Nine Years On

In a couple of months' time, it will be 9 years since I have left Singapore and returned to Sabah to serve with my Church on the mission field. Within the 9 years, I have been in active service only for 6 years which shows how crazy the times have been, especially during the pandemic. Thrice, I had to wait for my next appointment with significant time lapse between ministry appointments. But did I relax or do nothing? Surely not! For during these times of "inactivity" I was most active in writing and publishing four books. Anyone would tell you that if one could write one book in three years, it would have been an achievement; but by God's grace I have been blessed fourfold. I realised that in the past year, my gifting has always been preaching like the 3 years when I served as Treasurer-General almost three decades ago, whereby I travelled into 66 villages throughout Sabah and preached 300 sermons.

This past year, perhaps I have only preached 30 sermons over 12 months, but it is not unsubstantial especially in these challenging times of Covid-19 and so-called endemicity of the disease that will hang around for some time. 

So in my 10th year back in Sabah, I will start a new ministry in a new place, strangely enough, a place so familiar that I once called home for two years during my thesis writing and completion. And I have used the Seminary's library for over 30 years but only now will return as a full-time lecturer. I would not bet my money on this being my last ministry post since my "memoirs" are titled, "Departure Points" which is the trait in my life and ministry that I have departed and moved from one place to another with a degree of regularity. Even the four short years of my time in Ranau, I have moved three times, twice appointed and re-appointed as lecturer at the College and after exactly 50 months up the mountains, I have returned home in Kota Kinabalu, where I belong.