Trip to Nujiang, Myanmar

It's one week since i've last updated my blog. So this is a summary of what was happening...

Went to Nujiang, Myanmar to celebrate Christmas in one of the orphanages there. Though it was a one day event, we took 4 days to travel to and fro there. Bro Kimas and Paul were the team leaders, and Uncle Richard Lim was the coordinator in Myanmar. Uncle Richard's testimony was indeed a powerful one. He was once a drug addict for many years in Singapore, went in and out of jail several times. However, Jesus touched him, and he drew strength to quit drugs. Later, he was touched to go Myanmar and served as a teacher as well as the coordinator in an orphanage before getting married there It had been a number of years and the orphanage grew to a size of almost 40, and now he is still serving, with 2 beautiful kids.

22nd Dec: Departed around 10.30am at Changi airport. Toke a 3 hr flight to Yangon. From Yangon, waited at the airport for 4 hrs before transitted to Mandalay by Mandalay airlines. Quite a cute aircraft...with 60 passengers and running on propellers. Wah...Reached Mandalay around 7pm, and took a 1 hr bus ride to the city, where we retired for the night.

23nd Dec: Went to Nujiang, near Lashio, which was 9 hrs car ride from Mandalay. So we travelled from morning to late afternoon, through cold mountainous terrain, revisiting was S'pore might be like in the 50s. Very tiring. some of us almost got car sick but the scenery was good.

Winding path to Nujiang

The orphanage

At last, we reached the orphanage at around 4pm. We had only one hour to get ready before Pastor Adam conducted water baptism service for 9 teenagers. As the weather was cold, instead of conducting the baptism in nearby river, we facilitated that within a rubber pool. No time to inflat it, so we just make do with it. The children in the orphanage were so helpful they helped support the rubber pool.

Preparing for water baptism

Drawing water from the well

We went to Lashio to stay for the night at around 5pm (it would be too dark to drive safely after sunset, as there were no road lamps)

24 Dec: At 8.30am, we went back to the orphanage, where we hear praise and worship from the children, led by some bible college students. After that, we had breakfast with them. Very simple breakfast, with juz vege, a bit of meat, and rice (meat to them were very luxurious! it was sponsored by another Singaporean sister who happened to be there a week before us). There were some time before main service, so the kids let us to play with the water buffalo. There were chickens, pigs in the farm as well.

Riding a water buffalo

The main service was touching, with the children and youths testifying though they undergone so much suffering (really, compared to S'porean kids who are so much blessed). Tears really rose down their cheeks for some as they shared. Glad that the message that morning was the Christmas message, of Christ coming to this world, to take away our tears and to give us joy and hope, knowing that through Christ, we can find happiness.

After service, we have a full afternoon of games. Got wacko, pass the baton, newspaper game, then teach the children songs and bible stories. Really fun and exciting. Really sad time flies, but can see that the children are so happy, as they seldom saw visitors. In the end, all of the children got some Christmas present of some form. Though time was short, we thank God to bring happiness to them, and they in turn taught us the value to care and share, and being sincere to touch the hearts of people.

We had early dinner, around 4pm (the people here had only 2 meals a day) before we went back to Lashio for the night.

Photo taking session

A sad farewell. Tears really rolled down their cheeks as they sang us a song.

Photo taking with the signboard

25 Dec: Celebrated Christmas Day by travelling back to Mandalay. At least we went to a decent NYDC-like cafe for a nice dinner and ice-cream, at a fraction of the cost compared what you get in Singpapore

26: Took plane to Yangon, waited at the airport for 6 hrs, before transiting back to Singapore. Got slight flu and fever, but happy with the fruitful trip. Some of us lamented that the trip was too short, but then, for working adults, our leaves are so limited. All glory to God to keep us safe.

27-28 Dec: Work starts. Feeling unwell and sickly, yet need to go to school for Orientation. So much things to do. Practically hard to breath, working till 6pm on 27th and 8pm today. Yet glad everything in place, and the student leaders manage to do the tasks well, despite some communication hiccups. Hope by tomorrow, more things can be tied down.