The search for the right Milo

After drinking all other sorts of MILO in this world: Swiss MILO, Columbian MILO, Singaporean MILO, Indonesian MILO and Malaysian MILO alike, I have come into the conclusion that Australian MILO far exceeds all the rest in terms off texture, taste, smell, and overall satisfaction level. I absolutely cannot live without it, and am thanking all my Brisbane friends for sending me a big tin of MILO to Montréal. 

Proud to be Australians

After living my life in 3 Indonesian cities, 1 Australian and 1 Canadian, and traveling all over the 4 continents of the world, I have to say, while loving all of the experiences in many different ways, I do love to be called an Australian and I do call Australia home.

I've been to cities that never close down

From New York to Rio and old London town

But no matter how far or how wide I roam

I still call Australia home

I'm always traveling, I love being free

And so I keep leaving the sun and the sea

But my heart lies waiting over the foam

I still call Australia home

And someday we'll all be together once more

When all of the ships come back to the shore

I'll realize something I've always known

I still call Australia home

Canada ranks fourth on quality of life

06 October 2009 05:13

The UN’s verdict is in: Canadians have the fourth-best quality of life in the world, behind top-rated Norway, Australia and Iceland.

And Canada again surpasses the wealthier United States, which has slid from 12th to 13th place between 2006 and 2007, the last year for which international data was tabulated. Canada’s position is unchanged since 2006.

The figures are tallied by the United Nations Development Program’s annual Human Development Index, which analyses the statistics of 182 countries.

At the bottom of the  scale is destitute Niger. Only a cut above is Afghanistan, in spite of billions of dollars of development money.

Journal entry: Roller coaster ride, 18th September 2009

After a roller-coaster ride of being stressed out and tired, emotionally and phisically, which led to being sick also, I finally can say, 'Praise you in the storms, Lord. And praise you for taking me out of it too'.

This short and intense journey started when my first boss in Montreal, which is the manager of the Language school I had been studying in (6 months) and working for (10 weeks), told me they had no budget to rehire me.

On the Friday, the 28th August, I had my last French lesson and my last day at work. That same afternoon, while hunting for new jobs, at 17:30, I received a job interview offer. The coming monday, I went for the interview, had the second interview the day after, and got the job.

I started work on Thursday the 3rd of September. It was a full time job, in which I worked as a sales associate for a company, that organizes National executive forums, in the health and legal sector. 

Though I was very grateful for it, I found that the nature of the job is not really suitable for me, and therefore causing me unnecessary stress and pressure. So at the end of Friday the 11th of September, I decided that I would quit the first thing Monday morning. At this stage I was feeling rather defeated, very stress, literally feeling sick in my stomach. Not to mention, feeling guilty for 'letting go of the job that many have prayed for me'.

I decided that I had to do at least something that very weekend before telling my boss about my intentions. On Saturday, prepared with my CV, I went around the Montréal city to ask if people are hiring...

Beyond my faintest expectation, all the stores that I approached were hiring, I mean, EVERYBODY! I spoke to all the managers and received good feedback about employment opportunities.

To summarize and describe this week fairly to all of you, let me show you my schedule this past week:

Sat   12 Sept     :Dropped CVs

Sun  13 Sept :Worship God in church as usual

                    Received an interview offer from American Eagle

Mon  14 Sept    :Quit my job

Tue  15 Sept  :Rest at home and try to recover from flu

                   Received an interview offer from BCBG 

                              (Bon Chic, Bon Genre-high end fashion boutique)

                       Received a job offer from Evangel Church 

                       (which i did not apply for)

Wed 16 Sept   :Interview with American Eagle

                   Received job offer from American Eagle

                   Received possible opportunity to work for FOSSIL

Fri   17 Sept    :Interview with BCBG

                   Accepted Job offer from American Eagle

                   Received interview offer from GUESS 

                       (half hour after I accepted my job)

Yeap, so in short, at the end I have decided to work for American Eagle full time, the company that was the first to offer me a job, as a sales associate. The beauty about this company is that they reminded me so much about Australian culture, very relaxed and casual, but at the same time organized. I can wear anything I want to work, includes jeans, T-shirt and even flip flops. It doesn't feel like I'm about to work, it feels like going out to meet with my friends :O)

I am also trying to work part time for Evangel church. Hopefully it could work out with my timetables they will give me next week. I see this as an opportunity to learn from a Montréal church and having first hand access to the way they do church here.

This past one week has been so amazing, and it thought me a lot about my God too. It proves to me that God does care about my well-being. I could just living with a 'barely' surviving mentality, but deep down inside I don't think that I glorify Him much by living this way, barely surviving, gasping for air, and longing to escape. In my case, He did pull through at the end of the day. I can sincerely say that I feel very happy and contented with how everything has turned out. I do feel looked after at all times. He made me feel secure like no one else or nothing else could. This scripture really strengthened me and gave me the courage to differentiate between the good and the better, between what I think is sufficient and what God CAN offer me.

I was young and now I am old,

yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken

or their children begging bread.

Psalm 37:25

Well, it seems that I will be working for American Eagle for the time being, while trying to complete my Interior Design Diploma. 

I am also continuing my self study in French now, Je parle Français maintenant, mais pas trés bien. J'ai vraiment besoin beaucoup de practiquer. In english: I can speak French now, not very well yet because I really need lotsa practice... I think this job will help better my conversational skills. Fingers Crossed!!!

Also, if I haven't told you that the winter here is terribly cold, try to imagine how -40 deg will feel, and you would naturally sympathize with me. BUT and it is a big BUT too... since 4 weeks ago, God had provided us with an apartment that is only about 70 steps (I counted) from the Metro station, or about 35m. It is incredibly, unbelievably close by.

Talking about winter, the best thing about working for American Eagle is that, I would only have to endure that 70 steps of outdoor living, during winter, because my shop is located in the underground shopping centre. YUP, no need to surface at all... Woohoo... What a relief, or in French, Je suis soulagée!!!

I would like to thank my friends and my prayer partners who have been a great support during this interesting period of our stay here. All of you who prayed for us, keeping in touch, we really appreciate it. Thanking my personal support team, Doyin Bademosi, Thea Magdalena (my sister), Karen Gaffney. Thanks for my girlfriends, Melissa Ke, May Cheung, and many many of you who read this. I love you all and God bless you...

A man of many companions may come to ruin,

But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.

Proverbs 18:24

Thank you for sticking to me closer than my own family. I sincerely couldn't have done it without you. I hope I will have the pleasure of your friendship for a very long time to come :O)

Love,

Mel

The Church – the greatest force on Earth

by Rick Warren

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The Church is everywhere in the world.
There are villages that have little else,
but they do have a church.
Rick Warren
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The Church is the most magnificent concept ever created. It has survived persistent abuse, horrifying persecution, and widespread neglect. Yet despite its faults (due to our sinfulness), it is still God’s chosen instrument of blessing and has been for 2,000 years.

The Church will last for eternity, and because it is God’s instrument for ministry here on Earth, it is truly the greatest force on the face of the Earth. That’s why I believe tackling the world’s biggest problems – the giants of spiritual lostness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and ignorance – can only be done through the Church.

The Church has eight distinct advantages over the efforts of business and government:

1. The Church provides for the largest participation. 
Most people have no idea how many Christians there are in the world: More than 2 billion people claim to be followers of Jesus Christ. That’s one third of the world’s population! The Church has about a billion more people than the entire nation of China.

For example, about 100 million people in the United States went to church this past weekend. That’s more people than will attend sporting events in the United States throughout this year. The Church is the largest force for good in the world. Nothing else even comes close.

2. The Church provides for the widest distribution. 
The Church is everywhere in the world. There are villages that have little else, but they do have a church. You could visit millions of villages around the world that don’t have a school, a clinic, a hospital, a fire department, or a post office. They don’t have any businesses. But they do have a church. The Church is more widely spread – more widely distributed – than any business franchise in the world.

Consider this: The Red Cross noted that 90 percent of the meals they served to victims of Hurricane Katrina were actually cooked by Southern Baptist churches. Many churches were able to jump into action faster than the government agencies or the Red Cross. Why? The Church is literally everywhere, and Christians who could provide help to the Gulf Coast communicated with Christians in need of help so relief could be sent immediately.

3. The Church provides the longest continuation.
The Church has been around for 2,000 years. We’re not a fly-by-night operation. The Church has a track record that spans centuries: Malicious leaders have tried to destroy it, hostile groups have persecuted it, and skeptics have scoffed at it. Nevertheless, God’s Church is bigger now than ever before in history.

Why? Because it’s the Church that Jesus established, and it is indestructible. The Bible calls the Church an unshakable kingdom. In Matthew 16, Jesus says, “I will build my Church and all the powers of hell will not conquer it.” All the powers of hell – in other words, no hurricane, no earthquake, no tsunami, no famine, no pandemic, no army will ever conquer the Church established by Jesus Christ.

4. The Church provides the fastest expansion.
Did you know that every day 60,000 new people come to believe in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior? By the end of today, thousands of new churches will be started throughout the world, and that will happen tomorrow and the next day and the next.

In one country that is closed to traditional Christian missions, more than 60,000 house churches have been started in one province by the work of lay people, no different from the people who fill your church sanctuary every weekend.

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If you’ve got a problem that’s growing at
a rapid rate, then you need a solution
that will grow even more rapidly. For
instance, HIV/AIDS is growing at an
incredibly fast rate in the world. Yet
thank God, the Church is outgrowing
the disease,so more and more believers
can help minister to those with HIV/AIDS.
Rick Warren
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Why is fast expansion important? If you’ve got a problem that’s growing at a rapid rate, then you need a solution that will grow even more rapidly. For instance, HIV/AIDS is growing at an incredibly fast rate in the world. Yet thank God the Church is outgrowing the disease, so more and more believers can help minister to those with HIV/AIDS.

If we’re going to tackle global giants like poverty, disease, or illiteracy, then we must be part of something that’s growing faster than the problem. The Church is doing just that!

5. The Church provides the highest motivation.
Why do any of us do what we do in ministry? It’s not to make money, not to make a name for ourselves and not for duty to our nation. We do it out of love. Jesus stated it as the Great Commandment: “Love God with all your heart and love your neighbor as yourself.” We wouldn’t do the hard work required to tackle these global giants for money, for fame, or for anything else. It just wouldn’t be worth it; we’d quit before the end.

We’re motivated to keep at the hard work of ministry because we love God, and our love for God compels us to love other people. It is love that never gives up; it is love that keeps moving forward despite the appearance of impossible odds; and it is love that outlasts any problem.

6. The Church provides the strongest authorization.
God authorized the Church to take on global giants, such as spiritual lostness, egocentric leadership, poverty, disease, and ignorance. With God’s authorization, the outcome is guaranteed to be successful.

When you know that God has authorized you to do something, you don’t worry about failure because God doesn’t sponsor flops. If God says we’re going to do it, it’s going to happen. It is inevitable. In fact, the Bible teaches that God will give us his power to complete the task. This is God’s way - ordinary people empowered by his Spirit.

7. The Church provides the simplest administration.
The Church is organized in such a way that we can network faster and with less bureaucracy than most governmental agencies or even well-meaning charities. For instance, the organizational structure at Saddleback, which is based on the New Testament model, holds that every member is a minister. Each person in our church family is encouraged to use his or her own S.H.A.P.E. (Spiritual gifts, Heart, Abilities, Personality, Experiences) to do what God has called him or her to do. There is no bureaucracy or hierarchy. There isn’t a single committee, and the process doesn’t require a long list of approvals.

The old wineskin of command and control won’t work well in the 21st century. The organization of the future is the “network.” And there’s no better worldwide network than the Church, where every member is a minister and empowered to do what God wants done.

Consider it this way – tens of millions of Christians in millions of small groups that are part of churches around the world can take on the global giants with no other authority than that given from Jesus Christ. In other words, we have God’s permission and we have God’s command to do it. There is no need to seek permission from anyone else.

8. The Church provides for God’s conclusion.
Since we believe the Bible is God’s Word, we already know the end of history. Jesus said in Matthew 24: “The good news about God’s Kingdom will be preached in all the world to every nation, and then the end will come.” It is inevitable and unavoidable.

When you consider these eight advantages, think about the exponential explosion of ministry when millions upon millions of small groups in millions upon millions of churches organize in such a way that each person can do their part in attacking the five global giants.

What do you think could happen if God’s people prayed against these global giants, prepared for action against these giants, and then moved through faith to tackle these giants?

We may look at these problems and think, “These are too big! How could we possibly solve them?”

But with God, nothing is impossible – and if we all work together as his Church, we’ll see these giants falls just as Goliath fell when faced with David’s obedience to God.

A little reflection on the 2nd Week of September 2009

When the oceans rise and thunders roar

I will soar with you above the storm

Father you are King over the flood

I will be still and know you are God

I was feeling miserable all morning, after a thorough self-diagnosis (from previous illnesses), I believe that I'm having a combination of a stomach bug (with the symptom of food poisoning): nausea, dizziness, diarrhea, and a throat infection (sore throat, very itchy throat at times, and a cough). 

My boss gave me some time off in the morning (unpaid of course, welcome to North America!), so I decided to take the whole morning off and come to work after company's lunch time is over. While lying helpless on my bed feeling sorry for myself, I had the most brilliant idea of listening to worship music on U tube and singing along to my favorites like Casting Crowns: Who am I, Praise you in the storm; Chris Tomlin: Amazing Grace: Hillsong: Healer, Still, There is none but you, and Sing to the Lord O my soul.

The word of God is absolutely true and it brings forth healing, I do feel better afterwards, especially deep down inside. While listening to healer, I am reminded of Mike Guglielmuchi who, just over one year ago, on the 20th of August 2008, was stripped from all his Pastoral duties, due to his faked terminal illness...

While listening to this song, as always (the last one probably about 6 months ago in Brissie), I feel absolutely ministered too... By the presence of God, by the worship of the people of God and by the words, which are true. I totally agree with a saying that no matter how flawed men are, God is still God. Yesterday, today and tomorrow the same, forever and forever...

I also believe despite what we do or don't do, the word of God, the works of God will continue on until it has accomplished it's purposes, it will not return empty:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts,

neither are your ways my ways.

As the heavens are higher than the earth,

so are my ways higher than your ways

and my thoughts than your thoughts.

This 'holy' moment, which is so precious to me, takes me straight into intercession. How wonderful... These are the moments I spend with my maker that I will remember for a long long time (I'm forgetful, so this is a huge thing for me). Tears shed, prayers said, a heart rejoiced and is glad because of the gift. A gift of coming to the altar of the holy one freely, 'with all access pass', to utter requests and admiration to the only one who deserves it...

It is true, he's turned my mourning into dancing, my sorrow to joy, my sickness (in every literal sense possible :O) into gladness. Amen

A small note to remember the family and friends of Mike in prayer, and focus and refocus on Christ, in good times, in bad times, in the pastures and in the storms. 

Love you all,

Mel

Pei goes to Montreal Prison

After four years, I’m going back to the prison. Unlike the previous experience of entering the prison as a part of my work and treating the inmates as clients, this time I went in as God’s ambassador and representative in bringing God’s love to them. Prison ministry is not something that I expected when I first planned in coming to Montreal. I did not search for it but it has found me. Years ago when I first stepped into prisons, I told myself how wonderful it would be if I can go in freely to share of God though I had no idea what it would be like. I still remember once I was sharing the gospel on the streets and met a guy who just came out of prison whom I managed to share a bit about Christ to. However, when I went to visit him with the contact details he left with me, I could not locate him. Funny how all these things came back to me in this foreign land.

Canadian prison is not that different from the Australian prisons. Located at the outskirts of the city with a vast land, wired fence, secured doors and guards are all what I am familiar with. A new realization for me is the prison chapel which is a wonderful place where the inmates gathered with God’s servants. A place where as we sat there before God, there is no such thing as ‘us’ and ‘them’ and together we praised God, together we worshipped God and together we read the bible. Like any of the small gathering, people are free to ask questions and share of their thoughts, experiences and of what God has impressed upon their hearts on the bible passage we read. My first prison ministry experience is like the discovery of a new land revealing the part of society that not many people would see or experience. Each of the inmates presents potentially a person who could be greatly used by God as His servant wherever they are. Thank God for the experience and opportunity to serve Him.

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things – and the things that are not- to mollify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him. 1 Corinthians 1:26-29