Christmas

Around Christmas, it is so easy to get caught up with everything going around us that we can forget the real meaning of it. We get caught up with the materialism going around that we forget that is about Jesus. It is an important time of the year when we remember and celebrate his birth- and what Jesus has installed for all of us who love him.

praying for Christians

Recently it was the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church. It is hard to imagine what it must be like for Christians around the world who suffer because they love Jesus. Living in a western country we have the freedom to practise our religion but for many people around the world they suffer as a result of loving Jesus. That is why it is so important that we pray for suffering Christians. We need to pray that they may perserve despite hardships. Why not start praying for them now?

Chefoo School

This post is about the primary school i went to for around 5 years. A school set in the mountains,near tea plantations, in a small town in West Malaysia. A school which i went to which i totally loved! I will write more soon about my memories. I love this picture with the jungle in the background

Proverbs 3 v 5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he shall direct your paths

“I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Jeremiah 29:11

Letter from sponsor child & Christmas card.....already?

I recently received a new letter from my sponsor child. I was extremely excited as I read what she had been up to since she last wrote to me. I was greatly encouraged to hear that she reads her bible and attends church and is given nutrious food at her centre. I also have the opportunity to now send a Christmas card-yes, it is early but it might take a lot longer than what most think. I feel privilleged to be able to know my sponsor child and I pray that through our letters we can develop an even better friendship. Most importantly, I pray that she will love Jesus her whole life and that she can be a blessing to many.

"Engage Conference"

On the last weekend of August, I went to a conference called Engage-for young people in our workforce. It was amazing to see so many people there ( it was a sold out event ) hearing from 2 great speakers.
What is so encouraging from these weekends is the number of people that attend. There would have been some who don't know who God really is and many who love Jesus. It is great that a conference could be catered for many young ( and not so young ) people who are living in a society where God isn't number one. I pray that those who went will be challenged by what they heard.

"One World, One Dream....how about One God???"

With the Olympics now at its conclusion it has been a week of exciting events, nail biting finishes and stars coming out of nowhere to compete at a massive sport event. I have watched quite a number of sports and I have learnt a lot about sports I didn't quite know a lot of. Even supporting the Indonesian Olympic team has been great too. ( Yes , I still go for Australia too!)

There is one thing though that I have observed and that is there is no menton of the One God, the God with whom we as Christians worship. It is sad to think that with billions of people who have watched the games we haven't heard this one word. Sports can be a religion to a lot of people, but as Christians, God is the answer

Transforming the world

Recently I spent a day in the Blue Mountains looking at the topic of " Transforming the world-agents of change". I have been before to this conference so I knew what it was all on about. The number of agencies, people and warmth of everyone was exciting. The speakers talked from God's word but one thing that struck out for me was the actually people serving the Lord in various areas around the world. Each of them had diferent personalities, gifts and talents, yet they used it to glorify God. It is amazing to think that God can use each one of us to further his Kingdom-even if we feel we can't do much, God can help us be agents of change.

I have been reading Revelations in the Bible recently and thes are two verses which were of great encouragement to me.


Revelations 7 v 16-17 ( NIV )

Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd; he will lead them to springs of living water. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."

All grown up...............

If you have read my blog before, you would have noticed that i mentioned that I had received my first letter from my sponsor child in Bangladesh. Guess what, I received another letter from my friend. She was extremely happy to hear from me and i was just as extremely happy to hear from her. She told me of her country, the environment she is in etc. A few days later I received a new photo of her-all grown up. She is progressing well by the sound of it. I am always reminded that when I look at her photo I need to remember to pray for her-that she will one day serve our great God as a young lady.

More celebrations............

Here are some more photos taken from my 21st birthday ( This is the 2nd of my birthday celebrations)

Selamat HUT ke 21 Yohanna ( Happy 21st Birthday Yohanna)

On July 7th 1987 at 0350 hours I was born in Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia and today I celebrate 21 years of life. Through the ups and downs of this journey I am on, I can praise God for so many things. Here just a few of many things I can thank God for……..

• My Mum ,Dad and my wonderful brother Rus,who love me & care for me, who brought me up with many Christian values and morals and helped me in becoming the young women I am today.


• The amazing blessing to live and travel in some amazing parts of Asia.


• The best childhood possible; in the jungles of Malaysia as well as the amazing diversity of Indonesia.


• The privilege of knowing other MK’s and TCK’s from all over the world.


• Good health and safety ( esp on the many planes I have been on!)


• From 2002 onwards ; the many networks God has given me through school,study,work,church and extended family whom have been a great encouragement to me while living & settling back into Australia.


• Last but not least, the blessing to be a child of God bought with the precious blood of Christ Jesus.

Encouragements

I love it when i received encouragements from people, it means a lot to me especially if things aren't going to well in my life and even when things are going great, I really appreciate reading letters/cards etc that I receive. Above my bed I have a number of letters that people have sent or given to me and each them I read them I thank God for all the people in my life who have given me great encouragement. As another milestone approaches soon, I can praise God for who he is and for great family and friends who have kept me going in life.

Bible verse

MaY our Lord Jesus Christ and

GOd our Father
wHo loved us and by his grace
gAve you eternal
eNcouragement and good hope
eNcourage your
heArts and strengthen you
in every good deed and word

2 Thess 2: 16-17

Being Generous

I have named this title after some consideration. Being generous can be hard for a lot of us. We have so much in the western world and a lot of the time we crave for more and more and more. Being generous with our time,money and resources can be difficult but I know I could and I am sure you also can be more generous.

Time is precious and it is hard to be generous with it. We are constantly doing something and finding 'time' to do things can be hard. We work 5 days a week, spend the weekend catching up on sleep, doing chores, taking the kids to places we don't have the time to go the extra mile. I know there are times when I wish I could use my time wisely so I could help and serve people better.

Being generous with our money is also a struggle considering we live in such a rich country and being bombarded with plenty of things.



I will write more soon

Precious memories..........photos

I have named this blog mainly after reading a comment posted on facebook which mentioned how TCK’s ( Third Culture Kids ) seem to have a fascination with photos…..and I would have to agree with that. Being a TCK, I have a lot of photos in my room mainly from my childhood in Indonesia , my time at boarding school in Malaysia, and in recently years, photos taken when I now live, Australia. Also, along with images taken on holidays in Australia and other places around the world, I am able to treasure these precious photos.
Photos will never be able to be replaced and photos I have taken bring back pleasant memories. This one photo which I have enlarged in a frame stands out as I walk into my room. It was taken in July 2006 ( see photo ) when my family and I went back to Indonesia to say goodbye and pack up lots of our items. I remember exactly where it was taken and I still remember that day very well. We went into a poor neighbourhood where we had known some of the local kids and their mothers. When they saw us they were ecstatic and overjoyed to see us. The photo was taken with my brother and some of the kids who lived there. It is a memory that won’t be forgotten in a very long time
Everytime I see this photo, I feel blessed that I was able to experience that occasion with joy. I am also very thankful to my parents for the opportunity to live overseas as this is where most of the photos I have, really capture my experiences and something I will always cherish.

Burma & China

As we turn on the news on TV, listen to the radio and read the newspapers, there is 2 countries in Asia that we read about; Burma and China.Both countries have experienced total devastation as a result of cyclones and earthquakes. It is hard to not feel sorry for the pain people are experiencing in this country. Why do they need to suffer and why does God allow it?

As it is a question i have been thinking of many times over the years, i thought i would write a blog on it. We live in a world where humans have rebeled against God and as a result creation is groaning ( see begginning chapters of Genesis ). The human heart is the problem;Sin is a problem not just in my life, but in all of us. But what about Christians, why do they need to suffer to? We shouldn't expect to be exempt as we too live in a fallen world like non Christians.



Sometimes God uses disasters like Cyclone Nagas and the powerful earthquake to show people his power and that they need to turn to God with repentence. Wouldn't it be great if through pain and suffering that we all experience, that people who are walking in darkness, would see the light and turn back to God.

Sorry this is a short post, i might right more on this topic at a later date.

Letter from Bangladesh

Recently I received a letter from my sponsor child, Lalita, in Bangladesh. It was such a joy as I began opening the letter as it was the first letter I have received from her. Lalita is 10¾ years old, her birthday is in July ( like yours truly ) and loves playing jump rope. In her letter she mentioned her favourite food, her family and her dreams for the future- to be a teacher one day. As a result of being sponsored, she goes to school,is given enough food, has regular health check ups, and most importantly, she learns about who Jesus is through the program she attends in her village.

Most houses where she lives are made from mud walls,dirt floors and thatch roofs. 1/2 of her community is unemployed. So as you see, things do look bleak for her and the community she lives in, but with sponsoring her, she has something to look forward to, hope. She now has hope for a better future. Even though it may hard to comprehend everything that goes on where she lives, I am glad I can make a small difference in her life.

Photos taken in Vietnam

Here are some pics from Vietnam where I spent most of my time while I was overseas. The photos have been taken at an orphanage, a deaf school, a tempel and at the Cu Chi Tunnels. There is also a pic of me ready to get on a motorbike.

Cambodia Photos

Here are some photos taken while i was in Cambodia. 2 of the photos were taken at the killing fields just outside of the capital, Phnom Penh. There is one photo taken from a tuk tuk ( like a trishaw ) and the other photo is of one of my friends whom I hadn't seen in 10 years

I'm finally home

I am back in Sydney now and it has been great seeing my family again especially my brother as he has just celebrated his 16th Birthday. It feels a little strange being back in Australia as my time away was so valuable and worthwhile and I didn't want to leave.On the 8/1/2 hour plane trip back to Australia I was able to think about all the good things that happened while I was away, and also a number of things which I need to pray about.

Below are some points as a result of visiting Vietnam and Cambodia.


Thank and Praise the Father for:

• Keeping me safe and well for most of my trip.




• Being a blessing to others during my time volunteering.




• The opportunity to talk about our Heavenly Father to Mr S, a taxi driver and another volunteer..




• The Aussies I met and the encouragement they were to me.
  

Ask the Father for:

• The many people I had contact with (locals, kids at orphanages etc) who are still living in darkness; that they will repent of their sins.




• The many cross cultural workers and other locals wanting to reach out; that they will be bold and courageous, even if they are persecuted for their faith.




• More workers to want to go out into the harvest, to leave their comfort zones and reach the unreached of Asia.. Pray that they can use their skills and profession to teach others especially in areas of teaching and medical care which is much needed.

Trip to Cambodia and Vietnam- Part 2

I have been in Vietnam for a few days now and God has been so good to me. The population of Saigon is 5 times the population of Phnom Penh so the traffic is a lot more crazier!! The weather in Vietnam is very similar to Cambodia, hot and sticky for most of the day, but a lot better than the cold weather in Australia ! The other day it rained for an hour or so and my friends and I were soaked as we raced back to our guesthouse. The joy of running in the rain!

It has been an intersting few days here in Saigon. Apart from riding on a motorbike, i have been helping out along with other people at a number of organisations. Lots of the orphanages here are rather large with many street kids. It is so good that someone is willing to help these disadvantaged kids, otherwise they will be begging on the streets and not earning much money at all. We enjoyed taking some of the kids to a rollarskating rink as they had so much fun; it was clear from their smiles. ( The kids were heaps better than me on rollarskates, I hadn't rollarskated in 10 years!! )

There have been some challenges along the way, mainly with communication. I am not talking about communicating in English or Vietnamese, but it was hard connecting at times with the deaf school we visited. They taught us some sign language ( I have forgotten most of it now though-what a pity! ) and communicating back to them was difficult although it was a good experience for me to come and see them.

There has been time on the weekends to explore this exciting city of Saigon. On Saturday i went and visited the Cu Chi Tunnels which is 1/1/2 hours out of Saigon. This is where some of the fighting in the Vietnam War took place. The tunnels underground were so small; I couldn't imagine having to live down there while there was fighting above the ground. Our tour guide was actually shot during the Vietnam War and his story was a chilling reminder of the dangers of war and how it can be a matter of life and death. God has been good to us; we live in a free country.

I would write more, but the internet is very slow here and I must go!

Trip to Cambodia and Vietnam-Part 1

This post is a few days overdue as i have been quite busy.

I am at the moment having a good 2 weeks away from from my friends and family in Sydney, Australia. I am now in Vietnam, but have just been to the Kingdom of Cambodia where i have experienced quite a lot in the few days i had there. I had gone last year to Cambodia but the trip was rushed so this time i took my time visiting a number of places in Phnom Penh the capital. The capital was as hot as ever and most days were 35 degrees or more.

Visiting the Killing Fields was a sombering experience. There were so many people were brutally killed here as the Khmer Rouge took control of the country in the late 70s, and the question of ' why '( why so many people had to die) kept on coming up as i was there. I was able to meet a school friend whom i hadn't seen in nearly 10 years; we had lots to catch up on! I was also able to meet some other Aussies and that was an amazing encouragement to me. It is good that our God is working through his messengers around the world to show others who Jesus is despite the many challenges they face. God is doing great work through the church in Cambodia but still Christians are very much the minority.

One experience which i won't forget will be on my last day in Cambodia. I caught a taxi and the driver asked me what my religion was and I mentioned I was a Christian. In simple English i explained briefly what that meant. I am not sure if he understood me at all, but then he started asking some other questions,mainly about me . I am not sure if he really wanted to know me better ( he was rather young! ) or if he was genuinely interetested in Christianity, but i said that i will pray for him. Again, God is working in peoples hearts.

To conclude this post, life in Cambodia is quite different to life in Australia. In Australia we take so much for granted, a roof over our heads, enough food to eat etc. Even though there are a number of NGOs ( Non-Government Organisations) doing good work there, there are people still struggling on a daily basis. With half the population 15 years and under there are kids there who still don't go to school. We have so much to be thankful for and need to count our blessings everyday as God is so good to us.

I am in Vietnam now so will write again shortly and hopefully add some photos in the next week or so.

Well, this is my first blog. I decided i would start one so i can tell you some of my thoughts and insights about things....