Vacating Tower Longshanks
Early Sunday morning, I was woken up by Gabe as he was preparing to leave for Church at 715am. He told me a few things, of which I only remembered one thing: “Grace’s number is on the table”. I then went back into slumber land for the next 30 minutes. After which I got up. I just messed around with something’s online, chatted with Chris for a while, took a bath and then popped in a CD. Tower Of Power, an excellent band playing Funk and Soul.
I got ready to go to church, gave Grace a call confirmed that she was gonna pick me up at 10 am. She was there on time and we then zoomed off to Gabe’s church, Church of Our Saviour. Not sure where it is, but it’s near Queenstown MRT station.
Got into the church foyer, and Grace met a few of her old friends there and I just stood there taking in my new surroundings. I noticed that there was another church just next door to this church (it was under construction) not even 50 metres away.
*my recollection of this day is running as I am blogging this 2 weeks after*
Well, we got into church, and worship was great and it was Holy Communion Week. I like the way they carry out communion. For me it’s a mix between traditional and New Apostolic Reformed style.
When it came to communion time, the ushers/wardens (as I would call them), would walk up aisle to the back of the church, and start ushering the congregation, row by row to walk forward. At the stage/altar, the congregation would line up in 2 rows. The front row would be waiting with their hands open, and the communion ministers will start distributing the host (the white wafers) to each person, and would recite “Body of Christ”. Then another communion minister will come around with a chalice containing wine (real altar wine) and present it to the person with the host saying “Blood of Christ”. Then we’d dip the host into the wine and then we consume it. The wine was sweet and tasteful, like how I remember it used to be. (Erhem from my Altar Boy days)
After celebration was over, I met up with a few of Gabe’s church friends and his brother Ernest, who’s taller but thinner than Gabe. Ernest plays drums very well, it seems he does session recordings and is able to sight read drum scores. That’s an amazing ability actually.
We then went for lunch (Italian) at a place, I can‘t remember the name. I had lasagna, and shared pizzas with them with some brinjal-cheese salad. They then left me to go about on my own to explore Singapore by myself because Gabe had to work and Grace had some family things to do.
I explored Singapore by myself for the first time, without a map and it was a disaster. I usually function well with a map. I asked some people for directions and all they did was confuse me. I wanted to get to Funan Centre from City Hall but they guided me in the wrong direction. So I ended up walking so far that I found myself near Bugis Station (near Sim Lim tower). I went in there to look for some computer accessories etc. It was labour day and some of the shops were closed. Some of the shop owners were nice, but there was this one guy who gave me “attitude” I had the notion to “pop” him in the face. But, hey… it’s a FINE country and I don’t wanna do that. *grin*
So in the end I couldn’t get what I wanted and wasted the whole afternoon there. Gabe, called and he picked me up in a cab not too far away from Sim Lim (Near our Lady of Lourdes Church)
We then popped by his parents place for dinner. Had a nice chat with his mom and dad. His mom cooks an excellent Chicken Curry and we had “thairu” yoghurt which I don’t usually eat, but it went well with the Briyani rice. It was a very nice visit to Gabe’s parents and dinner. Home-cooked food is so good.
Gabe then took me to Harbour Front so that I could buy my watch. After buying the watch which I am now wearing on my wrist, we then took the MRT back to Clementi (I think) to meet with Mr. Grant Knisely. Grant was a friend I had met over the Chinese New Year Holidays this year. Grant is an American dude from Ohio/Iowa (I forget) who’s come to Singapore to work with teenage kids of expatriate workers in Singapore. This ministry is called Young Life, and Grant (23) is a cool handsome and a man after God’s heart.
It was good to see him again, and then we caught up for some drinks (beer) by Gabe’s poolside. He quickly gave me a DVD called, Hope for Haiti (not Hi Tea), about Hughes Bastien who has successfully started a school in Haiti (in all the political unrest and poverty) for the children. I encourage you all to watch it. It’s a good ministry documentary to encourage us to keep praying for the down and outs. Please let me know if you wanna borrow it. It’s only 52 minutes long. I’ve already screened it at my CG.
We were then joined by David Elliot, another young Kiwi lad who’s lived most of his life in Singapore. He’s also working full time in World Vision, providing help and assistance in starting up exploratory work in different places in this region of SEA, and beyond.
It was good to be surrounded by such men who are involved in God’s work directly, impacting lives. Gabe, Grant and David all belong to this group called Purpose Driven group that meets on Tuesdays to help them on with their lives at work, ministry and personally.
Gabe and I then retired for the night, but not without praying for each other first. I went to sleep that night tired after a long day out in the city. The next Monday, I awoke fresh from my slumber, and after packing and bidding Goodbye to Gabe, I alighted a cab to my bus to head back to PJ. The bus left on the dot at 930am. I met Kim and we had a good talk on the bus, and hope that she’ll call me up sometime so that I can invite her to meet up with some of my church friends in hope that she’ll come to know the Lord someday. My cell members, Sharon and Emily picked me up at Menara Axis, PJ at 3pm and sent me home.
I thus ended my Solo Singapore Roadtrip, which has been thoroughly fruitful, because I got to meet up with Gabe and be really refreshed by a good friendship.
PaulOS Blogging Off
I got ready to go to church, gave Grace a call confirmed that she was gonna pick me up at 10 am. She was there on time and we then zoomed off to Gabe’s church, Church of Our Saviour. Not sure where it is, but it’s near Queenstown MRT station.
Got into the church foyer, and Grace met a few of her old friends there and I just stood there taking in my new surroundings. I noticed that there was another church just next door to this church (it was under construction) not even 50 metres away.
*my recollection of this day is running as I am blogging this 2 weeks after*
Well, we got into church, and worship was great and it was Holy Communion Week. I like the way they carry out communion. For me it’s a mix between traditional and New Apostolic Reformed style.
When it came to communion time, the ushers/wardens (as I would call them), would walk up aisle to the back of the church, and start ushering the congregation, row by row to walk forward. At the stage/altar, the congregation would line up in 2 rows. The front row would be waiting with their hands open, and the communion ministers will start distributing the host (the white wafers) to each person, and would recite “Body of Christ”. Then another communion minister will come around with a chalice containing wine (real altar wine) and present it to the person with the host saying “Blood of Christ”. Then we’d dip the host into the wine and then we consume it. The wine was sweet and tasteful, like how I remember it used to be. (Erhem from my Altar Boy days)
After celebration was over, I met up with a few of Gabe’s church friends and his brother Ernest, who’s taller but thinner than Gabe. Ernest plays drums very well, it seems he does session recordings and is able to sight read drum scores. That’s an amazing ability actually.
We then went for lunch (Italian) at a place, I can‘t remember the name. I had lasagna, and shared pizzas with them with some brinjal-cheese salad. They then left me to go about on my own to explore Singapore by myself because Gabe had to work and Grace had some family things to do.
I explored Singapore by myself for the first time, without a map and it was a disaster. I usually function well with a map. I asked some people for directions and all they did was confuse me. I wanted to get to Funan Centre from City Hall but they guided me in the wrong direction. So I ended up walking so far that I found myself near Bugis Station (near Sim Lim tower). I went in there to look for some computer accessories etc. It was labour day and some of the shops were closed. Some of the shop owners were nice, but there was this one guy who gave me “attitude” I had the notion to “pop” him in the face. But, hey… it’s a FINE country and I don’t wanna do that. *grin*
So in the end I couldn’t get what I wanted and wasted the whole afternoon there. Gabe, called and he picked me up in a cab not too far away from Sim Lim (Near our Lady of Lourdes Church)
We then popped by his parents place for dinner. Had a nice chat with his mom and dad. His mom cooks an excellent Chicken Curry and we had “thairu” yoghurt which I don’t usually eat, but it went well with the Briyani rice. It was a very nice visit to Gabe’s parents and dinner. Home-cooked food is so good.
Gabe then took me to Harbour Front so that I could buy my watch. After buying the watch which I am now wearing on my wrist, we then took the MRT back to Clementi (I think) to meet with Mr. Grant Knisely. Grant was a friend I had met over the Chinese New Year Holidays this year. Grant is an American dude from Ohio/Iowa (I forget) who’s come to Singapore to work with teenage kids of expatriate workers in Singapore. This ministry is called Young Life, and Grant (23) is a cool handsome and a man after God’s heart.
It was good to see him again, and then we caught up for some drinks (beer) by Gabe’s poolside. He quickly gave me a DVD called, Hope for Haiti (not Hi Tea), about Hughes Bastien who has successfully started a school in Haiti (in all the political unrest and poverty) for the children. I encourage you all to watch it. It’s a good ministry documentary to encourage us to keep praying for the down and outs. Please let me know if you wanna borrow it. It’s only 52 minutes long. I’ve already screened it at my CG.
We were then joined by David Elliot, another young Kiwi lad who’s lived most of his life in Singapore. He’s also working full time in World Vision, providing help and assistance in starting up exploratory work in different places in this region of SEA, and beyond.
It was good to be surrounded by such men who are involved in God’s work directly, impacting lives. Gabe, Grant and David all belong to this group called Purpose Driven group that meets on Tuesdays to help them on with their lives at work, ministry and personally.
Gabe and I then retired for the night, but not without praying for each other first. I went to sleep that night tired after a long day out in the city. The next Monday, I awoke fresh from my slumber, and after packing and bidding Goodbye to Gabe, I alighted a cab to my bus to head back to PJ. The bus left on the dot at 930am. I met Kim and we had a good talk on the bus, and hope that she’ll call me up sometime so that I can invite her to meet up with some of my church friends in hope that she’ll come to know the Lord someday. My cell members, Sharon and Emily picked me up at Menara Axis, PJ at 3pm and sent me home.
I thus ended my Solo Singapore Roadtrip, which has been thoroughly fruitful, because I got to meet up with Gabe and be really refreshed by a good friendship.
PaulOS Blogging Off
Labels: Roadtrips
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