23.2.09

Heading to where the heart belongs

Click here to see my new blog - We are now here, there and all over

21.2.09

Re-living...

...journey to church

The journey to our US church and the journey to our church back home is very diferent. I have always enjoyed driving to church because the drive there is simply awesome...there is a great reluctance to leave these behind...




I believe this is a funeral home. We will sure to pass by this place on our way to church. It's always so serene


Lots of ducks migrating


Guess what are these?


They are snow geese. We managed to see them just before leaving

...food

We also went through the various food places which we have enjoyed all our meals while we were here...

The Asian Bistros was where we always go when we were in desperate need of Asian food.
They served the most original Asian dishes. Everyone we brought there to eat, have only praises for the food.
From the locals to our Singaporean friends, they all loved the food. We have also made good friends with the owners of the restaurant.
They were very sad to see us leave.





The Cracker Barrel was one of the first few restaurants we visited when we first arrived. We loved this place because
1) the food portion is just right 2) there are at least 3 sides disheswhich you can pick 3) the corn bread is simply delicious
4) the ambience is great, it kind of brings you back to the old cowboy cafe 5) it has a unique shop filled with all kinds
of vintage nick-nacks and of course the service is superb!


This Picasso place serves some of the best pizzas and pastas in town.



These are our favourites - mussels in marinara sauce and calamari in marinara sauce

...space

One final look at the beautiful and vast spaces which surrounded us all through the year which also allowed us to witness the beauty of God's creations.




And these moments..dh driving and the kids sleeping behind...will not be repeated because we have realised that public transportation is
the greatest invention of mankind for mankind


...roads

To all our friends and families, they all know that both dh and I am licenced, qualified drivers but not at all experienced simply because we are not car owners...we have always thought that having a car is a burden and not a necessity especially when we live at such a convenient location back home. This past one year in US, we were forced to drive, like it or not, car is a must and this has turned us into very experienced drivers, in fact, looking back, I kind of admire our guts especially dh's. We were constantly forced to drive in unimaginable road conditions...


When you are driving and controlling the car but the car is not responding but moving on its own, fear just grips you especially when you have your kids
with you but... He is always watching over us and guiding us

We have indeed grown spiritually, mentally and emotionally. As dh and I went through the past year, we talked about the best that have come out of this trip. On his job front, it was definitely a great opportunity for his colleagues to see how he worked and his hard work has been appreciated. Kai's and Ann's education took on a new form, they had the chance to be soaked and embraced by mother nature and they have seen what life out of Singapore is all about...I am definitely a better cook now, I have helped Kai published his first book and I have come out of my comfort zone...I will now only have one fear and that is...
The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding...Psalm 111:10


Where will we go from now? As the Lord leads..."As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts...Isaiah 55:9









19.2.09

the first and the last

When we first arrived and were still living out of our luggages, the Loves invited us to their home for lunch. Barb and Bob Love are retirees and since day one, they have treated us like their kids and Kai and Ann like their grandkids. I call them 'angels' sent by God.

Now that we are leaving and living out of our luggages again, the Loves invited us to their Love cottage for the last time, to have dinner.

While driving there, I was asking everyone which was the best place they have visited and most loved...dh said the Niagara Falls, Kai said the Bear Creek, for me it was the Poconos mountains in autumn and little Ann said, auntie Barb's house!

Yes, the kids love the Love's cottage, they are very comfortable there and it has since become their second US home.


Now, you can understand why they love this cottage

18.2.09

The wonderful thing about being Christians...there is no farewell, only "see you soon"

One thing we will surely miss...our home church in the US. The little chapel on the hilltop. We wonder if we can get use to our big church back home after being so comfortable in a small church perched on a hilltop. We have made wondeful friends in this little church and the friends here will be sorely missed.

This church brought us back to the basics of Christian living, this church brought us back to the simplicity of life...practically every message that was preached was simple yet spoke volumes and easily applicable. Worship was great with simple musical instruments, sometimes, off-key singers...but all done from the heart. God isn't really interested in perfect singers or high tech instrutments...He just want to bring us back to the heart of worship.

We are the only Chinese in this church but we have never stuck out like sore thumbs because the people there made us feel so welcomed, so accepted since day one. The wonderful thing about being in Christ is that there are no strangers in the body of Christ and even if we don't meet again in this place, we know we will meet someday in the heavenly mansion!

Evangel Assembly - the little chapel on the hilltop





The wonderful people


Inside the chapel during worship. This lady plays the flute most beautifully...it's most angelic

These wonderful people have never made us felt left out. In fact, they made us felt very much loved and accepted.

'Thank you' is not sufficient to express how grateful we are towards their friendship, love and concern. We can only pray that the kindness they have showed to us will be returned to them in two folds, three folds...a hundred folds. May our paths cross again in this world without strangers.

'you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God'.... Ephesians 2: 19

9 March 2008, I wrote this in my blog. Looking back, God has kept His promise, I have indeed saw the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.




We also say good-bye to our crappy car

Remember our little crappy car? Crappy it might be but it sure has served us very well. Of course, we couldn't bring it with us, we sold it to neighbour who needed it. This car made us wonder why do people pay hefty sum to buy a brand new car which is used to transport us from spot A to spot B. Guess, we will never understand because we are basically not car lovers!


The kids affectionately called it 'pop's crappy car'. That's pops and his car.

...this is home for now...


We thank God that the company is very kind to provide us with temporary lodging ... we are given two joining rooms so that we would not be too cramped up


These are all we have...and one luggage is filled with nothing but books. When you have kids with huge appetite for reading...books are precious