Majors Carol and Roger Horton

Lovely to have fellowship with old friends again on Monday. Majors Roger and Carol Horton came to visit us on Monday and had lunch with us. Roger was the Finance Officer from 1977 to 1980. In those days, the Finance Department had staff of two - The Finance Officer and an assistant! His wife Carol was given no designation, but she helped out here and there - sometimes in her husband's office, other times in the Women's Department, anywhere where she was needed. They were very good supporters of the Central Corps - he in the band and Songsters and she sang in the Songsters. They also took part in Musicals led by Brother Jim Webb. They entered wholeheartedly into the Corps programme.

They had two children - Stewart and Duncan and both attended Monk's Hill Primary School at Clemenceau, a neighbourhood school. In those days expatriate officers attended our local schools and their children were none the worse for it. In fact they interacted very well with our local kids and learned to speak Singlish. The Hortons had no vehicle and the children walked to and from school everyday. Quite often Duncan would accompany me to collect post from the General Post Office Fullerton Building on a Saturday. All the officers living at Clemenceau Avenue took turns to collect mail from the Army's Post Box everyday. There was no Headquarters' driver.

In those days life was much simpler. We had no air conditioning in our offices or quarters. Not even the Officer Commanding at Sunset way had air conditioning. We had no computers, not even electric typewriters. But we were all happy working for the Lord and the Army.

We sat and talked of old times and gave thanks to God. We took them round the Praisehaven building and ended at the Thrift Store to see Audrey or Hong Noi. Thank God for friends. Thank God for our overseas friends, like the Hortons who were willing to come alongside us and lived like us.

Come to think of it our Lord Jesus Christ left His throne above and was born in a manger. He did not claim special privileges - in fact he became a servant, died on the cross, buried in a borrowed tomb.