When I 1st found out that the venue for our CG outing is changed to Pantai Morib, Banting, my initial thought was to avoid the trip. The mere thought of going to that badly polluted and rather bare beach was convincing enough to make me change my mind bout joining this CG outing. But God showed me that as long as the family of God gather together to set apart our time to him, the venue is totally irrelevant. It is the heart that matters.
The trip turned out to be a reflective walk down the memory lane, and also a memorable experience: for this is the very 1st time I witness a full water immersion baptism. In the church where I used to attend, baptism is conducted by sprinkling only a few drops of water on the person's head. Standing in the middle of the sea (the beach is really shallow) and watching my beloved brothers and sisters in Christ getting baptized (not to mention standing on top of a rather slimy and uncomfortable grime) was quite an experience. I can't help but wonder if this is how baptisms in the Sea of Galilee looks like during the time of Jesus...
My father 1st job was in Banting: he was a lorry driver back then. He always get rather sentimental everytime he brought us there, telling us stories of his past, like how he always rushes back to Klang in the evening so that he could take my mum (they were still dating then) to the cinema in time. This is probably my 3rd or 4th time in Banting, but it is the 1st time that I look upon the town and imagine how my father's life was when he was working there. It must have been quite a long way back in time... He have achieve much since then, building up his company from scratch until wat it is now.
The journey to Banting itself has been wonderful too. We sang all kinds of worship songs in the van, and there are many songs sung then that I've not sang for a long long time. Recalling the songs again brought back a lot of fond memories... The times when I 1st joined the youth fellowship in church, all the joy, pain, struggles, disappointments, encouragements, victories... I can't help but felt really sentimental then. The wonderful times, and also the period of depression and despair, and ultimately the time of re-commitment and maturity... Things that were lost, and found... Years-long prayers that have finally been answered... Praise God for all that!
We took a wrong turn on the way back from Banting, and ended up in Jenjarom. I was musing if we would pass by this particular place during the ride, and to my pleasent surprise, we did! When I caught sight of the buildings, I know at once that I've been to this place, 7 years back, when I'm still waiting for my UPSR results. It is a Buddhist temple/monastery, and I've went there back then for a Buddhist camp which my aunt practically forced me to go. Some of the memories are rather pleasent, like all the obstable course the scouts of the town has prepared for us (kinda like a cross between Broga Camp & IMU Orientation); others are less pleasent but nevertheless memorable: like having to pour water into ur plate after u finish ur meal and drink it up so that nothing will be wasted (imagine doing that after a meal of FRIED noodle). Look at the buildings with nostalgia, I can't help but wonder how many ppl have been there, seeking Truth as I was in the past, and I wonder how many of them realize that the answers can only be found at some other place...
I guess this entry must have been really disconnected and vague... But I guess this is how memory is. Not so much of a series of clear pictures arranged chronogically, but more of a recalling of strong emotions associated with images in a random fashion. Like a kaleidoscope...
Yup, a kaleidoscope of memories...
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