You will never believe it! Friday 13th. It started off overcast and gloomy, which was great for jogging which I followed with a cool off swim at Mettam’s Pool with Mum. Only two days to get things done! It was a major clean-up day for me of all my belongings and packing the last lot into storage. All was going well. At 11am I met up with a friend, Linda, from the units and walked to a local coffee shop. Then back to the units where together we removed an old, rusty metal lid of an antiquated reticulation system for the units which hasn’t been used for years! While cleaning it up we were interrupted by our new neighbour who was calling for help as her hot water system had sprung a leak and was flooding all over the carpets. Linda is a very practical woman and is used to emergencies as she is a firefighter and a RN. While she was helping stem the flood I continued to clean out the old tin, bricks and roof tiles which made up the old reticulation station. Oppppsssssssss! Noooo! Now it was me who had sprung a leak! There was a fountain of water gushing out of the hole at my feet! Fortunately I knew where the mains water tap was which I hurriedly turned off before calling Linda who has an army of contacts. She rang a friend who just happened to be available and was available to come around. By this time I had left to finish my last minute chores. Together they dug up all the old pipes down the driveway and disconnect the old reticulation pipes from the mains water pipes. The residents weren’t very happy having their water turned off for so long but fortunately I wasn’t there to face the flack! Mind you we had been wanting to clean this area up for quite some time and now it had been done, even though it wasn’t quite how we would have wanted to approach it had we had the choice!
Saturday and only one night to go! No rest for the wicked, so I’m told! My prepaid mobile had expired so no going on line to check mail and now no calls either! Oh well. I’ve got my Global SIM which I can use in Malaysia so I left it at that as I was off again to the shops to get an exterior light for my units carport which I’ve been meaning to get done since my arrival to Perth! Where does the time fly? That fixed, I raced home to clean out my sisters car which I had borrowed since selling the Mazda. I then unpacked my already packed belongings I was planning to take with me. I only wanted to take cabin luggage so that I didn’t have to wait around at the airport to collect baggage. Hmmm no matter how tightly I packed my cabin luggage it was over the 7kg permitted. Oh well looks like it goes in the hold!
Time to relax and put my feet up before bed and my last sleep at home till I return sometime later this year.
Sunday and I’m off! But am I ready? I had forgotten I needed to renew my prepaid mobile so that I didn’t lose my number as I was going to be away for more then 3 months! Bother! I could go on line but only to their site and I had forgotten which plan I was supposed to choose as all those I could see were only for one month, so I rang through and ordered another $10 on the plan that lasted 90 days which of course gave me a bit extra data and calls just to cover today. Phew! The Lord is good. I can see His hand working all these things out just in the nick of time. As I keep reminding myself He is orchestrating events and bringing all things into alignment as I trust Him to work things out in His timing.
So much for having a few quiet windup to my last two days before leaving! But I must admit I prefer to keep busy.
My good friend Louise picked me up from my nieces home where I dropped off my sisters car which she kindly allowed me to drive as she is a FIFO (fly in fly out) working on the barge delivering stores to the oil rigs. She usually has 5 weeks off 5 on which coincided beautifully with the sale of my car.
As per usual I feel a bit jittery before a deadline of departure thus the early drop off. I can then wait in peace and quiet for my flight. Unfortunately I needed to check in my heavy luggage which left me light handed which helped when going through immigration. Departure card filled but then a snag! I didn’t realise I couldn’t take in more than 100
mls of drink. I had a litre bottle and was told I had to ditch it. Hmmmm this was for the flight! Well, I was told, you will have to empty the bottle before taking it through and then refill it on the other sided of customs. Ok that meant pouring it into the bin which didn’t seem feasible as the bin would leak all over the floor or drink it. So drink it I did! And what was worse I had already finished a litre in the car on route here. Oh well, if I wanted to refill it which I did, drink it I must! I then sloshed my way to the toilets and sat outside them for easy access, which was definitely needed. Oh well at least I was well hydrated.
The flight was reasonable as flights go except it seemed I was surrounded by crying babies with one right behind me who was obviously over tired and on the ascent and decent was effected by the changes in air pressure. This family also had a little girl who, for most of the journey, was happy but then I think she became bored so I gave her Dorothy to play with till she fell asleep. I later introduced myself and found out they too are Christians and were going home for Chinese New Year and were staying in a town very close to Ayer Tawer where I was staying.
No more entry cards to fill out in Malaysia, its finger scanning instead! I must admit it did make it easier. I breezed through customs after the long trek through the airport from one side to the other to collect our baggage. The next quest was to find Phang who was to meet me at Gate 3. This part of the airport is really a huge shopping complex and I’m sure Gate 3 was at the furthest end! I suppose I needed a bit of a walk after sitting so long.
I arrived at Gate 3 after several inquiries from official looking people in the shopping mall, I had only just arrived when a four-wheel drive pulled up amongst the traffic and a Chinese gentleman strode towards me to inquire if I was Sally. I was the only European standing amongst her luggage so I don’t think I was too hard to identify. It was about a 15min drive to the budget hotel that had been arranged for me. Phang booked me in and showed me to my room. Very basic clean and air-conditioned. I certainly was appreciative of the aircon the temp was only 28 degrees but the humidity was like a wet blanket.
I unpacked a few necessities, showered and crashed. There was a leaky tap in the bathroom which hissed all night and leaked down the wall. What with that and the rattle of the aircon I was surprised I slept so well. The next day I was up before anyone else which was nice as I was able to get my own breaky which I had brought with me and have a quiet time before packing and being picked up by Phang who then took me to the bus station which was next to the airport. My ticket was pre booked by Phang who waited around to make sure I got on the right bus.
Pictures: 1. Southeast Asia, 2 & 3. Dorothy checking out my accommodating KL, 4. Me at the bus station KL, 5. Jacqueline with my cheeky Mum
Prayer & Praise Points:
Praise the Lord for the safe journey with the least problems and easy departure and arrival at both airports.
I thank the Lord for my friend Dr Wong who arranged everything from my pickup, accommodation and bus to Sitiawan. Thank also for Phang who carried out all the arrangements in KL.
Please pray for opportunities to serve and share the Lord’s love during my travels and as I visit friends here in Asia.
Please continue to pray that my Mum’s health to continue to improve and that the growth on her face is benign. I praise the Lord for watching over her while I’m away and for all my new found church friends who have offered to visit her.
Praise the Lord for the lovely Christian student, Mum’s new boarder.
Please pray for a smooth departure from KL and hassle free entry into Cambodia on the 26th February. Pray that I will be able to get a multi entry visa for Cambodia and that there will be no problems with visas or customs as I enter Cambodia and later Vietnam.
Praise the Lord for my good health, that I will continue to walk in His health and that none of these disease will come upon me.
Thank you all my mighty prayer warriors. I would not be going out without your prayer covering