Words A.L.I.V.E. (ICC Chapter Malaysia): October 2014

Written by Eunice Tan
Edited by Eliza Tan

You're probably thinking, "Why in the world did she put such a crazy title?"
Well, all will be revealed in good time...

Wow! It's our 13th ICC meeting! It felt like our first ICC meeting was just a few days ago. Our meeting started out with Speaker Jern Ling leading us through a fun and enjoyable icebreaker. Everyone found a partner and played scissors-paper-stone with them. The loser will stand at the back of the winner and the winner will compete with someone else, and so it goes on! We found out that we could make very long 'trains' of people in a very short period of time!

Photo by Eliza Tan

Photos by Eliza Tan

Photo by Eliza Tan

Photos by Eliza Tan

Photo by Eliza Tan

At the end of the game, we ended up with a LONG line of laughing and energized people!

Photos by Eliza Tan

Coach Joseph started our teaching session with relating the similarities of football team strategy to our ICC Chapter plan!

v ICC chapter meetings are like football training sessions. This is when we receive teaching on how to become better cultural communicators for Christ.

v Next are the breaks between meetings which represent football matches.
This was the most profound thing to us! It wasn't the big tournament within ICC that was the big match. It was the times when we are in the real outside world: when we get to communicate to the person sitting next to us in the bus or the owner of a restaurant where we're eating dinner.

The big matches are when we get to put in practice what we learned and spent time on in the ICC meetings.

Photo by Eliza Tan

Hmm... I like football! Good analogy, Coach Joseph!

v Thirdly, we have our ICC retreat! It resembles a boot camp and a time of friendly competition!

v Last, but not least, we have the ICC Impact Conference, the time when we get to compete with other ICC Chapters which are in Singapore! This is like an intense training course where we get to share our experiences with other ICC Chapters!

Whoa! That really surprised us! This put what we are doing in proper perspective. It also reminded us that events like the ICC retreat and ICC Impact Conference were sooner than we thought! Aiyo! Why time go by so fast?? (Malaysian English) :P

After the fantastic football analogy, we had our 'The God Question' presentations! This was when every YSG speaker presented the interview that they conducted with a relative or friend! We sure did get some interesting answers about their worldview and thoughts about an ultimate authority in their lives.

Photo by Eliza Tan

Speaker Ranen did his interview with a restaurant owner who is a free thinker nearby his house. Her ultimate authority was herself. The answers were very intriguing and included indications to a 'interior moral compass.' Doesn't that sound a bit like the moral law that God instilled in us?

Photo by Nathanael Chong

Next, Ian presented his God Question interview which he conducted with his aunt. In the interview, his aunt said that the ultimate authority in her life was herself.

Photo by Eliza Tan

Speaker Charis then presented her God Question interview which she conducted with her friend, a 15 year old boy who is a non-believer. In the interview, he said that the ultimate authority in his life are his parents, and he had to obey them in order to continue seeing the light of day. xD

Photo by Nathanael Chong

Next came my sister, yay! :D She conducted her interview with our aunt who is a Buddhist. Her ultimate authority was her family and religious beliefs.

Photo by Eliza Tan

Lastly, I presented my God Question interview which I conducted with my piano teacher who claims to be a Buddhist. Her ultimate authority was herself.

It does not surprise me that so many people's ultimate authorities are themselves. Just think about it. If there really was no God, and we were just left to fend by ourselves, then who will we look to when we are in trouble and don't know what to do? Ourselves? No, it's we who don't know what to do, right? This shows how impossible it is to live a safe and truly happy life without God to depend on or look to for help when we are in need.

What makes me sad is that these people got it partially right (eg. a sense of morality), but they missed the most important piece of the puzzle, the one that joins everything together: their need for a Savior! Many people think that just by works they can live a happy life, but they don't recognize the truth, which is that without Jesus Christ, we are nothing!

"For by grace you have been saved through faith.

And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,

not a result of works, so that no one may boast"

(Ephesians 2:8-9).

Next, we had our platform speeches! Yay!

Photo by Eliza Tan

Coach Alfred introducing the platform speeches.

Photo by Eliza Tan

Firstly, Speaker Jaeriel presented his platform speech! His topic was Malaysian English and Culture. His platform speech was hilarious and was delivered confidently!

Walau eh! Good job lah! (Malaysian English) :P

Photo by Nathanael Chong

Next Ranen presented his platform speech about different types of honey! It included a container which had a frozen honeycomb with frozen bees in it! :O

In fact, Ranen's speech had such an effect on us that my dad, Coach Joseph, absentmindedly ordered a honey drink at dinner that day!

Here is a snippet of our ICC Words Alive chat group:

Coach Joseph:

Photo by Joseph Tan (Coach)

Coach Joseph: @Ranen- I ordered this drink for dinner and without knowing it, I just naturally asked for "honey." Inadvertently, I think I was subconsciously affected by Ranen's presentation!

Ranen (through dad's whatsapp): Success!

Photo by Eliza Tan

Finally, Nathanael did his platform speech on his favorite memory verse. He spoke with conviction and belief. Good job, Nathanael!

After these fantastic platform speeches, we had our homework announcement! Or should I say... the showing of the unknown gangster within Coach Joseph?

Photo by Eliza Tan

Now, to reveal my well concealed identity...

Photo by Eliza Tan

canggih leh...

Photo by Eliza Tan

I trying not to smile lahh... can stop laughing or not?

Photo by Nathanael Chong

Pose for camera first...

Photo by Eliza Tan

Now, let's get real!

Photo by Eliza Tan

Your homework for next ICC meeting is to tell me why the Bible is true, OK? I will seat you down on this chair, and you will be interrogated by me (pretending to be an atheist). You got only one minute!

Photo by Eliza Tan

Now you know your homework or not? Make sure you understand, ah! I know who your father is!

Photo by Eliza Tan

Father's response.

Photo by Eliza Tan

You don't play-play ah! I'll be back!

We all had a good laugh! Here are some more hilarious responses to the unexpected act!

Photo by Eliza Tan

I'm glad he put his normal glasses back on. :D

Finally, after the hilarious announcement, we had our makan time!

Photo by Eliza Tan

Yummy...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Additional momentous snapshots of the day!~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Photos by Eliza Tan

Coach James: (dancing) lalalala.....

Photo by Nathanael Chong

No no no... I punch first, then only you punch, ok?

Photo by Eliza Tan

Am I cute?

Photo by Eliza Tan

Uncle Joseph is just acting, ok? This doesn't mean you can act like that ah?

Photo by Eliza Tan

I am SO excited!

Photo by Eliza Tan

We certainly are looking forward to our next ICC meeting!

Written by Toh Jern Ling
Edited by Eliza Tan

Is it a bird? No. Is it a plane? No. Is it an Eagle? Yes!

It's the 12th ICC meeting! Hi! I'm Jern Ling and I'm writing the blog for this ICC meeting. Enjoy!

Photo by Nathanael Chong

Speaker Ranen started the ball rolling with an ice breaker activity called "Guess the Object in My Mind." He chose an object from the room and all participants had to guess what the object was. Whoever guessed the object correctly got to choose a new object from the room to be guessed by others. By the way, the rule of the game was that the one who chose the object could answer only "yes" or "no."

Photo by Nathanael Chong

The room was filled with laughter as we tried to guess the correct answer.

After that, Coach Joseph led us into a simple group discussion of "The Categories of Worldview" based on passages from the book of Genesis.

Photo by Nathanael Chong

After that, Coach Joseph invited speakers who were prepared to do their book reviews to take the stage. He further explained that book reviews were to share about the messages behind the books. Each speaker was given two minutes.

Photo by Nathanael Chong

Charis took over the stage first as she spoke calmly about the worldviews that she gathered from her book, The Shadow Of His Hand.

Next, it was Eunice. She spoke sweetly about her book, The Giver.

Photo by Nathanael Chong

Jariel explained excitedly about his book, The Little One.

Photo by Nathanael Chong

Ranen spoke clearly about his book, Time Machine. Hmmm.... it made me felt as if I wanted to get into the machine and travel through time.

Photo by Jemima Chong

Nathanael spoke steadily about his book, Lord Of The Flies.

Photo by Nathanael Chong

Last, but not least, Eliza spoke convincingly and fluently about her convictions on her book, Frankenstein. She presented the different worldviews and interesting discoveries from her reading about this "old-time feared monster."

Then we had a teaching session from Coach Joseph: Theology - What about God?
We were divided into groups to discuss on the topic "My God Is...."
Below were the findings:

1. Gracious

2. Loving

3. Merciful

4. Wonderful

5. All knowing

6. All powerful

7. Everywhere, all present

8. Just, righteous

9. Forgiving

10. Supernatural

Photo by Nathanael Chong

Photo by Jemima Chong

We were assigned homework to do: the task of sharing the Gospel with our non-christian friends by first engaging them in conversation related to God. We were to ask the four questions stated below:

1. What or who is the ultimate authority in your life?
2. What benefit, if any, is there to you for following that ultimate authority?
3. How do you determine right from wrong?
4. Why do you choose to do right even when it is hard to do?

Then it was time for platform speeches! My brother, Jern Yoong, and I presented our first platform speeches.

Photo by Nathanael Chong

The title of my speech was "The Most Important Person In My Life."

Photo by Nathanael Chong

Next, it was my brother's turn. His title was "Are Computer Games Destroying The Younger Generation?"

Then, after the hard work of listening and evaluating, we had makan time! :)

Additional and funny photos: