This morning, I saw an email exchange with colleagues re-arranging their schedules to find a spot for my farewell lunch. Its finally set for tomorrow at Keppel Bay.

Somehow, a feeling of nostalgia was stirred… this would be my second farewell meal in just over 2 months. I still vividly remember the last one… out in the Bonn Christmas Markt with my DPWN-IC project team mates having bratwurst and gluhweine. While the weather was cold, I felt warm inside. Despite facing an uncertain future, I just took comfort in knowing that my team of colleagues who have now become friends, who emphathised with me.

This time, it is with my CF team. The last two months has been an interesting journey of learning, discovering myself, interacting with people. I rediscovered the joy of helping entrepreneurs with ideas, advising them the pitfalls to avoid, etc. Something I remember from the days of working with SPRING, EDB. Yet I also discovered that I did not enjoy the process of having to “scheme” how much to charge clients, “testing water” on how much they can afford to pay, etc. Sure this is business, not charity. I had a feeling that my long term calling may be back in the public service, somewhere in this area of work.

It has also been a trying time working with a lady colleague whose work style (and blockages!) has been challenging to everyone else in the team. Still, it was a good process to practice Christian love - how do I cope with her speech and actions, while being genuinely (not hypocritically) tolerant and not angry at what she does. Above all, I find within me a sincere joy of being thankful to God for this 2 months, because it is an answered prayer to my plea in December for his provision of something to do for this 2 months.

Just at a moment, it seems to fall in place. I found myself in a season of re-building my (nano-film thin) faith, and I was drawn to reading the OT about the lives, choices of Jacob and Moses. Gen 35 had these lines:

“So Jacob said to his household, "… purify yourselves and change your clothes. Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone." … There he built an altar, and he called the place El Bethel, because it was there that God revealed himself to him...”

So it became clearer to me… this is my El Bethel to God, an altar to remember His faithfulness, to always remember that He is good and sovereign in all circumstances, and that He provided. Amen.