It is the middle of February....CNY is over...and we just finished St Valentine's Day. Looking back at 2008, I recall a sentence from Tale of Two cities by Charles Dickens......"It was the best of times and it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom and it was the age of foolishness,....it was a season of Light and it was a season of darkness...." It depicts the plight of the French people under the brutal oppression of the rich and aristocrat in the years leading up to the revolution, and the corresponding savage brutality demonstrated by the revolutionaries toward the former in the early years of the revolution. It was the time the gullotine was invented, a very brutal way of punishing those who "deserved it".
To me, it was the first 2 phrases that attracted me. My country went through the best in the beginning (celebrating on the rights to host the Youth Olympics to be held in 2010, celebrated with the rest of the world to watch our motherland China hold the 2008 Olympics, the F1, the first night race in Singapore) then something happened in another country far away in September. Then suddenly everything just went down hill. The politicians were frightened, the businesses suddenly shut down, families tightened their belts, etc. For most of the year, the streets in Singapore were packed with people from all over the world, Caucasians, Africans, Europeans, etc, it was hard even to walk on the streets. Now, they are gone.....instead the public transport is packed with all of us, all trying to save our money for the rainy day.
For MHI, it was also the best, having a chance to do 2 mission trips in 2008 (one in Laguna, Philippines and another in Penang). The number of new students who made MHI its new home increased. They are also responding and acknowledging that God has been good to them. They have put God in their lives, in their studies, supporting one another, praying for one another.
However the down side was a gradual realisation that there was no new adult Christian volunteer who came to volunteer in our minsitry for almost a year. Instead, some of the adults have indicated that they would like to step down and move on. MHI has been a wonderful experience for them and they would like to look at other ministries.
We just finished our Chinese New Year party in February. The event was wonderful and it left many of the guests a good memorable experience with their friends. Having gone through the event with the organisers, I discovered a few things that I must try to sort out.
I discovered 3 groups of people in MHI. As I help with the invitation for the event, the 1st group of people responded in this way:
"Sorry I am not interested. Please don't bother me"
the 2nd group of people responded this way :
"I am glad you invited ME. Thanks for remembering ME. But let ME see FIRST. I will tell you if I am free to support you."
the last group and a very rare group I discovered:
"Thank YOU for your invitation. I will make sure not only me, but my friends come along to support YOU. Do you need my help?"
Of course as in any organisation, we have no right to force anybody to come. Therefore as a old member of MHI, I have faced many rejections. I shrug it off as "It is alright".
For the other 2 groups, I should be happy with their positive responses.
Both groups responded positively.
However I find the last group as treasures at the bottom of the barrel.
The 2nd group though they are happy to come, indicates a very selfish focus on themselves. Like foreigners who have no attachment to the country they visit. When things are bad, they will have no hesitation to leave.
The 3rd group did not see the invitation just towards themselves. They see MHI as a place that every body has the right to be in. They are quite confident that when they think about ours, they themselves would not loose out.
Sometimes I wonder if the world teaches us these values that we should always think about ourselves? Are we going to loose out?
What is there for me?
How can I benefit?
Perhaps we can start encouraging the students to think that way. Not about themselves only, but also about others. After all, MHI encourages volunteers and students to look after one another, make it their second home, change our lives for the better. Be a good influence and make an impact on the lives of others.
I wonder the year 2009 will be a evaluation of what MHI is imparting to our volunteers and students. Will the message of not only good will, but encouraging one another to be more caring and sharing be a part of our lives.
We don't need to be in good times to make our lives happier, heaven can be a place on earth where we bother about one another. A home can be anywhere we find love and where there is love.
