I have arrived!

Life in Singapore began on the 10th of January and has now commenced for a grand total of six days. That's crazy to me; I feel like I've lived here for months. My transition here has been so incredibly smooth thus far. I've already been learning so much, but I'll try to touch on a few highlights instead of writing novels. :)

My roommates are absolutely amazing. I am so incredibly blessed that He placed me in this house. I live with six other girls (yes, you are correct; there are SEVEN girls living together. I know it seems a bit much, but ironically we hardly see each other). Most of them work at ICS, so it's been helpful having someone by my side guiding me through the MRT (basically a train I take to get to school), bus systems, and hallways of ICS.

Besides the convenient factor of living with these girls, there is also the emotional and personal factor. I've had a lot of experience in being with groups of people that I don't know and who don't know me. The feeling of loneliness doesn't go away, but a tolerance for it and reliance on God definitely strengthens through it. This increased reliance combined with the relational hearts of my roommates has resulted in me almost immediately feeling at home with them. These girls are who they 24/7; there's no fake faces with them. They are simply great, chill people, and I'm so grateful for His grace and sovereignty for placing me with them. 

 Now for Singapore. Singapore isn't exactly a difficult place to transition to. Everything is in English. Everything. The island is also incredibly industrialized, so scenes of poverty or indigenous culture are extremely rare. I pretty much left America to live for four months in a highly cultural version of America. I knew this before arriving to Singapore, but I guess it just didn't sink in until my plane landed. I initially struggled with this similarity (at times I still do). I'm realizing the more and more I'm here that my heart truly lies with people who are impoverished both spiritually and physically. However, after a bit of angst towards the Lord for bringing me here, I realized just that: He brought me here. He has a purpose for whatever action He decides to take. Who am I to criticize His work when I'm covering my eyes with my own hands, refusing to see anything beyond what I decide to see? You can't see, appreciate, and experience the entire masterpiece when you're focusing on only one simple brushstroke used to paint it. 

So after that little piece of humble pie, I've begun to realize how much opportunity there is here.

First of all, there are so many Asian cultures and beliefs represented here. Just yesterday, I went to the hauker. Haukers are somewhat like very Asian versions of food courts that are generally found around HDBs (housing development buildings). Quick Singapore fact: HDBs are government housing for rather unwealthy Singaporeans. The government requires that people of differing ethnicity [Indonesian, Malaysian, Chinese, etc.] inhabit these buildings, thereby establishing cultural harmony by preventing similar ethnic groups from disincluding those different from them. Unity is very important to Singapore. Anyways, haukers develop around HDBs because they provide very cheap food while giving inhabitants of the HDBs an authentic taste of their culture. While I was there, I ordered from an Indian food stall and began talking with the owner. He was incredibly friendly and open about his distaste for Singapore (too much work and no entertainment :P). And I realized right then that simple interactions like these open doors for the Gospel. There are plenty of interactions I've had already, and I can't wait for the opportunity when I can hopefully engage in some spiritual conversations with the locals.

Furthermore, the kids at ICS are fabulous. They have such a caring, warm quality in their interactions with each other and with myself. Thankfully, I've already connected with many of the students in my Cambodia mission trip group meetings and a few from my English classes. However, many of them, if not the majority, are unsaved. I just found out today from my cooperating teacher that most of the seniors I will be instructing do not claim to believe in Christ. I so badly want this to change...

And that leads me to prayer requests:
1.) Please pray for the salvation of the students in my classes, and that my heart would be broken for them.
2.) Pray that I will be able to direct the classroom discussion in such a way that would cause my students to think about their faith in a meaningful, searching fashion. These students, although many of which aren't saved, are constantly surrounded by Christian truths at ICS, whether that's through their Bible classes or chapel services. Christianity is easily turning into a concept to them instead of living truth. They can't keep being told what to believe; they have to think for themselves and believe on their own accord. Please pray for wisdom, discernment, and sensitivity towards the Spirit in my instruction and interactions with these students.
3.) Pray that I would be sensitive to whatever opportunities He may have for me with the locals.
4.) Pray that I would have humility and discretion. Humility to effectively lean on Christ, and discretion to conduct myself in a professional manner around the students. I'm finding it's very easy for me to slip into "friend-mode" with the seniors; whereas I can be more relaxed with them, they still need to respect me. It's hard to be an "adult" when you're only three or four years older than the "kids." Pray for balance and discernment.
5.) Pray for the missions trip to Cambodia that I'm chaperoning from March 8 - 16th. The team is a bit divided and seemingly ambivalent. Pray for soft hearts.

Wow. There's so much more I could write, but I'm going to leave it at that. :) Thank you for reading all of this if you're still here with me. I will be updating this on a weekly basis, but once I begin teaching it will probably be bi-weekly. For now, here are some pictures of my explorations thus far.

 Chinatown: everyone is decorating for Chinese New Year, the year of the dragon.

 Dim Sum! Waiters with carts of food stop by all the tables, and you choose what you want to eat. The food keeps changing with each waiter that stops at your table. It's like a buffet on wheels. :)

Marina Bay Sands--a.k.a where really, really rich people live. :P I'm on the left, and Laura, one of my roommates, is on the right.
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