SANTA CRUZ BEGIN TO STOCK UP!

6 States Go On Strike

There are 9 states in Bolivia; 6 of them began a nationwide strike today.

Folk in Santa Cruz queue up to stock up in anticipation of the strike against the government's unwillingess to cede to claims made by representatives from 6 states in the Constitutional Assembly. This is 2/3 of the country! At stake is the legitimacy of a new constitution which has yet to surface. The government is moving ahead with its plans to present a new constitution to the populace at a referendum. And leaders from the 6 states suspect that the governments porposals will be inimical to their interests.

Competing Interests

One crucial issue is the claim for autonomy on the part of Santa Cruz and the other states which possess rich deposits of natural gas and oil. These states are counting on keeping a major portion of the profits from the sales of these resources to finance projects as determined by regional leaders. The ruling party are of course hoping to use the income to help the poorer regions of the country.

Competing Visions

It's easy to understand therefore the advocacy for a strong political centre in La Paz, by the government in the new constitution. The other states, especially the more prosperous ones like Santa Cruz, as to be expected, are agitating for a constitution which recognizes a more decentralized and federal vision for Bolivia. And folk in Sucre are taking advantage of the situation to insist that they be declared the political & administrative capital of the Bolivia!

The deadline for the Assembly to present the new constitution to the people has been extended to November.

CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE CATHOLIC KIND

BUS
I was seated in a bus on my way home after Sunday service. The bespectacled guy next to me looked bored and clutched a bag. He did not look like a chatty sort. I sensed the need however to engage him spiritually.

Should I share the gospel with him? I asked myself.

BANG!
My thoughts were interrupted with a loud BANG! A taxi, in full flight, stopped suddenly when the traffic light in front changed from amber to red. Another taxi, following closely behind, banged the taxi which had come to a screeching halt.

The passengers in the bus, looking aghast, saw the entire incident. We had a grandstand view of the accident. The bus stopped in front of the traffic light and was adjacent to both cars, moments, before the accident. Both taxi drivers and their passengers were not hurt. Broken and splintered glass from the rear and front lights were strewn all over the road.

THE ENCOUNTER
As the bus drove off the guy next to me began to complain about irresponsable taxi drivers. He gave up cycling because taxis had come close to knocking him down. I joined in and lamented the congestion on the roads in Bolivia. I changed the subject quickly and talked about Jesus; I asked him if he was church going person. He said he was Roman Catholic and was returning from mass at a nearby catholic church. His face broke out into a smile when I identified myself as an Anglican missionary. We talked about our spiritual experiences.

I don't believe in chance encounters. Our conversation encouraged him to share an issue close to his heart: he was not baptized. And so I exhorted him to trust our Lord and shared the need for baptism. It was all so rushed but I trust that something from the Lord got through.

He stood up and smiled appreciatively at me...he had reached his destination. As he walked toward the exit, I smiled, blessed him and said, Get baptized!

CHATTING WITH JOSHUA SU
(We continue our series of interviews with prominent christian leaders from the global south...Its been a long time since we last did an interview!!)

Rev Dr Joshua Su is founder of Joshua Missions, an agency dedicated to the edification of Christ's Body. He just returned from teaching at a school of pastors in the Diocese of Ibadan North, Nigeria. He is an ordained anglican clergyman.

SO TELL US SOMETHING ABOUT JOSHUA MISSIONS?
This Mission serves in the prophetic ministry of the Word through preaching and teaching the Bible as the Word of God for today and declaring what the Spirit says through it. By so doing it seeks to call, encourage and facilitate churches, Christian organisations, Christians and Christian leaders to know and fulfill their call in Christ and build unity in Him. It also forms a network from those who join as members from these groups and persons to operate locally and internationally to strengthen each other in mutual ministry and to minister together to the wider Body of Christ and the world.


WHAT WAS THE MOST MEMORABLE MOMENT IN YOUR LIFE?
There are many memorable moments but my experience at my moment of personal salvation stands out. When I prayed to receive Christ into my life I was given a picture, sensation and message of His work in me. I saw in my mind's eye and felt the sensation of my heart as a black lump of lead with fire burning all around it. The message that came through this was that God was burning away my sin. An unexplainable joy filled my heart.

AND THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE YOU FACED IN MINISTRY?
The biggest challenge I experienced was the misconduct of a clergy who was assigned to pastor a ministry that I was leading as a lay leader. It made me seriously review the value of seeking ordination for myself. The resolution was the realisation that it is not the rite or the title of ordination but answering the call of God and receiving His anointing to serve that really counts.

WHO ARE SOME OF THE CHRISTIAN LEADERS IN THE GLOBAL SOUTH WHO'VE INFLUENCED YOU AND WHY?
I was born and brought up in Singapore and came to Christ and grew up in Him there. My Chinese ethnicity, living in a multi-racial Asian country with English as its chief language, receiving English education and coming to Christ with churches that were planted by the West sums up my background. I read and learn widely from many both East and West, with the English language as my medium of study. But I see no particular person except Christ as my primary influence.

WHAT IS THE PRINCIPLE CHALLENGE FACING THE SINGAPOREAN CHURCH?
Singapore Christianity and some of its leaders are playing a significant part in leading the global south. The challenge is the soundness and strength of Christianity and the quality of the leadership that these leaders and the churches in Singapore can articulate and practice. It would be wonderful if we can strongly affirm and express the faith of the Bible and the Christianity of Christ in the global south and the global south may do likewise for the worldwide Church that has tended to be preoccupied only with cultural, political, national and regional issues.

Thank You Rev Su For Agreeing To Do This Interview.

GOING TO BOLIVIA 5
FACILITATOR
The Lord uses people to facilitate His plan in our lives.

Rev Ted Newing was such a person. Ted, warden of St Peter’s Hall in the early 80’s, was a lean, silver- haired Australian with an Irish background. He received my application, interviewed me extensively and pushed my papers through the various committees. His support for my application, in more ways than one, was invaluable.

Ted attended morning and evening prayers at St Peter’s diligently and shared the Eucharist with students of the hall. His Old Testament lectures helped us see the literary structures behind lengthy biblical passages. I caught him at the tail end – the last 3 years – of his ministry in Singapore.

His departure left me wondering if our paths would ever cross.

PROVIDENCE
By God’s providence our common passion for South America brought us together 7 years later!

Ted Newing returned to Singapore as General Secretary of SAMS Australia!

I will never forget his moving narration of Allan Gardiner’s (founder of the South American Mission Society) martyrdom at a clergy meeting in Singapore. The then Bishop of Singapore, Moses Tay had invited him to share with us the work of SAMS. His sharing did not appear to have had an impact on anyone, except me. One clergyman said that mission to South America was considered not practical. I suspect however that Bishop Moses gave Ted the opportunity to talk to the clergy because of an interest to develop links with South America.

I immediately cornered Ted after the meeting and we agreed to catch up over tea the next day.

REASSURANCE
We met at someone’s home over Earl Grey tea. I wasted no time in sharing with him my interest in Latin America. We knew each other and I felt safe in opening my heart to him. He listened intently. Ted Newing was the first person I spoke to at length about my sense of calling to serve in Latin America; I sounded discouraged because no one seemed to show any interest in following through with Ted’s presentation. He was however reassuring,

Not to worry, Raphael…seeds have been planted; in God’s time they will bloom, he replied.
He gave me a copy of Phyllis Thompson’s biography of Allan Gardiner and encouraged me to continue praying and to not give up on my dreams.

And true enough the seeds he planted grew into a sturdy oak tree.

O Lord, I Am Ashamed to Seek Thy Face

Christina Rossetti (1830-1894)
O Lord, I am ashamed to seek Thy Face
As tho’ I loved Thee as Thy saints love Thee:
Yet turn from those Thy lovers, look on me,
Disgrace me not with uttermost disgrace;
But pour on me ungracious, pour Thy grace
To purge my heart and bid my will go free,
Till I too taste Thy hidden Sweetness, see
Thy hidden Beauty in the holy place.

O Thou Who callest sinners to repent,
Call me Thy sinner unto penitence,
For many sins grant me the greater love:
Set me above the waterfloods, above
Devil and shifting world and fleshly sense,
Thy Mercy’s all-amazing monument.

AT THE ASCENSION!

Last Sunday I had the opportunity to celebrate the eucharist and preach at the Church Of The Ascension.

The first service was traditional and based on the Alternative Service Book which appeared in the 80's. This prayer book formed the basis for the South East Asian prayer book. Most of the folk were senior members of the church. I'm getting into the swing of preaching in English. In Bolivia I'm more animated and inductive in my sermons. In Singapore I'm sober and sound more cognitive.

The highlight was to sing the eucharistic prayers with responses from the congregation. I can't remember the last time I did this. I was a little nervous at first but the congregation was used to the chants. It was a satisfying experience.

The second service was contemporary. The worship leader, Dennis was an old friend. There was no Eucharist and so I had more time to preach. We had a short time of ministry during the service. Young people, mainly youth formed the bulk of the congregation. This is a blessing because newer churches tend to draw the youth. The more established historic churches, like the Church of the Ascension are therefore challenged to provide exciting programmes for the young.

We've managed to keep our young people because of the network of relationships, a youth leader replied when I asked him for the reasons as to the relatively large contingent of young people in the second service.

After the service, I had lunch with some of the members of the Church at a Food Court. I tried the Korean food and my new found friends, David and Phillip went for the local fare. Our conversation covered a wide range of subjects from men's ministry to some of the trends in the Singapore church.

POWER LUNCH!

I had the opportunity to have lunch at Swensens with Kenny Chee (Blogpastor), Sherman Kuek (Sherman On The Mount) & his fiancee, Emmy.

Kenny and I met Sherman for the first time. Our common love for blogging brought us together. It was great to exchange notes with one another and meet. Kenny is Pentecostal, Sherman, a Methodist, Emmy, a Baptist and I'm Anglican.

We clicked immediately. Sherman is in the midst of a doctoral thesis and lives in Seremban. He is 31 years old and could very well represent a generational change amongst younger Christian leaders. My friend, Kenny, likes to probe new ideas and enjoys meeting up with people. Emmy, a great gal, teaches linguistics at the University.

There is something spiritual about sharing our lives over a wholesome meal and a hearty conversation. We covered a wide range subjects - from monastic traditions of the church to contemporary missions.

Kenny (chinese guy) and I are on the right; Sherman and Emmy on the left

INTERCESSION AVERTS DISASTER IN SANTA CRUZ

CRISIS
Folk in Santa Cruz, Bolivia were expecting violent clashes between indigenous people and local groups at the annual independance day parade in Santa Cruz.

President Evo Morales decided to hold the parade in Santa Cruz; he invited for the first time a huge contingent of indigenous people from the highlands to participate in the annual military parade on the 6th of August. The presence of the Army and their support for the president raised the anxiety level of many. Many of his opponents in Santa Cruz viewed this as an attempt to intimidate them. Santa Cruz and the central government are at loggerheads over the question of Santa Cruz's push for autonomy. Civic leaders felt provoked and raised the temperature with their speeches.

INTERCESSION
The president is unpopular in Santa Cruz and unruly elements normally hurl insults and spew foul language at him during public meetings. Many feared violence between his followers and some of these elements in Santa Cruz.

I tracked the worsening situation through emails from friends in Bolivia and newspaper reports in the internet. My heart went out to those I had left behind. At one point I was close to tears and prayed for God's mercy to take control of the situation. Churches in Santa Cruz gathered together and began to intercede in homes and church grounds.

MERCY
The president sounded a conciliatory tone in some of his comments as indigenous people together with the Army descended onto Santa Cruz for the parade. The newspapers reported a massive turnout from the populace. There were insufficient police to manage the crowds. The atmosphere had all the makings of a disaster.

God's mercy thru the intercession of His people however averted the scuffling and chaos many expected. Trouble makers thankfully did not agitate the crowds. Some however suffered the effects of being crushed by the crowd. On the whole, the parade was peacefully held without any incidents.

Praise The Lord!

GOING TO BOLIVIA 4

FIRST MISSION CONVENTION – SEA VIEW HOTEL 1990

The Diocese of Singapore (Anglican) organized its first missionary convention at the Sea View Hotel. I was a little hesitant about going to the convention. My duties as Pastor of All Saints English Congregation together with the struggle to hold together a young family had kept me busy. I went along anyway because cross cultural missions was not far from my concerns. It was also fun to get away from the daily grind of the ministry and touch base with friends from other churches.

SEND A NUDGE, LORD
Missions, especially as a diocesan initiated project, was a new subject. Thailand, South Africa and other areas in South East Asia hogged the limelight. The presentations were lively and the long buried interest to serve in Latin America surfaced. At one of the sessions I silently prayed for some sort of nudge from the Lord concerning my interest in Latin America. I asked Him to speak through the then Bishop of Singapore, Moses Tay.

My small group, which included Bishop Moses and Rev Gerry Khoo, met about twice during the convention. At one of the meetings we were asked about our involvement or interest in Missions. I remember Gerry asking me something to the effect if I had sensed a call to serve in the mission field. I replied in the affirmative but shared that I wasn’t ready to the details. To their credit, Gerry nor the Bishop pursued the matter. At that point it was a little premature to talk about Latin America.

HE SENDS A NUDGE
As the convention came to an end, we had sung the final hymn and all that was left was for Bishop Moses to send us out with his blessing. I was seated at the last row and ready to leave.

Just before the he raised his hands for the benediction, Moses hesitated and shared something from his heart, “We’ve received calls for help from many places…even from Alaska and South America”! His words, like a bolt out of the blue, opened my eyes of faith! Had the Lord given me the nudge I was looking for? I left trying to digest my experience.

I returned home a little tired and ready to unwind from the day’s activities. I had a bath; sat down on the sofa; switched on the television. Believe it or not the first images on the screen were part of a documentary featuring Peru and Bolivia!

Although there were other priorities in my life at that point - I was in the second year of my first pastorate - the Lord had sent a signal in this mission conference of an impending change of direction in my ministry towards South America.

BOLIVIA CELEBRATES 182 YEARS OF INDEPENDANCE!

The photo on the right says it all. A poor campesina, with her baby on her right arm, struggles to hold onto to the flag in the face of strong winds. She's selling flags to alleviate her poverty. It's a stirring sight because it speaks of a poor but proud nation battling to overcome the odds.

Bolivians struggle. And its in the struggle where they find divine gifts of mercy and providence. I thank the Lord for the experience of being a part of the on-going Bolivian narrative. He has used Bolivia to change my family and I forever.

God Bless This Nation!!

Bolivia, on the 6th of August, celebrates its founding as an independant and sovereign nation. The Spanish colonizers were defeated at a decisive battle in 1825 by forces commanded by Gen Antonio Jose de Sucre. Bolivia was named after Simon Bolivar, the revolutionary hero who inspired the continent wide revolt against the Spanish empire.

Bolivia has gone through massive changes since its the founding of the republic.The most crucial being the evolution of the native indian. They were once ostracised and marginalized - a victim of others and themselves. They're now struggling to find their place in one of their own.

Evo Morales, the current president of Bolivia is the first indigenous indian to be elected in the highest office of the land. He has shaken the nation with socialist policies and has allied himself with Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez. Some sectors have benefitted from his leadership but others have not.

Here's prayer for Bolivia:

O Lord our Governor, whose glory is in all the world: We commend Bolivia to thy merciful care, that, being guided by thy Providence, the people of Bolivia may dwell secure in thy peace. Grant to the President of this nation, the congress, and to all in authority, wisdom and strength to know and to do thy will. Fill them with the love of truth and righteousness, and make them ever mindful of their calling to serve this people in thy fear; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end. Amen.

SUNDAY MEGA CHURCH ADVENTURE

I was not down to preach or celebrate at a church this weekend so I took the opportunity to attend 2 mega church services during the weekend.

LORD'S SUPPER
By a strange coincidence both services included The Lord's Supper. The preparation before the sacred meal was short, informal and dependant on the spontaneous words of the elder who presided over the elements of bread & wine. Passages of scripture were read aloud before a brief exhortation which then led to the administering of the Lord's supper.

Both churces did not have a prayer of confession neither was there a statement which excluded non baptised persons from participating. Missing also was the aura of sacrifice in the Eucharist. Aiyaaahhh...the Anglican in me cringed. It needs to be said however that I felt at home in the midst of God's people. It took both churches roughly 10 minutes to round up the Lord's supper.

PREACHING
The preaching in both churches lasted for about 40 to 45 minutes. One lady preacher used used a slick power point presentation. The male preacher from the other church flashed his scripture passages on the screen. Both messages came from sincere hearts. He, an associate pastor, sounded like the Senior Pastor in that his message came across with lots of authority.

Singapore churches have been blessed with strong local leadership. Its sometimes difficult for young Singaporean christians to fully appreciate what the Lord has done in raising the current generation of local leaders. Young christians in their 20's never experienced the trials of first generation local Singaporean pastors. It was only in the 60's that the locals began to assume major leadership positions.

MR LIM
The highlight for me however was a time of sharing with Mr Lim at a food court after one of the services. I was eating brunch - char siew pow (buns with pork filling) and teh si (tea with evaporated milk). A man bought his coffee mug and sat opposite me; he carried a small bible on his other hand. He returned my friendly smile and before long I asked him about his church affiliation. And that got us into a free wheeling discussion which lasted for about 45 minutes; we covered a range of topics from evangelism to fallen pastors.

I was surprised when Lim said that some of his non christian friends confronted him with ideas from Richard Dawkins, the atheist philosopher. I thought that Dawkins was too high brow for the average christian. Was I wrong in my assumptions? Were Lim's friends the exception? Hmnn...I wonder.

SINGAPORE'S BUSINESS CONNECTIONS WITH LATIN AMERICA

My 14 year old involvement in South America, although missionary in nature, is a reflection of the Lord bringing together the nations in more ways than one, even through business and trade deals. Doing business is certainly within God's calling for humanity. Abraham and Matthew are some examples of sucessful businessmen in the Bible. Remember the businesswoman of Proverbs 31?

Business enterprises are part of man's response to the Lord's cultural mandate given in Genesis to rule over creation and to subdue the earth. Sin may have tarnished the business dimension in the world but not obliterated its calling or place in the Lord's plan for the nations.

Singapore is building business links with Latin America.

Here are excerpts of a speech by Mr Heng Chee How, Minister of State for Trade and Industry and National Development, at the LatinAsia Biz Forum 2005 on 7 September 2005:


"Latin America is fast becoming an engine of growth for the global economy. According to the World Bank, the Latin American and Caribbean regions have the highest per capita income in the developing world. In 2004, the region registered a growth of 5.7 per cent, its highest in the last 25 years.

With the growing experience and success of Singapore companies in Latin America, more companies have ventured into the region. Singapore Technologies recently announced plans to supply cable TV signal down converters to Mexico. Banyan Tree also has plans to develop luxury resorts there. Earlier this year, Portek International, a port equipment engineering company, announced its sale of two quay cranes to Port of Ensenada in Mexico. Beyond Mexico and Brazil, our
companies are also making headway in Panama. Later on at this Forum, we will be hearing details about some recent successes in Panama by Inter Roller Engineering and Portek International.

In today’s competitive global economy, Singapore businesses must constantly seek out niches and new markets to stay relevant. Latin America is rich in resources and opportunities and we must deepen our engagement there to capitalise on these opportunities".

BOLIVIAN ECONOMY IMPROVES?

According to a financial report, Fitch Rating, the Bolivian economy has improved and is, for the forseeable future, stable. The assesment, based on Bolivia's macro economic performance last year, highlighted the growth in reserves, extra income from the oil industry and a multi lateral initiative to ease Bolivia's external debts. Hope that this report will catch the attention of foreign investors.

Take this with a pinch of salt; I've yet to see something on per capita income nor statistics on income distribution and the gross domestic product.

The president is due to give his annual state of the nation speech on the 6th of August. Perhaps we will get more information then.

ALBUM REVIEW: P.O.D TESTIFY

PAST & THE PRESENT
A couple of years ago, after a very very long period of self imposed exile, I finally returned to one of my adolescent identity markers: rock music! I wanted to understand my son's generation through their music. And so I plunged into the internet, radio and listened to some of my son's CD's. It was'nt long before I made a detour which led me to my roots as an afficionado of 60's and 70's progressive rock. I just could not help comparing the contemporary music scene with my own preferences from the past.

One of the types of music I bumped into from my son's generation was rap metal or heavy metal fusion music. Groups were putting together rap, heavy metal, pop music and hip hop. Linkin Park are probably the best secular representation of this kinda music in terms of commerce success.

CHRISTIAN METAL RAP
P.O.D, a christian heavy metal rap group, are probably one of the better bands who belong to this genre. Their latest album, Testify, is a winner!! Its a big improvement over Satellite, their other album. The music, though metal, swerves and weaves patterns which include rap, hip hop and reggae.

Some of the heavy metal songs, especially the last two, Say Hello & Mark My Words on Testify, are scorchers. The opener, Roots In Stereo fuses rock and hop. But its the following track, Lights Out, which sets the album on fire. The lyrics are not overtly christian but reflect a deep seated christian spirituality. This is a welcome change from some of the vulgarity and nihilism of secular heavy metal groups.

One of the weaknesses of P.O.D is the absence of a vocalist in the category of Robert Plant, Ian Gillan, Roger Daltrey, Chester Bennington, Steve Marriot, Bono etc.

I guess you can't have everything.

If you're a rocker, I recommend this album...buy it!!

HAS MARCOS WITT SOUNDED THE DEATH KNELL FOR TRADITIONAL HYMNODY?

WHO IS MARCOS WITT?
The explosion of contemporary evangelicalism in Latin America would not have been possible without the music and songs of Marcos Witt. He is by and large the most sucessful modern & urban Spanish speaking singer -songwriter in the evangelical Christian world. Marco Barrientos, Danilo Montero, Jesus Adrian Romero etc.. are the other big names whose songs are also flooding Christian churches. Their CDs are marketted aggressively and bought by musicians immediately when released.

THE CRITICISM
An Anglican bishop once said that Witt's songs are the reason for the demise of Spanish hymnody. There is some truth in this assertion. Marcos Witt's songs and choruses are never far from the lips of an evangelical latin christian. His tunes are catchy and the lyrics are easy to remember. Most of his songs, although latin in spirit, sounds like stuff fabricated in the States. This is not surprising because he is based in the US and Mexico. He certainly may not have intentionally wanted to curtail or extinguish the use of hymns or the more rural & pastoral latin sounding songs/ hymns but the popularity and the constant use of his music in urban churches has not helped to bring about a greater diversity of local home made spanish devotional music and songs.

A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION
His music resonates with the younger generation and in some churches totally dominate the average Sunday service. A new generation of christians have emerged in Latin America without any knowledge of songs or hymns except for the ones composed and sung by Marcos Witt and composers like him. Traditionalists and purists, if they've not passed away, shake their heads in disdain.

We use his songs and choruses during our services in Santa Cruz Bolivia because they move the heart and get the folk excited. We use what is available and most of his stuff is easily accessible. Some of his songs are gilt-edged classics. My favorite is Jesus Christ Is The Reason For My Song (Jesucristo Es El Motivo De Mi Cancion). The theology of the lyrics of this particular song is rich and the tune in some parts is not unlike some of the hymns from the past.

In conclusion, its hard to minimize the impact of Marcos Witt on contemporary urban latin american evangelicalism. My assessment of his ministry is, on the whole, positive. And perhaps he could revive, with some contemporary tunes, some of the old hymns.

CAPITAL OF BOLIVIA: LA PAZ OR SUCRE?

Day before yesterday the Singapore tele ran a story on Bolivia concerning the proposed shift of Bolivia's capital from the city of La Paz (photo on the right) to the city of Sucre. There were clips of a huge open air meeting where thousands upon thousands of folk from La Paz gathered to assert their status as capital of Bolivia. I got all excited because we hear almost nothing about Bolivia in the Singapore media.

Knowing Bolivian history might help us understand what's going on.

SUCRE vs LA PAZ

The declaration of independance from the Spanish Empire was signed and Bolivia was officially declared a nation; Sucre played an important role in this historical milestone. Since then, Sucre was recognized as the capital of Bolivia. In the ensuing years however the city of La Paz began to grow in prominence because of its expanding economy and growing political clout. It was easier to get things done in La Paz. And so La Paz began to assume the characteristics of a nation's capital. Before long, major multinational corporations, embassies, banks and all major political institutions (president's palace and congress) were encouraged or decided on their own to build infraestructure in and function from La Paz.

In an attempt to placate Sucre, La Paz was called the administrative capital of Bolivia; Sucre was referred to as the constitutional capital. Sucre has been tolerating this ambigous arrangement for many years. There is nothing ambigous however about the perception of La Paz being the capital of the country. The country is run from La Paz and just about everybody, be it a Bolivian or foreigner view La Paz as the nation's capital.

Folk in Sucre, intermittently, however kick up a row about restoring its rightful place as the only recognized capital of Bolivia. They don't want to be treated like some left over dusty relic in a musuem and are trying to reclaim their lost prestige through the constitutional assembly which has the task of redoing Bolivia's constitution.

AND THE WINNER IS...

So will Sucre get their way?

No they're not! I can't imagine the nation's major institutions be it public or private, emptying their infraestructure in La Paz and moving to Sucre. Also the people in La Paz, the Pacenos, are not ready to cede to Sucre. They, the Pacenos, came by the thousands in La Paz at a special rally, called a Cabildo, this week, to oppose Sucre's claims.

For better or worse La Paz will remain the capital of Bolivia.

RE-ENTRY BLUES

REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK

Yup..Michelle, Elijah and I are going thru the re-entry blues. I think they call it reverse culture shock. Its when natives find it hard to adjust to their home culture because they've lived elsewhere for a very long period. I guess its inevitable for us; hey we've been out of Singapore for 14 years! We've consciously and unconsciously imbibed some of the cultural patterns, customs and language of Bolivia. Returning to Singapore, in our case, once in a while, for furlough did not affect the inculturation process in Bolivia

THE STUFF WE MISS

Michelle misses creative ministries, her home, bed, friends, dogs, and daily routine in Bolivia. Elijah is still coping with the loss of his friends both in School and Church. I yearn for frontline ministery: preaching/teaching, training, planning, counselling, strategizing etc...

Life is simpler in Bolivia. Choices are limited, be it the food, products and transportation. In Singapore, the malls sort of makes one wander all over the place. There many types of toothpaste, an incredible variety of food in the various food courts and consumer products in every nook and corner. Eating and shopping is less complicated and cheaper on the pocket in Bolivia.

I personally miss the Bolivian mass media. The talk shows and local press are a mixture of silliness, drama, irresponsibility, fearless investigative reporting etc. Evo Morales and his Vice President say things which would make us gasp at times. Yeah.. never a dull moment in Bolivia. Well, its a little different in Singapore; the mass media here is relatively sedate but also a little sensationalist at times, especially the afternoon edition newspaper.

GETTING BACK INTO THE SWING
Its not that Bolivia is better than Singapore or vice versa. We are grateful for the incredible prosperity and efficiency of Singapore; and with time we'll probably get back into the swing of things. This however in no way obliterates the need to manage and work through the issues related the reverse culture shock. In fact this post is part of my therapy!

Living overseas has its pluses. We learned a new language, Spanish; And so we speak to each other in Spanish in the underground trains or when we dont want to embarrass ourselves in front of others. Folk in Bolivia greet one another with a hearty hug and a kiss on the cheek. In Singapore a handshake is about where we're at in terms of a warm greeting.

There are of course a hundred little matters which cause us our heads to swirl.

Its all part of the re-entry blues!

GOING TO BOLIVIA 3

click here to Going To Bolivia 1

click here to Going To Bolivia 2


SOUTH AMERICA AND SOMA

After graduating from seminary I was sent to work as a parish worker at the Church Of The Epiphany. I jokingly asked my wife Michelle if she was open to the idea of going to the Amazon, South America. She laughed and said I was crazy. I was later ordained deacon and served in St Andrew’s Cathedral. The Singapore diocese in those days was a hub for Holy Spirit driven renewal and missions was beginning to assert itself.

The diocese organized a worldwide mission consultation for SOMA (Sharing Of Ministries Abroad) leaders. SOMA is an Anglican body which sends teams to dioceses and parishes. Their focus is mainly on bringing renewal to groups and individuals open to the work of the Holy Spirit.

I can’t remember if the SOMA leaders met in the Cathedral or at Peninsula Hotel. It was a real blessing for me to meet up with experienced Christian leaders from all over the globe – the US, Britain, Australia etc…

DISCOURAGEMENT

I heard they were looking for suitable candidates for short term mission teams to do some work in South America. And so I plucked up my courage and approached the American clergyman in charge. After exchanging some pleasantries, I expressed my interest to be part of a team he was putting together.

He looked me over and asked how long I had been in renewal.

The next question stumped me, do you have any Spanish.

I don’t speak any Spanish, I answered.

He sounded a little dismissive and short, We can’t use you, sorry…

It was like pouring cold water over my youthful enthusiasm.

God's calling on a person always involves experiences of discouragement and that day was certainly one of them. Discouragements reveal our vulnerabilities and shortcomings. Its a blow to the pride to figure out we don't really have what it takes to serve Him. And that's where the learning curve really begins: God's ability thru our inability.

DEATH OF A BOLIVIAN FRIEND

This morning we recieved news of a friend's death from cancer. I opened my email account to retrieve information and was not prepared for an email informing us of her sudden passing away. Michelle and I, knew a couple of days ago, of her struggle against an aggressive form of cancer.

She was young mother of two children: one is a teenager and the other is about 10 years old. Before our trip to Singapore, Michelle and I prayed for her to be healed of a tumor. She appeared to be on the path of recovery. The Lord had other plans; His sovereignty will always prevail. We grieve the loss of our friend. Her family were some of the first people we got to know in Bolivia nearly 14 years ago. She was active in intercession and danced with Michelle.

Her healing and complete restoration is now assured, albeit on the other side of eternity. She is now safely in His arms. He saved her from pain and anguish. Her parents were by her side right to the end.

Pray for her two daughters.

SINGAPORE: A LAYERED CAKE!

A GROWING POPULATION
We've been here now for 3 weeks; one of our challenges is adapting to a high density environment. Singapore is 2400 times smaller than Bolivia but has a population of 4 million (close to half the population of Bolivia).

Singapore, in expanding its market and capacity for consumption, is planning to increase its population to 6 million. Many foreigners have been invited to work here; professionals are encouraged to make Singapore their home.

High rise living provides the necessary housing for the growing population. The vast majority of Singaporeans live together in multi storey apartment blocks called flats. Condominiums are an alternative for those with greater financial resources.

SPACE: A COMMODITY
Kudos to the average Singaporean's ability to live in such close proximity. Its hard to believe however that this high density living does not come with a cost. Sooner or later people want more room for all sorts of reasons; some have emigrated to larger countries - Australia or the US. A friend once told me that he left Singapore for the sake of his children. They needed breathing space, he said.

Space is a valuable commodity, especially at this moment in Singapore when property prices have gone through the roof. Travelling in the underground trains, especially during peak hours, is an exercise in finding and guarding space, be it sitting on a seat or standing.

Folk here maintain boundaries, share limited space and learn to work and live together. Its like being part of a layered cake!

Welcome to Singapore!