The Nelson Family Indonesia

I still pinch myself. Here I am, sweating my brains out, clothes soaked through, lugging a 60-lb suitcase through the subway system. By all accounts I ought to be miserable, and I certainly do wish it was cooler. But then I remember, I’m in Singapore! That seems almost unimaginable still, even though Singapore is getting more and more familiar to me every month. Somehow the fact that I’m sweating in Singapore makes the sweat a bit more tolerable, and it’s easier to thank God the Holy Spirit for Calling and equipping myself and my family for the massive transition to the other side of the world.

Alkaff Bridge crossing the Singapore River. Sure, it’s hot but dang, it’s beautiful!

Today was very busy. I was up early for breakfast at the hotel. That itself was part of my work on this trip, scouting out a hotel where I, the SE Asia Regional Director and Regional Business Manager and Rev. Dr. James Baneck from the LCMS stateside will likely stay in October, when Rev. Baneck visits Southeast Asia to make presentations in Taiwan and Singapore. So I need to make sure the hotel will work for us – reasonably close to public transportation, etc.

Then I was off to the Christian bookstore in Singapore. It’s a rather impressive place offering the gamut of Christian materials for every age and ability level, including texts suitable for seminary coursework. I was hoping to find textbooks to use in two seminary classes I’ll be teaching in the Philippines next month. One is the first-year Old Testament Intro course. Unfortunately, the texts I found for this topic weren’t theologically in line with Lutheran scholarship and teaching. So I’ll have to order through Amazon and hope they arrive – in time, or at all! The other course is a 2nd year course on Christian stewardship. I found some inexpensive paperbacks that, while not necessarily theologically weighty, may serve as helpful resources for the men when they’re in the parish.

Then it was off by subway to retrieve the suitcase the LCMS has stored in Singapore with liturgical supplies for worship. For years it’s been stashed in a closet at the Salvation Army retreat center, where they have graciously allowed us to keep it free of charge through Covid and who knows how long before that. But now that I’ve located an alternative, more centralized meeting spot it makes sense to relocate the suitcase permanently. Additionally, I need to upgrade to a larger suitcase now that a beautiful chalice has been donated to the region and allotted for use in Singapore and Indonesia.

I was able to complete these tasks by noon and be back at my hotel to transfer suitcase contents and ensure the liturgical elements like the paraments were suitable for the evening’s worship service.

Then it was off to lunch with one of the LCMS folks in Singapore. She’s a Chinese citizen who was educated in the US, where she was also baptized and welcomed into the LCMS. She’s been working in Singapore for the past year and the transition has been challenging. We were able to meet for discussion and lunch near my hotel.

Then it was time to locate the elements for Holy Communion. I was able to obtain a mini-bottle of red wine relatively easily. But the bread wafers in the suitcase were ancient and I prefer to use actual bread. I stopped at several places but was unable to find anything. Finally, I stopped at an Italian restaurant and asked for some of the flatbread they normally use for pizzas. They were confused that I didn’t want anything on it, but finally returned with a generous piece of bread. When I asked about payment they told me there was no charge. God is good.

The view while waiting for bread for Holy Communion

Then back to the hotel to iron the paraments and finalize sermon preparations. It was a short ride to the building where we’ll be meeting, which I discovered not only has commercial enterprises on the first few floors, but is also one of the oldest public housing buildings in Singapore, located right in the heart of downtown Singapore.

Our meeting room is a tiny classroom and I’ve contracted to rent it out six times for a fixed rate. It’s small but it’s more than adequate for the 5-6 folks who gather, plus myself.

Simple but servicable – the entrance to our little classroom area.

As opposed to the more upscale digs nearby

We enjoyed a lovely time of worship, receiving God’s good gifts to us in Word and Sacraments as we contemplated the warnings of God through Jeremiah to unfaithful shepherds scattering his sheep.

Afterwards we enjoyed fellowship together at a Catholic cafe. A beautiful and productive day serving the people of God! Please continue to pray for this small group in Singapore. May the Holy Spirit work through them to bless the people of Singapore and share the good news of Christ crucified and resurrected with those who still need to hear it!