My final day in Singapore was a good opportunity to get to know this vibrant city-state a little better. Jack and Angie are excellent guides, and after a leisurely morning we caught the MRT train towards downtown. There, we took a leisurely walk past historic colonial era buildings and monuments as we headed for our objective, Fort Canning and the Battle Box. Our path took us along the Singapore River, past the spot where the founder of modern Singapore, Mr. Raffles, first stepped ashore nearly 200 years ago. We watched river taxis begin their day quietly puttering up and down.  Though only mid-morning, the temperature was already in the mid-30s with high humidity. Every breeze was a blessing! Most of the shops and restaurants along the waterfront were closed at that time of day, but the colors and views were nevertheless delightful.

We eventually reached Fort Canning, which is situated at the top of a hill. A short, steep climb up the staircase took us to a gorgeous walk through the tropical forest that now surround the old British fort.

 The entire grounds are now a national park. It was here that the British established the entire Malaya strategic command during WWII. Underground at the top of the hill is the “Battle Box” – a bunker best known as the place where the decision to surrender Singapore to the Japanese was made on February 15, 1942. As a result of that surrender, British and Australian POWs were moved into the mainland jungles to build roads, bridges, railways (remember “Bridge Over the River Kwai”?) to aid the Japanese advance. Many never returned. It was an interesting and sobering reminder of realties of war in a fallen world so often motivated by greed, lust for power, and cruelty, as well as the nobility that often is never seen unless such circumstances exist.

We were joined for lunch at the fort by Mr. John Chin, chairman of Life BP Church’s Missions Committee, and had a great time of fellowship and preparation for a meeting later in the evening with the Committee as a whole. Afterwards, he dropped us at Sim Lim Electronics Centre, which is nothing short of techie heaven. The entire building id dedicated to electronics shops. If you can plug it in, you can find it here at wholesale prices that you can often get even lower by bargaining. I needed a few odds and ends, and came away with good stuff at great prices thanks to Jack and Angie, who know how to negotiate in Chinese!

We returned home in time for a brief meal and then I was off to my meeting with the Missions Committee. Life Church has a long history of missions outreach; indeed, every BP church in Singapore (all 40 or 50 of them) can trace its lineage back to Life either directly or indirectly. So I was a little curious as to what wisdom I could possibly bring to their discussion about the future of their works in the region. Bu leadership changes at Life have been used of the Lord to raise up a fresh and earnest group of men and women who are seeking to reevaluate their policies so that the legacy of faithful outreach and missions will continue even more strongly. It was a great nohor to converse with them, answer questions, and enjoy the knitting together of hearts in the common love of the work of the gospel. The three hours went by quickly!

The day wasn’t over yet, as I still had to pack, and sleep didn’t happen until after midnight. It was a short night, as I had an early flight out in the morning. I had a lengthy layover in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a first for me. It is one of the most beautiful settings for an airport that I’ve seen. The morning mist clings to the terraced hills and jungle all around, stubbornly fighting the morning sun’s attempts to clear it away. Infinite shades of green stretch out into the mist. I wished that I had just a little more time to just take off and do some exploring before the next leg of the journey on to Phnom Penh. Perhaps another time….

Arrived in Phnom Penh safely, and was greeted by Rev. Mark Baldwin at the airport. We had a great day today, touring the city, getting a feel for potential church planting sites, and just getting caught up. We finished it off with a wonderful traditional Khmer meal at a restaurant on the Tonle Sap River called the Titanic…why, I don’t know, as the décor is about as traditional Khmer as you could wish for. As we waited for our meal to arrive, we watched a rare storm come in upon us (this is supposed to be the dry season, but it has been cooler and wetter than it has been for many years), loving the feel of the breeze after the heat of the day. We had to retreat from the patio due to the rain, and the skies just opened up, complete with lightning. It was great. We caught a ride home in a tuk-tuk, a cart pulled by a small motorcycle, and enjoyed the cool air some more.

Tomorrow, we head for the spiritual and historical center of Cambodia – Siem Reap, and the Angkor Wat temple complex. I’ll be writing you again from there. In the meantime, please pray for our time together this week; safety in travels about the country, and guidance for our decisions regarding expanding the work of Christ in Cambodia.