On a ten-thousand-dollar fine for feeding monkeys, beeping keys at church security, a tropical downpour with a basement flood, and a clever cleanup at the office.
Anyone who thinks Singapore consists solely of shiny skyscrapers and shopping malls is mistaken. Tucked away between all the concrete are surprisingly lush nature reserves and hiking trails. This past week I headed out for a long hike along one of these forest paths. Before long, I came across an eye-catching sign from the authorities: 'What to do when you encounter wild monkeys'. Singapore is famous for its strict rules and hefty fines, and this trail proved to be no exception. Anyone daring to feed a monkey faces a fine of up to ten thousand dollars (see photo below)! Plastic bags are also forbidden on the trail, because the cheeky monkeys immediately associate them with food and will snatch them right out of your hands. Thankfully, the monkeys kept a safe distance, and my wallet remained intact.
Alongside nature walks, the shopping mall remains my regular evening retreat. I am gradually getting used to the tropical heat, but after a long workday, air conditioning is still an absolute blessing. I head out almost every evening. What never ceases to amaze me is how vibrant things stay well into the night. Around half past nine in the evening, walking through a mall like JEM, you will still find hundreds of people shopping, catching up, or grabbing a bite at the food courts (see the photo above). It sometimes feels as though half the city only truly comes alive once the sun sets.
Over the past few weeks, the weather was scorching hot and dry across the city. At the office we had even been praying together: 'Lord, please send some rain and relief from the heat.' That prayer was answered quite literally. On Tuesday afternoon, the sky turned pitch black and a massive tropical downpour unleashed. Within minutes, waterfalls were pouring off the roofs. All that heavy rain even caused a brief flood in our basement! Fortunately, we all jumped in to help, and the floor is now nicely dried out. As the rain hammered down, I looked out from the OMF office into the courtyard. Right through the curtain of water, I could see the pavilion featuring the famous motto of our founder Hudson Taylor: 'HAVE FAITH IN GOD' (see the video below). It was a wonderful moment to pause and reflect: God provides, both in nature and in our daily work.
The past couple of Sundays also brought a unique church experience. In addition to Redemption Hill Church, I visited New Creation Church. This megachurch gathers at The Star Performing Arts Centre, a massive commercial theatre complex where thousands of people arrive at once. Walking inside felt like stepping into an airport: there were metal detector gates, bag inspections, and security guards. And sure enough, right as I stepped through the gate, the alarm went off loudly thanks to the heavy set of keys in my pocket! Fortunately, the security team had a good laugh about it. It feels unusual to encounter airport-style security at a church service. But for a congregation drawing tens of thousands in a major metropolis, safety and vigilance are taken very seriously.
Meanwhile, at the OMF office, there was never a dull moment. Two weeks ago I wrote about the stubborn computer handling our bookkeeping, which kept freezing because an unknown background process was opening thousands of digital doors. While the exact culprit remains hidden for now, I built a practical workaround: an automated script that acts like a digital broom, sweeping through the system and tidying up any hanging connections. It works remarkably well! The computer has been running smoothly and stably ever since, and our colleagues are relieved to work without sudden crashes.
Today brought another exciting breakthrough. To better secure our systems from the outside world, I set up a direct connection to the finance system via a modern cloud tunnel. Our finance team can now log in securely and encrypted directly through a protected web page, without leaving open doors exposed to the internet. Hot off the press, and a major leap forward for security. In addition, I have started designing secure virtual workspaces. These will allow colleagues stationed in sensitive or restricted regions to safely access their email and files via an isolated browser, without leaving sensitive traces on their personal devices. It is a meaningful project where IT directly helps protect missionaries serving across the globe.
What has touched me most over these past weeks are the connections being made. Both at home in Pandan Valley with my housemates and at the office with colleagues, genuine bonds are forming. We share plenty of laughs during the workday, but we also dive into deep, honest conversations about faith, doubts, and what God is doing in our lives. It is wonderful to experience how quickly you connect when you share that same devotion, regardless of cultural background.
Plenty of reasons to give thanks and to keep in prayer. Thankful for server stability thanks to the cleanup script, for the new secure login tunnel, and for the refreshing rain (despite having to mop the basement!). Please pray along for our discussions with the backup software vendor, as we expect to receive and review their detailed security reports early next week. And pray for wisdom and discernment as we build the virtual workspaces for colleagues in sensitive regions.
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Written from Singapore