Alluring Experience

I never thought it would be such alluring experience. I remembered the week before it started, I planned to withdraw from it as I was afraid what will I foresee once I enter. I never thought I could actually manage to finish the whole training as well as received an award from it. I remember telling myself on the first day that it was tough and i wanted to go home but the Lord's presence is with me. I felt it giving me all the strength, energy and most important peace. I know I can't back off as there are some people who wanted to get in but was rejected due to the health issues. My friend was the one. So I told myself, "Ling go on. Do it for Brian, do it for Nancy. Come Ling, you can do it. God will make way. Jia you! jia you! jia you!" And I went on and on and on and it is already the third week.

Exams!!!!!! Goodness, I thought I wouldn't occur such word again after my very last paper but NO, I was SO wrong. In here, not only I was trained but I had to sit for examination in order to prove that I pass all types of training and is officially an army reserve. First exam was weapon, followed by marching and last was theory. Done one, done two, done! It wasn't really hard, but if you didn't practice or study well, it will be hard. I thank God for helping me. With the tight schedule, finding time to study, having the temptation to rest instead of studying due to all those tough training the whole day, I thank God for giving me the concentration to study instead of resting. The theory was the hardest. The first two, was practical and perfect! However, theory, argh, struggles, but the Lord has been my great teacher. And I am finally done.

Last week, I remember telling myself, it is the last week and the hardest week of all. This is because all of us recruits were being sent to the forest for 3 days and another 3 more days to the kubu land. First 3 days was alright because it wasn't so hot but the insects (agas) is killing all of us. It a kind of mosquito which is really small until you barely see it. When it bites you, and you touch it or even rub it, it will just go lumpy and spread it all around you. And I got it! How terrible is that? The forest training is putting all that we were trained back in camp based in action. We had "enemies" attacking us, surviving cooking, and finding food. The last 3 days were the toughest among all because right after the 3rd day, will be our passing out and we were not only drench due to all the raining during the nights, as well as all those training drills, attacking skills, digging holes, looking out for wild boars, surviving for food and water, getting muddy dirty and we were also there practicing our TTS (tendang tak sampai) under burning hot sun!! I remembered clearly that I keep praying for clouds to keep the sun so that all of us wouldn't faint so easily. I also kept singing God will make a way and had others to sing with me. Praise God.

Passing out was our graduation day. Early morning all of us were looking smart, walking through the muddy journey, we were not smart already. We had our make up because we were to do our last attack drilling as an opening ceremony. After that, we walk to the open land and started out with all the speeches, followed by our TTS ceremony, followed by our badge beret and certificate ceremony and finally the ceremony of the awards and bang we graduated! All of us were jumping, screaming laughing and crying. We took so many photos, and we thank our sarjans and koperals for everything. I thank God so much for everyday. Without Him, I wouldn't be able to go on and without Him, I would have withdraw during the first week.

On our very last day, after a few days of "resting" (which we had no training but only lots of carrying and packing), I finally got home. Praise God for protection, praise God for great friends, praise God for award, and praise God for strength, love, joy and energy! Being awarded as Best Academic Achievement, made my parents proud and my mom says it worth me going for it. Even more when I was being published in TheStar newspaper on 8th July 2007 (at Education section) -- (click here) even brings joy to my parents. I never regret of joining it even though in return I got so dark, got bitten by agas a lot and even got scars everywhere. I thank God for giving me the confidence that I can do it through Christ that has given me strength and it is indeed true that no matter how, God will make a way.