Eight weeks of Bible club bedlam draw to a close.

Open House at the Ma On Shan Lutheran Primary School. Above: Primary3 students on their last day of Bible Club, below: Primary One students (future Bible Club participants!)

We had one  last Truth English Bible Club session and presentation for parents, with all the kids together on a Saturday morning at a school open house.  Surprise surprise we even had a new student on the last day of our club!  We've learned a lot through our first 8 week trial program, as we get ready for a full launch next fall.  All the kids got a "certificate of completion", and their very own copy of the "Where Is Jesus" simple English language book we had been using.  When we asked the P3 students if they'd be interested in returning next year as older "helpers" in the program, they unanimously shouted yes!  After all the mayhem, confusion, running around, discouragement on our part (the adult leaders) the children themselves all said, YES!

Halleluia!  (I definitely need the summer to rest up for it, though)   :)

A Rainy Sunday in May - Being the Church in Hong Kong

Getting to church starts with a ten min walk to the bus stop. Today it's a walk in the rain.

View from the bus window.  Almost poetic.

Traffic is relatively light.  It's still early.

After a 40 min. bus ride, it's a short, wet walk to the school where the church service is held.

As usual, street cleaners have no sabbath.

This area of Hong Kong is sadly known for its number of suicides.  By jumping from buildings.

We can still glimpse the mountains between the buildings. "I lift up mine eyes unto the hills"- from Psalm 121 keeps coming to mind in Hong Kong!

Wayne leads the group of young church leaders in a pre-service prayer.

One of Wayne's seminary doctoral students from one of the  Mekong River nations gives the sermon today. It's Mission Sunday & he shares some of the challenges and joys of living as a Christian in an area where Christians are highly discriminated against.

Wayne's church in Hong Kong has the largest percentage of special needs- special gifts  congregants I've ever seen in a church. It's awesome!

This Mission Sunday a young Chinese couple talks about their call to go serve people in Japan.  They were planning on going in 2012, but after the tsunami hit, they've decided they need to go NOW. Can you read the words on the husband's t-shirt?

After church (a two and a half hour service... and Wayne wasn't even preaching!!) we greet one of the youngest members.  She won't smile for just anyone, but Wayne got a little grin out of her.

I rejoiced with those who said to me,

"Let us go to the house of the Lord."

Psalm 122:1

Spring in Beijing: Part III The Forbidden City and More

Tienanmen Square.  And yes, I made my husband go and look at Mao's embalmed/frozen/plasticized body with me.  It was a long, long, line, but quite efficient. The guard said twenty minutes and I think it took us twenty two.   He looked just like all his pictures, only, dead. (Mao, that is, not the guard)

Ready to enter the forbidden city, with our electronic, automated guides which were supposed to know exactly where we were standing and give us info about that place.  Didn't quite work that way.

To our Christmas card recipients - a preview of our 2011 Christmas card. One of the best $5 we've spent.

Fire extinguisher, any one?

We had an amazing experience at a local Christian "fellowship" (not a church) 30-40 mostly young people gather seven nights a week, different folks every night... 7:30 to 9:30 after work... wanting to learn God's word from the Bible.  Wayne was able to offer a "greeting" and they peppered us with questions afterwards, but we had to leave quickly because the building closed at ten p.m., no lingering allowed.  This is all legal, as long as it isn't a church and as long as no politics are discussed.

 I couldn't end this mini-series on our first trip to China without a couple of photos of signs in "Chinglish".

The first one (no spitting) makes sense even though it doesn't seem to have much effect since there are big globs of spit everywhere on the sidewalks.  But we aren't quite sure about the exact purpose of this second sign.

We loved our first trip to China and hope we will have many more!!!

Spring in Beijing: Part 2 The Great Wall: Mutianyu

With Middle son, who is currently studying in Beijing

Springtime at the Great Wall!

Seriously scenic views, and some serious climbing up all of those steps!

steps & more steps... not a problem for those of us who are in shape...

Husband and son at the mercy of the guards... 

Two lizards on the wall reminded me of ...

a Chinese knot which represents good luck...

good luck, which we had that evening

content with a restaurant meal of eggplant, bamboo shoots and sauteed fungi

good luck, that we did NOT try any of the famous Beijing-style scorpions and starfish on a skewer (youngest son had tried a seahorse and reported the tough, chewy, fishy taste was not one he would care to repeat.)


A bowl of vegetables with someone you love is better than steak with someone you hate --
King Solomon  (Proverbs 15:17)

Spring in Beijing: Part I The Summer Palace

The tour book said NOT to engage a tour guide, so what did we do? Engaged a tour guide.  She was good, though!

I like these feisty creatures guarding the gateways.

A marble boat.  A marvel, but I ask myself, why?

The peonies are in bloom!!

First time I've smelled peonies in years (they don't bloom in Hong Kong)

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Entrance fees include free entertainment

Even the sweepers are in costume.

Gorgeous colors, intricate designs.

All kinds of tourists.

View of the hand dug lake through a painted window.

One of the (or THE) longest covered walkways in the world (????)

All kinds of tourists.  The plum blossoms are in bloom!

Our first day in Beijing concluded with (what else?) Peking Duck!  Yum!