First Day in Singapore!

Things tend to be cheap here. The currency is Singapore-$5 for every American-$4

So, I woke up this morning really early from being off schedule. I slept for about 4 hours, so it wasn't too bad. We went to the market to get some food for breakfast, which we stuck to the Southern basics (bacon, eggs, and potatoes). Got to see my beautiful bride's face and hear her voice for a little bit, but had technical difficulties with my microphone. It's weird to be away from someone that you have shared every day (almost) for the last 3 years with. I am so thankful for her in so many ways that I am oblivious to by having her around all of the time.

Marina Bay Sands

After everyone was up and ready, we wandered to the train station and went to the marina district. The architecture was amazing there. A hotel literally has a boat sitting on top of it. We found huge fans that turned on by touching the pole at the boardwalk. We walked to the top of the 4-story shopping center to look out on the scenery. At the mall, there was a bowl-shaped fountain that formed a whirlpool, which flowed down through a hole to form a waterfall into a river that ran down through the center of the mall. You could take a boat ride down it.

Chinatown

We met up with Dr. Ryan at his hotel in Chinatown, and hung around there with him and a faculty member from the seminary here for the rest of the day. We ate at a food court area and visited a Hindu temple. It was nice to talk with them and learn about the plans for the week.

Hindu Temple

Being this is my first time in a different country, I must say that I am thrilled to be here. It is such an amazing place and full of new experiences. I am eager to see how I feel after 5 weeks here. I've always felt like living for a certain amount of time in an Asian country, so we will see. As of now, I feel very blessed to have the opportunity and loving every minute of it. The only thing missing is Ginger, but one can only have so much blessings at one time. :)

Death, Being Stuck & It is well with my Soul

Last weekend as I was sitting in our living room with my friend, Thanh, my mother called to tell me that one of my cousins had tragically died. It was shocking to think that someone I had so dearly loved was gone. If I had been in WVa, I would have been with my family in less than 2 hours...however, being on the other side of the country posed a bit of a problem. I had thought about going home in emergencies..thought about the financial preparedness for such things...but I hadn't thought about the emotional-ness of not being able to go home. I have really felt stuck and helpless. It has been hard to be out here during this situation..to not get to grieve and remember Brenda with my family, to miss her funeral and reception. In a way it has been nice to not have anyone here know about it, unless I tell them, as I don't have to think about it. However, at times I want people to grieve with me. The only person that knows her is obviously, Cody, but even he doesn't know her like I did. He didn't grow up camping with her, babysitting her children in the summers, getting ready at her house, doing cheerleading, attending family reunions. No one in a 2500 mile radius really understands this. I don't know if I will really feel closure until this summer when I can go visit her grave. Perhaps it will be like covering a wound with a bandaid and ripping it off again in 5 months. I'm not sure and I probably sound like a 10-year old, but this has just really been hard for me. Please continue to pray for my family in the coming months.

I have also realized that nothing surprises Christ. As hard, and awful, as this situation is--He knew it was going to happen. He is still in control. It is still well with my soul despite this circumstance. To me, there is such peace and rest in that. No circumstance can ever change His love and my salvation. I am completely secure in Him.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_hKSw4wHrI

Ginger

Holiday Update

Lovely gals from Centerpointe

Hello, All :) Hope everyone had a great Christmas & New Years. We were blessed to travel back to WVa to see our families & friends. In the airport when we saw the sign for 'Charleston, WV' I almost started crying! I was even excited to see a WVU shirt...and that is a HUGE deal for me! haha We spent the first week with my family and the second with Cody's, so we were able to spend a lot of quality time with everyone. We got to meet my cousin's New Years baby, Kenzy Reese! We also saw some dear friends--Donna Marie & her husband, Cory, my girls from grad school, our old church , Centerpointe (who had an amazing pot-luck for us), our support church-First Baptist of St. Mary's, the Deharts & Hewetts, Sharaya and Vanessa. We were supposed to be back in CA on January 2nd, but didn't arrive until, technically, the 4th due to a plane cancellation. It really was a blessing in disguise, though, as we got to enjoy an extra few days  with our families.

Cody with his brothers

Holding Kenzy Reese--The New Year's Baby!

Our sweet little nieces showing us their moves

My brother & I :)

It was strange to be home, honestly. It felt familiar and weird all at the same time. At first when we arrived here in CA, at least for me, it seemed as though I was just waiting to go home. However, once we were back in WV at Christmas, I realized how much I wanted to come back to CA. It feels as though this place has almost become our home now in a way. I think a large part of it is because of the great friends we have made here. 

Happy New Year!

The Bartrugs