An American in EAST
“The shocking hot weather”, and “pedestrians waiting for traffic lights to turn green even when there are no cars coming.” These are some of the “cultural shocks” Jessica Yi (USA), then 23, first experienced in Singapore. And her favourite thing to eat? “Bubble tea,” she replies, “Sure we have it back home but the bubble tea here is a whole new level!”
Jessica came to Singapore to intern with the ACTS Ministry International (AMI) “Since I would be here for a year, I decided to study at EAST, which I found on the internet, to equip myself,” she says.
Vision and Worship
We just had Chapel yesterday with our faculty, Rev Dr Raymond Song speaking about the link between the vision for our lives and our worship unto God.
If the vision we have for our lives is to honor and glorify God, we will live our lives as pleasing offering unto Him.
Romans 12:1 describes this as “to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God–this is your true and proper worship”.
The Lord Himself be our Vision and Guide, as we follow Him daily.
#EASTChapel #Vision #Life #Worship
Loving God Completely
Photo: Ben White. Design: Jonathan Yao.
“4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” ~ Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (NIV)
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 is one of the most notable biblical passages named as the shema (Hebrew for “hear” as found in v. 4) and viewed as the “classic” confession of faith for the Hebrews. Verses 4 and 5 are seen as positive restatement of the first command in the Ten Commandments (Deut. 5:6-21). (Guzik, Enduring Word Commentary or EWC)
Am I a Racist?
Recent conversations with youths locally have shown heightened interest in race related issues. Local political discussions and decisions (even election) often have to face such issues too. Dr Lewis Winkler, an EAST resident faculty who teaches theological studies, shares his thoughts as our resident Theologian.
Growing up in the USA in the 1960’s, because of men like Martin Luther King, Jr., there was a lot of talk about racial equality and the Civil Rights Movement. I’m deeply grateful that my parents and the church we attended repeatedly and insistently taught that all people are made in God’s image and are of infinite value and fully (not separately) equal. More than fifty years later, it’s easy to forget that those were also times of deep anger, unrest, and social upheaval. Looking back now, it feels like in some ways like we have made real progress while in others, we have only come full circle.
Alumni: We came to the right place
When Baatarsuren “Baataraa” Buyanmandakh (Mongolia), came to Singapore in Dec 2012, he was “heart-broken.” His younger son, Munhuul, three and a half, had passed away the year before. He and his wife Zulaa have another son, Odko, 12. Before the tragedy, the former Mongolia Campus Crusade campus leader had already planned to go for theological training. “We want to build future church-planters for the 200 unreached villages and towns in my country,” he says.
At first, the Buyanmandakhs were offered places, with free housing, to study in the USA. “But after visiting two schools there, we felt that their teaching contexts may not be relevant to our future ministries,” says Baataraa. “So we came to EAST. As soon as we settled down, we knew we’d come to the right place.”
EAST Library Catalogue
EAST Populi
National Library Board eResources
The Digital Theological Library
