Updates

Updates

It’s been a long while and I thought I should update this journey (especially for those whose been catching up with our lives). Also thank you for praying for us and being with us for this journey away from S’pore.

At the moment we're back on our sunny island set in the sea. Lisa’s been busy with transcribing the audio files into text for her project. I been traveling to the most eastern part and most (almost) northern part of Singapore.. so far 8 schools, about 21 interviews (including interviews for previous project), 120 surveys and counting. I can’t remember working so hard this year, though it’s not as stressful as getting ready for the colloquium. God has been looking after us with the data collection phase of our projects. Infact, there are times where I have to be at two places on the same day, so it’s not something that I expect, but our God of miracles and providence, never fail to surprise.

Lisa chose to pay her fees later (my wife said she felt that God wanted her to pay later), it’s really tough time for her, guess she’s never in a position like this- 31 Mar, absolute last day, she’ll be ‘kicked out’ of Uni if she didn’t pay by then. In the most unusual circumstance, exchange rate was lower on the day she TTed the money. Another act of God providing for us. I begin to wonder about the contrasting life we had growing up, we grew up in different family environments. So Lisa’s in such a unfamiliar dilemma and anxiety. What is similar is God always has His ways and plans for us.

Hardened heart, can cry too!

When I was still at UQ in 2003, on father’s day, Lisa texted me to encourage me even though I do not have a physical father, she reminded me that our heavenly father will be with me now and forever. At times like this, when I feel emotional (I think feel like crying), I somehow felt constrained. I still remember my dad’s wake- being the only son (my elder brother died before I attended K1), I was told to lead my dad (in the coffin). I vividly remember even though it’s 25 years ago, that my relatives told me to ‘cry’ while leading the funeral possession to the cremation centre. I did well crying, admittedly ‘crying’ without knowing why I did that. Until this day, I felt the restraint to cry, have you seen me cry before? I do cry inside when I feel the touch of God, otherwise, I think I’m the good old conservative Asian! I hope it’s just not a case of a hardened heart.

My mother

I always felt that I should write about her. Even till this day- my mama never really enjoyed the type of luxury most mums would love to be pampered with. She’s always looking out for us, one recent example would be her withdrawing money when she ‘found’ out that I do not have ‘enough’ money. Her mischievous son wanting to tease her (knowing she didn’t have much) said he didn’t have enough. The rest, I do not have to elaborate, you can visualize what she did next. Despite those hard hard days when I was growing up, where mama brought us up single-handedly, she gave her best for us and mind you she never ever raised her hands on us. Such is the love she has given to my sister and me. Lisa and I felt that we wanted to bring her for a nice tour someday, she always felt an obligation to take care of my nieces. I really want to thank God she has accepted Christ and that I know God will be looking after her as well.