This week flew by really quickly! Monday was a public holiday over at Timor (yes, they do have a lot more PHs during the month of November!), and so, LS, Dawn and I decided to head down to a cafe that is set up by 2 Brazilian missionaries, to train women who were abused, so they will still be able to have a vocation. We spent the remaining time just talking about the programs, planning for the coming December, where there will be 2 teams coming both from COOS and from Kum Yan Methodist, which to me felt weird, planning from the receiving end, the overview of the programs, which is going to be focused on purity, valuing oneself for the girls and to make right decisions for the boys.

Before the build up to the weekends which, was a staff retreat for the teachers, Siko was in the making, and making preparations for a short sharing on worship.

The retreat was focused on the topic of purity and the gender roles of men and women, which in this culture, the women often end up being less valued than the way they should be.

It was a nightʼs stay at Beachside Hotel (which was started up by an Australian couple, great, clean place and bunks at USD$20/head) if you intend to come to Dili, and it is by the seaside, with a nice cafe by the beach ;)

Perhaps it has been some time since I saw nice rooms, even this simple room feels like such a luxury, that one of the teachers said, “one day, my dream is to have a room like this”, and it made me wonder how we Singaporeans do not think much of the rooms we have!

I really love this ice breaking game that we did, which was to write our names on a piece of paper, and then have it stuck on our backs, and we go around, writing affirming words on one otherʼs back. I received words like “courageous, youʼre a good girl, good heart, God loves you and those caps word spells, “MUST SPEAK TETUN”, haha. I tend to speak English with these teachers! It is the students that I end up speaking most of my Tetun to, and my Tetun teacher.

The retreat was amazing, just by the way how God moved and worked among us, as we shared from our pasts, our date/relationship stories, to our confessions, that there was this openness to share with one another, that the bonds we had with one another, was not merely constrained to a cordial work or friends relationship, but one that geared towards a family oriented relationship - one that valued, cared and loved one another enough, to journey with one another. I felt that there was a shift in the way, how both genders viewed one another, how we could value one another and treat one another better, and hopefully, be close enough to one another, to form accountability partners, to help look out for one another.

This was the view I had, as I waited for my Bakso, sitting with my legs dangling off from a wall, singing on the guitar to the greatest Lover on earth, made me feel very blessed, happy and thankful, of just being able to do my favorite thing at the moment as the sun was setting - what a beautiful and rare sight! (how many sunsets do I get to sing to Him?!)

Sometimes, we are just too busy to realize the simplest things in life that can bring us so much joy, like a bowl of Bakso! It is the best I had, since I have been here. It has an added egg and fried tofu on it, LS gladly allowed me to have a tofu in there regardless how much it cost (USD$0.25), so I was a happy kid!

For a complete experience of eating Bakso, it has to be bought from a dude who sells it on a bike, (yes, his entire stall is attached on a motorbike, and it is piping hot).As you wait for your turn (the bowls are reused, just donʼt think about how the washing goes about), find a spot, squat and eat it- just like how it is done here, soupy food is always comfort and happy food.

Li Shan led worship on Sunday, during service and I played the guitar (bye chord sheets!), and it was just great worshipping with the voices of the congregation to a guitar, realizing that our voices indeed is the greatest instrument that God has given to us all.

I wished I had Uncle Tony around to borrow a pick from (I would always find him, heʼs came from a special pick wallet!), I completely forgot about it and since I rarely used it here, because no one uses it here and the guitar couldnʼt be plugged in or mic-ed up - sure in the midst of worshipping, the fingers felt fine until I was resting and wondering why does my right fingers hurt so much - it actually bled and I never realized it the entire time. I suppose I finally understood now, how the harpists feels and the thought of it all that it was gross and extreme?

I suppose, there is always something to give thanks for :)

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of
God in Christ Jesus for you”
1 Thessalonians 5:18

Praying without ceasing?
- Cocoon has completed the process of being registered as an NGO, godspeed and with much favor, thank you Jesus!

- We all to be well rested and in good health, as we prepare for the teams and people who are coming in two weeks time! Since God never does anything without a purpose, pray for His will to be done and for the kids (and to any divine meetup/appointment/person) to experience and know of His love and for the teams to experience Him in the ways they have not encountered Him yet. (yeap, His heavenly will on earth, as it is in heaven!)

Thank you and with much love,
Joy Joy