Take off your shoes to walk in support of children and adults living in dire conditions.

Imagine walking around barefoot, leaving the soles of your feet vulnerable to cuts and infection. Imagine baring your feet in the bitter cold, or scalding them on the scorching ground in the heat of summer. This is the reality of life for many underprivileged children living in less developed regions of the world.

Through a community initiative organized by Habitat for Humanity Singapore, the organization hopes to raise awareness about the impact of a simple pair of shoes on a child’s life by involving individuals to participate in a walk—barefoot.

Come June 5, on a Saturday, the Habitat-Barclays Bare Your Sole walk will be held over 5km at the East Coast Park.

Beyond spreading awareness regarding the underprivileged living in dire conditions, HFHS also hopes to raise funds for the elderly and disadvantaged in Singapore. Other community portfolios of HFHS include building projects in disaster stricken regions around the world.

Bare Your Sole acts as a timely reminder to the public that there are children around the world walking around barefoot, an issue that often gets overlooked among other social problems such as shelter and hunger.

First initiated in 2009 by Singapore Management University student Benjamin Loh, in collaboration with HFHS, the event took off with participants walking barefoot for some distance as a show of empathy for children living in poverty in Third World countries, who usually have to go about without any footwear.

Proceeds of the annual fundraiser will go toward sustaining Operation Homeworks, an ongoing local project started by HFHS to improve the living conditions of the elderly and handicapped living in one-room HDB flats. Operation Homeworks aims to improve home safety through the clearing of clutter and providing proper storage as well as the improvement of home sanitation to reduce the incidences of illness among senior citizens living on their own.

In addition, the funds raised from the walk will also support building projects in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam. Since its inception in 2004, HFHS has mobilized various teams of volunteers for building projects in less developed nations, as well as aided in rebuilding work in areas struck by calamities by providing funds and expertise.

Bare Your Sole aims to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity Singapore’s work as well as raise awareness of the plight of impoverished children by engaging them in a 5km barefoot walk.

The Asia Pacific region is home to 60 percent of the world’s slum dwellers. Some 554 million of these people live in slums and informal housing, lacking access to safe drinking water and sanitation. Many of the children living in such poor areas typically work in the streets, deprived of proper footwear. A portion of these street children do not wear footwear and are exposed to dangers of being cut by glass or infected with diseases when pricked by used injection syringes.

Your support of Bare Your Sole will help Habitat for Humanity Singapore in her strategic long-term housing projects in the Asia Pacific region focused on building houses and improving the lives of the poor.

Habitat-Barclays Bare Your Sole 2010 is open to the public, so gather a group of your friends or family members to participate in this charitable cause. Students may make a donation of S$10, while adults have the option of donating S$25, S$35, S$45 or an amount of their choice. Children under the age of 7 get to walk for free.

Registration for the event is still open and available online at www.bareyoursole.org.sg

Bare Your Sole 2010
June 5, 2010
Angsana Green, East Coast Park
Flag-off time is at 8 a.m.

Food, entertainment and games will run from 7 a.m. till 3 p.m.

A project to strengthen bonds between teachers and students.

Imagine building a towering structure made entirely of plastic straws to hold half a liter of water. Sounds impossible? Well, a total of 140 students and 20 teachers from Mayflower Secondary School did just that.

PHOTO COURTESY OF CHCSA

They were participants of “Project Winning Formula,” an activity organized by City Harvest Community Service Association. The event, held on Jan. 11, was a new initiative of the school to help teachers and students build rapport. The target groups for the project were classes from the Normal Academic and Normal Technical stream. Holding the event at the beginning of a school year was so that teachers and students could kick off to a great start after getting to know one another better through the activities.

The values of “C.A.R.E.” which stands for Care and Commitment, Attitude, Respect and Excellence were incorporated in the activities. The teachers who participated had to go through a preparation course before the day of the event.

The straw tower challenge was a timed competition between four classes to build a tower, using straws, to hold a 500ml bottle of water. Students and teachers triumphed over the mental impossibility of building a seemingly weak structure to support a heavy item.

“I learned that one should never judge a book by its cover. We thought that it was impossible for our structure to withstand the weight of the bottle, but it passed the test!” exclaimed one delighted student.

Another game required the students— blindfolded—to form shapes with rope entwined around their legs. They had to do this by listening to the instructions of their classmates amidst the instructions being shouted out by other teams. Through this activity, the students were motivated to expand their imagination and come up with creative ideas to get the task done. They had to find a way to get the attention of their members in a unique way. Despite failing several times, the students eventually succeeded in completing the task.

Cara Kwok, 21, an NUS undergraduate and a volunteer with CHCSA, was especially encouraged by the positive attitude that the participants showed in spite of the challenging tasks.

“The way the students and teachers bonded through the games was interesting. They displayed a ‘can-do’ attitude throughout the activities,” said Kwok.

The three-and-a-half hour event left many students motivated and happy about what they had accomplished. “I thoroughly enjoyed the day and hope that there will be more of such sessions with my friends and teachers,” quipped 16-year-old Perlin Ng.

Thousands gathered in City Harvest Church over the Christmas holidays to celebrate the season of love and to hear the greatest love story ever told—the birth of Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world.

The four services which were held over two days on Dec. 24 and 25, 2009 in Singapore Expo and Jurong West St 91, got off to a melodic start as the congregation sang to the tunes of familiar Christmas carols like ‘Jingle Bell Rock’ and ‘Silent Night.’

The annual Christmas drama production is a major highlight in the City Harvest calendar. This year, A Christmas Love Story, a contemporary retelling of the nativity tale, focused on the biblical journey of the young Mary and Joseph and the challenges they encountered in their relationship.

Far from being just the simple story retold numerous times over the years, A Christmas Love Story depicted the story of two people whose lives were touched and chosen by God to provide an earthly home for His Son.

Set against a backdrop of jealousy, uncertainty and love, Mary (played by Anne Ng), a young teenage girl finds herself supernaturally impregnated. Faced with family conflicts, a hostile environment and a great responsibility, she is upset when others did not believe her. Mary’s fiancé Joseph (played by Timothy Wan) was also convinced that Mary had a premarital affair and ended their relationship. They reconcile again after a divine encounter with an angel and learn what it means to see each other through for better or worse.

The traditional story was given a vibrant new twist with references to familiar pop songs and culture to bring the story to life. The audience was visibly tickled when some of the male cast danced and sang their rendition of a popular dance song “I Gotta Feeling,” by the Black Eyed Peas.

Timothy Wan, a 21-year-old student who was the lead actor of the drama production, was given the opportunity to sing for his role, which he admitted was one of the most challenging roles he had ever played. “Singing a song was one of the important challenges for this role. Since it was live show and not a pre-recorded track, I had to ensure every performance had to be a good one,” he said.

His efforts have paid off, because many felt that the drama production managed to capture the essence of Christmas.

“I enjoyed the production, especially the part where Joseph and Mary got back together after the misunderstanding. It must have been hard back then. I thought it was especially touching, because they decided to stick through thick and thin, and I think that captures the spirit of Christmas. It is a time for forgiving your loved ones, a time of joy and love,” said 28-year-old manager, Tan Sihui.

Twenty-five-year-old Xu Chunshan agrees. “Sometimes we can get so busy that we forget to appreciate the true meaning of Christmas. For me, I was reminded of the importance of reaching out and showing kindness and love to people who are in need. Just like the scene where Joseph and Mary were looking for a room but found none, we are living in a society today where people are looking for a miracle. I believe we can shine that light into their hearts and make a difference in peole’s lives,” said Xu, a social worker.

PHOTOS: Albert Soh, Alvin Loh and Jayson Lee

Senior pastor Kong Hee also preached a messgae about the three types of people Jesus met. First there were the innkeepers, who rejected Jesus because they were too busy to make room for Him at their inns. Secondly, there was King Herod who was too proud to accept Jesus. And lastly, there were the three Wise Men who came searching for God and were transformed when they met Jesus face to face, in spite of their initial unbelief.

The Christmas service ended with the singing of carols and more celebration. As the congregation exchanged greetings and hugs, it was also a timely reminder for everyone that love can overcome obstacles in the new year ahead.

Thrills and spills were aplenty as more than 2,000 churchgoers streamed into Hallow’n Land, a Halloween themed event with a wide array of activities and games on 31 October 2009. “Characters” clad in their best Halloween apparel were seen traipsing around City Harvest Church, which was well decorated with a mix of orange and black balloons and fake cobwebs for the occasion.

While it may seem like an unlikely location for a Halloween party, the organizing committee of Hallow’n Land stressed that they were not celebrating the ancient Celtic tradition where people used to disguise themselves with scary costumes to ward off spirits.

The spirit of Halloween and the meaning behind it has changed over centuries. Many still regard it as a holiday that allows people to be someone else, by wearing a fancy costume with a mask or using face paint to disguise their appearances.

“We are not celebrating Halloween, we are just using the occasion to conduct a carnival and have a fancy dress contest. Many of our members enjoy dressing up in various interesting costumes. At the same time, it is an opportunity to connect with friends who are not from the church,” said Wu Yuzhuang, the service pastor.

The fancy dress contest was held after the church service, where 14 finalists gathered to parade their elaborate costumes to a panel of judges and audience. Most of the finalists, who stayed completely in the characters of their costumes, amused the crowd with their jokes and catchphrases. One finalist, who dressed as a clown, had her face painted completely white. Another finalist came as Darth Vader, the menacing villain from Star Wars, complete with a light saber.

“I was a totally different person in my costume. It’s the first time that I’ve ever dressed up like that for any event so it was a really fun experience,” said Lim Jinyu, 19, who came as a mad scientist.

A total of 24 game booths were set up on levels 3 and 4, where the participants had to complete a game card to qualify for a lucky draw.

The games were challenging, as the people had to execute tasks such as bouncing ping pong balls into a lantern, battle each other in sumo wrestling, and catch marshmallows and apples bobbing in water.

Despite the gross factor in the forfeit for a failed attempt at a game, the booths were still popular with the crowd who were willing to give the games their best shot.

22-year-old Bernard Chua was one of the participants who failed in his attempt to get as many ping pong balls into a lantern and as a forfeit, he had to find submerged objects in a bowl of fish worms.

“It smelled so bad and it looked horrible! But it was fun. I’ve never tried anything like this before,” said Chua.

“How often do you get to wrestle with your friend? I really enjoyed myself even though I lost. It was really fun just falling over in these suits,” said Chen Zhiqiang, 29, an IT engineer, who tried his hand at sumo wrestling.

PHOTOS: Gary Sim and Jayson Lee

The aim to organize a fun event to engage the members and their friends was achieved with the success of Hallow’N Land.

“Our objective was to connect with unchurched friends in a fun way and many of them really enjoyed themselves,” said Wu.

21-year-old student, Yuliana Goh, also agreed and felt that Hallow’N Land was a creative idea.

“My friends really enjoyed themselves and they found the Halloween themed party in church to be something fresh and new. It totally changed their perspective on what the church is about,” remarked Goh.

Celebrities and performers graciously donated their talents to raise funds for 37 beneficiaries in a dance extravaganza during the live telecast of the President’s Star Charity (PSC) show on 11 October, Sunday.

Hosted by MediaCorp stars Adrian Pang and Michelle Chia, the night of high-energy performances by a star studded cast raised more than S$6 million — the highest amount ever on a PSC show. This landmark annual charity event also marked its 10th anniversary this year — chalking up a decade of fundraising to improve the lives of the less fortunate since its inception in 2000. The tradition of PSC is to have TV stars perform items that are unusual or highly unique (read: funny). For a worthy cause, local celebrities endured weeks of grueling practice to put up a showcase of mostly dance, rarely seen on television. In one of the items, Gurmit Singh performed an enthusiastic rendition of the Oscar-winning song ‘Jai Ho’, from the soundtrack of Slumdog Millionaire.

“I am enjoying myself totally and am having a ball of a time,” the popular Phua Chu Kang actor told City News during intermission. But behind the fun and frivolity of that night’s entertainment, Gurmit “met a boy at the Muhammadiyah Welfare Home and I was very touched by his story.”

Like Gurmit, many of the celebrities came face to face with beneficiaries of this year’s PSC. Each star filmed a clip to highlight the plights and stories of the less fortunate who would be helped by the funds raised for PSC. This made them determined to put their best foot forward for charity. Organizations such as the Yong En Care Centre, Food from the Heart and Action for Aids will benefit and empower the individuals with the donations raised.

The show culminated with Asian diva Coco Lee’s performance of ‘A Love Before Time’ and her new single ‘Party Time’. Together with the rousing performance by the Beatles Unlimited, these two acts raised the highest amounts in donations.

PHOTOS: Courtesy of O School

They were joined by the other performers including Kym Ng, Patricia Mok, Jade Seah, Michelle Chong, Nat Ho, Andie Chen, Daren Tan, Ben Yeo, Sarah Aqilah, Indra Chandran and the Singapore Idol finalists. The performers fired up the dance floor with their dance moves, ranging from martial arts to line dancing. Anugerah Band 2008 winner Rancour, skipping sensations Jumping Jewels and dance groups such as the Floor Techniques Crew and O School also collaborated with the celebrities.

Although some of the performers injured themselves while practicing for the performances, many of the participants felt that it was a rewarding experience.

“We had only three weeks to rehearse, and had to get it right on a very tight schedule. But it was lots of fun and a good experience to work with the celebrities,” said Gin Lam, a dancer from O School. “We are very glad to be part of this, to be able to contribute to society with our passion and talents.”

The group of 23 dancers, consisting of five local artistes, did a dance tribute to Michael Jackson. The crowd was visibly entertained by comedienne Patricia Mok, who was the lead dancer in the dance medley and mimicked the slick dance moves of the late King of Pop.

“I think the celebrities put in a lot of effort to master the routines, and I was very touched by the stories of the less fortunate,” said audience member Nanette Passion, 30, a homemaker. “It was a good reminder that we should not forget them even as we’re going through a financial crisis.”

Singapore Idol finalist Duane Ho, 16, took time off from his hectic school schedule to perform a song and dance item during the PSC show.

“It’s new to me and I’ve never done it before, but it was enjoyable. It was difficult to coordinate the steps and we took some time to get everyone together. We are doing all this for a good cause so that people who are less fortunate will get the help that they need. So we are here to play a part since we’re public figures and we want the public to help the less fortunate,” he said.

Beneficiaries of President’s Challenge 2009:

• Singapore Anglican Community Services
• Persatuan Pemudi Islam Singapura
• Teck Ghee Youth Centre
• Kampung Senang Charity and Education Foundation
• Ain Society
• Life Community Services Society
• Lakeside Family Centre
• Beyond Social Services
• Methodist Welfare Services
• Islamic Theological Association of Singapore (PERTAPIS)
• Young Men’s Christian Association of Singapore
• Very Special Arts Singapore Ltd
• Canossaville Children’s Home
• Boys’ Town
• Shan You Counselling Centre
• Muhammadiyah Welfare Home
• Woodlands Social Centre
• Christian Outreach to the Handicapped
• Students Care Service
• Singapore Children’s Society
• Food From the Heart
• Yong-En Care Centre
• Society for the Physically Disabled
• MILK (Mainly I Love Kids)
• Rainbow Centre
• Community Chest
• Yellow Ribbon Fund
• Singapore After-care Association
• Bright Vision Hospital
• Action for AIDS
• Muscular Dystrophy Association (Singapore)
• St Andrew’s Community Hospital
• Autism Resource Centre (Singapore)
• Autism Association (Singapore)
• Dyslexia Association of Singapore
• Association for Persons with Special Needs
• National Arthritis Foundation

On 12 September 2009, a team of nine young adults ventured into the land of Muar, Malaysia for a trip that would soon change their lives. Upon the team’s arrival, we were welcomed by warm hospitality of our Muar hosts. They brought us to our humble but clean accommodation and blessed us with delicious Muar food. The very same evening, we led a breakthrough evangelistic youth service. Harvest Christian Fellowship (Muar) regular youth member strength is 17, but about 42 people turned up for the service! Praise the Lord! A powerful word about Father’s Love encouraged many of the youth gave their hearts to Jesus in a full altar call.

We also spent some time to disciple the youth leaders by splitting ourselves up to personally impart to them. Many of the youth had great hunger to do something for God, but they are untrained and most do not have access to what our church is privileged with.

Thereafter, on the next day, we led a main service averaging 50 adults and children where a powerful message about investing our life talents in the kingdom of God was preached. Once again, there was a full altar call where everyone just knelt before the presence of God and the team laid hands and imparted to the Muar church.

We then followed the Muar church workers on their visitations and we were really impacted by what we saw and learnt. One of the most memorable visitations was one where Pastor Lilian stepped into a mobile shop to top-up her card, but really to reach out to the shop-owner. They introduced a new worship song to the shop-owner and his family, and after singing it, Pastor boldly shared the love of Christ with them and invited them to accept Christ. The shop-owner actually agreed and Pastor prayed for them right there and then in the shop premises.

Another unforgettable incident was one of the church workers Mei Zhu, having received a phone call from one of the church members, rushed down immediately to a non-Christian family consisting of an adult son and an elderly motherly who just suffered from a stroke. Mei Zhu simply asked if she could sing to the elderly lady in a semi-vegetable state, while explaining to her son that by singing to her it will encourage the elderly lady who still can sense people showing care to her. Just by simple singing of a Hokkien worship song, the presence of God filled the entire room and no eye in the room was left dry. Even her adult son had tears in his eyes, and was very grateful and open to the love of Jesus. When Mei Zhu and the few of the Singapore team members were leaving, they made arrangements to visit again.

PHOTOS: Liong Chee Pang

Indeed, it was a great privilege to experience first-hand the boldness and the genuine love of Pastor Lilian and her team that is growing the Muar church! Qi Fang (18, Student), the youngest in the team, said: “I am greatly impacted by how bold the Muar church is. It has completely challenged me to step out of my comfort zone to reach the lost!”

It was a great challenge for the Singaporean team to overcome the barrier of preaching, praying, and ministering in Chinese. Every single one of us on the team took a step of faith. Cindy Teng (24, Working Adult), who took leave from her busy schedule specially for this mission trip says “If God wants to move, it doesn’t matter what kind of weakness of inadequacies we have, He will still use a willing vessel.” We had so much to learn, but we constantly reminded ourselves that God had sent us there to be a blessing.

From this trip, one of our greatest lessons is God really can use ordinary, willing people to serve His will in an extraordinary way. Who better sums it up than Zhi Peng (26, Working Adult), our team leader who preached in the adult service: “声音是我的，话是神的!” loosely translated: “The voice may be mine, but the word is from God!”

An eclectic combination of Asian culture, design and fashion made up the visually stunning Asia On The Edge (AOTE) 2009, which ran from 24 to 27 September. Asia’s creative talents and cultural heritage were showcased at the four-day festival, organized by The Arts House and PICO.

Aptly themed “Evolution”, the festival comprised of three components: Evolution, an outdoor installation and performance; Waterways, a craft, design and performance showcase; and Jing, a fashion in-theatre experience inspired by philosophy.

Hundreds turned up for the world premiere of the festival, which kicked off with the installation-performance work Evolution at the Old Parliament Lane, just in front of The Arts House. The rear of the Victoria Concert Hall was transformed into a massive clockwork-like installation to represent the passage of time and evolution. Celebrities, such as supermodel Junita Simon, Lim Yu Beng and Tan Kheng Hua were dressed in striking costumes inspired by the recording devices of time, for example, the sun, moon and stars.

Well-known Singapore director Goh Boon Teck was inspired by the notion of time and aimed to create an outdoor installation to convey the feeling of passing time.

“Evolution is an archival tool of memories, histories and imaginations. A time piece which celebrates creativity and human spirit,” said Goh Boon Teck, the creative director of Evolution.

“Personally, I felt it was good, but I couldn’t really see the performance very well. But I have to say that the costumes were really beautiful,” said marketing executive, Lim Bih Ru, 28.

Guests were also invited to sample the various culinary delights by renowned chefs from Asia after the installation performance. The gastronomy component was part of Jing, a fashion in-theatre production that featured designs by leading lingerie brand in China, Aimer Group.

The world premiere of Jing (the Chinese word connoting “peace”) brought together fashion from Beijing, talents from the Shanghai modelling scene, respected theatre practictioners from Singapore and renowned chefs from the region to relook and challenge preconceptions about food, fashion and music.

Thai Chef Nattapong Norchoovech wanted to do just that. His menu for the festival was strongly influenced by traditional Thai cuisines but presented with a modern touch.

“Asia On The Edge to me is about moving to the future. Likewise, food must also progress with the times. Thai food has been cooked over and over again. This time, I am trying to reinvent the normal Thai cuisine with a modern touch,” said Norchoovech, who whipped up delectable delicacies like duck confit and scallop with mango puree.

“People don’t think food is important, but food is an art and an expression. I express myself through my food and it is like a journey to me,” added Norchoovech, sharing his inspirations for his choice of gourmet dishes during the festival.

AOTE was first conceived to serve as a platform for the sharing of experiences from Asia. This year, Jing was an occasion where various chefs from different parts of Asia such as Japan, Thailand, Malaysia and China could share their cultures and collaborate together.

“The best part of the festival to me was definitely being able to meet chefs from other countries and to learn from them. It is like a meeting with people of the same ideas,” said Norchoovech.

Celebrity chef Ismail Redzuawan from Malaysia agreed.

“What is happening here is fantastic because we get to know a bit of each other. I always believe food will always bring people to the table. It brings love, respect, peace and compassion. I think this region is the best place for that to be done,” he said.

The night wrapped up on a high note with the visually gripping fashion in-theatre performance, where new faces in the Shanghainese modelling scene presented the one-hour fashion show staged by artistic director Jeremiah Choy and music director Jiu Jian.

Inspired by the work of French philosopher Michel Foucault, Choy wanted to redefine the experience of the creative disciplines. He hopes that Jing will showcase beyond the immediate beauty of the design of intimate apparel or its wearer, as the genre itself has many metaphorical and symbolic functions. This best reflects Foucault’s philosophy which often challenges one to relook at concepts and notions that are often accepted as given truths.

“When we look at the mirror, who are we looking at? Are you looking at the person in the mirror, or is the person in the mirror looking at you. At fashion, we are looking at intimate apparel. Are we looking at the models or are they looking at us? We presented it through theatrical means and we are exploring the many facets of the philosophy,” explained Choy.

The models walked through the parts of the second level of The Arts House that reflected the various literature of Foucault. For example, the performers ascended the throne-like structure which created a tension between the audience and performer; a tension between watching and being watched.

“I liked the performance. It was very sensual and very different from a usual lingerie show. It really offered a unique perspective,” said Jacke Chye, the deputy director of a telecommunications company.

He continued: “I think the whole festival was about borrowing from the past but being relevant to society. It is about having heritage but putting a modern spin to things. Asia still keeps to its traditions but we’ve evolved a lot.”

PHOTOS: Michael Chan

His views were echoed by Jeremiah, who summed up what AOTE was really all about.

“Using Singapore as a base, we can explore the many talents, many wonderful cultures of Asians and bringing them together to create works that relate to Asia. The world is getting smaller, and with the Internet, we begin to look at Asia in a very different light. Hence, AOTE is exploring where the boundaries are, and to keep expanding and trying to push them further. It is really an integration of all things Asian because it is collaborative in nature.” he said.

Beauty was brought to new heights as the 22 Miss Singapore World finalists took a ride on the iconic Singapore Flyer during a press conference held on the 23 July.

Besides showcasing the finalists, the event was also held in support of the Down Syndrome Association (DSA), which is Miss Singapore World’s chosen organization to collaborate with in continuation of the mandate of “beauty with a purpose”.

The motto was first coined by Julia Morley, the president of the Miss World Organization, who understood the importance of helping those in need, by empowering women to make a real change in society.

Fate brought both the pageant organizers and DSA together. This is the first time both organizations are working together.

“This year we are very privileged to work with DSA and it has actually been a very fruitful event. We organized activities for the girls and both parties have benefitted from them. A lot of awareness was created,” said Lisa Huang, a spokesperson for ERM Singapore, the pageant organizer.

Earlier in July, the finalists had tea with the children from DSA, where they put up talent shows to entertain them. They also performed a dance item and a magic show.

Dr Saba Iqbal, executive director of DSA, believes that by collaborating with Miss Singapore World, they are reaching out to a wider audience and greater awareness is being created for children of special needs.

Miss Singapore World finalist Jiselle Poh said that her perspectives were changed when she interacted with the children.

“I learnt that they are just like you and me. I used to have a different perception of them, but they are normal people,” said the 20-year-old student.

Jiselle’s thoughts were echoed by another finalist, Khym Ong, a student.

“This was a different kind of experience for me and I feel they are just like normal children,” said Khym.

In addition to the visit to DSA, a charity gala, titled “Mystique III” will be held to raise funds for DSA and will also crown the 38th Miss Singapore World, who will represent the nation in the international Miss World Finals in December.

“’Mystique III’ is actually DSA’s main fund raiser event, and since Miss Singapore World approached us, we thought, why not?” added Dr Saba.

Dr Saba also revealed that there will be a dance item and also a pushcart selling items made by the children of DSA. The grand finals will be held on 31 July.

Many of the finalists joined the pageant to build up their self confidence and to improve their social skills.

Huang, who is also Miss Singapore World 2005, believes that the finalists have benefitted from interacting with different organizations.

“They really enjoyed the activities because it is something that you don’t do everyday and to take the courage to just walk into DSA and help out. Most people will not do that. I think we need to teach the girls that, and we can learn a lot of things as well,” said Lisa.

Olivia Lim, 19, an undergraduate, said that she believes everyone should play a part in helping society.

PHOTOS: Jayson Lee

“I believe, with or without status, everyone should play a part in helping society. When I walk down the streets, people just stare at people who may be different from them and comment within themselves, which isn’t the correct thing to do. If I do win the title, I would join events and increase awareness of this, but firstly, I would start with my inner circles first,” said Olivia.

Beauty pageants have not outlived their usefulness. Many pageants are held throughout the year, but only a few continue to be relevant to the needs of the society. The 22 finalists from the Miss Singapore World 2009 epitomized the meaning of true beauty — not just through one’s outward appearance, but caring for others with a heart as well.

Being the link between businesses and the job seeker, People Search, a job placement company, recognizes the number one need of their clients: to be understood.

With a group of professional consultants from different industries like banking, engineering and healthcare, the needs and skills required by different companies are matched with job seekers who fit the requirements. Having many years of recruitment experience and expertise, the consultants understand the clients’ needs.

Seeing this need for jobs in the present economic crisis, People Search aimed to reach out to both business clients and job seekers during the SME Marketplace Fiesta held from 10 to 12 April 2009.

“We realised that the Marketplace Fiesta was an opportunity to reach out to clients looking for candidates, and we know that there are some out there who are looking for jobs. What we do is, depending on the kind of position, the consultants will match the candidates’ positions and skills to the jobs,” said Peggy Toh, a Human Resource Manager at People Search, which has been established since 2000.

To ensure that the job seekers are matched with a job that fulfills all their needs, a short questionnaire on their work preferences and skills had to be completed.

“Depending on the type of positions that you could be looking for, you could find a job in days or weeks. Sometimes, the company could just be looking for a contract staff, and if you do specify that you’re open to other job types, you could find a job easily,” explained Toh.

People Search goes beyond job placement services — talks and workshops are also regularly held to empower the public. For example, an upcoming leadership workshop will be held in May.

“During this time, there are also individuals who want to learn about leadership. It is also a chance for them to network and to share experiences with other people from other industries. They can get to see things in a different light,” said Toh.

On 20 May, a group of six City Harvest Church (CHC) staff travelled to South Korea to visit the world’s largest church — Yoido Full Gospel Church (YFGC). The five-day trip may have been short, but it was certainly impactful.

YFGC was founded by David Yonggi Cho and his mother-in-law, Choi Ja-shil in 1958, in a living room, with just six people. It has since grown exponentially into a congregation of about 830,000, making it the world’s largest Protestant church.

PHOTOS: Tan Kim Hock

The Singapore team was invited to Hansei University for a theological symposium. The University was founded in 1953 to nurture leaders in the Christian faith. Besides offering courses in theology, humanities and social sciences courses are also available.

The theme of the symposium, presented by Dr Cho, was “the understanding of social salvation”, which is the sharing of love and happiness with others.

Cho believes that when one loves his neighbor as himself, love will extend to oneself, society and the nation. He explains that this is substantiated in the Bible (John 3:16).

“It was a really enriching experience to hear the professors from various universities espousing their views and writing theological papers in response to Cho’s understanding of social salvation,” said Lee Yi Lun, part of the Singapore team and a zone supervisor with City Harvest Church.

“I feel encouraged and comforted knowing that as we reach out to the lost and needy, we will surely be blessed by God,” she added.

After the symposium, the team also had the privilege of having dinner with Dr Cho and his wife, Dr Kim Sung Hae. During the dinner, Cho shared about his trip to Siberia a few years ago, where 20,000 people, who have never heard the name of Jesus, received salvation. Miracles took place: a man who was paralyzed from the neck down was healed and could walk by the end of the meeting.

Cho has had a burning desire to preach the gospel around the world for the last 50 years — and all that time, he has not taken a single vacation. To date, he has traveled and preached in 70 countries and over 400 cities.

Cho’s dedication and love for God moved one of the team members, Bobby Chaw, the dean of students in CHC’s School of Theology (SOT).

“I feel inspired to do more for the Lord as I see Dr Cho’s great love for the lost, poor and the needy. To preach the gospel in 70 countries and 400 cities is really phenomenal!” he said.

The trip was an eventful one: the team enjoyed the opportunity to learn the history of North and South Korea during a visit to the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), a strip of land that serves as a buffer zone between the North and South. They also attended worship services and prayer meetings at the 12,000-seater Yoido Full Gospel Church.

All in, this proved an unforgettable experience for the Singapore missions team, who came back to Singapore with deep impressions of Yoido Full Gospel Church.