I never was a fond believer of airport-farewells.

It probably derived from a family culture that doesn’t send each other off, hardly do we also receive people at airports. I have been on so many trips where my parents just say their byes to me at home and then poof, i am off to a foreign land!

Ironically, i have been sending a number of people this year. Including sending a bunch of friends that i probably will never see again.

Final farewell at the airport

CTI Summer Team 08.

This was my first time sending them off, at an unearthly hour of 3am. If not for a ride from Leonard(who stays at Sgn Gardens! Another Hg/Sg kakee) i really would have hesitated to crawl out of my bed at that hour.

No tears, no sob-sob lines at the airport cos’ all of us were looking half dazed, and probably wondering what to make of the few weeks that our American friends had been here?

As Jennifer stood behind the barrier talking to me, she recounted how it just felt like they had just arrived in Singapore. Then Robin came along, and I couldn’t remember what else we spoke. But a few CTI members were in the check-in barrier, while the SG team were standing on the other side, separated by the barricade.

Then probably 30 min later, we were separted by miles and miles and miles of air.

I can still fondly remember;

Laura’s face blushing when i passed her an angbao, her first support for the 2nd full-time year.

whitney’s cute whispy voice asking to take a picture with me,

Jennifer complaining about wearing specs,

talking to Nicola in the YFC toilet,

watching Gentry dance to music at Bugis Village,

watching Jimmy teach them the Zhong Guo Hua dance moves,

Aaron asking me, “how did you guys know we love bacon?”,

DL dipping his numerous strawberries into the plate of sugar i passed him and

Robin repeatedly asking me about which Bible verse is more relevant for gospel sharing.

I don’t know how long these memories will last or how long they will take to fade away. Three weeks of friendship, though not in depth yet memorable. Will we see each other again? I don’t know. Perhaps never, but it doesn’t matter anymore for we all once served our Father and someday, we see other in Heaven again.

As a partner & observer of this CTI team, I have learnt to look at Christian musicians in a different way. I have learnt that they can also be servants, just like me. They also love their families, can have a burden for people and also go through as much struggles as a grassroots/non-musician like me. I cannot downplay their struggles that are just as real. Neither will i ever think that performing for the Lord is easier than doing street evangelism.

I hope they have learnt as much about what it means to be a servant for Christ. May they continue to use their lives to glorify Thee!