Annapurna base camp trek

Just came back from Chiang Mai on Monday night. It was a prayer retreat that allowed me to predispose myself more fully to His grace and love and spiritual liberty. God willing, more will be written about that later.

This trek was in 2009. I couldn’t go, but my wife did. Viewing it reminded me of a similar trek I did to Poon Hill, an easier one. Nepal has beautiful, affordable trekking trails with views that money cannot buy. Your heart sings His praise and you have a glimpse of what is meant by “his glory fills the earth”. Cannot imagine what it was like in Eden.

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Riding the elephants and the rapids

The Chongs and the Shins blessed Simon, Rinda and myself with two days in a four star hotel and two days tour around Chiang Mai. The second day, we just had to do the elephant thing. Watched the elephants do tricks like dance, paint and even take penalty kicks. Touched them, posed with them, fed them and rode on them. It was a 6 out of 10 experience, because of the waiting, waiting waiting. The Tupperware group of over a hundred salespersons from Malaysia were on an incentive trip. They were late and upset the schedules of everyone else.

riding God's mamoth creature

father n daughter: Francis and Ethel Shin

Rinda and Simon Tan

The highlight of the day came from whitewater rafting the Mae Taeng river. Driven up river to an attap facility, had a light lunch, given a demonstration of safety and teamwork, wore safety equipment and we were off. This was one unforgettable ride on Grade 3 river rapids. Unforgettable for the thrills and spills, getting stuck between two rocks in the rapids, and other incidents. Its about 10 km long and the rafting was close to 2 hours but time just rushed by by as we paddled, squealed, laughed, screamed, had anxious moments and got drenched to the skin.

Mae Taeng whitewater rafting

Mae Taeng river rafting

CHIANG MAI - WATER-RAFTING

CHIANG MAI - WATER-RAFTING

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Sunny Chong shared some lessons from reflecting on the adventure:

1. To move ahead we have to work in unity. Everyone has to paddle together in the same direction.
2.  Let our hearts not be troubled, when we go over troubled waters.
3. In our life, there are always “Up & Downs” and “Twist & Turns”.
4. We may move very fast when the Flow is strong.
5. We may feel calm when the river is still and quiet (Psalm 23).
6. Sometimes we can feel depressed and get stuck between the rocks.
7. The Lord delivers us out of danger.
8. Always celebrate and rejoice on reaching a milestone along the journey.

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Relaxing in Chiang Mai

coffee along the way

Releasing the tension

A bow bent for too long may break. So after a week of spiritual intensity, it was good to unwind the tension, and relax among friends, both old and new-found, on a one day tour to the waterfalls and to the highest mountain in Thailand, the Doi Inthanon. We set off with our English speaking tour guide, Lino, from Green World Travel, who was friendly, caring  and interesting company. The temperature was cool the higher up we went.

Rainbow at waterfall

At the Maeya waterfalls, we saw a beautiful rainbow beyond a “SLIPPERY ROUTE” sign. Certainly apt: we can always find the faithfulness of God, and the sign of better times, beyond danger and risk. With the spray upon us we had a refreshing and fun time just standing there, taking photos and taking the sights in of the beautiful Maeya waterfall, jungle and sky, and giving praise to the Maker.

beyond risk, is God's faithfulness

one of God's beautiful waterfalls

Theresa, Kenny, Sunny, Annie, Ethel, Deena, Irene, Francis

salt caked fish

The King’s garden

We next went to one of the King’s horticultural project along the slope of a mountain. We had lunch at a restaurant overlooking a valley. We gorged on barbecued chicken and salt covered barbecued fish we had purchased earlier at the waterfall stalls. We walked around  gardens, among lovely flowers of all kinds, fountains, and pine trees. It was afternoon. The weather was warm but dry. It had not rained since I arrived in Chiang Mai over ten days ago. The waterfalls and the mountain were symbols of what we have experienced in the silent retreat – the refreshing, the rainbow of hope, the spiritual heights.

in the King's horticultural project

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Panoramic views at Fremantle and the King’s Park

viewing the marina from the Round House, Fremantle

Jenny, Anne, Penny

alfresco at the Kailis'

Genteel Fremantle

Fremantle is not another city of Western Australia, as I had thought. It’s part of larger Perth. It’s only 20 minutes away by freeway. Anne Brinkman, a Penang lady married to a Caucasian, kindly offered to bring us around. She was a former tourist guide. So how blessed can you get. The buildings were old colonial. Well conserved, they had a genteel, timeless aura about them. The pace of life in Fremantle seemed even slower than in Perth city. There’s even a Notre Dame University there, some kind of twinning program perhaps with the one in USA.  We lunched at Kaili brothers Fish and Chips and shared a tasty seafood platter. Victory Life Centre

Margaret Court a pastor?

Later in the afternoon, we went up north and were introduced to pastors Alan and Angie Wells, from Victory Life Centre. The unique thing about this church is that it is helmed by former tennis woman professional Margaret Court. She dominated women’s tennis in the 1970’s and 80’s, winning a total of 62 Grand Slam titles. Frightening. Now she’s the senior pastor of the thriving Australian megachurch.

Nancy, Jenny, MargaretWalking in the King’s Park

Nature and space and weather is what makes Perth so refreshing a place to Singaporeans. The King’s Park is huge but I only saw the touristy part of it. Nancy brought us there and we walked around the grounds and over the treetop walk and went back to the outskirts of the city for a fantastically authentic Hainanese chicken rice. Later, we had a great time of fellowship at a cafe in a huge shopping mall.

resting in the shade

solid steel and glass treetop walk

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Road-trip to Busselton and Margaret River

Michel and Soo Kin with Andrea, mother and AnWen

Over a decade late

They gave us lots of love and air time. Of course, my wife and I were grateful to them. Their invitation to us had expired a decade ago, but what was there to lose in asking. After all the promotion flights were already booked. So my heart leaped when we saw Michael and Soo Kin at the Perth airport.

The weekend came and went so fast I thought I was still in Singapore. Sorrento Beach, Soo Kin’s surprise birthday dinner, worship at Faith Community Church, and Rod’s birthday barbecue. It went past like a cool Perth breeze.

Don't ask me about the price of the red Suzuki or you may want to emigrate too!

Road trip to Busselton

Michael and Soo Kin brought us on a road trip to the great south west region of Western Australia. This is as big as Johor, as Western Australia is so huge you could put in the UK, Germany, and Japan in it, and still have leftover space for Philippines. But most of it is desert or bush land and rich minerals underneath.

Cape Naturaliste Lighthouse

God's creation always perks me up!

We caught signt of whales migrating(not to Singapore- too stressful!)

Smitten by blue

Never saw so much blues in my life. The Indian ocean, the Swan river, the Mandurah esplanade, the clear blue skies: they reach out and hold your senses hostage whenever you look their way. Smitten with scenery and freshness you cannot buy or bottle, nor have to pay for, we surrendered to the Naturaliste Cape, the Mandurah foreshore, the Busselton jetty, Yallingup beach and the small towns of Busselton and Margaret River. People were polite and friendly and were not competing or rushing to be first to the queue or carpark lot. How many public campaigns did they have to reach this level of courtesy and civility? It must have come from knowing they have plenty of resources and time.

Whale surprise

The Lord surprised us when He answered my prayer to be able to see whales migrating along the coast. Though they were but water spray from the nozzle and black specks in the vast distant blue ocean, it thrilled us, and filled our hearts with praise. The Lord is generous in His kindness towards us, giving us not only what we need, but also what we wish for.

Yallingup-huge waves, surfer's mountain

Picnic lunch at Yallingup lookout - you can actually sleep in the shade on the grass!

Wise vineyard

longest in southern hemisphere- Busselton Jetty

Polished arrows

We had devotions in the morning, not because I was a pastor, but because we wanted to. Sweet times of reading scriptures, sharing and praying together before we went out for the day. We talked a lot about our lives, about missions and church, about life in Australia, our families. Michael and Soo Kin are like polished arrows that the Lord had polished over the years of walking by faith, and they have such a passion for the poor, needy and powerless in Cambodia and Philippines. They have pioneered and networked with key indigenous leaders in these countries and are doing significant work in those countries. Michael often repeated his mantra, ”It’s all by prayer, it’s all by prayer.” When we begin praying, things start opening up and opportunities come our way to join God in His work.

We had a whale of a time!

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