Dialect Worshippers Retreat 2025
More than 50 persons attended this Dialect event on July 19th, which we refer to as Worshippers Retreat. As the elderly are not suited for overseas travel, which would require us to get written permission from their children (a reversal of roles from when they were young and it was their children who needed the written Consent Form), the Dialect Team opted to hold the Retreat in JCC ‒ a safe, local venue.
It’s a familiar challenge for the Dialect Team when organizing any retreat or event: balancing the needs of attendees. We always consider their mobility, physical limitations, financial constraints, and personal preferences. When Karen proposed the idea of a popiah party in early 2025, many thought it was a good idea, likely to attract many Dialect worshippers. However, the $10 per person cost may have deterred some. On the day of the event, we realized that our less mobile attendees were unable to queue to collect and fold their popiahs. Without hesitation, the Dialect Team quickly stepped in, collecting and folding the popiah for these individuals.
The retreat was scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm, but the early birds started arriving by noon, with most attendees there well before the official start time. The program kicked off with an introduction by Deacon Nathan, followed by two worship songs led by Florence. Immediately after, an exercise warm-up routine began, followed by elderly-friendly games ‒ though not for those with significant mobility issues.
After the games, Jonathan Tan (son of Thomas) gave a 40-minute presentation on elderly health issues in Hokkien. The elders appreciated that this young man was able to conduct the talk entirely in Hokkien.
Deacon Nathan shared a short Gospel message. Then, the elders were given some materials to make a coaster. It was quite interesting, and the helpers had fun creating some artistic coasters for their “bosses” – the elders themselves. The food started flowing when the creative activity ended.
First on the menu was laksa then followed by popiah and kueh pai tee, accompanied by coffee or tea. The meal was completed with orh nee for dessert.
As the event ended, I was pleasantly surprised to see some of the guests helping to stack the tables and chairs, returning them to their designated spots in MPH1.
It was wonderful to see the elderly energized, feeling young once more.
Words cannot express what YouTube can show better:
https://youtu.be/3J99XcMFzDM (All the action)
https://youtu.be/s5elYCkGuv8 (Health talk by Jon)
Martin Cheah
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