"Even the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young - a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God. -Psalm 84:3"
This is the promise God gave to me as we pondered about the place we came to purchase.
It all started when my brother offered my dad a job here in KL. Following the move to KL, the apartment in Penang is now up for sale. So the most logical course of action was for my parents to buy another apartment here in KL, preferably near to where we currently reside.
But property prices in this area is sky-rocketing and the nearest they can afford is around Old Klang Road. I brought my mum along to view 2 properties there. Though it is so near, it took us an hour to get there and my mum said, "No Way!" She wouldn't know how to get back to my place.
So one Friday, I was just browsing the ads in TheStar newspaper and 2 ads caught my attention. Both were for apartments over 2000sf in Petaling Jaya. I don't quite know why but I was prompted to sms my enquiry. The first ad yielded no response.
But the agent for the other ad called me back almost immediately. So I made an appointment to view the place the very next day, after our Saturday evening Celebration.
Saturday evening came and it was pouring cats and dogs! When we arrived at the place, we bumped into a common friend from church who also knows the agent, and that was how we came to know that the agent is also ex-DUMC. Somehow that put my heart at peace.
The agent brought us to view 2 units, one on a lower floor and the other much higher up. We took an instant liking to the higher floor, but dared not commit. The price for the unit on the higher floor was RM70K more than the lower one. So after viewing, I told the agent to give us a few days to think, and we would get back to her. By then the rain had stopped. But as I got into the car, there was a streak of lightning followed by a loud boom of thunder, as if God was telling us to "BUY!". My mum felt the same prompting but we still wanted to wait for confirmation.
On Sunday evening, the agent called me. I was surprised because I had told her I would get back to her. She asked what I thought and I told her that we liked the unit on the higher floor. She then told us that there was actually some leaking in the back room (which we did not see because the light was out of order). She advised us to arrange a second viewing in broad daylight.
In the mean time, we made some financial calculations. The downpayment for the property would amount to RMXXK and I realized then that this was the exact amount that we had reserved.
On top of that, we would need about RMYYK for legal fees and stamp duty - and we were not sure where this would come from.
Monday morning - we dropped by EPF to check my account 2 balance, before going to view the unit again. God surprised me - there was exactly RMYYK plus about another RM50 in my account 2. His providence amazes and assures me everytime!
So we viewed the unit again and told the vendor that we would like to view again, after the repairs were completed, before we committed to purchase.
Tuesday night - we went to church for PrayerMeeting and Pastor Jin Leong led us to read Psalm 84. Verse 3 almost jumped out at me. This place that we viewed is nearer to church than our current place. And we have been planning for more children.
After these events - there was 'silence' for almost 3 months, during which our patience and faith was put to the test. The vendor took ages to get the leak repaired. The agent also told us that she suspects the vendor was trying to sell it off as it was, without having to repair it. I must confess that at times, I was worried if the place would not be ours. But each time I passed it, I prayed and claimed God's promise to me.
In April, the agent called and told us that the repairs were finally done. We viewed it and offered a price of RM20K below the vendor's asking price. The vendor agreed immediately and there was no need to even bargain! Praise the Lord! Not only did he keep the place for us, but I now have an extra RM20K for renovations!
When God blesses, he blesses abundantly! He opens the floodgates of Heaven and just pours out all His blessings!
The first part of God's promise is taking shape now. We hope to move in by year-end. As for the second part of the promise, nothing has happened yet. But we continue to trust that God will bring it to past. He is a faithful God and I can trust Him.
Coz though I don't know what tomorrow holds, I know who holds tomorrow!
We had the very 'talkative' Rev Nicholas Choo (all the way from Singapore) as our camp speaker.
Then after snacks, it was just a free-for-all carnival-like setting where the children went around to various stations to play whatever they fancied. 
I think next year we should have a more properly-organized Sports Day with proper groups and prizes.
Bali 2006
Frasers Hill 2006
For the first 6 months, I carried Joy in the sarong sling while Joe still sat in the stroller when we went kai kai.
A'Famosa 2008
flying to Penang 2008
Joy-Anne conveniently fell asleep in the stroller wherever we went. 
And pushing strollers is such a breeze in pedestrian-friendly Melbourne. 
It also doubled up as a comfy chair for their meals when we had picnics in parks. 
She carries it everywhere and says she is the bear's mother. When questioned why mother and not father, she can say that she is a girl and girls grow up to be mothers. (I'm so amazed at this understanding of hers!)
