These are just some of the new things we have had to learn in just over a month in Singapore. A lot has happened since our last update. So, we will start with our getting settled into our condominium. Because of the economy, the Lord has provided us with a 1,400 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, 2 bathroom condominium. One distinctive of living in a condominium complex is that it has “facilities”, i.e. ours has swimming pools, squash courts, tennis courts, an indoor exercise room, etc. We are ‘slowly’ getting around to using them by inviting people from the church to visit us and enjoy them with us. The members of the church have been extremely generous with us, so our home is fully furnished and equipped. We have included some pictures in this update, so you can praise the Lord along with us.
Various members of the church have made it possible for us to have a car – a 2009 Hyundai Advanta. Driving here in Singapore is a major adjustment, but we are getting more adventurous. The steering wheel on the cars here are on the right. And, they drive on the left. It is not as easy as it looks. For now, we are using mostly the bus and train system. The train system is a lot like it is in the San Francisco Bay Area with the BART system, and the Dallas, TX area with its DART system. It takes roughly about 1 hour on the bus, each way, to and from the office. Besides using public transportation, we are also doing a lot of walking. For example, we walk to go grocery shopping. It takes about 20 minutes to get to the supermarket. We even have a little shopping cart (locally called a ‘trolley’) to wheel home our groceries. The walking has been good exercise for us. There is a local saying that when you ask a Singaporean how they get from one place to another they will say, “By BMW.” This stands for bus, MRT (the local train system), and walking. Each week, I am beginning to understand better what they mean.
After getting our home situation settled, we have turned our attention to the ministries at the church. I am preaching through the Book of Joshua for May and June. We are in the process of learning how things are done in the church and doing a lot of listening and learning. I have introduced a few minor things in the services and we will start suggesting other things as time goes on. The church and the leadership have been very open and accepting. For now, we are concentrating on 3 major areas of ministry – administration, worship, and pastoral care. From there, our hope is to work our way through the other ministries of the church, i.e. care groups, Sunday School, etc. The challenges are formidable and we could really use your prayers. Pray that the Lord will lead individuals alongside to help us meet the needs of the flock. One blessing has been a revival of the visitation ministry. A number of people have stepped up to help and the visits have been a blessing and even amazing. One excellent development is for our Visitation Ministry to bring the Lord’s Supper to those who have been unable to participate for various reasons. Effie has spoken at the Ladies’ Network. They had one of the largest turnouts in recent years. The Lord used Effie to speak to the women of the church and we are excited about the possibilities for Effie to minister to them. Also, Effie had the opportunity to help with a childcare ministry in the community. She was helping with crowd control for over 30 kids, while one of the other pastor’s wives was ministering. Slowly, Effie is trying to feel her way along and sense what the Lord might want her to do at this time.
On the home front, Kara is officially a 4th year dental student at Baylor - Texas A & M Dental School. Tricia is relocating from Austin to teach as a math specialist for the Richardson Independent School District. Please pray for a smooth transition for Tricia. Alicia and Ed are getting a crash course in parenting. Baby Faith is growing by the minute. Marina’s boys are as cute and as active as ever. Elena is enrolling in a doctoral program in the Chicago area and trying to buy a home, too. Rodney has graduated from Moody with a M.Div. Lisa is very busy in her role at the President George Bush Library. Dana is traveling a little bit more for her job with Procter & Gamble and will be transitioning to a new project shortly. A missionary family is house-sitting for us in Plano. He is the new Central Asia Director for East-West Ministries. He moved in the first of June and it looks like the transition is going smoothly. In all, we are so thankful to the Lord for all that He continues to provide and enable us to do. At this point in time, we are very convinced that we must stay focused and pace ourselves to do what we can, while we can. Your prayers and thoughts for us are priceless and will help make this possible.
How can you pray for us?
· Pray for our family back home.
· Pray for God’s wisdom in decision making.
· Pray the Lord will provide people to come alongside to help.
· Pray for sensitivity to the needs of the flock.
· Pray for continued effectiveness from the pulpit as well as ministry away from the pulpit.
Love, Arnold and Effie
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