Back Home

Last night I spent my first night at home having moved out of my College's apartment that I had stayed for exactly one year from the third week of June 2023. It was a pleasant experience for there is nothing like home. I don't have to think of travelling back and forth from home to the College's apartment anymore, though in the past year, at most I spent one night at home in two or three weeks as I was fully occupied at College. Even now during the final days of my 28-day annual leave I had not set foot in the College's library which I thought I would do to check on some references on my future commentary on John's Gospel (13-21).

Moving House (Final)

The past has to be let go before we can fully enjoy the present and lay in store what the future holds. I am now in the final phase of my moving out when my wife and I cleared out everything yesterday except the microwave which I will take in my final trip home in the next few days. I need to use the library for a few days to justify my 12-month sojourn in STS without writing anything except an essay during my last year’s Semester break. Both my Song of Songs’ and Galatians commentary reprint have recovered their costs and I sold half of Tuhan Tritunggal for which I had printed 500 copies. The next few months I might just go outstation to sell my books among the churches.

24 Hours

There was a show called "24 hours" which I enjoyed some years ago. It showed how the drama unfolds within 24 hours. I face a similar situation and I hope I can move all my things out by 12 noon tomorrow. It was already delayed by one whole week due to some unforseen circumstances. There are many small bits and pieces lying around in the house. I have a 27inch monitor hooked up to a M1 Mac mini which I bought 4 years ago and that is my main desktop computer which I will remove from my office once the grades are submitted early tomorrow morning.

3 More Times

I have kept to my side of the bargain. I told myself that I would not take more than 2 weeks to move all my belongings from my College's apartment back home. I have made the 11th trip today, with help from a couple of old friends, removed my heavy washing machine back home. It took several hours with sweet fellowship in between. We started with a drinks' break before ending for lunch. Yet without my friends' help I might have just left the machine there as it is too heavy for me and wife to carry even for 50 feet from the house to the lift and onto the car or truck. I am reminded that in this life we need friends. In fact, for this friend, he texted me about 2 weeks ago about visiting me and offered to help me. And it happened today, by God's grace.

10 Days

I spent exactly 14 days in New Zealand before returning to Sabah at the end of May 2023. I spent the time with my son who was working at home (started the day I arrived until I left - how convenient by God's grace). I thought I needed to spend some time with him before he embarked on his wedding planned at the end of 2023. Everything went according to plan, and as a dad I had done my duty, so my good friend noted in Singapore now that my son is independent and working in Auckland and supporting a wife as well who should find work after she gets her driver's licence. And now I have 10 days left in my apartment and I do not want to leave on the last day, giving a few days' breathing space. By this Friday I should finish marking my papers.

Last Legs

My legs are still holding up. I have been carrying many boxes of books and stuff. Almost 20 boxes on my last count to pack my stuff back home from my College's residence. Soon it won't be my College but former College. It is also the shortest time I have served anywhere unless I count my one-year stay in Melangkap in the beginning of my "career" in Christ as a lecturer in an interior Bible College before being elected Treasurer-General. It comes a full circle. Even my short pastorate in Ranau was one year and three months before I concentrated full-time to serve at the SIB College in Namaus, about 20 mins from Ranau town.

The Last Good-byes

I thought three weeks ago, the faculty photo would be my last photo before I leave this place for good. But today there was a group of visitors and I joined them for lunch entering in the hall a few minutes before the event ended. As we walked out of the auditorium after taking a photo with the visiting Seminarians (35 or 36 Professors from PUTS), I happened to walk beside one Professor and with my usual cheerful self, I introduced myself and we chatted as we walked for lunch. I was told that his PhD was from a German University and his thesis is published in German. I thought I should give him a couple of books since the only OT commentary in English that I wrote is in the Song of Solomon so I gave him a copy of that and also Departure Points.

Preaching on Sunday (Micah 5:5)

I preached on Sunday for about 50 minutes. The praise and worship did not begin until 9.40am after a 9am start. Only at about 10.20am I was called up to the pulpit and preached a sermon titled, "True Wisdom" or in Malay "Hikmat yang benar" from James 3:13-17.  I did not expound on the whole passage because I wanted to speak on another three passages from other parts of the Bible. First, I spoke about what true wisdom entails according to the apostle James. Then, I expounded on James 3 and said that true wisdom, a wisdom from heaven is proven by the life we live according the fruits thereof. It is just words but actions or deeds of wisdom in gentleness. I explained what heavenly wisdom is, peaceful, easy to appease, not raucous, not jealous or self-seeking because where there is envy and self-interest, there is disorder or disunity and every kind of evil (James 3;17).

School Reunion in Sandakan

Our reunion ended two days ago on Saturday night and we had a time of our lives in the town of my birth. On Saturday I met my best friend in St Mary’s Primary and Sec school. I sat in his Mercedes Benz. I told him in the past fortnight I sat in two Mercedes Benzes, first with a pastor in KL who took me to Sepang in his Mercedes and on Saturday I spent more two hours with my good friend whom I had not met for nearly 40 years. We conversed like old buddies as if we never separated.

Sandakan’s Places of Interest

It is already the third and final day of our School reunion. We are about to visit our former School, St Mary’s Secondary School in Labuk mile 2 from Sandakan town centre. Yesterday we had a full day of activities. But lunch I was feeling the effects of touring the research centre of Sepilok centre where more than 100 researchers do their work on forestry, woods, insects, rainfall stations and conservation. After 90 mins’ tour we went to see the Sun bear conservation centre where we saw 6 sun bears being nourished by conservationists.

Moving On

First time in eight years I am going for a holidays, though I am still preaching on Sunday. The divine necessity that I preach whether it is holiday or not is upon me as it a holy calling. More than two years ago, some of my school mates and I talked about organising a reunion. In fact, it was supposed to be last year in June 2023, but postponed to today a year later. I am in the airport with my wife and we shall be flying shortly to Sandakan. Then it will be three days' reunion meetings, mostly lunches and dinners.

Moving House (5)

This is my second last trip back home with my books and with one more trip all my books will be back home to where they belong. It is only 13kms from the Seminary to my house but it is carrying the boxes of books that is my burden literally and metaphorically. How did I collect so many books? I just realized I sold more than half of 500 copies of Tuhan Tritunggal printed and it is special when a church member told me yesterday that he was really blessed by my books. As the music was loud I could not carry on a conversation even if I had wanted to. It is incredible this moving house business and I don’t fancy doing that past 60 years old. Per chance it will be my last time, God willing for He knows our frame and our frailty. Here am I Lord. Send me.

Moving House (4)

I thought I was going to rest today but I needed to keep up the momentum of moving house. It was morning exercise once more carry four boxes of my books from the Seminary to my home. On my way I stopped by for a drink to replenish my energy. In less than 6 days I shall be going for my school reunion and am glad more than half of books are back home and after my Sandakan trip it will be more household items to bring home. I may even do a garage sale like I did in Auckland when notified of my appointment less than three weeks before the start.