Girl-power unite in this inaugural event to celebrate and empower a group of ladies.

PHOTO: Paulyn Midore Ng

Arise & Shine! was the first women’s meeting of its kind for the ladies in SK Zone, one of the zones in City Harvest Church comprising church members under the pastoral care of zone supervisors Andreas and Marie Skogvard.

The highly-anticipated event was a call for the women from the zone to arise and shine for God. “I felt that women’s needs have to be met specifically, so I decided to tailor an event that was for women and all about women,” said Marie Skogvard.

It was a sister-to-sister affair on Aug. 13 as the women arrived that Friday evening. Goodie bags and a spread of light refreshments greeted the attendees as they walked into the auditorium at The Riverwalk. The refreshments were not bought, but completely homemade by the ladies themselves.

The program for the night was nothing short of strong spiritual empowerment and celebrating the beauty of women in God’s eyes. The theme of Arise & Shine! was fittingly enhanced by the shiny decorative stars and silvery tinsel that hung from the ceiling and walls. The event was made even more special as every individual involved in the various aspects of running the meeting was a woman. The 184 participants came dressed to the nines in their bling and shine, in line with the event’s theme.

The praise and worship band kicked things off with the fittingly chosen song, “Shine Like Stars.” There is no experience quite like hearing a chorus of all-women voices worshiping God with heartfelt devotion.

Skogvard shared an inspiring message with the ladies, using an entertaining Powerpoint presentation that was aptly titled, “What If Women Ruled The World?” The presentation drew much laughter as the crowd identified with the tongue-in-cheek comparisons made between women and men.

Skovgard asked the crowd to imagine that they were in the shoes of Hannah from the Bible, a woman who had to face numerous barriers and personal challenges in her life. “Every woman is created in the image of God. He uses both our strengths and weaknesses for His purpose,” she exhorted, revealing six barriers that God calls women to rise above in order for them to shine for His purpose.

Firstly, women are to rise above rivalry and comparison. They have to learn to accept themselves the way God accepts them. “Every woman is an original creation of God,” affirmed Skovgard to the roomful of women.

Secondly, women are to rise above shame and inferiority, which could come about as a result of wrong choices or other people’s actions toward self.

Next, inner hurts and grief can cause women to be paralyzed in life and block them from experiencing joy and intimacy. Past hurt and grief also prevent women from being free to be who they are. Skovgard then shared that to rise above the fourth barrier of bitterness and anguish, women need to be honest when coming before God and dealing with their hurts, so that these would not develop into bitterness.

Another barrier that women need to rise above is abandonment and loneliness. Women, encouraged Skovgard, should set aside time to build relationships with people, and find friends whom they can trust.

Finally, women need to rise above misunderstanding and unfair accusation, and learn to let go of disappointment in people when an offence arises.

Skogvard shared from the Bible regarding Hannah, whose life was changed only after she surrendered everything to God, allowing herself to shine for Him.

Carol Sng, 40, a full-time tutor, was touched by the message, “I felt the presence of God when all the women were being prayed for in the area of inner healing.”

Daisy Chong, 57, an accounts executive, felt that she could  identify with the sermon and the barriers that were listed. “I find the points very applicable for women all around.” She added, “The whole event is a great idea, as some women may tend to be shy in asking for advice and help. It really helps when the atmosphere is fun and relaxed,” she added.

The night would not have been complete without announcing the winners of the “Most Shiny Outfit” competition. Five prizes were awarded, with secretary Annabel V. walking away as champion in her outstanding golden regalia.

She said, “To me, I just wanted to help support the theme of the event. I’m glad that everyone also decided to take this occasion to specially doll up.”

The night officially closed with the ladies taking photographs and talking about the enjoyable meeting. It had been a successful evening and gave the ladies a foretaste of the next Arise & Shine! event set to take place on Nov. 12.

Don Moen talks to City News about his life and ministry.

CN PHOTO: Michael Chan

Don Moen is no unfamiliar face in the Christian music scene. With a string of worship albums and popular choruses to his name, such as “God Will Make A Way” and “God Is Good All The Time,” Moen’s achievements in the industry have not gone unnoticed. His official website lists his accomplishments which include a Dove Award for his work on the musical God With Us as well as multiple Dove Award nominations for his songs, CDs and choral resources.

For several years, Moen was the creative director and president of Integrity Music, president of Integrity Label Group and also the executive producer of Integrity Music albums before he went on to set up his own company in 2008. Today at 60 years of age, Moen continues to travel the world as a singer, musician and humanitarian, spreading the love of God beyond the four walls of the church. City News spends a moment with Moen and finds out more about his ministry and his relationship with Singapore over the years.

The first time that Moen came to Singapore was in 1984 when Canon James Wong invited him to perform at the Festival Of Praise. Since that first visit, Moen has returned to this island state many more times for FOP and other Christian concerts. “I’ve always enjoyed coming to Singapore’s Festival Of Praise and I have accepted the invitation almost every time I’m invited because of the wide section of the church that is gathered here. I also love to see what is happening in Asia and Singapore. It’s amazing to see how the church has grown. Since then, I’ve seen the church grow from a small percentage to 14 percent today. That’s amazing!”

Moen believes that a time will come when a new expression of worship will come into the church and enable believers to become more effective witnesses for Christ. But in order to do that, Moen added, “We just have to be willing to let God come into the churches and change. And change is never comfortable.”

For someone who has traveled the world and ministered in countless tours, Moen understands that traveling can be demanding. He shared, “Taking care of your body is important, especially when traveling long hours across the world. I do the practical things such as working out, being careful with what I eat and getting ample rest,” he shared.

Drawing his inspiration from Bible character, Caleb, who was 85 years old when he entered the Promised Land and claimed his inheritance, Moen highlights the need to stay in shape. His regime includes doing cardio exercises three times a week, resting and eating properly. He added, “I would like to go back to the days of traveling by ship where it would take two weeks to go somewhere. [That way], you get over the time zone gradually. You have time to pray and prepare, and when you finally arrive, you are all set and ready to go.”

Such is Moen’s commitment to his ministry of worship. To him, worship is more than just what goes on between God and himself; it is also God’s calling upon his life to touch others. “If we are truly worshippers, then we are able to reach out and touch someone with the true living gospel. Sometimes that’s not singing a worship song, but building a house, doing something in Jesus’ name. I believe every Christian is called. So I am really looking forward to developing that whole ministry.”

It is out of this desire to impact lives that his humanitarian works flow. “God is doing many things around the world and I am interested to help in whatever way I can,” Moen says. He recently founded Don Moen And Friends, a group that specializes in relief work, serves the community and supports other ministries. He is working together with an orphanage in Ghana and is also helping some ministries in Haiti. “One area I am assisting other ministries in has to do with rescuing young girls from the sex trade. There are [already] many wonderful ministries doing this and my heart is to partner with these ministries. So I use what I do to sow into other ministries.”

What lies ahead on the horizon for Moen is exciting as another album is in view. However his approach in the next project will be different and will be a new body of work. “[For me], I don’t want to create songs just to create another album; I want to create something out of my life experiences and what I have lived through.”

Moen expresses his confidence in the God of the new wine, “Hopefully God is going to give me new songs as He always has, so I can feel that the time is coming and I am excited about it.”

For more information on Don Moen, visit www.donmoen.com.

A special treat for RAYZ clients and their families to locations in Singapore that are out of this world.

RAYZ, a service provided by City Harvest Community Services Association for people with special needs, organized a weekend of fun for their clients, as well as their clients’ families, from Aug. 7 to 8. Taking advantage of the long National Day weekend, the RAYZ Family Day was aimed at being an occasion of fun and relaxation for the families of those with special needs. It was also a chance for the families to spend some time interacting with staff members and volunteers of RAYZ.

The RAYZ Family Day follows closely after the highly successful Amazing RAYZ held just one week earlier. The race involved 17 teams comprising RAYZ clients, volunteers and staff pitting their wits against one another to complete a race around Clarke Quay.

Involving 400 clients and family members, the family day was spread over five locations across Singapore within two days—the Marina Barrage, Hay Dairies Farm at Lim Chu Kang, Bollywood Veggies Organic Farm in Neo Tiew Road, Hausmann Marketing Aquarium at Neo Tiew Crescent  and The Animal Resort at Seletar West Farmway.

The large-scale event saw many dedicated volunteers up and about early in the morning to begin preparations. In spite of recent foul weather trends, the skies were sunny and clear by the time the buses, filled with the family day participants, arrived at their respective destinations.

Lily Yong, 37, supervisor of RAYZ, said, “The main objective of having a family day is to let our clients’ families get to know our volunteers in a relaxed atmosphere, allowing them to also be directly involved in the activities we hold for their loved ones with special needs.” It seemed that relaxation and bonding were the order of the day as even the volunteers and RAYZ staff members brought along their families for the event.

At Marina Barrage, some of the participants soaked up the sunshine in the wide open fields while the more adventurous ones whisked out their kites and took advantage of the cool breeze on the rooftop sky garden. Children frolicked at the Water Playground and others went on a tour of the Sustainable Singapore Gallery.

Said Mrs. Ong, mother of RAYZ client, Ong Lye Chuan, “It was fun and [the tour was] interesting. There is so much to do here.” Both mother and daughter were first-time visitors to the Marina Barrage.

Over in the West, another group was having a ball of a time at Hay Dairies, the only goat farm in Singapore. The participants were led on a special educational tour of the Hay Dairies, which included a viewing of the actual goat milking process and the bottling of milk for delivery. The farm, which has about 1,000 goats of mixed breeds, uses the latest milking, pasteurizing, homogenizing and bottling machines to produce fresh goat’s milk, selling directly to customers.

Each person in the group was given a 250ml bottle of milk, as well as a souvenir from Hay Dairies as a memento for their experience on the farm.

The group at Bollywood Veggies went on a guided tour of the organic farm which cultivates fresh produce, particularly “fruit vegetables,” such as aloe vera, winter melon, eggplant, capsicum, long beans, pumpkin, zuchinni and others. With an emphasis on being a “planet-friendly farm,” the rustic and natural scenery was a welcomed change from the concrete buildings of the city. Offering a wide range of hands-on horticulture and culinary programs, the farm boasts a “no chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or growth hormones” philosophy.

Fish lovers had an unforgettable experience at Hausmann Marketing Aquarium. The free and easy tour allowed optional activities at extra cost, such as feeding the koi and terrapins, “longkang” fishing, or enjoying a fish spa.

CN PHOTO: Gay Sen Min PHOTOS: Charles Lee

Finally, the group that went to the Animal Resort had the chance to feed animals at the pet grooming and boarding house for Singapore domestic pets. The resort also offers dog training and a school for aspiring pet groomers. Other animals roamed about freely, giving the visitors a chance to interact with them.

Ong Leong Hui, 61, who accompanied his child Ong Peck Seah on the outing, said, “It was a good outing. It was a unique experience feeding the different animals. I can see that everyone enjoyed themselves.”

First-time volunteer Sha Sha, 32, a web consultant from Taiwan, said, “I had a lot of fun spending time with RAYZ today. Volunteering doesn’t feel tiring when it’s this enjoyable.”

Said another volunteer, Ho Chih Wei, “I know that [people with special needs] have really pure hearts, and they simply need more love and patience. What we all need is to have an open heart and open mind.”

City News caught up with Ché Ahn, senior pastor of Harvest Rock Church in California during his visit to Singapore for the FOP 2010.

CN PHOTO: Alvin Loh

On What Stumbles A Believer

There are a lot of things that can stumble a believer. All of us are imperfect. Flesh gets in the way, and of course there is the work of the devil, but I believe that when people come to church, they need to walk in the realm of love. Love covers a multitude of sin and overlooks an offense. We can only do our best and be relevant to everybody, but we also have to remember that the cross is offensive.

On The Finished Work Of The Cross

The beautiful thing about faith and God’s love is that it brings everyone to the same level. The Bible says that Elijah was a man just like us. He prayed for no rain and there was no rain for three and a half years. And then he prayed for rain and it came. In [the Book of] James it says that the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. You and I have been made right before God and therefore we can pray earnestly and believe that our prayers will be effective.

On Faith

Faith is a mystery, it is a conviction. For example, I had TMJ (Temporomandibular Joint Disorder), which is arthritis of the jaw, and I couldn’t preach. Every day, I would look into the mirror and thank God for my healing. I wanted to move my head knowledge into my heart where it became a conviction. Sure enough, after a year and a half, I woke up one morning, yawned, and I was completely healed. And so you have to fight for your faith, you have to contend.

On Discipleship

It begins with the top, all the way down. And so as the senior pastor, I have to model it. Every nine months I have a new discipleship group comprising 12 people. They travel with me, and they meet with me for some contact time. Just like Jesus picked his disciples, I pick the twelve, and so do all the other pastors. The priority is to set an example at the leadership level.

A Word For The Youth Of Singapore

Revival’s coming, the best is yet ahead. Just give Jesus total control. Surrender your life. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Cor. 3:17-18). Welcome the Holy Spirit, be people of the Holy Spirit, love the Holy Spirit, and you will see a tremendous move of the Holy Spirit here in Singapore.

CHCSA organized its 7th blood donation drive for 2010.

Contributed By Lau Ber Nard

When City Harvest Community Services Association holds a blood donation drive, donors can expect more than the usual needle and passing of time. From Aug. 7 to 8, CHCSA organized their 7th blood donation drive for 2010, with the theme—A Race For Life-Saving. Staff and volunteers decorated The Riverwalk to resemble a race car competition, complete with race tracks, pit stops and the checkered flag.

After the registration process, donors were provided with remote-controlled cars and tracks to while their time as they waited to give blood. There was an Xbox 360 console which donors took turns to have a go at—providing a more than enjoyable way to save lives through giving blood.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF CHCSA

A total of 220 blood bags were collected over the weekend drive.

Jaron Tan, a 20-year-old National Serviceman and a first-time donor, applauded the organizers for their innovation and creativity. Nervous as a first-timer, he expressed his appreciation of how he was made to feel at ease despite his nervousness.

If you are interested in donating blood through CHCSA, log on to their website at www.chcsa.org.sg. Follow CHCSA on Facebook www.facebook.com/chcsa and Twitter www.twitter.com/chcsa to receive updates of how you can make a change in the community.

CHC’s Lucas Chia steps up to the challenge of performing before a worldwide audience.

The heat of the Youth Olympic Games is on. Being the event of the year for Singapore, many volunteers of different backgrounds and expertise have been roped in to turn in the best performance for the inaugural YOG. A number of CHC members from various backgrounds, including dance, percussions and a few others were involved, and among them is a familiar face—Lucas Chia.

As an actor and host who has been serving in CHC’s Drama Ministry for six years, Chia is no stranger to the stage and the screen. Besides a stint in the local teenage drama serial The Band that was aired on Okto Channel, he was one of the resident hosts for Kids’ Central’s Weekend Links in 2009. Upon receiving a call from Iskandar Ismail, the music director for the SYOG ceremonies, Chia prepared himself to perform in front of a panel of judges.

Chia is involved in two song and dance items; one for the opening ceremony and one for the closing ceremony. The YOG opening and closing ceremonies are estimated to have a viewership of close to two billion worldwide.

In preparation for his role, Chia had to go through more than 20 hours of vocal recording sessions, and choreography sessions three to four times a week for two to four hours each session, all within the three months leading up to the actual performance.

Despite the grueling training schedule, what he enjoyed most was the opportunity to make more friends in the media industry, such as Joakim Gomez and Faizal Isa from Singapore Idol and Huang Zhi Yang, winner of the first Campus Superstar. The team overseeing and managing his segment of the performance include veteran music directors and producers such as Iskandar Ismail, Ivan Heng, Aaron Khek, Elaine Lee, and Jack & Rai.

“I have no prior training in singing or dancing. The only form of song and dance would be the spoofs we do for our drama productions in church. I had to put in a lot of effort,” Chia recalls of the initial challenges he faced while preparing for the audition. He credits his family and friends for supporting him in what is to be his biggest gig, for the year, at least. He is especially thankful for the vocal and dance crash courses he received from the vocal and dance ministry teachers at church, namely Alison Yap, Mark Kwan, Sherlyn Chia, Gin Lam and Carol Chen.

Team Effort and Cameraderie

Also in the spotlight is Tng Hui Shan Coco, 15, who is involved in a dance performance for the Closing Ceremony. Part of a 800-strong dance team that practiced twice weekly for a month, she says, “I’m excited but at the same time nervous as the day is drawing closer!”

Another fellow dancer, Sarah Smith, 22, got involved in three items—the Opening Ceremony welcome dance, a pre-show performance as well as a b-boy segment, through O School. The hours were long, with a lot of waiting time in between practice for each segment, but it was time well spent with friends. Says Smith, “It was very inspiring to work with the dance team as I understand that the instructors were volunteers—it was very encouraging to see their whole-hearted commitment. The most fun part was to be with my friends. We shared a lot of good bonding time together, and I’ll miss the fun of it all when it’s over!”

For half-Swiss half-Singaporean teen Verena Schonenberger, 14, tasked with coaching the percussionists, the hours were similarly long, but the process itself was a satisfying one. “We had a lot of training, sometimes from morning till night. The 140 students were easy to teach, as they picked up the skills pretty fast—the students’ performance was better than I expected. We spent approximately five months in preparation, once to twice weekly.” Echoing her sentiments was fellow percussionist coach and performer Alan Lee, 21, “It was a whole new experience, having the opportunity to coach such a big-scale performance. Everyone gave their best, making each training session a fruitful one.”

Even those on the sidelines were caught up in the excitement. Says Lim Ziying, 15, who cheered for his torchbearing schoolmates for about half an hour with other friends from his CCA, it was an interesting experience underscored by the likelihood that it would be the one and only opportunity for him to witness the passing of the Torch up close. It was all about having a good time for Clarissa Loo, 18, also one of the motivators for the torchbearers. “I had fun at a school carnival while waiting for the torchbearers. Along with 5,000 other motivators, we formed a line to cheer the torchbearers on, using the party pack materials to add fun to the whole process.”

And then there are those who are more heard than seen. Fan Yuzhen, 26, is one of the over-100 sports presenters who are in charge of live voiceovers. Fan herself is presenting for wrestling and athletics. She is part of a 5-member team that has been attending presentation camps and practicing with deejay-actor Mark Richmond since last year. The job scope includes introducing athletes to the field, making announcements for the victory ceremonies and interacting with the crowd in between programs or matches. “We had to work with French announcers, thus there were a lot of rehearsals to make sure everything ran smoothly.” There are about 100 sports presenters, aged between 14 to 28.

Holding fort at one of the information desks located at the hotels accommodating the International Olympic Committee guests is Ong Bee Chin, 33, who is responsible for providing information about the games as well as Singapore to overseas tourists. As a production planner, she does not usually deal with people in her daily work, what more communicating with non-English speaking guests. “It’s a fresh experience for me,” she says.

PHOTO COURTESTY OF MELODIES TAN PHOTO: Lor Huiyun

A Sportsman Lives Out A Dream

Having participated in the 1973 SEA Games opening ceremony, avid sportsman and Chairman for the Paya Lebar Constituency Sports Club, Koh Siow Ngea found himself in the privileged position as one of the YOG torchbearers. “After so many years of involvement in the local sports scene, the opportunity to carry the Olympic torch is truly rewarding.”

In the lead up to the Games, Koh was in charge of organizing various sporting events and matches in conjunction with the People’s Association, to stir up momentum and excitement among the community. On what makes a successful YOG, he says, “It’s always about the three principles—Friendship, Excellence and Respect. It’s about helping our youth to build character instead of purely fueling the desire to win all the time. It’s about respecting different countries and cultures, and understanding the human values and characteristics that come into play as one engages in sports.”

What made it even more joyful were the many friends who had turned up to support Koh as he completed his segment of the relay past the Paya Lebar Community Centre.

Getting your foot into the sport of mountain climbing.

Mountain climbing is not everybody’s cup of tea. But thanks to the National University of Singapore Mountaineering Club, the sport has been made more accessible to youth, especially the student community, through a structured Technical Mountaineering Course, yearly overseas climbing expeditions and concession rates.

Working around the common goal of scaling mountains, members meet regularly to plan fundraisers and future expeditions. Every year, the club organizes one TMC and one expedition, spaced out over a span of several months. The TMCs, typically conducted in India (approx. S$3,000) or New Zealand (S$6,000), take about 17 days to complete. Physical conditioning is conducted in Singapore, whereby a normal week of training entails running and hitting the gym twice a week and doing load training at Bukit Timah Hill or HDB stairwells.

Once they touch down at the base camp overseas, a typical day of TMC starts with practical lessons in the morning such as learning the various techniques of walking in snow according to the angle of a slope, creating artificial steps with one’s boots to prevent slipping, crossing crevasses and gauging weather conditions. They also learn roping techniques and the different equipment used. Afternoons are spent on theory lessons.

As with any extreme outdoor adventure sport, weather is a major deciding factor in determining the outcome of a trip. While participants learn the basics of climbing during TMC, sometimes a good judgment call is what makes all the difference.

For club member Jenny Sim, 30, who returned to NUS to pursue a degree in Facility Management after having worked six years in the corporate world, she recalls getting stuck in the tent for 48 hours during a cyclone on an expedition in Nepal last year. The team members had to take turns staying up round the clock in order to beat off the snowfall from the roof of their tents to keep from being buried alive. When the weather cleared, they eventually decided to abort the ascent and make their way down. Upon reaching the base camp, the team learned that there had been a second wave of snowfall—had they decided to continue the climb, it would most likely have spelled disaster.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF NUS MOUNTAINEERING CLUB

Why do it, then? To that, Sim replies, “Why not? Wherever we travel to, we fall in love with the place. We don’t just sign up to climb a mountain, but it’s a whole package—getting to know different people and experiencing different cultures.”

Describing the route along Lukla, a town in Nepal, she says, “We saw people traveling around in horse-drawn carriages, with buffalos and porters carrying our luggage. We also saw how the people lived, and how the children walk miles just to get to school—there are no motorized vehicles at all. It really taught us to cherish what we have and not take things for granted.”

The climbs also offer opportunities to reflect on life itself. “One time, while walking through a valley in Nepal, with the summit (our goal) in front, someone took a picture of us. There we were, in a valley of giants, looking so tiny. It was a reminder that in life, everybody walks through valleys.”

She adds, “It’s really all about the journey and learning more about yourself and your friends who make the journey with you. At one point during the climb last year, I was the slowest, yet all my teammates took turns to walk with me and pace each other. My roommate also fell sick. We did not reach the summit but through experiences like these, we have remained good friends till today.”

The next big trip in the pipeline is an expedition to Muztagh Ata in China in July or August of 2011 for the club’s tenth anniversary. Other adventure-themed trips organized by the club include soft treks to the Himalayas.

Log on to www.nusmountaineering.com for more information. For enquiries about participation in TMCs and expeditions, contact Jenny Sim at [email protected].

Bessie Toh of Smart And Final Seafoods brings fresh seafood and great service to the table.

Contributed By Jeremy Chua

There is no denying that Singaporeans love food. Even with a plethora of choice readily available to us, one category of food reigns supreme—seafood. In gastronomically-inclined Singapore, we have one of the largest appetites for seafood in the Asia Pacific; it is estimated that Singaporeans voraciously devour one kilogram of seafood for every three to four kilograms of rice.

And yet, while Singaporeans will go wild over the ocean’s bounty, many know very little about how the seafood industry actually works. City News talks to Bessie Toh, 47, managing director of Smart And Final Seafoods, for an inside scoop on the seafood import-export industry.

A rare rose among the thorns in the seafood import-export industry, Toh has over 20 years of experience. Her interest in this line was piqued and cemented when she was working for another seafood import-export company. “It was exciting as I got to meet people from all walks of life. Each time my clients expressed their satisfaction with the seafood items and customer service provided, I felt a strong sense of achievement,” Toh says of why she got hooked (pun intended) on to the industry.

Eventually, Toh left her previous company as “it was a family business, and I didn’t want to get too involved.” Still, she expresses gratitude toward her previous bosses. “I learned a lot about the industry, and made excellent contacts, and I have my former employer to thank.” As a testament to her service par excellence, along with firm friendships forged along the way, many of her former clients were supportive of Toh venturing out on her own. Thus, Smart And Final Seafoods was birthed in 2004.

Today, Smart And Final Seafoods deals mainly with the import of live seafood such as prawns, fish, lobsters and crabs into Singapore for restaurants, after having been a middleperson to the overseas market when the company first started out. “I was dealing with a very good South African contact which provided South African lobsters and crabs. I was exporting these to Hong Kong and China.” So, it was perhaps a fortuitous turn of events then, when her first major supplier did not manage to secure the renewal of their fishing licence and she had to switch her focus to the local market. “It’s difficult in recent times to be a broker for seafood, like what I was doing at the start,” She shared that with the advent of the Internet, the market is much more open to direct selling than it was before, and thus there is now a smaller pie for brokers to share.

As with any companies starting out, maybe even more so in the seafood industry, Smart And Final Seafoods’ path was fraught with difficulties, some of which are present even to this day. “The one thing that we have to contend with continually is cash flow problems. Suppliers of fresh seafood require cash up-front, while the restaurants we supply to will only pay us 45, or even 90 days later,” she shares. “But God is good. Whenever we are facing a problem, such as when the seafood is priced too high, God will open up another way. Suppliers will call us to offer other seafood items that meet the needs of the clients; or we will get better quotations from other suppliers.” Toh also had also to deal with the rollercoaster fluctuations in the supply and demand of seasonal seafood such as razor clams; mistakes could prove to be extremely costly if she does not manage over and under-demand.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BESSIE TOH

A typical day at Smart And Final Seafoods starts at the end of a working day at the restaurants. Before the eating establishments close, they will put in their orders with Smart And Final Seafoods for live seafood for the following day. Upon receiving these orders and processing them, the staff will then proceed to the jetties or the airport at 9 a.m. Staff will be at either place to collect the seafood, or in the case of the airport, to clear the cargo with customs. They will then begin delivering the seafood to the clients. By the afternoon, they may receive another set of orders from clients and it’s off to the jetties once again.

The downside to the business, shares Toh, is that handling raw seafood is a wet and dirty job, and one will end up smelling of seafood. Coupled with high stress levels and working with a skeleton crew of just two other staff, running Smart And Final Seafoods may not seem like the most glamorous job for a lady. Yet in spite of the challenging conditions, Toh strives to provide the best for her customers, an attitude which she attributes to knowing God. “Honesty is absolutely crucial in this industry. Humility is also part of the equation. I try to solve the problems that our clients may face to the best of my abilities, and go the extra mile.” She shares about how God plays a major role in her business, “In my three years as a Christian, I find myself becoming more patient, and gaining wisdom and grace. I am able to solve problems that I couldn’t in the past. I am also calmer than before and have become a better listener, especially to my clients.”

Due to the recent financial crisis, the going is slightly tougher than usual, which is saying a lot in an industry that is already very challenging. In the midst of it, however, Toh remains upbeat and is looking ahead towards the future. Smart And Final Seafoods is planning to bring in a greater variety of seafood, and targeting to add larger organizations to their clientele to offset these difficult times. Toh is also looking past the boundaries of Singapore, into her former stomping grounds of China and Hong Kong. “Keeping to a local scale is too limiting, as the prices can get prohibitive. China is still a huge untapped market, where seafood brokers like us are able to explore different options.”

Finally, how can one not ask for a few tips about selecting seafood from the professional? Toh replies half-seriously, “Good live seafood is ALIVE. Nowadays, unlike in the past, suppliers make the effort to select quality seafood before exporting to us. So customers can be assured of getting quality here in Singapore.”

Smart And Final Seafoods
404A, Fernale Lane #10-131 Singapore 791404
Tel: +65 9616 0590
E-mail: [email protected]

Undergraduates from four local universities gather for a retreat organized by CHC’s campus ministry.

PHOTO: Celiana Tan

There was much activity at Aloha Downtown East from July 27 to 29, just before the start of a new semester, where more than twenty undergraduates gathered together for a retreat. The camp was organized to promote interaction among the undergrads, all members of City Harvest Church, and for them to receive a renewed vision and motivation for the new academic year.

The highlights of the camp included the preaching of God’s Word, as well as praise and worship. There to share the Word and their own personal experiences of how they managed through their time in the university were Darren Tan, assistant pastor in CHC and National University of Singapore alumnus, as well as Howard Kuay, also a graduate of NUS, currently involved in business related to education.

Tan shared a message from Matthew 9:36 from the Bible on three necessary actions that need to be taken in order for a believer to positively influence his/her generation. Just as Jesus saw the multitude and loved them because He valued them, Tan exhorted the campers to do likewise and develop a genuine heart in wanting to love and help their fellow students in school.

According to Peter Choong, the person in-charge of the NUS campus ministry and currently in his second year at NUS, the campus ministry is a place where students can connect with one another, build relationships through fellowship, and support fellow students through prayer and friendship.

For a campus ministry to be effective, Tan shared that the key is not found in the number of people involved, but rather, like-minded people who share the same goals and vision for the ministry.

In another session, Kuay shared from his past experience as a campus ministry leader and highlighted seven areas that define a campus ministry: Revelation, boldness to be different, ability to empower others, able to provide opportunities for others to be involved, perseverance in the face of challenges, result-oriented, and most of all, possessing love and compassion—which are the foundation and basis of any campus ministry.

Enoch Seet, 24, SMU undergraduate, related, “The time we [campers] spent worshiping and encountering God together has forged unity among us. Many of us have been touched and strengthened by the presence of God these past few sessions.” He added, “I am inspired to make a difference in my campus.”

Affirmed Soon Wei Jian, 22, a Nanyang Technological University undergraduate, “Through this camp, I am challenged to do more for God in the coming school term.”

Besides encountering God together, the students also had plenty of time to fellowship with one another over meals, barbeque and recreation time. Bonds of friendships were built and a fresh sense of vision and purpose was ignited among all the students.

To join or find out more about the campus ministry, email [email protected].

Jeff Chang serenaded fans with love ballads at his Happiness Choice World Tour 2010.

CN PHOTO: Poh Yang Zheng

It was a night of reminiscence for fans of Taiwanese crooner Jeff Chang as they gathered at The Max Pavilion for his Happiness Choice World Tour 2010 concert on Aug. 14.

Keeping the glitz and glamour to a minimum, the stage was set for a more personable, intimate evening, with just five LED panels and two bands on both sides of the stage. Simple as it may have seemed, it highlighted Chang’s personality and style. The crowd warmed up to his opening number as video clips of people from all walks of life listening and singing his songs played on the individual panels. Then, a photo-snapping frenzy was triggered off as the prince of love ballads took to the stage through the parting of a panel.

Love, of course, was the central theme in his concert. Charting the progress one experiences in a relationship, the same phases were used to mark the various segments of his performance for the evening. Between each transition, Chang made deliberate effort to keep his fans up-to-date with his endeavors and shared his career milestones with them.

The song lineup for the night was a blast from the past—even without looking at the lyrics screened on the projectors, the avid fans sang along effortlessly with Chang. The whole atmosphere felt like that of a big family reunion rather than a meeting between a pop star and his fans. The concert hit a climax as different sections of the hall sang the chorus of “Guo Huo” (“Over the Fire”), with only the drums keeping time and pacing the rhythm. Couples were seen gazing at each other as they sang. Even his newer fans had no difficulty singing along with the song lyrics.

Chang then increased the tempo with two fast numbers, atypical of the usual soothing ballads his fans were accustomed to. The songs, “Gei Wo Yi Xie Ying Yue” (“Give Me Some Music”) and “Xin Gan Bao Bei” (“Precious Darling”) were dance hits from his debut album in 1989. With that, the volume of cheers from his fans only got louder.

As Chang drew to the end of his concert, he announced the release of his latest album, due in a few weeks. He also took the opportunity to show appreciation for the band which played that evening. Besides the usual keyboard, guitars and wind instruments, one could also find string instruments such as the cello and violin in the band. This definitely gave another facet to the music Chang delivered to his fans.

Although the crowd was comparatively more mature than the usual, they definitely did not lose out in terms of energy, as was evident from their tireless cheers throughout the night. Even as Chang sang the last song for the evening and departed from the stage, demands for an encore chorused among the fans.

For those who stayed right till the end, they were treated to an old video clip of Chang in his first television appearance, when he was at the beginning of his career. Roars of laughter erupted throughout the hall as the crowds saw how well Chang had grown into his looks. The star also expressed his gratitude and amazement towards his fans, many of whom had been supporting him from the days of their youth, and are now mostly mothers.

His concert was brought to a resounding end with one of his best-known songs “Ai Ru Chao Shui” (“Love Like The Floodwaters”). Chang may not be one of the Four Heavenly Kings, but he clearly proved his worth with his mastery of heartfelt ballads.

Jeff Chang’s latest album is slated for release in September this year.