In Singapore
On Friday, we set up the first workshop. Several came to help, including the preacher’s wife and the church administrator (secretary).
The ladies' day at Lim Ah Pin was on the theme Focusing on God. April’s lesson, “Focusing on God,” started by discussing what focusing on God means – walking with Him in truth and love, seeing with the eyes of faith, hearing the right words (Jesus’), and doing the right things – and ended by discussing who God is and why He is worthy of our focus. Teah’s lesson, “Sorting out our Busyness” took us to Titus 2 and Proverbs 31 to help us sort out what does matter and what doesn’t – in God’s eyes. At the end of each lesson, we fielded questions with the help of a moderator and PigeonHole. After a wonderful lunch, we conducted a 4 hour teacher’s workshop, again ending with a q&a. One of the young ladies put together a reel of the day’s highlights. You can see it on Facebook here.
On Sunday, Teah worshipped with the Jurong church of Christ. She was taken next door to a hawker center for lunch. 
A hawker center is an open air melting pot of national cuisines; dozens of stalls offer a wide variety of cheap, tasty foods. Going to a hawker center is a rite of passage for Singapore’s visitors, as is the traditional chicken and rice Teah ate.
In the afternoon, she taught “Working in and Out of the Church” to the ladies; a study of Proverbs 31 and a survey of New Testament women challenged attendees to be righteous workers wherever they work. Teah then did a q & a.
April worshipped with the Eastside congregation that Sunday. The song service was exceptional and the sermon was so good that she requested the Powerpoint files to share with Tom! After worship, she taught the ladies’ Bible class “Life Stages.” One important theme was chosen from each stage of life – child, young adult, bride, mother, older woman – and instruction was given to encourage those in each stage. Afterwards, the local preacher and his wife took April and another visitor out to lunch. As they left the industrial complex where the church meets, rain started pouring. The brethren were so solicitous of April; they lined up between the car and the curb with umbrellas so she would not get wet! (This was just one example of the honor Teah and April were both shown throughout the trip.) April and her lunch partners enjoyed the visit so much that they stayed there talking for over 2 hours!
On Monday, five younger-than-us ladies (2 with small children) took us to the Gardens by the Bay. This location is the 8th best attraction in the world according to their website. The gardens were truly lovely to see – and the aerial walkway was amazing (April did fine in spite of her fear of heights!).
But for us, the most beautiful part of the day was the love shared among these sisters in Christ. They obviously care deeply for each other and enjoy spending time together away from the building. This day will always be a highlight in our memories.
Lunch here gave April her chance to have the traditional chicken and rice! And “Auntie” Teah got to share some ice cream with Becky. 
The ladies then took us on our only ride on the Singapore subway during the trip. Back to the hotel to study!
Tuesday, we had the special privilege of meeting with ~ 20 sisters in the home of Sis. Sharon.
This was a brunch and informal class session. The lesson requested was Teaching at Home, including homeschooling. We had put together just a few thoughts from Scripture and were prepared to lead them into a discussion of homeschooling. However, as we began the lesson, we discovered that the 2 ladies who particularly wanted us to talk about homeschooling were home with sick children and none of the others had any interest in that topic. Soooo….a quick look at each other and a switch of gears on the fly later, we focused on nurturing children as either mother or grandmother and on what God intends a home to look like. Singaporean women have careers; many families have keepers (maids) who tend to the house; children often go to daycare at only weeks old and to school around age 3. Academic success is paramount, and extra-curriculars are expected. Families have little time together. We stressed that we were not trying to change their culture, but if we could help any home be closer to what God wanted, that was our goal. We stressed that a woman working outside the home is not inherently sinful but neglecting their home is (a lesson many in the States need!). Sadly, many of these ladies had wayward children; they wanted to know how to live as the mother of a prodigal. We spent a good portion of the morning talking privately to these ladies.
This kind of private discussion was a big part of our trip. Many of the younger women are making steps toward being a full-time homemaker; others have already made the leap. They don’t have much support from extended family or culture. They needed encouragement from two older women who spent those years focusing on our families, using business to train our children how to interact with people. Some wanted encouragement in child-rearing, others in schooling.
On Wednesday, we enjoyed a few hours with three sisters who took us to the Bird Paradise and a very nice lunch.
Back to the hotel, then, to study for the evening’s lesson. After a nice supper with 2 other sisters, we taught a special ladies’ class at Jurong during the mid-week Bible study. The topic was “How to Support and Encourage Men in Your Circle of Influence.” In preparation for that lesson, we had asked males from 13 to 90 from all roles in the church how women can support them (modest dress was the #1 answer given!). We combined their answers with a few thoughts of our own and presented a very practical lesson on how to treat all brothers in Christ, preachers, elders, husbands, sons, and employers/employees. This may have been the most appreciated lesson of the trip.
On Thursday, we went to the airport to head for Malaysia. As we neared our gate, we checked a digital map, looking for water. Suddenly, we heard a male voice saying, “April Wacaster at Eastside!” The voice belonged to Peter, the father of Lim Ah Pin’s associate, Benjamin. He is a volunteer at the airport and offered to take us to see two special Singapore sights - the world’s tallest indoor waterfall and the Butterfly Garden. We knew both of those special places existed but hadn’t been able to figure out how to see them – and April loves waterfalls as much as she loves butterflies. It was a wonderful way to spend a little time. Again, though, the best part of that encounter was the encouraging conversation with this brother in Christ. He is so pleasant to be around!
On to Malaysia!!