Liberia and Singapore, a contrast.

In September 2006 I arrived in Liberia to begin my first term. I was sick with malaria, challenged with lack of vision, and frustrated by inconveniences of daily living. In October 2010 I arrived in Singapore to begin my first official term with WorldVenture. I am refreshed from 40 days of rest, visiting friends and ministry partners, clear with vision and a sense of purpose, and amazed at the effective infrastructure of this modern city.

But as I get adjusted to life in Singapore I find that I have one thing that I didn't have when I arrived in Liberia. I didn't have Liberia. It's funny, but everything that I experienced in Liberia that I labeled as "frustrating," "inconvenient," or "annoying," is now part of the framework of my expectations. As I left my three-week visit in Liberia behind me to make a permanent home here in Singapore, I had a team of friends, ministry partners, fellow teachers, students, and colleagues come to the little guest house in Mount Barclay, gather around me, and pray me forward.

Liberia and Singapore may seem like they have nothing in common. But to me, what God did in my heart in Liberia is a part of what I do here in Southeast Asia.