2011 - What a year

Five significant things that happened to us in 2011, all faith related.

February: We left our family and our precious "son" Leone and moved to Oslo, a country with climate and language strange to us Malaysians. To work in a company and position that God has given me so much favor with, found Oslo International Church and friends that feels like family here.

April: Lost our passport on the train but faith helped us to recover it.

May: Getting a replacement passport during our two-week trip home in Malaysia wasn't as easy as it seems. But God sealed the deal!

June: Found out that Janet was pregnant! Our prayers was answered, with the promise to expect something in 18 months that came to me early 2010 has now been put in motion. It has been a long journey of praying, believing, claiming and faith of the unseen and unknown.

October: As a new life is on its way, another life was being threatened by cancer - my dad was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer with metastasis to the liver. A trip back to Malaysia with God's perfect timing, a sister's wedding brought forward, and a smooth surgery undergone by my dad. Our God is able, and God you are so so good, there is none like you!

Passport in Malaysia - May 2011

It was in May 2011, we returned to Malaysia to replace our passport. We thought it was the usual process of filling up a form, wait a few hours and then voila - passport. We woke up a bit late on Friday because of the jet lag, went to the Kajang immigration office around 10+am and handed in our application. Surprise, we were told to submit a translated copy of the police report we made in the Netherlands in BM as we are dealing with official matters, and it will take a month to investigate our lost passport case and then decide if we will be allowed to be issued new passports. Panic! To top it all, we were told we need the translation to be certified by proper authorities like a Court Translator or the National Translation Agency. Wow! 2 setbacks, but that's when we kept on praying furiously. Words can't describe our anxiety.

Quickly I thought of the courts in Putrajaya so we rushed there arriving around 12pm. There was a helpful guy at the court translator office but unfortunately they don't translate documents from Dutch. Searched the web, found 2 agencies which can do it, but they wanted RM1200, and it takes a few business day. Called the Dutch embassy in Malaysia, was told by a lady they don't do translation,and she sounds like she has entertained this kind of request many times before.

Coming soon

Baby Karalynn, in 12 more days, you'll be out of your mommy's womb and out into this world. Daddy can't wait to see you, but at the same time he's also worried that he may not have done all the preparation to welcome you. One thing for sure, we know that our life will never be the same, and we will keep on loving you and giving you the best that we can - Le Ann (礼恩), God's gift and blessing to us, and a blessing to those around you.