Saturday and Sunday

Hiking at Bukit Timah Nature Reserve with Gloria and TingTing.

Wow, I haven't had that much going on lately, so it's been hard to blog...now today, I think I might have to write a book. In case you want the short version....I had a GREAT, although slightly unusual, day. Okay, now for the long version. Today started like any normal day, I got up, got ready for church, and walked the few blocks to get there. Church was amazing, as usual, and I really enjoyed meeting together with my church family here. After church, a group of us decided to go out for lunch, had wonderful Italian food, and went our separate ways...that's when things started going a little crazy.

I was supposed to meet Linda's neighbor's son and his family at 4:00 for church and dinner. I have never met them before, but we have been talking via e-mail, and they had invited me to join them. I had agreed, and sent a message saying I wouldn't be able to check my school e-mail account over the weekend, giving them my phone number and home e-mail account. However, somehow we didn't connect. So, at 3:00, when I still hadn't heard anything I had to decide if I was going to try to find them, or just stay put. Although a nap sounded great, I decided I'd give it a try. She had said that the church meets at the Salvation Army, so I looked the Salvation Army up on the Internet, got an address, studied the bus/map books and thought I'd found a route. The only problem was that the estimated travel time was an hour, and it was already a little past 3. So, I decided to take a taxi. My taxi driver was very nice and talkative. We chatted for the entire ride, talking about Singapore, the Sates and other random things. At on point he said "I can tell you haven't been here long, you are very fat." I was shocked by his boldness, and I wasn't really sure how to respond. He kept going "When you've been her longer, you won't be so fat, you will get darker skin from being in the sun." That's when I realized he wasn't saying fat, he was saying "fair." When I got to the Salvation Army, there was a sign advertising a church that meets at 10:30 AM, none for the afternoon. This didn't really faze me though, because lots of churches use the same buildings, so I just figured I'd wait until 4 and see what happened. (I was there 30 minutes early since I took a taxi instead of a bus.) I found a bench and sat down to read while I waited. At 3:50 I headed back towards the Salvation Army, where there were a few people standing outside. I asked if there was a church that met there in the afternoon, and was told that yes, there was one. I was thankful that I had waited, but then another lady came up and introduced herself and asked what I needed. She was in a Salvation Army uniform, and when I told her I was looking for the afternoon church, she said that it had just ended. I was very confused, figuring I just had the wrong time. She invited me in for coffee, and since I was hot and still looking for my unknown friend, I agreed. We went inside and she said she wanted to introduce me. I was welcomed by a very friendly group of Singaporean Christians, who were enjoying tea and coffee after church. One by one they pulled up chairs and chatted with me, asking me how long I'd been in Singapore, where I lived, what I did, etc. The lady that had invited me in, Eileen, kept coming back to check on me, and offer me more food and drink. I was served tea, green bean soup (that was supposed to be a desert) and chocolate cake. Singlish abounded, and I had a hard time understanding some of the older ladies, but overall, I was very impressed by the welcome that I received. One lady, Judy, asked me if I played any instruments, I said I did, and she became very excited. She invited me to join their worship team, and invited me to practice with them next Saturday. It was slightly funny that some of the people would address their questions to the ladies I had been talking to rather than me. I quickly got used to it though. Eileen and Judy invited me to supper, and since I was having such a good time, I agreed.

My new friends at supper

A picture of our feast. What fun!

We went to a local hawker, that specialized in.....can you guess......FISH! I'm not a fan of seafood or fish really, but I had already decided to just go with the flow. We were in a more local part of town, and I was with a group of all Asians, so the ordering was all done in Chinese, (or possibly Malay.) Anyway, I had no idea what was going on. We sat and ate and chatted for nearly 3 hours! It was so much fun. They invited me to join them again, and I think I might, seeing as how their church meets in the afternoon, and mine is in the morning. They also attempted to teach me some local phrases (I really don't know what language they were in because they went back and forth so much) and had a good laugh at my efforts. At the end of our meal, a man came around trying to sell durian. Now, I've heard a lot about durian, it's a very stinky fruit, which I have heard nothing good about. They asked me if I was adventurous and I had told them I like to think I am So, they asked I wanted to try durian. Now, until today, I have met NO ONE who likes durian, so I was very nervous. Freddy (one of the men in the group) went and bought two durian (a total of $22) and brought them back. They were very stinky, but I was determined to at least try. I tasted them, with everyone watching, and actually quite enjoyed it! They decided I truly am adventurous and that I fit in very well~ :) That made me smile.

This is what durian lookds like when you cut it open...I only wish you could smell it!

Here I am, trying the durian!

After this, I had to get back home. I thought about taking the bus, but since it was already 7:30, I decided I didn't want to wait that long. I hailed a cab, and got in. I asked the driver how he was, and he replied "not good." He said he wasn't feeling well, and that he was going to be working until morning in order to make enough money. I felt bad for him. I kept thinking "I should ask him if I can pray for him." But I was too chicken. We started driving, and soon I noticed that we had driven past the sign for Holland Road. Now, I'm definatly not an expert on roads in Singapore, but I do know that Holland Road is near Holland Village, which is where I live. I was curious, but assumed the driver knew where he was going. Next, we passed the sign for Commonwealth, which is one of the main roads that leads to my place. Still, I was completely disoriented, but now starting to pay more attention. Then I realized, maybe God was giving me more time, so that I could pray for my driver. When we passed Queensway shopping plaza going away from my house, I decided I'd better say something (now that I finally knew where we were, and knew for sure that we were not headed towards home.) I said, "Um, I think we're going the wrong way, Holland Village is back there." He told me that he knew, that he'd missed the turned and was turning around, but not to worry about the fare, he would deduct for his mistake. Again, I felt that God was giving me an opportunity to pray for this man. Finally, I had the courage to ask him if I could pray for him. His response was "Oh, I just wasn't paying enough attention, really, don't worry about the fare, I'll make it right." He wouldn't give me permission to audibly pray for him, but I started praying for him. All of the sudden, God increased my burden for the people of Singapore. It became suddenly clear just how much this city and it's people need Jesus. My cab driver had a picture of a Hindu god in the window, and was worried about making ends meet. As we finished driving home, I noticed the Hindu temples, and the places where many people leave offerings and burn incense for their ancestors. These people need Jesus. When we finally got to my flat, I paid the driver the entire fare, even for the slight (or not so slight) detour. (The return fair was double the fair to get there.) When he objected, I told him it was an honest mistake, and that I really didn't mind. I told him that I wanted to the money to be a blessing to him. I wish I could have said or done more. When I got out of the cab I told him "God bless you." As I walked to my flat he just sat their in his cab. I don't know what he was thinking, but I pray that God will break through the darkness and that that man will know Jesus' love and forgiveness.