See below for Lorraine and Hannah's July Blog

Dear Friends

It's now July 25, six weeks after I've arrived and more has been accomplished than I could have ever expected.  The Youth Foundations class has begun with 15 signed up students and another 10 attending). I have spoken at a youth workers conference involving 200 Singaporean church youth workers (to explain about Trinity's new youth worker courses) and I'm well into formal research into youth ministry models and youth worker attitudes to be published in November. I've written the first three chapters of a book on youth worship and I'm speaking to Chinese Methodist youth workers and then the youth advisory committee in September.

I'm also running a half day program for ministers and alumni of TTC in October, and running a Saturday training day for youth workers in October. Next year I will be one of the main speakers at a national youth workers conference.  I'm trying not to take too many preaching assignments in the first five months so I can complete the research but after that I will be preaching a couple times per month.

All this raises prayer requests.  The youth ministry culture and the relationship between the church and young people is very different when compared to England . 

Please pray that I can grasp these differences and their implications for my teaching and attitudes.  I've have put a proposal in for a youth stream within the Master of Divinity and Bachelors of Divinity programs – please pray as I seek to develop these programs and other programs. Please continue to pray for the family as we seek to adjust, especially as Hannah builds new friendships and finds a new school.

P.S. I took the photo on the left of some of my Foundations of Youth Ministry class members – these are the good students who arrived early to class!

Lorraine's July 25 Blog

Family News from Lorraine & Hannah Emery-Wright

As Hannah and I came through customs we caught sight of Steve's smiling face through the glass, it was indeed good to be together as a family again.  The farewells had seemed to go on forever as we prepared to depart Launceston for we had so many friends to leave behind.

Hannah and I have now been here a month and are settling in.  We seem to already have done so much and each day zooms past, e.g. The Jurong Bird Park, the night safari, the zoo, ferry trip in the river, dinner at Raffles Marina watching the sunset over Malaysia , lunch at Raffles town club, day at Sentosa Island , not to mention many shopping expeditions to various malls. The highlights are the people we are meeting each day.  We have received a very warm welcome and as you can see from what Steve has written his feet have touched the ground running.

This morning I attended a Forum on Forms of Mission Engagement. The guest speaker was Rev. Dr. Andrew Kirk from England .  It was helpful in that it gave a good background into the areas of mission covered by the four denominations of T.T.C.

In September I shall be commencing some English Language teaching within thecollege and Hannah will be starting school, as yet nothing has been decided.

We have visited one school and are arranging to visit a couple more.

Hannah's July Blog

Well it been a challenge for me adapting to life in the big city? after having been a country girl for so many years. Singapore is certainly as different as you can get from the farming towns and fishing villages of Cornwall .

On first impressions Singapore is a vibrant and exciting place, and now first impressions have worn off, it still is. As Mum said we have visited a lot of the sites and explored local areas. I'm finding it all obviously difficult to take in but am now starting to get accustomed to the heat and local cuisine.

I was also impressed by all the local youth programs in the churches. They all seem to have a good structure and aim to facilitate the needs of young people today. However there is a large culture gap to. I have found that the Chinese have a different way of entering their young people into society. Although the worship is modern and what I am used to it is somewhat strange not to have any interaction of sexes. Males and females are in different groups for Discipleship and this extends to a gap within the youth group. I am sure I will get used to it eventually. Chinese parents are also stricter so I often don't understand the psychology behind the rules, but then I suppose they don't understand me either. Singapore is an exoticplace though and we are very lucky to have a large nature reserve behind the college, with an abundance of monkeys.

I am slightly apprehensive about starting school as there are some complications and there are lots of choices to be made, however it will be a relief to get out and start meeting people more. So far I have been welcomed by the youth group of the church next door and have been invited out with them a few times which makes me feel more settled and I'm excited to see what God's got in store.

God bless
Hannah

P.S. Feeding the wild animals is a real treat for all!