How it all Begun!

Will you?

One dull Saturday afternoon of November 2002 I was almost left alone after a School Program. Everyone’s busy preparing to leave while I had nothing else to go but home. “I don’t want to go home yet.” I whispered. As I saw one of my classmates hurriedly following my other classmate I inquired where they were heading. She (Marilyn) answered, “Come on, let’s go with Juville.” So because they are friends of mine, and I don’t wanna go home yet, I immediately went along. What mystified me was a white chinito guy (whom later I learnt was a Korean; Dae Oen Lee; a missionary’s son) who opened his car door immediately the moment we stepped out of the school gate, and also, Juville smiled and at once invited us in. What is this?! Perplexed I was yet am conveyed. Good thing everything was clarified during the ride. Oh! We’re heading to a ‘Student Meeting’ as they call it – a Bible Study for young people especially students. Yup! Bible Study, why not?

There, we literally had a Bible Study – reading through and checking the Bible. And oh, we sang godly songs. Anyways, it wasn’t my first time to read verses from the Bible, but it was my first to literally scan and read through page by page. I didn’t absorb the message though, but what I can never forget is the shame I felt to find something that’s hard to do – locating a verse. Argh! Really upsetting! However, it was something that challenged me to cram on the Bible, not to learn its content but, out of pride, to do better next time I will be told to locate a verse. Pride definitely struck me!

Later, snacks were served! Obviously painted a smile on me hihihihi but what really hit my core was this strange atmosphere, something undeniable, and something I believed as impossible – warm affection; genuine love and friendship. Oh God! Are you bumping into me? I don’t even know most of these people. Why are they too humane? They don’t even know me personally! Is this the answer to my cry? I’m surely gonna be back in this place! And I really did again and again. But honestly, that day, I firmly told myself, “Im going to come back for a life-long camaraderie, but never for membership of this religion or whatever sect this may be!”