A young Dutch man is chatting up homeless uncles – sometimes along Lavender Street, sometimes in Bugis, listening to their life stories over steaming plates of nasi padang or crispy prata.

It is quite a sight to behold.

Though Jonathan* (name changed) grew up in Holland, he has called Singapore home for the last 13 years.

Over the years, he has not only been involved in reaching out to the homeless in the city through Youth With A Mission Singapore’s homeless ministry, he has also opened up his four-room HDB flat to the overlooked and marginalised for meals and chats.

What made him uproot to become home to the disenfranchised, such a long way from his own homeland?

The call

Back in Holland, Jonathan grew up plagued with insecurity amidst his family’s many dysfunctions. Fights between his parents were common. His brother had mental issues. As a teenager, he was himself angry and distrustful.

Less than idyllic: Young Jonathan, pictured here with his sister, grew up scarred by his family’s dysfunctional ways.

“I couldn’t find any solution to my problems, so I turned to God,” he said, adding, “I was a Christian then but I did not really know God.”

Nonetheless, when God prompted him to take one year off from his studies to join YWAM’s Discipleship Training School (DTS) in Amsterdam, he obeyed.

DTS entailed doing outreach in both Singapore and India, and he began to realise that “God speaks to us and I can hear His voice”.

“We were also challenged to hand God an empty white piece of paper and allow Him to speak into what our future would look like.”

The word, “Singapore” was impressed upon his heart. Unclear about its meaning, he thought it best to continue his studies. He enrolled in a Bachelor’s programme in international business and languages at a Dutch university, becoming one of the top students in his course.

During a particular exam week, however, he felt God clearly asking if he would be prepared to give up three things for Him: “Would you give up your studies? Would you give up your family? Would you give up your right to have a girlfriend?”

Home, truly

That same week, a friend from DTS told Jonathan about a dream he’d had: “We were in Singapore and you turned to me and said, ‘Finally home in Singapore!’” 

Jonathan said: “I did not fully understand what was happening but there were many confirmations of where God was leading me to. I decided to trust God and take a step of obedience.” 

After making enquiries with YWAM Singapore, he decided to join its staff team’s DTS in Singapore. He quit university and made his way here on his own as a youthful 20-year-old in 2010.

Back then, he was single, broken and in need of discipleship – particularly in the area of relationships. One of the ways he had coped with his disappointment with family was by turning to unhealthy relationships with the opposite sex.

It was a struggle to relinquish to God the prospect of a love life. 

Culture shock

Already lonely and distrustful of others, he found it difficult to adjust as a foreigner in Singapore.

“Life is more fast-paced and there are quite a lot of cultural differences. I did not know how to connect with people and it did not help that English was not my first language,” he shared.

What’s more, his role at YWAM Singapore was an unpaid one, and he had to bear his own living expenses.

“I had no education, no church support and only 2,000 euros in savings to carve out a life in a foreign land.” 

Little did Jonathan know that God had already prepared the way for him. Six months before he left Holland, another missionary family from YWAM Amsterdam had made their way to Singapore.

Jonathan was asked to staff YWAM Singapore’s DTS programme with them. They spoke Dutch, and had gained enough familiarity with the cultural differences to act as a bridge between him and the locals to facilitate mutual understanding.

“I could be real with them, and they spoke into my life,” Jonathan, now 34, said. “We had many meals together and enjoyed watching football games on TV at the coffeeshop.” 

God-given friendship: Jonathan and his family with the Dutch family who had welcomed him when he first arrived in Singapore.

They also journeyed with him to see his identity as a son of God restored.

“I was not just a project to them. They truly cared for me and welcomed me as part of their family.” 

Baguette on demand

God also provided for Jonathan in other ways.

Though he did not have much money, Jonathan learnt to be faithful with little.

Whenever he said he would pay a friend back (these occasions involved some small amount of money), he would keep his word. He made sure he paid the requisite $2 when he did his round of laundry on YWAM premises, even though no one was looking.

He also continued to tithe whatever he had. Once he blessed someone with his last $10 because God told him to.

Unexpectedly, people he did not know would come up to him to buy him lunch or pass him envelopes of money. At no point in time did he find himself having to skip a meal because of a lack of funds.

He testified: “I learnt that when God said to seek first His Kingdom and all will be added unto you, it is not just a nice phrase. It is real and true.” 

Even his frivolous desires were heard and met by God. Once, he was hungry and wished he had a baguette. He looked into the YWAM fridge and could not find a snack.

Shortly after, from beyond the gate, a neighbour called out. He was carrying a big bag of bread – including baguettes – from a Swiss bakery! He had extras and asked if the YWAM community would like to have some.

Jonathan was shocked and overjoyed.

Supernatural provision

He saw God’s grace in meeting his larger needs as well. Jonathan had a back problem which he did not mention to anyone.

Someone praying for the YWAM staff felt led to give an envelope of $2,000 in cash specifically to him. With the blessing, Jonathan managed to consult a doctor and was told he needed back surgery. It would cost $2,000 – exactly the amount he had received.  

Since then, he has learnt to depend on God for his every need, even if he has to wait.

On the frontlines: With YWAM, Jonathan worked with refugees affected by the war in Ukraine.

He shared that three years after joining YWAM’s Homeless Ministry to the homeless, he and his team made plans in 2015 to fly to the United States to be trained in counselling in the area of family relationships and reconciliation.

They had no money for the air tickets and prayed for God to make a way. The day before they were due to fly, a person unknown to them simply provided credit card details and sponsored their fares.

“Taste and see that the Lord is good”: Jonathan and two ministry volunteers celebrating Uncle L’s birthday.

For “the least of these” 

God also lovingly and unexpectedly provided Jonathan with a Singaporean wife, whom he married in 2018. She was a YWAMer as well, and now serves with him in the homeless ministry.

Sharing that his heart has long stirred with compassion for the poor and the foreigner, Jonathan said: “Being not fully Dutch but also of a minority race meant that I could empathise with the marginalised. I was also looked down upon and bullied.”

He has learnt that the most important skill in this ministry is learning to really listen to the elderly or rough sleepers he meets. It is also necessary to exercise discretion in helping them. 

For example, one uncle often asked for his favourite dish of tulang (bone marrow) though he has health issues.

Another uncle he met on the streets in 2016 was a broken and embittered man who sometimes reacted with hostility towards the ministry volunteers. He had served a long sentence for drug abuse and sexual assault and was estranged from his family and other social connections. 

Jonathan embarked on the journey of building trust by checking on him periodically. “We gave him space but continued to pray for him.” 

A breakthrough came when Uncle L became anxious about his back problems and asked the volunteers if they could help him. Jonathan took him out for prata, then accompanied him to the doctor.

The volunteers connected him with social service agencies and also met with him socially, taking him to places like Gardens by the Bay. When they celebrated his birthday, he wept. Sensing God’s love through Jonathan and the volunteers, he became open to prayer and was eager to learn more about God.

An inkling of green pastures: Gardens by the Bay was one of the places that Jonathan took Uncle L to.

At the time, the PEERS (Partners Engaging and Empowering Rough Sleepers) network had just started and Uncle L and his friend who slept near him on the streets were offered the option of living together.

Jonathan worked with them to ease their fears about the paperwork and not having enough fresh air in the flat. The men took up the rental flat offered.

It was timely. A few months later, the Covid-19 pandemic swept through Singapore and it would have been unsafe for the two elderly men to continue sleeping on the streets.

A place called home: Jonathan with two volunteers from the YWAM homeless ministry visiting Uncle L and his roommate in their flat.

“God brought them ‘home’ just in time. God also gave the other uncle a dignified farewell as he had a heart attack and died six months later. God remembered and took care of them,” said Jonathan.

To date, God has healed Uncle L’s back and he no longer stoops. In 2022, Uncle L was baptised.

Doubt and unbelief

By 2020, Jonathan and his wife had a one-year-old son and another child coming. Their one-room residence on YWAM Singapore’s premises would soon be too small for their growing family, and renting another would prove more costly than they could afford.

The prophetic word from people who prayed for them was that God wanted to provide them with a place of their own.

It was something they very much desired, so that they could open it up to the marginalised and invite them to be part of their extended family. Yet, it was unthinkable, given the housing prices in Singapore.

But when God told them to look for a four-room “Sale of Balance” flat in central Singapore, they obeyed.

There were over 2,000 applications for 60 flats in that area, but they were given a ballot number of 11. Even so, the cheaper flats with a shorter lease were taken up by the time they were called to make a selection, and they had to opt for a flat with a lease of over 90 years.

“Those were expensive,” Jonathan said. “We were super stretched in our faith and shaken by the weight of making such a huge purchase. There was also much unbelief and doubt as we clearly could not afford it.” 

Strangely, each time his wife doubted if God was leading them to buy a flat, donations would appear out of the blue.

The couple decided to trust God in this journey. They wrote their story and prayerfully sent it out to different people. Random people began blessing them with donations and they raised some $30,000.

“We were still a long way off from the funds needed but we saw that God was indeed our Provider. It gave us faith to not focus on the situation we were in but to hold fast to who He is.” 

By God’s miraculous hand, they were given an appointment that led to them to a better loan after a review of their case. Led in prayer, they approached a distant relative who willingly lent them money. 

God provides: Jonathan, his wife and their son getting keys to their HDB home in 2021.

Room for more: There is another baby on the way to join Jonathan’s two children, aged two and four.

Despite seemingly insurmountable odds, Jonathan’s family moved into a four-room flat in Balestier in December 2021. Almost two years on, their son has turned 4, their daughter, 2, and another baby is on the way.

Food and fellowship

Jonathan’s growing family responsibilities has not diminished his desire to welcome “the least of these” into his home. 

At least twice a month, he and his wife invite estate cleaners, migrant workers and the homeless for lunch or dinner.

“We thought about how the Church would look like for the marginalised,” he said.

Each meal begins with thanksgiving. Then, depending on how the conversation flows, the couple may share their life story, discuss Bible stories, sing songs or pray for their guests.

It has since been 13 years since Jonathan first decided to obey the call of God, travelling halfway across the world to serve with YWAM Singapore.

Family matters: Jonathan’s children are accustomed to migrant worker “uncles” visiting their home.

 “If I did not say ‘yes’ to Him back then, I don’t know where I would be in life today. Yes, I could have followed my own plans to study and travel, but God has given me much richness of experience.

“I am indeed finally ‘home’ in Singapore and I hope to help others find their home in the Father’s love too.”

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