I have FINALLY! found the time to sit down and pen down my thoughts onto this blog! After 2 weeks since we've returned to the harsh reality of life in Singapore! Why is it that setting aside time to sit down and reflect seems so difficult to do when we're back in Singapore?

It's pretty thought-provoking how within minutes of touching down back home, our life takes a complete 180 degree turnaround from how it was during those 10 days in Melahbou. The carefree life we had in Melahbou seemed to disappear once we arrived in Changi Airport!

In Melahbou, each day was happy for me. Although we were 'working', it never felt tiring. I suppose the joys of making a tangible impact in people's lives kept us going. In every human being, no matter how evil or good, I believe God has placed a little 'space' in our hearts to be filled by the good that we can do towards others.

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One of the particular incidents that I would never forget are these little girls and boys who stayed not too far away and would come almost every afternoon to Muhammadiah Boy's Orphanage compound to run around and play with each other.

The girls caught my attention during the time we were playing the vocabulary game to break the CODE. The last team had left my station and I was taking our my digicam to walk over and take pics of Hazel at the gate under the hot sun.

These few girls surrounded me and after a few limited exchanges of Behasa Indonesia, I finally understood that they wanted to take photos! With their faces beaming from ear to ear, they automatically grouped together and posed as I put my digicam to my face and counted 'Satu, Dua, Tigar!"

After that, they rushed over and crowded around me to see their faces displayed on my tiny LCD screen and within seconds, bursted out into laughter and screams!! I couldn't believe my eyes and ears, but the sheer joy on their faces brought a big smile to my face. And yea, you guessed it, I asked them 'Satu lagi?' (one more?), and they screamed in agreement! We ended up taking MANY satu lagis!

The image of these little girls and boys is still fresh in my memory and will stay there for many years to come.

Tsunami-struck Melahbou? Loved ones gone? Homes destroyed? Businesses lost? Shops gone?

Yes, but when you look at the faces of the people here, like these little ones, you find it hard to imagine what they have gone through....and even harder to imagine how they can still smile and get on with life. Is it because they are just children? Or is it because of their ability to find contentment in the little and simple pleasures of life?

We came to bless the people of Melahbou with English lessons ....but they taught us lessons we can never pay to learn...one such lesson, is that of contentment.