One-Year Milestone

Appointments of Divine Favor “For we are God’s [own] handiwork (His workmanship), recreated in Christ Jesus, [born anew] that we may do those good works which God predestined (planned beforehand) for us [taking paths which He prepared ahead of time], that we should walk in them [living the good life which He prearranged and made ready for us to live].” (Ephesians 2:10, AMP) God has already prepared paths for you to take in your future! When God laid out the plan for your life, He lined up the right people, the right circumstances and the right breaks. In your future, He’s already released favor, supernatural opportunities and divine connections. The breaks you need in life have already been preordained to come across your path. If you will stay in faith and go out each day and be a person of excellence, you’ll walk right into these appointments of favor. It will be just as if you stumbled into God’s blessings! When you really understand this principle, you’ll begin to get excited about every single day! You’ll have a spring in your step as you think about what blessing is coming next. It could be today. It could be tomorrow. It could be next week. Keep expecting. Keep believing. Stay focused on the fact that God has already released into your future everything you need to fulfill your destiny. Start declaring seasons of increase over your life. Declare that favor is on you and look for those appointments of divine favor! A PRAYER FOR TODAY Father, thank You for prearranging a good life for me. Thank You for ordering my steps and directing my path. Help me to understand Your goodness more so that I can know You and stay close to You all the days of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen. — Joel & Victoria Osteen As I read the above passage from a brother's FB wall, I am reminded of God's Divine Favour, not only for the past one year but how things had to happen to activate these Blessings. Many a times, when I pray, I expect immediate answers. Yes, they do happen. However, I learnt not to override God's timing for I may have the requests answered (I thought so), often, the price to pay was higher. I have learnt to wait for his Time for in Isaiah 40:31, in His Divine time, I shall soar on wings like eagles; I will run and not grow weary, I will walk and not be faint. As I rejoice this one-year with Nice, I remind myself of God's Favours, sending many people to fulfil this childhood dream. Thank UFM1003, Nick and Mr Kua for without their help and ingenuity, it could have been an unfulfilled dream. Thank God for my family and friends for the love showered upon Nice. Thank God also for friends who took time off their busy schedule, walked with us at busy malls and streets in the initial months to help me ensure she concentrated on her work and picking from the floor has been much reduced. Many people had crossed paths with me. Before she came into my life, conversations tended to be, "Where you want to go?", or "Why you come out alone. Where is your family? Do you know it is dangerous to come out alone?" I even overheard, "Very koliang hor. Blind also have to work ah. Noone help her."After she arrive: "How much you buy this dog for?", "She can go up bus, MRT and taxi ah!", "Such a beautiful dog". one instant, a lady came running to us exclaiming, "You were about to bang a pillar but it amazed me when the dog led you away. Do you know a pillar is so close by?" and many more. I am glad these encounters are opportunities to educate about guide dogs too. Thanks to GDA whose GDMI and O&M instructors helped strengthen the O&M skills to go about independently, with or without a guide dog from 2008 to mid 2012 although there was a one-year break inbetween. I read somewhere that most guide dog teams will break down or fail in the first year without active GDMI support. Thank God for taking us through this one year filled with fun, excitements, unknown journeys, and of course, not forgetting to instill discipline for her and myself for it takes two hands to clap. I look forward to the many unknowns we will trudge together, my faithful partner, Nice. Many times, I wanted to throw in the towel when you wanted your way and disciplined just didn't seem to work. Thank God for the full support the Eye Mate is giving. Advice is always prompt to come when they observe we weren't doing something right. Miki San is always in touch, via FB, emails and phone chats. As a commitment, Shotaro Hara San came in April to assess and strengthened certain techniques which I wasn't doing right. Although I don't know what tomorrow holds but I know God holds my future firmly in His Hands and protects us under the shadow of His Wings. Yes, we are His Workmanship, created to do Good Works. God's gift of Nice is for His Divine purpose in which I never fail to recognise. Her gentle, sweet and good nature has indeed melted and will melt many hearts, including 2-year-olds. Last evening, while taking evening walk, a daddy with his boy came along. He exclaimed, "Such a beautiful dog. Can I touch?" The daddy approached in which I consented. Before he left, said, "We are friends, ok." What a wonderful boy! This was only one encounter. More adventures to come!!! Nice, I love you for you have enhanced my independence and travels to a whole new level. Let us go on educating people about your work and helps our society to be more acceptable to guide dogs as alternative aids. Happy first anniversary to us:)

Hello! I Am Back

Life has become more exciting and more meaningful after the last blog since July 2013. Seemed like so long ago that I might have forgotten about the blogsite which I have been updating since 2007. Please bear with me as this may be quite a long post as I try to recollect the happenings for the last 13 months. You may recall from time to time from earlier posts of unsuccessfully acquiring a guide dog with the Guide Dogs Association of the Blind. I gave my best in the assessment in December 2012 in which I was uprightly rejected and disqualified. Hence, with the initiation of Nick, Cheng hock and Kendra (who passed on on 1 August), agreeing to go on the programme with me, we successfully raised $20,000 through UFM1003. We were invited to go on air on 13 December 2012 in which the funds was raised within 24 hours. Thanks UFM1003, the donors and Nick who turned this dream into reality. This sum of money was not to acquire or buy guide dog, but is used to support in the maintenance of the guide dog should unforeseen situations arise. Mr Kuaalso gave a breakdown of how the sum might be utilized, including the air fare and accommodation of the assessor (guide dog mobility instructor) who needed to visit Singapore to study the environment besides assessing my suitability of using a guide dog as a mobility aid, my travelling and accommodation expenses for staying one-month in the school and so on. He also qualified that it would take about one year to source for a suitable guide dog from an international accredited school. With this sum ready, we embarked on the next stage—to source for a guide dog school which would be willing to give a free guide dog. As Cheng Hock has great connection internationally, he took on the task. He approached schools from Japan to USA to Europe—Norway. However, futility was staring at us for the first five months. In mid May, he rang me and said, “Lee Lee, I still don’t have good news yet. The Norwegians wanted to give but had not heard from them. A school in USA was willing to give pups but not trained guide dogs. I had written to Japan but no reply. We may have to settle for the worse”. Although I resigned to the fact and that I might have to return the money to the donors by the end of 2013, I still continued to pray for an open door. When I picked up the phone on the evening of 28 May, Cheng Hock’s voice came through delivering the good news with excitement that Eye Mate Inc Japan would be sending an instructor in the next few days to assess my suitability of acquiring a guide dog. I was elated and we met with Alvin at Swensens in Parkway Parade the next day to discuss plans as it was confirmed that Mr Shotaro Hara would arrive on 4 June and depart on 7 June. Eventually, we put him up at Grand Mercure Roxy Singapore, not only because the hotel was having a promotion but I was familiar with the area and would be confident to take him around the vicinity. Thank God that SIA was running promotion too. Mr Shotaro Hara arrived on 4 June, hence,, upon completion of some formalities and paperwork, I took him around Singapore for the subsequent two days. While we trravelled on buses for the assessment on 5 June, we took the MRT on the 6. Proper assessment commenced after he visited my home to assess if the environment was suitable to accommodate a guide dog. Aaron came to pick us at the Toa Payoh Hub, proceeded to the Rochor Road Bean curd for some light snacks. We then went to the Marina Barrage in which He took more pictures of the scenery from the rooftop in which we could get a bird's eyeview of the island of Singapore. He took care of his own dinner for the evening, window shopping around the vicinity. On June 6, After meeting him, walked around the Parkway Parade perimeter. We then took a bus to a train station. I showed him the intricacies of our rail network. Our last stop was at Lucky Plaza to pick up some souvenirs. We had a sumptuous dinner at GuMaJia Restaurant in which Kendra was the star for the evening. Gwyn, the boss brought her son specially to capture a shot with her. When he departed on 7 June, he assured me that I qualified but was to wait for an official email from Mr Takao Shioya, the president. His parting words, “You are all ready to go. I am thinking of the dog I have for you in Japan now.” He added, “We don’t have class from August to September because it is too hot to train. You will come in September if all goes well”. Cheng Hock then advised him with regards to the procedure of importing a guide dog into Singapore, which included the compulsory vaccinations for the dog and the documents needed to be approved by AVA before the guide dog touched down at Changi Airport. The confirmation email arrived on 26 June from Mr Takao Shioya and Notes for the walking nstruction arrived on 9 August, the same day that we booked the air ticket. Thank Cheng Hock and Takao San for making the arrangements; for Cheng Hock told me, "Lee Lee, I don't want you to be bogged down with logistics. I'll handle this for you. You just go, train and come back with your guide dog. You have waited all these years seize this opportunity." I jetted off from T3 on SQ636, having sent off by mother, brotehr, maid and Collette, arrived at Haneda International Airport at 6Am Tokyo time. As I was earlier by 30 minutes, a mandarin-speaking ground crew accompanied me till Till Shotaro San showed up at 6:30am. I was greeted by cold winds as it was autumn. Excitement overtook the chill and I asked many questions travlling in his car. Later did I know that training to walk without a cane commenced upon arrival at the school. The cane was confiscated and I was supposed to follow his verbal queue. He would be my instructor for the next one month. While at lunch, he said, “we will go shopping in a while”. It wasn’t exactly a shopping trip per say. He assessed my ability to cross streets and intersections without audible signals at traffic junction and taught some queues I am to issue my guide dog for a good working relationship for the years to come. While touring the facility, walked by the kennel. Shotaro San’s intention was to slide open a little window so I may get a glimpse of the environment. Lo and behold! A dog on training hurriedly sped towards our direction. It greeted me and was instantly instructed to go back. I don't know if I was excited or couldn't accustom to the time there, I woke up at 2:30Am Singapore time. As the regular bathroom would not be operational till after 7:00 a.m., I was directed to use the smaller one. Breakfast was quite sumptuous for I don’t eat so much even at home. It was to be a daily affair. I needed to butter the bread , to be accompanied by a cup of tea and a cup of yoghurt. At 10:30 a.m. we gathered and everyone—instructors and trainees introduced ourselves. The lesson “Don’t Free” was kind of interesting for I was taught handling the leash and harness. I never knew there were so many ways to direct, using the leash in different positions and methods. Rfer to the picture to understand. Different correction techniques require the handler to hold the leash and harness differently. Japanese curry rice, salad and oranges was the menu for lunch. The sun was glaring as I walked without using a white cane for the first time. The different verbal queues were the orders as we walked through three intersections with Shotaro San playing Juno. Every training will have pictures taken for keep sake as permission was granted by the school and my fellow trainees, all of whom were receiving their 2nd or 3rd guide dogs. Among them, Ms Michiko could converse in English, be it limited and I limited Japanese. Certain days, we shared the communal bathing facility due to the lack of time for life was quite regulated. I shall follow up with subsequent post with regard to my training and Life after Nice becomes apart of me.