It’s been over a month of staying home here in Vancouver. There are times I lose track of what day it is. There are times I feel like crying when I read about people who have lost their lives and of the constantly-increasing cases back in Singapore. But there are times, too, that I feel happy–to be able to go on short sunshine-filled walks, try out new recipes at home, and work out virtually with friends. Mostly, it feels like I’m just a messy ball of emotions these days. And these aren’t emotions I can just shut away; they come unannounced into moments where I have to get things done, like ex ..read more

at Sénanque Abbey in Provence, France for our honeymoon in 2015 [thanks to my history of christianity class, I now know that I visited a Cistercian abbey!] School’s been mighty hectic around here, and my plan to (try to) blog once or twice a month has clearly fallen through. Add to that a persistent bug that’s been keeping me indoors, downing warm cups of yuzu honey for weeks… it’s been one pretty rough month. But today (at my time of writing) is Ash Wednesday, which marks the start of Lent, and I thought of writing a short reflection on why I've decided to observe it (for the first time ever ..read more

After spending two months back home in Singapore, we decided to spend five days in Taiwan before returning to Vancouver as a mini birthday celebration for the both of us. We arrived in Taipei on a hot July day, and while the weather continued to be a scorcher, we had fun exploring the busy city and its surroundings. One of the biggest takeaways I had on this trip is that five days is wayyyy too short to properly dive into everything that Taiwan has to offer. Another big takeaway: Having a local guide helped us experience Taiwan on a whole new level. V and I are not too fond of joining large t ..read more

Photo: Megha Ajith/Unsplash it was an ordinary day until the call came and you were no longer a part of this world, this exchanging of breath and smiles i remember it vividly, tears pouring forth in a taxi as it sped toward a place you no longer were at and i wondered, where your spirit was at this very moment as i pushed my body, my alive-ness, into that cold, silent, sterile room where you lay still you, but yet not you +++ in this sweet span of time from then to now the sun has risen a million times; the moon too has dipped itself daily into silvery seas i’ve covered more ground on th ..read more

Last fall, I had the opportunity to chat with Alina and Caleb (not their real names), a newly married couple who were visiting my part of the world for a few days. When I was a newlywed, I was mostly occupied with things like furnishing our home and understanding each others’ habits and quirks (let me just say that the “over” versus “under” toilet paper debate is cliche but painfully true). For Alina and Caleb, who spent time in Afghanistan and Thailand respectively, their conversations about married life might still sound like mine, but with an additional dimension: exploring a future as miss ..read more

Photo: Annie Spratt/Unsplash In Memoriam: Christina Yuna Lee Michelle Alyssa Go God, Hear our cries. When Death comes like a thief And the sun still shines outside So brightly it hurts God, Be with us. We go from rage to disbelief and back again The only signs a trembling of our jaws, A clenching of our hands God, Are You listening? Here we lie Broken and bleeding And time does not stop Silence ..read more

Photo: Unsplash/Ben Duchac I wrote this piece for a Christian non-profit’s blog back in 2019, and I’m re-publishing it here today because 1) the piece seems to have been moved or taken down 2) I’ve been thinking a lot about how finding, and having, a Christian community has been so integral to deepening my faith in God. If you’ve been burnt out or hurt by a Christian community in the past: I know how that feels. I’ve experienced it as well. And if you’re still yearning to find a Christian community despite this, or if you’ve never considered what it means to be a part of a community until now ..read more

Some weeks ago, I spoke with Kelly, my friend and fellow theology student, over the phone. Our conversation was about living in Canada as a Black Christian. It happened rather spontaneously, and it required a lot of vulnerability (on Kelly’s part) and humility (on my part). Stories like Kelly’s are intensely personal, and yet, they are often overlooked or undervalued. But I can safely say that for many of us, our response to this is: No longer. In this blog post, Kelly shares life-altering accounts of racial discrimination; how she processes the anger and hurt experienced by the Black communit ..read more

hi friends, i hope you’ve been keeping well in this strange and difficult season. if you’re looking for new reads to pick up during this period of self-isolation, i highly recommend this book below that I wrote a personal reflection on for one of my theology classes this term. i’ve been deeply impacted by it, and my perception and understanding of mission, and missions, has changed so much because of it. do note that this was written as an academic essay so its tone and structure is a little more formal. but i still think it’s worth sharing about on the blog, and i really hope you have a chanc ..read more

A prayer for those longing for life to return to normal The streets lie empty; 
our cities appear deserted, and our church buildings are shuttered. But You see our silent tears. 
You weep alongside us as we long for normalcy and freedom from this palpable fear and anxiety. Jesus, be near to us. This virus does not discriminate 
between young or old, healthy or sick. But we take comfort that Your love and peace 
does not either, and that You will be close to anyone 
who calls upon Your name. Jesus, be near to us. The walls of our homes feel constricting as 
day after weary day goes by. 
Our ..read more