SEASON 3 EPISODE 23: WRAPPING UP AND BOWING OUT

It is finally over! The course that I began 9 months ago wrapped up for me at 5pm last Friday when we were told to "put our pens down and stop writing".

So, now to bow out of London and head home to Singapore. This means packing, arranging with the shipping company to take my things away and enjoying the rest of my time here before I fly out at or around 12.15pm on Friday, 4th July.

I have a couple of lunch appointments on Tuesday and Thursday this coming week, attending my final cell group on Wednesday evening and the final Sanctuary meeting on Thursday evening. I also have some shopping to do for my family and friends.

On Friday, I will be checking out of my hall at around 7am so that I can attend a Summer Term Prayer Breakfast organised by the Lawyers' Christian Fellowship at Middle Temple at 8am. Once that finishes at 9am, I will then make my way to Heathrow by Tube. I aim to get to Heathrow by 10am or so in order that I can check in and get ready to fly out.

It's a long journey back - about 12.5 hours in the air and when I land, I not only have to forward my body clock by 7 hours, but also brace myself for the tropical Singapore weather (especially since I will be arriving in the morning!).

I definitely have fond memories of this place and I will surely miss all my friends here. I have no idea what the plan is right now - but I do pray that I can return in the near future to advance my career and qualify as an English solicitor.

However, I also return to begin the next phase of my life - which is currently (subject to change) a mixture of personal and professional agendas. So, I have mixed feelings of leaving a place I called home for the last 9 months. The image of heading home excites me because I will be back with my friends and family. But, the image of leaving this country saddens me.

This episode will be the penultimate episode of Season 3. The final episode (Episode 24) will be a reflective episode of my entire time here in London before I board the plane for Singapore. Thereafter, Season 4, location: Singapore

SEASON 3 EPISODE 22 (PART II): THE PEACE

As I named this episode "The Peace", I am reminded of an old worship song that I used to sing in Sunday School many many years ago:

He is my peace, who has broken down every wall

He is my peace, He is my peace!

He is my peace, who has broken down every wall
He is my peace, He is my peace!

Why do I say that? Well, as I prepared for The Move in Part I (see below), I received an email from the large City firm I applied to for a training contract. I was informed that I was not shortlisted for an interview, resulting in the end of the road.

I have been hoping and praying very hard about this application. So, when I got this, one could imagine how devastated I was. I was even reduced to tears for a while.

As I sobbed in my room, I really wished I had a physical shoulder to cry on and a companion with me to comfort me. Apart from the LORD, the only persons I could go back to were my parents. I managed to talk to them over SKYPE and I was very surprised and comforted that my mum was clearly not disappointed with the outcome. She said that as she read my email, it was impressed upon her that the way is very clear (ie to return to the firm I had the God-given opportunity to undergo 3 weeks of work experience back in April).

I took great comfort in that, but I was not entirely convinced that was the way and was advised me to see whether there is a message from the LORD at church on Sunday. More of that later.

But, it is what happened in the course of this week that is of more importance. One of the steps I took, after consulting my parents was to inform one of my lecturers about it who knew about my application and see what would happen.

I approached my lecturer on Tuesday and to my surprise, he did something which I did not think would happen - to call the firm's HR Department on my behalf! From there, he was able to get the firm to send me written feedback on why I was not shortlisted!!

The feedback illustrated not only what went wrong with my application, but also the standard that I had to rise up to in order to get into their firm (or perhaps, any City firm). The negative comments made my heart very heavy and I carried that heavy heart throughout that day. In fact, I also realised that I would not be able to meet that standard because to do so will be going against my own character!

Wednesday morning was perhaps the positive climax of all that had happened. I thought I did not receive a word from the LORD on Sunday that was specific to my situation. But, on my father's advice (who later told me that he believed there was a word for me there), I revisited the notes I took from the sermon on "Food sacrificed to idols" (1 Corinthians 8:1-13). The focus of that sermon was 1 Corinthians 8:1b which read: "Knowledge puffs up, but loves builds up".

I then recalled that as I listened to the sermon, I thought about my profession as a lawyer. We lawyers have special knowledge that the lay man would not have (ie the knowledge of the law). Now, we would like to think that we will be one level higher than the lay man - which often leads to being proud about it. But, as a Christian lawyer, what is our Code of Conduct? We perform our legal duties as a form of service to the community, which is driven by love. My Quiet Time in the Daily Bread that day was my life verse Micah 6:8. Philip Yancey was the writer of the QT and he used this verse to remind us of our obedience to God and our "assigned tasks". To me, I believe my assigned tasks are to complete the LPC exams and to be a lawyer. This is my obedience to the LORD. Once again, the words in Micah 6:8 of "walk humbly with your God" struck me.

Now, what does all this have to do with the City firm? Well, I have been reminded time and time again that my Achilles' heel is this tendency to be arrogant. I believe that will be harder to control if I was working in a prestigious firm and receiving a big pay packet in the City. Instead, I believe the LORD has shown me - through this experience - that I am more suited for a non-flashy environment where I can contribute more, learn more and most importantly, develop the character of being humble. The humility part is also linked to my name and confirms my late grandfather's wisdom when he picked my Chinese name.

I have now gone on to call the firm I worked with for 3 weeks in April to ask whether there is any opening for a paralegal. This is my part of the deal and I submit this to the LORD to do His part as I now return to my preparations for exams in peace. I will head off to Sanctuary at Methodist Central Hall with that spirit of thanksgiving because of Jesus, who is my Peace!

Thanks be to God! Amen!

SEASON 3 EPISODE 22 (PART I): THE MOVE

I write this blog entry from my new room across the street from where I was since September 2007.

Yes, my tenancy agreement at Room C02-8 ends tomorrow and I will be in Room B07-6 until 4th July 2008. Well, first up, my new room is not as big as the previous one. See pictures below.

Taken from the door. You can see that I am not exactly very tidy.. :p

Taken from the bed.

The cardboard box contains books and the files on the top shelf are my notes.

As you will probably see, I do have a lot of things to move over (not to mention I bought and brought lots of books on various genres. This is something I accumulated over 9 months but I don't regret it). I am hence grateful to God for providing the opportunity to move out ahead of schedule and it was a smooth one.

I was to move out tomorrow at midday, but a note was shoved through my door at about midday today informing me that my new room is ready and I could start moving my belongings. I spent almost the entire morning packing and the entire afternoon moving them over. There are no lifts, just staircases and it was an entire OMO (one man operation). I thank God it went smoothly and I look forward to having a good rest tonight and ready to shift gear to "revision mode" as I enter the 1-week revision before the exams begin the following week.

This episode is just the first part of what happened to me this week. There will be a Part II. Stay tuned!

SEASON 3 EPISODE 21: ONE MONTH FROM TODAY!

As I look forward to this day, one month later (ie Friday, 4th July 2008), I see myself boarding a plane from Heathrow which heads for Singapore. Yes, 4th July is the day I plan to return home to reunite with family and friends. It has been a quick 9 months since I arrived on 10th September 2007 save for the 2-week Christmas break. Time sure flies.

But, it is my prayer (and for those who know the situation I am in) that when I board the plane, I will board it, fully briefed on what my next "mission" is to be. It is akin to James Bond when M tells him of his next mission. Although, I don't think M will tell James of the dangers that come with the mission. He will be guided by his contacts in the mission field, along with the resources he obtains from Q.

Who and what is the "M" and "Q" in my life? The LORD is like "M" to me and the Bible, the written Word is my "Q". The LORD only knows the full details of the mission and He will reveal the necessary details for me to move. However, unlike James Bond who only uses his "Q Gadgets" to get him out of danger, the written Word is my everything. It is used to get me out of danger, it is used to comfort me when I am down and it is also used to teach me the ways of my "M", my LORD!

I now cast my thoughts to the present time and ask the same question of my "mission field". Well, the mission has been the same all along (ie to get through the LPC) and as I received the result of my last assessment (a Probate assessment) before the exams, I thank the LORD for the"1st attempt clearance" stamp on my LPC passport (an analogy I used in one of my previous episodes) to prepare for and sit the exams.

So, this is the final leg of - what has been - a hectic 9-month journey. I think all of us on the LPC will agree that we all need a good summer break. For me, that break is to pack up my bags and head home. But, I pray that as I pack, I might have a glimpse of what my next mission is to be.

Hear these prayers of your child, O LORD! I believe in You, but help my unbelief. Amen.