Reformation Day Conference

This year's Reformation Day Conference was held October 25-26 at the Salvation Army building in central Singapore.

A nice auditorium, where the committee was able to advertise 

on the screen upcoming church events, the times and location 

of our Sunday services, and the youth's Salt Shakers magazine

The theme of the conference was "The Kingdom's Inheritance Rediscovered."  There were three speeches, each with a question and answer period afterwards.

High-tech Q&A--text in your questions!

The questions were also displayed on the screen while they were being answered.

The turnout for all three speeches was good, including both CERC church members and many visitors.  After the speeches there were times for food and fellowship, and tables set up with copies of the Salt Shakers magazine, other literature that CERC's Christian Literature Ministry has printed, and RFPA books.  These books were also promoted after each speech.

Lunch between speeches on Saturday

 

Elder Lee telling the audience about the book Whosoever Will

The weekend was very enjoyable.  We have already had a couple of visitors in church who first got to know us through the conference, and we pray that God will use the speeches to bring others to the knowledge of and love for the truth.

A Couple of Church Events

On Saturday, October 12, the youth hosted their annual Youth Reformation Day Conference (RDC).  CERC's annual RDC is coming up this weekend, but the youth have their own besides.  This year's theme was "Reformed, and Always Reforming."

There were tables set up for the sale of RFPA books, and many copies of the Salt Shakers magazine, which is produced by the youth of CERC, were also available.

Cornelius Boon leading the conference

The speech

Fellowship after the speech

Busy at the book tables after the speech

A few days later the Family Support Ministry got together for dinner, and we were invited to join them.  I have mentioned the Family Support Ministry before, as the committee that hosted the Family Seminar back in July.  After singing and a short exhortation on Psalm 127, we enjoyed dinner and fellowship together for a couple of hours.

We are thankful for these times when we can gather with God's people.  May God bless the Reformation Day Conferences here, and the work of the other church committees, for the glory of His name.

Miscellaneous pictures

Here are some miscellaneous pictures I have taken in the months since we moved here, which will show you various aspects of life in Singapore.

A pizza delivery motorcycle--You notice he is just about to cut between the cars to form his own "lane."  Motorcyclists here are not bound by "normal" traffic laws and are always driving between lanes and cutting among cars.

McDonald's delivery!

We just found this drive-thru McDonald's a couple weeks ago--the first one we had seen in Singapore.  Seemed funny to be excited enough about seeing a fast food drive-thru that I had to take pictures of it! ;-)  Notice though that we're all going through "backwards," since we drive on the opposite side of the car here!

At the gas pump--Someone did the calculation at the time this picture was taken and said this was just under $8 (USD) per gallon!  And we thought gas prices in the U.S. were high before we moved! :-)   

This is a ticket that allows us to park in certain places.  Many places use an electronic system, where they deduct fees automatically from a debit card-type thing in your car.  (You pay to park everywhere here--even the grocery store and mall!)  Parking places that are not set up for electronic deductions use this ticket system.  You buy a book of these tickets, 50c or $1.00 per ticket.  You use them by punching out the date and the time that you parked your car.  Each ticket gives you a certain amount of time to park, depending on the fees charged by the parking lot.

At the car wash--all done by hand, and the person washing it taps the back of your car when he/she is ready for you to move on to the next part of the wash

Dried by hand too

Doesn't seem to be the safest way to travel...

This is in the women's bathroom at Singapore's Botanic Gardens, and many other bathrooms in outdoor areas are like this.  Couldn't ask for a prettier place to wash your hands, right?! :-)

Mail delivery

Fish for sale in a grocery store

Green Tea Kit-Kats, anyone??

The Merlion  (see below)

The most interesting experience we've had of people wanting to take our kids' pictures--

We went to see the Merlion with my parents, and a couple of people wanted to take pictures with our kids.  More and more people gathered around, taking pictures individually with our kids, and then with our kids as a group.  Finally there was a crowd even bigger than what is pictured here, all standing with their iPads, phones, and cameras, taking pictures of our kids with their friends and family.  Quite an experience... :-)

CERC Anniversary

Last year CERC celebrated its 25th anniversary.  My husband and I joined in via Skype for a few minutes, as he had already accepted the call here.  This year we were able to be here to be a part of the 26th anniversary celebration, which was held between church services on Sunday, September 22.  (Thanks again to Daniel Tang for the pictures.  Maybe some of you will get a chance to meet him, as he and family are in Michigan for a visit right now!)

Meng Hsien leading the celebration, which included the 

reading of letters from some pastors/professors of the PRC

 Elder Wong giving an exhortation based on Daniel 1

At this time one year ago, our family was singing Psalter #345 with many of you, in different churches and among friends, as a farewell song before moving here.  This year, our family sang Psalter #345 at CERC's anniversary--but we sang it in Chinese!  We also sang "Jesus Loves Me," or "ye su ai wo."

The other special number was an instrumental group that was put together for the anniversary celebration, playing "Be Thou My Vision."

Finally, in keeping with Singapore customs, there was a cake-cutting.  All the Session members participated in this.

This would be as good a time as any to introduce to you our Session (council) members.  

They are, from left to right, Deacons Lim Seow Thong and Tang Yoon Chuan, Elder 

Wee Gim Theng, Rev. Lanning, and Elders Leong Fai Chong, Felix Chan Chee Seng, 

Wong Chee Choong, and Lee Kong Wee.

We are thankful for God's guiding hand on CERC through the first 26 years of its existence, and pray that He will continue to gather and bless His Church here.

Mooncake Festival

The Mooncake Festival, also called the Mid-Autumn Festival or Lantern Festival, is a Chinese harvest celebration.  There are legends linked to the beginning of it, but from what I can gather, what remains today is mainly the lighting of lanterns and the eating of mooncakes, although apparently there is also the offering of special sacrifices to a moon goddess of immortality connected with the legend.  Around the festival time, mooncakes are sold all over Singapore.  These are pastries filled with a variety of ingredients, including red bean paste and lotus.

This is in a local mall.  All the booths you can see in this picture are selling mooncakes.

Mooncakes

More mooncakes, at our Mooncake Gospel Meeting (more on that below)

Our family went with a couple families from church to the Chinese Garden during the Lantern Festival.  Many people were carrying lanterns around.

A couple examples of the types of lanterns people were carrying

Special lanterns for Jael and Jason!

Those of us who went to Chinese Garden for the festival,
 minus Dorcas, who was taking the picture!

Beautiful sunset that night

On September 21 we had a Mooncake Gospel Meeting at church.  This is a meeting held around the time of the Mooncake Festival each year.  The meeting is completely in Chinese, so that people can invite their Chinese-speaking relatives and friends to hear the gospel.  Elder Lee Kong Wee spoke on John 8:12-30 under the theme "The Light of the World."  After the speech there was dinner, with mooncakes for dessert.

Elder Lee speaking

Psalter #55

The audience

We pray that God will use the words of the message and of the songs sung to work in the hearts of those at the meeting who are not yet believers, if He has His elect among them, so that His Church may continue to be gathered!

Indonesia

About a month ago, my husband and I went to Indonesia for two days as an anniversary gift from many of the people from church.  Here's a glimpse into that country, beginning with some of the sights on our 55-minute bus ride from the ferry terminal to the resort:

The following pictures show a "gas station" we stopped at with our bus.  But there were no gas pumps!  Instead, the fuel was stored in the side room of a rundown building.  A woman came out with a big funnel, followed by a man carrying two big containers of gas.  She held the funnel, he poured the gas in, and we were on our way!  Both of them gave service with a smile, and that was true of everyone we ran into in Indonesia--the people were so happy, and very helpful and pleasant to be around.

A few groceries in the room to the left, and gas in the room to the right

Indonesia's money, the rupiah, is practically worthless.  The current exchange rate is one U.S. dollar to 11,494.25 rupiah.  We bought snacks at the resort gift shop and were charged 95,000.  It seemed so strange to be paying 95,000 for anything, much less a few snacks! :-)

We were served lunch and supper at the resort.  We got to pick out our supper menu. Finding amid the Chinese dishes on the menu something called "chicken gordon blue," I said to my husband, "Hey!  Do you think that's chicken cordon bleu?!"  We decided to try it out, and sure enough, it was. :-)  

Chili crab--very popular over here--along with some soup

My "chicken gordon blue"--very good!

A few random pictures:

An Indonesian cutting open a coconut

A fresh coconut

A fishing hut out in the water

 On White Sands Island--We stayed on Bintan Island, but this 

was nearby, and we took a small boat here for an hour.

 Finally, a few pictures of the beauty of God's creation in Indonesia:

The beach at the resort

Coming up to White Sands Island

The White Sands Island beach

"O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth"!