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| "following the Lims" - Seth, me, and Z |
Today I had a surprise lunch date with Adeline and Seth (church
administrator and her 5-year-old son). Seth
opened the car door and ran at me for a run-and-jump hug, marking the progress of
our friendship from the early days of shy-then-besties. (Aren't kids great?!?) In a flash I was hit with the reality of
having to leave so many friends we have become close to over this year. It’s funny how things can hit so abruptly at
times.
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| Brother Ben and his pack: 6 of The Jacobson 7 |
About a year ago it was my brother
Ben, sister-in-law Vanessa, and their three kiddos who made the reality of us
leaving sink in: they were all donning Twins gear and announced that the pack
of 3 would grow to 5 in a few months’ time.
Zach and I are down to 15 days before we fly out of KLIA and make our way back to Minnesota. It’s a happy/sad time as we enjoy farewell celebrations with our congregations and look forward to seeing those we have missed from home (and meeting new ones!). It is always good to return home, but there’s no denying that for the last year this has been our home. We have made many friends and shared countless times of good fellowship, seen and done more than we could have dreamed this year would entail, and adapted well to living in this place. With the all the papers, reports, evaluations, and random other paperwork to do as we prepare to leave, I have lots on my mind. Here’s today's treasured memories list:
-Caramel popcorn from the Baliwood theater on our walk home
in the evenings.
-Chicken rice with Willie and May, and Yanti – who know our orders and more importantly share our smiles.
-Opening Scripture to discuss a controversial passage while at a friend/congregation member’s home.
-A 60th birthday party that included time for worship, complete with Amazing Grace sung to the tune of House of the Rising Sun.
-Walking to the LRT (train) in the pouring rain, only to walk back home again.
-Farewell dinner with the young adults from Z’s church: Japanese food, Zach’s first round of sushi.
-Present highlight: going through Jonah with the teens in Sunday School – love it!
-Chocolate-covered strawberries in Cameron Highlands, and visiting our partner congregation – endless games with the kiddos, and cooking with the ladies.
-The tsk-tsk-tsk of the lizards, jerking their tails as the chatter. They’ve gotten rather friendly, and one ran out beside my foot and paused to gawk at the towering beast attached to it.
-The wasp that built a nest on Zach’s chair – so speedy – a little home and then a round doorway to stuff a caterpillar in, seal it up and start the next one.
-The haze – Zach waking up and heading out of the room thinking his glasses were fogged up. Can’t breathe. Worse inside our bungalow because it isn’t air-tight and then gets trapped inside. Extra outings to avoid the haze – only to find it lingering in the malls and everywhere else as well.
-Gathering around food – growing up in a close family that truly enjoys sharing meals together, I’ve always appreciated gathering around food. Malaysia, however, has managed to bring this to a new level.
-Learning to cook chicken rice and Chinese food at our friends’ houses.
-Free time in shopping mall movie theaters as a reprieve from the heat.
-Stations of the Cross at BLC. Absolutely fantastic.
-First Fridays at BLC. Treasured times.
-My peanut obsession this year – knowing the good brands of peanuts at all the local grocery stores, a new one for me. (And I’m done with peanuts now for a LONG while.)
-New favorite foods of mine: chicken rice, mutton rendang, dry curry pan mee, dim sum – especially the yam ones, banana leaf rice, sotong (calamari/squid), lemon cookies, ice lime tea…
-Hosting Peter and Phil and others at the bungalow.
-We do most of our shopping at a Chinese Medicine Shop, Tong Woh, which has Rootbeer, bread, muesli, and peanut butter/jam: our essentials (since we rarely eat at home).
-Zach and I have both been sick a lot this year. A few months in a wanted to try a local remedy for my illness, and Zach ventured off to the Chinese medicine shop. The guy at the counter responded to his inquiry: Panadol, second floor. *Not what I was hoping for.* J
I thank God for the opportunity we have had this year on internship, and for the Holy Spirit's presence as we live out our days here. It has been far more than we hoped it would be. It has been a blessing for us as newlyweds, as well – facing a very new place with countless joys and challenges that we get to experience together. I am excited for the positive impact I know this year will have for us in ministry and the congregations we serve, as family members, friends, and parents, in our community involvement, and so many countless other ways. What an absolute blessing this has been. Life truly is wonderful.
