Singapore

(Note I can't figure out how to add a picture or do spell check from this computer so forgive typo's and I'll add pictures at another time.)

Topical island and perfect weather.

After a few delays our flight finally arrived in Singapore. The trip was harder this time then my last trip. The next day after we arrived I commented on how I was completely wiped out and felt like I had run a marathon or something. What I didn't know was that I was getting sick. That became quite obvious the second day.

Interestingly, I'm reading the book "Cat Theology, Dog Theology" (or something like that) and the chapter I'm in discusses the difference in prayers between cat Christians and dog Christians. And an example was how a cat would pray "God make me well" while a dog would pray "God, in sickness or in health may I glorify Your name may I share You with others I meet".

Well, I must admit that had I read this when I wasn't ill and when I was home and in my own country I'd be saying "yah that's right". However, being in a foreign country far from home and very ill it is hard to keep that attitude. My prayers are often "God please heal me and please don't allow anyone else to get this illness" and that is where I want to stop. But this book has convicted me to pray beyond that. To include "and God, whatever happens, Your will not mine be done. Help me to stay focused on others and how I can show them You no matter what."

This doesn't come easy. But I'm working on it.

I am trying to not allow this illness to prevent us from doing things but it is slowing us down quite a bit. My husband is spending far too much time worrying about me and not really enjoying this experience. For that I am most sorry.

This country is beautiful and we have walked the coast a number of times since our arrival. The sandy beaches and miles of ocean are awesome. The giant ships are incredible to see just off the shore. We are here for the Lunar New Year and that brings much celebration with it.

We went to Little India one night. Not Gary's favorite but what an opportunity to experience another culture. One the shops we went to had a whole wall of trinkets you could by. All of them were one type of god image or another. I really didn't know there were so many different gods still being worshipped. Then on a shelf right next to Buddha was a small plastic statue of Christ on the cross. Next to him another statue of Mary. It made me uneasy for two reasons.

One was that its sole purpose was for profit for the shop owner. God brought down to nothing more than a trinket on a shelf with other gods. This was quite sad and if I could I would have bought them all and just thrown them away. Everything about it just seemed wrong.

The second part that made me uneasy about it was that I knew that most who saw it had no idea who it was. Just as I had no idea the names of all those other gods that were there. For many there, they have never heard about Christ or the signifance of the cross. I was overwhelmed. Where do you start and how? These are all people who need to know about the only God who can save them. The only God who is real and deserves their worship. So silently I say a quick prayer and wonder who will tell them.