~light of the world~

Thursday, June 19, 2008

I'm finally back from the church retreat, and if you tried to call or sms me and received no reply, I apologise for being in Batam and thus being unable to return it.

This retreat's programme was really different. Firstly, we had to take a FERRY to Batam and then a bus to the hotel. I slept on the ferry, and watched the nerd game between Joshua and Yihui on the bus.

Secondly, there was a lot of free time. Every afternoon was free time for us to do what we wanted - shopping, swimming, playing games, doing homework, sleeping, whatever. All my afternoons were spent playing games: Settlers, Bridge, Rummikub, one game of Bang.

Thirdly, there were no group/team games. In fact, the groups were simply the CGs, and only used for logistics. The part of time I thought would include games was actually time for the CSC to talk more about their plan for discipleship for the next 5 years or so. It included the Basic Accountability Groups (BAGs), for which a Model BAG was undergoing its course. Being corny young people, we thought of new groups like Goodie BAGs, Eye BAGs, Chanel BAGs, YBAGs, Luggage and Suitcases.

Fourthly, the eating place is at the same place as the Speaker Session place, separated by a sliding partition, on the 10th floor. My room, 924, is on the 9th floor, so I never had to step out of those few levels, except when eating lunch at The Golden Prawn, and going to see the fireworks. The fireworks were cool, and we got to hold the kind that shoots repeatedly out of one stick as you aim it into the night sky. The funniest was the one that shot out of the stick with a loud increasing wail, only to sputter out afterward.

I didn't get to play as much bridge as I had hoped. The worst part was earlier today at the ferry terminal. After customs check, I got Ian, Dustin and Delia to begin playing, and the bid was done, when we had to board the ferry. After confusion about seating, and being busy watching the game between Lukas, Nicholas, Marcus and Tan Juen, and doing the feedback survey. I managed to find them on the upper deck. Unfortunately they all abdicated and I retrieved my cards. After going back down, I found Michelle and Christopher to play, and managed to get Delia again. However, Michelle went to bring Chantal somewhere and Delia went to sleep. Then I substituted Amos in the ongoing game, and the bidding was still going on, when we reached Singapore.

It was very different for me not to have a youth pastor, even though I'd probably have had to go for the adult session anyway. It seemed every day during announcements the "youth" would be mentioned. Eg: "Now, youths! Who chewed pink bubblegum found on the floor?" "Youths, Joshua will direct you to put back the chairs." "Youths, we have a curfew for a reason." "Youths, I don't think you know how much the adults really love you." Goodness.

During the last night extended worship, when Pastor Wilfred called for the youths to step forward to be prayed for, a lot of them went forward. And then, looking around, I saw that the adults promptly sat themselves down comfortably on the chairs by the side while the few remaining youths were left standing sparsely in the big room. As if they automatically thought that the attention on youths meant that they'd just plop down like that! LOL.

And they said they wouldn't mind seeing the youths in the retreat committee next year. When they asked, "Is that okay?" or something to that effect, there was SILENCE. Haha. I don't think it's very feasible. But perhaps they meant little things, like how Joshua was bus captain, perhaps putting them in charge of equipment or smaller things like that. Can you imagine your food or hotel liasing being done by a 17 year old? Good grief.

It was fun having Hannah and Yingxuan as our connecting-door neighbours in 926. We also had a lot of fun in 831 (Sara, Selena, Melody) playing games. I also played bridge with Michelle, Rachel and Nicholas in Joanna's room 810. Joshua, Christopher, Rachel and Ian had some peanut tossing and swallowing competition. Many peanuts were thrown and caught and missed.

I can't stand the fact that I have to go back to school. Even though I finished my homework a week ago, I didn't really have time to study. I refused to bring homework like Yihui and Amos (with whom I still disagree about the td-id and pd-d bonding. I even argued with him over taking dinner, to which Su Ming said she'd never heard such intellectual discussion over a buffet) because I felt that it wouldn't be a retreat with school stuff present.

Wouldn't it be nice if there was no more school or work or exams or future to worry about, and we all just stayed like in the retreat, worshiping God on and on and on? I suppose that's what heaven is like.

Camp Song: All of Me by Su Ming (girl) .lol.

Here I am and I have no offering I could bring
But myself and my life - I give You everything
Broken pieces of my life is all I own
Here I come and lay them at Your throne

Take all of me
All that I am
Let me be transformed in You alone
Forever changed
Never the same
Jesus in my life come be enthroned

Jesus You are Lord of Life and Love and Hope
Nothing else and no one else could ever compare
Made whole by the blood You shed on the cross
All I have and all I am is Yours

I look upon Your Majesty
I gaze upon Your Glory
In the presence of Your Beauty
I am forever changed

Labels: church

xuan blogged at 8:14 PM

May your light shine...
in the darkness...