YAGM Malaysia had our first retreat mid-November to Singapore. Before taking off we spent some time
together in KK with our former country coordinator, Peter Harrits, who has
accepted a position with St. Paul Area Synod to coordinate relationships with
churches in East Africa. We will
miss him a lot but are excited to see how his gifts are used in new ways. As it was the last time we would all be
on the same side of the country with Peter we did some celebrating and had an island
day! It was nice to enjoy
eachother’s company in the presence of the grand South China Sea where we
spotted lots of nemo fish!
Later
on we made tacos and no bake cookies (the recipe my mom sent me has been a
hit!). We also gave Peter his
going away present which was certainly a small miracle. Weeks earlier Sarah and I had stumbled
upon some minion fabric (It has been a running joke that we are Peter’s minions
and he is Papa minion) and decided to have a shirt made. Buying the material was one thing and
finding a tailor was another. When
it finally happened I stumbled through ordering it in Malay and when they asked
us what size I looked the tailor up and down and told him Peter was about his
size. Luckily enough, he was and
the shirt was a hit. Let’s be
real, how many people can pull off this print?
We began the next morning sharing readings and discussing what we have learned about Singapore, Malaysia, and their relationship.
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| Julia and I used big paper to create some visuals :) |
The next day we had a tearful farewell and were off to Singapore
with Reverend Wendolyn Trozzo of the ELCA. Aside from being the cleanest most organized city I’ve ever
set foot in, the country has an interesting and complex history strongly
connected to the history of Malaysia (it used to be part of Malaysia!). During our time in Singapore we were
welcomed with open arms by the Lutheran Church of Singapore, its Bishop Terry
Kee, and former YAGMs the Dalagers.
In this time of transition, it was particularly comforting to be assured
we are in so many good hands. The
fact that even people we have not met yet and may be in other countries have
our backs is pretty incredible.
It’s quite the blessing to be part of such a caring church family
worldwide.
Here’s an overview of our Singapore retreat in photos :)
Spending time with YAGM alums Jacob and Hannah Dalager and eating fabulous burgers (something we don't get very often anymore)!
A live seafood lunch with Bishop Kee! (Literally you could see them catch your food before you ate
it!) With dishes including bamboo
clams, eel, ribs with a coffee glaze, and Singapore’s famous chilli crab. All of it was fabulously delicious!
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| Bishop Kee (right) and Pastor Nick (left) |
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| Chilli Crab |
We got into the holiday spirit on Orchard Road, an incredibly long
road full of malls and shopping, as it was already decorated with lights and
Christmas displays.
We visited the Harmony Centre, an incredible place, which works
towards peaceful interreligious dialogue and education.
A trip to the National Museum of Singapore and its current art
exhibit was of particular interest to me.
The exhibit explored the countries search for identity, both
artistically and culturally.
Loving the art connections!
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| LOVE this quote. I was in total art nerd mode the entire exhibit. |
We had a Turkish dinner with the Dalagers! Fabulously delish and with a great view of the mosque.
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| Falafel! |
Our free day included a trip to the zoo, Singapore’s is one of the
best in the world. Sarah and I
went on a trial run of the River Safari, the only zoo experience of its kind in
the world, which was not open to the public yet. We also got to check out the PANDAS!
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| Cutest animal in the world. |
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| Panda Capuccino! |
One of our final Singapore experiences included eating at
Makansuttra, famous for its superb street food, and heading up to the skypark
to see Marina Sands Bay from the rooftops. We had breathtaking views to end our refreshing and renewing
adventures together as a YAGM team.
