"Faith means striking out, with no clear end in
sight and
perhaps no clear view of the next step.
It means following, trusting, holding out a hand to
an invisible Guide ...
A step always remains beyond the range of light."
~ Philip Yancey ~
“Reaching for the Invisible God”
Dear Family and Friends...
Hello there! This is Eugene and (Siew) Yen Wong. We are honoured to send you our very first newsletter to keep you informed on what's happening with us.
Please contact us at eugene.yen@theorderedsteps.com as we would love to hear from you! Do let us know if you would like to continue to receive news about us.
Our website is currently under construction. We will let you know once it is up and running.
Pre-India
Early in the year, we had purposed in our heart that we would make a trip to India. It was thus, on a cool Wednesday afternoon in May that we booked our tickets to India. From there, things started to happen. We met with our church pastors and they connected us with several people. Suddenly, we realized that there were many people doing business in India who had the same kingdom mindset. There were many who have paved the way for us and set a trail as an example. What was initially an isolated idea now became part of a bigger plan. The once-foggy picture in our minds was now clearing up to be a picture of clarity and direction.
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Stepping into India
Wednesday 16th June
The Indian summer heat greeted us as we stepped out of the New Delhi International Airport. We were finally in India! There to welcome us amongst the crowd was Mark Syn and his son Nathan, friends whom we had made through Tim and Heidi Sullivan. Mark put us in a cab and brought us to the hotel we were to put up at for the night. We met Ruth, his wife and Elizabeth, their toddler. Our first night in India – it was a wonderful feeling to be in India. And thank God the hotel room had air condition!
Thursday 17th June
Our first trip out with the Syns was to Janphath, a place popular for street-side shopping and cultural artifacts. The ride on the auto-rickshaw was enough to scare any driver, but everyone on the road seemed to know how to break the rules ‘legally’ and harmlessly. New Delhi was booming with life, and the locals, undeterred by the heat, carried on with their daily lives. After dinner, we went on a 9-hour train ride with the Syns to Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, where they call home. We were so tired we slept like logs on the train.
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Lucknow
Friday 18th June - Sunday 20th June 
Arriving at Lucknow at 7 a.m. allowed us to embrace this city with all its sights and sounds. The city was wide-awake with vehicles, people and cows everywhere. We spent time in Lucknow visiting a village, a mausoleum, and a shopping area about 10 times bigger than Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur. The experience at the Muslim mausoleum was eye opening. There were people from various religious backgrounds who had come to pray to the dead, believing that their prayers would be answered after conducting certain rituals. It was frustrating to see so much emptiness in a land so rich with customs and traditions, and not be able to share the Truth that could fill their emptiness.
Change of Plans
Sunday 20th June – noon 
The train system in India is one of the biggest in the world, and for a country that is so stricken with poverty, it was impressive to see that if you had a confirmed ticket, your name would actually be on a list on the carriage. Quite a feat for a country with millions of people traveling on the trains daily! Unfortunately, our tickets for the next part of our travels were not confirmed, and we had to forego our plans to visit Orissa. It was back to the Syns to look for an alternative travel plan. Although disappointed that our plans were foiled, we had peace that there was never a mistake with the Master's Plan.
Tuesday 22nd June - Wednesday 23rd June
We travel for 9 hours by third class non air-condition train back to New Delhi to take a train the next day to Chennai. The train journey to New Delhi was the most trying part. But it gave us a chance to taste a part of India that we would never have tasted if our plans were not changed. It was right there in the train that we witnessed how daily Indian life would be…habits, lifestyle, and practices, intermingled with the heat, sounds and sights of India…all within 9 hours of travel. After a day in Delhi, we travel for a day and a half by train to Chennai.
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Chennai
Friday 25th June - Sunday 27th June 
We arrived in Chennai at 7 a.m. eager to step on solid ground as we had been on a moving vehicle for the past 36 hours! We were greeted by staff from the YWAM base at Kotivakkam, Chennai. We spent the next couple of days in Chennai meeting some really fantastic people – leaders and staff at the YWAM base, and Jochen Tewas, and John Sisson. These are men and women who have committed their lives to serving God in India by serving the people of India. We have learnt so much from them, and are encouraged by their dedication and devotion to this nation.
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End of Travels
Monday 28th June
As we fly to Kuala Lumpur, it was hard to believe that we have been in India. India is a fascinating country. And we want to return one day soon. You must be there to experience India for yourself!
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