Alright, I know I ought to be churning out my Soci paper NOW but I feel this insatiable need to blog about MIMBY before the feeling dies out and I lose the very feeling of it. Will try to capture the essence of it.

3 months worth of planning went into preparing for the big day. My team consisted of
• Shermaine, my programme IC
• Porter, my gospel link IC
• Rene and Jon, my music ICs
• Xi and Kai, my décor ICs
• Fish, my administrator
• Kenneth, my logistics IC
• Choon Kiat, my food IC
• Jean Le, my publicity IC

Initially, I had my fears for this committee that I formed because not all of them were very willing to be in the committee and felt that they were being dragged into the committee for obvious reasons like HOW TIME CONSUMING it can be. Of course it could also because some of them do not really know who I, likewise, neither did I know who they were. However, by God’s grace, and His working, He transformed their hearts and minds. ☺

The like-minded attitude, which was to be found faithful serving God in the various sub committees that we were placed in bonded us. Throughout the whole process, I was greatly encouraged by their willingness, effort, time, heart and thought that they put towards planning MIMBY. I was not the only one who had late nights planning for this event, I remember receiving mails from some of them at 2-3am in an attempt to meet my very tight deadlines. It was very heartening when they themselves tell me that they have re-thought about what they have initially sent out and believe that it can be further improved!!
Thank God for constantly giving them inspiration to come up with fresh ideas and even the prayers from the rest of S&P (both Singapore and Australia) for us. ☺

Beginning of the year, I shot myself in the foot by saying with much gusto during the leaders’ meeting, “I THINK MIMBY SHOULD CHANGE! WE NEED FRESH IDEAS!” I remember how Vee smiled at me. Oh no. Gloria ng, what have you gotten yourself into?! Little did I know that it was part of God’s plan to learn what it means to really trust Him. MIMBY consumed a very large aspect of my life from the very day that I took up the role as OIC. I was constantly thinking,
• who should I have in my committee?
• What should the theme be?
• Objectives?
• Budget?
• Deadlines?

For a while, I was unconsciously stressed by this event that I dreamt Romans scolding me twice! And I had many more times Mimby related dreams. Furthermore, I started to be boring by talking about MIMBY almost all the time. (oh the horror!) Over time, I was reminded that it is not my own work. What do I mean by not my own work? To be able to serve Him is a privilege. It is also by grace that I can serve Him, so in response, out of love and desiring to honour Him, I grew to be more willing to trust Him. Some of the incidents where I learnt to trust are having a meeting the day before a major paper was due and going down for the dry-run despite having 2 papers due the next day and only 2 hours of sleep the night before. It was tough making the decision because work constantly weighed on my mind and yet there was this burden to be there for the dry run. So I took a leap of faith by trusting God that whatever will happen tonight, it will happen. I need to trust. In fact, this semester, I hardly cried despite being overwhelmed by work and ministry, until that night/morning when I was still writing my philo paper, tears started to stream down my tired face. I was physically tired with only about 2-3 hours of sleep every night or no sleep. However I managed to complete it on time and got a friend to submit the other paper for me in school. Things managed to work out fine. God saw me through. Difficult. Yes. But reminded me of God’s sovereignty. ☺

I can actually sustain without sleep. Although I know my life probably got shortened by 20 years by overworking my poor kidneys and my poor mac. God strength man!

Personally, I do not know ¾ of Desire Cg and even with new SPI members, I seriously do not know many of them. To work with them, to do an event together with them, for them, for their friends came close to ineffable. The effort they put in to invite their friends have always been an encouragement, even among the leaders themselves! :’) The number of sign ups rose from 2 to 11 to 23 to 42 to 66!!! How can that happen? I dream a lot, my imagination run wild all the time, but to expect such a number? INEFFABLE. Although some backed out on the day itself, about 40+, 50 people turned up! (which probably stressed poor CK out) Praise God!

I remember being so excited that I could not even sleep till 4 plus. Was telling Sarah and Peng when they messaged me how I was feeling and believe me, I was incoherent. Felt so overwhelmed to the point of being scared of the number of sign ups. Not that I didn’t trust God, but it was the “this is far too important and too big an event for me to handle!” feeling. To be kept awake because of excitement is not bad a thing! ☺ It was a night in which our members were joined together fervently praying for our friends, and themselves. It was very encouraging to receive random messages from people telling me they have prayed and asking me if I have. Too cool!!!

On the day of MIMBY itself, I was supposed to be with CX’s friend. However, problems started to stream in so I decided to stand at the back, making decisions, solving problems and giving instructions. Halfway through, I was simply physically tired AND hungry. Kept stealing fries from fish and gwen to continue holding up. When the entire programme ended, my very first reaction was “whew! It’s really over now!” Not that I didn’t enjoy the process, but more like a sense of relief that after so many months of hard, the event finally unfold before me. I had plans to cut off the programme at 9 plus, but for the first time, actually just standing at a corner, observing everything, it was not the music that was the most important element of the night, neither was it the games nor the food…but that extra one hour I gave for the people to chill, to talk, to share… that was THE MOMENT of MIMBY. People shared the message, the good news. I almost cried.

Previously, it always felt like I am the only one sharing at an event or THE ONE sharing at the table. That’s so untrue. That night, I witnessed for myself such tight unity among everybody-to share the gospel. Plain amazing. And probably even more amazing was that many other people around the world were doing the same thing that very evening too.

Sat at a table to emo for a while during that one hour, and to pray for the work that was being done at that very moment. Seriously, the music was fantastic that night, the food tasted marvelous, the décor was magnificent, but that one hour spent sharing was priceless. ☺

The Lord have really provided for us. Looking at the way décor, logistics, food was spending, I thought a wall street was going to take place for MIMBY man…but when fish sent me the budget just now, I was surprised. We are within our budget!! I have blogged about the musicians previously so I shall not repeat myself lest I bore people to tears. Nonetheless, I thank God for them!!! Thank you Elisha, Gabriel, Andre, Joshua, Joanne, Jacinta, Doug, Sarah and Amos. Read the cards for a more personal message. Haha.

MIMBY is an event that will be etched in my heart for a long time. My first time being an OIC. Precious lessons learnt on being faithful. A whole new discovery of what it means to trust. Witnessing for myself unity. Getting to know other people whom I know by name and face, but have never bothered to be involved in their lives; it is different now. ☺

MIMBY is not the best event planned, there will always be room for improvement, but I am glad that God enabled us to be part of this great work! Today Zhixi and Kai Ying talked to me and they told me that they enjoyed MIMBY, and even busying themselves with it, it was purposeful and fulfilling. Let’s get into that habit of serving with JOY!

Sure, I lost precious sleep, I lost weight (not that I’m complaining), I lost time, and my very good and innocent reputation by morphing into a spammer and slave driver …

But I gained something more precious than gold and silver……..


Although now I feel like I have fallen into an abyss of tiredness.. reached a whole new dimension of tiredness, I will willingly serve again... NEXT YEAR. HAHAH :)