Saturday, January 06, 2007
Finally back from camp! Gosh, for a SYFC adventure camp, it's kinda worse than OBS, considering i'd been expecting something else. Kinda seemed more like army training than anything else. Full of physical exercises and yadder.
First day was basically introducing ourselves to one another and stuff. However, even now, I can't really remember exactly what happened since i'm a bit dead in the brain, as usual, as a post-camp syndrome. Anyway, what I do remember is that there were some games which were pretty fun, to get to know each other's names and all and start bonding. Knew a substantial amount of new people from the different YFC ministeries, mainly from the sports, P-arts, and of course, the school based ministery which I happen to be in. Had orienteering later in the day, and for some obsecure reason, maybe me being the youngest of the group, chose me as a leader! Yay!! To think that everyone else in my team are super intellegent, all being A-level grads from VJC, and there was even this army tekong instructure, [Person who trains you for the first 4 mths in army] and they chose me! A 16 year old, WRSS, O level grad who's waiting for his results which probably won't be too pretty to see anyway.
Okey! So it's super super awkward for me. But still, their super nice people lars, and the army guy helped out a lot! So me and the army guy planned out the route to take to the specific areas, thinking that the scale was 50m to 1 cm. Planned a extremely detailed route and all, but turns out that the map's 5 years old and the scale turned out to be 250m per 1cm on the map! Hurra!! So we trekked dunno how many km, totally clueless and lost, from camp christine to lim chu kang road! And in the end, we had to call for help to get outta wandering around guessing where our location is. But eventually, we still managed to reach one of the locations outta 5 after the many hours that passed. Yay!
Guess I should have paid a lot more attention to mdm timah during geography map reading classes. -.- Oh well. Looks like education is not utterly useless afterall.
But ultimately, although we failed objectively, the team spirit was great! Super cool group of team members I thought!
The next day was just utterly SPASTIC and uber irritating I felt. Like early in the morning at 6.30 am, we had to wake up and start jogging, which isn't so bad or anything. I thought it was kinda like morning PE, like OBS and all. Little did I know that things would progressively get worst. We ended up jogging back to camp, but halfway along, we all stopped! I was wondering what's gonna happen, and to my utter dismay, the instructor infront of us started to walk into the undergrowth by a super narrow dirt trail. Wow, trekking early in the morning?? Okey, so basically, my Vans shoe is like.. totally screwed, so is my PLCMM youth camp 06 t-shirt, which I happen to like very much!? Went there, fed the mosquitoes and a couple of sandflies, now with red spots all over my legs, before backtracking. Apparently, I think the instructor went the wrong way, and we had to go back, not to camp, but to another area where a giant pool of MUD awaited us!!! To think of all the effort I had put in to get my shoes as dirt free as possible. And my legs, arms and FACE still itches from the bloody mosquitoes.
Back to the mud pool, turns out that it was knee deep and we were forced to swim in the stupid mud before we could continue trekking outta mosquito filled haven.
Later in the day, we had to do a rescue mission! Which consisted of building a raft and paddling out to sea to save Eric, my supervisor!! The building and all was kinda fun, cause of the team work and stuff, but the freaking paddling... was fun still! Besides the fact that we were being pushed backwards by the current and that we were paddling non-stop for 1 whole hour like mad mans? But really, besides that, it was fun! No sacarsm intended there.
Paddled back to shore, with the help of Eric, the person being rescued, now trying to rescue us by swimming behind and pushing the raft along. I must say that I think he's super pro lar. Like the raft moved considerably a LOT, considering it's one person pushing and swimming from behind. And we even had two canoes to tow our raft back to the shore, which was like 100, 200 meters away? I thought we went back more then we went forward. But still, there was a lot of camaraderie! And the rest of the groups even waited till we got back.
By then, I was already half dead, and thinking that if SYFC is gonna be like this EVERYDAY, I'd jolly well quit. Which brings me to a very important point that I STILL have very little idea what exactly is their goal for us, although my goal is clear. So far, the first 3 days of SYFC had been torturous, pretty fun, and very people uniting. But the main factors of why I joined SYFC has not been fulfilled throughtout these 3 days, not even my 0.1%, which is exactly why I'm starting to question SYFC in my mind now. No doubt I'd better clarify that quickly.
The thrid day was second to the most shiong day in my life! First being the badminton camp I had... tramutising. Anyway, we had to walk and cycle for what? 20, 30 km? or more? I dunno. Even OBS is less horrible than that, since in OBS, you know that you'd be going there to exercise like mad, so carring heavy loads across pula ubin and sleeping in insect infested tents, eating food rations filled with ashes and canoing around ubin, isn't so bad cause I expected it! And besides, OBS was fun.
But for the adventure camp, we had to cycle along some super narrow rocky path in bukit timah hill and ended up pushing most of the time, and walking for zillions of KM from bukit timah to macritchie reseviour, not taking the path of least resistance, but following all the dirt trail in the middle of the forest which went round and round and round. Had to go to the tree top walk area, which was kinda fun, except that having to climb flights of stairs after you've been cycling upslope along rocky and muddy paths, walking non-stop for a few hours along tracks that are equally muddy and rocky, just isn't very nice. And I'm already wondering how Yihui does her cross country. 15km in 65 minutes?! We were like talking about her super powers along the way lars. Super tiring for me, but the army guy was like... nuts la. But I guess that's what army does to you, especially when you just got outta army. =/ I think I wanna be a mindef clerk now...
Okey! Now that I've complained finish, I've actually checked the SYFC project serve webbie, and I see the goals they set to accomplish, but so far, everything I'd expect is standing on rocky ground. So it's either their giving misleading information, or the things I'm expecting would come soon.
Just a preview of SYFC...
Engage SeriesTrack 2 - Groovy & Drama Rama Rama
Garage - Good music + Great Food + Loads of fun & games + 300 people + 1 weekend = How to put them together?
Track 4 - Soft Spot for the Underdogs
A. On the Job assignments at jubenile residential homes
B. To assist in School programmes - Living with "Winning Ways" & "Being Superstarz"
C. Neighbourhood Outreach - Camps Overnight Cycling & Fishing Trips, Soccer, Basketball & Hikes
D. being a barnabas - Christian fellowship for new converts
Track 5 - Sincere & People-Oriented
A. On the Job Attachment to Youth Workers & Be Part of the Real Action
B. Conduct Live Interviews with teens at Youth Hangouts
C. To Assist in school programmes - Look who's talking now!
D. CounterStrike, Board games, Sushi, ice Cream, Cycling & Etc - Enjoy them & meet Teens through them
don't ask me what amp amp amp is, but I sure hope it ain't Camp Camp Camp! x.XAnd I'm beginning to think that perhaps track 4 is better for my reasons to join SYFC... super vague information lar.Encounter SeriesTrack 4 - Soft Spot for the UnderdogsYouth @ Risk - Nature or Nurture
Track 5 - Sincere & People OrientedWar of the Worlds - Maintain your stand in battle
Okey, now i'm thinking, what maintaining your stand in battle is... this is SO not expected... scary.Equip SeriesTrack 4 - Soft Spot for the Underdogs
o Who Are The Youth@Risk?o The Communal Cry - What Role Can Concerned Christians Play?o Teen Talk - Communicating With & Reaching
Youth@Risko Community Outreach - Reaching
Youth@Risko Community Outreach - Integrating Youth@Risk Into The Church
o Pre-Teens@Risk - Early Intervention Strategieso School Bullys & Gangs - Reaching Out To Them
o Face To Face With Christian Professionals Working With
Youth@RiskTrack 5 - Sincere & People-oriented
o Dream Or Possibility? Reach An Entire Class/ CCA/School For Christ!
o How To Befriend And Share The Gospel To Someone Who Is Not My Type?
o How To Answer Tough Questions That Non-Christians Ask?
o How To Handle Different Responses To The Gospel?
o How To Conduct Prayer Meetings On Campus?o How To Challenge Christians To Share The Gospel?
o School Program Assistant Facilitator Trainingo Face To Face With Christian Professionals In The Marketplace
Okey!! This was what's in the brochure I got which is why I joined SYFC in the first place. Now, lets see the connection between the engage, encounter and equip series, all of which we must go through... connection? Non as far as I can see.Guess I came to SYFC to get more feeding than anything else, but I'm starting to think perhaps project serve are for people who are looking for an opportunity to serve and thus grow in the area of serving, which is absolutely crucial no doubt. But when your already serving in a church ministry consisting of 80% non-christians, reaching out to the neighbourhood kids around and organising pre-evangelical events for them, the idea of getting more work into your already heavy load and perhaps event costing MM's ministry isn't such a great thought. Plus, all the experience and lessons learnt through serving, like getting invitations slammed back at your face, literally and emotionally, kinda becomes irrelavent doen't it? Absolutely.I'm already thinking I'd quit project serve if it does happen.
Guess I better clarify just exactly what their gonna be doing there...
One good exposure though? Missions.
Okey, talked a lot about SYFC already, you can actually go to
http://flvtest.blogspot.com/ for more information. Must have bored lots of people to death by now.
Still, it's the new year, and changes are starting to appear in MM's youth ministry, for the better I must say. Even just today, sunday that is, cause I'm actually typing this over 2 days, I'm thinking that perhaps, God's starting a revival in the church again? Worship, the greatest pleasure and refreshment of all, proves to be increasingly important. See it as a channel to encountering God really, which really lifts spirits when you see the things God is did, and will continue to do, in MM today. Hurra! Not gonna elaborate cause everyone'd be bored to death by me again, but there were personal lessons of thanksgiving and reminders of God's grace to me today. Thank God for that.
Well, now I'm really feeling the pressure of sacrificing my JC 3 month for SYFC, so I really sincerely hope it'd be a good experience or I would actually quit and go back to school if they'd allow. Gotta pray about it though. Lost in thought.
But even as the new year passes by, I'm absolutely grateful for the past things that I've learnt to put down and continue on. Great experiences with my class which we went through together that I will forever miss and never forget, especially with certain people. Thought there were bad and good times, they now remain as memories and looking back at the past year, God has been really good to me. Amazing grace is all I can say. Oh yeah, and if there's
any videos or anything that any ex-classmate of mine could send,
please do?God bless ya all then. =)
Word of the Day; 2:19 PM
