Singapore - My Unforgettable Day

Sleeping in is a beautiful thing - Especially when you stayed up until 2:30 am the previous night! Victor, me, and a few others were all staying up on facebook and gmail, just chatting and replying to emails, until the wee hours of the morning. :-) It was very enjoyable!

Thank God for sleeping in though, otherwise I could not have functioned today. A few people stayed back to rest today, but most of us were able to go out on the town for the day. The first thing we did was get a lunch (nobody went down to the lobby until 11 am, so it was a good chance to sleep). I formed an "American fare" lunch group and we raided a Subway in the mall. Some people may say "thats awful! embrace the experience!" but you must understand that 90% of the time thats what we do :-) So it was great to experience some American food that was familiar and tasted the same as it does back home! :-D

Following lunch, we went on a Singapore River Cruise, and saw famous buildings along the Singapore river. The river is about 4.1 kilometers long, so the ride was not too long, but the buildings were absolutely beautiful. Quaint, pastel-colored buildings from years ago were set against a shining background of steel skyscrapers and an impressive casino. I hope to eventually post pictures that I got with my cell phone, but that will not be until I get home at least. It was kind of funny, but while we rode the boat, they played this funny recording of someone narrating the sites... not that it was intentionally funny, but I could not help but laugh! The music, the tone and tamber of the voice, and what they chose to point out... (like the naked bronze statues leaping into the water) it was all hilarious!!! :-D

Water rides are awesome :-) And riding a boat in the ever-so-muddy waters of the Singapore river was no exception!!! After that, we ran up to a 7-eleven for snacks and drinks, then loaded into the bus. Everyone was sooo excited! Guess where we went next... the world-class Singapore Zoo!!! It deserves a separate post :-)

But I will include it in this post!!! :-D Lol!!!!

As soon as we walked into the entrance, I was blown away by the facilities and layout of the Singapore Zoo. There were animals RIGHT THERE, without the ropes, chains, and glass around them that you see in the American zoos!!! It was almost like viewing the animals in the wild, besides the fact that you were on a concrete sidewalk surrounded by people. Talk about awesome... They have an "Open Design" that allows people to get reeeeeeally close to the animals (and I saw a little kid touch one of the minature deer!). Animals are not put in awkward spaces, but every "enclosure" simulates their natural environment. When we reached the Australian outback exhibit, I could not help but marvel at how they only had a little wooden fence around the kangaroos! It was maybe a foot high and only had one little stick laying across the posts. One. and it was small! Anything could have gone through that, but they make the spaces so inviting to the animals that they have no desire to leave it... at least thats what it seemed like to me :-)

The restrooms (which I had occasion to visit) were incredible also. I expected a drab layout. Instead, there was a waterfall coming off the roof of the bathhouse, and the sinks stood facing the waterfall, where the one wall would have been. It was cool... instead of that wall, they had a view into a pretty garden. Totally unique and amazing :-)

The zoo boasts a wealth of 2,530 different specimens from 315 animal species. With 1.6 million visitors a year, this place is HOPPING!!!

My favorite part of visiting the zoo (and my entire day really), was the Splash Safari. They showed off the cute little penguins, the pelican, and the manitees. But the most interesting and awesome part of the ENTIRE show was the sea lion.

From the start, he was amazing! His name was Carlos, and he beat the water excitedly to greet the crowd, then splashed around a while, just enjoying himself while they talked. Then they had him do tricks. One of the routines was him demonstrating his agility on land, and moving in the water. He could jump all over the place on the rocks, and in the water he glided smoothly at 40 kilometers per hour! Jumping out of the water to touch a suspended ball was one of the coolest tricks of the show.

Well, thats about it... Oh, theres a couple other parts...

The guy called a couple of children up and they got to feed fish to Carlos, and then get a picture of him kissing them on the cheek :-) It was really fun to watch, and the crowd enjoyed it. But the story does not end there! They asked for a couple of adults to come up, and Claire (a girl from our team) was selected!!!!! Then, they called ME up there!!!!

"Come on down here, Superman! Yeah, you in the collared shirt!" My smile must have been a mile wide! I high-fived my team as I ran down the steps to the front stage area, and looked back up into the large crowd. The announcer asked our names and where we were from, and then he just kept holding my hand while he talked. And he kept holding and kept talking, even though I tried to let go. Then he said "are you nervous? you are shaky!!!" Then I replied, "I'm more excited than nervous, but I've gotta say - I've never been this close to a seal before." *face to palm* Smiling widely, he looks to the crowd and says, "well OBVIOUSLY you haven't been listening to me because it IS a sea lion but thats ok! Now, could you please let go of my hand?" And with that, he let go of me :-) So funny! And I'll admit, the whole "seal vs. sea lion" thing was embarassing, but I enjoyed myself so much that it doesn't even matter to me :-)

"I'd like for each of you to throw a frisbee to Carlos. If you make it, great! If not, we'll have to throw you into the tank!" And with that, he hands a frisbee to Claire and tells her to step on the painted spot on the floor. She wound up, and sent a beautiful throw right to Carlos!!! Everyone clapped loudly.

I wasn't really paying too much attention though - my mind was focused on weighing the frisbee, feeling it and getting used to its size. When my turn came, the announcer didn't help me feel any more confident about throwing the frisbee... "all you guys! this macho man represents all of YOU!!! Let's hear it for him!" :-) A small husky cheer erupted from the crowd, and I turned to face Carlos, the sea lion.

Just as I settled my feet in position over the place where Claire threw from, the announcer interrupted my concentration!!! "Hey! this is the place my Claire throws from. But you are a strong guy, so take a step back and give yourself some room to really throw!!!" Nodding my head, I turned and stepped up into the first row, then turned back to the stage.

"Nope, thats where a 7 year old would throw from, go further!!!" This went on several more times, and finally he said, "Go all the way to the back row, Superman! All the way up!" Being called Superman wasn't helping me feel more confident, but I drew on the crowd's building excitement and sent a silent prayer heaven-ward as I reached the back row and turned a final time towards Carlos' tank.

"Are you ready Carlos??" he shouted. "Are you ready macho man?" And with that I was given the signal to throw the frisbee.
It was a blue disk, about 9 inches across, and made of flexible rubber. It had a little dimple about an inch deep in the center, and it kind of flexed as I released it. I threw a perfectly straight throw with a slight curve near the end, and Carlos caught it!!!!!!
The crowd cheered loudly, and the announcer thanked me for participating!!! :-D :-D I was so excited! I played catch with a california Sea Lion!!!! :-D

After the show, everyone congratulated me, and I went up front and got my picture with Carlos :-) He kissed me on the cheek, and the photographers clicked away with their high-end cameras. It was surreal. I played catch with, got kissed by, and took pictures with a Sea Lion.

Completely epic win? Yes. :-)

We went to Chinatown after we left the Singapore Zoo, and that was great. Shopping for trinkets and souveniers is always fun, but the remainder of the day I was thinking about the Splash Safari and how cool it was.

I played frisbee with Carlos the Sea Lion, at the Singapore Zoo, on June the 18th, 2010. How cool is that!!! :-D

Now it is late once again, and I have a full day of CI tomorrow :-) Please pray that God blesses us once again with His anointing and help!

Sold on Seals... and Serving Jesus,
Lewis
:-D

A Packed Post

:-)

Today had so many things happen that I hardly know where to begin! But, as a wise man once told me, "Just start at the beginning, and tell the story to its ending."

This morning I woke up and ran down to breakfast. I am so grateful that they serve a free breakfast, even when Chocolate-Frosted Sugar Bombs are the only thing that draws me from my comfortable sheets!!! The egg-like mixture and hot dog pieces and other dishes just don't have the "selling power" that cereal does. :-D

The team met for devotions and then we all went on a treasure hunt at a local mall. The list involved things that each team would do, like sing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" on a busy street, take a picture of an Asian with blue eyes, etc. We got a few things on the list done, then took some time to shop. It was a nice afternoon, and everyone enjoyed themselves.
There was this one hill on the way back from the mall that made an indellible impression on my mind... all 142 steps from the bottom to the top!!! It was CRAZY!!! the steps here are steep, tall, and slanted downward... it made walking up them quite the undertaking :-)

When we got back to the Hangout, everyone hurried to get ready for the CI, and then we trundled down to the bus, and before you could say "Bayuwch!" (a word we made up especially for CI), we were off.

I can't thank God enough for the awesome dinners we have enjoyed this week! It has been delightful to dine at the church each evening... Buffet style, delectable asian cuisine... Totally amazing :-) Tonight they had noodles with ham and cheese, and then this dish of rice with shrimp and ham, accompanied on all sides by asian desserts and Coca-Cola :-)

Marie told me before the kids came, "I hope they have energy tonight!" and I totally agreed. Teaching energetic children is awesome because their energy fuels the teacher and the lesson is more fun all around!!! Tonight was no exception. Our kids were excited to attend CI and they behaved awesomely! One of the precious little girls, Jewel, came up to me repeatedly, and asked for help with her craft. I wanna adopt asian babies now!!! :-D Every one of our kids is so precious and I love them all. The way they smile, laugh, pout, and every other mannerism, just makes me love them more. God truly has given me a love for His children, and I am sooo honored to have a chance to show HIS love!!!

Jewel asking for help with her craft was one of my two highlights of my entire day. The other was when I was asked to play background theme music for our Job skit :-) :-) That was soooo much fun! The music seemed to flow with the skit, and God blessed us in a special way.

It is 1:40 am and I should sleep a while before a full day of fun and rest tomorrow!
Love you all!!!

Gladly Serving Christ,
Lewis Carter

Put Yourself in My Crocs..

So last night I posted a blog update at 1:30 am, right? This morning, I am starting at 1 am :-) It only gets better! :-D

After I left the computer room last night and went back up to our room, I found all my roomates asleep (God bless their poor weary souls). Using my ipod for a light, I navigated across the treacherous expanse of our room, which was littered with clothes, souveniers and things that reach out to grab my feet when I least expect it. My bed is in a corner, and against the wall, on the other side of John's bed. My suitcase took all the space between the foot of the bed and the wall, so there is just a narrow space between the feet of the beds and the wall in which I can scoot towards my stuff. Kinda fun :-) Try doing that silently, at 1:45 am, with your ipod as a flashlight... it was an adventure!!!

Once I'd gotten ready for bed, I settled in for a peaceful night's sleep. First, let me tell you once again that my suitcase was at the foot of my bed. The last few days I've kept my duffel bag on top of the suitcase (which was on top of a stand thing), and I'd been piling things on top of the two of them. What a recipe for disaster!!! :-D As soon as my feet bumped the pile, it all cascaded onto my feet and legs, the coins from shopping, the receipts, the bandanas for skits, my puppet, anything and everything you can imagine!!!

So around 2 a.m., I fell asleep in my pile of awesomeness and slept clear until 7:30. Then, I woke up suddenly and was WIDE awake. Since breakfast was calling my name, I bundled downstairs to chow down on another free meal!!! (Gotta love those!)

It has been a completely full day, as you can tell from me posting this in the wee hours of the morning. In the morning, our team gathered outside and left for the beach! It was sooo pretty out, and as soon as our bus stopped and we unloaded... it started to POUR!!! The lightning was gorgeous and we spread out to study our Bibles under whatever shelter we could find. I wound up in the most interesting of places...

From a distance, it looked like a big yawning giant, with its awning stretched across a 50 foot span of concrete steps and a small stage. There were two homeless guys sitting on the top step and a rusty remnant of a bike lay abandoned along the concrete walk. I sat down on the edge of the stage as the rain poured, and what do you know, they have speakers mounted on the stage that were playing popular american music! Fun stuff. I settled in and read a few chapters of Isaiah, and then I watched as the bottom level of the concrete fill up with water. The drains were pumping water IN instead of out! The rain only worsened and I could visibly see the water rising. Totally awesome!!! :-D :-D

After an hour and a half, I wandered back to the McDonalds that everyone was gathering at, and we sat around until the bus came back. The attitude of my team is both incredible and inspiring! Instead of complaining about how the rain prevented us from riding bicycles along the beach, we prayed and thanked God for protecting us from what might have happened if we had gone biking, and for the time we were able to spend with Him. I love my team :-)

We spent the afternoon back at the Hangout, and I got a chance to organize my things in a better spot, away from my bed :-) Napping was very needed... I don't know how I fell asleep, but it happened and I thank God it happened!!! :-D I felt so much better after a little sleep :-)

Dinner was tasty, and the CI went well! Our kids were wonderful and Marie taught responsibility because its her favorite lesson. I really enjoyed watching her and studying the children's reaction to her :-) My absolute favorite part of the night had to be when we were doing the Sycamore tree and Zacchaeus skit. I played the tree, the table and a beggar under the table. for one part, I bit off a piece of a foam paper and hid it in my mouth, then put out my tongue to show my empty mouth. The kids went CRAZY!!!! :-D I love doing this stuff :-)

Now it is time to rest and sleep :-) I still need to try and wake up for breakfast though... we'll see :-)

Keep praying for our team! God is daily showing Himself faithful to us, and we are encouraged, but the enemy continues to attack our team members. Please pray God's protection over each one of us as we seek to fulfill His work in His kingdom in Southeast Asia!!!

Love you all!

Gladly serving Jesus,
Lewis

Where am I?

We will be traveling to Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia over the course of the month. Please pray that God uses us to make a positive and lasting impact on childrens' lives! I will not have phone service overseas, so if you need to contact me, please email sonics.sk8r.boy@gmail.com or message me on Facebook. Thank you everyone!

Loving Christ,

Lewis

Can I ride in my suitcase, Mum?

As we packed my suitcase for what seemed the 57th time, I decided that packing "light" is the most difficult thing to do when you travel. The previously spacious duffel bag burst at the seams and breaks zippers as we struggled to fit in one more flip flop, a tube of toothpaste and a worn duffel bag "to carry things in when you get there." I tried lifting it and grimaced as I guessed the weight to be right around the 20 kg (40 lbs) luggage limit. Instead of trying to get rid of clothes, I chose to use a bigger suitcase.

My father and I drove down to the local Kroger to weigh my baggage, and guess what! I was under the limit. Not by a little, but a full 15 pounds!

This was rather surprising. But really, I do not mind the flexibility - it only means I can bring more things back :-)

Tomorrow I will be doing laundry one final time, writing thank-you's to all of my wonderful friends and family who have contributed to make this trip possible, and visiting my friend Sam Taylor in the hospital. (He was in a motorcycle accident, please pray for his recovery and healing.)

On Thursday morning, my mother and I will drive to the Cincinnati Airport, where I will check in my baggage and get on an airplane bound for Minneapolis St. Paul, Minnesota. I will have a 3 hour layover there, then will board another flight to Singapore which will last a total of 21 hours. When I land in Singapore, I will meet the rest of my team. :-)

Please pray for the entire team's safe travel, that all my luggage makes it to Singapore, and that there are no excessively delayed flights for anyone!

I appreciate your prayers! Please feel free to email me at sonics.sk8r.boy@gmail.com or message me on Facebook.

Loving Christ,

Lewis Carter