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Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia
Hey all...=)..welcome to this wonderful world of disney!..ops..my blog...hehhe...My name is Arul...Jonathan Arul...hehhe...22 this year..From Penang,Malaysia..But now in Hat yai,Thailand...The Land Of Smiles..=)..this 'project' is just to share my blessings,trials,happiness,joy..But most of all...my prayers..I pray that this blog will be a blessing to many..Have a nice day and...God Bless...=)...(Smiles from the Land Of Smiles)..

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

My Testing Period


Well ok...i know this post is old..very old..i totally forgot to post it last year..well my frens..its better late than never rite...=)

            Its been almost two months now since i left Hadyai, Thailand, 7 months since i left home. I’ve started my new journey, my new chapter and i am very excited to see how God leads me from here. It was never easy for me to leave my comfort zone, to leave everyone i loved behind to a land where i don’t even understand their language. But i know God has a special plan for me and leaving home was part of it. My 7 months in Thailand was indeed a very special experiences that i will cherish forever. It was a time of learning, self discovery, and drawing close to my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. I had a journal last year title, The Beginning of Me. I thought it would be a good title has i was about to start a new chapter in my life. I thought i knew myself and wanted to see how far i can go the distant. But God had a diff plans altogether. He simple had to struck me hard and make me realized that i am nothing before him. Thats when i truly discovery myself. Who am i? I am Jonathan, and i belong to Jesus. That is my identity. How could i not see it all this years? And why must i discover it only in Thailand? I believe god has his ways, and its best we don’t question them. Even if we do, we won’t be able to understand it.i realize God has a very special plan for me, and that he wants to use me to make a change. I know right there and then that if i let go of this opportunity, il never get it back. So i gave in to God’s plan. And have never look back since. 7 months have passed. And i’m now in Seremban, serving TMC Seremban under the care of Rev Sandi.

 I know i’ve given my life to do missions. I felt that it would be a waste of time putting me in a church. It felt like il be bind with the church system for no reason, so i thought, but man i was wrong. Its only my 3rd month here and i’ve seen the side of a church which i’ve never saw.i believe everywhere is the same. Ask any pastor and he will sing you a song of the church he’s serving. I now know life is not as it seems. Being a follower of Christ is never easy. And im witnessing it every single day. Everyone has issues. Everyone has pain and hurts which they cant hold on all by themselves. We all are fighting for our own survival here on earth. What is the duty of the church? How important is a personal touch, and care? I realize it all here. I came here without any expectations. For one reason, i felt i was going to waste my time here, but the other reason was i know even when il be wasting time here, il be learning something, and i wanted to make sure i absorb whatever i can. Well i was surely so very wrong about me wasting time here but i was so right that il be learning. Everyday i am learning more and more about missions. And i realized once again that everyday we waste not sharing God’s love, we are losing so so many opportunities to increase His kingdom. What does missions got to do within a church set up? Well i don’t know much but all i can say about missions is sharing God’s love that he showed to us, the redeemed. And we are in return, should share that love to his lost children. But the people in the church are already saved. Why waste time here? This was the 1st question  i ask myself. my answer, after just three months,are they really save? whether save or not, we face the world everyday. And the world we know and loved so much is full of corruption and sin. And we are all bond in it. Being in the church, ministering with pastor, all the visitation, prayer, and studies really does make a change, and i am seeing it as a big mission field. It is a different mission field but still a mission field. And i thank God for making me realized this. I took a stand as soon as i reached here. My stand, have no expectation what so ever. I want my time here to be a a very meaningful time and and i leave TMC Seremban, i want to leave with so many lessons which will help guide me through any rough times i may face in the futurewhile serving our God. I stop writing my journal, the beginning of me long time ago. I’ve switch my sights from myself to my God. All i want is His mighty hands to guide me through, leading me to His cross alone.

          K aneh is the other student pastor entrusted to Rev Sandi for the year. I’ve known aneh and his wife, Karen akka for a long time now. First of all, it was surely God’s intervention that brought aneh and myself here. We were both not suppose to be here, but for some reason, God wants us to be here. I could not have ask for a better housemate, and a fellow brother to learn how to serve God. Aneh is so experienced in our conference, especially with the youths and the church dynamics. Im truly blessed because not only im learning from Rev Sandi, I am also learning from aneh every single day. Aneh is a married man with a heavy responsibility on his shoulders. As a son and husband he has his duties which he needs to fulfil. But aneh gave it all up to serve god. And for that i am sure God will look after his family. Seeing aneh, and being with him, i realized that i have a long way to go and i need to be prepared for all that. Being a pastor, or a student pastor was never going to be easy, and k aneh is a perfect example. He needs to look after his family plus give all his time to serve God. I don’t know exactly how it feels, but i know im not prepared for all that. it is only by God’s grace aneh is standing firm. Praise God

            Rev Sandi is the pastor in church of TMC Seremban. Pastor is also the DS of the southern district. Well we know what the say, with great powers, comes great responsibilities. Pastor Sandi is like a machine that never stop working. I don’t know from where he gets his energy, but i am so amazed to see pastor work so hard in everything that he does. During my time in Thailand, when we got to know that il be send to TMC Seremban, Jesu aneh, Uncle Sam and Uncle Jayaraja expressed their delight. They all told me that i will be in save hands and that pastor was also a mission man.  Pastor sandi and his family have been so so good to me and k aneh. They are our only family here in seremban. And i really thank god for blessing us with such wonderful people. Pastor sandi makes me feel like giving my all when im already trying my best. We can never sit and relax around when we’r called for something great. Thats what i feel when i am with pastor. God has a purpose for us, and till we achieve it, we cant take anything lightly. Its a serious ministry we are in and pastor sandi makes k aneh and myself see the seriousness in serving our god. Pastor is always on the move, and being in a big church does not make things any easier for pastor. But he still faithfully serves God and he’s call. I pray and hope that i can be able to serve god in the same way. I see that god will bless us if we faithfully serve god. And god has been faithful to pastor Sandi. Being with pastor makes me feel so excited to know our god more because pastor is also a man who is very knowledgeable. I like being with him because there’s room for me to provoke my thoughts and the understanding i have of the things around me and therefore giving me a better understanding of God, life and everything that involves. K aneh and myself feel that the best place to be in seremban is with pastor. And we never want to miss any opportunity of learning with pastor Sandi. I believe god has sent me to the right place, and i believe that god will use pastor Sandi to help me understand my call better.
           
            Why am i here? Because i answer god’s invitation. Do i regret it? Never! I am never going to look back. God has being so faithful in blessing my family, leading us through all the hard times. He’s hands was upon me, even when i let him down so many times before, He choose to use me. I am nothing before my God. Not worthy of his call. He can easily do everything he wants without any help, but he still ask if i can do it for him. Thats how much my god loves me and trust me. I love my God and i know nothing can ever take God away from me. He’s my 1st love and i want to forever be faithful to Him. God has been leading me in a very special way. From who i was before, to Thailand, and to Seremban. He was leading me all the way. There are times when il be discourage and let down, but i know i am not alone because my god is standing right next to me holding me from falling. My mother shared with me something very recently. He advice me not to hold on to him because when trouble times hit, we tend to let go of Him, but ask God to hold on to us. And thats what i have ask God. I want God to hold me and never let go. Serving him and reaching out to his lost children is all that i ask for. It was hard to settle down here, it was totally a different set up from Thailand. But God has bless me with so many wonderful people to look after me and care for me. During trouble times, God is also showing me there’s a ray of hope and joy when we serve god. And the peace i have in serving my god can never be compare to anything. I pray and ask God that he will guide me through hard times and that il not get easily discourage but i will stand firm in serving god, making a change because my god who called me is faithful.

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