Special Edition Post: Greeting from an Ex ICC-er!

Charis Chen

Design from Canva

Heyho! We're back with a special edition post from an ex ICC-er-- none other than our beloved Eliza! It's been awhile since we last met, and for the new year, she sent us a lovely greeting, featured below!

"I’ve officially spent five months away from home, which is longer than I’ve ever been away from my family. Do I miss Malaysia? Of course! I miss the people, culture, FOOD, and most of all, my family and friends. Yet though I’m away from home, I don’t feel lonely. By God’s grace, I experienced a smooth transition adjusting to a new environment and community at Asbury University. These past five months have been an instrumental period of growth for me, and my heart is filled with gratefulness for new opportunities, life lessons, cultural experiences, and relationships forged on and off campus.

"Summarizing all the lessons I’ve learned this past semester in a few paragraphs would be nearly impossible, so I will just focus on some of the crucial lessons God has taught me. Traveling across the globe to live in another country did not come without strong feelings of nervousness. Questions like “What if I don’t fit in? What if I seem awkward to others because I come from a different culture? What if I don’t find a good friend group?” filled my mind. But they were quickly put to ease as I was swept away by the warm welcome I received, and with the help of both an international and all-student welcome week orientation, I learned that it was easier than I had thought to integrate into a new community. My self-consciousness diminished as I discovered that others were just as nervous…and just as willing to make friends, whether from a similar or different culture.

"Typical misconceptions about college students include the tendency to stay out late, sleep late, eat unhealthily, and procrastinate. Of course, these are possible, but they are avoidable! During my first few weeks of college, I struggled to get into a regular routine, but once I had got into a habitual schedule, I witnessed my time management skills improve dramatically. I went from being a night owl to becoming an early sleeper and early riser. And having so many options in the cafeteria (and a stir-fry section) allowed me to always be able to eat healthily. Doing my work in advance was surprisingly easy, and it granted me an abundance of free time—free time which I could use to study the Bible, exercise, relax, and get involved in a host of campus activities. 

“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight” (Proverbs 9:10).

"As I was preparing to head off to university, I started searching for a verse I could meditate on during this new transition. When I came across this verse in Proverbs, I knew I had found the verse I’d been looking for. I’m extremely grateful for the emphasis on biblical worldview and critical thinking that I had during my childhood through high school years. Though I was originally incredibly resistant to the idea of homeschooling when my parents first took me out of school, I later realized how homeschooling changed who I am as a person…for the better. I realized that all of life is an education, and a Christ-centered mindset—the fear of God—is key to knowledge. I wanted to continue studying in college with the right starting point. 

"My time in ICC has also definitely helped me in my decisions to join various boards and take part in activities on campus. After praying and consulting with my parents for advice, I decided to run as Publicist for the freshman class cabinet and join the international sector of the Intercultural Student Board on campus. As an international, I learned that I have something unique to put on the table—a different perspective—and boldness to speak up comes easily once I have the right mindset. I was surprised by how willing people were to hear me out. 

"Most significantly, this time of independence and “isolation” from my family has in a way forced me to seek God more diligently, fervently, frequently, and willingly on my own. During the month of Christmas break, I especially had time to reflect while away from college activities, homework, and my own extensive to-do lists. With my desire to maximize time to achieve as many things as possible, I used to be somewhat afraid of times of quiet and stillness, when my days aren’t filled with tasks and activities as they typically are. Now I treasure such moments, for they provide the perfect opportunity to slow down and re-read that passage of Scripture that confused me yesterday.

"Often, I still wish to possess the superpower of teleportation. I wish I could be back home, if only for a while. But God is good. Witnessing the Lord’s ever-present hand in my life, no matter where I am on the globe, gives me a more than sufficient reason to rejoice. 

"To all of you back home, I miss you so much! I pray that you will continue to grow to seek the Lord and allow Him to work in you. I’ve found that when I’ve grown most were during times I found most challenging, when I was forced out of my comfort zone, when my previous mindsets were challenged and brought under the scrutiny of light of God’s truth. Seek God. Dive into His Word hungrily. Entrust your future into His hands—He is faithful. You are all in my thoughts. See you in around four months’ time!

"Happy New Year, everyone!"

~ Eliza Tan 

Time is Life

Written by Ian Chan

Edited by Ranen Chan and Charis Chen

All photos by Coach Daniel unless otherwise stated

"Blessed New Year!" That's a greeting one will definitely hear during the first few days of a new year, as people celebrate the transition into the year.

On the 2nd of January 2017, our chapter started the New Year with a meaningful and fun-filled gathering. We had our first gathering of the year at the Putrajaya Wetlands Park, and started off with breakfast, preparing ourselves for the program at the observation tower. 

 Nom Nom Nom!

I really thank God for His hand in the weather. When we arrived, the weather was unwelcoming and dull, and to make things worse, it was drizzling. Later, however, the weather changed pleasantly, and we were able to have our fellowship in the warm sunshine.  

Before we started our program, we celebrated Speaker Charis' birthday with a birthday surprise. 

  

Next, we praised God for the day with the song, This Is the Day, led by Speaker Eunice. 

 This is the day that the LORD has made!

After singing, we were led by Speaker Charis for the icebreaker, called Zoo. A group of people stand in a circle, facing the center. Everyone would choose an animal, which they would represent by a hand gesture. For example, they could put their arm up by their nose to represent an elephant, or they can flap their arms like a bird. Each player had to have a different animal. During the game, each player would first do his/her animal action, then the action of another person in the circle. The person whose hand sign was done by the last player had to then repeat the procedure by first doing his/her hand sign, then the hand sign of another player. We certainly enjoyed this fun and animated icebreaker. 

Our Chapter Sponsor, Coach Joseph, shared with us about time. He asked us to discuss our feelings during the transition into the New Year. Some said they did not realize that it was already the new year; others had goals to achieve. After the discussion, we were asked to define the word ‘time’. What is your definition of time? Coach Joseph stated that time is life. He continued sharing that when one wastes his time, he wastes his life. Before we do something, we need to ask whether it is worth spending our life on it. 

Next, we adjourned to the field, where we had more games. The first activity was called Cat and Tails, which reminded me of Running Man. In this game, everyone has a "tail" (raffia string) taped to their backs. The main goal of this game is to snatch other players’ tails while guarding your tail. After the game, we were divided into three groups for our second activity, called Team Building.

      First, we had to create a team name and a cheer. The first team was called Awesome Fire! We definitely felt some heat because of their team name-- or was it the sun?

The second team was called Typhoon! Typhoon alert, take safety precaution! 

Last but not least, we had the third team called No Mess. (Yeah, ’ah ain’t messin’ around with ya’ll. :D) After all the group cheers, each team had to creatively use their bodies to first make a garden, and then the KLCC Twin Towers. Lastly, we combined all three groups to form a human pyramid.

Team 1: Awesome Fire!

Team 2: Typhoon!

                                                             

Team 3: No Mess!

  

Photo by Toh Jern Ling

We then headed back to the observation tower for our last activity, the Mannequin Challenge. 

The mannequin challenge was a success! We only had to film it twice. Click the video below to watch it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qEdUzsI293A&feature=youtu.be

After the last activity, we sat down together for a closing. Coach Joseph shared about a Chinese reality TV show which interviews two people simultaneously, but with a partition in between the interviewees. In one episode, they interviewed two people: a father and son who had a broken relationship with each other. The son was a successful fashion designer, but his father did not support his son's career choice. The son talked about his success as a designer, but it was evident his father was displeased. When asked if he wanted the partition to be removed, the son yelled, "Dad, nothing I do ever pleases you!" and stormed off. Coach Joseph then said that unlike that young man, we are accepted by our Heavenly Father, just as God the Father said at Jesus’ baptism, "This is my Son, in whom I am well pleased." God loves us, whether or not others love us.

After the sharing, the Correspondent team, as well as several helpers, shared their self-evaluation of the event. I thanked everyone for being cooperative, and aimed to do better next time by beginning to plan earlier. Speaker Jern Ling shared that she was pleased with the smooth flow of the program, and that she had now learned more about planning an event. 

I would like to thank my father for helping to find the venue and all the Coaches and SLs for making this event possible. Last but not least, I would like to thank all the Chapter members for their presence.

Thank you and I hope you enjoyed the blog! 

Good Morning, Malacca!

Written by Eunice Tan
Edited by Charis Chen 
Photos by Coach Daniel Toh

Lights on. We were ready. This was it.
"Good morning, Malacca!!" The voice boomed.

Welcome to the ATI Family Conference 2016! After the exciting Expo for Influence Conference, most of us congregated in Malacca for even more godly fellowship and memorable learning! One night, Chapter Sponsor Coach Joseph and the ICC Student Leaders huddled together and laid out the details of a very important launch that would take place very soon.... The launch of Good Morning, Malacca!

We were going to share what Walking in the Light, the theme of the ATI conference this year, really means using our personal testimonies. All this was going to be presented in a talk-show style with Coach Joseph as our energetic, one-of-a-kind host!

Here we go...

Coach Joseph: Welcome to Good Morning, Malacca!

For today's program, I interviewed a couple of interesting attendees of this family conference concerning what it means to Walk in the Light! Sit back and enjoy the interviews.

Video of Interviews:

Filmed by Joseph Tan

After viewing the fascinating, and not to mention, amusing video, Coach Joseph got his "guests" to introduce their names, ages, and what they enjoy about homeschooling!

Ranen- 13 years old, appreciates the flexibility homeschooling allows

Jern Yoong- 16 years old, loves that homeschooling allows learning beyond the textbook

Eunice- 13 years old, enjoys learning all subjects with a biblical worldview through homeschooling

Charis- 15 years old, likes homeschooling because of opportunities to mingle with international people

Jern Ling- 13 years old, delights in the adaptable schedule homeschooling provides

After the upbeat introductions, the talk-show host asked each student what Walking in the Light really means to them in their personal life experiences!

Jern Yoong, whom the host referred to as "undoubtedly an athlete," shared what Walking in the Light means for him in sports. Ever since he was young, he had always thought that sports competitions were all about winning. I mean, there is nothing more important than being number 1, right? However, after watching the captivating movie Facing the Giants and listening to another successful athlete's sharing, he realized the meaning of true sportsmanship. True sportsmanship is about playing for God, not for yourself, praising Him whether you win or even lose. This idea drastically transformed Jern Yoong's way of thinking when it came to his sports competitions. Walking in the Light is all about good character and giving glory to God.

Next up, I shared my struggle with pride and selfishness, how I had always put myself before others and did not consult God for help much. I would try to change, but I would always fail! Why? Because I was relying on my own strength and not God's. One day, my mom and sister shared with me honestly how my attitude had hurt many people and how I desperately needed to change. Since that day, my walk with God has greatly changed, and I am determined to stay humble and glorify God in everything I do. I have learned to enjoy serving others without feeling sorry for myself, knowing what really is important! Walking in the Light is all about staying humble and obeying God's will for me.

Following that, Jern Ling related the story of how hard and troubling times helped draw her closer to God. Discovering her mother had a dangerous heart condition, Jern Ling was shocked and sorrowful. "Where is God?" She thought. As her mother rested, she also had to tackle all the household chores that her mother would normally do, along with a feeling of emptiness within her. Not to mention, all the schoolwork she still had to accomplish! She felt lost and scared for her mom. However, after consulting a friend, Jern Ling learned that God will always be there in the hard times, in the raging storm. She realized that in this trial, her job was to look after her mom and others and serve Him, knowing He will always be there for her. That is walking in the light.

Ranen then told the audience how he was influenced by friends in the area of pop music. He initially had no idea what songs or artists they were talking about. So, out of curiosity, he searched them up and quickly got hooked to pop music. He didn't want to be the only one left out! However, after attending a conference where he learned how this music is not always pure or glorifying to God, Ranen decided to stop listening to it. It definitely wasn't easy, but with God's strength he has stopped getting hooked to it. Walking in the light is about giving up what is not pure for what is pure. It is about obeying God and not following everything our friends say even though we might feel left out. Walking in the light is being in the world but not of the world.

Last but not least, Charis shared her personal tale of how stress and busyness had opened up a new spiritual learning experience for her. First of all, she simply adores working with kids! A few months earlier, she was teaching young children at a children's program and was thoroughly enjoying herself! But, she was suddenly given a task that initially didn't seem too hard, but eventually became a humongous project which took up her time and stressed her out completely. Charis was desperate and finally broke down. What was she going to do?? One of her teammates was concerned and shared with her how it is in the storms of life that we can see God more clearly. This comforted Charis and inspired her to share the same concept to her other friend who was also struggling in a situation. Through this, she discovered that Walking in the light is about caring for others and not only yourself.

To encapsulate all these fantastic testimonies, Coach Joseph a.k.a. host asked each guest to summarize each of their stories in just one fiery phrase. Below are the results!

Ranen- Stay pure.
Jern Yoong- Competition isn't about winning.
Eunice- Humble me, Lord.
Charis- Look beyond myself.
Jern Ling- Appreciate others.

And that's a wrap!!!

Coach Joseph gave a quick and insightful conclusion to the live audience, spurring them on to walk in the light daily! We certainly enjoyed sharing our personal testimonies with all the other attendees of the ATI Family Conference. It is a great reminder that in whatsoever we do, all glory to God.

Till the next conference!

Ready for Influence

Written by Ranen Chan
Edited by Charis Chen
Photos by Coach Daniel

Greetings! Welcome to Ready for Influence, a training for ICC chapter members in Southeast Asia conducted by Dr. Teresa Moon, founder and CEO of ICC.

Eunice Au, the director of ICC's online academy, began by getting some feedback from the audience for the Influence EXPO, held the night before. 

Dr. Teresa Moon then shared some of her experiences as the founder and CEO of ICC. Some were light-hearted and funny; others touched your heart. One story in particular was especially moving.
Wendell, Dr. Moon's son, once did an interpretation of a story at a youth party. A person in the audience was inspired by his speech and decided that he would like to tell stories like that. His name was Raudy, and he soon became good friends with Wendell. Raudy began calling up businesses, schools, kindergartens, and many other places to see if he could present stories there. He soon became well-known in his community for this, and many people enjoyed listening to him. Tragically, he drowned not long after he had started doing this. 
Raudy's family held a memorial service for him after his death. As more and more people turned up to pay their respects, they realized just how much of an impact Raudy had had on the people around him.

Sometimes we do not realize that we have an influence on others, so it is always important to be ready for influence. We want to have a positive impact on the people we come in contact with, not a bad one.

After that, Dr. Moon talked about how millennials are the best positioned generation to influence the world. She went on to say that global organizations seek 5 things in employees - good communication skills, critical thinking skills, ability to collaborate with others, creativity, and a cultural mindset. She then split the room into 8 groups. Each of the groups was assigned one of the five aforementioned things, and had to come up with a mime to illustrate it in 3 different applications. After the prep time was over, each group had to present their mime to everyone. The audience subsequently had to guess that group's skill. We learned to think on our feet, be creative and work together, all while having lots of fun!

Dr. Moon then had a speech coaching session with Expo Influencers John Hoy and Abigail Shepherd, while Eunice Au conducted a portfolio session on the floor above. 

Next up was lunch!

The coaches and those who weren't student leaders went out to get lunch, while the student leaders had their SL reception over lunch. During the SL reception, several of the student leaders from different chapters shared their experiences being an SL in their chapter. It was really encouraging to hear all the stories from the various student leaders.

After lunch, we adjourned back to the meeting hall, where Dr. Moon elaborated on ICC's mentoring model of wise guides (those older than us), side guides (our peers), and surprise guides (those younger than us). Then we went around and thanked three people who had been a mentor to us.

And that brings Influence Expo 2016 to a close! Hope you enjoyed reading this blog post!