Gracehill Orchard Lodge - Bkt Tinggi

It was jamming from the Federal Highway towards the roundabout to Jalan Maharaja Lela after work on Friday 29 August(just a day before merdeka eve) 8.35pm, I was on my way to fetch my wife at BBC club at KiaPeng, after about more than half an hour I reached there and we took off through Jalan Ampang and then we met another jam there. It's quite tense, wanting to reach Bukit Tinggi as early as possible before midnight. Wonder how long will it take to get there. The place we are going to spend a night at, which both of us were invited by our cell leader, Ong Hock Siew, it's call Gracehill Orchard Lodge.

As what has been described by Bro Hock Siew of his lodge, he said he and a group of people help build up the place, I imagined it like somewhere deep in the jungle, up the hills, and partly like the kampung huts build by the natives (orang asli), those type of design, simple and somehow raw. Furthermore, the whole place is like totally remote from the city area, all you can see and hear is birds, insects, and possibly roaring sound of a tiger or whatever.

After much of twist and turn along the Genting road, also with the help of a my own hand-drawn map guided by Bro Hock Siew, we made it at the guard house at the entrance of Berjaya Hills. There are 2 roads, and we have to take the right one, apparently, it is the nearest to the lodge. But, the thing is there are barrier made of cones and a 'Di Larang Masuk' sign, so I have to get down of the car and move some of the cones aside to go through. After that, I drove about a few yards and we saw the side of the roads, a landslide. Luckily, it only cover up half of the road. Then, we have to go through the darkness for about 15 mins before we reached the entrance of the Orchard Farm arch as described. It was an eerie pitch black, just like the Blair witch Project movie kinda thing. I wasn't scare but I was excited! This reminded me of my days in college, when I stayed at Tmn Melawati near Phase 5, I used to walk with group of housemates to deep jungle near the dam for midnight swim, it was really fun!
Any way, we enter the arch, the road is really rough, it has only one lane and grass growing in the middle of it, and bushes and trees creeping in like it's going to grab anyone who walks through it. I'm thinking wow, can my car go through? Looks more like a 4x4 or a jeep can only make it. It must be really some kind of hardcore lodge.

After struggling through the path for some 300m ahead, we finally saw some light. It was from a shabby kind of residential house usually found at kampung area. But when we got nearer, it wasn't what it seems. It's the lodge! The Gracehill Orchard Lodge. Well then I parked my car. The tarmac area only can accommodate a few cars.... some few car! There was a white Porche turbo there and a 4x4 and Bro Ong own Mercedes Benz S class. We step out of the car, he came out to greet us, as his usual self cheerful as always. He then invited us to meet some of his friends.

Shekinah! Shekinah!

When I met my wife in year 1999, I wasn't a christian, but she already is. Her christian faith at that time still weak as she also came from a taois family. And she got converted when her college mates took her to church, long time ago.

She began asking me to accompany her to church one day, we didn't go often then, it was just once in a blue moon kind of thing on some special occasions only. Later, after a few more years passed, after we got married, though it wasn't a christian way because I am not a believer yet, we were then introduced by a close friend to a church at nearby Sunway. Then we started to attend every Sundays. My wife's faith build up but I wasn't that really much. I would listen to the pastors' preaching and go through bible for more knowledge about christ. Then I started to tag along and sing with the church. Slowly trying to understand more. But what really stunt me was my wife's silence murmuring when there's a praying going on during service. Not just her, but the rest as well.

This goes on many times, until one day at home, I asked her why she did that. She told me that it is call "Speaking in Tongue". It is usually an uttering of words that aren't any language that we understood but only that it came from our spirit within. So, I follow as how she described. At first, my words are very much controlled, I knew what I was doing until slowly, the words turned into running... faster than I could control it, my lips are moving. I could not comprehend because for the first time it seems like my mind aren't doing anything just sit and watch the whole process. My body felt warm all the sudden. Especially at the neck and shoulder area. I'm starting to feel a bit drowsy, then as I was in the midst, I heard in my mind, there is a word shouting repeatedly. I don't know what's going on but my mind was uttering that word on and on. Then I felt very happy, tremendously. Full of spirit! Just like singing songs in my mind. That was it. I didn't tell my wife, later. I told her I was just 'practicing'.

Then there's one Sunday, we went to church as usual, worshiping the Lord and as we were singing, I noticed something on the church office door. The handwritten word of a marker pen on a small piece of yellow cardboard paper pasted on it. It was the the exact word that I remember very well when I was 'practicing'. "Shekinah" it says. And under it, a small sentence that says 'Glory to the Lord'. I was shocked, disbelieved. I mean, I haven't seen or read this word from anywhere, how could I know? And I didn't even really notice the church office door before.

After the service, I told my wife quickly. And later told the church pastor. He was surprised. He says the it's a hebrew word for 'dwell' or 'settle' that the glory of the Lord be filled in the tabernacle. I became astonished to God's mightiness, how this spiritual journey with God has spawn from me. It's amazing! In my life I've never so far experience such an encounter.

I've watched many movies and read books about the scientific teory of existence. All of it has no end conclusion. But this is God's proof for me that His realm is REAL. And we are under it. And I thought back, when I was speaking in tongue the other day for the first time, I was actually shouting 'Glory to the Lord' many times and rejoicing the word the whole entire time. What a way for God to choose the right word to come contact with me!

This is how my journey begins.

Amen.