By August, the grass in our yard had turned blonde like straw because summer is so dry. We do not bother to water it partly because this is our busiest time of the year and partly because the green will return like magic once the autumn rain falls. With the trees, shrubs and flowers if we want them to stay alive, we have no choice although watering is not a chore we relish.
We have been participating in the Jubilee Service Day every year since we moved here. .As thirty churches join forces to serve the community, it is a CP project that is big enough to make an impact. Whether cleaning up public parks, helping out at public schools or sprucing up selected houses, it is also meaningful because we are serving felt needs. To top it off, we have found the fellowship very enjoyable as we work side by side together.
CP in school
Every year our church, LCC opts to do our good work at PL Elementary School because we use their facilities on Sundays for worship and Sunday school. On the big day, most of us reported for duty in our oversize blue corporate shirts. I had cut mine up into a more flattering size and style. It attracted much unwanted attention from the other ladies who wanted to know where I got my special T-shirt. Word even got to the pastor i/c who also asked about my shirt, Maybe the church office will order more smaller shirts next time? This year YK and I helped unpacked boxes of photocopy paper, art material, stationery etc in the school office. We also helped teachers set up classrooms for the new school year. We decorated classroom walls, arranged library books and whatever else the teachers wanted done.
playing with doll house!
CK and I struggled to put together a fully furnished doll house for the preschoolers. We clearly lack ‘play’ experience. This year’s best service award should go to the refreshment team who brought snacks and drinks in their cart, dimsum style right into the classrooms to serve us. The teachers were very appreciative and we left for lunch happy for the opportunity to interact and to be of help to them.
dim sum-like lunch
With easy access to the mountains, lakes and oceans, summer means biking, hiking, sailing or camping somewhere in the glorious outdoors. And thus we ended up hiking Little Si (elevation 1576′ or 480m) with our YWA small group on a very hot Saturday.
"Little Si" hiking trail
The young people assured us that it was an easy hike but Valerie who is familiar with my hip condition, warned otherwise. Knowing I could not do it in my own strength I pleaded with God for special ‘deer’ grace (Habbakuk 3:19). It was not just mind over matter but spirit over body! The first third of the hike proved to be steep and rocky but thanks to God, I did fine. The exertion however proved too much for Lucy, our YWA group leader. YK and I stayed with her while the others carried on. We sent up a few SOS prayers when she became clammy and nauseous.
View from our "rest"
The moment she recovered enough to suggest shopping instead of waiting for the group to finish the hike, we breathed a big sigh of relief. We trekked down the mountain with her and found a park for our picnic lunch. A big friendly dog loved our company and parked himself next to us.
Big, strong and friendly
Blueberry picking was planned after the hike but as the blueberries were not ripe enough, we drove to Issaquah for bubble tea instead.
In the midst of our busyness, we followed closely the Presidential election in Singapore with great interest, just as we had followed the General elections earlier in the year. If I were in Singapore I know which “Tan” I would have voted for.
