024: Oasis Visit

Oasis Visit: 3 September 2011

The final official visit to oasis happened today after parade. And what a journey it has been!

After parade, 7 of us commuted to Bukit Batok via bus and MRT. Arriving at Oasis around 2.30pm, the worship band began worship practice. The worship band consisted of Alex on keyboard, Mark Yung on the bass, Michael on the guitar, and Sophia as the worship leader. While they were practicing, I brought Zenn outside with intentions of interacting with the youth but ended up teaching her how to play pool. Zenn, that’s a new skill you’ve learnt today.

And Zenn takes the shot...and Nicholas also took this shot HAHAHA

At 3.20, we kicked off activities properly with a game of ice-breakers. The game was a game we played at Year 5 Orientation this year. n number people sit on n number of chairs which are arranged in a circle. 1 person then gets off and stands in the middle. Everyone then has to move from chair to chair to prevent that person from sitting down. The good thing about having BB peers around is that they’re sporty and I’m thankful that they are ever ready to take part in the games. Brian started first and managed to sit down pretty quickly. He was then followed by oasis youths Terence and Florence. Lastly, Mark had a go and proved to be the most enthusiastic and eager to sit down. Uncle Lawrence decided to call off games at 3.40 and we began worship proper.

Worship session!

I’ve always loved watching my BB brothers and sisters lead worship, as it is every heartwarming to see them serving so passionately and eagerly. Sophia did a marvelous job, and her dedication and sincerity in leading worship was indeed touching. The rest of the worship band also did a great job, each using their musical gifts to honour Him who has bestowed these gifts on them.

Sophia leading worship

Following which, I began the sixth and last Personal Growth Lesson on ‘Taking Responsibility’. This Personal Growth Lesson was something that Mr David Ho and I worked out in order to make visits to Oasis more meaningful for us primers as well as beneficial to the youths. Starting off with a recap of previous lessons, I moved on to consequences of not taking responsibility and steps to take to become more responsible. Lastly, I ended with a challenge to the youths, telling them that they are responsible for their own lives and what they make of it is up to them. However, they are not to forget that God above watches over them all the way and He is always there for them. Although I had to impromptu here and there, I’m thankful that people laughed at my jokes and enjoyed the presentation.

Although I felt that I did not do as good a job as I could for the lesson, I found the discussion sessions following it meaningful. Primers each led individual groups for discussion, sharing about their lives and personal goals. I’m sure that the Primers and youths have benefitted from the discussion and sharing session.

After discussions, we celebrated the birthdays of those born in September. From the Oasis side, there was Rachel. From the BB side, we had Alex (2 Sep) and Zenn (16 Sep). We then proceeded to have snacks provided by Oasis. Sophia and Zenn talked to the girls, Michael talked to some of the guys and Brian and Mark went to play instruments and sing songs. Alex went to dominate at table tennis while I had a debrief by Mr Ho for all the PGL sessions so far, what I did right, what I can improve, etc. We also mentioned a bit about the incoming camp in November and the succession plan for when I hand over the reigns as oasis correspondent. Mr Ho also casually talked to me about my plans for my future. This shows that he cares for us BB Boys and wants to know how we are faring in life and all.

Alex the gym buddy is KING of table tennis

Leaving the center at 6.30 was like leaving a part of me behind. I actually told Alex to take one last look around! This was the last official visit for the year and the next time we would see the youths again was for the November camp. However, the invitation to pop by any time we wanted was extended to us and I am sure that we won’t turn them down!

And what a journey it has been! A year has gone by so fast? I hope that all primers who have come and served at this ministry have benefitted from it. The youths too: I hope they have learned much from the lessons and made friends with us primers and perhaps these friendships will continue to be sustained… For me, it has been such an enriching experience, learning things along the way. Learning things about others and about my self’s rewarding but perhaps one of the most cherished things I took away from the visits was to be able to reflect upon my spiritual life and to see which direction I wanted to take. The verse at the end of this post was the verse that first awakened an earnest desire to serve in this ministry and thus, it shall continue to spur us on.

Next up: Oasis Youth Camp 2011!!

~Written by:
Clt/5 Nicholas Lim

Philippians 1:6

“Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  

023: Parade (First Aid test)

Parade (First Aid Test): 3 Sepember 2011

Who can you turn to if you to get patched up after a brutal fall that leaves you with a broken arm, or a leg fracture? Who can save you from suffocating when you choke?

Who you gonna call!
Ghos- Oh, wait, that’s not it.

The intended answer, of course, is our BB Boys! That was the intended result of all those First Aid lessons conducted during LDC and the more recent parades.

The First Aid Testing, carried out on the 3^rd of September, was conducted with the purpose of ensuring that the Boys were knowledgeable about both the theoretical and practical aspects of First Aid; they had to prove their capability in using the triangular bandage in order to treat injuries such as fractures and bleeding wounds, as well as the treatment for a casualty suffering from choking in the practical testing, while being subjected to a written examination for the theoretical portion. Involved was the SPA Committee as well as the Y2 First Aid Committee.

Alex gave us a lovely breakdown of our tasks in one of the lecture theatres, following which we dispersed to allow the examinees to undergo the Theory side of things, while we waited at our respective stations.

It ended up being a slight bit of a logistical mess, as there were truly too many Boys to handle; some stations took longer than expected, while other stations were completed earlier than was expected. However, it was cheering seeing the Boys helping those who didn’t quite know what to do out prior to their turn for testing; they were giving each other advice while waiting for their turns. 

Though it was a rather mentally exhausting experience, the sight of the Boys finally passing practically all the tests was pretty awesome :D

~Written by 
Clt/5 Jonathan Goh

2  Crinthians 5:7
"For we live by faith, not by sight." 

022: CQ Trial

CQ Outdoor Segment Practice: 1st September 2011

It was a bright and sunny day. While most people were relaxing at home or catching up with former classmates and teachers, a bunch of highly dedicated Boys from Sec 1 to 4 were getting ready for the outdoor segment of Character Quest (CQ)!

For my dear readers who don’t know what CQ is, it’s basically a competition where teams of BB Boys from all around Singapore pit their biblical knowledge and various other skills against each other. 50% of the competition is decided by a pen-and-paper Bible Quiz which takes place in the morning, while the other 50% is decided by an outdoor segment where groups need to run from station to station playing games like tug-of-war and 老鹰抓小鸡 to chalk up as many points as they can! However, teams have no clue what the games are going to be until the day itself! For the past few years I’ve taken part in this competition, things have never been the same twice! 

 Jia Hui giving clues to the teams

 Boys at Jia Hui's station, trying to figure out a handphone game

This year’s CQ takes place on 10 September, and the Bible passage is the gospel of Luke, and the theme for the outdoor segment is “Murder Mystery”. With this in mind, a team consisting of Mike, Gloke and I, led by Thaddaeus, began conjuring a trial-run for the brave CQ contestants from our company!

The plot was simple: a murder had taken place, and it was up to each of the groups to solve the mystery! To do so they had to visit the 5 stations which were scattered around the school and carry out a variety of tasks including Hangmen, Sudoku and singing crazy songs.

Worth special mention is Mike and Gloke’s station, where the groups had drink paisley water and eat celery. Some of the participants even puked! ><

By the end of it though, all the groups and the Primers had loads of fun! More importantly, we hope that they learned the various skills which are really important for handling an unpredictable competition like CQ; teamwork, decisiveness, perseverance, etc. One thing which I was especially pleased to see were the seniors encouraging and leading their juniors through all the stations and even while running from station to station.

Also, kudos to the CE Committee for actively helping out in this activity as station masters! You all were fantastic!

So yeah, keep praying for the CQ participants that amidst all their preparations and studying, they remember that in the end this whole competition is about knowing more about God’s Word and being more like Christ! If you happen to see/know any of them over the holidays, please also encourage them! CQ has always had a special place in my heart because it’s been a time when I really got to know my juniors, seniors and officers better, and I hope the same will happen for our current batch of participants  =)

~ Written by:
Clt/5 Noel Cheong

Psalms 119:105
Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.