volumes

My female owner remembered the first time she attended her new bible study group (the working group) in Feb this year. Before she got to the house, she was already distressed by the journey she had to make. It was a short bus ride to a nearby suburb, but the peak hour traffic jam was excruciating. Reaching the house, my female owner was overwhelmed by the number of new faces she saw, in comparison to familiar people.

My female owner remembered asking herself why she chose to leave the student group when the location for bible study was just a ten minutes walk away from her house.

Four months on, my female owner says that she is very happy with the working group. There is a mutual fit, in terms of the group meeting her needs and her contributing to the group.

Already, my female owner can see what she is going to miss if she leaves this group. Yes, for the first time since she arrived in Brisbane, my female owner is publicly admitting to developing a fondness for this current season in her life.

The awesome bible study meetings on Friday. It never fails to amaze her that there is nearly full or full attendance every week for bible study and church service. These people are so committed to their faith and their example encourages her to strive forward too. The environment is simply so nurturing for growth and development.

The yummy dinners prepared by the food team before each meeting. You won’t believe what the members are able to prepare – bak ku teh, home-made deep-fried wantons, curry chicken, green bean soup, mango pudding, cakes!! etc. With foods like this, who needs to go back home to have them?

The spontaneous hanging out sessions on Saturdays and public holidays, often to catch the latest movies, dine at affordable Asian eateries, indulge in DVDs on large plasma TVs and even hotpots. Just simple fellowship with no strings attached and no dodgy agenda.

And most recently, the weekly guitar lessons that someone organised, so that more musicians can be trained up in the group. Not to mention the flow of fellowship, food and fun that saturates each gathering.

I think more importantly, the friendships have blessed my female owner greatly. People are genuinely supportive, caring and encouraging. My female owner needed a guitar and someone lent her one before she could even ask around. After service, she wanted a muffin from outside the lecture theatre but she was too lazy to fight the cold and someone went to get it for her after she made a passing request (my female owner actually feels bad about this). My female owner was cold and someone took off his scarf to lend her. When she was not feeling well and sneezing countless times, someone went to get a cup of hot water so that she could clear her system. She is having exams and someone arranged for her to be sent home early after gatherings so that she could study.

Just small gestures like this. But they speak volumes into her heart. Coz for my female owner, action speaks louder than words and besides quality time, act of service is her next love language.