Michelle
a.k.a. Mich, Clueless, Michlet
years of existence: 19 going on 20
school:SMPS, SMSS, SAJC, NTU
church: St. Andrew's Cathedral
cca: now hall stuff, previously: Council! dance and touch rug
preoccupied with: praying, TALKING, reading the Bible, serving, eating, SLEEPING, blogging(not really), watching tv, watching movies, sighing, laughing, crying, smiling, making funny faces and poses, going crazy, reading, listening to music, star-gazing, taking pictures, dancing, playing touch rug or soccer

*loves:
{JESUS!
{my church
{my cell group
{blue
{babies
{dogs/puppies
{hearts
{rainbows
{butterflies
{horses
{dolphins
{food
{waterfalls
{stars
{smilies
{family
{friends
{vanilla
{strawberries
{apples
{kiwi
{bananas
{coke
{ice-cream
{movies
{pictures

*loathes:
{spiders
{mosquitoes
{pineapples
{sudden loud sounds
like thunder, fireworks, super loud dog barks,
party poppers, balloon bursts, etc.
{things like bungee jumps
{scary movies
(what can i say? i'm weak-hearted)
{flies

*Get really close to God

Frenz/Pals/Fellows/Mates

tabitha}
vanessa yeo}
clarissa}
charmaine}
kartik}
andre}
tanya}
jiaxin}
amylia}
jonathan}
alex}
ben}
carolyn}
> liling}
mycellgrp}

04/01/2004 - 05/01/2004

05/01/2004 - 06/01/2004

06/01/2004 - 07/01/2004

07/01/2004 - 08/01/2004

08/01/2004 - 09/01/2004

11/01/2004 - 12/01/2004

04/01/2005 - 05/01/2005

05/01/2005 - 06/01/2005

06/01/2005 - 07/01/2005

07/01/2005 - 08/01/2005

08/01/2005 - 09/01/2005

09/01/2005 - 10/01/2005

10/01/2005 - 11/01/2005

11/01/2005 - 12/01/2005

12/01/2005 - 01/01/2006

01/01/2006 - 02/01/2006

03/01/2006 - 04/01/2006

04/01/2006 - 05/01/2006

05/01/2006 - 06/01/2006

06/01/2006 - 07/01/2006

07/01/2006 - 08/01/2006

08/01/2006 - 09/01/2006

09/01/2006 - 10/01/2006

10/01/2006 - 11/01/2006

11/01/2006 - 12/01/2006

12/01/2006 - 01/01/2007

02/01/2007 - 03/01/2007

03/01/2007 - 04/01/2007

04/01/2007 - 05/01/2007

05/01/2007 - 06/01/2007

06/01/2007 - 07/01/2007

09/01/2007 - 10/01/2007

12/01/2007 - 01/01/2008

01/01/2008 - 02/01/2008

11/01/2008 - 12/01/2008

01/01/2009 - 02/01/2009

02/01/2009 - 03/01/2009

01/01/2010 - 02/01/2010

...TAGBOARD

 
 

...CREDITS

layout design, coding,  photo-editing,

by ice angel

Brushes- 1| 2
actual image- 1

This week i had an attachment to this organization called the Christian Outreach for the Handicap at Tampines with my SERVE group. All of the clients there were mentally handicapped with some of them having physical disabilities as well due to like cerebral palsy or totally deaf/mute. After spending several days with them, the experience has impacted me quite a bit i think. For one, it has really changed my opinion of mentally handicap people. Truth to be told, i used to shun away from such people or at least think badly of them, but after the daily experience with them in this short but meaningful period i realised that i should actually spend more time interacting with them and try to understand them. In our society, it's common and sad that people often have this prejudice against the less fortunate especially the mentally handicap/ill and we are quick to judge them and label them with demeaning and hurtful words like "mad" or "crazy" people who need to be locked up in the mental hospital. This may cause or be caused by the little/no interaction we have in our lives. It makes me think back of the times when i saw a person start shouting at nobody or talking to himself in public like on a bus or along the street or one of my neighbour's kid who has down-syndrome. Now i'll think twice about them. Jesus reached out to people of all conditions and background and was not prejudiced against anyone so as a Christian we should emulate Him in treating everyone equally with love and shouldn't judge.

To be detailed, we helped the staff lead the clients in singing sessions, walks in the park or to a coffeeshop nearby, interacted with the clients and helped them do their puzzles or activities, brought some of them to the nearby HDBs to advertise for more volunteers for the centre and also brought the clients out to the Pasir Ris Park.

I feel that it's very sad cause most of them were born in their conditions and hardly any of them get cured. For them, doing simple things like going to the toilet or sorting things based on colours or even talking normally can be a problem. We often take such things for granted and instead of treasuring our bodies and talents we abuse them and not use it for God's glory. Many of them just want to be understood, but because communicating to people through speech is so difficult, it can get very frustrating for them, so most of them may act violently by like biting/hitting other people. But people hold it against them, call them violent/scary and don't realise that they are humans too so they too have feelings. Their families would probably suffer the most especially since they have to take care of them all throughout their lives and have to pay so much special attention to them.

Another thing is that while the clients may seem scary or intimidating, they are adorable and unique in their own way. They have their individual quirks and habits that make us smile and laugh. Actually, once we got to know them, we've grown to love them and their different interesting personalities and habits.

Lastly, I hope that the teachers are encouraged by our help and our enthusiasm as i think that spending so much time with the clients takes a great deal of effort and patience and the job of taking care of the mentally handicapped is something that is noble but often not commended for. It is definitely demanding and challenging so i hope that each of them would remain strong in their faith for God so that they can depend on Him and persevere everyday.

 -when are you coming back? ;