How This Happened

I prayed that I would have an extraordinary love story. Being able to say, “Yes, I know. I met a Tennessean in Singapore,” will always be a joy.

Justin moved from Houston to Singapore at age 30 to work for ExxonMobil. He would spend the better part of his thirties wielding his craft, traveling the globe, and getting plugged in at Redemption Hill Church (RHC) by serving the body of Christ quietly and faithfully. He was known as a dependable friend, lover of local food, and brewer of his own beer. He led a small group, served on sound team, and hosted get-togethers regularly in his apartment.

After teaching for seven years in the Memphis area, I moved to Singapore to serve with Network of International Christian Schools (NICS) in 2016. I landed on that tiny city/state/country/island at age 30. It was a dream. I was savoring the daily discoveries of new languages, foods, flora, and fauna. I would spend hours on Saturday and Sunday afternoons exploring the tropical tree-lined streets, perusing the labyrinth of malls, and making travel plans with my co-workers.

The first time Justin and I met was at his apartment about eight months after I’d moved to Singapore. Justin was making two kinds of chili at the stove. I came with someone he had invited. I’d heard about this guy from Tennessee. “Hi, I’m Ellison. So you’re from Tennessee?! You went to UT-Knoxville? I’m from Memphis. I went to Ole Miss. My mom makes great chili. Good to meet you.”

It would be another several months before my friend, Elise, who I’d become close to through our community group, would have the epiphany that Justin and I needed to get to know each other.

Sidebar: When I was fresh off the boat in Singapore I went to a prayer meeting at RHC. I remember spying Justin sitting against the back wall amidst his Singaporean friends, talking and laughing. I remember turning back around and thinking, “Who is that cute guy? He looks EXACTLY like someone I would be with. Ellison, STOP IT. You just moved here. Focus.” I decided to put him out of my mind, not wanting to manipulate. It would be about a year and a half from this prayer meeting to our first date.

One day after RHC members meeting in the fall of 2017, I walked up to say hello to our friend Elise. Elise had known Justin from years back when she was in the community group that he helped facilitate. When I walked up, the three of us started talking and that’s when she had her “aha!” moment.

Later on, during a dinner outing, Elise asked me if I would be interested in going out with him saying, “You guys have the same sense of humor. I just think you could be a really good match.” I said, “Ok, let’s do it,” and she called him to make the suggestion.

We first met at a cafe called The Curious Palette, a cooler-than-cool hipster spot, and Justin was running late. We were both SUPER nervous. He is never late. I somehow knew this about him at the time and didn’t let it bother me. The traffic was bad. He hasn’t been late since. We’re both obnoxiously punctual.

We talked for hours about our backgrounds, what had brought us to Singapore, family, and what was next. We sipped “long blacks” which are just black coffees. After being there for a considerable amount of time, we ordered a fancy waffle that was adorned with vanilla ice cream, strawberries, sunflower seeds, and crystallized purple sugar. This was on a Saturday at noon. He waited until THURSDAY to give me a ring. I was dying that entire week, hoping he would call me. Elise said she was going to send Justin skull face emojis if he took much longer. He finally called and set up our first dinner date, to eat bak kut teh (bah-koo-tay), a local pork rib dish I hadn’t yet tried.

On a Sunday night in Chinatown, we ate pig intestines, bak kut teh, and a couple other side dishes. The restaurant was tucked beneath ground-level in one of Singapore’s ubiquitous malls. As with most eateries in Singapore, seating is tight so we were cozied up at a 4-top table. We were served tea in a tiny teapot and even tinier cups.

From then on, our dates were day-long events. We’d meet for breakfast and spend all Saturday meandering the streets of Singapore, popping into local shops, and just enjoying each other’s company. I’d say laughter composed 30% of our time. Justin was very creative with our dates, always coming up with an A, B, or C option, a regular Choose Your Own Adventure. We did everything from biking to light festivals. One neat thing we do remember is that we would have a decently exciting date planned and then while walking we would “happen upon” an over-the-top and free event! I felt that this was one way the Lord was lavishing his love on us. Looking back on our short four months of dating in Singapore, I have some of the most magical memories. Walking through a misty Botanic Gardens at night hoping he would hold my hand, ordering over-the-top cocktails with dry ice and edible pansies at the National Mall looking out on the glittering downtown core, shooing away pigeons while eating at one of the best hawker stalls on Airport Road, and watching Justin totally geek out at The Last Jedi are a few memories that come to mind.

Our first date was November 4, 2017. I went home for Christmas and by this time I had fallen for Justin. He was a Godly leader, wise counselor, raw and quick-witted cynic (in a funny way, not a doomsday-live-without-hope way), and overall boss of a guy. I was trying to be cool and thought he liked me too, but continued to give it to the Lord.

After Christmas 2017, I returned to Singapore and our relationship continued to develop and strengthen. We had fallen in love. We had such a short time together before he moved back to the States. He left Singapore on February 20, 2018. I finished out the school year in Singapore and returned to Memphis at the beginning of June.

After over three months of dating long distance, Justin arrived in Memphis on June 15, 2018. What a reunion! I was about to have a come apart. We met each other’s families in Memphis and East, TN and then flew to Houston, TX which is where he lives and works now.

While in Houston, I stayed with his good friends, the Barrs, and explored what would be, Lord willing, my future home. Although we weren’t engaged at this point, we’d talked about getting married. The Barrs could not have been more hospitable and intentionally planned dinners and lunches with people in their church body so that I could get to know some of the community.

After around ten months of dating, Justin asked me to marry him at a nature reserve near his grandmother’s house in Richfield, MN. It was dusk. It was quiet. The mosquitos were attacking. It was perfect. He had saved receipts dating back to The Curious Palette, our first date. He had journaled little notes on the backs of most of the receipts about what we had talked about, what we had eaten, and how he was feeling at the time.

We are so thankful for each other. We had each been praying for years that marriage would be part of God’s plan for us. The week before we went on our first date, an elder and friend named Aik Keong asked Justin if he could pray for anything in particular. Justin said, “Pray for my upcoming move back to the States and also Jacob and Edward tell me I need a wife so you can pray for that, too (insert laughing cry face emoji).” Justin is 39 and I am 32. God has been so faithful to provide, protect, discipline, and lavish his love on us during our single years. There was much growth and strengthening in the waiting.

We’re excited about what the Lord has for us in the coming months and years. We want our lives to be in service to him. We want to give Him all the glory for bringing us together.

It is humbling to be a tiny part of God’s bigger love story. God loves his people and is continuously drawing us closer to himself. Through our relationship, we are getting glimpses of our greater love, the ultimate lover of our souls, Jesus Christ. He is our ultimate friend, lover, safety, and rock.

We both lean on him and pray that he would remain at the center of our relationship.

To God be the glory for this extraordinary love story! His love story, not ours.

Chinese New Year 2018

Just When I Feel Like I'm Done

"Am I a good girl today?," asks the tiny girl of her father on the bus. She wants her father's praise and approval. She wants to know that everything is ok. She wants to let her father's love sink in and become the firmest reality in her little life.

She feels like she needs to hear of this reassuring love even though she knows it in her bones.

The father who very clearly loves his little girl thinks, “If you only knew how much I love you. You are my daughter. You are bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.  Despite your flaws. Despite your bad choices. It's almost ridiculous you should even ask if you've been good today.  Even if you weren't good today I would still love you.”

Even so, the father gladly gives her his love and words of affirmation because he wants her to feel secure and safe. He knows how weak and vulnerable she is in a big and scary world.  She is unable to clothe herself, feed herself, find her way, teach herself, or thrive without his loving care.

That's what I've been asking of my Heavenly Father lately. Am I in your favor? Am I ok? Have I earned my gold star? Have I exceeded expectations on the rubric? How do you feel about me? How am I running this race? I know I am an affront to you so often, thinking angry and bitter thoughts.  I know I've repented of the sin you've shown me but I still feel like it's getting in the way of our relationship.

My own dad's words will resonate with me forever, "I don't love you any more or any less because of what you said." He said this to me after I said something to him that was so out of line I didn't even think I was capable of saying something so vulgar. His example of love will be burned on my heart and in my mind forever.

Ultimately, I am the Father's daughter. Dearly loved, always cared for. Always attended to because of His love. Just as the father on the bus helped the little girl find the perfect seat on the bus, made sure she was sitting down and holding on when it started to move, and then guided her off the bus when it was time to get off, our Father guides and leads us along our path.  We are His children, the sheep of His pasture. He is gentle.

I believe God is my ever-tending Shepherd…

Despite how annoying I am.
Despite how selfish I am.
Despite how I continually want to throw in the towel.
Despite how I just can't get it right.


I just can't seem to keep my gaze on Him.

My own dad is praying that I would move back to the US. He wants me close. He wants good for me. He also knows that God loves me and has a plan that far surpasses anything we could muster.

If our earthly and broken fathers are able to give such devoted love, how much more does our Heavenly Father lavish on us? He who loves perfectly and steadfastly.

Oh that we might live as those who are dearly loved by a powerful and all-knowing God!

May we respond to impossibly hard circumstances as though we know deep in our bones that we have a sovereign Father who loves us perfectly. May we respond in faith and not as those who have no hope. (guilty)

"Remember this, had any other condition been better for you than the one in which you are, divine love would have put you there." -Spurgeon

A favorite hymn...

How Deep the Father’s Love for Us

"How deep the Father's love for us
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure


How great the pain of searing loss
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory


Behold the man upon a cross
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers


It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished


I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection


Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom


Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom"

I'm in love! I'm in love! And I don't care who knows it!

Friends,

I'm in love with Asia!  (The blog title is a Buddy the Elf quote just in case you're not well-versed in ridiculousness.)  I've been in Singapore for a little over a month and a half and this place has exceeded my expectations.  The people, the languages, the food, the flora and fauna.  God has shown me more of himself through His undeniable provisions in a God-centered school, a rich church community, and unending coffee dates with new and fascinating people.  I have a friend who is an Australian ballet dancer (Shoutout to Ruth!).  People here are so unpredictable.  People will look Asian but then have a British or Australian accent.  Everywhere I go is like a treasure hunt.  Finding people's flats, a restaurant across town, or fun vintage dress shops are just a few that come to mind.  I'm going to make an effort not to obsess over grammar, sentence structure, or being perfect in this post or in posts to come.  These posts will be more my stream of consciousness, so please forgive me.  

It's hard to fit into one post what I've experienced since I've been here.  All I know is that I am right where I'm supposed to be.  This place is stunning and so refreshing.  I was blessed to be able to go to my church's church camp in Malaysia last weekend and make some new friends.  We had a speaker from South Africa who gave me a renewed view of the Most High God.  I needed this.  I've been a Christian since I was sixteen and needed a fresh encounter with the living God.  He preached on three different men who encountered God in the Bible.  Moses, Isaiah, and John.   Are you bored in church?  What is your Biblical view of Jesus?  Are you going through the motions?  Read this passage in Revelation about John's encounter with the Son of Man:

Revelation 1:12-18

"Then I turned to see the voice that was speaking to me, and on turning I saw seven lampstands, and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, clothed with a long robe and with a golden sash around his chest.  The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow.  His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.  In his right hand he held seven stars, from his mouth came a sharp two-edged sword, and his face was like the sun shining in full strength.

When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.  But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one.  I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades."

If we are bored in church then I think we need to pray that we would be diligent in reading God's word and seeking His face.  Pray for a love of God's word.  Listen to the Holy Spirit.  Get quiet and listen to what he wants to tell you.  He wants to spend time with you.  He loves you with an everlasting love.  He wants to dwell with his people.  This is the glorified Jesus.  Does it make you tremble?  Are you in awe?  I am guilty of approaching God casually, flippantly, and not seeing him as the Most High God.  I am so thankful that we have a majestic, powerful, romantic, loving, and sovereign God.  If you are in Christ, then eternity has already begun for you and me!  Our job is to run with forbearance the race marked out for us.  A race that was planned before the foundations of the world were laid.  I love the Tim Keller quote,  “God will only give you what you would have asked for if you knew everything he knows."

Switching gears, I am reveling in this Saturday morning.  I am sitting in my chair in my room with the air con on.  Air con is like a window unit but it's not in the window.  Each room has one and you only turn it on when you're in the room.  The kitchen and bathroom don't have air con but they remain semi-cool because we keep the windows open.  A SLOW COFFEE IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE LIFE EXPERIENCES.  You might be wondering what's different here.

Here are just a few things that come to mind:

-most people take public transportation here, whether it is a bus, train, or taxi (cars are uber expensive)  I take bus 1-9-8 to work and take the green line train to church.
-you have to turn a water heater on 5 min before getting in the shower
-I haven't seen a bathtub yet
-We don't have a dryer because it's so darn hot (but really it's bearable...you just get used to being sticky...really it's no big deal...I drink probably 4 water bottles a day)
-I've only had one minor pimple since moving here.  My skin LOVES it here.  Also, my hair is very poofy here which I don't mind.
- We hand wash dishes.
-Cheese is super expensive and so is wine.  Cutting these two things out of my diet abruptly has probably been a healthy change.
-All the hallways in the school are outside so you go outside to get to a bathroom that does not have air con but they do have ventilation.  I don't mind it.
-I'm eating a lot more fiber, rice, and salty vs. sweet--sweets are not as sugary here.  You can definitely find them but they're not as big of a deal.  But ironically, local hawkers (food stalls) serve black coffee and other hot tea drinks with sweetened condensed milk.  So there's that.
- Delightful bread stores are everywhere.
- Fresh fruit juices are common and cheap.
-There's a milk tea place called Gong Cha and my favorite is a taro milk tea.  It's purple. No sugar.  Caffeine for days.
-Life is simpler for me now.  All of my stuff is fit into the size of a dorm room.  I pay rent and utilities.  That is all.

There's a Chinese season that's been going on called the Mid-Autumn Festival.  It happens on the fifteenth day of the eight month on the lunar calendar, essentially on a full moon.  People eat mooncakes which are a traditional Chinese bakery item.  A friend (Shoutout to Aimee!) brought me a Lotus-paste mooncake to school the other day.  Moist, not overly sugary, and very lotus-pastey, haha.  Other traditions include lantern festivals, gathering of friends and family, and burning candles and offering treats such as sweets to appease the gods of the underworld.  Everywhere I walk there is someone burning candles and making little shrines of candies and cookies.  They also offer fake money.  Packages of sweets, fake money, candles, and lanterns can be found in all the grocery stores.  It would be like finding a Halloween mega-pack at Walmart.  So fascinating!

Also, I'm thankful to be living in what's called an "HDB" which stands for Housing and Development Board.  These buildings were erected by the Singapore government in the 70s and 80s as an effort to provide better housing for people living in slums.  82% of Singaporeans live in HDBs.  I get to interact on a daily basis with elderly Chinese men and women, children taking their bicycles down the "lift" to play in the HDB playground, and working people lugging their groceries home from the neighborhood grocery store.  (My grocery store is called Sheng Siong.  It's a less expensive, not as American type of grocery store.)  It is common to see elderly men (they very well could be 100+) sitting playing checkers or chess or some Chinese game I don't know about.

Because mostly everyone can speak English here I didn't consider learning Mandarin on the front end.  After being here for a month and half, I've become intrigued by the characters and think they're beautiful.  They are a mystery that I want to decode.  So I'm going to start Mandarin lessons with another teacher at my school next Thursday.  It's supposedly the second-hardest language to learn after English.  So we'll see.  It's worth a try!

Lastly, I want to say thank you for your prayers.  I know that God hears our prayers and answers our prayers.  He has been working in a mighty way here in Singapore and I can't wait to get more involved in people's lives here.  My school is an incredible blessing.  First grade has been a welcomed challenge and I cannot tell you how adorable my students are.  They are from all over and have the best accents.  My administration is very encouraging and supportive. The school is entirely a Google school so I'm getting better at Google Docs, Slides, Photos, Excel, Sharing, Copying, etc.  The ICS staff is committed to teaching excellence for the glory of God. And they're so much FUN.

Please continue to pray for adjustments.  I'm wondering when this will get hard.  I feel like I might still be in the "honeymoon" stage of moving.  I do miss hugging my parents, brother, and sis-in-law (who's due with my first NEPHEW in Dec.) but we have been able to FaceTime and WhatsApp.  I'm so thankful for technology.  Now I just have to get my parents to book a flight to Asia.  I just won't even believe it if they are ever sitting on a bus with me in Singapore.

Please pray that I would be in tune with the needs of my students.

Please pray that I would love parents and families well in tangible ways.

Please pray that I would be in God's word and sitting at the feet of Jesus every morning.

I cannot tell you how thankful I am.  I cannot tell you how at peace I am.  The South African preacher at church camp said,  "If you obey the Lord you get to live life in full technicolor." Life as a Christian is not boring.

It is a rollercoaster but yet a placid sea.  A whirlwind but yet solid ground.


Ps. 61:2 "...lead me to the Rock that is higher than I."

Here are a few pictures...

These men are making my favorite, DUMPLINGS!  

Home away from home.  It's cozier now that school has started.

This is a hawker in an HDB community.  It's a like a cafeteria with local food for people who live there.  

People leave their shoes outside their place.  I forgot to mention that one of the biggest adjustments and blessings has been how safe it is here.  I walk around alone at night and it's fine. Weird!  People don't have guns.  There's swift punishments for crime.  Things don't get stolen.  Example: I dropped my school ID and bus pass one day and thought it was lost!  It was week two and was thinking "I am so organized.  This could not have happened to ME."  A lady, a complete stranger, picked it up one night, called the school, and said she could drop it by the school if I was unable to come pick it up.  I was so relieved and thankful!! I could not function without a school ID or bus pass.  Being safe is a relief and bizarre.  But I do know that low crime isn't no crime.  I still use my head, don't worry. :)

This is the Star Vista mall. It's adjacent to my flat.  It has a grocery store, clothing stores (expensive), lots of restaurants, and there's a train station attached and it's only a five minute walk from my place.

I wait at this bus stop in the dark every morning before school.  There is a friendly elderly Chinese man who greets me with "Morning!" in a cute accent most mornings.  If I catch the early bus there are the same group of people on the bus but they're mostly asleep, haha.

The number of coffee shops and breakfast/brunch places here is a dream.  And they're all really cute.

The famous Raffles Hotel.  Fabulous gift shop.  Looking forward to High Tea here someday.

This is my local grocery store.

Love this local product. It's kind of like Vick's Vapor Rub.  You can put it itchy skin, aching muscles, and just about anything else.  One of my favorite things has been discovering new goods like coffee from Vietnam, an adorable British store called Cath Kidston, and new lotions, etc.

Scooters are big here.  For children and adults alike.

Bake Sale at the school put on by the PTF.  We have wonderful parent involvement.  These goodies were very impressive.

In addition to finding dinosaur bones, the big trend on the playground right now is making worm houses.  Man I love kids' free play.  I bet kids did this in the first century.  LOVE.  Death to iPads and video games.  But don't worry...I'm definitely not condemning parents who have these/use these.  They can be a helpful and useful learning tool or just a mere saving grace!! (I'm real, yo.)

A typical school lunch.  I was a happy girl because I didn't have lunch duty and my awesome principal brought us Starbucks from the neighborhood mall! SAY WHAT.

Throwback to Malaysia after a day at the beach, pre-massage.  Pretty pumped because my CG is planning a trip to Indonesia by ferry at the end of October and massages, facials, and pedicures are dirt cheap. 

Some friends at RHC church camp (kinda janky pic but I had to get some pictures of peeps in here)

This is my friend James Kuan.  He's an amazing photographer and one of his photos will be displayed in a local gallery soon.  He introduced me to Teh tarik (hot milk tea). We both love The Valley of Vision.  He's in my CG. 

Lotus paste mooncake

Solidifying kids' reading skills is a big responsibility! Pray for me! 

Thank you for reading!! I enjoyed reflecting on the past month and a half.  My plans for the rest of the day include shopping for some essentials, getting coffee with two peeps, and then a friend's luau-themed poolside bday party tonight.  I want to make an effort to not be too busy, though.  To steal a quote from a friends' Instagram (@emyoartwork):

"Beware the barrenness of a busy life." 

-Socrates

That Cheese Plate and Other Things

Happy Summer to you!

Most of my good friends in Memphis (including my roomie) work in hospitals so they all hate me right about now.  Sleeping in, watching KLG and Hoda, and going to the pool are high on my priority list during these two beautiful and fleeting months of the year. (Don't worry- I wear SPF 70.)

I know you're all still wondering what was so great about that cheese plate I mentioned in my first post.  Well here is a picture.  Isn't it so artful and heavenly?

Moving on from the cheese plate, I want to share some things I've been learning.  Since the last post, I turned THIRTY.  I know most of the older people reading this are thinking, "You're so young!"  BUT it took me a minute to think that thirty is a sweet spot.  A couple of years ago I started googling actors' and actresses' ages because I started noticing my occasional gray hairs and what I thought were sun spots.  I'm so vain!

One of my goals in 2016 was to turn thirty with a thankful heart and not be consumed by not being where I thought I'd be at this stage of my life, which was vacationing at Disney with my five children.  I was going to be the prepared mom with plenty of sunscreen, snacks, and band-aids, and ready for anything.

What God has done in my life has been very unexpected, fulfilling, and hard-- but lovely.  At age 30 I am exponentially more confident in who God has made me to be. Praise Him for also shifting my focus off of myself and onto His kingdom.

This morning I was reading the She Reads Truth study on Acts.  The passage was about Peter, who through the Holy Spirit, healed the lame man who sat at the temple begging.

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.  And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple.  Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms.  And Peter directed his gaze at him, as John did, and said, "Look at us."  And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.  But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you.  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!"  And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.  Acts 3:1-8

The lame man was asking for coins because coins were his immediate need but God wanted to give him complete healing.  God is always working to give us what is best, which is more of Himself (hard pill to swallow and understand).  At age 27, I wanted to get married so I got on eharmony to make that happen.  But God, through my broken engagement, wanted to give me much more.  He wanted me to truly cling to Him.  He wanted me to become securely rooted in these two truths: GOD IS SOVEREIGN and GOD LOVES ME.  He knew what was coming. He knew I would be moving to other side of the globe.  He used all that happened in the past two years to catapult me into the next stage of my life to fulfill the deepest desires of my heart.

I'm so thankful for the past two years for many reasons.  I can now sit with depressed and hurting people and say, "I'm so sorry.  I get it."  I'm glad God didn't leave me where I was- entangled in the sin of idols.  (Still a daily battle)  God is in the business of exceeding our expectations.  He is in the business of restoration, healing, and making His bride, the church, beautiful.

Praise Him for His beauty, His majesty, and His omnipotence!

Follow me to the Far East!

Hello, friends!

I'm excited to be sharing with you some tidbits from my life.  I want to document my journey from Memphis to Singapore so that I can look back one day and say, "Wow! What an incredible thing God did!"  Some major changes are coming, including turning thirty, and I want to be as transparent about the mountaintop experiences as well as the valleys.  I want this blog to point to the Creator of every good and perfect gift.  Everything good that exists comes from our gracious Father in heaven.  Enter Foretastes of Eternity.  An example of a foretaste of eternity would be that indescribable peace that overcomes you that can only be explained by the God of the universe.  Followers of Jesus know what I'm talking about.  I want us all to be looking for foretastes of eternity in our own lives.  I also think little things like the warmth of a long hug from a good friend or the smell of honeysuckle on a cool summer night are foretastes of eternity.  I was enjoying a new spot in Memphis called Loflin Yard last night and thoroughly enjoyed a pricey cheese plate.  The weather was perfect, sunset light shining through the trees, and I was pointed heavenward as I ate olives and bleu cheese.  We will be feasting in Heaven and an artfully and thoughtfully prepared fancy cheese plate reminds me of the beauty of our Creator.  The finest cheeses, the freshest produce, perfectly pickled onions and carrots.  The bounty of God!  FRIENDS, we are the "Easter people"! (A phrase coined by Pope John Paul II)  I have to remind myself daily and sometimes hourly that we are living in redemption.  We have a personal relationship with the Creator of the universe!  We are co-heirs with Christ.  We are co-heirs with the Son of God!  God loved us so much that He sent His Son to live a perfect life and die as an atonement for the whole world.  Living with these truths tattooed to our hearts will help us live in a way that encourages us to fulfill Catechism question #1: What is the chief end of man? Answer: To glorify God and enjoy Him forever! (Thank you, Presbyterian upbringing.) We are sojourners merely passing through!  Our joy, peace, and hope comes through Christ alone.  May we be filled with Him!

You might be thinking "Why Singapore?" "What are you going to be doing?" "Where will you live?"  Firstly, I'd like to share with you what led up to this point.  For a few years, I'd been restless and asking God what He wanted me to do.  I absolutely loved my job teaching second grade at Briarcrest but had a desire to do something outside of my comfort zone.  I grew up in Memphis, went to Ole Miss, and never thought teaching internationally could be a reality in my life because my roots were so firmly planted in Memphis.  I've always loved the beauty of other cultures and traveling and adventure but for many reasons He's had me right here in Memphis for nearly thirty years.

Last fall I met the founders of NICS (Network of International Christian Schools) in my Sunday school class at Harvest Church.  As soon as I met them and saw their love for Christ, I decided to apply and walk toward teaching abroad.  I met with the NICS placement coordinators about a month or so later to see where I would be a best fit.  I was completely open to anywhere, however I was more drawn to Asian cultures.  One of the placement coordinators was a big fan of Singapore, saying it was such a "city of light", it was so clean, and every time she visited she wanted to stay!  So I started researching Singapore and decided to apply through NICS directly to International Community School- Singapore.  I had an hour long Skype interview with the Director and Elementary Principal and shortly after my interview I was hired to teach first grade! I got the offer of the position email on our snow day and had decided that if they offered me the position I was going to take it.  I had been communicating with my family about this endeavor for several months so this was not a complete shock to them.  Although it has been a process and I can't imagine having a child move to the other side of the globe, my parents have been very supportive and tried to be considerate and help me in my new venture.  I have their blessing and it means the world to me.

For those who've walked with me through the past couple of years, you know that the above mentioned about what led up to this new season only scratches the surface of how the Lord has worked in my life.  The Lord has been faithful to discipline me, weed out idols in my heart, and point me to getting to know Him for HIM and not just for things He can give me.  I'm looking forward to depending on the Lord in a new way.  I know that He has provisions in the Far East, just as He's placed gracious provisions in my life up to this point.  I have a feeling that I am about to experience lots of foretastes of eternity as I move to the other side of the globe.

Commonly Asked Questions Answered:

When do you leave? July 21 and return December 17 for Christmas break

What will I be doing?  Teaching first grade at a Christian school (basically Briarcrest in Singapore); most of the children will kids of missionaries, business people, diplomats, etc.  I can't wait to get my class list of international names and develop relationships with these children and families!

Where will I live?  Probably with a teacher from my school in an apartment

How will I get to work?  Walking or the bus

What is the weather like?  Hot, Hotter, and Hottest

What language do they speak? English, Malay, Mandarin, and Tamil (I won't need to learn an additional language because all Singaporeans grow up learning English.)

What can you take with you?  I think like three suitcases.

What is the time difference? 14 hours

How long does it take to get there?  Approximately 30 hours

Singapore is very Western.  Apparently there is a Starbucks on every corner.  I'm looking forward to traveling around to nearby places like Bangkok, Bali, and oh NBD...our staff development over Thanksgiving break is in Hong Kong!

My To Do List as of April 24, 2016:

Sell my cute house I've lived in for six years

Sell my car

Sell most all of my stuff

Eat a lot of delicious Memphis food and soak up time with family and friends

Ways you can pray:

Pray for my parents, that they would experience supernatural peace.

Pray for the sale of my house, car, etc.

Pray that my heart would become more like Jesus' heart and that I would see people as Jesus sees them.

Thank you for praying!