Today is the start of a new and beautiful beginning. It started when I said yes.

I am a day away from a brand new me... I am just missing a pair of white shoes. Perhaps I can get it over the weekend. Just in case you are wondering what the heck I am talking about -- I will be baptized on the 11th of April. It has been 11 months of waiting and the day has finally arrived.

It all started with delivering an order of cupcakes on 3rd June. Funnily that night, we decided to park our car far from church. When we were about to leave, it started to rain. It didn't look as if the heavy downpour would end soon. We didn't have any umbrella and there was no where else to go. Chip asked if I would like to stay for the RCIA orientation. I shrugged. I did not want to stay and it showed in my face. But what else was there to do with such heavy rain? The idea of getting soaked was not an option. So, I agreed to stay reluctantly. After the short orientation session,  we had our small chats, introductions and small bites. When it all ended, the rain stopped. It wasn't so bad, I thought. What's one hour of my time?

That one hour of my time on 3rd June is now a lifetime commitment I have with God. It is a wonderful feeling. My fellow classmates and I are all elated about receiving our first communion. We even had a rehersal last Tuesday on how to accept the host with our tongue. How funny it is to have adults teaching adults how to 'eat' as if we were infants.

It is a new beginning for all of us. Welcome to my new life, my new chapter.

I got this from Mil's and thought, what the heck, I'll try this too (and stole her subject title). We are quite alike except for two aspects. I guess we saw the wizard! (Like, come on, a bear and a spider? That won't shock me).

Your view on yourself:

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

The seriousness of your love:

Your views on education

The right job for you:

How do you view success:

What are you most afraid of:

Who is your true self:

It will be just a month away until I promote myself from an 'Elect' to a 'Catholic'. On Easter, I will be baptized. Time sure flies. I wished I had written about my 10th month journey as an enquirer, a cathecumen, an elect (I know, all the jargons!), my months of struggle to search for a confirmation name (i.e. a middle name if you already have an English one) and my growing faith in Him. Every time I think back about how I was 'found', it leaves a smile on my face. All along, it was in His plans that I would be where I am today. The path I chose before was never a straight road. It had plenty of bumps and obstacles and I have always taken the longer route rather than the expressway. But perhaps it was meant to be that way; the blueprint He has for me.

Last Saturday, me and my other 'classmates' attended the Rites of Election ceremony in St. Ignatius. It was a short ceremony where our names were called out infront of the congregation to witness our signing of the 'agreement'. The next day, we were joined by other RCIA groups from other Catholic churches from the Central region at the St. John's Cathedral. The ceremony was headed by the Archbishop of Malaysia. If you are wondering what this ceremony is all about, here's a short description from Wiki:

...The Rite of Election or Enrolment of Names for those who are unbaptized. This is a very significant and important step in the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. It is usually celebrated on the First Sunday of Lent at the local Diocesan Cathedral, led by the local Bishop. All of the Catechumens and Candidates, their Godparents (for Catechumens) and Sponsors (for Catechumens and Candidates) gather together on this day. It often involves hundreds of people coming together for this occasion. The Church formally ratifies the Catechumens' readiness for the Sacraments of Initiation, and the Candidates' readiness to be received into full Communion with the Catholic Church. In turn the Catechumens - from now on known as the Elect - publicly acknowledge their desire to receive the Sacraments of Initiation, and the Candidates' their desire to be received into full Communion with the Catholic Church.

There must have been a couple of hundreds at the Cathedral. I like that the ceremony was conducted in four languages!  During the homily, the Archbishop spoke in English and then in Tamil. Then an Indian priest delivered the same speech but in Mandarin and BM!

How amazing is that?! It is also the first time I sang hymns in BM and had to listen to prayer recitals in the other vernacular languages. Definitely an eye opener to me! This is truly all God's work. His love have no boundaries.

It was unbelievably stuffy because the church does not have any air-conditioning. The wall fan were of no help too since we were all packed like sardines. Here we are with the Archbishop after the ceremony. I'm so glad Chip came along to capture these special moments for me.