JYR 2011!!

Hello everybody!!

Here's a JYR 2011 update. Woohoo!! :D

The two ladies welcoming the participants.

Right after everyone had arrived and registered, time to head on to the classroom.

Then Pastor Cowan explaining the rules and regulations .

And now time for ice-breakers!! Whee!!!

Which was led by these two young men. Brian and Isaac.

Here is some of the fun and chaos that happened.

After the ice-breaker, participants went back down to have tea break. Which was............

Banana cake and 100 Plus!! :D

When the banana cake and 100 Plus were all gone, participants got ready for games!

Day 1 games

There are two stations for the first day games.

First was bombers.

Where basically you have to run from one point to another without getting hit by sponges from the opposing team.

The second was minefield.

Where you have to go through a minefield without stepping on a mine or else BOOM!!!

Day 1 Night Session

Worship was lead by Samantha. Unfortunately we don't have a picture but anyways moving on.

Lesson 1: Adolescence

Which was taught by Joyce! :)

And next on the agenda was a group discussion. Where the participants ask fellow camp staff on things they have questions about (mostly about adolescence)

And after a long walk down,

It was time for pillow talk and supper.

Day 2 Physical Jerk

Which was led by..........

Brian Bian! :)

Doing the Banana Dance to get everyone awake.

And running. To get the blood circulating :D

So after all the sweating, it was time for breakfast!!!

And what could be better than.......

Roti Canai :D

Day 2: Morning session

Pastor Cowan sharing about the four temperaments.

And then it was time for Bible Quiz!! :D

Day 2: Games (Station games+Manhunt)

Station 1: Fireman's relay

Station 2 : Charades

Station 3: Fear Factor, More

Station 4: Hanging Apples

Treasure hunt

For those who don't know what manhunt is, here is how is goes. Basically you have to find a treasure but, to find the treasure, you have to find the clues with descriptions of certain camp staff. But you have to do a forfeit before getting the next clue.

With the games done, it was time for dinner and dinner for that night was, barbecue!! Yum!

Day 2: Night Session

Nicole sharing about BGR.

Day 3: Physical Jerk

Led by

Natasha Gregory

And also your own style of the Banana Dance :D

Then it was that time of the day again. Breakfast!!

Tuna sandwich! :D

Day 3: Morning Session

Pastor Heok Cheow shared for our last session.

After Pastor Heok Cheow finished sharing, its time for............................PRIZE GIVING!!

Best Female Camper: Yvonne

Best Male Camper: Simon

Best Group Leader: Sherryl

JYR 2011 :D

And for those of you who missed this years JYR, don't miss out on next years :D It is an experience to be remembered.

200TH POST!

Sooo guess what?!

This is www.firebrands-irri.blogspot.com's two-hundredth post!

(Well according to blogger. You can go ahead and count if you want but I wouldn't bother.)

This calls for a round of applause!

*resounding claps*

And to celebrate, we're gonna have a round of champagne for everyone!

*even louder claps*

Plus, we're gonna be like Oprah and give all of you free cars!

*screams and shouts and cheers and tears*

...no, not really. Cause most of you are prolly underaged for alcohol consumption, and we're not that rich.

See if we were that financially rich (like Oprah rich), we wouldn't really have to have fundraisers for our Annual Youth Camp 2011.

Which we will be having!

This Sunday (3rd Dec - wow, december already?! - 2011), youth camp fundraising is at central zone, right after Sunday service.

Next Sunday (10th Dec), it'll be at north zone.

If you're a fireBRAND who's coming to help out, wear the INFLUENZA shirt; but if you don't have that then any other camp t-shirt is fine.

If you're not, then please do come and support us!

...

Okay that was probably the longest post introduction we've had for quite a while.

Right then, back to.. youth service on the 26th of November.

Kicked off with prayer at 7.15p.m. led by our faithful prayer coordinator week-by-week, Sarah Wong.

This time round, a few leaders of fireBRANDS formed a hexagon. (USA has the Pentagon, we got the hexagon xP)

More people came around them.

And collectively, we formed a snowflake:) partly due to Christmas coming round the corner!

Prayed for:

the (then, but now no longer!:D) SPMers,

the leaders of fireBRANDS,

Annual Youth Camp 2011,

and of course, youth service that night.

Next up, icebreaker!

Facilitated by Eulene, we played everyone's 'favourite' game that we all 'look forward' to (except whoever happens to be sitting next to Beverly xP).

This is a traditional game, passed down from generation to generation in fireBRANDS since the time of (sorry for making him sound old - well not forgotten at least) Daniel Teoh.

It's...

...the SLAPPING game!

It's a fast-paced, action(and reaction!)-based game, where you sit, legs crossed, hands up, adrenaline coursing through your veins, ears alert to the next number called out, heart racing and mind focussed.

In short, it's good fun!

But there's a twist, the wind blows! And here's everyone getting up:

(some faster than others).

Settle into new positions and again! Back to the action.

Which also basically explains the next two photos:

All good things must come to an end, but joyfully so when there are better things in store!

Such is the case when icebreaker gave way to praise and worship led by Yan-Y.

And believe me when I say that it was a blast!

Whether you're on a slightly more elevated platform (stage, in other words)...

...or you're in the crowd, the fireBRANDS united to give praise to Him who's worthy of it.

And our desire is that God would see that it was good.

Moving on, it's message time! By our current and truly awesome leader, Leroy!

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."-Romans 8:28 (NIV)

⁵ I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me,

- Isaiah 45:5 (NIV)

That 2nd verse, (the one in chunky letters) was to King Cyrus, a mighty emperor, great conqueror & planner, and proactive leader. It shows that behind his conquest God has a greater purpose.

Likewise, behind all our clever planning, God has a greater plan for us.

KEY SENTENCE YOU SHOULD REMEMBER:

"Sometimes God has to allow our plans to be broken so that we, with Him, can build bigger and better ones."

We see this through the story of Joseph! (around Genesis 37-41)

When he slept and got the two dreams (Gen 37:5-11) of his brothers and then his father, mother and brothers bowing down to him, he probably thought, "Maybe God'll make me a great farmer" or in today's term's, "my school's head prefect."

BUT God had a bigger plan!

After he got thrown into a cistern and subsequently sold to the Midianites by his brothers, well to him, his plans were coming apart. Next, the Midianites didn't even want him and sold him to Potiphar instead.

But Joseph, young, strapping and handsome man he was, was the target of seduction from Potiphar's wife, horny woman she was.

To keep the shory stort story short, Joseph landed in jail but then was brought all the way up to 2nd-in-command of Egypt, 2nd only to Pharoah, cause he could interpret Pharoah's dreams.

So the point?

Joseph thought, okay, my father, mother and brothers'll bow down to me. Wow.

But God's plan? The WHOLE of Egypt bowing down to Joseph. FUYOHHHH!

Sometimes our plans are just too small and God has to break our 'clever' planning to give us the best.