Packing and farewell season (Guess the heaviest item!!!)

The packing was pretty fun, loading in food, personal hobbies (climbing gears and rollerblades), clothes, books and all the necessary items... A bit of a joker, as I wondered what was to be put into suitcase and what was to be put into airfreight. Thus, I sort of brought some things to office and then take it home the next day. Anyway, packing is the small item...


Wow... I really really do not where to start thanking and who or whom to start thanking also. But here it goes, in no order of preference (maybe sequence of events but my memory fails me).

1/ Almost 2 decade old friends... What a loving bunch. We finally got our photo of KL trip (5 years ago) and it came in an album.

2/ Close christian climbing bro, whom we've spent great times together on the wall and off the wall. Also, happy that he's married to a great and fun-loving woman.

3/ A sister of my former church whom we manage to catch up for a meal or 2.

4/ The movie times (big or small screen) with the various cell brothers and sisters.

5/ 2006 Cambodian trip brothers... A nice brother got me along to have a meal with the cambodian pastor when he was here. The other brother whom we meet every once in 6 months but connect reasonably well (taught the yellow light).

6/ Faithful climbing friends, whom I recalled held on to the rope in Diary Farm during my worst fall (I saw my life flashing pass me as the spilt-sec fall seemed like eternity). Hopefully, I'll slim down enough and keep climbing over there.

7/ Colleagues, for all the wonderful lunch times together, I'll miss that so so much (including a lady from our next door company). Hmm, feel more like sisters and brothers in a family at times. Also, my nice boss and other swiss/german colleagues. Also, company for this rare opportunity (1st time in 3 decades of the local office). Ah, also those who scrambled together to make it comfortable for us to be there.

8/ Financial planner, whom I thank God for her salvation and exchanges of wise thoughts.

9/ Colleagues of former company. It was so good that we managed to catch up. Such a funny group of friends, I think the laughter filled half my stomach during our dinner.

10/ Cell sisters... Really wonderful group of godly women. So touched by them initiating the bbq. Also, for the video recordings, the gift and the wonderful words of affirmation (would keep me warm during the bitter cold winter). Hehe, all the old n new friends made...

11/ QQS team. Got to know and work with some old and some new faces. Though there has been a postponement, looking ahead, I would hope to still be in it for the 2009 one. Also a PRC brother, great catching up with you, jia u on your studies.

12/ Old friends of the overseas cell group. Long ago blading kakis, whom 2 if them are gettined married. Sorry, the best man was sent to a land flowing with cheese and chocolate... Also a lady who didn't join our overseas cell group then but we've managed to keep in touch...

13/ Cell brothers... Wow, a few have been so long time friends and also new ones. Haha, I think the variety of combination makes the cell interesting. I think I would have to switch from corniness to cheesyness for the new swiss cell in my area to understand me (Hmm, then again, I better polish up on my german or swiss german language). Oh, also the dinner with the variety of gifts. Great stuff, from the polar bear (remind me not to hibernate during winter) to the baseball (stressball!!! hmm, maybe I can make a hole in the wall after a year through the throwing) to the cookbook (send me the ingredients, haha, just joking) to inspirational book (learning to be successful & victorious) to streams of praise (along the streams. So therapeutic to walk/stroll beside the waters. From S'pore Lokang to Birmingham's [U.K] endless water channels [ greenish water though =( ] to swiss rivers [maybe can fish for my meals too, hehe]).

14/ Leadership guidance of leaders and pastors. Thank you for believing and praying for me. Also for guiding me which I need so often.

15/ Cell boys... I'll definitely miss them all quite a bit. Had wonderful time together memorising scriptures and growing together. Prayer is that we'll all grow more to be like Jesus and in love with Him, knowing Him and loving His word. Keep in touch...

16/ Hmm, due to my bad memory, anyone whom I may have forgotten.

17/ The friends to be made in the Swiss church. Contacts have already been established. Looking forward to be in their smallgroup and to be in church service too.

18/ Family. Mother especially who took on a dual role of fathering and mothering me. Also sisters, brother and the in-laws who have been great. Not forgetting my many nephews and nieces especially the youngest one, so cute and pretty...

19/ GOD. For salvation, grace and favor. Thank you for listening to my prayers (those I prayed for and some unspoken ones even). Can't comprehend grace at times but can only receive it. An example of gracem would be my job, took me a year to find it. Wrote down 10 criterias which most are fulfilled except the 2-3 which are time-based. Then only after a year working inside, was offered a chance to work in Swiss HQ if I want. Also for church, found an english charismatic speaking one in Zurich. Along with starting an English smallgroup (cell group) in my town area, Uzwil (I though I would just join a german speaking one some 10-20mins in some other town). Thanks to friendly swiss pastor & leader too...


=) The heaviest item was not the physical stuff of my airfreight. It was the friendship (old and new) made everywhere loaded with goodness & love. There's so much richness in it. Let's continue to keep in touch. Last thanksgiving would be to those who would be visiting. Would be glad to sleep on the floor and cook some food (but do take a while to be a reasonable cook).

Finding a home church away from home church

I was initially disheartened for a few days knowing one of my priority before agreeing to go has to be settled, which was finding a church (March). The first few days on the google, gave me results of some centuries old building. After more effort, found churches which hopefully would have English speaking service. Then after more filtering, I narrowed down to International Christian Fellowship or ICF for short. They have a main church in Zurich with abt 20-30+ daughter churches in mainly swizterland and germany.

Then I tried to contact them through email and youtube but no reply (April). Then one fine day, I decided to try to find them on facebook and haha, there they are. Thus I contacted with one of the leader in the english/spanish service. Hallelujah... He responded too.

Back at home church, one of my pastor wanted to recommend me to a church which she visited during her holiday in swiss. She talked about the church having a bar counter and using a warehouse for service. Then I went to http://www.icf.ch/ to look at their photos in the media section (the guy with wineglass n sunglass). I, for a moment saw a small sign/confirmation. It was exactly as to what she said. Thus I emailed her to confirm it and she replied that this was the church she visited (May).

Haha, coincidence, maybe once but not twice. My church just finished the reading of Psalms at abt the end of May. The swiss church, started preaching on Psalms from end May till mid July.

Tired, thus that's all for now. But really thank God, for providing fellowship. My home church is in a year of Sabbath... To me, it's a rest in some way heading there but also to continue being in church, in fellowship and in service while I'm over there. But lots of growing also, in language learning, polishing on my rusty cooking and most of all, to be rooted in Christ.