For the last 8 years in Asia...

We've been in Singapore the last 8 years, and only lived in "the motherland" for those first 2 years of language study. Singapore is quite safe and advanced...in some ways more than USA! Much of what Jim does in Singapore, with Singaporean Chinese or traveling with missionaries and church leaders is on behalf of China...but our direct ministry in China is minimal. We will never master the language, and are in a more supportive role to those who can do ministry there with more cultural ease than us white folk westerners.

It's much more fun and adventurous to live in China, so we do miss living there. Singapore is a sanitized city...and an island on the equator, so it's ALWAYS hot and muggy. But it's where we've felt we can make a better "kingdom contribution" with what God's given us, even if it's not so adventurous! (and more expensive!)

As for our healthcare, we're not in China, and we feel in many ways like Singapore is better than the US (every bit as advanced, and more accessible). Fortunately for us, while we were in China, even with Cameron being a baby and toddler those years, we never had anything life threatening. I did have a few opportunities to visit a hospital or clinic, and is was quite frightening. Chinese are very proud of the developments in their country and naive about the outside world. Once my very educated friend asked me why all the western women leave China to have their babies. Having seen her incision scar from her c-section birth, I showed her my barely noticeable scar hidden even if I wanted to wear a bikini! Enough said. While we were there we took out insurance to be flown out in case of such an emergency.

It was more than 3 lonely years in Singapore before some wonderful connections and opportunities came my way. 1997-2003 were very humbling years, Jim and I both grew in our NEED for Jesus, and became less driven...if you know what I mean. In the past year however, it was a sweet season of Springtime, for Jim with the growth of CRM Singapore - a mentoring organization for Christian leaders.

From the beginning in January 2000, the Lord connected him with some of the most influential pastors/leaders in Singapore to "sponsor" him and give him credibility among Christian leaders there and he began some a mentoring network for some Singaporean pastors. He now has some really gifted Godly Singaporean pastors who are on staff (they raise their own support) and are working alongside him. His being away this year, gives them (as respectful Asians), the permission to lead the organization without deferring to Jim about decisions. God's timing was pretty amazing in orchestrating that.

I also had a great few months before leaving for the year. Teaching theatre in a seminary for a "Certificate of Creative Arts" program, passing that job on to one theatre artist who sees me as a mentor. And then a sweet goodbye party from the artists I've come to know and love. I was invited to be one of three singers in a concert at the old Parliament Bldg called "The Arts House" (and I've never really seen myself as a singer, but it was a great experience). I also took a coaching course last year, from our CRM colleagues who live with us in Singapore, but do their training all over, and do their follow up teleclasses through skype.

With the internet it's so amazing that we can have ministry anywhere, from anywhere! I have one guinea pig coaching client to practice this new skill. She's a singer from Canada who i met while she was living in Taiwan. She's now taking a spiritual sabbatical in the mid-west. She's not really a client. I think I'm more HER client. What a sweet connection it is to talk to her every couple of weeks. Another gal is a drama educator who just moved to Macau, China because her husband is working for the Cirque du Soleil show there. I guess with all my transitions I'm an empathetic listener to younger artists in transition!

I don't know what the future holds, but this year is so nice to be back reconnecting with friends and supporters. We're here until mid-July. When we get back, we'll need to find and move into a new apartment, clean the mold off stuff in storage, and get the kids in school by the time it starts the first part of August. Rents have doubled while we're away (ah those speculators because of Singapore building 2 integrated resort/casinos!), and the value of the dollar has gone down, so we'll need to do some support raising before we return too.