Simple Things in Life

Have you ever wondered what would happen if it doesn't rain for 2 weeks? Well, nothing much will change I guess, we will still carry on our lives comfortably, enjoying food and water supply as usual. This morning as I pondered about how comfortable city life has become, my memory flew back to 17 years ago, a time when I had to survive alone in a jungle with no water and no electricity for a year. I was a teacher back then, teaching in a tiny school with only 3 teachers and about 40 kids in a jungle in Simunjan. This is a picture taken recently when I re-visited the school. I am glad to know that there are electric and water supplies in the area now.

Back then in 1991, the place was inaccessible by car or bike, only by foot on a 45 minute journey. During my stay there, I stayed alone most of the time as other teachers usually left the school together with the kids to nearby villages and long houses after school hours. I learned how to grow my vegetables, cooked my own meals and slept at 7pm every night, yes, 7pm! Doing anything after 7 is literally burning midnight oil. (Oil was expensive in the jungle). By the way, my cello sounded divine in the middle of the night when I could not sleep. Anyone interested in learning cello ??
The school building with 3 classrooms and a small office.





During one "midsummers night" when the draught season was at its peak, I started to wonder when would the rain come. By the 2nd week, my water tank in the school quarters was running very low, and the river nearby where I used to bathe everyday (now you know where the term "Mandi Kerbau" comes from, it's from ME!!!) was already dried up, the thought of no water to survive became a real threat. My stress level shot up from worry to panic, even though nobody from the 2 long houses nearby (that is 45 minutes away by foot and mountain climbing) seemed to be bothered by the weather. For the first time in my life, I prayed for rain just to survive. God please send rain, please ! I need rain ! I need water !

I endured the waiting, until almost at the end of the 2nd week, I remembered it was a Thursday night, when the heavens finally opened, and the rain came.
It just kept pouring for more than an hour. This was the sweetest rain I have ever tasted in my life. Nothing feels better than an answered prayer. I was jumping up and down as if money was dropping from the sky (like what you see in movies). But nobody could share the joy with me that night as I was alone out in the rain forest. (Doreen was not in the picture yet, Tarzan was still searching high and low for his Jane. True love waits !) But the rain was such a joy and relief.

I have many interesting stories to tell Heather and Jordan and my future grandchildren about the "Philip Crusoe". The best of all is about how our God answers prayers, no matter how unimportant others may think your problems are, God cares a lot about YOU, and what you are going through. He understands. He is the creator of Heaven and earth, nothing is too big for Him. Yes, nothing.

As I share my life with you in this blog, I pray that you'll come to know God more intimately, accept Him as your Savior. He is not a God so far away, He meets you where you are even out there in the jungle ! He is a God who can pour out the rain of blessings into your lives and give you a hope and a future. Be thankful for simple things in life ..... the rain, sunshine and people around you. Smile, God loves you.