Advent Reflection: Where is Jesus?
Below is a timely seasonal reflection by EAST Resident Faculty Rev Dr Lewis Winkler involving a true story of lost and found baby Jesus! Amidst the festivities, have you found the One who truly brings meaning to this season of Advent? Where is Jesus to you?
As part of our yearly Christmas traditions, our family erects a Nativity display, complete with a wooden stable, plastic barn animals, shepherds, an angel, three wise men, Mary and Joseph, and baby Jesus in a manger. One year, however, baby Jesus disappeared. Although we searched high and low, He seemed to have vanished into thin air. When Christmas was over, we reluctantly packed up the stable, animals, and other important figures in the Christmas story, but baby Jesus, who was supposed to be the central figure of the scene, was still missing.
Student Reflections on Thanksgiving 2024
The EAST Student Council organised a school-wide Thanksgiving event on 15 November 2024. For Themreiso (from India) and Myo Zaw (from Myanmar), both first year students, it was the first such experience in Singapore and they were much ministered by both the people and event. Read of their personal reflection below.
Today, I arrived at school early at 9 a.m. to help arrange for the Thanksgiving program. As I began assisting, I noticed Henry and Elijah (Student Council members) working tirelessly to prepare for the day. Their dedication reminded me of a valuable lesson: true leadership is found in serving others. This insight inspired me to reflect on my own attitudes toward service and leadership.
MG Ministry Weekend Reflections – Part 2
Last week we shared part one of reflections from three Mentoring Groups (MG) on their EAST MG Ministry Weekend trips. We now present more reports from three other MGs who visited an Indochina country and a neighbouring country where Singaporeans love to go for weekend trips. To find out more, read the reflections by Dr Justine Han, Dr Raymond Go & Rev Derek Atkins, and Dr Lewis Winkler who are MG leaders.
4. Teaching and Outreach in Ho Chi Minh City – Dr Justine Han
Our MG experienced a great unity as a team in serving one another personally and while doing ministry. We had great fun and bonding times to get to know each other better. Although almost all of our ten student team members were new in going for the ministry weekend, we thoroughly enjoyed serving the hosting church members through presenting four seminars and two children outreach programs.
Alumna Lydia Fong: Held to Heal Ministry
L-R: Karl, Zion (in green), Lydia and Moses (in grey) – birthday celebration for both Zion and Moses (born in the same month).
Lydia Fong graduated in May 2011 with a Bachelor of Arts in Christian Ministry. Since then, she has gotten married and given birth to two lovely boys, Moses and Zion. But along the way, she has experienced both a miscarriage and a stillbirth. Out of the depths of pain and sorrow of her loss, Lydia birthed the ministry “Held to Heal” to journey along with other mothers who have gone through similar experiences of miscarriage and stillbirth. The ministry was launched on 1 January 2024, the first anniversary of Lukas passing through a stillbirth. It was done in remembrance of Lukas and to help support other mothers who suffered loss. Read more of her story below.
Newly Arrived Students: Thanawat & Phichanida Wichaphon
L-R: Rev Jonathan Yao (seated), Wong Ee Yuing, Boon-Koh Aitee, Phichanida Wichaphon (Peung), Thanawat Wichaphon (Off)
Thanawat and Phichanida Wichaphons are the first couple to have arrived in Singapore from Thailand for our new semester this June. They are better known by their nicknames Off and Peung. Off has been enrolled in Master of Arts in Intercultural Studies since July 2022 and Peung has been attending online Partners-in-Ministry classes. They are thrilled to finally take the classes at EAST on-site in the upcoming semester and have face to face interactions with faculty, students and staff.
EAST News had the opportunity to ask a few questions to get to know this “cool couple” better (as some have described them) and share their journey to EAST. Read more
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