The Nelson Family Indonesia

When the regional gathering came to a close, I volunteered to accompany the visiting pastor – Rev. Roger James and his wife Amy – on the first leg of their long journey home to the US. They had a nearly ten hour layover in Singapore and offered to conduct or join in worship with our small Singapore contingent.

My participation was dependent on whether or not I received my new passport in time. Fortunately it arrived on Friday, the last day of the gathering. I quickly made arrangements and was further buoyed by an opportunity to meet with Bishop Lu of the Lutheran Church in Singapore. It would be our first meeting since summer 2023. 

The James’ and I rendezvoused at Changi Airport and I conveyed them to the small worship space we rent in Singapore on a per-use basis. Afterwards the group all went out for some dinner together. 

My last duty of the day (this was all on Sunday!) was to convey the James’ safely back to Changi Airport to await their flight home. 

Tuesday morning was a fruitful visit with Bishop Lu. We’ve developed a rapport over the last year and a half of informal meetings. He knows I’m present, listening, and willing to be of help should there be a need or desire for that. We spent about 40-minutes talking about our various responsibilities since our last meet-up last summer, and also sharing a little about our families and the essentials of life. 

Our conversation had slowed and it seemed it was time to go. I readied myself for departure, thanking him for his time. Suddenly, he asked if I had eaten breakfast. It was about 10:30am and I hadn’t had a chance to eat that morning. He invited me to his favorite spot nearby for breakfast. We walked to the Jurong Lake Gardens, a short stroll in a light misting rain from the LCS’ offices. His favorite spot was deserted and we had the place to ourselves as we spent another hour in more personal and informal conversation. It was a delightful surprise, and evidence of the Holy Spirit’s work at building a relationship that I pray the Spirit will use to God’s glory and the continued furtherance of the Gospel in Singapore and elsewhere! 

It’s difficult to convey how important these personal connections are in Southeast Asia. Whereas in the US we’re used to thinking in contractual and legal terms, in SE Asia personal relationship and trust are paramount. It isn’t that contracts and legal matters don’t exist, but the essential first step is to build trust with one another, to know the other person at a level sufficient to warrant further, more formal interactions. This is a time-intensive process that runs counter to American concepts of efficiency. But it’s beautiful to see in motion. Slow, imperceptible at times. Very few tangible results. But the simple act of sitting together and talking - and especially of sharing meals together – means so much. It’s far more similar to Biblical ideas of relationship (consider Abraham making dinner for Jesus and angels in Genesis 18, or Jesus with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4). 

Continue praying for built and rebuilt relationships in places like Singapore and Malaysia – the prayers are working!