Our Journey to Melaka

This article was published in Berita Gereja Wesley (the church magazine), issued dated Jan 2015.  I was approached by the editor to write our journey to Melaka Wesley church in the last 2 years and our experience here.

“Wesley Methodist Church Melaka, Rev Andrew Lim, Pastor-in-charge “ 

As the District Superintendent read out the appointment of each pastor, we knew that it’s going to be an exciting year.  Moving???  By now I’m quite accustomed to it.  After all, we had been on the move for the past 3 years.  Packing and unpacking motivated me to throw away all the junk and restrict me to think twice before I make any purchase.

The only thing that was unbearable this time was that Elyse has to bid farewell to her kindergarten teachers and friends.  She has grown to be very close to her class teacher, Mrs Siew and headmistress, Mrs Lucy Tan.  Those four months of nightmare when she cried day and night when she entered into kindergarten still lingered at the back of my mind.  I wondered would that happen again after we move her to the new kindergarten in Melaka.  That was my main and only concern for now.

We settled into our new home pretty quickly.  My first impression was the gigantic trees in front of our house.  What a magnificent view!  You certainly could not find these trees in Klang Valley.  I love to hear the chirping of birds and enjoy the sound of trees swaying from left to right.  Nature itself paints a beautiful picture.  What a privilege to be found in this place.  However, hidden beneath this picturesque landscape is the abundance of creepy crawlies surrounding the house which often finds its way inside our beautiful sanctum. 

Several church members were so thoughtful of bringing us around.  In fact, the very first day when we arrived, one church leader bought a few packets of food and brought it over to our door step.  Many others took turn to give us a treat as a welcoming gesture.  My heart truly thank each one of you for your generosity and kindness.

My worries soon turned out to be unnecessary as Elyse was very at ease in her new kindergarten.  She loved her new class teacher, Mrs Chan.  Occasionally, she still misses her former teachers and kept asking us to bring her back for a visit (which we did … trice).  She even told daddy “Please don’t move again or else you have to bring me back to visit two kindergartens”.

As we entered into our second year in Melaka, I began to be more involved in ministry.  I missed serving God.  This is one thing that I am guilty of not doing for the past 5 years.  What an honour to be found in the ministry together with many of you!

Attending DG is yet another breakthrough for me.  The warmth and friendliness amongst the members made me feel so relaxed.  Thank you for enriching my life with your jokes, sharing and openness.

Perhaps the only thorn in the flesh is the hot weather.  Somehow we reckon the weather here is hotter than Klang Valley.  Of course, for Andrew, a home grown city boy, he misses all the flyovers, highways and amenities of city life.  Nail it on the cross, man!  Children and I are comfortable in this historical town.  Wait a minute … I reserve some protest.  I found myself getting darker.  Perhaps, I need to apply a stronger sunscreen!  But as for me and my house, Melaka is the place to be! ……… for now.

Sidenote:

It took me awhile before I agreed trying to pen down something for Berita Gereja Wesley.  I was very reluctant as I was not confident to have my article published in a church magazine.  Writing my thoughts and stories down on my blog is meant to be a snapshot of our lives.  When Andrew and I are old and senile we can then read back all the old stories and take a stroll down memory lane.

This article was written last year and now we are entering our third year in Melaka Wesley.  Thanking God for yet another fruitful and blessed year ahead!