In retrospect, God has been so good. Time and again I see His wisdom & strength steering the RR ship through Terence. There’s been incredible favour and camaraderie amongst the leaders and rangers – surely if you have been in ministry long enough, you would know that the latter cannot be bought instead it’s earned and often unmerited.

The AR girls growth is another milestone to shout about. In the short 10 months, I see timid personalities crawl out of their shells, new friendships made, trust established to be able to talk about  pertinent youth and of course… crazy girly fun. All this would not be possible without the help of my fantastic commanders that care as much for the girls as I do. So I continue to dream big and prayer harder for an even better year in 2010…

Snapshots from the anniversary (courtesy of Josh)

I had a change of perspective last weekend when we (the Discovs) visited the Taiping Zoo and night safari. I was bewildered by the sense of pride the zoo keepers had for the place. I was mesmerized by the amount of info provided at every stop. The Taiping zoo has a rugged feel to it. It’s not as “clean” as the Singapore Zoo, with shrubs growing on the pavement and moss carpeting some rocks but there was no indication that the place was poorly maintained. The animals looked hale and hearty (whoops I wasn’t planning to eat ‘em when I said hearty!)

What surprised me was the absence of the “zoo stench”! If I think of Zoo Negara, the first thing that comes to mind is the stench that greets you at the entrance. Needless to say it was repulsive. However magically or not, I was not greeted with the same stench in Taiping. It wasn’t entirely absent through as we caught a whiff of it as we approached the deer sanctuary… thankfully the air cleared after a bit. The Taiping Zoo and night safari was a hidden treasure we stumbled upon. I’m glad the government taking the effort to keep this hidden treasure alive; at least children will have a chance to visit a proper local zoo.

Here are some snapshots of Taiping (taken by Josh Chan). For more pictures and a virtual walk thru the zoo – click here and here, otherwise these are my favs:

One of the few colonial building in Taiping town. The weather was awesome too! What a great shot – reminds me of Christchurch, NZ.

At the zoo.. just girls (p/s Jirene we missed you!)

All pumped to go in!

Chimps – this was my first time seeing a real life one. I was amazed at how BIG they were!

Spotted Civet although small in size can be quite ferocious..

Up close and personal with the deers but not for long because they poop really stinks!

King of the Jungle – I would pay a million bucks just inch close to it!

How odd to be standing on only one leg – reminds me of my ballet training years ago!

I wonder if the world upside down would pose a better view? Hmmm….

The most friendly animals in the zoo!

Time for a dental appointment?

Trip to the zoo was almost a family affair

After the zoo, we stumbled upon a great ride – the giant slide at the park!

First up – Hannah, Esther & Lydia

You’re never too old for some fun!

Weeeeee………

Swish…

Then the guy commanders had a go!! They went berserk!

Sarah… such a gem!

Hannah – the rugged lil gal!

Isabelle – my lil monkey

Spot the “animals”

Finally a decent shot…

The sun soon descended and night covered the jungle, as the guests took their seats around a council fire. The huge sand pit looked amazing, with spotlights illuminating the place, the council fire sandwich between two huge and outstanding backdrops and the Malaysian, Selangor and Royal Rangers flags at the entrance. For the next 2 hours, the council fire blazed as we celebrated our 20 years with songs, skit, award ceremony and other items.

When Sel 7 first set out to plan our anniversary celebration, we wanted to capture the very essence of what Rangers is about. Our mission remains the same that is to reach, teach and keep boys and girls for Christ. Today we look back and acknowledge the lives we have touched but the job is evidently not done yet. We also wanted to embrace two decades of priceless memories. Indeed Rangers is about enduring relationships fostered throughout the years and the common passion we all have for the great adventure.

Above all we wanted to remember and radiate God’s faithfulness. I’m overflowing with thanks for His hands in all of this but I also know that greater things are awaiting us. Many times we look back and celebrate milestones (what a great reflection we all should practice) but milestones are not only for the past, it’s also for the future. What’s the next milestone for the Royal Rangers? Our anniversary celebration was aptly themed “Empowering The Next Generation” because reminiscence and awesome memories are just not enough to spur us on. It takes the unmerited grace and power of God to take us where He wants us to be. For this reason I’m challenged and excited at the same time humbled at the fact that I’m part of something greater myself and my capabilities.

Photos coming soon…

Yup! That’s the theme for one of the projects we’ve been working on. Treasure Quest 2008 will roll out tomorrow after months of planning and tons of emails. At 6.45am tomorrow, 91 children & youth will roam the streets of KL for a 5 hour hunt. The Quest is going to be bigger, better and more challenging this time. It was a hit last year and due to popular demand, our brains started churning again for the comeback.

At this age, we find ourselves concocting crazy ideas and activities for children. Activities that we wish we had while we were young. Imagine winning Air Asia flight tickets, a few hundreds worth of cold cash and incredible merchandise vouchers just by solving cryptic questions and having a pure adrenaline rush. How is that fun or is that FUN?!

I’m reeling with excitement waiting for Friday to be over. A few more loose ends to wrap up and we’re all set for the quest. It’s such a privilege to plan and head projects like these. The teamwork amongst the committee, the mounting excitement from the kiddos and the miracles along the way are simply priceless. Thank You Lord for great ideas and fantastic people You surround me with.

More updates on Treasure Quest after tomorrow!