Journey mercies

An accounting of everything. That I may never forget. Especially my passport.

Newcastle, after 4 years!

Am up at Newcastle at the moment to visit the church I used to attend, Jesmond Parish Church, and friends... after 4 years! It was surreal, after arriving and seeing all the familiar things through changed eyes.

I got up on Sunday evening, in time to catch JPC's evening service, and as I drew closer to the church, my heart actually started beating a little faster!

It's a pity that most people are away for the summer, so the service was a little quiet. But nonetheless, it was very good just to be in the church again and even to see some familiar faces.

As I walked back to my friend's house, I somehow took a different way from when I walked to church and before I knew it, I was approaching the accommodations I lived in when I was a student! My feet somehow remembered the way better than my mind did.

Stephenson Building at Shieldfield

Spent the last few days catching up with friends and had some time with folks from the church on certain things. It has been a very good time indeed. I spoke to a number of people from the church, and really took back certain things from each of them.

What struck me most is what one of the ministers, Jonathan R. said, "There is a need to be more intentional in what we do." For whatever reasons there may have been for me to have come up to Newcastle at this point of time, it is undubitably one of God's doing. And I am evermore convinced that one of the reasons is to remind me to be intentional with what I do for the time when I do enter into a full-time capacity of serving God.

And to my non-Christian friends, no, I'm not talking about being a nun you dolt.

So yes, if anything, Newcastle feels like a hometown of sorts. I have my friends, family and church here, and it makes it so inviting to slip back into the life here. Some of them have been urging me to find a job in Newcastle, but I feel my heart tugging towards London for whatever reasons there may be. We'll see what happens.

Michelle and Hui Min at Michelle & YeeKiat's place, preparing for dinner.