The Best Da Ge I've Had In My Life

The tears didn't come until we prayed. Didn't know if it was the Holy Spirit that touched our hearts, or was it the way PS prayed... or was it just us?
I guess it was a combination of everything.

We all knew that it was for God's kingdom and His will and His plan. And we fully understand and comprehend that. In fact, I am really happy for this beloved big brother to move on, for remaining here could affect his spiritual growth if he was not in God's will.

I asked God to take away the tears. I'm really tired now. Hungry, yet unwanting to eat.
Am I fasting? No... but I'm reminded by how people in the Old Testament of the Bible fasted and refused to eat when things don't go their way. I'm not following them, but I just feel this way..?

I'm really thankful to God once again for the awesome empowerment and inspiration to come up with Da Ge's farewell skit. Once again, I want to give all this credit to God for I have been running low on inspiration lately, especially with all the events and surprises to plan... and having to plan this week's Live Group's game, I was once again put in this difficult situation of considering playing A E I O U or Murderer... or to go ahead and do the Bible Mime Story Game. I didn't not prepare. Matter of fact, I was already planning this when I got the roster. But it was so hard to think of a game where I could control the crowd properly... and to keep everyone intrigued and moving. So I resulted with this A E I O U, the 4 pens and 1 Bible game.

Nice game to end off Da Ge's last Judah 5 live group.

I thought I'd write this entry, not because I'm holding on or indulging in this sadness, but to leave it here, in God's hands. (Of course I'm not saying this is God's hands.) But I do believe that as I write and put out my thoughts, I would not look back and say, "Did I think about this carefully?"

And hopefully, this entry could be an encouragment to many ones who face the same situation.

So today was Da Ge's farewell. It was meant to be happy... with the skit where I mimiced him and such. But until the point where we were praying.. I just felt my tears rolling down and down. I was thinking, "Why am I crying so much? It's not like I won't see him again. Stop crying.."

But the more I thought of it, the more I thought of those days where he guided us together, from non-believers to what we are now. From the day we touched-down in Brisbane, to this day, he has given many things to serve the Lord as he unconditionally love His people - even unbelievers like we were.

Thanks to hours of mountain top preaching experiences he has brought us to Christ.
Thanks to hours over months of helping us, bringing us around Brisbane, to almost every cool place he could even imagine...
Indooroopilly the first day we came... to Gold Coast Southport School where Nai ma chased the ducks around... 3 Monkeys cafe... Mt Cootha... Singapura... Ironside Chinese Restaurant... Freestyle... Southbank for fireworks... Vietnamese @ West End... Blue Lotus... Sunnybank... Cybercity... Walking from Eagle's Pier across the Story Bridge.. across Kangaroo point (and then the snake incident.. lol).. then back to southbank... to Pancake manors... then back to Eagle Pier's where Xiao Bai was parked....
Too many places... too many ocassions.. for us whom grew to calling him Da Ge, the best big brother we could ever find on earth.

I really wanna say how much this Da Ge impacted my life. From someone who has a heart as hardened as mine.. I just closed myself up from everything. Thinking back I really can see myself enclosed in a shell, and brushing aside all good motives from others as they wanted to gain something out of it. I had something to say against everything, if I wanted to.

I knew back than this guy was different, as he even showed unconditional love to people whom he didn't even know. His actions slowly opened me up, but I was still pretty hardened. I think only after 1 year of our friendship had I began to open up and soften a little. I believe it was all part of God's plan. For once I realised I could be myself, in front of many ones.. during Captains ball, during the SG national day party where I danced like mad.. for the first time, showing a tinge of my true essence. I thought that day he would have thought, "Why this girl so crazy one?"
But instead, that week I found myself heading to caregroup and he introduced me to the friends there as, "This girl can yo yo hip hop dance one you know!"
Time after time, day after day, I found myself being more and more like myself and feeling happy to be able to be accepted as who I am. I could sing crazily like I wanted to, I could dance madly like I liked to. At the end of the day... this Da Ge isn't as 'serious' as I thought... Well, a year spent misunderstanding him, only to realised I was clouded by my own set of shaded glasses.

But anyway, I began to dislike the preaching side of him.. but his persistance led me to Christ. And he was the fourth person to know of my salvation. First, Elysaa, then Atieno, then Eliza and then Da Ge... and then the whole of Judah 5. Haha.. Words can't explain how much I want to thank this brother, but I believe God has used him greatly.

My whole life, I've yearned for a big brother.... when I didn't have one, I resulted to finding 'fake idols from the media' as one. But when I found salvation, I realised God had also given me a true big brother in Christ. This big brother I can always call Da Ge. This big brother who will forever be a big brother in my life. Yes, as he has told me weeks ago, do not trust in man, and one day he may also fail me.
But this day, and the days before, the Lord has taught me not to look at the failings or one mistake of man, but to look at the numerous goodness one has done. And this day, as my tears fell, I asked myself, "Why is it that I'm crying?"

The answer is:

I am not crying because I'm being negative. Yes, I am sad he is leaving. But I'm crying as I recall all that he has done for us and in my life, how big a difference my life would have been if he wasn't in my life. How I could still be out there wondering around as a Buddhist devote, or maybe even ordained as a nun in some temple already.
I'm crying because of the love and impact he has made in my life, and the awesome memories that we will always have. And one more thing... girls are more emotional lah!

Yes... I really thank God for him, and thank God for even leading him to Ipswich. The thought of God using our beloved Da Ge to bless many more for His kingdom is amazing. And even as God has taken Da Ge away from us in the live group, he will still be at church. And I believe God is telling Yvonne and I that we are ready now. Sometimes God has to take certain people from us, to see if we are really doing a certain thing for the right purpose, and checking our heart conditions.

And even after a few months, I believe Ipswich isn't that far away from Brisbane! Hahaha... and let us all believe in God and have faith that God will work for the good of those who love Him!

So yes.. just want to say THANK YOU DA GE, for EVERYTHING.
Hope you love the skit we played.
Your mei meis know you so well horrrrr?
(Yeah.. you may not see this post at all... but it's alright.)

So even as you move on, I pray you will continue to seek God for strength and empowerment. Life ahead isn't going to be easy! But God is always with you!! When you are tired, seek God okay? (I'm sure you know this better than I do... hehehe..)
And at times like that we have to go back to the Bible!
What does the Bible say?

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
- Matthew 11:28

Hee... Da Ge, all the best, wherever God takes you. You have an exciting journey ahead!!!!!
Oh ya.. remember to invite me for your wedding with DA SAO!!! HOHOHOHOHOHO!
remember my signature laughter ok?

hohoho...

Da Ge and the 2 mei meis... same spectacles and same smile. Haha..

Da Ge and us at Green Tea House @ Runcorn... Thank you! Can we go there with Da Sao someday?

Da Ge blessing my heart with that brownie @ 12midnight on my birthday! To this date, I still don' t know where he got the brownie from at that hour!

Da Ge and Yvonne with that Vietnamese stall uncle's child who kept spitting saliva.. taken when we first came to Breezy Brissy.

Inmeasurable amounts of thanks to our greatest Da Ge ever. Love you lots.

It may take awhile for the 3 girls to stop crying. But we are not crying because we are negative.. but because of the life changing impact you have placed in our lives.
We will always remember it and carry it in our hearts.