We have a new home

As we are preparing to leave our current home at the end of this month, we were trying to prepare the kids (and outselves) for an unknown amount of time without a place to call our own. Dr. Beeson, our principal in Singapore, has been looking for apartments for us. We have seen pictures of everything from very expensive condos to local housing with mold, squat toilets, and no airconditioning.

On Saturday, we got a list of some very reasonable priced apartments and one caught our eye. They did not need us to pay rent until July, it was furnished, and it had an oven and a dryer (both very rare in apartments in Singapore). It was only on the third floor and that made me quite happy because I wasn't sure if I could live on the 15th floor. Dr. Beeson said it would be Monday before we would hear from the owners. Less than 30 minutes later, we received another email with confirmation that the apartment was ours and for $200 less than the asking price.

It is next to a nature preserve and a park so we hope to do lots of hiking. It will be about a 30-40 minute bus ride to our school. We give the praises to God for taking care of us as we prepare to leave. Knowing more about our living arrangements has given us (and the children) a peace. As our plane lands on July 12th at 1am, we can go directly to our new home.

Here is a link to various pictures of the outside of our new home.
http://www.singaporeexpats.com/singapore-property-pictures/condo/hume-park.htm

Communicating in the digital age

I am not a person who is easily impressed with technology. I spent 11 and a half years doing support for a variety of companies and saw some really cool stuff. But the best thing I have seen in quite some time is Skype.

I recently purchased a new computer at our local Best Buy. I wasn’t looking for anything fancy. I just wanted something to work on all the pictures we are going to take and anything else was bonus. Two things I really like about it is I can pull videos off our camcorder and it has a webcam built into the display.

I have installed Skype and with the webcam I can now video conference with other people. The first time I did a video call with my parents we were talking for over an hour. One of Sabrina’s sisters and one of her brothers have signed up so we are trying to get the rest of the clan to get it set up. The best part is that it’s all free.

So if you want to call to just talk or you want to do a video call, here is our contact info:

Always on and no video conference: jeremy.sabrina.erwin
Not always on but has video conference: jeremy.erwin

Easter Picture

IMG_0093
Originally uploaded by Erwijc

Boxes

Matthew 6:19-21 says "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."

I don't know if we have what you would call treasures. We don't have good silver or lots of costly jewelry. But we do have boxes and boxes and boxes of stuff! We have boxes we haven't opened in years. So, where is our treasure? It is not in all these boxes or furniture or wall decorations or shoes! Who would guess? So, it was time! Everything we have must be sold/throw out/given away, put in a SMALL storage room, or taken with us. (We are only taking 10 suitcases so that is mainly limited to clothing!) The Lord says that our treasure is in heaven and it is time to give Him more than lip service. Our worth is not about my car (we are giving away) or my big screen tv (that we are selling). Our worth stems from God. He created us and loves us!
As the boxes begin to fill our living room and we make plans to pass on items to family who could use them, we are getting more and more excited to get on that airplane! (And no, it is not the 25 hour journey with 3 kids that I am anxiously awaiting.)