dinner with the Dongs

btw im tryin to go for the modern look but it ended up looking just like nessy poo's blog *twin stare*

so today my mum was like "we're goin to dinner with ur dad tonite" and im thinkin "this is a rare event... but there is a high probability of humilation that will come with this event as it involves all three of us being in public"

we've been tryin to go to that ISHU-SUMFINSUMFIN Sushi Bar for ages now and tonite was the third time my parents have tried. the past two times we didnt get it becuz my mum would say "we have to get there early or we wont get in" and my dad would say "sif (or na li...)" then we would drive there and not get a seat and would go to the resturant next door which sells poo in soup. third times a charm... this time they made a reservation. makes all the difference.

so when we get out of the car my mum hands me a water bottle

Mum: put this in ur bag
Me: k..

it wasnt later till i realised why.
Mum: is the tea free?
Waiter: No.
Mum: that's all then.

then she tells me to pull out the water bottle from my bag. already i could see the waiters eyes turning as i ever so slowly poured our own personal water into their classy foam cups.

Waiter: *walks up to me* Umm excuse me, we don't allow drinks from outside, could you please put that bottle on the chair away from view

Me: *thinking* i was framed i tells you!!!



my dad doesnt get out much so this resturant was a whole new world to him.

Dad: *looks at menu and says to waiter* ok so...which one is the sushi?

Me: *looking for the waiters reaction* sure enough it was the "max face", the look of unimpressedness

Waiter: ... ah this whole side of the menu is sushi.

Dad: *thinks* i came for Japanese food... not sushi.



waiting for the next Dong outing.

God doesn't waste

so tonite i went to Aunty Helen's and Uncle Alex's sharing. it was prolly one of the most moving sharings i've ever been to. if you guys don't know, Aunty Helen was diagnosed with breast cancer a year ago and Uncle Alex is her husband. they both did a sharing each about their life before, during and after the news and how God changed their lives forever.

When i saw Uncle Alex get up on stage i noticed something different about him. In all the years ive been at EMP, i don't remember seeing him smile like he did tonite. Uncle Alex had been brought up in a Christian family all his life. he went to sunday skool and he went to church every sunday. he knew all the stories, he knew God and he believed in Jesus. But he never let Jesus into his life. It was at the highest point in his life, when both of his daughters were doing well with their careers, that he was told his wife had been diagnosed with cancer. it cut deep into his heart and he didnt think he could go on living. it was his darkest hour.

one night, while his daughters were in hospital with their mother, he was at home alone. in his total desperation he went down on his knees and cried, praying to God with all his being. He prayed for God's help. He went into the living room and prayed there. As he looked across the table, he saw the Bible. But he didnt know how to use the bible. But he knew that the Word of God was how God would help him through. That night, he was touched by God and he finally surrendered to Him with all his heart. When he went back to the hospital, his daughters noticed there was something different about him, a sense of joy had overcome him. He shared his experience with God with his family and they were thankful that he found God.

Aunty Helen has been a faithful Christian at our church before my time lol She was one of my sunday skool teachers and has been teaching for like more than a decade. She was close to God and was diligent in His ministry. When she went to the doctors for a bad leg, she discovered that she had cancer. She was in disbelief and went out of the clinic in shock. It wasn't until the drive home that it hit her. Death was knocking at her door and she refused to let it in. Tears poured down her face as she asked God "Why me? What have I done to deserve this?" She drove towards Rev Col's house. He opened his house to her and prayed for her. She didn't know how she was going to tell her family. She didnt want to.

It just so happened, by God's will, that her whole family had gathered, some from interstate, the weekend that she recieved the news of her condition. She just wanted to enjoy the day with her family. Later on she told her family that she was diagnosed with cancer. The family went through many trials since then. Aunty Helen went through 12 chemo sessions and struggled through all the side effects as a result of the treatment. She went through a rollercoaster that didnt seem to stop. She wondered why God was letting this happen to her. What good had come from this experience? She was suffering physically while her faith was put to the test. It was when her husband came to her and told her that God has changed his life, that she realised the purpose of her sufferings. Her faith in God only grew stronger and now she is closer to God than she had ever been. She finally found peace and joy in her circumstance and acceptance of whatever may come in her future. She finally understood that it was spiritual healing that she needed. And she is grateful for the love and support our church has shown her through the most difficult time of her life.

Aunty Helen is still in need of our prayers, her journey with cancer is not over yet. so i hope that everyone will at least take something away from Aunty Helen's and Uncle Alex's sharing and learn from it. God doesn't waste bad experiences but its our attitude towards challenges in life that make it into what it is rather than what it could be. No tragedy should ever be in vain in God's family.

man hug

but... i always do the man hug...