I'll Become Even More Undignified Than This

Yesterday I went to service with some of my students.  It was the most genuine form of the celebration of the Father that I have ever seen.  And from what I can tell…this is weekly.  The Son is alive and well here in Hong Kong, and that is so encouraging to me!!

Even in the midst of a culture that values education above all…but even only sees that as means to an end, there is hope.  There is joy.

So the people celebrating yesterday were just so genuinely happy that we had come to join them.  I really wish I could have recorded the singing and dancing that occurred there so I could constantly remind myself how it feels to be surrounded by this uncorrupted form of reverence and excitement.  It was untouched by the cynicism which claims that there is no hope for the lost.  Untouched by anything that had the ability to rob a person of Joy.

I genuinely hope that I never forget the FREEDOM I have encountered—the freedom that I still have today through the Son.  They reminded me of this freedom yesterday.  Was it because they had the most talented group of musicians on the stage? No.  Was it because they had the most powerful man speaking after we sang?  No.  It was because I watched people jump and sing without regard to what anyone may think of them.

We were very evident visitors in this gathering…The only North Americans in the room.  We’re a rag tag team, and I was even wearing shorts.  But not one person thought it odd that I dressed casually.  Students ran up to the stage while everyone sang and jumped and danced to the music.  They sang in English.  They sang in Cantonese.  Everyone was so hospitable…so caring…so accommodating.  The speaker translated his message line by line.  How considerate!! They sang songs in English because they anticipated our arrival!  My student and two other students from our school even took us out to breakfast before.

This is what a FAMILY looks like…and I have one here in Hong Kong.  It’s so beautiful that it literally brought tears to my eyes.  I never want to forget my family here.  This part of the Body is eager to help, and I sincerely hope that someday I’ll be able to return to celebrate Him together again.

I really just wanted to share briefly what yesterday was like for me.  Keep thinking about:
--the lost
--peace for students in Asia
--hope to be passed on
--joy to be seen and understood

These sweet people can use all the help they can get!  I hope I will be able to return the lavish display of love by asking you to think of them:  that they may stay encouraged; that they may be bold; that they may be steadfast; that they may have words to speak to peers; that they may do well in school; that they will not be disappointed (Rom 5); that they may be and experience His Hands and Feet; and that they may learn how to mentor new brothers and sisters effectively.  Think of them as often as you can.  The Son is alive and well in Hong Kong!  Rejoice!!

When you fear the Father, you fear nothing else. P. Tim

I owe you

Okay, so I definitely owe y'all a couple of posts.  I meant to last weekend, but it never happened.  Sorry! I can't believe I have been in Hong Kong for 3 weeks already!  Time is flying and I love it.

I have already begun my second camp, but first things first.  My first week as a teacher was insane.  I had 11 boys and 2 girls.  This is not by any means something I was expecting.  There is no one-child policy here in HK, so I thought I would have an even mix.  Well, two of my teammates had 10 and 11 girls and only 3 or 4 boys.  I am still confused as to why the school would rather a girl teach a bunch of boys....I don't get it.  But that's okay because I love my students so much.

And they were a rowdy bunch, let me tell you.  Most of them are sixteen and seventeen years old.  One of my students didn't have an English name.  When I asked him what he would like to be called, the rest of the class answered "Somebody, Somebody!!"  So that is what he wrote on his name plate.  I was not about to call the poor boy "Somebody," so I mostly just gestured to him in an effort to not horrendously mispronounce his name.  But I know how to spell it, so I do hope that he knows that I know his name.  Anyway...he was an interesting student to say the least.

He is so bright!  And he regularly responded to me in class, which I appreciate.  He also watches House, which is one of my favorite shows.  Sarcasm doesn't really cross into Asian culture very well, though.  So it surprised me when he said that he watches that show.  Well, he understands and uses sarcasm very well.  If you know the Asian culture, this is an odd thing!  It was kind of fun and refreshing though.

We had an Easter-themed cultural activity one afternoon, and as you can imagine...we had an Easter egg hunt.  Well the last group to hunt the eggs was my class, and they were disappointed that they didn't get to hide the eggs for anyone else to find.  So one of my teammates, Hannah (who is also my roommate) takes half the class outside of her room to let the other half hide the eggs for them to find.  Well my crazy boys hid an egg in the ceiling tile.  The tile then fell on the floor. Another egg ended up outside a window. We're 5 floors off the ground, so as you can imagine...that egg is gone forever.  They are very active boys...and mischievous...but I love them.

They took me out to lunch early this week.  They made fun of the way I hold chopsticks...which is a fair thing to make fun of me for. haha.  We ate dim sum...and it was so delicious.  Dim sum is not a type of food, but more like a style of eating.  It's a bunch of different food on a lazy Susan that just rotates around, and you snag what you want.  I had egg yolk buns (which I would love to learn to make), beef balls, noodles, rice, chicken, pork, pork rolls, and various other foods which are nameless to me.  I was offered cow's stomach, but I passed on that one...I passed on chicken claws, too.

My team is great, and I think we meld well together.  We each have our own classes for 3 hours a day, and in the afternoon we do a cultural activity together.  Sometimes we have stations, other times we all interact with each other.  I got married almost 2 weeks ago to my teammate Peter.  We put on an excellent skit and had a wedding reception!!  The students had so much fun, and they all took pictures with me and thought I was beautiful.  The girls here really boost my self esteem. ;)  I had a blast.  We've celebrated Christmas and Easter, taught American poetry, dances, fairy tales (four-part stories vs three-part stories), and had our students do presentations on Hong Kong culture for us.  It's been great!!!

The fellowship is amazing.  Today was the first day that I actually missed the city of Ruston.  I obviously miss my family and friends and sweet boyfriend, but today was the first day that I was a tad homesick for the States.  On the other hand, I love Hong Kong.  My sister said it best when she described it as a "New York City with a London twist....full of Asians." It's sweaty and humid, but the people are kind and genuine.  They stare at me a lot....But I'll write more on that as soon as I can.

The Father is really telling me a lot about what I'm good at though.  He has been compassionate to me, and I have been able to lavish that compassion to others.  I adore my first camp, and my second batch of students is quite different. I have 9 girls and 3 boys...and they are so sweet and mild.  I'm not sure what to do with myself. haha. I have lots to learn, teach, write, and tell you. I'll blog more later.  Scout's honor.

Ruin my life for the plans that I've made.  Ruin these eyes for my own selfish gain. Destroy the idols that have taken Your place til it's You alone I live for. -Jeff Johnson "Ruin Me"

Nei Hou Maa!

Well I have been in Hong Kong for four full days now!  The Internet isn’t super easy to access, and let’s face it, I don’t have a whole lot of time to be on here.  We are encouraged to stay in Asia, if you know what I mean.  I can’t say I blame them for wanting that for us.

So I’m actually sitting in my room typing this, and will post it when I have access to the Internet.  But welcome to virtual Hong Kong! ;)

I love it here.  It is gorgeous.  We’re staying at a YWCA for training, so I’m rooming with seven other girls currently.  This place is kind of in the middle of nowhere, which has its pros and cons.  A definite pro is the scenery.  You wouldn’t believe the view I have.  Even pictures don’t seem to capture it right.  One bad thing is not having access to buy things like sunscreen and cortisone cream because we’re twenty minutes from anywhere by bus.  We’re only here until Friday, and then we head to the Baptist University, closer to where we teach.

I feel like I have so much to say! Okay, my teammates are great!! If you want to be lifting them up by name, they are:  Emily, Hannah, Anna, Peter, and Ben.  Our team leader is Drew.  We meld really well together, and we learned on the first day that I am the only extravert.  Ha!  But the good news is, they laugh at my bad jokes, and Ben is the punniest person I have ever met.  I have decided that bad jokes (and puns) comprise a love language of mine.  I really think we are going to get along very well.  We spend a lot of time together, and I find that to be incredibly important in bonding.  We eat together, sit together for training, have team meetings, and even spend some of our free time throwing a Frisbee or playing cards together with other teams.  I am very much looking forward to getting to know each of them better.

Training is really good and also somewhat overwhelming.  I am trying to soak in a lot of information fast.  We’re learning about the culture, a few Cantonese words (the only words I learned in the States were Mandarin), how to plan a lesson, how to share our stories and build relationships with our students, how to be good stewards of time and talents, and fun games to play with our students.  I also learned the Cotton-Eyed Joe for the first time here.  It’s a miracle it’s taken me this long. Haha.  Oh, funny thing about learning Cantonese—I started speaking Spanish when I got confused.  Weird.

Let me tell you about the bugs here.  They are all supersized.  All of them.  We call the spiders here “face spiders” because they are literally as big as my face.  They do not look friendly.  I’m not one to be afraid of spiders, but these kinda freak me out.  The snails here are as big as hermit crabs.  The butterflies are also super big.  I have only seen black ones.  They’re pretty, and the Father has used them to speak to me so clearly.  It’s beautiful how He cares for me.  Oh! And random cows are chillin in the street.  And when I say “chillin” I really mean “I’m not quite sure how they’re not hamburgers yet because it’s a million degrees out here.”  Okay, so maybe it’s not a million degrees, but it feels like Louisiana for sure. ;)

We’re going to the beach today to celebrate the Fourth of July and a late Canada Day celebration!  My team signed up for a volleyball tournament, and we are going to have a buffet-style dinner.  It will be a great break from training, and I am very excited to stick my feet back in the Pacific. :)

Speaking of food, it hasn’t been bad at all.  I’m not used to eating with these plastic chopsticks, but hopefully I’ll get the hang of it.  The curry has been especially good in my opinion.  Their egg salad and potato/fruit combo salad was less than desirable, however.  Lotta mayo…and fruit…like papaya and pears and apples mixed in with the potatoes and carrots and cucumbers.  It was odd.  And we get Iceberg lettuce, ham, boxed milk, sugar, cornflakes, boiled eggs, and white bread for breakfast every morning.  I miss peanut butter, but I have really been enjoying my time here so much.

Side note—I caught a little tiny gecko yesterday and named him Alfred.  Our team was very fascinated and distracted by him for a while.  He was so cute!  And he licked his eyeballs, which was weird.  He also didn’t ask if I wanted to save fifteen percent or more on car insurance, but I’m okay with that.  I have a hard time saying no after they do the whole sales pitch because they just work so hard!

Anyway…I have been able to exercise every morning.  I took today off since we’re walking to the beach and playing volleyball, but even at home I have a day off every week.  So, this is Katie checking in!  Everything is wonderful, and I know the Father has a good and pleasing and perfect plan for my being here.  I couldn’t be more excited!  Please continue lifting us up to the Father so we can be His hands and feet here.

“The [Father] is on my side; I will not fear…” -David