GoodBye is the hardest thing to say.

It's hard to say goodbye, to know that this is the end of his summer and his time with me. We waited patiently for 1.5 years to enjoy this 3-months summer and now, it's coming to an end. For 1.5 years, I secretly envied couples, holding hands in shopping malls and in my own universities. Whenever my girlfriends say she didn't have time for her boyfriend, I told her, "Then, make time for him. He's just a drive away..appreciate it." When it was time for us to be together, we just wanted to make up for the years we've been apart. Go for movies. Take a long walk. Talk. Play games. Cook dinner. Socialize with our friends. =) And we did! All of it.

Being in a LDR has never been easy. When I look back at the years we've been together, I can only testify that it has been God's grace that kept us together and sustained us. I couldn't figure out that this was all possible three years ago. LDR is never part of my plan. This relationship has taught me to put my trust in God, no matter how uncertain the future is. The toughest and hardest news to swallow was when he told me he couldn't make his way home last year due to financial constrain. And he had to call me less often to make ends meet on his side. When he uttered those words, I held back my tears. I wanted him home so badly last year but I had to understand his situation. Anyway, it isn't all about ME in this relationship and I had to put him first. I'm just so glad it was over and this summer was made possible for us, again.

Yesterday night, we talked of all the happy memories we shared this summer. I guess, when we're in a long distance relationship, we tend to appreciate every minute together. I treated yesterday as though it was my last day seeing him. We talked. We laughed. We giggled. We almost cried too.

By now, he should be in Johor, recuperating after a 4-hours bus ride from K.L. And I'm here, typing out whatever that comes into mind. If you were to ask me what was one of the most eventful thing that happened during this summer, I would say, the trip to a virgin island called Pulau Tengah, Johor. There, I met an old couple in their 70's. They were both missionaries. We called them Papa Gill and Mama Gill during our stay. They were the most loveliest, oldest couple. He held her hand almost every time he walked with her and spoke to her in the most gentle way a man could do.

On the last day, we managed to talk to them. We were first talking about their mission work and how they have utilized the Internet to spread the Gospel. I was really impressed when I heard a string of jargon words (for technology like PDF etc.) left Mama Gill's mouth.

I quickly made a mental note. No.1: You can learn new things even if you're old. Never let your age be an excuse to stop learning!

Somehow, towards the end, they learned that Elisha and I are in a LDR. And they said, "Well, with SKYPE now, you guys can talk to each other instantly. Last time, we can only pen letters..and letters take ONE WEEK to reach!" They encouraged and prayed for us that God's blessing will be upon us.

In a nutshell, I'm really thankful that God has sent us people to encourage us..give us a pat on the back and remind us that God is indeed in control and He knows what is best for us. I stood at the beach the previous day, with the wind brushing against my face and was reminded that God's love is as wide as the ocean and I can trust Him cos' He cares for me. Whatever the future holds, it's all safe in His hands.