s. asia
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morning walk to genting.
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arrival at tioman island.
After the retreat, we took a two-hour taxi ride to the coast, then an hour and a half ferry ride from Mersing to Tioman Island. Colorful Mersing. Our first view of Tioman. It definitely felt like we were in a Lost episode. The ferry dropped us off at Paya village, then this little yellow motorboat took the four of us and our suitcases to the resort. There are only 450 residents on Tioman and no roads, so to get anywhere you either hike through the rain-forest, or take a motorboat. Our driver and buddy, Don. Rounding the bend. Sigh. Doesn’t get much better than this. Don pulled us right up…
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malaysia.
Well, we are home, safe and sound. When I think about our trip I want to cry because it was so wonderful. First, as you know, we had our agency’s area retreat, which I’ll get to in a second. Then, because we were already in Malaysia, we took the once-in-a-lifetime chance of a little island vacation afterwards. And that was amazing in a different way because it was just our family at the beach, breathing in the cleanest sea air imaginable, taking long walks and lots of naps in the silence. I didn’t realize how good it would feel to just get away by ourselves for awhile. But, I’m getting…
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uncle ralph visits.
My uncle from FL is in our city this week for some meetings, so we met up with him today and spent the afternoon together. It was so wonderful to catch up with him and to have another member of my family get to see our life here. It makes home seem not quite so far away. Thanks for making time for us, Uncle Ralph! We are leaving in a couple of hours for a week-and-a-half in Malaysia. This week is the Asia/Pacific area retreat for our agency. It happens once every four years, so we are thrilled to catch it during our first year here. After that we head…
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presbytery.
Each month, ten or so pastors meet in and around our city for prayer, studying the Word, denomination business, and since this is South Asia, food. Every three months, the full group of forty pastors from farther abroad gather. Until stronger leadership is developed, this Presbytery (meaning group of elders/pastors) is huge, spanning three states and four languages. In the future it will divide by region and language to facilitate church growth and multiplication in each place. I always enjoy spending time with these brothers. I taught from 2 Timothy 1, on the Spirit of “power and love and self-control.” If you think about it, Timothy’s Ephesus assignment is not…
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happy thirty years old, daddy!
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new friends are here!
Our friends, John and Alison and Joshua (3.5) and Caleb (1.5), arrived in the wee hours of this morning. We had a sweet, relaxing day welcoming them and trying to help them stay awake to recover from jet-lag. Oh Caleb, all of us who have experienced that 25-hour plane trip know exactly how you feel.
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amie and ada.
“Awww, baby Ada’s so cute.” – Amie
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on missing.
Our friends, John and Alison and Joshua and Caleb, are in North Carolina, saying their last good-byes and getting ready to board a plane to move to South Asia. A shiver courses through me as I think back on our own good-byes and leave-taking, just about this time last year. It is one of those experiences (both the leaving and the arriving) I look back on and think, How we did survive it? Yet, when we were living it, God’s grace was enough. Of course. But I surely don’t want to ever go back. When we left home, the grief just filled me up until I thought there wasn’t room…
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today.