The Gift of Love

When times are tough and you feel lost in a sea of sadness, when you feel confused and uncertain of your future, what is the one thing you can absolutely, unquestionably, securely trust?

Of course, there are some answers that can easily be ruled out. You know you can't trust your career, money, possessions, or the government. When you are really hurting, these are the very things that seem to leave you and let you down the hardest, don't you think so? They are absolutely worthless in bringing comfort or hope.

So what's left?

It is love - authentic, anchored, life-altering love.
It's strong enough to move mountains.
It's gentle enough to wipe the tear from a child's cheek.
It's enduring enough to withstand any crisis.
It's healing enough to mend the most broken heart.
It's faithful enough to stay when everything else has left or been lost.

It is God's love.

God, i knew You would come.

Think about His love

Think about His goodness

Think about His grace

That has brought us through

For as high as the Heavens above

So great is the measure of our Father's love...

Great is the measure of our Father's love...

How could I forget His love

How could I forget His mercy

He satisfies, He satisfies

He satisfies my desire

Great is the measure of our Father's love...

Dispense A Dream 07 - Day 2

Woke up very early because i was sleeping at the corner, right in front of the door. I was awake when the first person went to the toilet, but i was just too lazy to get up. Haha! Oh ya, this is how we brushed teeth...



Toilets - Blackouts were common, and usually water supply was cut during blackout as the pump could not function without electricity. So it was very important that we brought our torch lights :) And the water was very very cold (no heater in village).



Our breakfast - 2nd day


On our 2nd day at Bukkapatna village, we began to tour around the village to familiarize with the surroundings and try to know the villagers.




Outside the clinic


Bus is coming!


Primary school children

The primary school was quite small, and not well furnished. The walls were dirty and old, basically the school only has the basic things, no lights etc. However, i like the pictures painted on the walls :)









More photos on facebook :)

Day One - Dispense A Dream 07

THIS IS THE DAY...

This day was a weird day. I remembered myself feeling incredibly unbelievable and absurd because i was really on my way to India! I have never expected myself to be involved in any expedition project, and the most ridiculous of all is that i am actually going to INDIA!

Me and mindy were the first to arrive at the changi airport. The flight took off at 755am and checking in as a group was really a chore. Was very busy before checking in because i had to distribute the masking tapes and pens around to make sure that all the luggages were properly labeled, and we sealed the boxes a couple of times just to make sure that the boxes would not break when they reached Bangalore. (I was informed that the people at the airport love throwing luggages and boxes). Was quite worried because the baggage as a team might be above the stated limit, but heng~ah.First time being logistic i/s was quite fun, and i am really thankful because every member in my logistic cell is very helpful and nice :D

I did not sit with Mindy on the plane. It's really God's plan, i was arranged to sit with 2 fellas whom i barely talked to before the India trip. But God really did wonders, we turned out to be good friends after 16 days in India :)


From left: Me, Zhi Yuan (he became my secret pal :), Edwin (aka brudder by ME :D )



We didn't talk much, partially owing to the fact that we din know each other well enough, partially also because of me, my mood was heavy then, and i was feeling quite troubled. I prayed a lot during this 4 hour, i prayed that i could see His love in every of my encounters, i prayed that i could heal after this 16 days, and i prayed that i could be a blessing to the people around me in the coming 16 days, and most importantly, i prayed that my heavy heart would not impede me from doing things that i should during my stay in India, nor bringing troubles to my team-mates. As i think back now, I really am thankful because God is a faithful God. He truly guided me along the way, and He made me truly enjoyed my 16 days in India.




Touching down..

We reached Bangalore 4 hours later. And Bangalore is really a very different place --> congested traffic, shoeless pedestrians, people pee-ing at the roadside like no one's business, and the roads are very rocky.


Bangalore - airport


Me and Mindy outside Bangalore airport





Lunch at Tumkur city


At MG road, shopping for pots and pans, and logistics items for the team.


Supermarket


Reaching Bukka Patna village




Villagers waiting for our arrival


The kids liked people taking photos of them.
Favorite question during our stay in the village --> "What is your name?"
"Kuang Kai, what's your name?"
"Ching, what's your name?"
Obviously, they didnt know what it means. Haha.


He kept saying "Singapore delegates and Malaysia delegate... " so -_-


This is where we slept for the past 14 days :)

O Jesus, I Have Promised

O Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Be Thou forever near me,
My Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
If Thou art by my side,
Nor wander from the pathway
If Thou wilt be my Guide.

Oh, let me feel Thee near me;
The world is ever near;
I see the sights that dazzle,
The tempting sounds I hear;
My foes are ever near me,
Around me and within;
But, Jesus, draw Thou nearer,
And shield my soul from sin.

Oh, let me hear Thee speaking,
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
Oh. speak to reassure me,
To hasten, or control;
Oh, speak, and make me listen,
Thou Guardian of my soul.

O Jesus, Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee
That where Thou art in glory
There shall Thy servant be;
And Jesus, I have promised
To serve Thee to the end;
Oh, give me grace to follow,
My Master and my Friend.

Oh, let me see Thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in Thy strength alone.
Oh, guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then to rest receive me,
My Savior and my Friend.

Paclitaxel

Ok, so what's this Paclitaxel thing?

Paclitaxel is an anti-cancer drug. It is poorly absorbed in the body so most of the times, it will be attached to a transporting pro-moiety to enhance it's absorption and bioavailability, so that it will be able to reach the tumour tissue at a high enough concentration to exert its action.

So how does it work? Basically, cancer simply means the tissue is growing rapidly and in an uncoordinated manner. It does not respond to our body's feedback mechanism (that is "stop signal"), instead, it just goes on multiplying until a lump of tissue becomes apparent and destructive to the body. This Paclitaxel works by inhibiting the multiplication of the tumour tissue. So it prevents the tissue from growing and expanding beyond its boundaries.

So why is it so important to prevent the tissue from multiplying? It is because if a tumour, which is initially benign, multiply to an extent that the tissues become very different from the original one, there is a huge possibility that the benign tumour will transform into a malignant tumour, that is the cancer. And the greatest complication that can arise is that part of the tissue will detach from the original site, carried by the blood and deposit to some other body parts and start to grow again, as a malignant tumour.

So do you think an anti-cancer drug can really treat cancer? As a pharmacist, you'll always be asking your patient to be compliant and to take the drug dutifully. Because you've learnt how the drug works and how it can alleviate the patient's condition. But then, do you know taking anticancer drug is an unbearable experience too? The cytotoxic effect, the adverse effects the drug bring may be more painful that the tumour itself. Your immune system weakens, many infections attack you, you feel nausea, and gastrointestinal disturbances etc.. the side effects go on and on. The patient may even choose to give up.

And do you think it's wrong?

I feel that there's no right and wrong in this case, simply because you're not the patient, and don't even think of saying "i understand how you feel" because you won't. The mere imagining part from your side is far from the reality she is facing too.