Monday, May 23, 2005
Picnic at Botanical Garden
It has been a long time since I last had picnic. Thanks to our cell group (PCM), we had pinic today at Botanical Garden. I think everyone enjoyed it, told it was hot, at 1 pm!! Still, thank God that He gave us sunny day and not raining day. All the children, Hanern, Karis, Lucas, Linus, Ruth, Ruben, Owen, Sarah, Emma, Dorathy, had a smashing good time. Xiaomin and Mark jiuned us for the first time too. It was my first time meeting Emma, the latest member of the group, just a few months old. She smiled to me... haha. :-) There were enough food too! God provides through people.
The last time the group met at Botanical garden was a long time ago, it was then our 7th year as a group. I still remember. In 2 years time, we will celebrate our 20th Anniversary!.. That is a long time for a group to stick together. We saw each others growth; physically (waist), chronogically and socially. Not all the people who were at the first Botanical Garden outing are with us today. They have either moved to another church or not attending church. I actually have no idea. That's the sad and perhaps inevitable part about growing up. As we pursue different interests and paths, we drift and sometime we even forget. Will the next outing at Botanical Garden see the same people? I pray it will be same and more. 18 years together is no easy feat. God's grace sustained us. By His mercy, may we have another 18 years. By then, the children will not be rushing up and down catching ants and insects or play bubbles. They will probably be talking about NS, studies or jobs.
I am thankful, that I have a group of friends who shared the path of spiritual walk. Not everyone is so blessed. :-) Never good in conversation, but I am appreciative of what God has given.
From Church growth movement perspective, we are a 'failure' After so many years, still 1 group only. But, to me, we succeeded in being faithful to God and to each other. In this world of so many distractions, we have kept our faith to each other.
Ok.. look at some of the fotos.
Oh... if you dun belong to a cell group, you are missing a important part of spiritual growth... get one now.
My children enjoyed it ... very much. Karis was walking up and down the slope either following the ball or someone's dog. Hanern caught his first ant!! They just refuse to sit down... so I din had much chance to sit down too. haha
tse horng blogged at 2:38 AM
