It seems, in looking back, that 2008 was a hard year for many of us, but it also was productive, I think.  The time I spent in Shanghai seems to me to have been particularly beneficial, with things looking very promising for the future.  Our little group grew from 4 to 6, and there are a couple of other people I think I can invite to join us over the upcoming months.  And, at the same time, the work in Singapore seems to have not only continued along in a healthy way, but to have grown.

It looks like 2009 will be a very productive year too.  It is our 10th anniversary here in Woodlands, and we plan for this year to be a time of refocusing on our task here in the northern part of Singapore.  We have slated events throughout the year that are geared toward outreach to our community.  Some of the details are still being firmed up, but I will keep you posted as things develop.  I am expecting the events to begin in earnest during the June school holidays.  I am particularly excited to see the enthusiasm on the part of some of our young people.

In connection with the youth group that is still just beginning to take shape, two of our young adult men have recently agreed to begin teaching the youth Bible class each Sunday.  I believe this is going to make much better use of our resources, and I am looking forward to seeing the dynamics that develop there.  I think the young adults will not only provide solid teaching for the kids, but will help channel their energy toward driving some of the programs planned for 2009 and 2010.

One exciting bit of news for both the group here and our friends in Shanghai is that one of our Shanghainese friends has been posted to work in Singapore. His contract here will begin in March, and he will be here for at least 2 years.  His wife will join him in April with a plan to stay for at least 6 months, after which she will need to return to Shanghai.  This is the same couple who was in League City several years ago, and with whom we first began the work in Shanghai.  We are all very excited that they will be here in Singapore with us for a period of time.

My plans to return to Shanghai are beginning to shape up.  I will probably be there starting sometime in early February, and will stay through early May.  I think it will be helpful that I am there when the couple who is making their way to Singapore departs, just to help provide some stability and continuity for the fledgling group meeting there.  I am aiming to take an exam to gauge my language abilities sometime this year, either May or October/November, depending on the dates scheduled for the exam.  I am looking forward to another profitable time of language study, and a fruitful time of study with the group there.

Thank you all for your continued support of my work.  I am looking forward to a busy and exciting year in 2009, and am grateful to all of you who are a part of that.

The summer months are now behind us, and all of our overseas guests have returned home.  But this year, there is a slightly different feeling than what the end of summer held in years past.  The difference is in the large number of new members we’ve gained over the past year, making it feel a little less empty when our guests from overseas leave us at the end of their holiday period.

Perhaps the biggest difference is that we had an addition at the same time that we had our annual exodus.  This year, George and Mary arrived just at the end of the summer, and we plan to hang on to them for a while!  They have been stationed in Singapore and will be with us, if all goes as planned, for about 3 years.  George and Mary have been with us often in the past as visitors, and we are very pleased that they are making this their home now, at least for a while.  It is a big boost to have them with us.

The new members we have from the Philippines have also been a big boost to us, both during the summer and as our visitors departed.  One of the men who placed his membership with us at the end of last year has taken on a big role of teaching a Bible class, and has offered the exhortation for us as well.  We hope that he will continue to step into the role of offering the exhortation as often as he can.  He is a good speaker, and connects well with the congregation.  We are so blessed to have him here with us, and thankful for the good work he’s been doing amongst us since he has been here.

At the end of August, a group of 7 of us from Woodlands got to travel to Fraser’s Hill in Malaysia for a retreat with the church there.  It was organized by the Seremban congregation, but there were members there from other parts of Malaysia too.  It was a great pleasure to be with them.  They are a fun and encouraging bunch, and the lessons presented by Bobby Bligh were very thought-provoking.

This past weekend, we had our Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. It is always one of our best-attended events, and we were pleased to have a lot of visitors with us this year.  There were 13 visitors present, and one former member who has not been with us for many years.  We were glad to see them all, and everyone really enjoyed the warm fellowship.

I am making plans for my next extended stay in Shanghai.  My hope is to leave next week, but I am currently held up in the planning stage.  I expect an announcement to be made today that the visa requirements have reverted back to something like what they were before the Olympics.  I was told that the change would be made today, but so far have not been able to confirm that news.  If that is the case, it is advantageous for me to wait a day or two to apply for the visa, as I should be able to get a multiple entry visa instead of the single (or at most double) entry visas they are currently granting.  If there is no news of the changes, I will probably go ahead and make my application this week, regardless of the situation.  

My plan while in Shanghai is very similar to what I did at the early part of this year.  I will take language courses, having class 2 times per week.  In the spring, I found that the courses I took were very beneficial, and I am looking forward to pursuing that again.  I will also continue studying with the various groups that we have meeting there.  The ladies who have been meeting for the past 3+ years are continuing faithfully each week, and while I am away I try to keep in regular contact by phone.  They are planning to begin a study of the book of Ephesians this coming Sunday, and that should be what we are studying when I arrive in Shanghai.

On a personal note, I just returned from taking my 2 nephews (7 and 8 years old) back to their home in Texas.  They spent the summer with me, as they do each summer, and we had a good time together.  I left League City just before Hurricane Ike hit.  My family is all doing fine, and I do appreciate those who have emailed to ask about them.  Do continue to pray for all of the members of the various congregations in the area there.  Many of those who faithfully sponsor my work live there, and have been in my constant prayers during the storm.  Some families have been hit rather badly by the storm, and will be relying heavily on the local churches to help. Your prayers are coveted.

A lot has happened since my last post.  My 3-month stay in Shanghai came to an end, I returned to Singapore, and the summer is nearly over.  We have had our usual high-traffic time during the summer, with various friends and family members home for holidays, and it has been a good time for all of us.  I am personally enjoying having my nephews spend the summer with me again, and it is always good to have the Parkers “home” during their school holidays.  They are a very big help to the work here.

The stay in Shanghai came to a very fruitful end.  I was able to meet up with a lot of new people, and make a lot of new contacts.  That is one of the biggest differences in having spent an extended time in Shanghai, as opposed to several shorter trips during the same period of time.  I formed an especially good relationship with one of my language teachers, and we have kept in touch since I’ve been back to Singapore.  She was able to meet up with me and my nephews when we were back for a short visit earlier this month.  Also, the teachers at the Singapore International School made a trip with their principal (a member at Woodlands who has been in Shanghai for several years), and we got to meet up with them here as well.  I hope that the contact with them will continue to grow as well.

We had an addition to the group that is meeting in Shanghai.  One of the Singaporean ladies who teaches at the Singapore International School has been worshipping with another group for about 5-6 years now.  She spoke to me when I arrived in Shanghai about wanting to help with the smaller group that we have started, and she has since made the decision to join us.  She is a big help to the group.  She has been a Christian for many years, and brings more knowledge and experience to the group than what any of those meeting there now have.  She and her husband have bought a house in Shanghai, and intend to settle there for the long-term.  This is a different situation from that of most Singaporeans who are there, and it is good to have her aboard.

The work back here in Singapore is also going along very well.  The congregation has been very faithful in continuing the doorknocking efforts all year long.  As a result, we have left information about the church at over 6000 homes.  We have had many calls and visits from members of the community.  It is a very nice feeling to see so much interest as a result of the work going on.  We are working on increasing the involvement in follow up work, since right now most of it is being done by one or two families.  

One of our Filipina sisters who joined us earlier this year will probably have to leave to return to the Philippines in a couple of weeks.  She has been unable to find a job here.  We will miss her when she is gone.  She has fit in nicely to the church here.

We are beginning to wrap up the summer excitement now.  Soon, the guests who are staying with us will be making their way home, and we will miss them, and look forward to their return next year.  I think the congregation is doing well, and will settle back nicely into routine.  We very much appreciate the time we have had with our guests, and the uplift they have been to us.  

I plan to be back in Shanghai for a couple of months after my nephews have gone back to the US.  It looks like I will depart in mid- to late September, and stay till late November.  I will spend the December school holiday here in Singapore, when I think we will have some special activities going on.  We have been making plans for 2009 to be a big year for Woodlands, celebrating our 10th anniversary.  I will keep you posted of the details as they begin to come together.

I have been in Shanghai for 5 1/2 weeks now, and am planning to stay
for a total of 12 weeks. It is amazing how quickly the halfway point
has gotten here! I can’t believe that time can pass by at such a
pace. One of the ladies here said, “I kept telling you that 3 months
is not really an ‘extended stay.’ It’s passing much too quickly!”
She has said that the time I’ve spent with her and the group here has
been very valuable for her (she thinks for all of them), and that she
hopes that we’ll manage to do this often in the future, with me
spending a few months at a time here with them.

My language studies are going along well. I’m enjoying the classes
very much, and feel challenged by them. It is good to have a place
to study where the courses are really designed for advanced
learners. Because much of my language learning has not been done
through formal classes, I know that there are big gaps here and there
in my ability with the language. The teachers here are doing a
really good job of seeing where the gaps are, and helping me to close
them up some.

I have two different teachers, one focusing more on oral language,
and the other on written. Both are very good teachers. I get along
with one especially well, and she has already asked me to make sure
that we keep in touch when I return to Singapore. We have spent a
good deal of time talking, and I do think she really wants to stay in
touch over the long term. I am pleased that it worked out for her to
teach me. Overall, the experience with this school has been even
more than I had hoped for, both in terms of the studies, and in terms
of making more contacts with people here.

The schedule since I have been here has been surprisingly busy.
(Probably why the time seems to be passing so quickly!) I’ve seen
some opportunities open up that never have on previous short-term
visits, nor would they have likely ever opened up without this longer-
term stay. One of the very exciting ones is that I have been
invited to teach the teachers in the preschool at the Singapore
international school. One of our members from Woodlands (in
Singapore) has been working with the school for the past 6 years, and
she has arranged for me to offer English lessons to the teachers, to
help them improve their ability to communicate with the parents. I
go once a week to teach them English, and have been able to make some
good contact with them. This Friday night, we’ll be having a bible
study at the home of my friend from Woodlands. Several of the
Singaporean teachers from the school will be there, as will (at
least) one of the ladies from the group I regularly meet with on the
weekends here. So far, I don’t think any of the local teachers from
the school are planning to come to the Friday study, but I do hope we
will see that develop over the next few weeks.

The weekend sessions have been going very well. We are enjoying our
time to study together, and I think the lessons have been
beneficial. I am working with the lady who teaches when I am not
around to prepare the lessons for the time after I have returned to
Singapore. She is glad to have a bit of time to get herself more
prepared for that, and I think it will be very good in the long-term.

One of the families from Woodlands was able to spend their recent
school holidays here visiting me. We had a very good time together.
I enjoyed having them visit, and so did the rest of our friends
here. I think it was a very good opportunity for everyone to get to
meet each other, fellowship and study — and play — together.

Please keep us all in your prayers. There is still so much to be done.

The time spent in China so far has been very productive. It is hard
to believe that nearly 3 weeks have passed since I have been here —
it is flying by! I have roughly 9 and a half weeks left here for
this trip. I know it is going to pass more quickly than I can believe.

My studies have gotten off to a good start — and very fast-paced!
The first week left my head spinning a bit, but I think I am settling
into a routine. I have written 3 short essays already, and have 2
more due soon. It is a challenge to write the essays. But I think
it is a good challenge, and can already see some improvement in my
writing. I will be pleased if the time spent here gives me more
confidence in the language and enables me to express myself better.
It seems that language-learning is a never-ending task.

I’ve had a good time being in touch with the people I am working with
here. Two of the sisters have been especially helpful in getting me
settled in, both to my apartment and into the general routines of
life. Without their help, getting set up would have been a very
difficult task, but they have made it very easy. For that I am very,
very grateful. They got everything ready for me, as far as all the
little daily needs go, and helped me apply for all the various
permissions, passes, and other things that seem to be so necessary
for a foreigner to live in China. All of those procedures would have
been very tough to manage on my own, just because they are things
that are not required in most places I have lived before. For
instance, I was not aware that I had to register my address with the
local police when staying for an extended period. In fact, when I
was told I needed to do so, I had no idea where to go or anything.
But with the help of one of the local ladies, it was done very
quickly and easily. She and another lady from Singapore who has been
here for about 6 years have been such a huge blessing.

The other ladies who we are continuing to reach out to seem to be
very glad that I am here for a longer stay this time round. It has
been good to have some time together, talking and studying and all.
I think the 3-month stay is going to make a real difference for
them. In addition, it is already a big boost to my former Chinese
teacher, the Shanghainese lady who was in Singapore for some time
(and was baptized there) but now has returned to Shanghai. She is
planning to start meeting with us each weekend, and I think that is
going to be really good for her, and also for the other ladies. I
did not think it was going to be possible to pull them all together
during this stay, but it seems that the timing is working out just
right. She is very eager to join the group, whereas in the past
there has always been some obstacle or another. I think that these 3
months will be good for helping them get to know each other, and
hopefully have a bond that they will maintain even when I am not
around. Please do be praying for that.

Next week, I will have company with me from Singapore. My
godchildren and their mother will come to see me. I am really
looking forward to the visit. Arranging the tickets was not easy,
but we managed to get it all taken care of. I will take the week fof
from school to spend time with them. I know they will be a big
encouragement to the group here. It should be a very good week.

Thanks to all of you for your support and prayers.

[I won't be able to check into the website here until I am back in
Singapore. I won't see any comments left here until mid-May, so if I
don't answer them, please be patient.]

I left Singapore for Shanghai on Monday and have arrived safely. One
of the ladies was able to meet me when I arrived, and we went
immediately to start looking for apartments. By the next afternoon,
I’d found a suitable place, and paid a deposit on it. I’ll be going
this evening to finalize the contract and make sure everything is in
proper working order. One of my Singaporean friends who is working
here will be going with me to help me check the place and the
contract thoroughly.

I am looking forward to a very good stay in Shanghai. I am going to
school this afternoon to make all the final arrangements for my
studies. I am not sure if there are other students at the same level
I am. If so, I will have 2-3 other classmates. If not, I will do
the course alone, with just me and the teacher in class. We’ll
arrange the schedule and all this afternoon, and I should be able to
start classes by next week, at the latest. That will give me just
enough time to get settled into my flat before I start studies, so it
should work out nicely.

Things in Singapore have been going well for us over the past several
weeks. Besides the two new members I mentioned in earlier reports,
one from the Philippines and one from Malaysia, we have had another
man from the US visit with us, and he has recently placed his
membership in Woodlands as well. On the weekend before I left, we
had 2 more ladies visiting with us, with 2 children. They are from
the Philippines, and will be working in Singapore. It looks like
they enjoyed being with us, and one of them indicated that they plan
on being there when I get back from Shanghai in May. It seems we
have a lot of new people coming in from neighboring countries, and
the extra help and enthusiasm is a great blessing.

We began our routine of doorknocking again just before I left. We
covered about 600 homes on the two weekends before I started my
travels. The plan is to continue each week, at a slower and steadier
pace than we have done in the past. We are not necessarily planning
to cover all of the neighborhood in a short time frame, but want to
keep on inviting new people on an ongoing basis. The day before I
left, we had one visitor with us who had received the information at
his home the week before. I don’t know whether he will be back
again, but it was good to see him there this past weekend. We also
had another phone call come in after the second round of
doorknocking. I hope we will see them with us soon too.

I will continue to send my updates back to League City to be posted
here. I won’t be checking in at the site till I am back in
Singapore. I will respond to any comments at that time.

Thanks again to all of you who support the work here. It is very much
appreciated.

This month has marked a very good beginning to 2008.  In addition to the new member that I mentioned in my last update, we have had another young man come in from Ipoh, Malaysia, and place his membership with us.  The two young men (22 and 26) have fit in very nicely with our young adults, and the group is bonding very well.  They have even gotten together to plan a training workshop for this weekend.  Two couples will come from Manila and conduct the workshop, and we have invited all of the congregations here to attend.  From the sign ups we have received so far, it seems that there will be participants from several other congregations in Singapore here with us on that day.  We are really looking forward to the time together this weekend, and it has especially been a pleasure to see the young adults working together to plan it. 

We have restructured the Bible classes this year, adding a new class for the preteen and teenage boys.  With most of our secondary students having recently finished their O-level exams (and doing very well!), there is a natural progression for them to move into the young adult class.  That leaves one boy in a sort of “in-between stage.”  He is older than those in the children’s class, but a bit young (and left out) when he joins the young adults.  We’ve made some adjustments so that he is now joined by 3 boys who are a little younger than him, but still close enough to his level to make for a workable class.  I think the arrangement is good overall, but it is a little more demanding of our resources (teachers) than what we were doing in the past.  I would appreciate your prayers for those who are teaching here, praying for their strengthening and encouragement.    

Next week we will celebrate Chinese New Year.  It is always a good time for families to get together, and also a time of warm fellowship within the congregation, when we spend a good deal of time visiting in one another’s homes.  I am looking forward to the week, especially because our guests from the Philippines will be here to celebrate with us.  I think it is going to be a good time for everyone.  

I have made my plans to spend 3 months in China  after the holiday.  I will be leaving on the 18th, and will be back in mid-May.  During that time, I will be studying in a language school, hoping to make some progress with my Chinese while working with the group there.  I won’t be personally updating this blog while I am away, but I will send news back to a friend in League City who will post updates and information here.  I will probably not be able to log in to comment during that time either, but any comments you leave will be forwarded to my email address.  If you don’t see my reply then, it is only because I am not able to log into the site, but do know that your words of encouragement are greatly appreciated, as are your prayers and support. 

It has been a couple of months since I last posted an update here, and most of that time has been spent on the road.  I was in the US for a month, then back to Singapore for a short while before making my way to Shanghai for almost 2 weeks.  I am back in Singapore at the moment, but will be leaving on the weekend for a very short trip to the US again. 

The next half year, and possibly more, will continue to see a lot of travel time for me.  When I was in the US in October- November, I spent some time with my supporting congregations talking about the possibility of spending more time in Shanghai in the upcoming months, possibly years.  We are going ahead with a plan, beginning in February, for me to spend 3 months in Shanghai, studying in a language school.  I will be back in Singapore in mid- to late-May, and spend the summer months here.  If things go as we hope, I could continue on a schedule that sees me alternating time between Singapore and China, most likely on a 3-month basis.  I am excited about the plan, as I think it represents a step forward in the work in Singapore as well as China.  The time spent in language courses will be very valuable too, I think.  I have found a school that seems to be just the sort of place that I need for the level of language studies I am looking for. 

Over the past couple of weeks, one of the teenage girls from Woodlands was able to go to China with me.  We made the plan a few years ago, aiming to make this trip together when she finished her O-level exam.  We were able to do just that, and the trip went very well.  She did a very nice job, and seemed to enjoy the trip a great deal too.  I really enjoyed having her along. 

In my last report, I mentioned a Filipino brother who had visited with us in Woodlands.  This past weekend, he placed membership here, making Woodlands his church home.  He knows he will be in Singapore for at least another year, and is considering staying on longer than that.  I ask that you pray for him as he contemplates this decision.  He is a bright spark, and brings a nice touch of enthusiasm to the group.  I am very glad he has decided to be with us, and am enjoying seeing him interact with the other members here.  He is a very pleasant young man.  I know that many of you who have visited us in the past will enjoy meeting him the next time you are here. 

We are continuing to make plans for our campaign in 2009.  We have been toying with some very exciting ideas, and I like the way things are coming together.  We’re seeing something of a different process than what used to happen when we planned campaigns, with more involvement from more of our members.  One of our boys, who will be entering secondary school in 2009, is very eager, and very involved in the planning already.  It is fun to watch this enthusiasm, and to see the younger people at Woodlands grow and take on new roles.  

I wish all of you a happy holiday season, and all the best for 2008. 

This past month that I have been back in Singapore, after a stay in China, has been an eventful one. As soon as I got back, we had our annual Mid-Autumn Festival celebration. We started doing this not long after we started the congregation in Woodlands, and it is perhaps the event that gets the best attendance this year, usually with lots of visitors. This year we had a somewhat smaller crowd than in previous years, but it was still a time of warm and happy fellowship. Several of our regular visitors were able to be with us.

This past weekend, we were able to participate in an inter-congregational singing session at the Pasir Panjang church. They had hosted a singing workshop for 5 days, which one of our guys was able to attend. The Sunday afternoon fellowship was really good. I appreciated the work the PP members put into organizing the event, and we from Woodlands really enjoyed both the singing and the fellowship.

We have had several visitors with us over the past month during our Sunday worship services too, and that has been a real encouragement to all of us. There have been several guests who were friends and family of some of our own members. This past weekend, we were happy to welcome a family who has recently moved into our area from the Philippines. It was very good to have them with us. I don’t know if they will decide to worship with us for their entire stay here, or if they would prefer to join the Filipino fellowship at the Pasir Panjang congregation (for the comfort of a more familiar cultural and language environment), but we enjoyed getting to meet them and are happy to have them here in Singapore.

Our regular small group studies have continued to go along well. We are studying the book of James, starting this week. On Friday night, all of those from the congregation who are able to be there will read the whole book together. We’ve been doing this for the past several months, a habit one of our members learned from the congregation in Seremban, Malaysia, when he visited there. What we do is read through the whole book together, aloud, before we start our study of it in our Bible classes and worship together. We don’t have a lesson that night, but simply a time of reading and prayer. Any thoughts that someone has, of course, are more than welcome, but there is no expectation of a formal lesson of any sort. The casual atmosphere has been a very pleasant environment for reading through the Word together. It’s been going very well, and I am thankful that we’ve learned this habit from our brethren to the north of us.

I will be leaving tonight for my regular trip back to the U.S. I will be in League City till mid-November, and plan to make visits to all of those congregations that support me, and hopefully visit Oklahoma Christian University during that time too. I will look forward to seeing many of you then.

I have just returned from another visit in Shanghai, and once again it was time well-spent.

The group I have been studying with for the past 3 years plus is doing better than ever. The one lady who is a Christian is continuing to do an excellent job as she teaches those who are not. She is steadfast in her studies with them, even though she feels very inadequate for the task. I ask that you will continue to keep her in your prayers.

The other two ladies had a lot on their minds while I was there this time, and I enjoyed some good discussions with each of them one-on-one, and with all of them together. Both have said that they have come to believe that there is a God, but that they are still pondering about whether it is right to say that Jesus was in fact God in the flesh (or, in other words, whether the God we read of in the New Testament is the same as the God who exists). It has been fun to watch them get to the stage where they are, and I am excited about what the future holds for them. Both are doing a good deal of searching, thinking, and praying. I ask that you will continue to support them too, through your prayers.

I had the good fortune on this trip to meet up with three new workers who are stationed in the area near where I usually stay — near, of course, being a relative term. We traveled for about 2 hours to meet them, as they stay quite far outside of the city. They are all three teaching at a university, and are starting a group. Several of their students are meeting to worship with them. The young man who translates for them does quite a good job of it, and I was very impressed to see how vibrant the whole group was.

The three workers who are there are closer in age to the younger of the two ladies who has been studying with me for the past several years. She was able to join me when I met them, and I am excited about the connection they made. These 3 can travel about 45 minutes to reach the train station near where she works, and they are all planning to try to make it a more regular habit to get together and encourage each other. After the talks this young lady and I had over the past week or so, I am pretty sure that spending some time with these young workers will do her a world of good. Just like when I was there in May with the two interns who spent the summer with us here, I think it will be an excellent opportunity for her to connect with young people closer to her own age, and to have a group of peers to interact with. I am really pleased with the opportunity that this all presents.

In addition, while I was there, I got to do a good bit of research into several different language schools. I found a program that would really be helpful to me, and if all works out, I hope to spend several months there improving my Chinese language next year. Not only will this be beneficial for my language skills, but the school will enable me to get a visa to stay longer in the country. I hope you will be praying for me, that this will work out in whatever way is best.

I plan to be home in the middle of next month, making my regular report. This upcoming January will mark 15 years that I have been in Singapore. (That is hard to believe!) This is the regular 5-year point in which we will need to review my work and renew commitments to it. I will be looking forward to seeing all of you back home when I am there.