About Us
Who We Are
Living Oaks Singapore is a missions and humanitarian base in the heart of Asia, raising and sending people to serve among the poor, the vulnerable, and the unreached. We exist as both a training ground and a sending platform — forming lives in prayer, compassion and courageous action, and mobilising teams into places of deep need across the nations. As an Iris Global base, Living Oaks Singapore carries a heart for presence-based ministry: coming close to brokenness, loving without agenda, and rebuilding with dignity. From conflict-affected regions to remote jungle communities, from urban margins to underserved rural villages, our call is simple — to stand where hope feels fragile and help it take root again.
OUR CALLING
Living Oaks was born out of a conviction that love must be practical and lived out.
We believe transformation happens when compassion and creativity meet real need - when prayer becomes action, and faith becomes shelter, food, education, and restored dignity.
Our projects now span continents and include:
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500 free homes built for war-affected families in Ukraine - modular, insulated, and designed for dignity. Since the war began, we’ve also provided life-saving aid, offered trauma care, and delivered food to families in hiding. We desired to support local churches and equip teams to care for the displaced.
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Africa’s first oceanfront university in Mozambique that gives young people access to pursue subjects such as marine biology and maritime studies.
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40 primary schools in war-torn DR Congo for over 300 children each and a school for blind children in Rwanda who have been abandoned and living under extreme poverty.
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An airstrip in Borneo, Indonesia that enables speedy medical evacuations for children in remote orphanages.
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Community programmes in 10 nations providing food, healthcare, education, and sustainable livelihoods for over 50,000 people.
OUR BASE / WHAT WE DO
We serve bilingually in English and Mandarin, equipping individuals and teams from Singapore and the wider Mandarin-speaking world to engage meaningfully in humanitarian and community development work across the nations. Positioned at the crossroads of Asia, Living Oaks brings together diverse skills, cultures, and perspectives to strengthen long-term initiatives in vulnerable communities.
We equip missionaries and volunteers through:
• Hands-on field exposure
• Leadership and character development
• Cross-cultural competency training
• Community life and team-based learning
• Practical equipping for long-term, sustainable service
Our desire is not short-term relief alone, but faithful, sustained presence — supporting projects that build resilience, restore dignity, and empower local leadership for generations to come.
Living Oaks Singapore welcomes those who desire to grow in compassion, develop practical skills, and contribute meaningfully to restoration work locally and globally.
Rudy Taslim & Lam Bao Yan
Our Founders
Our Story
Living Oaks Singapore is led by Rudy and Bao Yan - a husband-and-wife team whose journey bridges marketplace leadership and frontline missions.
Rudy is a professional architect and founder of Genesis Architects. His work has spanned continents, combining design excellence with community transformation. Bao Yan comes from a background of entrepreneurship and leadership for more than twenty years, carrying a deep commitment to people development and spiritual formation. Together, they bring both strategic direction and pastoral care into the life of Living Oaks.
Their turning point came during an extended season serving in Mozambique in 2013. Living among the poorest of the poor, they witnessed love that restores and hope that rebuilds. That season reshaped their understanding of success and calling. They saw that creativity and compassion could come together to meet the vast needs of the marginalised and vulnerable, bringing dignity and transformation in practical ways across the world.
From that conviction, Living Oaks was founded. Since then, their work has taken them into conflict zones, rural villages, and marginalised communities across multiple continents - rebuilding homes, strengthening local initiatives, and walking alongside communities in long-term restoration.
Their missions and humanitarian work have been recognised in mainstream media, highlighting the impact of practical love in some of the world’s most challenging environments. Yet at the heart of their leadership is something simple: to raise people who love deeply, serve faithfully, and remain present in hard places.
As leaders of Living Oaks Singapore, Rudy and Bao Yan focus not merely on projects, but on forming people - cultivating resilience, humility, courage, and compassion in those called to serve the nations. Their vision continues to shape Living Oaks: a community that builds with excellence, serves with love, and stands with the vulnerable for the long haul.