First Chinese New Year in Bangkok

It was my first ever Chinese New Year outside of Singapore. Considerable numbers have escaped hectic Singapore during this particular festive season for different reasons. My family flew to Bangkok on Air Asia on Thursday evening. We spent the extended weekend with my sister in law’s family. Normally they would come over to stay with us during Christmas but last year they did not. So we went over during this Lunar New Year. We shopped (or rather, my children shopped); we ate, and just talked and wandered around. There was the local weekend market which required a ferry ride and a motorbike to bring you there. We went there as we wanted the children to experience it too.

2 sisters: Baby and Jenny

Wen Mun and Simeon

Father and sons

Elaine n Wen Mun

cousins

Matthew and Elaine

CNY reunion dinner

on the ferryEat where locals eat

The dervish in Terminal 21Hints of Istanbul bazaardouble decker in Bangkok!

London telephone boothsumo wrestlers in Terminal 21Japanese warlord

We shopped at Terminal 21, a new concept shopping mall, with the decor of different floors themed to Tokyo, London, Istanbul, and Paris. And a few other shopping malls. They do not have public holidays for the Chinese New Year and though I heard there would be lots of Chinese nationals holidaying there, I hardly saw them. It was a most enjoyable time of catching up and relaxation and family time.

two beauties

decked in clothes bought in Bangkok

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Lindy Chee: a near kinsman

Near kinsman

We were relatives but we hardly knew each other. She knew I was a pastor and I knew she was a missionary with Youth With A Mission (YWAM). We would greet each other when the Chee clan gathered for its annual Chinese New Year meeting. But we never talked at length before. That is until we bumped into each other at the Love Singapore Pastors’ Prayer Summit (2012) at Equatorial Hotel, Malacca. Let’s meet up for breakfast tomorrow! and the appointment was made.

with Lindy Chee Wei Ling

Was YWAM missionary

Lindy Chee Wei Ling is twenty five years younger than me and as we soon found out, she is my cousin’s daughter. There is probably a Mandarin term to designate this relationship but the English term would be the ambiguous “cousin once removed”. She graduated in law and worked for some time in the civil service before she attended YWAM’s Discipleship Training School(DTS). After that she served on staff with several DTS batches before she went with James Chan to Kuala Lumpur to pioneer a YWAM base or school there for about 2 years. For several years she also went back to legal practice but always remained an active friend and supporter of YWAM Singapore. Today she does freelance legal, training and consultant work, and is active with YWAM. I sat there amazed that quite a number of relatives of the Chee clan were serving the church and missions.

Family destinies?

Somehow we talked about David Demian and what he shared about national, individual and family destinies. We looked at our ancestral clan and concluded that the destiny seemed one of calling to fulfill noble or good causes. Many served in public service or served the good of people in education, medicine, or church – alleviating suffering, helping the poor, fighting for what is just. Out of Judah were to come rulers. Out of Levi, the priesthood. Could it be clans too can awaken to a fuller fulfillment of their God-embedded destiny through faith in Christ? Interesting thought. Today I again read my old blogpost on my grandfather and it got me thinking again. Yeah, there may be something about this clan spiritual destiny thing.

Rooming in Equatorial Hotel

The Equatorial Hotel looked newly renovated and well maintained and the food was roomy and comfortableunusually good for the numbers of diners they were handling. I roomed with Pastor Richard Wong of Canaan Christian Church and he was very accommodating and we had some time getting further acquainted. We had time to talk shop and just share our lives and what was happening in the conference and the Pastor Richard WongChurch. It would be nice to climb Mt Kinabalu with him when he goes for one of his T-Net consultation trips in Kota Kinabalu. Use the Mersilau trail, which I never used before. Sleep overnight at Laban Rata, and for once forget about waking up at 2am to conquer the peak. Just enjoy a restful and slow morning breakfast over a lovely sunrise. Hmmm…just the thought of it is sweet.

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Before the curtains fall

Before the curtains fall

And the sea is no more

May my eyes behold the glory of the Lord

Wash over the peoples of the earth

And may the colors of his love

Reveal the liberty of sons and daughters

What a sight

What a delight

When earth is shaken

And heaven’s perfections

Restores the garden of the Lord and

Life reigns supreme from the center again.

(Poem composed during the time of waiting on God at the Pastors’ Prayer Summit 2012 at Malacca)

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