Assembly Fellowship Camp - Day 2

Woke up 6.45am for Morning Manna. This is the first time I went for camp where morning devotion is done in a big group.
Mr.Ung Kim Cheng spoke.
Topic : "To Be or Not To Be"
He quoetd 4 examples from the bible:
1. Samson - Failed to live up to what God wanted him to be, and encountered many Failures in his life, he no more wanted to be and chose not to be.
God let him be because he was a Failure in life, though he was Fruitful in death.
2. Elijah - Feared what would befall him in the Future, he forgot what God wanted him to be and chose not to be but God would not allow him to be until he was what he should be. Then God took him home to be with Him.
Fearful to continue to be, but he had not Finished his work, so he had to continue to be.
3. Jonah - He did not want to be what God wanted him to be, but later became what he ought to be.
4. Paul - He was undecided whether to be or not to be. Not to be was better for him; but to be was better for the believers.
Conclusion : To be or not to be - that is not the question! You need to be what He wants you to be.
To think deeply, sometimes we fall into 1 of these 4 categories (or all 4). Knowing what He wants us to be, but yet running away from it or chose not to be.

The exciting part of the day starts.
I was so looking forward to it. I wanted to go to Gua Tempurung for so long already but still haven't got the chance to do so.
At last... I get to go.
Without hesitation, I signed up for the full Level 4 journey.
Too bad, YSan didn't want to go for the full journey and only signed up for Level 2.

The renjers were there when we reached. He introduced himself as Max and his friend Sense. It sounds like "make sense". :-)

We got our helmet and went into the caves after the briefing.
We have to use the opposite way, to start off with the wet part then only the dry area because the sky was dark, they were afraid that if we go the dry area first, then half way through the cave we won't know it's raining and the water might flood too high and it's too risky. So through their experience it's better for us to go the wet area first.
I thought anything goes, I'mexcited about the wet area, but ended up... it makes a big different. You'll know what I mean later.

We walked on the water, it was quite dangerous as we couldn't see where the big stone is and we might hurt our feet. I hurt mine. Ouch... but have to keep going. Adelene is like a big sister to me. Find it quite weird as I never have a big sister, I'm always the big sister to others, protecting others, taking care of others, this time round, my role changed. I didn't have a torchlight so it makes my move even more difficult. I have to really stick with her. We walked holding hand on the water, just to help each other in case we slip or bang onto something.

There were quite a number of places where we have to go down on our knees. The water was quite high, only our head will be above the water surface and above us is the ceiling already. Luckily I wore helmet, I lost count how many times I hit the ceiling. ;-p I was really clumsy, reason being I'm too amazed by the superb view in the cave, I was always looking around the cave and didnt pay attention to what's on my way. That's why Adelene helped a lot by holding my hand, or else... hahaha.... I'll be coming out with lots of bruises and cuts.

Few amazing things that I want to share.
There are quite a number of stones (ok, I don't know what's that call, I know they have some special name but it's not in my vocab) which looks like the alien's hand, something sticking down covered by some white ugly liquid-like looking thing, my curiousity said I have to touch it, thinking whether it'll be sticky, haha... it's not. The funny thing is, it just looked sticky but it's not, it's solid rock.
When we reached a place, the renjer askes us to look up with our mouth close, we looked up and we saw bats, lots of them. Sometimes, or most of the time, the place was so dark that we only torched our way and forgot to look around. We didn't know there was a big empty space on top of us, thought it was just a narrow way in front of us. The bats hung up there. I think this was my first time seeing so many bats.

When we reached another sort of like pit stop place, the renjer asked us to gather around and stand still. Then he asked us to switch off all our torch lights. We switched off and it's really pitch black. It's totall darkness. I mean super darkness kind of super darkness. It's just very very seriously dark. It's like even if I put my fingers right in front, say 3cm, of my eyes, I still couldn't see my fingers. It's just very dark. The renjer told us to look at one of our friends white shirt, we couldn't see it. Then, he sounded very mysterious. He asked whether we know what's the tips or the very important thing when we are in the cave. We were thinking hard, what's the tips? The answer was... it's very important to bring a torchlight! What??? Ok, we were all thinking too hard. It's as simple as that. Haih... we all laughed.

O... there's a part where we need to slide down. It was a very steep stone. The renjers were there to help but we have to have the courage to slide down too. We were told to use our hands to control the speed but too bad, my hands are always weak, so I couldn't control my speed or even hold my body with my hands, so I just slide down with a very high speed, sooooOOOoooooOOooo scary!

Then, there was this place where we have to go down from a little hole. The renjer went down first to catch us from below. When we went down, we have to turn our body because it's a really narrow hole, but before I managed to turn my body around, the renjer pulled me from below and OOOOouuuuuuccccccCCChhhhh... it hurts, I scratched my waist. It hurts but luckily not bleeding.

After the wet area, we started our dry area. Killing!!!! Lots of staircases, not easy when we were all soaked in water with heavy clothes. Arrgghhh.... lifting my foot up every steps. Worst than running the 10km run.

It was really a fun and great experience, to be able to this side of His creation. Not something that we get to see everyday like the sky. Many parts of the caves are like million years of effort. Keep moulding it day by day, bit by bit until it becomes how it is today. Just like how our wonderful Lord works in our life day by day, bit by bit, shaping us to be who He thinks best.

After the great expedition, we went to Kampar, which is just around 20mins away, for the famous "Bread chicken" (direct translation from cantonese). 4 tables of us went into an empty restaurant. It was already almost 3pm. We had our lunch there, watching the magic show and some lame stunt from our joker Daniel Ong. It was fun, we were all tired but we had a great laugh. Esmond-the driver, Heather, Clarine, Adelene and myself were in a car, On our way back, we just continue our lame story, from Flaming Pot to Black magic... Lots of fun. :-)

At night, we had buffet dinner. They served this special fried yam with nangka inside. I doubted, because I don't like nangka and yam, but I have to try. I'll regret if I don't and true enough, I'll regret if I didn't. It tasted so nice, coming from someone who doesn't like both the main ingredients. :-)

2nd session started after the dinner. Speaker Joseph John just roughly guided us through and split us into small groups of 5. We then shared about what we have been actively doing lately and how we see God leading us in that way and what's the concern or weaknesses we had that we need prayers. Dominic, Florence Liew, Diana, Elaine and I were in a group. Just so encouraged by all their sharing. All of them were actively serving in the particular way and listening to their stories of how wonderful God is in leading them into it, it's just amazing. 5 of us were tired in our own ways, to come to this camp is to relax and re-focus. This time of sharing served more than just that, it's like giving all of us a jap of energy and encouragement. It's like recharging our battery for the Lord and re-light the burning desire to serve. It was really a great sharing session to be remembered.

I went to bed with much thoughts today. Just feel that God is really so awesome. he works in ways we cannot see.
From the morning wonderful scenery to remind me He's the great creator of all things and I am one of His great art *wink wink*, to the sharing session at night which reminds me of how He works in my life to bring me to who I am today. He doesn't only create me and let me rod but continuosly working in my life to shape me to who He wants me to be, to be an instrument for Him. I'm not here just for no reason. I'm such a lousy sinner and yet He is willing to spend so much effort in me. So many times, I went away and I hurt Him from doing things that He is not pleased with. So many times, I mean sooooo many times. But yet, He's always there calling and waiting for me to come back to Him. Ahh.... I don't know how to express this. He's just such a wonderful God that I can't thank enough.