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!
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