Visit from Family

I mentioned earlier that my husband's parents were here in December.  I thought I'd share a few more of the things we did with them, in addition to the trip to Malaysia.

We showed them our neighborhood, including the wet market and fruit stand...

...enjoyed some of the Singapore scenery...

  

On the Singapore River

 

At Gardens by the Bay

View from Gardens by the Bay looking toward 

the Flyer (world's largest "ferris wheel")

Merlion and business district

...went to the Jurong Bird Park...

...and enjoyed the communion of the saints in Singapore.

Annual church caroling at different people's homes--This is

the home of an aunt and uncle of two young people from church.

We also spent a while at the Buddhist temple in Chinatown one day.  That's always an eye-opener.  These are only a few of the pictures I took of people worshiping the many idols in that temple.  We also had to stand aside for the monks to walk past us between chanting sessions.

 

Toward the end of Mom and Dad's visit we went to Sentosa island.

The southernmost point of continental Asia (because this tiny island we 

were on is linked by a bridge to Sentosa Island, which is linked by a bridge to 

Singapore, which is linked by a bridge to Malaysia, which is part of the mainland

...Does that really count?!)

This next picture sets up the following one.  See where the family is swimming?  And see the little island just beyond them?

Now, if you saw this walking across that little island and entering the water to go for a swim, would you keep swimming or not? :-)

(Just for the record, one got out, and the rest stayed in.  I wasn't in the water to start with, or there would have been two getting out!)

A New Year at CERC

CERC begins each year with a gathering at church.  The church theme for the year is presented, a speech is given, we eat lunch together, and this year there were also discussion groups.  The speech by my husband was on II Thessalonians 1:10--"When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe..."  When we reach the end of this year and others look at us, what do we want them to say about us? Our desire should be that they see Christ in us in the way we have lived, and then glorify and admire Him.

Presentation of the church theme and church calendar by Elder Wong

One of the discussion groups

When we went home after lunch, we saw another gathering--this one right outside our church building by the shrine of Ganesha, the elephant god.  It involved drums, food, and offerings to Ganesha.  I seem to remember the same thing last year, so apparently they begin their year in worship too...to an idol made by human hands.  Sad.

On Sunday, January 5, there was a program to kick off the new Sunday School year.  The school year, and therefore also catechism and Sunday School, goes from January-December here.  The kids gathered with their last year's classes, but from now on a number of students will be moving up a level in their Sunday School training.

 Meng Hsien chairing the program

 

The youngest classes (preschool through grade 4) sang "Jesus 

Loves Me" both in Chinese and in English, and also sang Psalter #268.

Elijah and Megan--good friends!

The next Sunday School class talked about 

lessons they had learned from the life of Abraham.

The high school students sang a couple of songs.

Jessica's class with their teachers

We pray God's blessing upon another year of covenant instruction here!

Christmas in Malaysia

On Christmas Day we took a train trip into Malaysia with a number of families from church, along with my husband's parents and Jessica Smits from Crete PRC.  Here are some pictures of our day there:

 

Another view from the train

When we arrived in the town of Kluang after two hours on the train, there was a chartered bus waiting to give us a tour of the area.  First we went to an organic farm.

On the bus

Feeding bunnies

Harvesting kangkong and other vegetables

A Muslim country, but we have seen plenty of
Chinese religions represented in Malaysia too

At the organic farm, we had lunch before continuing on to a coffee factory in Kluang.

Fish (always cooked whole here, eyes and teeth and all!) with passion fruit

Dad was the big attraction while he tried durian-flavored fried ice cream!

 

At the coffee factory

Another shrine outside the coffee factory

From there we went to Gunung Lambak, a small mountain outside Kluang.

Malaysia is not known for maintaining things.  Emily managed to avoid the big holes
in the centers of the steps up to the slide, but couldn't go down the slide because
of all the cracks in it.  This did not inspire confidence in us when the next thing

we had to do was cross a couple of suspension bridges! :-)

A monkey in the tree next to the hiking trail

 

Jessica, Eric, and quite a few of the youth climbed up this waterfall.

We ended the day at a mall, where we ate supper and had a little time to shop before heading back to the train station for the ride home.

Daniel Tang and Jason in the mall

Waiting for the train

Going to Malaysia is always a very interesting experience.  We are glad we had this opportunity and could spend the day with so many of our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Holiday Greetings

Thank you to all of you who have sent us cards, pictures, and letters this holiday season, and to all who have remembered us in your prayers all through the year.  We pray that you will have a blessed Christmas, remembering the birth of Jesus Christ, Emmanuel--God with us!  What a blessing!  May God also continue to guide you in the coming year.  "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord" (I Cor. 15:58).

In Christ's love,

Rev. & Stephanie Lanning, Jessica, Eric, Emily, Megan, and Jason

Vacation Bible School

Each December, when Singapore schools have a break, CERC hosts a Vacation Bible School for its members, regular visitors, and any friends of the members who would like to come. VBS is an overnight event, for three nights.  This year it was held from December 3-6 at the Fairy Point Chalet in eastern Singapore.

There are several of these houses available for rent in eastern Singapore, left over 

from the British colonial era.  They are huge--plenty big for about 25 kids, plus 

many helpers, teachers, moms in the kitchen, etc.

Vacation Bible School consists mainly of four Bible lessons, some craft time one afternoon, games, and a big outing.  The kids were divided into three classes for the lessons.

The whole group saying I Corinthians 13 together in English...

...and then in Chinese

Video of part of I Corinthians 13 in Chinese

The youngest class

The middle class (with a teacher and helper)

Most of the oldest class

On Wednesday there were crafts and games.  The water games are a highlight, including a variation of "Duck, Duck, Goose" called "Drip, Drip, Drop."  Instead of saying "Duck" you drip water from a bucket on a person, and instead of saying "Goose" you dump all the rest of the water on them!

Craft time

Drip, drip...

...Drop!

More water fun

The last day, the group took a chartered bus to the sea aquarium on Sentosa Island and spent a few hours there.  In the evening they had a dessert party, including roasting marshmallows.

The kids all had a great week, and the youth who were in charge of VBS did a wonderful job with all the activities.  May God use the Bible lessons and fellowship for the building up of the children of the church. "Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God" (Mark 10:14).

Confessions of Faith

On Sunday, December 1, five of the young people of CERC made confession of faith.  Here are a few pictures, thanks again to Daniel!

Elena, Phoebe, Lee Yang, Yang Zhi, and Joseph 

reading along with the questions that are being asked of them

Addressing those who had made confession of their faith

Immediately after the service the whole Session (council) went to the front of church, and certificates of membership were handed out to those who had made confession of their faith.

 

While we were privileged to witness these confessions of faith, we also rejoice with the young people at our former church, Faith PRC, who are making their confessions of faith in the coming weeks.  What a blessing that on both sides of the world, the children of God's covenant are taking their place as confessing members of His church.  May this generation, and those that follow, stand strong in their faith, to the glory of God's name and the building of His church!