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November 17, 2015
November 9, 2015
Introducing
Layla Evelyn
Born: October 21 2015
At: 5:19 a.m.
Weighing: 7 lb 14 oz
Looking: Gorgeous
Although the name was chosen long before anyone laid eyes on her, it could not have been more appropriate for her. Layla is a name of Arabic origin which means “dark beauty” which she is and Evelyn means “wished for” which she has been for a long time.
November 7, 2015
Sometimes it feels like we have been waiting for this baby for a very long time and with a lot of heartache. It seemed too good to be true when Liz got successfully through the first trimester and then at 20 weeks the ultrasound revealed a little baby girl with a perfect little heart. Just as she began to believe that she would be able to relax and enjoy the last ten weeks of a happy healthy pregnancy, Liz experienced a pulmonary embolism. This complication meant daily injections, constant monitoring and a detailed plan for a high risk delivery.
At least with a delivery date scheduled, I was able to plan my visit to Calgary so that I could be there a week before the baby was born. This meant some wonderful times getting to know Russ’s routines, taking some nice walks and playing in the park. Had a bit of a frantic weekend getting the nursery put together and everything ready for her arrival.
July 31, 2015
Tomorrow (today if I am late getting this posted) we will be on the road again, this time headed to the Caribbean where we will be for at least the next two years; beyond that we don’t know. My teaching contract at Cayman International School is for two years. If I am offered a renewal, chances are good that I would take it. We are itinerant, but transitions are always difficult, and we don’t like to move more than we have to. Besides, I have found that it is easy to get lost in the details of moving and lose track of what is really important.
What is really important to us is our family and the those friends who have shown us by their care and faithfulness over the years that they are truly our friends. We count ourselves fortunate to have as many as we do, and this trip to Ontario has been all about renewing and restoring those family and friendship connections. We started off this visit to Ontario in the best way possible, by greeting our daughter, Liz and her husband and two year old son at the London, Canada airport. Despite the lateness of the hour, little Russ was as friendly and game as he could be, and apparently had been a little trooper on the plane. We would have been happy just to let Liz and Greg have some time together after their long flight from Calgary, but they were up for a walk through Victoria Park and eating a mountain of poutine before hitting the sack.
On the Saturday we went to our niece Megan’s wedding – which was absolutely beautiful – and met up with several members of Pam’s family, some of whom have also married during the time we have been in Malaysia. It was great to hear brothers Ben and Joe thank their sister Megan for her godly influence in their lives. It was another late night for Liz and co, who then had to catch an early morning flight back to Calgary while we went to church to meet several friends who greeted us with love and warmth and offers of lunch and coffee. We accepted as many offers as we could pack in.
We also took in a few local events, such as the Home County Folk Festival, now in its fortieth year, and a nostalgic visit to St. Thomas. We limited most of our visiting to the London area, but we did get in a great visit with missionary friends and colleagues from Asia, Beth and Stephen Laur in Cambridge, and a whirlwind visit with my family in Toronto.
After a few days we settled into a routine of doing course work for our Master’s in the morning at the Byron Public Library, the afternoons doing banking, storage, and other maintenance chores, and then visiting in the evening. This evening as I write this has been the first we have been alone the entire month! We are very grateful for our son’s foresight in providing a vehicle – an Audi A4, no less! – for all this driving. It was an absolute joy, and we have kept the good vibe going by gifting it to Pam’s younger brother who is feeling a little pinched with three of his children’s weddings in three years!
The end of all of this visiting has been a deep appreciation and gratitude for all the people who have affected our lives for the better. We didn’t see everyone we would have like to see on this trip home, but those we did see were so very encouraging and supportive that it has done our heart a great deal of good to be here. If you are reading this post and you were one of those, thank you. Eight years is a long time to be on the other side of the planet. We are looking forward to being a little closer in the future and being able to share with you the journeys that we are all taking.
Our journey is taking us to the Caribbean next. We are most serious in suggesting that perhaps the next visit we have would be in our new place in Snug Harbour, Grand Cayman Island. We have a guest bedroom and it is a ten-minute walk to one of the best beaches in the world. We won’t even charge you for the room!
May 25, 2015
As our time here in Asia comes to an end we get to thinking of what we would like to do one more time. Near the top of that list was one more visit to our favourite city in this part of the world, Singapore, which is always such a welcome treat. One of the nicest places in that very nice city is the Botanical Gardens, a little easier to get to now that Singapore has completed the extension to the Circle Line. We woke up to a cool and rainy Saturday morning but decided not to let that deter us. So we bought some cheap umbrellas and strolled through the Gardens enjoying those fabulous trees and flowers. After an hour, and still only half way through, we stopped and had coffee in a little garden café and listened to the splash of the water in the fountains nearby.
As it was Steve’s birthday – my they do seem to come thick and fast anymore, don’t they! – we had booked reservations for dinner at the Equinox Restaurant on the 70th floor of the Stamford Hotel. The food was fabulous, much nicer and much more affordable than the pretentious and overpriced fare at the Marina Bay Sands, and the views of the city from this vantage point were spectacular. How pleasant to sit and reminisce about our time together: the walks through the park in the East End, the Christmas we spent at Blossom and McDaniel’s place, the meetings with friends and co-workers in the Lord. After dinner we strolled one more time to the river and walked along Clarke’s Quay just taking in the sights and sounds of the pleasant evening air.
We ended up in the lobby of the historic Fullerton Hotel, once the Asian residence of Joseph Conrad, and presently home to a very funky display of scenes from The Little Prince, a book Steve had the joy of teaching to his beginning English students the first semester he was at Taylor’s. Steve had to return to KL mid afternoon on Sunday but before he left we did manage to get in a visit to Wesley Methodist Church for their Sunday morning service.
This is the home church of our friends Su Min and Sing Yu who have been great co-workers, mentors, encouragers and colleagues not only to us but also to our entire TWR team in Cambodia as well. Along with many others we have come to know and love, we will miss these dear servants of God and their warm fellowship. It was fitting that our last time together should be over lunch at one of their favourite restaurants, as during our time over here our best times together have been sharing one of the fabulous Asian meals that we are going to sorely miss! Su Min gave us a keepsake of a book he and his fellow urban sketchers have just published. It will be a treasured remembrance of happy days in Singapore.
April 25, 2015
We love to have company. Pam is a great cook, and clearly has the gift of hospitality. In the early days in Malaysia, we would have company over all the time. With two jobs, two Master’s degrees, and enough responsibilities to burden folks half our age, we have slowed down a little. It was great to have Matt and Kate here on the way back from missions work in Cambodia, and our dear friends Al and Shelley, with whom we shared a great island holiday in the middle of a typhoon! But lately, the company has been a little thin on the ground.
So it was very nice to hear that my old colleague and our dear friend Shelley would be dropping by to visit for a couple of days. This was especially true since Shelley now lives in Bali, Indonesia, so for her to come all the way to Kuala Lumpur was a great delight. She has just taken a job in Macao, and I have just taken a job in the Cayman’s, so we had a lot to talk about the job hunt for those of us who are rapidly approaching their ‘best-before-date’ as far as getting a shot at international teaching jobs is concerned. Gender barriers may be falling all over the place, but ageism is alive and well, and is probably being practiced in your own country, no matter where you live.
Unfortunately, Shelley got very ill on her last two days – nothing we fed her, we’re pretty sure – and was unable to come out for dinner with us to Oasis. In her honour, and on her nickel, we went out ourselves to Foley’s and had a very pleasant evening. Shelley is going to be across Hong Kong harbor from some other ex-CPU staff, so she will be in good company, and we wish her all the best in her new adventure.
Shortly after Shelley left, we had the pleasure of hosting some other dear friends from Phnom Penh, Beth and Stephen, who like us left Southwestern Ontario to come to Southeast Asia to minister. Phnom Penh is not an easy city to live in. It is noisy and increasingly crowded, and it is not only hot, but it is dusty and dry as well, with a fine, red dust that floats up and hangs in the air with the diesel exhaust, making it difficult to breath and impossible to escape. At least in Malaysia there is plenty of vegetation to soak up the carbon. But not so in Cambodia, whose forests have been razed for farmland and bombed into oblivion. It is a tough field in which to minister, and Beth and Stephen have persevered in difficult circumstances for many years. We were happy to be able to give them a a break from the heat and chance to unwind with those who understand the pressures of ministry.
We didn’t give them long to rest, heading out for Malacca on our first full day to do some sight-seeing and souvenir shopping. Then with our trusty iPhone and Google map we set out across country on the back roads to a place just south of Port Dickson called Avillion, where we stayed the night in little cabanas on stilts over the Straits of Malacca.
Pam had packed an entire picnic basket of goodies, so we all curled up in the little sitting area overlooking the water and chatted happily for half the night. No, we never did run out of things to talk about. More cross country trekking the next day brought us to Putra Jaya and some iconic pictures before we headed back to our little condo in Subang Jaya. The next day Pam led our still-game company downtown for the Cook’s tour of KL, and I joined them after work so we could go up to the top of Trader’s for a drink and a look at the fabulous view of the Twin Towers as they lit up at night. Sunway Pyramid for shopping and lunch was on the menu for the next day, with some very nice home cooking awaiting me at the end of my day. Wednesday was Stephen’s birthday, so we did the Las Carretas Mexican meal, and nobody was disappointed.
It is impossible to measure the importance of visits such as these. Our lives are rich in work, study, and experiences. But friends are among our greatest treasures, and to have an opportunity to demonstrate that importance to those we care about is especially sweet. We didn’t get to all the places we wanted to go, or all the restaurants we had in mind. There are nine places that serve food in the nearest strip mall of 12 shops. Multiply that across 5 million people and that is a mess of restaurants. But we did have a fabulous visit with some very fine people, and that is the important thing. It is also likely to be the last bit of company we have until we get home ourselves. If so, it was a nice way to bring our ministry of hospitality to a close.
March 12, 2015
This is our anniversary. Oh, don’t ask which one. It is certainly getting on, that is for sure. After however many years it has been, this love has endured, and is still a great source of comfort and strength to us both. This is more for Pam, than for you, gentle reader. But this weblog helps us to keep our thoughts and experiences for when we are truly old. I would like to preserve this thought – captured in verse – so that in years to come it could be found.
Love’s not found
in languid looks
or impassioned sighs
and phrases muttered
as soon forgot as uttered;
or gifts that beggar cost
that ages soon will render lost.
Love’s not found in roses faded
or poses jaded by petty
jealousies. Such love only sees
what it most craves, and
not the other’s careworn ways,
or anxious fears and voiceless sighs
through toil of years now weak.
And this I speak, though
words come hard when
life’s brute strength has
worn away the sense and
bluish of love’s first kiss.
But know this: my dear
wife’s love’s a fire. Though
banked with care of those
not there and dearly missed;
it lingers ever kissed in her warm heart.
No flight of startled doves,
her love’s a constant light
to my still soul. A friend enfolded.
On this I’ve built a life
unmoved by ‘if’s and ‘should’s,
but bouldered yet by what
is good and of eternal worth.
Her love is measured
in our enduring tale, in purpose
bound, and futures claimed,
in restoration gained,
and forgiveness found.
To her I owe all this.
In her I find my peace
March 2, 2015
We knew before we set out back in January that this would be a long trip. Into our fifth week on the road we were looking forward to having the long trip to Malaysia behind us. These last few days in this whirlwind tour were not deliberately planned, as we had booked the long legs of the journey almost six months ago in order to get cheaper fares; well before we had the details of the US travels in place. When Pam was booking the hotel, she really couldn’t face the idea of a name brand, high rise hotel so looked for something a little different and stumbled across a very small, ten room heritage hotel that looked interesting and was reasonably priced and went out on a limb.
As is often the case, it is the atypical that turns out to be most interesting. The Cosmopolitan Hotel was originally built as a private residence but was reconstructed and became the original stage coach hotel for the first settlement in California. It is located in Old Town San Diego State Park, a central plaza that is lined with buildings, some dating back to the 1820s, which have been restored and are now museums, shops and restaurants.
The main floor of the hotel was the restored living area of the home, and the ten rooms are on the second floor with a wraparound balcony that overlooks a courtyard with a lovely restaurant, bar and sitting area. It was all very private and a real experience just to stay there even though we have seen no evidence of the fact that the rooms were thought to be haunted. The rooms were all decorated and furnished with period pieces and there were no TVs or other modern furnishings to destroy the atmosphere. Our room was known as the Pine Tub room as it had an original tub made out of pine. Yes, we did try it out before we left.
The area was full of life, sights and sounds and we fully enjoyed the time to explore the area as well as other parts of the city. We also had a couple of days to get caught up on course assignments, prepare lessons for Steve to teach as soon as we arrive home, and get this weblog up to date. The Old Town Transit Center was only a few minutes walk away and gave access to not only the trolley systems of San Diego but also the Pacific Surfliner train which skirts the coast line up to Los Angeles and our jumping off point for our flight home. It was a magical journey, and a lovely way to end our trip.
We will have to hit the ground running. Steve has classes and a huge backlog of projects to get caught up with on his CSR portfolio. Pam has a conference in Indonesia to plan for where she will be presenting to regional CHE leaders. Then of course there is the transition out of Malaysia and into the Caribbean to manage in just four months from now, with all of the packing and shipping and selling that this entails. We have interesting lives, and we would not trade them with anyone we know. It is never boring, but gosh it does take a lot of work to keep up this pace. I would say Lord help us, but then He always does anyway.
February 28, 2015
Still reeling from an exhilarating and exhausting weekend in San Francisco, we packed our increasingly dilapidated suitcases once again and headed off to catch our flight to San Diego. Again the timing was perfect, with Jon, Nic and the kids’ flight getting in just five minutes before ours so we easily met up at the baggage claim. Jon has perfected the art of car rental at airports through various Apps, so we were quickly underway for the half hour drive to our seaside resort in Carlsbad.
The suites were fully furnished and amazingly well equipped with a great kitchen, BBQs in the courtyard, jacuzzi tub, gas fireplace and fantastic views of the ocean. There were lots of activities for the kids to do and plenty of family restaurants just a short drive away. The weather was beautiful although the wind could be quite cool. It is February after all! The pool was in a very sunny but protected area so the kids swam quite happily and we joined them in the hot tub when they were ready to warm up.
However, the real reason for our stay in Carlsbad was the long awaited trip to LEGOLAND. We were there when the park opened and pretty much stayed to close it down. It was all actually pretty lame by Disney standards, but the kids really enjoyed it and we were just delighted to be with them so it was great fun. They all love roller coasters, Pam not so much, but we did do the dragon roller coaster three times. Fortunately Eli is too short for the big coaster so we did a more sedate ride with her while the others tackled the big coaster. It was a great day and we finished up with dinner a nice seaside restaurant.
Jon and Nic took a bit of time the next day to explore some of the town and market by themselves while we hung out with Ben, Abi and Eli. Since the resort provided free all-terrain wagons, beach chairs and toys and boogie boards, we packed up and took the kids down to the beach for the afternoon. The waves were great and Ben and Abi turned out to be naturals when it came to boogie boarding, catching quite a few really fine rides. By the time Jon and Nic came home with chicken to BBQ, the kids had warmed up nicely in the Jacuzzi and put on their warm pajamas.
It was a great visit all around and really difficult to see them off once again as they boarded their flight home. Honestly, the kindness and consideration of our children brings us to the edge of tears. We so appreciate the chance to see two of them and their own kids, and only regret that on this trip we couldn’t see David. Since we still had a few more days until our return flight to KL, we spent the remaining few days in Oldtown, San Diego which is near the airport. After a cab ride from the airport, we made our way there to settle in for the weekend.
February 25, 2015
As wonderful as Colorado Springs was, we could not wait to get to Phoenix to see Greg, Liz and Russell. Both the airport in Colorado Springs and the one in Denver were super clean and convenient and our timing was super as well as Liz pulled up to meet us about thirty seconds after we collected our baggage. It was so sweet to see our darling daughter again and what a joy to be greeted at Holly and Vern’s gorgeous home by happy hugs from Russ. He has grown up so much since we last saw him, has boundless energy and moves too quickly to even begin to keep up with him. We don’t think we have ever heard such an infectious little giggle, but we could be biased.
In spite of the fact that Arizona is largely desert, the house where we stayed is built on a series of waterways so that although from the street it looks like a pretty regular subdivision, all the homes open out back onto a waterway that creates the community. Each home has a boat so that the neighbours are able to meander on the waterways and visit around. Although the back yard is small, there is a lovely sitting area, BBQ, pool and a grapefruit tree that was heavy with ripe fruit. The combination created a great diversion for Russ who spent hours throwing grapefruit into the pool and delighting in the splashing that eventually ended up in a short swim in the very cold water.
It was the perfect environment to relax and get caught up with the kids over BBQs, boatrides and quiet evenings together. After years of smog-filled skies, we actually got to see some stars overhead. We even got to babysit Russ overnight while Liz and Greg had an evening to themselves at a nearby hotel. Russ loves to walk so we had plenty of opportunity to get to know the neighbourhood. Pam even managed a little shopping time with Liz and a last minute visit to Goodwill which became necessary when Steve discovered he was heading off to a job fair without a tie. It is amazing what two bucks can do.
Our heart aches with the length of time we have to endure between visits with our kids and grandkids. It is by far the hardest part of ministry abroad. For the last couple of years and especially in the last year we have been praying practically everyday that the Lord would allow us to minister for Him closer to North America. It is not just the distance, although that is tough enough, but the time zone disparity means that Steve is either at work on in bed when the kids call, and cost of flights and the amount of time to takes to get home makes it prohibitive to visit for a week even if we didn’t have work and ministry schedules to juggle. This visit just made the whole idea of relocation that much more pressing.
Home Thoughts From Abroad 