Diary : 29 June 2011 (House On Fire)

An entire house was just been burnt down to the ground.

Less than 1 hour ago, a fire broke out across the street from RADION's Shophouse and the fire quickly consumed everything in its path. Within minutes an explosion possibly from a gas cylinder rocked the street sending flames skyward. Electrical cables quickly melted under the heat and sparks started flying from the live hanging wires. This increased the risk for the people who tried to put out the flame with water.

If the winds were any stronger, the houses next to it will be burnt as well. Fortunately no one was injured in this incident although the owner cannot be contacted at this moment.


From the looks of it, its probably the usual gang related attack. When someone gets offended in the village, they take things into their own hands. Thats just the way it is over here.

Diary : 27 June 2011

Finally the rain subsided and we managed to go out to look at potential plots of land to build our new integrated centre. Land prices are incredibly high and we have to really look at how much we can afford at this time.

As we past the houses we also see how much fear these villagers have. Outside most of these houses, they have started to hang a small wreath. There is a rumour going around in the village that someone dreamt of a truckload of evil spirits heading into Khek Noi and Huay Nam Khao. This truckload of evil was hell bent on killing people in the houses and making their spirits their eternal slaves.

Sure it may sound dubious, but the villagers are not laughing and they are taking this whole thing rather seriously. I guess there is also a parallel we see in this story. Demons are always lurking to pull people away from Christ. But with Christ in us, we have nothing to fear.

Looks like that is going to be the message I'll be sharing this weekend :)

Diary : 26 June 2011

It has been raining the whole day.  Managed to visit Huay Nam Khao church after many months of absence to be in Chiang Mai and it was heartwarming to see that the church is slowing growing and people are more excited about the Lord.

Weiboon joined me today for church service and i reckon that its not easy for him, firstly a pre-believer and attending a church in a totally foreign language. But it sure felt great to have a Singaporean around.

The rest of the day was spent resting and recovering from a terrible cough. Did not manage to catch much sleep last night as my sleep was interspersed with coughing. Hope tonight will be better :)

Tomorrow the planning for Project LIVES! starts...

Diary : 25 June 2011

Picked weiboon (My navy buddy) up from the airport yesterday evening and this morning we set off for Phetchabun. Its the same 7 hour journey, just that this round its raining all the way from Chiang Mai to Khek Noi as there is a tropical depression (bad weather) just looming over us.

We almost met with an accident as a vehicle on the opposite direction decided to swerve out, headlong into our vehicle. But we managed to avoid in time.

Anyway, we have just reached Khek Noi a while ago and the temperature right now is around 20 deg celcius and its raining non-stop. The weather forecast predicts that the weather is going to get worse over the next The temperature dipped to a low of 20 deg celcius along the way and the weather forecast is not too good as well.

Tomorrow, I'll be heading to Huay Nam Khao church to see how the members are doing. And of course discuss the future plans of the church and of course if they are ready, we'll be happy to let them stand on their own.

Anyway keep us in prayer. Tomorrow may get a bit messy.

2nd Picture Set

 Clinic At Huay Nam Khao Public School

Attending to the little ones

The Pharmacy

 More people come in

Home visitations

 Listening and caring

 A group picture at Huay Nam Khao

 A group picture at STREETKIDS! Home 1

A final picture

Diary : 22 June 2011

Alright. Here are some pictures of the medical trip :) This is for the mission up to the village of Poo Kat one of the hardest grounds. This village is nestled in a remote mountain without clean water supply and electricity. The nearest medical centre for this village is some 20km away.

 Medical team unloads medical supplies

 Hygeine team works with local translators

 Preparing the medical inventory

 Sorting out the medicine to bring for the mission

 The team is ready to go !

Arriving up in Poo Kat

 Briefing the team on the final arrangements

 300 goodie bags filled with blankets, toys & hygiene items

 Team is ready for home visitation

 Door to door

 Through our actions, we tell people we care

First patients arrive at the clinic

Attending to the children & villagers for health problems

 A crowd gathers for the health talk

 Medical student teaches the locals on food and personal hygiene

 Hand sanitisers coming in useful !

 Sharing the word of God

Responding to the salvation call

 500 bowls of noodles for the villagers

 Children queue up despite the rain

 Gifts for the little ones.

 Night debrief

 Testing for diabetes

Dr Satish attending to a patient

 Explaining how to use the medication & dosages

 Bringing the kids out for some fun

 Getting all wet !

 Picture with the STK

Volunteers !

Diary : 21 June 2011

Heartwarming to see a young bunch of people who really care about lives.  What an exciting trip with students from NUS medical students !

Caught a nasty cold today after sending the team off at the airport. Probably aggravated by the lack of sleep.

Diary : 20 June 2011

I just got back into Chiang Mai and it was amazing just hanging out with these medical students. Unpretentious, earnest and practical people. The type that I'll love to work with in the near future.

Now, I'm down with a horrid sore throat. Drinking water is aweful and just had my dose of medication....

So its time to rest for now...

Diary : 19 June 2011 (Fruitful Medical Mission !)

It has been an awesome 3 days of medical mission & mass food distribution. We distributed 300 goodie bags and dished out 500 bowls of hot noodles for the villagers. The medical team was awesome bringing not only hygiene talks but also practical medical care to the poor.

Towards the end, villagers and elders were asking us to consider stationing ourselves in the village to not only provide practical care but also if possible, start a church to teach the people. That was the first request we have heard from villagers to invite us to start a church in their community. This community of 2000 have no church and its so high up the mountains that only a 4WD can reach.

So with that, I'm also at a cross junction. Not knowing if we should start a new church in that vicinity. But may the Lord lead.

Tomorrow I'll be heading down to Chiang Mai. Will post more pictures then !

Diary : 17 June 2011

Its a long day. After training and lots of logistics prep, the team is finally ready for tomorrow's outreach.

We'll be embarking on a arduous journey up mountain to reach a hilltribe group that is isolated away from the mainstream community. People there are poor and many cannot afford medical treatment.

So the next few days is going to be wild.

The weather is also deteriorating, but do keep us in prayers as its going to be quite a rough ride to the village and there are inherent dangers.

Keep praying folks !

Diary : 15 June 2011

Yesterday was incredible. All the staff were busy, stretched to ensure everything ran smoothly for the medical team that was scheduled to arrive at 11pm yesterday.

This is not the first time we're hosting a team, but somehow I was a little on the edge. Even till the point we were at the airport to receive the team, i was still feeling slightly unsettled. But all looked alright. The plane landed and my phone rang unexpectedly. It was the team lead, he sounded a little frustrated and terribly apologetic and just said.."something happened again, explain when i come out"

True enough, the doctor who was accompanying the team had visa problems and was not allowed to fly and was held back at Singapore airport. Things were not looking good.

The next day the team was scheduled to leave in the morning, but the team was contemplating staying one more night to wait for the doctor to fly in. After much contemplation, we decided to go ahead with plan and arrange for a special charted taxi to send the doctor all the way from Chiang Mai to Phetchabun.

With all the last minute hiccups, it was not easy to feel at ease. But somehow, you know that God was in control. With all these happening, we received another good news that we have another translator who will be able to help out with the medical team but she was in Chiang Mai. What incredible timing !

We quickly arranged for her to join the doctor who is coming via cab. So now, we have a doctor and a translator !

Just a few hours ago, we have arrived in Khek Noi and the team has settled in. Tomorrow we'll be expecting the doctor & translator's arrival in Khek Noi and our mission will finally be good to start :)

Diary : 13 Jun 2011

Driving into the streetkids home after being away for almost a month is just amazing. The kids running up to the car en masse, screening at the top of their lungs, jumping in excitement.

How I missed these kids and it sure feels different from the kids back in my home-town. Their innocence & simplicity, their strength to battle through stigma on their lives, and having such "fight" in their lives.

After the mob settled down, all was back to normal. The kids started to "show off". They told me how they just formed a band, and how they are going to perform as a team.

Faa took out her guitar, Mong took out another old guitar (playing the bass) and Tim went to the back to take one plastic pail, one book and made it his own drum set.

They started playing.

I was blown off. Where did they learn to play like that ? It was definately not concert grade, but considering that just 3 weeks back, they could hardly strum and could not even clap on the same beat. Now we have a 3 piece band !

For many months, I've been wondering if its really worth it to give these kids the best of everything, care givers, accomodation, education etc etc. But as I'm seeing it now, I think the investment is paying off :)

Now for the down side.

For those who remember the local tribal church that was in distress and was snared in severe embezzlement issues within the board of directors and there was no pastor to oversee the church. The upsetting part ?

This church came under the umbrella of an organisation but yet little or no assistance was rendered to this church for almost 4 years. But the little church is still required to contribute membership fees to this organisation.

Though the church receives no support, they are directed to fall under the governance of the mother church in our village. But again, no one wanted to pastor nor govern this church that had its share of internal problems, and worse....with no assets whatsoever.

Last year, the church requested for RADION help and we did what we could. In the process we established accountability chains and eradicating corruption within the leadership. We also helped the church rebuild itself structually when it was almost at the brink of collapse. The church knows that we're only there to support them till they are strong enough to run on their own.

Now when all is starting to look alright. The mother church comes back and is now highly interested in managing this church.

Making things worse, the representative of the mother church warned the board of directors to reject our assistance from henceforth as the tribal church belongs to their umbrella.

Honestly, I'm fine with the mother church taking over, just as long as they too are sincerely concerned  with the church. But after leaving this church in the lurch for 4 years, I'm not too sure.

People asked me what am I planning to do ? Am I going to fight to take it back ?

The physical man says yes, fight it back. But after much consideration I realise that the worst thing we can do now is to start a fight and cause further division in the already small church body and cause further friction amongst brethren.

After almost a year of caring for that tribal church, we have done our best. But its now a issue of politics and organsiation structure, and that we do not want to meddle.

Despite the superficial ruffles, there is a peace. I'm not sure at this time, but the Lord may be leading us to start a church within the village.

But may His will be done. Not mine.

Diary : 12 Jun 2011 - A Break

I just arrived in Chiang Mai a few days back and after much struggling with my mentors in Singapore. I decided that they were right, I needed to have a work-life balance.

Somehow I always feel compelled to be working especially when there are so many needs out there, people dying, people needing medical care and all. But at the back of my head, I know that this work tempo is not sustainable, not even for the strongest of men.

But I decided to take some time off to rest and it was truly refreshing. Yes, of course I was still interuppted by some decision making here and there during my 2 days but it was still good. But it sure took a whole lot of effort just to be disconnected and properly have some sleep, and it was awesome !

Now my next challenge is to attempt to schedule in 1 day of rest each week....

Diary : 8 Jun 2011 - Heading back into the field

3 weeks have flown by and tomorrow I'll be heading back to the mission field.

The 3 weeks have been filled with meetings after meetings, coffee after coffee, late nights one too many. Even my retreat week has to be postponed due to more last minute meetings.


Its definitely not a holiday for me and can sometimes be terribly tiring. But amidst the meetings, preaching and lobbying, I found myself encouraged and strengthened in this journey. With people watching my back through prayers, their words of encouragement, I found renewed strength to head back into a spiritually dry place. A place that every day is a battle and every turn a discouragement.

My staff tells me how frustrating it is to work with her own tribe, where people are stubborn and the whole community is plagued with social problems. She tells me that sometimes, she feels so discouraged that she entertains the idea of running away from the wretched place.

But it is these "wretched places" that God has called us to. And that is what we stand, love the people so they may experience the love of Christ.

"Missions exist because worship doesn't" - John Piper

Diary : 7 Jun 2011 - We're Going To Build !

RADION has been serving the tribal community from a small rented shophouse for the last 4 years. Though its a very small premises (even leaking through the walls when it rains), this little shophouse meant the world to many.

The shophouse was the place where the juvenile kids first came in, the place where people received medical care when they couldn't afford and more importantly it a symbol of hope- when all else is lost, the villagers know that its a place they can come, to seek advise and prayer.

Our monthly mass outreaches is getting quite an audience with new people coming every week,lives being touched. The last outreach we had, we didn't have enough chairs !

With all the work increasing, we're now praying and seeking the Lord concerning a new Integrated Center. A place where we can not only reach more lives, house more children, but also a place were dreams & hopes can be restored.

Right now we may only be able to afford a small plot of land, so just have to trust the Lord for provision !
So do pray alongside with us !

Here are some pictures from our last Mass Food Distribution (Held at STK home instead of shophouse as it could no longer fit this crowd !)

Diary : 5 June 2011

Yesterday I finally managed some time to visit my grandmother. She has been suffering from back problems and has undergone so many surgeries in hopes of giving her some normalcy in life.

But this normalcy came at a cost. Every day she will be in pain and has to stay in bed for most of the time. Talk about an irony.

The good part though is that is is now slowly recovering and in her old age, she is starting to be more open to the gospel and is open to people praying for her now.

I guess that's the encouraging part.

Now for today. I woke up early and made my way to Orchard Presbyterian Church to preach at the youth service, keeping in mind that quite a journey from Sembawang to Dhoby Ghaut. So i left early. But it did little help. Today was raining cats & dogs. The worst part I was caught in the flood in Bukit Timah.

The water was unusually high and much of the water was gushing out of the drains overflowing the canals.

I decided to make a move and drive through the flood to get to service.... praying as I went along. Bracing the floods to make it to the service.

This sure reminded me of the first days when we first started our ministry to the refugees and though we were faced with floods and storms. The desire remains ... to bring the word of the Lord out to people.

Diary : 4 June 2011

Some quick notes before i rush out for meetings.

The complexities of the rescue effort just increased. The father of the child refuses to allow the ministry to care for the son. And he believes that the child is still alright, though his focus is on the new marriage.

He claims that young child is not very bright and furthermore he is naughty. In his own words "Its a waste of time to put him through school"

So keep us in prayers.

Yesterday was most amazing. More supporters rallied alongside us and we're absolutely astounded by God's provision for this ministry !

Diary : 3 June 2011 (13 year old boy commits suicide, rescue underway for younger child)

A distraught lady just came over to the RADION field office asking us to help her kids.

Both the parents are poor and have hardly enough to make ends meet. Making things worse the family structure started to break up, leading to a divorce and the 2 kids being severely affected.

The older one is just 13 and the younger boy is 10.

The mom insisted that the situation is urgent, almost like a life and death situation. When we probed further, we found out that the 10 year old child has not only become a delinquent due to the lack of family care but is also emotionally affected.

We did not know what "emotionally affected" was until we probed further. The mother than told us a shockingly sad news. Her older son just committed suicide 13 days ago as he felt that it was no longer worth living.

The 13 year old boy wanted to go to school badly, but the father refused to be bothered and refused to get the child uniforms. The child felt so neglected and unloved that he finally took a rope and hung himself.

The younger child is now at very high risk of doing the same. Without caring parents, poverty and now loosing even his older brother, he somehow feel that life is no longer worth living for.

So keep our team in prayers and we attempt to help the 10 year old child.

Diary : 1 June 2011

What a start to June. Great meet ups with radion supporters and friends.
Special thanks to Colin Tan, Yussuf Karman, Fiona for all your support these few years.

Thanks to Shannon Choy an old friend who is stepping out to be involved with Radion. Preacher Gideon for your friendship and the privilege to serve alongside you.

A very special thanks to Mr Kay from MWS for your patience and support through very difficult times. You have encouraged me to continue serving people!

It has been really tiring but has been most awesome few weeks. Next week I'm planning for a short get away and retreat before I head back to Thailand!