Visit from Jeff Kotman

We just had our friend Jeff Kotman with us for a week.  On his first day here, we went to Gardens by the Bay and spent a couple hours walking around the free outdoor gardens--one of our favorite places to go here.

Megan and Emily

Another day we went biking.  We started in East Coast Park like we did with my in-laws, but rented different bikes and were able to go much farther this time.

Rev. Holstege just finished his work in the Philippines and came down to Singapore for a week.  On Tuesday we went with Jeff, Rev. Holstege, two couples from church, and a regular visitor named Curtis (an American) to Pulau Ubin.

Lunch before going to the island

On the boat

This boar smelled Curtis's snack and came over to check it out.

Jee Fung and me

I love hiking Pulau Ubin not only for the beauty of the creation, but for the fellowship

we can have while hiking for 3-4 hours.  We always mix well, but the Singaporeans

happened to get this picture of all of us "Ang Mohs" (white people) walking together. :-)

Visiting in our home afterwards

We are thankful for the time we could spend with Jeff, as well as with Rev. Holstege and some of the saints in Singapore.

Confession of Faith and Baptisms

In the past month and a half our church has been blessed with the addition of a few new members. The first was through the confession of faith of Huggy Lee on December 6.

On December 27 we had two infant baptisms.  Infant baptisms have been very rare here in the past few years, so it was especially exciting to have two in one day!  Both babies are also third-generation Christians, with most of the grandparents in Covenant (and the others Christians also); so the sermon was on Proverbs 13:22, "A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children."

Naomi Liu, daughter of Paul & Anthea

Noah Lee, son of Kong Wee & Dorcas

On January 10 a young person named Kuang was baptized.  He has some relatives in our church, but he himself grew up in an unbelieving family.

"The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad" (Psalm 126:3).

(All photos thanks to Daniel Tang!)

Visit from Parents

My husband's parents came to Singapore for the last two weeks of 2015.  The time flew by, but we had so much fun with them!

Walking in West Coast Park

At Gardens by the Bay

Family game night

A couple from church took us ice skating one day at a huge ice rink inside a mall.  It was the first time we'd dressed in jeans and sweatshirts since the plane ride back to Singapore in August 2014!

One of my favorite activities was biking at East Coast Park.  We rented bikes, including a family bike that worked really well for our younger kids (the adults and older kids took turns pedaling it), and we had two hours to bike along the coast and towards downtown.

We also hiked on the island of Pulau Ubin on a rainy day--but nice and cool for hiking!  We reached the Chek Jawa Wetlands area at low tide and spent a lot of time looking at the sea creatures there.

Yoon Chuan and Megan running along the path

Anemone

A couple of crabs

Walking past mangroves

Inside a temple on the island

On the boat ride back

Our tiny boat went right alongside this enormous ship.

We spent another rainy day at the zoo with Kong Wee & Dorcas's family.

Megan, Jael, Noah, Jason, Elijah

Jason and Elijah in the zoo's water play area

By the time we left it was pouring rain, but all the trams were full, 

so we had a long, wet walk back to the zoo entrance!

Another day we went down to the Singapore River and Marina Bay area.

Inside a mall on Marina Bay!!

Megan by Clarke Quay on the river

One of the families from church had us over for swimming and dinner at their condo one day.

The family of the kids' "Singapore grandma" and their Michigan grandparents

A Bible study group from church hosted a dinner for us another night.

Seafood salad one of the women made for Dad

We visited in another family's home for lunch one day.

Rambutan (fruit)

Mom also got to sit in the youngest Sunday School class with Megan and Jason.

One of the men whose home we visited led a very nice devotions on Psalm 133.  Mom & Dad had a great time with our family, but also with many of God's people here in Singapore.  "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!"