to the longhouse people.

The kids were having a good time too! Had lots of fun and exercise during the praise and worship session.

Here's our Mr. 'Anak Aku Raja' Chiew Hoe, sharing his testimony on how God made it possible for him to be here in Sarawak. Point to note: Notice his hands??? Dude...top half is Chinese, bottom half is BBQ chicken...

Wei San's turn to share her testimony on how God transformed her life and her family...such a blessing to hear her testimony!

Our man of the night, Jon Lee sharing the sermon during the service together with our one and only translator, Sis. Ruth.

More pics of the kids at the longhouse. Not a very big one though. Sg. Kali longhouse has only about 7 families. This is one of the smaller longhouses we've visited.

Jon praying for the people during the alter call time.

After the night service, we then went from house to house to pray for the families at the longhouse. At this particular house, the mother in the pic shared to us about how she wants us to pray for her son. When she saw us perform the skit about the Prodigal Son, she said that her son was exactly like that character portrayed. After some time of sharing with them, we finally led the son in saying the Sinner's prayer. Praise the Lord!

We want to thank God for the many lives that turned back to God and also for the family that came to know the Lord that night. We believe that God brought us all the way to that longhouse for a very purpose, and that is to share of His love for His people. Truly, we thank God for the opportunity we had to share God's word with them. And to see an entire family receive Jesus as their personal saviour was itself an amazing experience for all of us.

This concludes our adventures for Day 6. For some, its been a physically-draining day. Its been tough emotionally for some too. But nevertheless, everyone was looking forward to another day...another day to bless His people. As for now, its time to pay my sleeping bag a visit...zzzz.

~* Day 7 *~

Day 7...wow! The days are fast...and the best part is, we have no idea what's happening out there back home! What's the latest in world news? We can only wonder...as they say, no news is good news! :) Eveyone was up and running by 6.30am. Washed up, changed, got together for a time of group devotion and then it was time for some morning exercise...for the tummy, that is! BREAKFAST!! Yummmmy...

Here's how the toilet area looks like...nothing compared to a 5-star hotel eh?

I've come to a conclusion...I believe every longhouse has sort of a 'penjaga' or watchdog near the toilet area...and in this case, its a rooster! One over-sized, mean-looking rooster! Whenever you wanna go to the loo, you gotta keep a close eye on this fella. You'll never know when he's gonna start flapping at you or even take a peck at you! For the previous longhouse, it was the pig. Now that fella's a different class of its own.

Here's Alison having some girl talkwith some of the kids. They seem pretty happy to be around her. She's like the big sister they never had...:)

Presenting you...Sg. Kali Baptist Chapel. And oh...the design for the Baptist Church is exactly the same as the one we saw in Lubok Nibong longhouse. Interestingly, both the Baptist church in Roban and Betong also have the exact same design also! Must be the same architect eh?

After breakfast, the people then gathered at the chapel for our morning service. The air was fresh, the weather was perfect..and everyone was ready to hear God's word!

Here's CJ leading the people in a time of praise and worship. I'm telling you...he's probably the cutest songleader I have ever seen! Esp when he did the song 'Manjong Meh Halelujah!'

This morning, it is our pleasure to have our dear Sheila-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-la-laaaa to share God's word. Take it away, sister!!

A time of ministry and praying for the needs of the people. It was good to see every team member, from the young to the not-so-old laying hands and praying for the people. This is what I call...On-the-job training!

Shaun praying for the son who accepted the Lord the night before.

And so, after morning service, it was time for us to pack up and leave. But before that, its time for more photos!! Cheryl and Natasha with the kids...

Sg. Kali family photo! It was great to be with them...and to encourage them in their faith and strengthen their walk with the Lord. Even as we left, our hearts and prayers are with them.

So long, farewell...I wish to say goodbye...given a choice, I think they'll want to keep us! Haha...

Alison, Tzi Li and Cheryl doing the starfish pose. They've got potential to become good goalkeepers...

Not too sure what Letch (Letchumy, for short) is up to this time. But whatever it is, she makes mud-hiking look real fun. :)

More of Cheryl and her fan club members. This pic was taken just before we left the jetty and headed back to Roban Church.

Hey hey...guess what? That's all for today, folks! Its lunchtime!!! Anyone wanna BKT? Fancy some power soup?? Or perhaps something more sacred...like banana leaf rice? Anyway, have a great weekend, friends! So many things happening, so many celebrations going on....

A happy belated birthday to our dear Cmdr. Sheila Yong, who celebrated her birthday yesterday (28th Dec). God bless yea!

Also...a very happy birthday to Cmdr. Alison who turns 21 tomorrow (30th Dec)!! Wow...this truly is a season for celebrations!

God bless...

Sarawak Adventure 2007 - Day 4 - Day 6!! By: The Boss No comments

And so, after many rounds of stuffing myself with food glorious food...its time for me to get my fat belly moving...and continue with the next post, which I know all of you out there have been waiting for days...sorry la dudes. Christmas break for me! :) Putting on weight too...bet you've been doin the same eh? Cheers!

This next post will focus on our time at the next longhouse, which is called Lubok Nibong. Its about an hour's drive from Roban Baptist Church...30 mins of tar road, followed by another 30 mins of bone-crunching, bum-aching ride over gravel and mud road...what a ride, I'm telling ya! Due to the fact that we only managed to charter one 8-seater van, it took us about 6 hours to get the entire group from the church to the longhouse...its been a long wait for some, but nevertheless...what was about to happen over the next couple of days was definitely worth the wait!

We spent the next 2 nights in this longhouse, so you can expect a long post from me...and oh, just for your info...the time now is 2.50am. I've just spend the last hour selecting and uploading pics for this post. Attempting to cram in 3 days of stories into one post is no easy task, I must say. But hey...you know me la...:) Anyway, if do start sounding a lil' cuckoo...do forgive me. Its hantu hours wei...

Do enjoy the story and pics...through the eyes and lenses of Daniel and Jon!

The cross before me...reminding me of my Saviour's love for me! As you can see, its getting dark and late. Driving through swap roads can be quite trecherous at nights...the final team arrived at the longhouse at about 7pm.

Even though everyone was feeling a lil' tired after the travelling and waiting, glad to see that we were all really happy, eager and looking forward to enjoy our time with the longhouse people, as displayed by Alison...:)

Here's Reuben getting the night service started off by introducing the team. Everyone was curious to know our names and our age especially!

The Tuai Rumah giving his welcome speech and making us feel really welcomed...the people there were genuinely excited and looking forward to what we had to share with them!

Songleaders for the night: Cheryl and Tzi Li! Double team...

Glad to see the adults together with the entire family turn up for the 1st night service!

Awww...now isn't she simply gorgeous???

Fantastic to see the kids worship the Lord...here's Richard Loo. The most popular kids in town (who happens to have a Chinese name). I'm still wondering where he got the Loo from...

Here's CJ sharing his testimony about how he used to be (and still is...) the taiko of his family!

Kevin too was the chosen one to share his life story of God's goodness and faithfulness...

The team acting out a skit based on the Prodigal Son story in the Bible...I'm telling you...these actors are simply natural. Put a bottle and ciggie in their hand, dont really have to tell them how to make good use of it...:)

Wei San sharing about the moral and lessons behind the story of the Prodigal Son, translated by Sis. Ruth.

The man of the night...Eric sharing the sermon, speaking about how God healed his mum. Another one born to preach...Preach it, brother!

The group then proceeded to pray for those who came forward during the alter call time. Everyone had an amazing experience praying for the sick, praying for the needs of the people, and praying for salvation for those who did not know Him.

Reuben praying for a lady with medical conditions...

Eric praying for a youth from Roban Baptist Church that followed us on our trip to the longhouse. Had he some difficulty speaking and forming words since birth, and so we spent some time praying for him. The next morning...he just wouldn't stop talking! Amazing!!! God is simply awesome....

After praying for the people, and having some supper after service, day 4 finally came to an end...everyone was tired out, and desperately needed sleep. And so, sleep well, we did. Snore loud too, we did...am I beginning to sound like Yoda??

*~ Day 5 ~*

And so, as always...day 5 started out bright and early. Everyone still seemed a lil grogy and aching bodies were becoming a norm, esp in the mornings. But hey, we got a mission to accomplish, and so that kept us going. Got up, washed up, spent some time having a group devotion...and then it was time for some well-deserved breakfast. More tiger biscuits, I prayed...

Ever heard of the term used by pirates called 'Walk the plank'? Well, everytime we needed to do our 'bank transactions' and 'deposits', we had our own 'walk the plank' experience...can be quite a challenge...trying to walk straight in the morn, esp when our head is still spinning. Trust me...the last thing you want is to fall off the plank! Looking at what crawls and grows at the bottom is really....*indescribable*

At the end of the road, here's the local bank where ALL transactions are done. Open 24 hours. And oh, just to add to the experience...you'll pass by an entire farm of animals after reaching the end of the plank. How cool is that??? You get to say your good mornings to some of the creatures that kept you awake all night...

The morning view is absolutely B-E-A-U-T-I-F-U-L! Very peaceful and soothing sight...

Here's Adrian. about 7 years old. Booked by Cheryl...she nicknamed him 'Sigat', which means Handsome in Iban. Fyi, my middle name too...what a coincidence! :)

These 2 kids are probably the most outstanding duo...from the moment I saw them and how they played and ordered each other around, they immediately reminded me of Eric and myself, and also how we would have been when we were younger ourselves. Cute fellas...dont you think we look alike?

The kids learning to do the Cheryl pose...seems to be getting lots of followers these days!

Here's Connie showing us how similar she is to frogs and lizards...she's got a tongue that's able to reach her nose and the bottom of her chin!

According to Cheryl's theory, the best time to do some emo posing is in the morning, when the emo-factor is high in all of us. This one is good...

Seems like the kids are catching up fast...

Cheryl's Emo-pose Fan Club members...

And so after some time of bring all vain in front of the camera lense, it was time to head to the nearby chapel for morning service. Here's the kids leading the way...

Such a beautiful sight...the chapel situated right in the middle of the paddy plantation!

As expected, all their houses and structures are evelated on stilts. Seems to be patches of water and puddles of it everywhere we look!

Once again, the entire longhouse turned up to worship together and hear God's word, with the team. To be able to share with them God's love is such a priviledge....

Our songsheet boys in action. This was the morning where Alwyn made a name for himself when he songlead. According to him, this song is actually sung 'Anak Aku Raja'...which means 'his son is a king'. Steady la bro....thanks for the morning entertainment! :)

Here's Cheryl sharing her testimony on how she overcame her fears...powderful stuff!

For the adult's service, a few of us took turns to share to the people concerning on the 5 key points of Evangelism Explosion, and to explain to them the our beliefs as a Christian and the principals behind receiving the gift of Salvation. Here we see Shaun speaking about the GRACE.

Daniel then proceeded to speak about Man, from creation, to the fall of man, sin, and how man cannot save himself.

Jon wrapping up things at the end by opening for a time of re-dedication and receiving the gift of Salvation.

And so, while the adults were busy with EE, guess what the kids were up to? Yup...you're right. FUN FUN FUN! Always a joy to see the teachers themselves having so much fun in the teaching process!

Oh boy...the kids simply loved the action songs session! High-energy and muscle-aching for some! Noticed that Tzi Li seemed to be everywhere at the same time???

Then the kids got started on their craftwork and name tags...loads of fun, I'm telling ya! f only I was a kid again...

Some kids were just plain hungry...and would resort to eating anything...like this lil' cutie...

"Mama, I'm hungry. Can I eat this stuff? Looks like banana to me...or prob a big piece of cornflakes! *chew*munch* Taste good too! Wanna see magic? Now you see it....

Taa daaaaa...now you dont! *Burp* After gobbling down half his name tag, she's one happy child!

Lovely shot....craft work just about to begin! Tzi Li and her team on screen...

Eric, Alison and Connie with their team of kids...sharing a lighter moment.

Sometimes kids can be so blurr...and duhh...like this shot. So candid and yet so cute...Robert introducing his friend Andran to us...

Tzi and team proudly showing off their latest hand-made, home-made Christmas deco...

Here's Alison together with Abby and her finished product....a 3-D Christmas Tree!

The birth of Apu. The tale of an Indian man trapped in a Chinese man's costume...

Sis. Ruth together with some Iban kids she found along her way...


And so, after a hectic morning, we had some lunch, decided to spend some time relaxing on the jetty, hoping to catch a glimpse of some crocodiles along the river banks, enjoy nature's beauty, those sort of stuff....

Such a classic and beautiful scenery. Surprisingly, the river looks very similar to Klang river...including the river banks. Swampy and muddy terrain. The water is slightly salty...perfect for crocs to chill out and take a dip....

The group just chillin out and lazing around the jetty...taking tons of pics!

The river currently at low tide...nice to see so much mud around the place. Feels like home...

Sheila and Connie...SMILE!

In the afternoon at about 3.30pm, the team headed up north by foot. We were to go to a nearby school and also visit some families to spend some time praying for them and to encourage them with God's word.

"There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty." Deut 33:26

I love this shot...you'll never walk alone, brother.

The longhouse kids who accompanied us to their school to pray for the teachers, classrooms and their headmaster.

The group praying for the headmaster of the school. We prayed a prayer of blessing and fruitfulness upon his life and the school. We pray that this school will continue to bless and build up God-fearing leaders of tomorrow...

We then proceeded to some nearby longhouses and spent some time praying for the families there. He we see a lady and her daughter who is suffering from a certain skin disease that is common with a few other families we visited. We prayed for God's healing to be upon them nd asked God to break every chain of this disease.

After praying for every family, surely got drinks...and more biscuit to consume. Someone's obviously happy...esp with food and drinks in the hand and mouth.

Some of the kids that followed us from house to house.

Prayed for this family, the mother and her 2 daughters. They live simple lives...and what they generally want is good health, good yield of their crops, and protection for their children.

Eric praying for this family. Notice the interesting decoration hanging above or heads? Would you believe me if I told you that those decos were made out of junkfood packets? So next time when you gobble down a pack of potato chips, find something interesting to do with the empty packet. Go make a shirt out of it or something cool...

I was definitely amazed by their creativity...man..that's a lot of junkfood consumed!

"Everything's cool!" Adrian assures them.

One of the best candid shot...pic by Dan Seliong.

The final house we visited. We were tired, we were stuffed with tea and biscuits...and it was time to go home. Thank God for the walk...helps the digestion.

Have you ever seen a rainbow this complete and this beautiful? "Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." Gen 9:16

"I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands." Psalms 63:4

Worship, through the eyes of our ever-faithful Kapok guitar...

The kids enjoying and participating in our 2nd night service during the praise and worship session. As a child, we must learn to worship, believe and trust in Him. Faith like a child...

Worshipping Him...for He deserves our worship. This trip, we learned that we will not offer unto the Lord an offering that costs us nothing.

After a time of worshipping Him, the kids then presented us a short mini-epic staging of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. Here we see a pregnant Mary and Joseph in a stable.

And lo and behold...baby Jesus was born!

The animals went crazy...everyone began to celebrate the birth of Jesus!

We even had a visitation from 3 angels, just as written in the Bible!

And behold...a star will be the guiding light for the wisemen who came from country afar to visit baby Jesus.

All the animals, angels, star, wisemen, Mary and Joseph then had a blast of a time singing and dancing to the song 'Soraklah Halelujah'! What a spledid performance by the kids! Thumbs up to them and Alison's team for the effort in staging this mini Christmas play.

And so, after we finally cleared the entire Bethlehem scene, it was time for Agnes to share her testimony.

Tzi Li too then shared about her life's story and how God made all the difference...

Reuben then shared the sermon for the night. He spoke about 'Running The Christian Race'. Using the bag as an illustration, he showed that we need to throw away every burden that hinders and slows us down...

After the sermon was shared, we then proceeded to pray for the people. Many re-dedicated their lives unto God that night. Praise the Lord!

Agnes praying for this lady who had pain and complication all over her leg and wrist.

And so, after praying for the people and praying for the entire longhouse, we finally called it a night...after supper, that is. Everyone needed a good night's rest, and was looking forward to another exciting day ahead! God bless...

~* Day 6 *~

Waking up to the sound of roosters, doing their mating call... is definitely no fun, especially at 5.30am. Somebody's gonna' get hurt pretty bad...Woke up early, washed up, and got ready for group devotion. Time for breakfast!

Everyone, say hi to Mr. Pig...a close relative of Saw Phaik Joo, according to Cheryl. This dude...every night when we had to walk the plank to get to the loo, he'll stay low, and when you least expect, he'll suddenly pop up and make a loud grunting sound to scare the heavens out of you! Grrrr....Don't you think he'll look good floating in a bowl of soup???

After breakfast, we had a mini Sunday School session for the kids. Sang more actions songs to get them pumping. Some morning exercise for us too!

This was the coolest...here's Alison teaching the class about sin and how God's makes everything clean again by forgiving us. Using Iodine and some 'magic' salt, this cool illustration got the kids scratching their heads and wondering "How in the world did she do that???" Haha...

And so...after lessons, we spent some time ballooning with the kids. It was pretty sad for us...knowing that in a few hours time, we'll be leaving them. They knew it too...and the tears in their eyes said everything....Here's some of our girls taking a pic with some of their girls.

Cheryl and Mr. Sigat...they'll make a good family. More like mother and son...:) What's with the Mohawk??? I think they got the inspiration from their roosters...

More group pics with the kids...such a happy bunch, I'm telling ya! Made it very very very difficult to say goodbye to them without having tears form in our eyes too...

And so, finally out time at Lubok Nibong has come to an end. After spending 3 days and 2 nights with them, it was difficult for many of us to leave. Harder for them to see us go, I would say. Almost every kid cried when we said our goodbyes...these memories will forever be with us. We said a prayer for each child, that God will always watch over them and keep them close to His heart. Truly, its been an adventure never to be forgotten. The friendship made, the hearts touched, the lives changed...we thank God for this opportunity to be a part of their lives, and for them to be a part of ours.

My journey stops here for now. Its almost 5am. When you start seeing stars and birds flying around...you know you need sleep. Goodnight friends...goodnight world....Zzzzz....

God bless America...and God be with us all!