Balloons, cupcakes, flowers and love.

“They gave not only what they could afford, but far more.

And they did it out of their own free will… You know the generous grace of our God.

Though he was rich, yet for your sakes, he became poor,

so that by his poverty he could make you rich…

Right now you have plenty and can help those who are in need.

Later, they will have plenty and can share with you when you need it…

Those who gathered a lot had nothing left over, and those who gathered only a little had enough.”

– A Call to Generous Giving, 2 Cor 8: 2,9,12, 14

When we first made the decision, it wasn’t easy. But we knew we had to, and wanted to do it. If we were truly convicted of the cause God had called us to, then surely we had to be sure that He would provide for us when we stepped out to obey.

Weddings are a hefty business. And in spite of us keeping things relatively simple, reserving a venue and gathering people together for food to share a story we hope will touch, inspire and ignite a dying flame in some hearts cost money. All out friends kept reassuring us, “Don’t worry, you’ll make it back”, as if it were an investment that would reap returns if only we were patient enough. In Singapore, we call monetary gifts “ang pow” or red packets. “Don’t worry, your ang pows should cover your cost.”

One day we looked at each other and said, “Shall we do this?”It was unanimous and we never looked back. That day, we made a decision, to give all the money we received from the wedding to Daughters of Cambodia, a ministry we visited two months ago which helps bring hope and healing to girls trapped in sex trafficking.

Has it been difficult? Yes and No. Yes- when a close family friend who had been like a second father figure to me during the tumultuous years of my life gave us a large sum of money, it felt disappointing to be unable to keep what I knew he had so preciously laid aside for us. But we both had peace in our hearts, that that sum was not to be kept. We decided to keep only those from immediate family members because they had specifically instructed us to, our of respect, love and honour for them.

No, because as monetary gifts started trickling in, we realized how sufficient we were in our needs. In between planning for the wedding, we watched videos about the atrocities of trafficked children and their lives. When we compared ourselves with them, a thousand dollars might bring a non-profit organization closer to reaching their goals of helping more abused children escape from this dark life, while the same amount might just buy us a TV console, a living room with a parquet floor maybe.

A few days ago, a special blog reader offered to sponsor all our flowers. Two nights ago, the man renting us the venue for our cosy dinner told us he would waive the fee. A professional videographer who read our story online decided to make a video (which will be screened at the wedding) of our testimony at no cost. A friend offered to lend us his white convertible as the bridal car for the day. A friend from long-ago recently asked if she could set up a small station giving out a free flow of cotton candy during our wedding. Another friend offered to sponsor our balloons. Our parents sponsored the bridal package, and it was a another friend who did our pre-wedding photography out of goodwill. Four thousand copies of my third picture book have also been fully sponsored by two of my professors.

Just yesterday at work, a few seniors asked me why I wasn’t yet taking more leave to prepare for the wedding. I then realized it was because of the people who have and are putting in time, effort and love to organize, to rally, to pay, to coordinate, to call, to text message, to make arrangments… all on our behalf. Delia, our wedding coordinator is running the programme; Sarah, a mom whom I became friends with recently because her son told her that he wanted to be my pageboy, sewed the flower girls’ hairbands and coordinated the pageboys’ outfit; Kat and my 3 bridesmaids are taking care of the decorations and organizing a group of people to set up the place for Saturday. At one point, there was no one helping for the decorations and no flowers to speak of. Now, we have more than fifteen pairs of hands just volunteering to put up decorations on a public holiday, a day before the wedding and fully sponsored flowers.

God has, and will always provide enough for us.

Some people asked why we chose to do so. Cliff instead asks why we shouldnotdo so. Our wedding may not be, by doctor standards, anywhere near lavish, but I do think it has been an extravagant display of God’s abundance and grace.

So we give. We continue to give and pray for 65’000 USD to be raised for project, to build a missionary guesthouse for “Daughters of Cambodia” so the creation of jobs can allow more girls to be rescued and work in safe conditions, in dignity.

Once, Cliff and I watched a sermon by Francis Chan entitled “DON’T focus on the Family“. He talked about how we try to save and hoard and lead comfortable lives in the name of “protecting our families” or “giving our children a good education”. We buy nice homes, send them to top schools, buy big cars, do plenty of bible study with them, without ever teaching them values of giving up all their savings for the poor, ever organizing the family to a shelter to give out free food or ever taking them on a mission trip. When we focus on the family, it is almost as if we do it a greater disservice as we lose the values of God-centred living and impart to them instead, values of holding on to possessions, and safety. And when we “don’t” in that strange way, somehow, going through those common and unique experiences of hardship to give up something for the needy has a more powerful bonding power than any other.

In the same way, I think God has told us to let go, not to focus on the wedding, but on Him. And through prayer and obedience, sacrifice and struggling, we have become closer to Him, and to each other.

And He has blessed us.

It has not all been a walk in the park, nonetheless. Because our wedding is intensely personal, because we are sharing our story, and raising funds, and doing a book launch, with the intention of inspiring and igniting… we have no template to follow but God’s leading for us.  More time than usual was needed to prepare, but God sent many helpers along the way to take things off our hands.

We give, because He gave. Though God was rich, yet for our sakes, he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make us rich. In the same way, should we not then also emulate His love by sharing, and by giving?

While what we are doing may sound radical to some, it really isn’t. We have been blessed with a beautiful home, money to visit Cambodia, and plenty to spare. In giving to the poor, we have not yet, like Christ, become poor. Were we not fully sacrificial? Yet, I also see the beauty and abundance of God’s love, that He is always enough, He is more than enough.

We have balloons, cupcakes, flowers, and most of all, love.

So to all of you reading this, we hope to see you there tomorrow at

1030am, Cornerstone Community Church, Odeon Katong, S428722.

He is more than enough.