Sunday, April 22, 2007
oh my gosh i've no idea whats happened to the encoding. this web's language is all in boxes. this post is like the only thing in english. finally felt like posting. cuz the mini kayaking expedition is something really worth spending time on. on friday evening after a long and tiring speech and prize giving day 6 of us met at sembawang mrt station and sat there waiting at the taxi stand like a group of workers just sitting around chit chatting. we were waiting for everyone to be present before we set off to some ulu place at 9.30am. semb saf yatch club. so yea, booked into the army camp beside it, slept in the multi purpose hall, girls were on stage, the guys were on the ground. somehow or another, it felt youth camp-ish. anyway. we were woken up by the officers at 4.50am. they sounded like tribal warriors dancing round a camp fire celebrating victory or something. haha. reached the yatch club again and set off at 7am as planned. we reached pasir ris park at 10 and i felt like some illegal immigrant cuz its the first time i reached another beach by sea. ha. had a crappy indigestible meal of chicken rice and pudding and an hour's break before setting off back to sembawang again. it was really tiring. "mind over body" was the key and i didnt have that. i didnt make it to the next round. aww but aye, heck lah. cant be bothered, what for go through another 60 odd km after you feel like giving up at 20km? i still remembered touching pasir ris park's beach and forcing myself to walk 42steps carrying the crazily heavy kayak up. on the way back, nearing seletar island was the real test. my arms were giving up, my partner's style and method all affected the way i thought. i felt like just stopping. we were way behind the leading pact. i tried to pray and ask for help, it just felt so empty. what made it worst was the storm brewing in the distance and the flashes of lighning around the area, the tow boat soon came and we thought the worst was over, we were picked up and dropped off about two km off the beach-up point. the heart of all the lighning and thunder that shook the kayak everytime it crashed. this was the only point i felt energy and an adrenalin rush. the many news headines about people killed by lightning strikes in my head just made me feel more scared. my partner on the other hand was enjoying himself. till one bolt struck the water next to us. probably 5-6 metres away. i cannot describe the fear that was in me at that time. i cried out to God and i think through out the expedition, it was the only time i felt his presence, calming the fear and the storm in me. i was reminded or this song. with christ in the vessel i can smile at the storm, smile at the storm, smile at the storm, with christ in the vessel i can smile at the storm as we go sailing home. i really thank God for the faithfulness he has even though i often fall short trusting in him. though i didnt get into the next round, its been a really good learning experience for me. praise God.
9:44 pm
