A Park in the Sky

I had to do a double-take to be sure I really saw what I was seeing: three 55-story towers connected on top by what looked like a giant boat nearly a quarter of a mile long. Turns out it’s the newly opened Marina Bay Sands Hotel in Singapore. The giant boat is what they call a Skypark, complete with restaurants, a garden, an observation deck, and a 150 meter long, to-the-edge swimming pool that looks out upon the Singapore skyline from 650 feet in the air. Quite amazing.

But we couldn’t afford such luxury, so Hannah, Martha, Jonathan, and I stayed in a youth hostel, a room with 20 bunkbeds and an interesting variety of people. We enjoyed a gourmet breakfast each morning of peanut butter sandwiches accented with strawberry jelly, washed down with fresh cold water from the cup. Singapore, as we discovered, is an expensive place to visit.

Just a skip away from the skyscrapers of Singapore is Santosa Island, the most modern fantasy park you will ever see. We enjoyed watching other people spend their money on outrageous rides as we strolled along the shaded pathways, admiring this manicured tropical paradise. The highlight of the evening was the seaside light show. Colored lasers projected magnificent scenes on walls of water sprayed from powerful pumps at the oceans edge.

Because of strict laws, Singapore is probably the cleanest major city in the world. No trash anywhere. Because of its rapid growth, it is also one of the most modern. It’s subway system is second to none. Even their bus stops have electronic boards that tell you how many minutes before your bus arrives. About the only things we found for free were the beautiful botanical gardens and the observation deck of a 70-story hotel from which we had an incredible view of the city skyline.

We were also impressed with Bali, Indonesia, where we had our annual mission meeting. We were able to spend a day visiting Hindu temples, watching Bali dancers, walking through a monkey forest (with monkeys climbing on us), and enjoying the famous Bali beaches. On one day, we had lunch on a mountain overlooking a blue lake footing an active volcano.

During our mission meeting, I received my 25 year pin with the IMB. It was announced that in Asia, more than 80 Church Planting Movements are being reported, places where churches are multiplying more than 100% a year. It’s an exciting time to be a part of God’s Kingdom growth.

So, please be praying for the upcoming Christian Emphasis Week at a major university in our city (previous entry). I’ll be speaking to their 800+ faculty and staff on Friday, July 16. Honestly, I’d rather be sharing the gospel in needy places than enjoying the Skypark of a luxury hotel. I’m so blessed to be where I am.