Thoughts and Activities on Good Friday and Easter Sunday in Singapore

On Good Friday

Good Friday is a public holiday in Singapore? That was quite a surprise to Su when I talked to her about it at 5am in the morning of Good Friday in Singapore on a FaceBook chat with her in the US. I had just come back from a night bike ride with the Elders Quorum and Young Men members of the church as the following pics depict :

We certainly enjoyed the bike friendly roads of Singapore and the spectacular night view of the city state!

A special message comes to me from inside that reflects on the words that I've always uttered, ie that Families and Friends are Forever!

This message is on the most important topic the world has ever known and find it also the most challenging of all. I'm talking about RELATIONSHIPS! 

Most important because relationships such as in a family is something that provides us security when young, warmth and purpose when middle aged with everlasting love and care when we're old as the following pics depict :

Provides us security when young

Warmth and purpose when middle-aged

Everlasting love and care when old

If relationships are so important, why do many families, couples and organizations face so many problems with it in the world today?

On Easter Sunday

On this Easter Sunday, the relationship of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost was clearly shown to us in 2 Nephi 31 in a combined class of the men and women by the Bishop in Clementi Ward of our Church. When the Bishop asked for any comments from the group, I raised my hand to respond that this chapter of scripture gave such clarity of the relationship of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost that the Nicine Creed failed to achieve by the Christian world then. See the extract below taken from the wikipedia link here.

First Council of Nicea (325)	First Council of Constantinople (381)
We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of all things visible and invisible.	We believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, begotten of the Father [the only-begotten; that is, of the essence of the Father, God of God], Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father;	And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of the Fatherbefore all worlds (æons), Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father;
By whom all things were made [both in heaven and on earth];	by whom all things were made;
Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down and was incarnate and was made man;	who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and was made man;
He suffered, and the third day he rose again, ascended into heaven;	he was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried, and the third day he rose again, according to the Scriptures, and ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father;
From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.	from thence he shall come again, with glory, to judge the quick and the dead;
	whose kingdom shall have no end.
And in the Holy Ghost.	And in the Holy Ghost, the Lord and Giver of life, who proceedeth from the Father, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spake by the prophets.
	In one holy catholic and apostolic Church; we acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins; we look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.
[But those who say: 'There was a time when he was not;' and 'He was not before he was made;' and 'He was made out of nothing,' or 'He is of another substance' or 'essence,' or 'The Son of God is created,' or 'changeable,' or 'alterable'—they are condemned by the holy catholic and apostolic Church.]

Why do the people of the world find it challenging to understand God or the relationship of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost?

On this weekend of Good Friday and the Easter Sunday, I was blessed with the opportunity to fellowship and befriend two young people in their 20s. At Church on Sunday, I even taught Sunday School for the investigator's class on the topic of  "Freedom of Choice" which was most appropriate for anyone contemplating to understand the purpose of life.

One is Caryn Goh, on the left, whose parents were pioneer members of our Church in Kota Kinabalu in the 90s . The other on the right is Lim Fung Cheer whose parents were pioneer members of the Church in the 70s. Somehow, I felt divine providence led them both to me and we enjoyed so many  activities together in Singapore. Knowing I'm a journalist and photographer, they have asked for memorable pics from my camera taken of us together and so I am including some here :

Fung Cheer leading the way to Marina Bay area

Caryn with Grandpa

Three of us at Grandpa's home

At the Jurong East wave pool

Caryn meeting up the missionaries that taught her the gospel in Kota Kinabalu, 17 years later with Elder James Png on the left and Philix Lim on the right!

With the Lim family for dinner...

... and searching old journals to find Caryn's baptism program sheet dated 24 Nov 1996

Here is an old photo showing the twin sisters Coryn and Caryn(left and right) with Elder Lim second from the left. The parents of the young girls are behind them and sad to say they have both already passed away with their mother Lucy Goh just recently!

This is another photo showing Elder Philix Lim with the Goh family

Elder Fhilix Lim on the right is seen in our home in KL late 1995 before the was transferred to Sabah. The children from left to right are the two older girls Fei and Su with Shuan and Han who grew up 17 years later to serve a Chinese speaking mission in Manchester England in 2012-14.

Here is an extract from Elder Lim's journal shared with us.

What a delightful and spiritual experience it turned out to be this Good Friday and Easter Sunday weekend in Singapore!