New Dawn

In Geneva, we had lots of visitors. It was fun to know someone was always arriving soon. But guests haven’t been as regular here in Singapore (is that flight over the Pacific so much more daunting than the Atlantic?) so when we saw an announcement in the church bulletin that a group of young adults from the States needed host homes, we signed up immediately.

Kristine and Sarah (far left and far right in photo, respectively), two of the five-member New Dawn team sponsored by the organization Youth Encounter, were delivered to our door by Pastor Nick on Friday evening. To my pleasant surprise, I found out Sarah was a Hoosier (like me) as were two other team members. She hails from Indianapolis. John, the lone male of the group, calls Seymour home. Julia is from the northern part of Indiana, while Jackie and Kristine are from Missouri and Minnesota, respectively.

They’ve been traveling as a team since last August, spending 2008 roaming the States, and now finishing up their one-year commitment here in Asia. It was such fun to have the ladies around the house for the weekend and on Sunday we enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with the entire team. We made our way over to the American Club for burgers and fajitas, not-so-common fare in these parts.

Over the course of a few short days, we talked and laughed and shared life stories. We made cheesy eggs, played Wii, made Miis (even more fun), watched an inspiring movie about the 1980 US Olympic hockey team, sat in the hot tub and shared more of our favorite memories – stories about our hardships, triumphs, loved ones. We all realized how blessed we have been. In spite of illness, injury, accident, broken hearts, disappointments, unexpected losses, and sometimes fear, we share a deep faith that life is precious, God is good, and love and joy abound if we open ourselves up to the possibilities right before us.