Bad news in "God's own country"

My time here in India is going well so far. I’m presently in Kochi – a small city in the west-coast state of Kerala. This evening I return to Chennai before departing to Guwahati very early tomorrow morning (6:30 am flight!!!).

My colleague, Neil, and I flew into Kochi early yesterday and we dived right into work as soon as we got in. But the schedule hasn’t been too bad for me in that I’ve had enough time to rest. Today, I only had to teach one session. What has been a highlight here is the food. Keraili food is so tasty! When Brian and I were in Chennai (Madras) last year, a friend of ours who’s from Kerala, took us to eat at a Keraili restaurant and we thoroughly enjoyed the food. So, you can imagine the feast I’m having here in the state itself.

Kerala is touted as “God’s own country” as it’s apparently a very green and beautiful state. I’ve yet to see much of this place though. What is evident is the ubiquitous coconut tree. Lots of them! In fact, what is unique about Keraili cuisine is the use of coconut oil in the cooking. Also, Keraili food is spicy-hotter than most of the Indian cuisine I’ve had so far. I love it. I wish Brian is here as I know he’d love the food!

A few days ago we received some bad news from our landlord – he’s selling the apartment we’re in. This means we have to look for a place to move to before May. We greeted this news with much sadness and anxiety. We’re sad as this is our first home together and the sentimental attachment is strong. Then, we’re anxious as we’re concerned about our ability to find another place at a reasonable rent. Real estate prices in Singapore are sky-rocketing and with our current commitments, it’ll be very difficult for us to find another place that is even close to our present apartment in terms of space and location. Nonetheless, I’ve to keep my hopes high knowing that God WILL provide according to what we need.

Our last resort is to move to the dormitory flat of Brian’s seminary. However, that would be challenging for us as those flats are too small. These flats are basic and small as they are intended for students who are in Singapore temporarily for a few years for their education and most of them have a home back in their home-country where they store the rest of their stuff. The case is different for us as whatever we have with us now (books, furniture, etc) are all we own and have. Hence, we need a real apartment and not a basic dorm quarters. Sigh…

We’ve been rather depressed since we received the news but we know we have to believe that things will work out eventually. I’ve seen how God has provided for us without fail, so I’m hopeful but being an imperfect human, I do have my times of despair. As of right now, I’m feeling more despair. Please pray for us…