Life Updates:
1. Jen Ni has officially returned to work and is adjusting well overall.
Amidst some messy office politics, Jen Ni is still awaiting confirmation for her role and remains on probation, which was partially extended due to her maternity leave. Nevertheless, we are trusting God together through this process. Instead of getting caught up in the strategic steps needed to secure her position, we are focusing on the question, 'What does it mean to do good work before God?' and leaving the rest in His hands.
2. We've begun sending Chen Xi to the nanny and he seems to be coping alright.
This recent transition has truly allowed us to focus on our work during the day. That being said, we've quickly learned that having a nanny doesn't necessarily equate to more downtime, as our evenings are fully devoted to Chen Xi once work wraps up (which we wouldn't trade for anything).
Beyond the nanny's help, my mum has been an absolute blessing in this season, preparing dinner for us Mondays through Thursdays. It gracefully relieves us of one extra thing we’d otherwise be juggling.
3. Friends, Family and Beyond.
Just to share some highlights...
Jen Ni and Chen Xi enjoyed a day out for messy play hosted by Amy (Zheng Yang's wife). Although Chen Xi was too young to participate, it was still a good time to connect with friends and family.
The mothers enjoyed a movie together after the messy play. (fathers took over parental duties to give mums a break). Amy also recently created a mum's support whatsapp group chat which I think is a great initiative for the mothers to bond and support one another in this season.
We also had the opportunity to celebrate another close friend's (Bu Yeow) birthday together. Enjoying a meal together these days feel extremely different. Unpredictable, messy, noisy. Nevertheless, we still value the importance of spending time together regardless of seasons.
4. Celebrating Chinese New Year.
Our Chinese New Year was hectic and tiring, but overall very good! With our nanny off for the week, Jen Ni and I were fully on duty with Chen Xi. For our reunion dinner on
Chinese New Year's Eve, my younger sister (Jia Hui) generously treated the family to an amazing buffet at the Pullman Hotel, complete with fresh oysters, shrimps, and lobsters.
On the first day of Chinese New Year, I managed to squeeze in a quick catch-up with Wen Xian, Kathleen, and Timothy Ch'ng. It's always so nice to hang out with them offline, away from our usual gaming sessions.
To wrap up the holidays, we brought Chen Xi back to Teluk Intan—Jen Ni's hometown—so he could spend some precious time with her side of the family.
Ministry Updates:
1. Meeting with the team and aligning for the year ahead.
Following my last update, my primary focus in this new full-time capacity is overseeing the Young Working Adult (YWA) ministry. Thankfully, I don't have to do this alone! For the past couple of years, the National Leadership Team (NLT) has been gathering a core group of like-minded individuals to seek God together regarding the future of the YWA work.
Left to Right: Choo, Alina, Stephanie, Gen Yuan
During our time together on January 31st, I was able to share my heart with the team before we asked ourselves the crucial question: 'What is our focus for 2026?' With so many great ideas and hopes for the ministry, we knew we had to focus our energy. We eventually narrowed it down to two key areas.
Look deeply into 1-1 discipleship (who is discipling us, who are we discipling, who can we seek help with discipling others).
A platform for Nav family + extended relational network to come together. (Pickleball. 1st week of March).
Knowing that one single initiative can't accomplish everything, we've decided on a dual approach: building depth through one-on-one discipleship, while also reaching wide through an open platform that serves both our community and our extended relational networks.
Beyond planning, we spent valuable time aligning our hearts and understanding of the YWA's calling within God's broader work.
The horse is made ready for the day of battle,
but victory rests with the Lord.
Proverbs 21:31
As we step into this, we would love your prayers for God's continued guidance. Looking ahead, our first pickleball session is tentatively set for Wednesday, March 4th, and I have also started meeting personally with a few individuals to build deeper discipleship relationships.
2. Planning for the 60th Anniversary.
I've been appointed by my supervisor, Beng Lee, as Program Director for the upcoming Navigators Malaysia 60th Anniversary conference.
We've begun working with community leaders and several young people to give shape to the upcoming conference. Not much to be revealed at this point in time, but we're excited to share more soon! Teaser: Remember•Reawaken•Reunite
Closing
I’m doing my best to keep these updates short and sweet without oversharing. After all, I know long articles can have a high drop-off rate, and honestly, the best way for me to truly share what’s on my heart is in person over a good cup of coffee.
If you've made it to the end of this one, thank you! If anything I've shared sparks any thoughts, ideas, or even questions, I’d absolutely love to hear from you. Feel free to drop me an email or a message on WhatsApp anytime.
Awesome!
ReplyDeleteYour wife approved this article 💯
ReplyDelete