CF Retreat Part 1

Taking time out from a hectic schedule is a must! It doesn’t help at all, being burdened and full of stress. These are then the times that we need to leave it all fro a moment, and seek God’s providence and comfort. I went for my church Christian Fellowship Retreat. It was very refreshing. The venue is Bethel House of Prayer and it’s located at the Middle Station (Viaduct) at Penang Hill. It’s my first time being up at Penang Hill. 11 of us were there. Many more were interested but couldn’t make it. This is the whole group.





Making our way up to the top was not hard. We just need to wait for the tram. It was quite efficient. There isn’t a single route straight up, rather, there’s a transit station in the middle.
We had to wait for quite a while in the transit station before boarding the tram. Even at that point, the view was amazing.


( view from the transit station)

After taking some pics and admiring the view, we got on to the tram and continued our journey. Along the way, there were some wooden houses and the air was getting cooler. It wasn’t after roughly 10 – 15 minutes before we got to our stop, Viaduct.

walking on our trail




viaduct station, alighting from the tram

Our destination required roughly 7 minutes of walking. The trail, view and atmosphere along the way is calm and cool. It really is great leaving the cares of the world and just escape to recharge ourselves with God. This was the first glimpse we had of our resting place! Look at the small pool. Unfortunately, our stay was brief and furthermore, we didn’t bring any swimming gear (it’s a small pool anyway!). So, we missed out on that. The interior of the house was just nice. It seems a bit colonial yet renovated. (with hot water shower!!) It retains that so-called country-side charm. It was definitely serenity. The view in from the place was also breath-taking. You could see half the island from here. You would be speechless from it all.

small swimming pool

The interior of the house was just nice. It seems a bit colonial yet renovated. (with hot water shower!!) It retains that so-called country-side charm. It was definitely serenity. The view in from the place was also breath-taking. You could see half the island from here. You would be speechless from it all.

view from the place

After unpacking and a little unwinding exercise, we gathered together for some games. We played Cat and Dog, if you’re familiar with it. And then had some free time to bathe and prepare for the night.

balcony

Dinnertime was awesome! It truly reminds me of Mom’s cooking! (It’s the best there is!) The soup was great too. Although 11 people, we were able to finish the dishes and the rice. Cleaning up after it was fairly easy and we started our night session after that. Due to some technicalities, the night time view isn’t good on camera. Yet, it could not be put on words here. It is simply….unimaginable. The creations of God are truly marvelous. The way God paints the sky everyday, what greatness!!

dishes for dinner

After our session, we had another small discussion for our CF appreciation night. Then, we retired to bed at 12.30am. Waking up at 6.30am didn’t seem tiring. Rather, I was truly refreshed from it all! Not to mention the cool breeze (brrr….) There were some mist and we could see the clouds blanketing the city down below. Our morning session included quiet time, praise and worship and a session of individual prayer too. Being there and then, having a clear heart, praying to God was truly sincere.

lazing down after individual prayer session

We also had a time to share what we have learned and encouraged one another. We then packed and left around 11.40am to catch the 12 noon tram coming down. The journey down was also filled with great view and some crying baby (sigh)

waiting at Viaduct station for the tram
Reaching at the station, we waited for a while before going to a nearby coffee shop for lunch, and then more rest (tired mah!) before going for church service in the night. All in all, I truly thank God for a smooth flow of events and guidance, Bro. Matthew for organizing the trip, and each and every one present for making it an enjoyable stay, even for a night only. Picture credits go to Bro. Zhong Hau and Sis. Jia Ning. Thanks so much!!