Thursday, June 25, 2009

The Adventure of God's Clay in TIOMAN!

Read about the amazing journey we went thru from 20-22 June! The most unprepared trip where God just provided transport after transport for us and continued to protect us all!
We went thru this adventurous journey! Was Swept into the open sea for 4 hrs on Day 2! Our kayak even capsize! Lost the oar! Lost snorkling set! Drank alot of SEA WATER! Climb mountainous rocks! Trekking in the jungle at night in pitch darkness! And the awesomeeee starssss and strange green light sparkling phenomena we saw at low tide at night!


And on the last day,God showed me with this verse at biblegateway when i finally reach home and turn on my computer!


“The LORD will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”- Psalm 121:7-8"


I was like WOW! God really is a FAITHFUL GOD!!!!

Saturday,20 June
Woke up about 5am! Reached Sixth avenue bus stop at 6.15am!
(we all gathered at the bus stop at 6.15am at Sixth avenue area)

(Bus 170 to Larkin!)


At Woodlands check point!


(The God's clay girls!)

(the bus journey to larkin! Benlei , ernest knock out!)

After reaching larkin... we were all rushing to see if we sld take bus or cab down to mersing as we were afraid of missing our ferry to tioman which we did not booked at all! So we bargained with the cab drivers of a cost from larkin to mersing..from 200RM to 135Rm per cab! thats the best we cld... although it was abit ex!

(we boarded this looooong ferry ride from mersing to tioman!)
(the sleeping Mooooniee!)

(Finally after 2hrs plus our ferry reached paya beach!)

(the video of the speedboat to melina beach resort)


(we took a speed boat there!)

(arriving at Melina Beach Resort,Tioman!)


(I love this photo! We actually had this boulder in our ROOM! & we all climbed it!)


(God's clay! Some tea time before we explored the sea!)


(moonie to the rescue as charles had some bleeding foot!)

(I can't believed we actually managed to all climb this rock! It was super slippery at the other end, and the only way was when we work together to pull each other up this rocky rock!)

(this is a cool fresh water stream by the beach)


The start of our EPIC trek from melina to paya for dinner....

(the video of our epic trek thru the jungles!)


(the start of our epic trek!)


(we abseiled down rocks! Climb mountains!)



(the huge tree we saw!)

(FINALLY we reached the peak of Paya Beach!)

(the video of our epic return journey at Night! It was PITCH BLACK!)


(return journey back in pitched darkness after dinner!)

Sunday, 21 June

Steph,moonie,benlei & me woke up at 6am for sunrise and started exploring the beach!


(MY ROCK!)

(video of the journey thru the sea!...in later part of video catch
Benlei peeing on his pants, followed by the CRAZY LAUGHTER!)

(video of the journey thru the sea! to the cave!)

(we climb out this rocky mountain)

(the top of the "mountain" we climbed!)


(the Happenings at the top of the mountain! as we talk for abt 2hrs!)

(the beautiful sea beside the rocks!)

(watch those splits!)


(the delicious breakfast!)


The tiring but adventurous day......
This was the day we got swept into the open sea for more than 4hrs! So this was how the story went... We rented a couple of kayaks and some snorkling sets that day,we saw this platform in the distance from our beach and thought lets kayak and swim there! After muchhh effort we managed too! We sun-tanned,relaxed awhile at that platform before we did some snorkling around the area...so some pretty cool sea corals, this huge eel and many more creatures...and soon we realised a bunch of us was swept into the open sea by the currents!

And another grp kayak actually capzised! And lost the oar & a snorkling set! Dunno how that happened! So a couple of us came to them to try to overturn the boat and all! Later we tried searching for the oar but to no avail...and when we tried to swim back to that platform! Espeically me when i had flippers on which was abit big and i only cld do breaststroke with it which makes it not movable at all! I look down to sea that i was swimming like 1 cm at a time AGAINST the currents! And after much much effort & drinking down up to 6 cups of sea water!

Some of us finally reach to that platform! We rested a while before heading back to shore to meet the rest, by than we were all KNOCKED OUT!

(the open sea!)


(i was soooo tired and BURNT!)
Before we set off for paya beach this time via the sea taxi...
(vyan's last time with us before he left for singapore first)
Dinner time!

(the lovely ramly burgers we ate at paya beach!)

(after dinner! we chatted with a bunch of snacks at paya beach!)



(the video of some of the HIGH people after drinking HOOCH! =P)

From 11pm onwards we were gazing at the awesome starry night! Saw about 6 shooting stars that night!

About 1am!
The NIGHT walk to the super low tide sea in the DARK!

(We saw a lot of sea cucumber at shore!)
And we saw this amazing STRANGE PHENOMENA! When we step on the coral area at low tide! We could see green sparkle lights beneath our feet! It was such a surreal sight! I went to google it to find out that is some Bioluminescence from corals or plankton when distrubed...


(the green sparkle light we saw at low tide when we step on the corals was very similar to this video of the
Bioluminescence effect we saw! Only thing it was green!)

Monday, June 22
The longgg journey home! Left melina at 1130am... but only got back singapore like 9.30pm! 10 hours in total of boat,ferry,bus,cab!!!


(the return jounery back from mersing to larkin!)
At larkin station, we were loooking for a taxi back straight to Singapore, and we were offered by this 2 random guys to sent us back to our doorstep for just $10! So we carpooled in 2 cars! Was a little concern at first bcoz it was total strangers! But we got back safely in the end!

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

God's Clay for the last 4 mths of 2009

God's clay 2 sub bible study groups have finally been reunited again last saturday at our usual bible study place at YWCA lvl 7 life lobby after about 1-2 years of going thru many bible study sessions and topics from "the book of Thessalonians" to "I KISSED DATING GOODBYE" to " The Life You've Always Wanted: Spiritual Disciplines by John Ortberg", to "Unwavering Tenacity- The story of Elijah from the book of Kings" and now as we start a new topic "1 Corinthians and purpose driven life"...(i may have missed some topics)... While some of us went for Precept inductive bible study sessions together for the last few mths too (Jospeh,Titus,Covenant..next up book of Daniel)

And now most of the guys are either in army already or going to army soon and a bunch of the girls are already overseas studying! So looks like the 2 years to come will be a very interesting year as we continue to fight for our small grp survival and continue to be supportive of one another spiritual life!


At the end of the day i know our ever Faithful God(The Potter) will still keep his claysss going strong! =)

(God's Clay have been molded so much over the yearsssss! From that small little plasticine clays when we were sec 2...to now the much grown and molded clays who are almost at the end of our teen years and moving on to young adulthood! )


Some of the happenings from end last year to this year 2009....

Saturday, December 27, 2008

The mini God's clay "day" retreat at ellen's wonderful BIG HOUSE!


(we slack at her nice cosy room for quite a loooong while!)

(the wonderful pot luck spread!)

(LUNCH!)

(The groups! The PS 3 Rock band on one side and the other side at the piano people playing with real instruments!...)


(the nice catch ups and sharing we had! for more than 2 hrs straight!!!!)


(moonie taught benlei and me how to play piano! A crash course in 20mins! I feel so accomplished!)

(dinner at adam road! The super good Nasi lemak there!)

Saturday, January 03, 2009

Chin Ee's Wedding!

FINALLYYYYYYYYYY!!!!! Our beloved former leader of God's clay is MARRIED!!!!

The reception and ushers... at 1230..

(preparation time)


(All dresssed up!)

(the guest starts arriving!....benlei looking at the cool family potrait)

(after all the guest was in!...see the EXCITED God's clay looking thru the window where chin ee was waiting....)


(Chin Ee and Mark!!!! What a LOVELY COUPLE!)

(The lovely God's Clay card for this couple!)


(the people in God's clay!........ even Ben Tan who disappear for a long time is back!)

Seee what MOONIE did.... from pic 1 to 3!....
(moonie climb from behind.... became an "ANGEL"..click to enlarge!...then...)
(The Guys in God's clay....with the
MOONIE THE MOO-STER!!!!!)
(the Girls in God's Clay!)

(GOD's CLAY!!!!!!... We were the LAST GROUP that was reserved by Chin Ee to take this loooooong awaited photo!!!!)

Saturday, January 10, 2009

God's clay gathering at Benlei place...



(Cher and step greedily eat all those puffs...heh...benlei..secret weapon stash!)

(THE pot luck fooooood by the pool side)


(We played WORLD TOUR!!!!!!!!!!!!.... feli jumping on the trampoline!)

Wednesday, December 31, 2008

God's Clay in 2008!

Looking Back 2008......

First i wanna say a HUGE THANKS to my small grp God's Clay!!! This are the people that has truly been with me the longest! Seeing how i have grown over the years with the Lord from that very quiet boy in sunday school and than in small grp time... to now one of the more talkative ones...

This year has been a year where God's clay has grown so much,being more mature and now taking more ownership of the grp, despite the many new transitions from guys going NS, to girls going overseas and universities and a couple taking A's and IB and some doing our FYP! We certainly has stayed strong being that Clay that the LORD our Potter has been forming and moulding since the tiny us! And now we even having bible studies on our own in 2 separate bible study days!

Looking back we certainly have grown so much over the years, in 2002 (when we were sec 1s), we were still under the old sunday sch system , then we had Gary. and then in 2003 ever since Wesley Youth Ministry was form in 2003 when we were just those tiny sec 2s....

2003, that was the day our OFFICIAL youth small grp was FORMED... I still rmb vividly, we were all in a room in the OLD YMCA, where Ee lin and Joel took us for the first time and we were all quiet staring blindly to our leaders.

God's Clay over the years...(the milestones)


See how the leaders and faces of God's clay has change over the years...

2004 (i think)

(one of our pioneer batch of people from God's clay! We use to have many many picnics!...
I think our leaders than was joel,mark,jerrold...Ee lin left this year i think)

(Some old photo i dig out on God's Clay facebook!)

2005

(Our First Small grp retreat at Sentosa! ..this was when Chin Ee was our leader... and now in 2 days time shes going to get married!)

2006

(Our second small grp retreat at costa sands,Pasir Ris, this time With Eng Lee as our Leader!)

2007

(Our third small grp retreat! at praise haven, Transiting of leaders from Englee to Ellen and me)

2008!

(Our forth retreat at Praisehaven again! Got no group photo, (but GOD showed us this amazing RAINBOW in the MIDDLE of our final sharing and goal setting for our future!... It was like a PROMISE FROM GOD for our small grp! that same RAINBOW... GREWWWWW veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy largeeee and stretched across the room further in our sharing! It was an amazing sight!!!! )

(one of our picnic outings at Fort Canning!)

(Times when God's clay supported the Dance girls, this was at their "Final" dance together at MG dance nite 08)

(The Farewells one by one, as Steph,Ellen and Soe left one by one overseas)

(God's Clay reunion!!!! One at ym camp another at Candle light!)

(God's Clay OFFICIAL LAST DAY in wesley Ym on 28 Dec 2008... after 7 Years in wesley ym!...this photo is our graduation photo where we brought hats and tossed it in the air!)


(God's Clay!)

Signing off,
Ben Lau, Father Ben, Bendy...

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Gods Clay Retreat 2008 (19 & 20 July)!
It was back to PRAISEHAVEN AGAIN! We made 2 history! First this forth small grp retreat for the first time was held in the middle of the year before some of them will be going overseas to study, secondly it was the first time it was held back to back in the same place! And well after 4 retreats and ever since God's clay wasofficially formed in 2002, 6 years ago! We have definitely gone very far! In fact i'm really proud to be in this small grp! With all the many different ministries i'm in and different Christian grps here and there... God's clay stand out the most as well its the loooooooongest grp i have been in, its the grp that we have seen each other gone thru the years from O'levels,A'levels,IB exams, Poly, Army and now most going on to University! We have gone thru together 3 major stages in our lives! And well they are one of the most talented bunch of ppl ever which has so much potential to become great leaders in their various roles! Ok i can go on and on! But well MOST OF ALL! This grp is my base small grp of all where i will be in for the rest of my life i hope!!! =P
Looking on in the future! We might see our kidsssss running around us too! HAHAHHA! wonder who will get married first thats what vyan said! hahah X)

Day 1 (saturday)
A bunch of us met up at Beauty world for lunch.... and where all the girls WHEN FOR A MANICURE!!!!!!!!! Madeeeee jon(benlei) and me so uncomfortable! HAHAH!

While they treated their nails and toes!..... steph,moonie,jon and me headed to praisehaven first...

Enjoy the pics.... CATCH THE LAST PHOTO ESPECIALLY!)

(steph,moonie,jon and me on our way to the seemingly "HOLY" area where all kind of christian organisation and churches there, from TTC,to like 4 kinds of methodist church and school to the SALVATION ARMY where we stayed!)

Some of the nice rooms!


(we had 4 rooms!!! About 3-4 beds per room... one of the room includes the living room with the double decker bed!)

Some "ghostly" sightings....

(The headlesss MOOster!.........OH NO! The FLOATING HEAD of the MOOster!)

(The MOOster attacking us!!!!)


(steph reliving her child hood days playing her TAMAGUCHI! OH MY!)

SNACKS!!!
Headed to rail mall got some foooooooood in fact ALOTT of foood and rented 2 DVDs at Video-EZ and ANTONEMENT and BLADES OF GLORY!


(Vyan brought DURIANS From HOME! DELICIOUSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!)

(our feasttttttttttttttttttttttt in the afternoon)

Later in evening till night!

(Half stayed behind to watch the AWESOME MOVIE ANTONEMENT... and called pizzas in!)

After dinner and wash up!

30 mins of silent retreat...

And like 15 of us squeeze inside a room for Worship!...

(mel leading us all in a time of worship!)

Night....
some veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyy honest sharing with one another abt what God has been revealing to them either during the 30 mins of silent or other things they felt the need to share... finsihg everything by 1am...

Some watch BLADES of glory!.. i slept after a while..was too tired!

DAY 2 (sunday)
MORNING!!!!!!!!

(GOD showed us this amazing RAINBOW in the MIDDLE of our final sharing and goal setting for our future!... It was like a PROMISE FROM GOD for our small grp! And how he had so many PROMISE for all of us and all we need is to claim that promise for us! ... my hp was flat that time..so cldnt take more pics of it... bcoz u know what... more into the sharing... that same RAINBOW... GREWWWWW veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy largeeee! It stretched across the room! It was a an amazing sight!!!! The peace of God just instilled in me as i saw that!)

-Ben Lau!

MGS dance night 2008!

5 July

(The 6 girls from God's Clay....Not being bias, but i think they are really one of the better ones of the night!)

(the supporters from wesley ym!)

(wesley ymers!)

(And of courseeee God's Clay!!!!)

(The girls!)

Monday, June 30, 2008

God's Clay picnic 2008 at Fort Canning Park!!

Fellowship Sunday!
Back to the goood old days God's Clay picnic at Fort Canning park! The last time we had such a picnic here was about 5 years ago, we were all sec 3 then i think, and we use to have many picnics then! That was like our only FELLOWSHIP event!..... anyway it was nice reliving the good times... this time with many new members in God's Clay!

9.50am...

(we played our God's clay game polar bear!)

(steph and samuel the polar bear in this round! Looked at their deceiving laughter)

11am...

(our food arriving...)

(oh yeaaa! FINALLY after 1 and a half hours! benlei,cherie,charles and vyan got more food from carrefour!)

(the cave man!)


(the spread!)




(we event had salmon!!!)

video
(We played Charades using Taboo cards...soe making a fool of her self! hahah!)
video
(steph acting out in Taboo Charades!)

Friday, May 16, 2008

God's Clay at Laura's NAFA dance concert!


(We haven't had such a grp photo for quite awhile... quite a number of us drop by Laura's dance concert to support her! )