Chinese New Year 2014

Chinese New Year is a very big holiday each year, lasting fifteen days.  Because it is connected to the lunar calendar, each year the dates are different; this year Chinese New Year (CNY) was from January 31-February 14.  This year is the Year of the Horse. There are beliefs about what your personality will be like if you are born in the Year of the Horse (or any other year), how successful you will be, your health and your wealth, etc.

Decorations in Chinatown

For the first two or three days of CNY, many of the businesses on the island shut down. You need to stock up on groceries before CNY, as we found out the hard way--we needed hamburger buns for a meal for some visitors, but the stores were all out because there had been no bread deliveries for two or three days!

The following pictures show an area below our building that is usually bustling with people eating and shopping.  These pictures show how deserted things become during Chinese New Year!  A stray cat had taken up residence on one of the tables that is usually used for eating.

A big part of CNY is reunion dinners.  People gather together with family members and friends and have meals together.  I wrote last year about some of the traditions that go along with these visits.  This year we were invited to the home of Yoon Chuan and Jee Fung and their family, along with Roy and Poh Choo and their family. 

Ready to mix the "yu sheng," a traditional Chinese salad usually 

made with shredded vegetables, toppings and sauces, and raw fish

Yu sheng before mixing

Those we celebrated with

 

Poh Choo with my girls and me, all wearing cheongsam, 

a traditional Chinese dress often worn during Chinese New Year

Each year the church has its own Chinese New Year celebration.  Different homes are opened to the church members for singing, an exhortation, food, and fellowship.  This year we went with quite a few others to the home of Elder Wong and his wife Wan Teng.

The first Sunday of Chinese New Year, my husband preached on Revelation 6.  In the New Testament, every year is the year of the horse--the years in which the four horses ride forth to accomplish God's counsel and work for the second coming of Christ.  "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever" (Rev. 5:13).

CK/CKS Anniversary

The Covenant Keepers (CK--young people) and Covenant Keepers Seniors (CKS--young adults) celebrated their anniversaries on January 25--14 years for CK, and 6 years for CKS. I was home with sick kids, so once again all the picture credit goes to Daniel, and the details come from another of the young people, Bernice.  Of all the pictures I could have chosen, I tried to choose people you may not have seen before on my blog, so that I can introduce you to more of the youth here.

The celebration began with the singing of some Psalter numbers, and an exhortation by Elder Felix Chan, based on Romans 11:36-12:2, in which he spoke of using everything in this life to serve Christ.

Next was an address by one of the youth, Marcus Wee.

Following that was a welcoming of new members to each group, and the giving of gifts of appreciation to Bible study leaders and committee members.  (CK & CKS have a committee that plans activities and discussion topics.)

New CKS member Ming Hui with committee members Noelene and Bernice

Lisa Ong and Daniel Tang

Deacon Lim Seow Thong with Jemima Lee

Christine Ong

Iva Chan

Two of the men from church own a brownie shop, and they provided the "cake" for the celebration.  There was time for group pictures too--first the committee members and their advisors, then the CK/CKS members, and then all who were present for the anniversary celebration.

The evening concluded with dinner and a time of fellowship.

Shang Ren

We are thankful to God for the zeal of the youth here, and their love for the truth.  May God continue to bless them!

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!