The Joy of The Lord is Jo's strength!

Hey guys  I apologise for not blogging 

(No one reads them why am I apologising ahhaha) 

Haha oh and I have this small testimony to share with y'all!! 

So this week is full of intensive and school for us sec 4s and that includes me to. I wasn't feeling well last night and signs of flu and even sore eyes were showing up even when I went to bed. Moreover, this morning I was actually really tired but I decided to go for a morning run before school started, (Wednesday is one of my morning run days) and I also talked to The Lord about my problems (staying awake in class etc) and yes. 

Since 8 in the morning, I've been doing work and I was actually otw to tuition haha. 

But the thing is I don't feel tired of stressed at all!

I mean c'mon. 

8-10am AM

10.30-12.30pm EM 

1-3pm physics 

3-4.30pm physics paper 

5-7pm AM tuition 

And I barely fell asleep in class!  (Only 

Crazinesszzxzxc you might say, but you know what? :-) 

Let's all be reminded that the joy of the Lord is our strength. No matter what you face,no matter what you need- be it wisdom, favour, strength to face your situations , the energy to focus in class, the joy to find meaning in life, the concentration and determination etc, ASK THE LORD. For He freely gives, and gives WILLINGLY, exceedingly and abundantly more than we can ever ASK OR IMAGINE! 

On the side note, It's the 4th of June, one month after my birthday. And it's a day for me to open a really important letter. So hopefully I'll start blogging every 4th of the month ahah. 

If you're reading this, you'll know who you are and I just wanted to say that I do keep every single letter you write to me. And of course I'd like to thank you 

Josephine 

Mission Trip 2013

This year's mission trip has exceeded my expectations, as not only did most of my expectations come to past, but the way God made me experience it first hand was significant! After hearing what Deacon shared about his experience of ministering to one crying youth, I felt that I wanted that too! Hence, one of my expectations was to be that girl, who is  able and willing to minister to that one person. 

On the last day of lessons in Ban Dong Nam school, I requested for the 3 youths in our P5 class who didn't received salvation  yesterday, to come up front again. This time, Filter and Mak decided to receive Christ! Hence, the 3 of us held hands and as I prayed for them, I was just so touched and overjoyed at how The Lord always provides second chances!

After that, I realised "chok", the only boy in the P5 class who didn't want to receive Christ had left to read a book at the side of the classroom. Then, I decided to just spent time to minister to that one kid. I was reminded of how coach had spent 30mins to just minister and love a crying child. And that's what I did. With a tear stained face, I requested for chok to be prayed for. I remember myself saying to him, "it doesn't matter if you receive christ or not, because Jesus will still see you these. And you are very precious to Him." 

However, after I prayed for him, he still went to the side of the classroom to "read". That's when I tried putting myself in his shoes- the whole class has been saved but I'm not. How left out, how lonely Chok must have felt... I went up to him, and placed my arms around him. All I remember was the shot of hurt in his eyes. Even though he gave me a blank face, like he was least interested in the affection I was showing him, I just continued ministering to him by just holding him by my side. I hugged, talked to him and continuously told him to cheer him up in Thai! However, it appeared to me that he didn't want me near him. Before lessons ended, we took polaroids with the P5s again, and I did too with Chok. I could sense that he wasn't smiling for the photo, but it didn't matter. I really wanted to love him with God's love in me. However, I found out that Chok actually took the polaroid of us! That meant that he actually felt loved and wanted to keep the Polaroid of me and him as memory. Which really made me happy! God has allowed me to meet my expectation- to be a girl who is willing and able to minister to that ONE person. 

That night, another one of my expectations came to past again- to personally see souls saved! After Deacon encourage the youths to go around KMB to ask if anyone hasn't received Christ and would want to, Kelvin and I went around. Soon after, we met this lady and her daughter. We found out that she wasn't a christian. Hence, we asked her if she wanted to receive Christ and she agreed! All glory to God! There, Kelvin, Nigel and I prayed for her and we were glad that God has used the 3 of us to reach out to a lady at the corner of the room! 

Not only that, during the last night of DG sharing, I felt that when I stepped out to lead the DG during sharing, it was so effortless! The anointing and favour of God was so strong and it flowed profusely through me. It was so evident that I could see the quietest people in the DG share about how they felt whenever we held alter calls, and the reason behind their tears. Indeed, it was heartwarming to not only facilitate a DG sharing, but also to have an interactive one! One where we treated each other as family, where we shared how we really felt deep down in our hearts. 

This experience is indeed different from last year's parent child mission trip, as we managed to step out at such a young age with our friends, to spread the gospel! Not only that, but we were all empowered by God to do great and mighty exploits!

Little things in life (3/7/13)

Hey guys,

Been a long time since I blogged haha. Just wants to share something small that made me realize that sometimes, little things in life are valuable lessons.

I was on my way from school to the MRT station to head to tuition. Like always, i dropped by at Value shop to see if there were any new sweets I could grab for my sisters. When I was about to pay, a pudgy woman with shoulder length hair went up to the counter with a ten dollar note. She requested the woman at the counter to help her change $10 into 5 $2 notes.

Honestly I was quite impatient because the woman was holding up the line. After I paid and left the shop, I saw the same woman leaving the shop too. We walked past an old man who sat at the mouth of the shop, selling tissue packets.

Then, the woman handed the elderly $2, said, " have a nice day!" And left.

That struck me. The woman changed her big note just to give it to the elderly man, WITHOUT even taking the tissue packet she DESERVED.

This just made me realise how I've been so judgmental about people... But this was indeed a valuable lesson :-)

Shalom, Jo

100 facts

Hey guys,
These are 100 facts about me!

1) birthday- 4th May
2) no favorite colour but I dislike pink
3) I used to have a dog until I gave it away around Dec'11
4) I take out my shoes in class
5) my dad is from Indonesia and my mum is from Malaysia
6) I'm Singaporean
7) I was born in New Creation Church
8) I am 161.5cm, still growing amen
9) I used to have 2 hamsters, Northy and Southy
10) I'm the type of person that really hates getting something that is mainstream or currently the in- thing.
11) I can cruise, but no tricks haha
12) I was currently from RGPS, 6B year 2010
13) I have a second piercing
14) I love scrambled egg but not any other type of cooked egg (i dislike egg yolk)
15) I can cycle
16) I started swimming since kindergarten
17) I'm the type of person that will stick with something I like for a super long time of about 6months or a year , (food, drink, flavor of ice cream etc), until I find something better.
18) my longest crush lasted for 6 months, which is super long for me.
19) I've been using a blue highlighter and blue pens since the start of 2013.
20) I have 3 pair of vans, bought one for $10 at a sale.
21) I don't really keep up with latest music but when I hear something I like, be it old or new, I will keep listening until I get sick.
22) I don't like cheese, unless it's on a pizza or (depends)
23) I used to play the piano and dance ballet until I stopped at grade 3 when I was 9.
24) I love mushrooms and seaweed.
25) during the holidays, I prefer swimming and tanning by the pool than sleeping in.
26) I love DIY activities and tie dying/ dip dying clothes.
27) I take pure history
28) if I always wear jeans, there's only 2 reasons: hide my rashes or hide my ankle guard tans, or both.
29) I'm in IJ netball (school team)
30) I have ang moh god grandparents haha
31) I think camwhoring is a facial exercise
32) I wake up at 6.40am on weekdays
33) my best timing for 3.2km is 16:41 but I'm improving amen!
34) I think Kevinlovescookies is cute
35) I have an older sister and a younger sister.
36) I usually type with :-), instead of :)
37) I take bus home unless a friend drags me or I just missed my bus.
38) my pocket money is about $25 for school but somehow I get $50 a week, plus money to eat out.
39) I would say I'm a pretty thrifty person.
40) I have a sweet tooth.
41) I used to have a phobia of heights but I overcame it.
42) I love theme parks.
43) I can play a bit of guitar (self taught plus a bit of Daddy's help)
44) I wouldn't consider myself to be a daddy's or mummy's girl.
45) I have a penny named butterscotch.
46) I've sprained my ankle once and my foot once.
47) I played basketball in primary school and was training at Basketball Association of Singapore until I got kicked out cos I wasn't selected hahaah
48) I'm in CHIJ Toa Payoh and not RGS because I did badly for PSLE- 239
49) I think girls with toned muscles are sexier than girls with skinny legs.
50) I think that late night texting and calls < beauty sleep
51) I've been serving in church since Sec 1- RSM, and now still serving but as an MM.
52) I haven't been serving for RSM recently because I'm on ministry break. (Break is supposedly ending before EJ)
53) I don't think I look good in jeans because my calves are really big
54) I'm in house committee in school.
55) As much as I love sweet candy, I love sour candy.
56) I don't grow sick of eating something daily, but I grow sick of boys easily.
57) I don't text in class.
58) I have tuition for amath.
59) I've been wearing a white watch on my left hand for more than 3 years.
60) I haven't changed my shoe, pencil case and school bag ever since sec 1.
61) I only had my first eye candy/ crush when I was P6.
62) I've been in a girl school ever since 7.
63) I forged my mum's signature when I was 7, got called up infront of the whole school by the principal because I was playing with my friend's hoodie when i was 8, got into a fight when I was 9, wrote a sick porno book about a girl and made her sign it when I was 12.
64) I eat fruits almost everyday.
65) I'm in the same class as my kindergarten friend, Xuan.
66) I love all my friends in school and church because they let me be myself.
67) I'm a Christian!
68) I've never had a boyfriend hahaah.
69) I've never watched porn.
70) I think my best feature is my hair, my worst is my eyes.
71) when I get mad at someone, I'd show it in the way I speak or type, yet deny it when they ask me if I'm mad.
72) my art piece was sold for $30 when I was 9, but now I can't draw for nuts.
73) I think I flare up easily but only a group of people have seen it.
74) Every year, i ask my mum not to buy me a cake because I want her to save money.
75) I don't really enjoy shopping, but i'd accompany someone (who is not indecisive).
76) I've been on a mission trip, with my mum.
77) I've had a terrapin, which was bought in Indonesia. (We snuggled it into sg when I was young)
78) I've only been to one concert in my life- David Choi.
79) I stole a small can or cola sweets from a mart before.
80) In primary school, I used to have English compo and Chinese tuition.
81) I usually say hi to people I know they'd say hi back.
82) when I'm pissed with someone, I ignore that person in real life and pretend we don't know each other.
83) if someone breaks my heart, I break theirs twice worse.
84) I weigh 45-46kg.
85) I hate running but since I'm in netball, I treat it as a platform to shine for Jesus.
86) I hate wearing dresses or skirts and I'll only wear them for important occasions.
87) I've ever caught a rat in my house with the help of my younger sister and my helper.
88) I want to travel around the world, not alone but either with my bestie or the love of my life hehe
89) I have white bread with Nutella for breakfast everyday unless my mum buys ham, sausage, or cheesy meatballs.
90) first impressions matter alot to me.
91) I'm a sports person.
92) my first hand phone was colorless and soundless.
93) I listen to English, Korean and Chinese songs.
94) I want to learn drums one day.
95) I've always wanted my hair to grow longer but somehow my mum always succeeds in persuading me to chop my hair.
96) I constantly remind myself to tweet about Christ centered tweets, to spread the good news.
97) I haven't said the F word since 2011!
98) I want back muscles.
99) I'm still waiting for someone to contact me if they are interested in the jeans I'm selling.
100) I've done quite a bit for other people's birthday this year and I feel a sense of accomplishment hehe.


Shalom,
Jo

Hokkien service (31/3/13)

Hey guys,

So today, I went to support my sister and her ex DG mates who were performing for the special item.
The skit team consists of- Janice (my sister haha), Joy, Danielle (Seamus's sister), Eloise (Ethan's sister), Xiong Jing, Wilfred, Jonghan and Johnathan (Rachel's brother)

After Dare service, I had lunch with my mum before heading upstairs to Shine auditorium again and when we stepped in, there was this atmosphere that was totally different. The lobby at level 3 was filled with door greeters who spoke hokkien and it was pretty interesting.

THE WHOLE AUDITORIUM SMELLED LIKE MY GRANDMOTHER IM NOT EVEN KIDDING.

Not long after we settled down, praise and worship started and it was so heart warming to see all these elderly just singing out loud to Daddy God.
To be honest, the lyrics of the songs weren't flowery but they just consisted of simple words like, "耶稣 耶稣 爱我的＂, "Jesus Jesus, who loves me". Such a simple bridge but the congregation lifted their hands and sang out loud to Daddy God. It was amazing to see how these people really treat praise and worship as a time only between them and Jesus- ignoring those standing beside them.

I just felt that I wasn't placed there by chance or just merely supporting my sister. I believe Jesus placed me there to allow me to be exposed to how Jesus isn't limited by language barriers or age.

ANYONE CAN PRAISE AND WORSHIP, IN ANY LANGUAGE.

Today was a great experience and I hope that this entry blessed you.

Shalom,
Jo

Cozy MM huddle at coach's house 23/3/13

Hey guys,

Today was an amazing day and honestly I'm really glad that I've found another place for me to be myself.
Sometimes in life, people judge. This is the truth. They do. And because of that, it's hard to not only accept the fact that you are full of flaws, but also find the right company who is willing to see your true colours.

I'm gonna take some time and mention some of the amazing MMs who were present today and talk abit about them.

Ladies first,

DEBORAH- she is one sweet girl. I remember the first time we officially met, we found that we face the same problem in our DG and we gradually opened up to each other. From then, we confided in each other and I remember that I broke down one day because I was under so much pressure and she gave me a hug :-)
It's been great knowing her and I really thank God for such an amazing person in my life who never fails to encourage me. Today is probably one of the few days I see her really opening up and she's really wild too! I'm not the only one hehe :-) I love you Deborah you're awesome.


AUDREY- she's like a sunflower that is forever blooming! The way she laughs with her braces is just special, super cute too! Hahaha. Honestly we're not super super close but we get to know each other better every time we meet. Such a beautiful woman of God who encourages other people when they are in trouble, even though she herself faces some too.


For the guys, as a whole I can describe them in one word. ECCENTRIC.


BRYAN- weirdest guy ever. His laughter really stands our because firstly, whenever he starts laughing his face will turn tomato red, and his mouth stretches so wide I'm afraid it will tear apart. Honestly, he's an amazing friend who I can get along pretty well. Because he acts like himself infront of all the MMs, it really admire him because it seems as though he's not afraid of people judging. He's also very vain, but Kester beats him in vanity. Ahhaah! Hey Bryan is you're reading this, I want to thank you for helping me to plan today's huddle when I was really stressed and I felt like quitting.


KESTER- the guy who works out but doesn't really play any sports. Kester is really good at halo. I mean, he claims that he doesn't play video games but yet after a few rounds, he got used to the game and even killed me quite many times with that flying thing. Hahaha! Kester is a hilarious guy who I think is very mature- we'll come to Seamus. Besides, he is pretty different from the other guys because he has a whole collection of muscular men in his phone and he goes around asking the girls which one is best. But he doesn't really play any ball games which is pretty odd... But overall I get along well with him too and he keeps killing me in halo which is not cool.


PIERRE- my DG mate. I realised I don't really talk to him as much as last time anymore but he's a very mature and sweet guy! Very responsible too. Whenever we need to clean up, he'll always be one of the first to pick up rubbish and plates. And whenever coach asks if we want to stay a little longer, he's always eager and willing to find time. He's really hungry for the word of God! Haha and I'm glad for him to be in my DG because honestly I rely on him quite a lot. Ahahah thanks Pierre! I'm also glad that we won't run out of topic to talk about during train rides.


SEAMUS- the most mature among all the other guys. Whenever we okay games where everyone will roar with
laughter, he never fails to be calm and collected. He'll smile and laugh softly, and I like the fact his eyes go really small when he do! Hahaha. And today during the few rounds of UNO, we kinda paired up so that we wouldn't "kill" each other and I think that made me know him better. Last but not least, I'm sure everyone who knows him will agree that he's a man of God. I'll remember what he said today, "the only book I ever need to read is the bible. That is the only reason why I bring a bag- to put my bible"


ETHAN- the most evil guy who always hogs the tanker in halo. I realised that throughout the entire game of halo, whenever Ethan got hold of a tanker of he killed us, he's let out an evil laughter and mock us. Super annoying okayyyy ahaha! But I think Ethan is really a cool guy but I really need to get to know him better. For now, I know that he laughs at the most ridiculous matters. And I thought that he looked pretty good with the cap. One thing I really like about Ethan is that he is very secure about himself. He doesn't change himself for others and when there is something that is uncomfortable for him, he speaks about it. That's something I admire.


Overall, today was a really blessed day where all of us opened up! See you guys tomorrow morning. God bless! Really love you guys.
Shalom,
Jo

IJ Walk and level outing (16/3/13)

Honestly today was fun. REALLY FUN. My day started at about 5.50am, washed up and left home about 6.20am. When we started our walk, it was all enthusiastic and fun.

I was probably the noisiest one, laughing out loud, singing out of tune and having ridiculous roles like looking out for a cute guy from hua Chong, which I did manage to find in the end.
I seriously camwhored with a whole lot of people and with different cameras, which some I didn't even know who it belonged to.

"When I grow up, I wanna be famous, I wanna be a star, I wanna be in movies."

When we reached our destination, we settled down and I had a "taste" of everyone's snacks.
The performances were not very impactful, but pretty entertaining.
I personally loved the mass dance because that was the only interesting thing. Haahhaah!

After the event ended and we were dismissed, Rei, Xuan Zhing and I went to the Pizza Place for some spaghetti (the irony). It was cheaper than skinny pizza and it looked pretty appetizing! We had a great time just hanging out, which we seldom did after school.
Which after, we visited Rei's aunt's art galley and there were amazing. I love art that involves THICK ACRYLIC PAINT. It's amazing how there are wonderful artists all over the world.


Level outing:
After I reached HF, I met up with mum to collect my bag with my clothes and slippers. I was really touched when I realised that she traveled all the way from bishan to harbour front by train just to make sure I not only get to level outing in time but also no need to bring all sorts of big and small bag throughout my IJ walk.
(I felt really condemned because I kinda flared up at my mum for not discussing it the night before. But it wasn't her fault cos there was CG)

So after I changed and met with my Adonai, to my surprise there were only 7 people. Hahaah, including me.
We hung around and chatted a little before meeting with Anchor Ark and yes I finally managed to catch up with Crystal, Verchelle and many girls in AA.

Cut the long story short, level outing was fun. But it was probably one the saddest days. To be honest being an emcee really killed my self confidence and it made me super insecure. Sometimes I wonder why I'm afraid people will judge me. That is the total opposite of myself in school.
This is my personal entry about the incident:
Like during the outing yesterday, a few of us were the game masters for the level games and so we had to brief the entire level and all. And I was freaking out to the point I felt super insecure and I made everyone nervous and all. Then when I was talking to the level, I felt that *********** was judging me and I FELT SUPER INSECURE AND DEMORALIZED.
For personal reasons, I removed the name. But you briefly get how I was feeling. I felt like the entire level outing was such a failure because of us. The response from the crowd was really disappointing.
You may say there's room to improve but I just felt I could've done better.


But the funny thing is that throughout this entire outing, I realized one thing that led to my insecurities and disappointment. It was relying on my own self effort. Just like Peter, I wanted to walk on water but I took my eyes off Jesus.
Shalom,
Jo

I found the VLOG to level outing! Check it out here hehe 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9uR4mM2wuA&sns=tw