As the year winds to a close, the last two months are bereft of major commitments of time and allow me the opportunity for shorter trips. No less meaningful, but easier than long stretches are.
Singapore is one such familiar quick stop. Oftentimes Singapore (like Kuala Lumpur) gets added on to the end or beginning of a longer trip. But this time it was nice to just pop in and out in a couple of days. Time together with fellow-Lutherans in Singapore is always a blessing, and our small group continues to flourish even as we anticipate the departure of some folks in the new year. This is the nature of ministering to ex-pats in general, and perhaps even more so in a place like Singapore where the pressure to perform is exceptional and the costs and rewards high.
What a blessing to gather around God’s good gifts in Word and Sacrament, to be reminded it is not our efforts but only Christ who saves and that we live now in that grace as we approach the end of the Church year and the beginning of a new one in the dark of Advent. Please continue your prayers for this beautiful city/country and the inhabitants who come from all over the world, lured by incredible opportunities, and not necessarily expecting to find the greatest gift of all in a man named Jesus.
The Nelson Family Indonesia 