Taking over from where the former priest of five months, Lennart Uddling, left off, the church’s new priest Gudmund Erling is ready to lead.
He and his wife arrived in Singapore and started work on the first day of February. Together with them, they brought their two children, Noah and Thyra along.
The priest shared that, during the first days of their arrival, they had discovered and seen some amazing things. One of the most obvious difference Singapore has to Sweden is the weather.
“Coming from the south of Sweden, where it is cold and rains a lot, in the middle of winter to the warm breeze here, awakens our spirit,” he wrote in an email.
He also did not miss mentioning how wonderful he thinks the staffs at the Norwegian Seamen’s mission are.
“They are wonderful people, easygoing and have lots of passion for what they are here to accomplish,” he wrote.
He predicts that he will be staying in Singapore for at least three years and hopes to contribute to the Swedish and Norwegian community in Singapore, as well as to all the students and travelers.
He plans to take the first step of finding out what the Swedish community wants from the church in order to get ideas of what to carry out as he goes.
Gudmund Erling has already had the chance of meeting some of the Swedish and Norwegian people who visit the church at Pasir Panjang. He said that everyone had been very warm and welcoming.
There will be a welcoming service at the church on 19 February 2012 at 17.00 for him and his family.
