March in Hong Kong

rare black shirted spoonfed male

We visited the Hong Kong Wetland Park last week, which is situated across from a gazillion high rises and adjacent to a huge, little used parking lot.

It does, however, have some real live migrating birds, including some very rare blackfaced spoonbills, which I may or may not have actually seen.

I have yet to find the name of these fairyland flowers, so if anyone knows, please clue me in.

These waters will soon be aglow with lilies, but they have a certain Lenten beauty in this season, too.

Not spoonbills :)

This fish seemed to enjoy swimming sideways.  really, he's alive, or was when I took the photo. 

A wedding party makes good use of the scenic backdrop.

red crabs and these weird little legged fish which we had also seen in Malaysia.  They crawl around and attack each other in the mud.  good fun to watch.

Back at the seminary, just in case you think we don't do any work around here :)    Wayne confers with  students.  He is teaching Marriage and Family Counseling along with Christian Counseling and Discernment, both deeply appreciated courses in this intercultural context.

Lent 2011

Lent is a time for contemplation.

This Lent we had a chance to welcome good friends from Bethesda Lutheran Church, Ames Iowa

Ah, the color of Lent is purple.  And, did you know that the word Lent means spring? Spring has sprung in Hong Kong with an abundance of azaleas which love the thin sandy soil of the mountains.

Lenten window.

Lenten altar flowers.

Liturgical arts at its best, these plants evoke the disciplines of Lent and Jesus' walk to the cross.

One of my favorite preachers. (okay, I'm biased.  This is my husband.)

New life arising!

Old friends.  Without too much of an emphasis on the "old" part.

Oh yes, and Lent means it's 29 years since we each said, "I will."  And we still do, too :)

Truth English Bible Club is officially launched!

Last week I told you about the  8 week pilot project some church members and I were launching: the after school Truth English Bible Club for Grade 3 kids.

Well, it happened!  And after all my worrying and fretting, the first seven children came in and were absolutely the quietest, best behaved group of school children I have yet experienced in my first two years of living and teaching in Hong Kong.
Our first Bible story was Jesus' Entrance into Jerusalem.  We:

• welcomed the children and previewed the story in Chinese, then rang a gong and it was "ENGLISH ONLY" time! 
• learned the English words: donkey, king, palm branches, road
• sang "We are Marching in the Light of God" and waved palm branches (actually bamboo branches, which are free since they grow in our yard), 
• made a palm branch craft out of green paper
• recited half of a Bible verse, first in Cantonese, then in English:

"Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!"  -- Mark 11:9b  (NIRV)

Afterward, a yummy snack, prepared by a church member: Beans and corn!  We rang a gong, then the children were free to speak and socialize in Cantonese, again.
The children ate enthusiastically, most of them even asked for seconds.


May they ask for "seconds" for Bible stories, too!

This Thursday we will do the same program with the next 7 or 8 children. 

Ash Wednesday and Ambitions

I'm one of those strange people who sometimes likes flowers best when the petals start to fall.

The cross of ashes I received on my forehead at this morning's chapel service reminds me that all things are destined to crumble and fade away. 

Buds unfurl, petals drop, and is there a Mind of God who remembers the moments, shakes them up, and saves them?

More than a mere "Mind of God" we Christians believe there is a Man of God who does this,  Jesus of Nazareth, in whose footsteps we travel a 40 day Lenten path, strewn with temptations, dropped petals, and huge ambitions to make a better world.

At the church I serve as a sacramental pastor, the evangelist (and day to day, week to week leader of the little parish) resigned his position and just had his last Sunday at the church.  I was invited to a scrumptious dim sum luncheon in his honor, so here's a picture of me with our kind Lutheran School principal, Principal Li, and this very devoted church worker, who will be taking some time off and then maybe pursuing some more academic studies.   I can only believe that all of his hard work with this parish will be redeemed, even though the fruits aren't readily apparent yet.

Tomorrow, church members and I are launching an 8 week pilot project at the Lutheran School, an after school Truth English Bible Club for Grade 3 kids.

First Bible story on the agenda: Jesus' Entrance into Jerusalem.  We will:

• learn the story 
• learn the English words: donkey, king, palm branches, coats
• sing "We are Marching in the Light of God" and wave palm branches (probably bamboo branches, which are free since they grow in our yard)", 
• make a palm branch craft out of green paper
• recite half of a Bible verse:

"Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord!"  -- Mark 11:9b  (NIRV)

Afterward, a yummy snack, prepared by a church member.

I am more than a bit nervous about this launch.  It's something new!  Did I tell you that I still don't speak much (ok, hardly any) Chinese??  And they don't speak much English!

May our ambitions be redeemed. May the children be blessed.  May our church blossom. May we learn to walk, these 40 days, with Jesus.