Singapore

Our team and transport

Still in Trincomalee, on the Sunday morning I was part of a large team visiting a church. The church members are very spread out so the approach they have taken is to meet only once a month for a communion service and each week they meet in small congregations scattered over some distance. Our larger team was also split into smaller teams to visit these many sub-churches.

This set up was, in fact, very encouraging as the church in Sri Lanka often lacks unity. My team was able to present a little on the ship, perform a drama and one of the men gave a short message.

The 'main' church

Please pray for the church in Sri Lanka, for unity and safety. They experience a lot of hostility, especially in country areas.

Friends on deck!

A week long sail preceded our visit to Singapore. This was smooth voyage and a very precious time with friends before they left the ship.

The Logos Hope was berthed literally right up against one of the larger malls in Singapore. We walked off the gangway and were in the mall, VivoCity. There was an MRT (underground train) right there so getting to and from the ship was easy.

Over the Harbour, the 'small' end of the port

Many times I went off the ship, mainly just to walk by myself, see the city and listen to music. This was very refreshing and it was good to get away from the ship after such a long sail and a busy port in Trincomalee. This is unusual as we aren't often allowed to leave the ship by ourselves. It varies depending on the area but often the minimum group size is two but can be as large as five.

Chinese new year occurred while we were in Singapore. There were many celebrations and firecrackers. One evening I gathered some friends and went to a free outdoor music concert. I have no idea what they were singing as it was in Mandarin but it sounded nice enough.

Chinese New Year Celebrations

My highlight event from this port was an on board program for Bangladeshi migrant workers. The Hope Theatre was packed full of these men, most of whom are supporting their families overseas. The concept for this event was gathering around a meal. In Asia gathering together for a meal is large part of their culture. As their families were overseas they didn't have anywhere to go for Chinese New Year.

Incredible balance

This event had several cultural dances and some music. There was a challenging message given by a local pastor and a number of these men committed to follow Christ or expressed interest in finding out more.

Thank God that these men came to know him and give praise that they were so directly connected with a local church. Pray for them for commitment and that they would grow in Him. Also pray for them in their work. Many live in poverty as they send almost all of what they earn back to their families.

The Singapore 'Merlion'