tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45417737634716511232024-02-07T17:23:47.846-08:00MarathonAngelMarathon - because life is a long road, with ups & downs & lots of things to experience + Angel - because angels are the messengers of God along the wayChristahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04787267829631600873noreply@blogger.comBlogger285125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-20818937482208738012016-09-06T17:06:00.002-07:002016-09-06T17:06:23.004-07:00Students and gifts, and more than a wee little bit of jet-lag...<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25iRqiIx4McYryLixK9WgJnr3JMROFadBGyAwxLSfIgpHl66-Sh-4WUoWPGbwE8_I1qxUMu47bJD5NXbRZElkDhMqpcQUzExMOAokratplUPPUt5ybha1fVglLoXhnk7EHWjHd9lb8aB8/s1600/160902+morning+Myanmar+coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25iRqiIx4McYryLixK9WgJnr3JMROFadBGyAwxLSfIgpHl66-Sh-4WUoWPGbwE8_I1qxUMu47bJD5NXbRZElkDhMqpcQUzExMOAokratplUPPUt5ybha1fVglLoXhnk7EHWjHd9lb8aB8/s320/160902+morning+Myanmar+coffee.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myanmar coffee, Myanmar mug, Myanmar t-shirt<br />gifts of the heart help me to overcome my jet-lag!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I have TOO MUCH work and I'm still jet-lagging, which means I've been waking up at 3:30 a.m. and can't get back to sleep. But today been I made it until 4:30 a.m. so that's progress. It always takes me two weeks. I've tried all the remedies, thank you very much for your concern, it still takes me two full weeks!<br />But the students, new and old, are intriguing, beautiful, incredibly devoted. Just yesterday I spent time with these graduate students from Myanmar and Indonesia:</span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">--Two new students who need to go to the hospital for medical attention - one with a huge boil on his face who joked it's the devil attacking him trying to dissuade him from seminary studies -- neither of us is convinced that's only a joke! Thankfully, two local Hong Kong students will help them to negotiate the intimidating queues and triage systems at the public hospital.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-- A woman who told me about the last month of her mother's life this summer, and how hard it was for her, the student, to return to Hong Kong and give full concentration to her studies. How does one do that? </span></li>
</ul>
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<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-- Another student whose 30 year old brother was in a terrible motorcycle accident this summer, which left him half paralyzed and unable to walk, talk, or feed himself. There's almost no therapy available for him in that part of Myanmar. So the hospital just sent him home for the family, mostly his ageing mom, to take care of him. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">-- Another new student came to my office deeply worried about his scholarship fund, which is suddenly way reduced because it comes from Great Britain and the British pound has undergone a big devaluation since Brexit.</span></li>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And all of that was in addition to the small mountain of financial documents I'm trying to cough up in time for my October meetings for the Mekong Mission Forum in Myanmar. sigh.<br />But as an unexpected grace to my work, I've received a dizzying array of "welcome back!" gifts from students including: one bead necklace, one woven purse, two packets of coffee, an angel candle, two "longi" or pieces of cloth to use as a skirt, one bag of peanuts, and a bunch of amazingly delicious red bananas. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />So life is pretty okay back at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong - </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br />Except for the getting up at 4:30 a.m. part. One more week to go.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0714UK_FSDPT49BtWc4Uyxbsx5HHv8UqB_FXAZBncQTbXy6HA1-9lIeDxvKxZRh3fxaxf2-rOEwGnYQ-yY543LtWBvbHIhRpr_3nSPTU_ROCHHqaydANSB81YYfgzftSYN0HBH5Eqh_om/s1600/IMG_8101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0714UK_FSDPT49BtWc4Uyxbsx5HHv8UqB_FXAZBncQTbXy6HA1-9lIeDxvKxZRh3fxaxf2-rOEwGnYQ-yY543LtWBvbHIhRpr_3nSPTU_ROCHHqaydANSB81YYfgzftSYN0HBH5Eqh_om/s320/IMG_8101.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New seminary graduate students from Myanmar exploring Hong Kong with one of our LTS faculty colleagues</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIjLSX2qVl7fyKhf_9US2kp9m_KTOXn407rJYYFuvi13DcXsZOhvwKsWQVWNe2yNJOpr5hbMEkbMPIBmTIDzVdxsKhe1MxweZ1nHTJNv3r8DvKt60i1pyQU07-R0kklZsgNn15d3YYnFh/s1600/IMG_8102.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWIjLSX2qVl7fyKhf_9US2kp9m_KTOXn407rJYYFuvi13DcXsZOhvwKsWQVWNe2yNJOpr5hbMEkbMPIBmTIDzVdxsKhe1MxweZ1nHTJNv3r8DvKt60i1pyQU07-R0kklZsgNn15d3YYnFh/s320/IMG_8102.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abundant Life Christian Church has recently become<br />one of our local sponsors and prayer partners with S/E Asian students</td></tr>
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Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-37447143514092020462016-08-16T16:13:00.000-07:002016-08-16T16:13:07.273-07:00Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwF4d41A2V6BdPhc9Sj6z212rEyBsxQ_AGg7GX6DRi-CiQptMQ2cHwYJIOFcoI7nmJL_FZyh09As3Tt3jW15ZxuRUxO8XTeSyrD76boUvKvj2ibw5V_1iSlk5C7Kbe36UaIkVuozFFuUJV/s1600/1608+mourning+dove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwF4d41A2V6BdPhc9Sj6z212rEyBsxQ_AGg7GX6DRi-CiQptMQ2cHwYJIOFcoI7nmJL_FZyh09As3Tt3jW15ZxuRUxO8XTeSyrD76boUvKvj2ibw5V_1iSlk5C7Kbe36UaIkVuozFFuUJV/s400/1608+mourning+dove.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Ps-55-6" id="en-NIV-14739" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: large; line-height: 24px; position: relative; text-align: start;">I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;" /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; text-align: start;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-size: large; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-55-6" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"><span style="font-size: large;">I would fly away and be at rest. </span><br /><span style="font-size: small;">-- Psalm 55:6</span></span></span></span></td></tr>
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<br /><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I've been silent a long time on this blog! I'm alone in the house in Wisconsin. The countdown is on, I return to Hong Kong in less than two weeks. I'm in daily touch with Wayne, his evening to my morning, my morning to his bedtime. The old Biblical understanding of husband and wife as being "one flesh" is true for us... when we are far apart like this, we each feel something <i>material</i> is missing from our very selves. Not to be sentimental - we have plenty of crankiness when we are together! Nit-picking, long-standing irritations, and loud arguments do occur, our sons can vouch for it! But there's also this strange emptiness when we're apart. </span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">After Martin Luther got married (at the rather ripe age of 42) he wrote, <span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.4px;">“There is a lot to get used to in the first year of marriage. One wakes up in the morning and finds a pair of pigtails on the pillow which were not there before.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For me it is currently the opposite, I wake up and immediately notice an emptiness in the house. Nobody is making coffee in the kitchen, nobody is reading in the living room, nobody to ask me how I slept in the night.</span></span><div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSBWSLLx0XCF8AfTJ2KJ0aidRp-W2Nj8MVr9UxxC8uye9cohJzrjVOsRiNNUx4FJ35rBfQaNVAsYwj5isLkyBm1vWjeFa88izfS9W7orYkFHMU-RB5l2D16pt5RYfU52oE8bubTyW47O0/s1600/1608+christa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgSBWSLLx0XCF8AfTJ2KJ0aidRp-W2Nj8MVr9UxxC8uye9cohJzrjVOsRiNNUx4FJ35rBfQaNVAsYwj5isLkyBm1vWjeFa88izfS9W7orYkFHMU-RB5l2D16pt5RYfU52oE8bubTyW47O0/s200/1608+christa.jpg" width="112" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>in USA</i></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwt88RDRwm7n9iQDoe-l6K4O1N0Ud8w2JGCGBvKFm6loyKzIVONtW3nMdKFZvZTf4X6z9IblAj7OcX0CMCExItRd8_aR33oH4DCR4pNPMQ7WYxp2dcABODk5pF2llli1n7eOrpL5BdPsi/s1600/1608+wayne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwt88RDRwm7n9iQDoe-l6K4O1N0Ud8w2JGCGBvKFm6loyKzIVONtW3nMdKFZvZTf4X6z9IblAj7OcX0CMCExItRd8_aR33oH4DCR4pNPMQ7WYxp2dcABODk5pF2llli1n7eOrpL5BdPsi/s200/1608+wayne.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="111" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"><i>in Hong Kong</i></span></td></tr>
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<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I find these two weeks before leaving the US are the hardest time... I've been in regular communication and doing distance work through the internet the whole summer, so my heart has never really left Hong Kong. At the same time, HERE is where my mother, our sons, our extended family & grand-niece, and okay some of my favorite foods (butter burgers! just-picked sweet corn! Little Debbie bars - I admit it, they have no redeeming nutritional value, and I love them!) all these are HERE. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And more -- I understand the language here. I can call up any business on the phone and expect to receive a comprehensible answer here. I can drive a car here (too chicken & too poor to own a car in Hong Kong!) I breath the fresh Wisconsin air and can walk barefoot on the grass with no fear of snakes! (No poisonous ones in this part of the State). And then there's the heat & humidity of Hong Kong. Ugh. I won't even get started on that one.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But... then there are those students waiting. Those international seminary students who have also given up their homes, their moms & dads, in some cases spouses and children, their language, foods, culture; their positions as highly regarded church leaders - in order to come and study and grow with and among us, faculty, staff and community of the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In so many ways I can't stand the thought of leaving my US home, and in so many ways, I can't wait to get back again, to my Hong Kong home, and those who await me there.</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;">If I rise on the wings of the dawn,</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-139-9" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; position: relative;">if I settle on the far side of the sea,</span></div>
<span class="text Ps-139-10" id="en-NIV-16250" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; position: relative;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-weight: bold; left: -4.4em; line-height: 22px; position: absolute; text-align: center; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">10 </span><div style="text-align: center;">
even there your hand will guide me,</div>
</span></span><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-139-10" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px; position: relative;">your right hand<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-16250B" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-16250B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> will hold me fast.</span>" </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
-- Psalm 139:9-10</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-a15BP2NPOCL169rxX5wnWO-5ZrPk_EOeQrLOmyAViHTtUmqZcG_GbirgEHp8Gj8ZGX7f2YLeyPfJ1WtcSt6nd0lRQua3a-vQnNlNF9Xh2AulNBePY4dbaV4xFNhJlySfNC3GU93Bvzpu/s1600/1608+LTS+new+students+group+photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-a15BP2NPOCL169rxX5wnWO-5ZrPk_EOeQrLOmyAViHTtUmqZcG_GbirgEHp8Gj8ZGX7f2YLeyPfJ1WtcSt6nd0lRQua3a-vQnNlNF9Xh2AulNBePY4dbaV4xFNhJlySfNC3GU93Bvzpu/s320/1608+LTS+new+students+group+photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanks to Kin Tharo for this photo of new international seminary students at LTS,<br />together with a few of my favorite people in Hong Kong!</td></tr>
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<br /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="text Ps-55-6" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"></span></span><br /><span class="indent-1" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="text Ps-55-6" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; position: relative;"></span></span></div>
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Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-24461796649987562752016-02-21T00:31:00.000-08:002016-02-21T00:31:27.132-08:00Chinese New Year of the Monkey... and the beginning of Lent!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZYNlSEaoFODXZKCES9b88dO0Z_bVSU57e59Oe9vPd2D-SKPLuHJi_ezAvnCl3PpoWmRR10sdUy9du6qN6HtLVFIZ5trTsjHItO6ogZJARsuLe_t__yr-U25NnXebI8UqqvnSKAImuA1-/s1600/160214+monkeys%2521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioZYNlSEaoFODXZKCES9b88dO0Z_bVSU57e59Oe9vPd2D-SKPLuHJi_ezAvnCl3PpoWmRR10sdUy9du6qN6HtLVFIZ5trTsjHItO6ogZJARsuLe_t__yr-U25NnXebI8UqqvnSKAImuA1-/s320/160214+monkeys%2521.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Happy New Year of the Monkey, everybody! One of the great advantages of life in China -- a ten day break for Chinese New Year! However, as everyone knows, when you're in the education "business" your work is never done, so Wayne was still working on the big questions: </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">seminary education for Hong Kong and China and Southeast Asia... what's a seminary for? How can we be God's agents for the world? How can we best live together with all the challenges and opportunities of being an intercultural community of Hong Kong, Chinese, Southeast Asian (Myanmar, Cambodian, Laos, Indonesian), European and American students and faculty?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TxJfrcvHiIRI8U_RuijyTjiBmjimrFockBIjSFefxEvv4ZM3kIpAlDQg0ThRSrNFe8Y-6cTbffTEs15D06cNm7uWgkb_rxFBHrpuAGMTBMmRfK-H9_VfpT_QH13xW2F9uFVDMw-wfQL1/s1600/160206+w%2526C+on+moshike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9TxJfrcvHiIRI8U_RuijyTjiBmjimrFockBIjSFefxEvv4ZM3kIpAlDQg0ThRSrNFe8Y-6cTbffTEs15D06cNm7uWgkb_rxFBHrpuAGMTBMmRfK-H9_VfpT_QH13xW2F9uFVDMw-wfQL1/s320/160206+w%2526C+on+moshike.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's been COLD here in Hong Kong this spring. 55 F. may not seem<br />
much to you hearty Midwesterners, but when it's a damp cold<br />
and there's no central heating system anywhere, it's bone-chilling.<br />
Good thing you can see in this picture, we have a small layer of winter fat to help insulate us...</td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Luckily all that hard thinking about the future of seminary education in Asia didn't keep us away from a couple of gorgeous walks in the Hong Kong hills, and a couple wonderful New Years meals with students and other faculty.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">The last two weeks I (Christa) have been slaving away on an academic paper on diakonia (for my D.Min. degree... I hope to graduate by the end of 2016!) and also getting ready for a two week trip to Myanmar, where I'll be interviewing applicants to our seminary, conducting a women's bible study workshop and taking what for me is an extremely exotic trip out to a remote spot in the eastern part of the country where our school has an alumnus who is the head of a small Baptist seminary there. Should be fascinating! He said this will be the first time an outside non-Burmese has come to their place to speak (hard to believe there are still such places left in the world) and he expects about a thousand people to show up (????) but maybe he got his 100's and his 1000's mixed up (!!!) </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">This will leave Wayne with nearly two weeks "on his own" but I suspect he will get in a coupla more hikes, and find other things to do in my absence.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirEdtnUvm8wEtLKrEtDD3YVoWn4bNNQtRDtx7UlsA1hBYtXOD_mPv2QDOKC10JAmbgqn69Sc4cd9zo63IWKmnjXFATn-yJpsKiY9wao8xHBC_-nKQ41IhZwp6pVAY-aLV85KZRT8qHg9rE/s1600/IMG_6949.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirEdtnUvm8wEtLKrEtDD3YVoWn4bNNQtRDtx7UlsA1hBYtXOD_mPv2QDOKC10JAmbgqn69Sc4cd9zo63IWKmnjXFATn-yJpsKiY9wao8xHBC_-nKQ41IhZwp6pVAY-aLV85KZRT8qHg9rE/s320/IMG_6949.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nap in the mountains of Hong Kong - ahhhhhh!</td></tr>
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Peace and spiritual deepening to all of you during this Lenten season.<br />
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<i><b>"Should thy mercy send me </b></i></div>
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<i><b>Sorrow, toil and woe,</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Or should pain attend me </b></i></div>
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<i><b>On my path below,</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Grant that I may never</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Fail thy hand to see;</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Grant that I may ever</b></i></div>
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<i><b>Cast my care on thee."</b></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">("In the Hour of Trial", verse 3)</span></div>
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<br />Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-50758025206574634972016-01-17T04:38:00.000-08:002016-01-17T04:40:11.028-08:00Blessed 2016!Wayne and I began 2016 with a holiday trip to Singapore -- just the two of us -- thrilled to meet God's creatures great and small at the Singapore zoo, including<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirI5_5uYq1wUJ9qCMXUi-6xKIHbkw6xBM4Qgh1dlOJ9S9v_RDkGGdZ6hTGoIkhe_gTbEfUZmTkm08SuUUPs2D84L1ZZftRmU744IL9dkgbO9mkXHP3Qyt-rx9VCZttuSdLqc2DNMRHGpfF/s1600/IMG_8229.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirI5_5uYq1wUJ9qCMXUi-6xKIHbkw6xBM4Qgh1dlOJ9S9v_RDkGGdZ6hTGoIkhe_gTbEfUZmTkm08SuUUPs2D84L1ZZftRmU744IL9dkgbO9mkXHP3Qyt-rx9VCZttuSdLqc2DNMRHGpfF/s320/IMG_8229.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Singapore white tigers</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh65miZOG_7TpGJODV5s1Df3PKwXWA5tG8DRLZeLHRV7U6oehnHwz_nBO_2prGlQp19RWM5b5vcGfWu5Yj0sUBz8cKTEgLLBOixTgkfUBYYN992OTDKSG1vnK3TGotvdNGkjyz0aQp5ThJ6/s1600/orangatangs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh65miZOG_7TpGJODV5s1Df3PKwXWA5tG8DRLZeLHRV7U6oehnHwz_nBO_2prGlQp19RWM5b5vcGfWu5Yj0sUBz8cKTEgLLBOixTgkfUBYYN992OTDKSG1vnK3TGotvdNGkjyz0aQp5ThJ6/s320/orangatangs.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">happy orangutans</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8gd7GU47LY-3-C2g7g9KOwIdLnuV37Ld01wtTsKkN6lKjETc8itJwUzdnthY23ZezG4W5-X7pBAWzPdVrszNRk8pngPP4NuROCpAeuKxZIDdNDekdduuWBzEZYDPOALIyzLKiiDfVLDC/s1600/160101wetlandmudwalk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY8gd7GU47LY-3-C2g7g9KOwIdLnuV37Ld01wtTsKkN6lKjETc8itJwUzdnthY23ZezG4W5-X7pBAWzPdVrszNRk8pngPP4NuROCpAeuKxZIDdNDekdduuWBzEZYDPOALIyzLKiiDfVLDC/s320/160101wetlandmudwalk.jpg" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wetland park mudflats - fun!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbczy9jBb97y7HUsOJ-qzNyufwhcDJKw3B-tU2O2v6AjCxVkswqT4CLSKAIqF55vQpaKdlfdkqyggQwCYL81cIi0fpx2EM3RlSLAa4cqZKxs-7_TkWgtbL_Eud8yjKl0dJ185hCP4ptGE/s1600/160101mudskipper2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJbczy9jBb97y7HUsOJ-qzNyufwhcDJKw3B-tU2O2v6AjCxVkswqT4CLSKAIqF55vQpaKdlfdkqyggQwCYL81cIi0fpx2EM3RlSLAa4cqZKxs-7_TkWgtbL_Eud8yjKl0dJ185hCP4ptGE/s320/160101mudskipper2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorite weird creatures - mudskippers! </td></tr>
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When we came back from Singapore, it was time to celebrate Wayne's 60th birthday, which involved wonderful church friends and seminary colleagues completely surprising him with an afternoon on a gorgeous Hong Kong junk. Our eldest son had made it just in time - along with his girlfriend, whom we had met last summer.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikmohAUgfBIDrs3mVnEf7RjI6b3syXEKpStJMqoTWKwjetnNJZHcEPZYL-rXepH4vxJ17lEUOL1uoZxj3l7NLbiu9L69cf_v25qEc6B2yDR0BNsliIMju1b5hyphenhyphenHpRRZfm4D1R-PX51RrS3/s1600/IMG_6762.JPG" imageanchor="1"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnt7Q04oSNCE1Z6Nw4VJyYundQsqIPzzXjFGzCHZyHiH0fpaGa-KtvkFnygKr8TWjcR1r-7pZ0h4Pv5azBXgCjCr5Mk4NJyQKqZhnPdzWLZ2sleEte8kC9U8iUPSoAQWmlH_oSTArHEx2/s1600/IMG_6816.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnt7Q04oSNCE1Z6Nw4VJyYundQsqIPzzXjFGzCHZyHiH0fpaGa-KtvkFnygKr8TWjcR1r-7pZ0h4Pv5azBXgCjCr5Mk4NJyQKqZhnPdzWLZ2sleEte8kC9U8iUPSoAQWmlH_oSTArHEx2/s320/IMG_6816.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Really, it was more than a little taste of heaven, with old friends near and far sending good wishes, poems, limericks, jokes, songs and prayers. Languages included Spanish, Finnish, Old Scottish, Mandarin, English and Kachin (one of the ethnic groups of Myanmar (Burma). Here's the Kachin group:</div>
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At our chapel Eucharist this week we were each given a candle, which I share with you today, along with an Epiphany prayer:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vwc7PG0gxnn3n-SJas7qmML2DvsSPVM0n2_7GyXrJsKzgdU1TD8fvQ-OzI3_br89ZzUF0WfONADKLQsayiK_olQtAYO1s2GIBlXRNTa5JLNb520tBPtAcQ38kDDXh4EyoIXkKwHMPEf5/s1600/IMG_6837.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3vwc7PG0gxnn3n-SJas7qmML2DvsSPVM0n2_7GyXrJsKzgdU1TD8fvQ-OzI3_br89ZzUF0WfONADKLQsayiK_olQtAYO1s2GIBlXRNTa5JLNb520tBPtAcQ38kDDXh4EyoIXkKwHMPEf5/s320/IMG_6837.JPG" width="180" /></a></div>
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<b>Opening Prayer for the Epiphany of Our Lord</b></h2>
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Let us pray,</div>
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<i><i>[grateful for the glory revealed today</i></i></div>
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<i>through God made human.]</i></div>
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Father of light,</div>
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unchanging God,</div>
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today you reveal to people of faith</div>
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the resplendent fact of the Word made flesh.</div>
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Your light is strong,</div>
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Your love is near;</div>
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draw us beyond the limits</div>
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which this world imposes,</div>
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to the life where Your Spirit</div>
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makes all life complete.</div>
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We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen</div>
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Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-32651796397491009552015-11-03T04:03:00.000-08:002015-11-03T04:03:48.381-08:00Change of seasons (at last!)<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">
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<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Hello again from Hong Kong! The weather FINALLY turned a little bit cooler. Some of the students are wearing warm jackets already, whereas we "northerners" are just happy to trade in our sandals and thinnest shirts for more substantial shoes and (still short-sleeved!) shirts. I was also inspired to bake a pumpkin pie this weekend. Most of the Chinese faculty and international students seemed to like it, but maybe they were just being polite. My husband can't stand the stuff, which is all right by me since it means I get an extra helping!</div>
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Last Saturday I had the opportunity to lead a delightful group of LTS Mekong students in a "Biblical women" seminar, looking at some of the lesser known texts about particular women in the Bible. It was marvelous, getting their insights. It turns out that to this day, boys in Myanmar are favored with the "fish head" (considered the best part of the fish for eating!) whereas the girls get the tail. Hmmm! It was great for us to listen together to God's Word, which sometimes comes to us as a female voice -- in the voice of a Biblical woman... or as an insight from a sister in Christ! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOuka3pBPztjj_rniyYFqo_RxazX9vlziT-C1PYZqkVRhodo4I6bnr5p2P-dZ2syk-S2svUC-EgCpdpfO5TfpznTy9jfJmj2WyupjsdKpMgHQs1nPhf6jIfZ5Sqkh4UhNn-c0UzGSHk1w6/s1600/LTSwomen%2526bibles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; font-size: 12.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOuka3pBPztjj_rniyYFqo_RxazX9vlziT-C1PYZqkVRhodo4I6bnr5p2P-dZ2syk-S2svUC-EgCpdpfO5TfpznTy9jfJmj2WyupjsdKpMgHQs1nPhf6jIfZ5Sqkh4UhNn-c0UzGSHk1w6/s320/LTSwomen%2526bibles.jpg" width="320" /></a><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcetqzQN6-oNL58uWByhOWcHEtNkbu42-OEBEIamxHnF4rXaL_CGi7cXkEXmwgvYBjvmfwxmCDBZjLXqOGDjSiFLBhJUCLOUB01x0x79pHPK25tsdODeL5NXf5PtcbognB0OlynauJXD8/s1600/15.10.10+2+monkeys.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #222222; float: left; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWcetqzQN6-oNL58uWByhOWcHEtNkbu42-OEBEIamxHnF4rXaL_CGi7cXkEXmwgvYBjvmfwxmCDBZjLXqOGDjSiFLBhJUCLOUB01x0x79pHPK25tsdODeL5NXf5PtcbognB0OlynauJXD8/s320/15.10.10+2+monkeys.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">On a very different note, the monkeys have been making very regular visits to our home (backyard) and also like to dive in the pond up at the seminary. Here's a couple of photos from the back roof of our house, where the monkeys enjoyed some ripe starfruit. There was also a recent stand-off between the monkeys and a troop of semi-wild dogs which have been cavorting in the neighborhood, and seem to especially like our yard. The dogs had a grand tiime, madly chasing the monkeys and barking up the trees. The monkeys screeched and shook the branches at the dogs. Thankfully, it seems it was all noise and warnings and no actual violence took place.</span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px; text-align: center;">
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As I said, the weather has turned cooler, so that means it's finally hiking weather again. Here's a photo of one of my favorite hiking companions!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshR9blcRoGLkVyW8lHO4n2sE6FDSYriBjiq1C5z4JBs1OF_x2t1hyphenhyphenyFuX1k9bAcqMJpWq73AmasYaCV4vgY5hZl3qzfo8V01po6Cm6vVR5lZ4VRhH4n1eVQoWdmX7JUzplXZGo39Ykyqt/s1600/allsaintswayne.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-size: 12.8px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshR9blcRoGLkVyW8lHO4n2sE6FDSYriBjiq1C5z4JBs1OF_x2t1hyphenhyphenyFuX1k9bAcqMJpWq73AmasYaCV4vgY5hZl3qzfo8V01po6Cm6vVR5lZ4VRhH4n1eVQoWdmX7JUzplXZGo39Ykyqt/s320/allsaintswayne.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i><b>Praise the Lord, my soul;</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i><b> all my inmost being, praise his holy name.</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i><b>Praise the Lord, my soul,</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i><b> and forget not all his benefits—</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i><b>who forgives all your sins</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i><b> and heals all your diseases,</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i><b> who redeems your life from the pit</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i><b> and crowns you with love and compassion,</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i><b> who satisfies your desires with good things</b></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><i><b> so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.</b></i><span style="font-size: 12.8px;"> -- Psalm 103</span></span></div>
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Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-62691727272331700842015-10-05T00:55:00.000-07:002015-10-05T00:55:21.331-07:00Conference on Forgiveness & Reconciliation in CambodiaWayne and I spent nearly a week in Cambodia, including three days of the Mekong Mission Forum Joint Theological Consultation on the topic of Reconciliation and Forgiveness.<br />
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Out and about in Phnom Penh:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbcFkG9gWfv6SCh-TPJ_WviBJHkfnYJ54lU423aURf8jiF2U1qxN2cQQE9gJrS_PXZ8T6pBnErdddCyf3Pt_xFKiAwpqYexEeXZv3Vtm3EqJeSB4xiswTIHAKdIv34uxefHMhqbsrQ0nB/s1600/pp+lights+in+dark.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixbcFkG9gWfv6SCh-TPJ_WviBJHkfnYJ54lU423aURf8jiF2U1qxN2cQQE9gJrS_PXZ8T6pBnErdddCyf3Pt_xFKiAwpqYexEeXZv3Vtm3EqJeSB4xiswTIHAKdIv34uxefHMhqbsrQ0nB/s320/pp+lights+in+dark.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHF8MUgBSJwRXiZ7VpS2DbbA-TZ2rapG9cKSh76f93YEMLVIToHJXEtwcn2jwfAThOd0EfcD2IjHIWX93YowyIa9pBzFnLb5WNCe8o_XX7JuwkQ3WG5OqmFCz_-wPv1fi7kyRdFQ2wJ14/s1600/150928Camtuktuk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicHF8MUgBSJwRXiZ7VpS2DbbA-TZ2rapG9cKSh76f93YEMLVIToHJXEtwcn2jwfAThOd0EfcD2IjHIWX93YowyIa9pBzFnLb5WNCe8o_XX7JuwkQ3WG5OqmFCz_-wPv1fi7kyRdFQ2wJ14/s320/150928Camtuktuk.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXuuRX-os6PDXd-1sTXEOtV113eTkJJY3x7j7Yn0vY0JWYe_62v3nw11CmwXnRw2bEbHWgKuTfgh0o6V5182HcmJKJsiJHiS5sT88zQ52K5njRv0DMjK4Vu1HoDiNrF0TjUR1pke0nYTwK/s1600/150930wnpalace.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXuuRX-os6PDXd-1sTXEOtV113eTkJJY3x7j7Yn0vY0JWYe_62v3nw11CmwXnRw2bEbHWgKuTfgh0o6V5182HcmJKJsiJHiS5sT88zQ52K5njRv0DMjK4Vu1HoDiNrF0TjUR1pke0nYTwK/s320/150930wnpalace.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Mekong Mission Forum "Joint Theological Consultation" on Forgiveness and Reconciliation:<br />
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Large group and small group discussions:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjA9lVMjE3J2vtV0xIbgh102qIoNxA9SxndCLlQC_wMNe1gdX_YyRoF4ztytRERqx-TQ234YF_JMjMZDPKQgar2ceQlyJLnKtjL1WgI07Or4706wXZIBhRTsgzNOeV1-sxv742A22Ily34/s1600/151003listeningtoPisa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjA9lVMjE3J2vtV0xIbgh102qIoNxA9SxndCLlQC_wMNe1gdX_YyRoF4ztytRERqx-TQ234YF_JMjMZDPKQgar2ceQlyJLnKtjL1WgI07Or4706wXZIBhRTsgzNOeV1-sxv742A22Ily34/s320/151003listeningtoPisa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The conference folks took a field trip to the S-21 Toul Sleng Genocide Museum and the "Killing Fields. Just overwhelmed again by the horror that took place in this beautiful country:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0E6X7qTgFXF8vtvph__cUxBo_mYLine1U8A-teWoRAhT82a5hQJYsYA7IxjG95HqMuHYX0QOmzFuaMKNRA3J8SBkrn94EUXqdKh4arwGjSu8SmxFpYmYABuxgbP_xWh2L1g0IOfyx1vvi/s1600/genocidemuseumneverforget.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0E6X7qTgFXF8vtvph__cUxBo_mYLine1U8A-teWoRAhT82a5hQJYsYA7IxjG95HqMuHYX0QOmzFuaMKNRA3J8SBkrn94EUXqdKh4arwGjSu8SmxFpYmYABuxgbP_xWh2L1g0IOfyx1vvi/s320/genocidemuseumneverforget.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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For many of the conference participants, even those from the Mekong countries, and even one or two from Cambodia itself, it was the first time to go to the Genocide Museum and Killing Fields. It was a moving experience. How is forgiveness and reconciliation possible, in a land which has undergone this kind of horror? How can we speak about this history, and how can we speak about God who Himself underwent and still undergoes the worst of human nature, the worst of human violence?<br />
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And yet we end on a life-giving note...<br />
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Cambodian children, Cambodian "Life with Dignity" ministry, Cambodian family ministry. </div>
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<i><span class="text 2Cor-5-17" id="en-NRSV-28879" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">17 </span>So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"></span><span class="text 2Cor-5-18" id="en-NRSV-28880" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">18 </span>All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation; </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"></span><span class="text 2Cor-5-19" id="en-NRSV-28881" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">19 </span>that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting the message of reconciliation to us. </span></i></div>
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Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-56081747523136814842015-08-10T07:10:00.001-07:002015-08-10T07:15:30.616-07:00Summer 2015: Contrasts USA and Hong Kong<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0idrbCkM5latGCouQATOp-G3fF-wQou0p3DZU_MvEOw9tyiRI_hVWT_3nBY_qa4f4BUGOGlN0mza7j5xlH8KU1oHXQBMKLdUqtnV3kuM9xtkvqIh2Ys498zHMGV4taOEkQjrZAllJX0bk/s1600/children%2527s+sermon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0idrbCkM5latGCouQATOp-G3fF-wQou0p3DZU_MvEOw9tyiRI_hVWT_3nBY_qa4f4BUGOGlN0mza7j5xlH8KU1oHXQBMKLdUqtnV3kuM9xtkvqIh2Ys498zHMGV4taOEkQjrZAllJX0bk/s400/children%2527s+sermon.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Another "working summer", visiting and sharing with congregations in the USA is drawing to a close. One of our favorite things to do -- Children's Talks!</div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">How is life different in the USA and Hong Kong?</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSnL8xIZECjG_WCGG-h1XRwfY2BHkypUWbHMh51RM29zb092nl-dfuG4VYbl179XcIb5veMYN_sAXDfclpY2dpnmXolLfYRNhkvYD_0oPH54Jg0ZVImnwu9IwkBPWpVGn6t-E_qkdHxSi/s1600/deer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSnL8xIZECjG_WCGG-h1XRwfY2BHkypUWbHMh51RM29zb092nl-dfuG4VYbl179XcIb5veMYN_sAXDfclpY2dpnmXolLfYRNhkvYD_0oPH54Jg0ZVImnwu9IwkBPWpVGn6t-E_qkdHxSi/s200/deer.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2.A. Wild life in Wisconsin</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8B4S3nxXnOfdAp0g7uxxO3jN-ApEr6zprd4eUxtG1BgomvQHi13jy635pHXlLWTtb32nQ8SBXs68MKJWjwWFTiz9in0K4q4zwfYaxHdLeZRHCqR0ZY5I0TRSr4x4UIvCrMO63H4KNbUf/s1600/panda.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhg8B4S3nxXnOfdAp0g7uxxO3jN-ApEr6zprd4eUxtG1BgomvQHi13jy635pHXlLWTtb32nQ8SBXs68MKJWjwWFTiz9in0K4q4zwfYaxHdLeZRHCqR0ZY5I0TRSr4x4UIvCrMO63H4KNbUf/s200/panda.png" width="178" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2.B.Wild life in Hong Kong! (ok, not really wild)</td></tr>
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3.A. Umbrellas in the USA (Usually for the rain)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrE5Gncc7nsWSj2eCWVr5yrEtNnIwuTQcBCI6LBLAweffxSlkwz_b6dD7qVLO7jE4fmIyanmk0nXk7aggfJZIduv5r8LnupnBcoa1hyMiTf6dHVoIZwAOovPuSmXHFjvUVtn09zAZ_w5kE/s1600/umbrella+rev.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrE5Gncc7nsWSj2eCWVr5yrEtNnIwuTQcBCI6LBLAweffxSlkwz_b6dD7qVLO7jE4fmIyanmk0nXk7aggfJZIduv5r8LnupnBcoa1hyMiTf6dHVoIZwAOovPuSmXHFjvUVtn09zAZ_w5kE/s320/umbrella+rev.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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3.B. Umbrellas in Hong Kong (for rain, sun, and to show hope for full democracy in Hong Kong) </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4. A. Snacks in Hong Kong... all natural, chewy, bony chicken feet!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4. B. Snacks in Wisconsin... artificial everything sno cone (so bad but so good)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ji29lmLudd-uOhS7vSxKvBsLMpNhbOrzpSOy1gLJz52Zz-kM1LCtom6vIc_8kDWPfS8N0QKkkD-ykQyUlUrYLazt4SKvnCXJwSkJy8c8_7NQLraCtwEWORRCqDT7SSptbTnjiWBqflpg/s1600/church+grp.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="191" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8Ji29lmLudd-uOhS7vSxKvBsLMpNhbOrzpSOy1gLJz52Zz-kM1LCtom6vIc_8kDWPfS8N0QKkkD-ykQyUlUrYLazt4SKvnCXJwSkJy8c8_7NQLraCtwEWORRCqDT7SSptbTnjiWBqflpg/s320/church+grp.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5. Church life in Hong Kong... a little bit different than in the USA</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5Hm23zsZnRqhWMtJL0-HH_xxPFC4rdqqQpZ2RXTQYH3DBBj91mVMzmaX0u_FN8y9LOZyQQw1QASX3BBLJ0nuKpHuLVhc5r4OyXa233BpHxgOhhqAbopl58qAHLUPfKP2Rk2WWqwadtx1/s1600/church+nepal.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc5Hm23zsZnRqhWMtJL0-HH_xxPFC4rdqqQpZ2RXTQYH3DBBj91mVMzmaX0u_FN8y9LOZyQQw1QASX3BBLJ0nuKpHuLVhc5r4OyXa233BpHxgOhhqAbopl58qAHLUPfKP2Rk2WWqwadtx1/s320/church+nepal.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nepalese Congregation in Hong Kong.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqz4k_xIy0hMcjjEoFq2bSSjZLJbohzoU6pr9WBz1srGNx5dOJTQJ80BOR_TFxvElj3_GBjOVPEel8-KbKcZCklGqGuh-PaLfjnln7ooJ8J3Kzfz8OwzkoXTBfIbEyodY_rKJa3i2dD3H/s1600/church+myanmar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGqz4k_xIy0hMcjjEoFq2bSSjZLJbohzoU6pr9WBz1srGNx5dOJTQJ80BOR_TFxvElj3_GBjOVPEel8-KbKcZCklGqGuh-PaLfjnln7ooJ8J3Kzfz8OwzkoXTBfIbEyodY_rKJa3i2dD3H/s320/church+myanmar.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worship in Southeast Asia (YOUTHFUL Myanmar Lutheran Church) </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJTquxFaTbiPxoSLnppqDEuvanSXV7Ni31UnnGePG8AvIRcRctPCj2wkD2m1Gf4_zgHx8o4VgcIJfZPJHuUYGi3g4SHww4LvujhnAafOtlozlwsOy1BOSSmhABDYg7LNzalXBTJew_yOI/s1600/church+older.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcJTquxFaTbiPxoSLnppqDEuvanSXV7Ni31UnnGePG8AvIRcRctPCj2wkD2m1Gf4_zgHx8o4VgcIJfZPJHuUYGi3g4SHww4LvujhnAafOtlozlwsOy1BOSSmhABDYg7LNzalXBTJew_yOI/s200/church+older.jpg" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Worship in the USA tends to be.. newer hymnbooks, comfy-er chairs, a little older, a little emptier.<br />
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LOTS of differences, BUT ONE THING REMAINS THE SAME:<br />
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No matter the color of our umbrella or the way we eat our snacks,<br />
we are "blood relatives" with sisters, brothers, aunties, grandpas all over the world, through Jesus, our Savior and Lord and Friend. And so,<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"So, whether we are at home, or away, </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">we make it our aim to please the LORD."</span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>(St. Paul in his 2nd Letter to the Corinthians, 5:9)</i></span></div>
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Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-35387600022684138432015-05-31T01:59:00.000-07:002015-05-31T01:59:15.809-07:00Theology, tourist attractions, friends and alumni in Myanmar<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">Alumni follow-up is one of the sweetest rewards of teaching at the Lutheran Theological Seminary of Hong Kong. Along with serving Hong Kong and Mainland China, LTS is also instrumental in theological education for the Mekong region.</span></div>
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Wayne and I thoroughly enjoyed a "Moving Theology" event for Hong Kong-educated theological alumni in Myanmar (a.k.a. Burma) in May. Many of the LTS and Chinese University alumni now serve as leaders in their home churches and seminaries, including Baptist, Presbyterian and Anglican. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Saw Christopher with his siblings. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">Since we were in a relatively remote part of Myanmar - Wayne and I became something of tourist attraction ourselves. These Buddhist monks were delighted to snap photos of themselves with Wayne... a different kind of inter-faith dialogue!</span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lutheran Theological Seminary (Hong Kong) - Myanmar alumni</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theological Sisters!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAlLvTfrzvyliEFnxg0zL450vp8kr2mkgjrl0iOgAnSUuh2c5uWOuN1rvG-8Q_vznToC49KyC3eUF6rkmUqsSmLPQom7-QQvZC9Sy8XynnozxV6dtjd3a5Bux9tUpGeW3z1eJmvcISIOV/s1600/dr+saw+%2526+family.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgAlLvTfrzvyliEFnxg0zL450vp8kr2mkgjrl0iOgAnSUuh2c5uWOuN1rvG-8Q_vznToC49KyC3eUF6rkmUqsSmLPQom7-QQvZC9Sy8XynnozxV6dtjd3a5Bux9tUpGeW3z1eJmvcISIOV/s320/dr+saw+%2526+family.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LTS alumni, family and friends!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wayne became the tourist attraction for a group of monks.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christian theology in a Buddhist context - what can we learn from one another?</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hIsYqxB09zhQat2Qhpo3yUcjb1W_Ri_pr9z_KX5Bjjs2ZxlXx1nAj-XcI4Ld-Bo_UpasAVdDg2Xz1DPvZwxDbUVJD9_ALMdLiHQV5zi-Gl8CMUtegvFceh6H67uZNSxOzVf_F2oz7YMN/s1600/karen+mt+green+cross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hIsYqxB09zhQat2Qhpo3yUcjb1W_Ri_pr9z_KX5Bjjs2ZxlXx1nAj-XcI4Ld-Bo_UpasAVdDg2Xz1DPvZwxDbUVJD9_ALMdLiHQV5zi-Gl8CMUtegvFceh6H67uZNSxOzVf_F2oz7YMN/s320/karen+mt+green+cross.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prayer Mountain, Karen State.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beauty I</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5l9uahZOGTD4nheUh6esHSa4l8RkKHoJiZGlPuGX7vXoiCiRLSjLm1RFkUDTV8V2eTe17Typj-fKhY7zw7MNEB8uYDSttpLNGaTVRgxNwrrHAQKJ2jO7-dgb_yyUcRwSHfVIHAcUXg87V/s1600/yellow+orchid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5l9uahZOGTD4nheUh6esHSa4l8RkKHoJiZGlPuGX7vXoiCiRLSjLm1RFkUDTV8V2eTe17Typj-fKhY7zw7MNEB8uYDSttpLNGaTVRgxNwrrHAQKJ2jO7-dgb_yyUcRwSHfVIHAcUXg87V/s320/yellow+orchid.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beauty II</td></tr>
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<div class="stanza" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 21px; padding-bottom: 8px; padding-top: 8px; text-align: justify;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><span class="reftext" style="line-height: 14px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/86-8.htm" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;"><b>8</b></a></span>Among the gods there is none like you, Lord;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>no deeds can compare with yours.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><span class="reftext" style="line-height: 14px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/86-9.htm" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;"><b>9</b></a></span>All the nations you have made</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>will come and worship before you, Lord;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>they will bring glory to your name.</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><span class="reftext" style="line-height: 14px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/86-10.htm" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;"><b>10</b></a></span>For you are great and do marvelous deeds;</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>you alone are God.</i></span></div>
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-- Psalm 86</div>
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Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-13344241220164272622015-04-16T02:36:00.000-07:002015-04-16T02:36:33.197-07:00God graced us in Cambodia!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_tSZINv7fudFCY38r405ps94OV8sw9ywTUCxSGx3hdftlKG8Dn75NnTbxT29i9aK6hgVsqY7LJfhw3FP7XYxFTMnEWNe-Fq2xr6G_6nRPTtAWXtVxznkpXCh0GtGBC-ohJ_2f-_dTiBE/s1600/15.03+hanging+out+in+Cambodia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI_tSZINv7fudFCY38r405ps94OV8sw9ywTUCxSGx3hdftlKG8Dn75NnTbxT29i9aK6hgVsqY7LJfhw3FP7XYxFTMnEWNe-Fq2xr6G_6nRPTtAWXtVxznkpXCh0GtGBC-ohJ_2f-_dTiBE/s1600/15.03+hanging+out+in+Cambodia.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fields of hope with Lutheran Church of Cambodia outreach ministries.</td></tr>
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God graced us in Cambodia the week before Easter!</div>
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I helped facilitate the first "Beloved Daughter's" Biblical empowerment workshop for women. I'm doing it as part of my work with the Mekong Mission Forum, and partly as research for my Doctorate of Ministry program at Lutheran Theological Seminary Hong Kong. I'm studying how Christian women in the Mekong might be experience empowerment by listening to (often long-neglected and marginalized) women's voices in the Bible... and by listening to each other's (also often long-neglected and marginalized) voices today.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuDrrQ9gSjTmZsQawRAh7vM_-m5f6emKhpltxrpm1w8S9aRyTxsjzQ838L45GxzQzq57CYhB6ZwhB_39L4enhWuZt1YlVMP_VMdwVhTogRXCncqjILM5ZZEBd7WZpz6jax4dLvOgMIYTa/s1600/March+2015+share+women's%2Bevent.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTuDrrQ9gSjTmZsQawRAh7vM_-m5f6emKhpltxrpm1w8S9aRyTxsjzQ838L45GxzQzq57CYhB6ZwhB_39L4enhWuZt1YlVMP_VMdwVhTogRXCncqjILM5ZZEBd7WZpz6jax4dLvOgMIYTa/s1600/March+2015+share+women's%2Bevent.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"This is my beloved daughter... listen to her!"</i> Women's Conference, Cambodia</td></tr>
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I met with the some of the very beautiful missionaries who are serving in Cambodia - a lively bunch! Christianity is clearly not a Western religion, it's embraced, contextualized, and spread by missionaries from Singapore, Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines -- and now in the LCC and elsewhere - from Cambodians to Cambodians.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting eagerly for treats, stories, music, love.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc78P-Fnwc913WS2CP01dWyRnhdGvnjBmZ3bGqJ5SpIA1Bf8_5xhwbaDpFBFP9LbytPRVTcvP0pBAorAOEYjkUXY_FLiyhJtgzdeKpwWQq83IBe-TwE4zXelTznGV1WNWRg0-qMVCAvhXO/s1600/buddha.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc78P-Fnwc913WS2CP01dWyRnhdGvnjBmZ3bGqJ5SpIA1Bf8_5xhwbaDpFBFP9LbytPRVTcvP0pBAorAOEYjkUXY_FLiyhJtgzdeKpwWQq83IBe-TwE4zXelTznGV1WNWRg0-qMVCAvhXO/s1600/buddha.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buddha smiles at the community center where<br />children gather. Maybe he's listening to the<br />stories about Jesus, too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Songs and stories and snacks. It's a treat<br />on a Sunday afternoon! </td></tr>
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After Sunday services in Phnom Penh, I was invited to go with a group of the LCC leaders to a small village about an hour or so outside of the city. </div>
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In this place, I watched the Cambodian pastor faithfully walking and talking with groups of village people.</div>
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A woman whose side had been paralysed since giving birth to a child 13 years ago -- <i>Will you pray for her,</i> her friends asked the Pastor V.</div>
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He would and he did. And the next time there is a medical team coming from Hong Kong or Singapore, they will be visiting with, and listening, to these women.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcgYSu1ZWktTtShN5UbTvsLuo-DFTCQhUBfhubobGEVSXGsf-S6WfeAjgJghKqTOve1Gr4vyPEpLWRi1n4YYIskdhu0qgUph_D6jLMCEnSAM1j-XMn5yhxy5PxF7chyN4yudob4mLag9o/s1600/15.03+listening+and+sharing+all+ages.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRcgYSu1ZWktTtShN5UbTvsLuo-DFTCQhUBfhubobGEVSXGsf-S6WfeAjgJghKqTOve1Gr4vyPEpLWRi1n4YYIskdhu0qgUph_D6jLMCEnSAM1j-XMn5yhxy5PxF7chyN4yudob4mLag9o/s1600/15.03+listening+and+sharing+all+ages.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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We talked with a group of young men getting ready for a wedding. We could see the beer cooling in a big tub -- <i>Will your Jesus help make me rich?</i> -- one young man laughed. Pastor V. had a good response: <i>Maybe not, but he can guide you to make your marriage be a faithful and happy one. That's a better way of being rich. </i>(The LCC has a marriage and family outreach ministry)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtnBXOz8pJipWIu4dxdw_2rXkN597z4Jn4lr-BSl9-0SPPDgN8AVmqIqyST3iMT5Xu6U7UBHMovc_XYYYlVaA90G0xinNANlVho1mDNxZiQxfBhOhx5wlIlPbpZzc4O9z6gIS_97yCMY6/s1600/listening+to+young+men.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLtnBXOz8pJipWIu4dxdw_2rXkN597z4Jn4lr-BSl9-0SPPDgN8AVmqIqyST3iMT5Xu6U7UBHMovc_XYYYlVaA90G0xinNANlVho1mDNxZiQxfBhOhx5wlIlPbpZzc4O9z6gIS_97yCMY6/s1600/listening+to+young+men.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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And then suddenly, Pastor V. and I were called to the side of an old man who said he wanted to be baptized. Now. Today. Pastor V. had met this elderly couple before. He had told them about Jesus. The man was frail. <i>Last week he said he wanted to become a Christian... but now I can see he cannot wait until we have our Baptism Day at the church.</i></div>
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Someone brought a basin of water. We asked him, and the old man loudly said YES, he believed in God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. YES, he renounced all other gods and spirits except God alone.</div>
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I heard the old man's voice.</div>
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I saw the tears streaming from his wife's eyes.</div>
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I felt the splash of water.</div>
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I saw the gentleness of the young Cambodian woman from the Lutheran Church, who, after the baptism, together with the old man's wife, used the rest of the baptismal water to gently wash the old man's head, his shoulders, his feet.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Palm Sunday 2015 Asking for new birth of Christian baptism!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Benediction" washing after the baptism.</td></tr>
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God graced us in Cambodia the week before Easter! </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>"See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called Children of God! And that is what we are!" </i></span> </div>
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(I John 3:1a, TNIV)</div>
Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-46650120449277320072015-02-21T00:34:00.000-08:002015-02-21T00:34:15.424-08:00Juxtapositions: Ash Wednesday and Chinese New Year of the Goat<div style="font-family: arial; font-size: 13.3333330154419px;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8Pi7FrKtoFGvzlndnGiEF-7W8VTiY82opkrs50aAOb67iVf06o6WR5HxEyY3jWMleQU3Vd6o1SkcwRyWAFpWbZ09-bgL-UObgyyVnuy749V9i2nL64nhx66HlKYhmLy6w_Ng9WiYxQmz/s1600/15.03.19+walk.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK8Pi7FrKtoFGvzlndnGiEF-7W8VTiY82opkrs50aAOb67iVf06o6WR5HxEyY3jWMleQU3Vd6o1SkcwRyWAFpWbZ09-bgL-UObgyyVnuy749V9i2nL64nhx66HlKYhmLy6w_Ng9WiYxQmz/s1600/15.03.19+walk.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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This year Ash Wednesday and Chinese New Year Eve came on the same day. Chinese New Year celebrations are so important, even the Roman Catholic cardinal in Hong Kong gave his flock an official "dispensation" from Ash Wednesday fasting.</div>
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At the Lutheran Theological Seminary (Hong Kong) we had the imposition of ashes in the morning followed by Chinese New Year feasting in the evening.</div>
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On the first Day of the Chinese New Year (it's the Year of the Goat) we combined traditions by going on a 14 mile wilderness hike (walking with Jesus), scaling the steep climbs of the Hong Kong hills (<i>almost</i> like mountain goats). LTS students from Myanmar are much better climbers than their international professors from the flatlands of the Midwest (USA) and the Netherlands!</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PLgbh7dlBge4Utyzc7eqpFH49RJ-j_3szHd6otxpvwXLuNgNxWmIcFp1Y21RS-IURbyfvaHcnszlT8G8PCs2fZ1jcAxIWxdJS-J2wuSmxuKA8eGZKfUfl06uy41cHG8FQ-INx1oP2ZDw/s1600/15.02.19+kathleen+&+tjeerd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_PLgbh7dlBge4Utyzc7eqpFH49RJ-j_3szHd6otxpvwXLuNgNxWmIcFp1Y21RS-IURbyfvaHcnszlT8G8PCs2fZ1jcAxIWxdJS-J2wuSmxuKA8eGZKfUfl06uy41cHG8FQ-INx1oP2ZDw/s1600/15.02.19+kathleen+&+tjeerd.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our hearty friends and colleagues from the Netherlands.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhgJ512NdnNULNkEbC2JRe3Yr__RevF1BS_8CKBB3N5kSps3tfx2f9d-KfevGVI2FsrSMqrzFmdP8pLAzZzBQbgDGmcvBHTrypX7oZcGIEmE0gxWTGhaPClIWUbVZq9iQ6myfmUIaGmos/s1600/15.02.19+c&w.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivhgJ512NdnNULNkEbC2JRe3Yr__RevF1BS_8CKBB3N5kSps3tfx2f9d-KfevGVI2FsrSMqrzFmdP8pLAzZzBQbgDGmcvBHTrypX7oZcGIEmE0gxWTGhaPClIWUbVZq9iQ6myfmUIaGmos/s1600/15.02.19+c&w.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy we can still climb mountains together!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhopTMgSp9GkvQShv3Y_3tBX7aq9es0Bi3JSAtcoxD6PGaHzN_LzMUkjW-CWalKwLAD3IRyM3090QftBsNuMjXuAviJY1mNHpqj2KVKCuh-SlsTAUqxBK81b08w1T4VyCLGBJGQAh5df-V2/s1600/15.02.19+shoe.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhopTMgSp9GkvQShv3Y_3tBX7aq9es0Bi3JSAtcoxD6PGaHzN_LzMUkjW-CWalKwLAD3IRyM3090QftBsNuMjXuAviJY1mNHpqj2KVKCuh-SlsTAUqxBK81b08w1T4VyCLGBJGQAh5df-V2/s1600/15.02.19+shoe.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Definitely the last hike for this particular pair of shoes!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsnyj290kBo0E_NKiVYg7pP-9L0t2WPDepARZ1L3yWs-SEcKHuYh4z8z9wvY9KujAs5HsObyVP0hPCosFPHUi9Q8eNl-MCIm8h0OgOWAZIH_OYX71uIyebK8oa-zeGaAnL1ElWnmeq6Mg/s1600/15.02.19+3+hikers+myanmr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimsnyj290kBo0E_NKiVYg7pP-9L0t2WPDepARZ1L3yWs-SEcKHuYh4z8z9wvY9KujAs5HsObyVP0hPCosFPHUi9Q8eNl-MCIm8h0OgOWAZIH_OYX71uIyebK8oa-zeGaAnL1ElWnmeq6Mg/s1600/15.02.19+3+hikers+myanmr.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"These hills remind us of home" Seemed to me<br />they weren't even breathing hard.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeS8LtJ0KjEjTzV_1AEt_ifimZnTOB5Cc6Beso1bd8ffH42oaUxtAqIc8sSXG7xhxDHMHI-5l4P4tZRs3eE-_HMLVF9b1-3CiG4ax59RGvBZ6C45LOi4NarwANFfzjds9q-26R8iDtnG5/s1600/15.02.19+group+strength.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFeS8LtJ0KjEjTzV_1AEt_ifimZnTOB5Cc6Beso1bd8ffH42oaUxtAqIc8sSXG7xhxDHMHI-5l4P4tZRs3eE-_HMLVF9b1-3CiG4ax59RGvBZ6C45LOi4NarwANFfzjds9q-26R8iDtnG5/s1600/15.02.19+group+strength.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did it! Here's to a great start to the Chinese New Year of the Goat... <br />and the Holy Season of Lent...</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><span class="reftext" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #0092f2; line-height: 14px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/104-18.htm" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;">18</a></span><span class="btext1" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 21px;">The high mountains belong to the wild goats...</span></b></i></span></div>
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<span class="btext1" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 21px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><span class="reftext" style="color: #0092f2; line-height: 14px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/104-24.htm" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;">24</a></span><span class="btext1">How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; </span></b></i></span></span></div>
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<span class="btext1" style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 21px;"><span class="btext1"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>the earth is full of your creatures...</b></i></span></span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="even" style="padding: 7px; text-align: left;" valign="top" width="20%"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><b><span class="reftext" style="color: #0092f2; line-height: 14px; margin-left: 1px; margin-right: 2px; vertical-align: text-top;"><a href="http://biblehub.com/psalms/104-30.htm" style="color: #0092f2; text-decoration: none;">30</a></span><span class="btext1">When you send your Spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.</span></b></i></span></td></tr>
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- from Psalm 104</div>
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Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-8857188138130477072015-02-16T21:24:00.001-08:002015-02-21T00:40:40.069-08:00Walking/dancing/playing/teaching with Jesus in Myanmar<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the best things in my life is the chance to see and hear some of the ways in which LTS Mekong alumni are walking/dancing/playing/kicking out demons /healing /praying/ eating/sharing/ teaching with Jesus back in their home cultures, once they've graduated from our seminary programs.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xZfIxCf7My4bFl4E01I8ZDcjFdg2wxb-zuZcKmpCEAl7bpnLm1fK42_PJLvM5pLYhMw8jdxftLgighhl6I1PkS5c3laNODo0Y5ZtUDpjXlfKaZtUjM0bhJUnedLjZkmwCFgIPsQOz6cu/s1600/15.02.03+LTS+alumni+certhlia+swegyan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1xZfIxCf7My4bFl4E01I8ZDcjFdg2wxb-zuZcKmpCEAl7bpnLm1fK42_PJLvM5pLYhMw8jdxftLgighhl6I1PkS5c3laNODo0Y5ZtUDpjXlfKaZtUjM0bhJUnedLjZkmwCFgIPsQOz6cu/s1600/15.02.03+LTS+alumni+certhlia+swegyan.jpg" height="320" title="" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Two of our LTS Myanmar alumni 2014</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So in early February I had the chance to go and visit Falam Baptist Pastor, Cer Thlia, one of the graduates of our "Diakonia" program. <i>Diakonia</i> = a biblical Greek word meaning service, is a program which tries to build bridges between the needs, cries, and God-given <i>gifts</i> of all creation -- especially the incredibly beautiful, diverse, god-like creatures known as <i>human beings</i>... and the ministries of Christ's Church. <b>Diakonia is the "gospel in action".</b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5-q2v6N_dA0B9vpjUi6IpOywiEcLbDboirBDBU6GYuKh2Ulla8AtXGCRkwRK-Nk1pb6NWCKfLq-Zja5BgNT2nt3FNczfyyw-Rv0QygdmVsB2CmbxkxoHHIQqHenFWNYMF4XdNzcW7Sov/s1600/15.02.02+2+cuties+on+swing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiE5-q2v6N_dA0B9vpjUi6IpOywiEcLbDboirBDBU6GYuKh2Ulla8AtXGCRkwRK-Nk1pb6NWCKfLq-Zja5BgNT2nt3FNczfyyw-Rv0QygdmVsB2CmbxkxoHHIQqHenFWNYMF4XdNzcW7Sov/s1600/15.02.02+2+cuties+on+swing.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Two cuties - the design on their faces is "thanaka",</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"> a traditional natural cosmetic made from tree bark.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xWDlRvsFC57sNtHRT6Jj2F9Nj4MmV3xw00dAbZdO8KzNUb2IRjsKQSgDyWvPwDhbpYC4I73V18xXbJfM9ZKTVcUNgdR9MG88jSKvELnTSEP8-Yrr_N8jiiE5u-l74rReGAhA_kcc3_m0/s1600/15.02.14+tatooed+uncle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3xWDlRvsFC57sNtHRT6Jj2F9Nj4MmV3xw00dAbZdO8KzNUb2IRjsKQSgDyWvPwDhbpYC4I73V18xXbJfM9ZKTVcUNgdR9MG88jSKvELnTSEP8-Yrr_N8jiiE5u-l74rReGAhA_kcc3_m0/s1600/15.02.14+tatooed+uncle.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Tatooed Uncle - I just had to ask if I could photograph him,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">so glad he said yes.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvF6ciq6om7RNiDZ-T5CZNmAvpNNJbwnQizFsgORHSGUTilO7YPZlGbsgVMWyqiGJJ7nOsOXo9rpzEvPBhAskv7-TVocPG56FN8jdGG816ga18Sb4icmZ_wucybM6XRvWOU-2PG-4-aK6B/s1600/15.02.04+mother+and+child.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvF6ciq6om7RNiDZ-T5CZNmAvpNNJbwnQizFsgORHSGUTilO7YPZlGbsgVMWyqiGJJ7nOsOXo9rpzEvPBhAskv7-TVocPG56FN8jdGG816ga18Sb4icmZ_wucybM6XRvWOU-2PG-4-aK6B/s1600/15.02.04+mother+and+child.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Mother and Child - the area was full of garbage</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">and standing water... I could only marvel at this mother and baby,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">clean and pristine, faces beautifully decorated.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuv1zoy36Tg_jpJuM0sDx2unRIv_Zi0jLneXxSlRryxkH8nmLHn9CviS5kez2eKZaiWRejpECYkPvQkv6JF1PuR80SfHboKO2_CGYmTO9Imz7HrbuELcRc_r8pkRKJrckb_gwo3N7yLWDa/s1600/15.02.03+4+cuties.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuv1zoy36Tg_jpJuM0sDx2unRIv_Zi0jLneXxSlRryxkH8nmLHn9CviS5kez2eKZaiWRejpECYkPvQkv6JF1PuR80SfHboKO2_CGYmTO9Imz7HrbuELcRc_r8pkRKJrckb_gwo3N7yLWDa/s1600/15.02.03+4+cuties.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Four Cuties - created in God's image</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> It was a fantastic opportunity to see Pastor Cer Thlia and other Myanmar friends in action with Jesus, four different denominational backgrounds (Baptist, Presbyterian, Assembly of God, Lutheran) in six different children's centers, where children and their families receive tutoring and skill-building and just plain old FUN, in some cases working in areas where there is (otherwise) no schooling at all.</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsuKhDNIZgOfxcOqEZTj6Ow3YGslBu87012cSLwSs92yF8Udo8_GHuMW2blYvIBZLa58pHmtmnU53VRLlJYXcStNj-L773YL0dpwplqRWHqP1OgsC0n2GdpZskpWS0sGDPARwQqhmtn2x/s1600/15.02.04+cvz+where+teeth%3F.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsuKhDNIZgOfxcOqEZTj6Ow3YGslBu87012cSLwSs92yF8Udo8_GHuMW2blYvIBZLa58pHmtmnU53VRLlJYXcStNj-L773YL0dpwplqRWHqP1OgsC0n2GdpZskpWS0sGDPARwQqhmtn2x/s1600/15.02.04+cvz+where+teeth%3F.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">They let me do some of my favorite children's songs as part</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">of the English enrichment. Where</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">are your teeth???</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlPPA3K18uvjbO2TUjHP8pcj7mv0KOoXeEgWSCRmrD9VOejyNBxtfvOrnK7umCf3w2VrX4zJC_BfhegQYgxaiRxXGU5xjkf6uMv0e8tzH0que4md2pd3Ln8FupZhAiPxRL9J7sNFDe1L3/s1600/15.02.04+special+girl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzlPPA3K18uvjbO2TUjHP8pcj7mv0KOoXeEgWSCRmrD9VOejyNBxtfvOrnK7umCf3w2VrX4zJC_BfhegQYgxaiRxXGU5xjkf6uMv0e8tzH0que4md2pd3Ln8FupZhAiPxRL9J7sNFDe1L3/s1600/15.02.04+special+girl.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">I hope I'll see these children again. </span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHuuHu_Zl7ro7EKPs4y8eIpNeR0unJZAVb-1k96OMQVn1FaUMiFVpLtM4WSqvgJcr2xC5FH4iUPlvhIOpm2Ie0dDzKzNZ7NztdgV5SYmNua_TPJFjsiyisPs8rroS4UAXyWq7piPGCosu/s1600/15.02.14+sungsung+and+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYHuuHu_Zl7ro7EKPs4y8eIpNeR0unJZAVb-1k96OMQVn1FaUMiFVpLtM4WSqvgJcr2xC5FH4iUPlvhIOpm2Ie0dDzKzNZ7NztdgV5SYmNua_TPJFjsiyisPs8rroS4UAXyWq7piPGCosu/s1600/15.02.14+sungsung+and+kids.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Cer Thlia's friend and co-worker is the "Pied Piper" in this remote and underprivileged</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">part of Yangon... <i>barely</i> accessible by motorbike in the dry season, I'm not sure how anyone gets around in </span><span style="font-size: small;">the rainy season.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhSwyCGX65NCu_qWRE5jH1k2pFSS2qhbpTZL1YVCYO6wYpy2VvD4400HvRATEDxxHqLl-7pJ1vfxxfN4_LFk_An9cPk7qgUYZdIDdvx4hBejGRR86k1JauXOMJpgcyOErXZ9eATOtHYhq/s1600/15.02.03+Hope+Center+grp.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRhSwyCGX65NCu_qWRE5jH1k2pFSS2qhbpTZL1YVCYO6wYpy2VvD4400HvRATEDxxHqLl-7pJ1vfxxfN4_LFk_An9cPk7qgUYZdIDdvx4hBejGRR86k1JauXOMJpgcyOErXZ9eATOtHYhq/s1600/15.02.03+Hope+Center+grp.jpg" height="223" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Lutheran Church in Myanmar "Hope Center" -- these Lutherans</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">are a relatively new "denomination" in Myanmar, but eager</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">to find ways to put the Gospel into action.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace; font-size: large;">See what kind of love the Father has given us: We are called God's children—and that is what we are! </span></span><span style="background-color: #fdfeff; color: #001320; font-family: Trebuchet, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px; text-align: justify;">-- I John 3:1 (International Standard Version)</span>Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-82895163132638658212015-01-29T05:27:00.000-08:002015-01-29T05:27:21.285-08:00Church Life over the Border in Mainland China<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhbvI9pQn9iJrTwqEG6fUr9h7Zw-5SL5kyYcUClq7O1HUp5ILjjQLBi4EdYTMQI6ROTTpeTUGvigXKqVfHkbG31TJKqTKOMiT22v-V0ZgCAdRnBEMNJbNqofhTto10In5qRNNjy2IxlkP/s1600/15.01.24+womaninfur.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhbvI9pQn9iJrTwqEG6fUr9h7Zw-5SL5kyYcUClq7O1HUp5ILjjQLBi4EdYTMQI6ROTTpeTUGvigXKqVfHkbG31TJKqTKOMiT22v-V0ZgCAdRnBEMNJbNqofhTto10In5qRNNjy2IxlkP/s1600/15.01.24+womaninfur.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
Last Saturday the Seminary faculty travelled into Mainland China.<br />
<br />
It's a 15 minute walk, half hour train ride, then about a ten minute walk through customs, in order to travel from our home in Hong Kong to the great commercial center of Shenzhen.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RDHYJaAyfKC9yKjVPrJcu7PuRQyOdLIvQJNTt4D6YiWYyI59bhl6qWPjlu14Y78Ff9j-v-1KdmctHEZ3yCJU4FkghKzC-1d5AGmx3HYT4Vt72by0aQtX2m1x8HqEHyyFPvsdfRUzIGg4/s1600/15.01.24+shenzhenChristianChurch.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2RDHYJaAyfKC9yKjVPrJcu7PuRQyOdLIvQJNTt4D6YiWYyI59bhl6qWPjlu14Y78Ff9j-v-1KdmctHEZ3yCJU4FkghKzC-1d5AGmx3HYT4Vt72by0aQtX2m1x8HqEHyyFPvsdfRUzIGg4/s1600/15.01.24+shenzhenChristianChurch.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Full Bible classes, held in an art center.</td></tr>
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It was touching to see the eagerness and interest of the students at the Training Centre, their thirst for Christian education and their commitment to coming to classes all day, every Saturday for a whole year.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A toast with tea!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0fSZ_I65wh_IFZQvFEW2hT_uDvERjTyXkM5SxU8WAnAO-wOxzedSfcLsQZRshcfuIah8ZRMkJH3oGoaeTz8Z_KnzPY9JELC_h5dD06ttpxNFMceUaEoX_lVlc8XjTwqB3y14s0bkynJq/s1600/15.01.24fruit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx0fSZ_I65wh_IFZQvFEW2hT_uDvERjTyXkM5SxU8WAnAO-wOxzedSfcLsQZRshcfuIah8ZRMkJH3oGoaeTz8Z_KnzPY9JELC_h5dD06ttpxNFMceUaEoX_lVlc8XjTwqB3y14s0bkynJq/s1600/15.01.24fruit.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've grown accustomed to having cherry tomatoes served as part of the fruit plate. They were delicious!</td></tr>
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We were also touched by the hospitality shown wherever we went, and the evident pride in surprisingly large church facilities, which seem to be bursting at the seams every Sunday.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipst6ItAY5rvc-9GOP1rO925CJCISXsgEW5t0mErEdX7Q0ZtDRLYSaPC0fewjx6ZdMN0VkoxqZaJekm6UTXLc5QX5cR-Hz0ybd3iSP6FMC6-Rli1uo6CRC_OJwkKdNf9wWW7-tJ_h6gudc/s1600/15.01.24+shenzhentraining+school.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipst6ItAY5rvc-9GOP1rO925CJCISXsgEW5t0mErEdX7Q0ZtDRLYSaPC0fewjx6ZdMN0VkoxqZaJekm6UTXLc5QX5cR-Hz0ybd3iSP6FMC6-Rli1uo6CRC_OJwkKdNf9wWW7-tJ_h6gudc/s1600/15.01.24+shenzhentraining+school.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LTS Faculty with Mainland Chinese hosts in front of a huge Christian Church in Shenzhen, <br />which is said to host 9,000 people, spread over four worship services each Sunday.</td></tr>
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Again and again we hear that there is a thirst for meaning and moral teaching in China. Outside an old church school which is being refurbished and turned into a museum (it's too small to serve its original purpose) we saw a variety of adorable kids playing. Hopefully the world we (together with our Chinese Church sisters and brothers) are working to help shape will be different, and better, for them.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYc6If0NdgaZ3M7WJHrF73nxVeUayYJ79rJl3Phu4t18UG9tn8QyzK6c-4wGsXstGGd4YS_nVM4nkEGWhatqquvntZY_N6R8SJUG4bW_n-znm157zDLVKIPJBdiXzHZbtonFPHyoO4V7C/s1600/15.01.24shenzhenconstruction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPYc6If0NdgaZ3M7WJHrF73nxVeUayYJ79rJl3Phu4t18UG9tn8QyzK6c-4wGsXstGGd4YS_nVM4nkEGWhatqquvntZY_N6R8SJUG4bW_n-znm157zDLVKIPJBdiXzHZbtonFPHyoO4V7C/s1600/15.01.24shenzhenconstruction.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Construction site.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-m4rYP-UNiFyqht61QRrOIe7gsZ64wm4iJh6_I-CBrqlJUHEHF8GLXnSFF4_gcAw63Qf-C_AWj0e10isVgIbxlGBkkJG_sK3sUzoDWvQudV0j1_zrwWZci5W4LKcrsWiBT8NZEidQ8Zg/s1600/15.01.24shzboywhaircut.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp-m4rYP-UNiFyqht61QRrOIe7gsZ64wm4iJh6_I-CBrqlJUHEHF8GLXnSFF4_gcAw63Qf-C_AWj0e10isVgIbxlGBkkJG_sK3sUzoDWvQudV0j1_zrwWZci5W4LKcrsWiBT8NZEidQ8Zg/s1600/15.01.24shzboywhaircut.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out this little dude's haircut.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6mUM3jOKhCE113KR3avYVF4RYOsMtG4dyUjmua-4SzlmwB9UQoXVaD51jy_jjtxUcKkRH6lear0cxfFa7Q_UIwip19TE8KDkxUNApMLuLjGqGehLUwZqZJ6z4gOyqvenNxcel8sbtXEI/s1600/15.01.25shz2kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_6mUM3jOKhCE113KR3avYVF4RYOsMtG4dyUjmua-4SzlmwB9UQoXVaD51jy_jjtxUcKkRH6lear0cxfFa7Q_UIwip19TE8KDkxUNApMLuLjGqGehLUwZqZJ6z4gOyqvenNxcel8sbtXEI/s1600/15.01.25shz2kids.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cuties -- the image of the Creator!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3ByUNGagnCDGldd4zT1sXYJPiNoTV1jaVYIz7xIk5hQzLSBRWou42ioV5Kx0jFD65giIkP3UcGg8a5-gWlm-Aab-HsmZtyB528kY4hn2ARj9GqSFWowioYxSQG9wx4KDi-pCIQ3mPSuJ/s1600/15.01.25shz3kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX3ByUNGagnCDGldd4zT1sXYJPiNoTV1jaVYIz7xIk5hQzLSBRWou42ioV5Kx0jFD65giIkP3UcGg8a5-gWlm-Aab-HsmZtyB528kY4hn2ARj9GqSFWowioYxSQG9wx4KDi-pCIQ3mPSuJ/s1600/15.01.25shz3kids.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These little guys were about to get in trouble for picking the dahlias. </td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Deut-6-5" id="en-NIV-5092" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">5 </span>Love<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-5092J" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-5092J" title="See cross-reference J">J</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> the <span class="small-caps" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> your God with all your heart<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-5092K" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-5092K" title="See cross-reference K">K</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span> and with all your soul and with all your strength.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-5092L" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-5092L" title="See cross-reference L">L</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"> </span><span class="text Deut-6-6" id="en-NIV-5093" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">6 </span>These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-5093M" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-5093M" title="See cross-reference M">M</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 24px;"> </span></span></b></i><span class="text Deut-6-7" id="en-NIV-5094" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 24px;"><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">7 </span>Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.</span></b></i><span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-5094N" data-link="(<a href="#cen-NIV-5094N" title="See cross-reference N">N</a>)" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;"></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px;"> -- Deuteronomy 6:5-7</span></span></div>
Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-27314811464563037782015-01-07T18:01:00.000-08:002015-01-07T18:01:10.651-08:00Lutheran Women's Biblical Life Conference in Myanmar<br />
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Catching Up on 2014... </span><br />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">2014 LUTHERAN WOMEN’S BIBLICAL LIFE CONFERENCE IN MYANMAR</span></h1>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Oh Sing to the Lord, Oh
sing God a new song!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">For God is the Lord, and God has done wonders!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">And sing we
did! And wonders we have seen! Gathered by the Word, thirty-five women from all
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">four</i> of the Federation of Lutheran
Churches in Myanmar took part in the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Lutheran
Women’s Biblical Life Conference</b> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> mid -</span>November 2014. Hosted on the grounds of the historic
Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Yangon, the event was co-sponsored by the Mekong
Mission Forum (MMF).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Dr. Margaret
Hunt from the Lutheran Church of Australia (LCA) challenged us to consider how God
speaks to us today through women in the Bible. These were not easy stories: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Tamar, Lot’s daughters, the widowed Ruth, the five
Zelophehad sisters. For each Biblical passage we asked: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Who? What? Where? When?</i> And then the big questions: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Why is this story in the Bible? What does
God want us to learn from this story?</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Engaging
with multi-media slides, works of art, song, small group discussion, and even a
“Bible Bingo” game, participants<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>explored these fascinating, but in some cases little known stories of
Holy Scripture. In addition, participants were invited to note how various
women of the Bible offer clear examples of the Lutheran understanding of the <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">priesthood of all believers</b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">call</b> and <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">vocation</b>, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">servant leadership,</b>
as well as the way in which God’s people are<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> saints </b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">and</i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> sinners.</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The women each crafted hand-sewn decorations for
their “servant stoles” as a symbol of this priesthood we all share as sisters
in Christ. </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: Arial; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">I have to laugh at the way I look in this last photo (front & center!) - like an exhausted old missionary lady!!! And I </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">was</i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;"> exhausted, dealing with Yangon heat, traffic, logistics, language translation, financial reimbursements. I've since found out I was already suffering from a hyper-thyroid which affected my energy levels. But it was a highlight of 2014, to be able to sit at the feet of my Myanmar and Australian (co-presenter) sisters and listen to </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">their </i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">insights and encouragement to speak the TRUTH about what's happening in their communities, and plan for ACTIONS of GRACE, in Jesus' name. Wow!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> </span><sup class="ww" style="background-color: white; display: inline; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">"</sup><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">The daughters of Zelophehad are right in what they are saying; </span></i></b></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>you shall indeed let them possess an inheritance among their father’s brothers and pass the inheritance of their father on to them." </i></b></span><span style="color: #010000;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #010000; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">-- GOD, quoted in Numbers 27:7</span></div>
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Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-21569433420018907972014-10-02T00:48:00.000-07:002014-10-02T00:48:25.128-07:00Pray for Hong Kong<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Lutheran Theological Seminary suspended its classes on Monday and Tuesday due to demonstrations and protests for true democracy in Hong Kong. A prayer service was held on Monday and the candle lit chapel remained open for prayer on both days. </span><br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Oct 1- 2 (Wednesday - Thursday) are public holidays in Hong Kong.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> </span>During this time we, along with our students at LTS, are learning about the Church and its engagement with democracy, as prayers are lifted up for students, society, government, police.</div>
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Last night one of our colleagues organized a night hike/prayer walk for Hong Kong.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Arrival to Hong Kong Island by Star Ferry on Monday night.</td></tr>
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Various professors have been accompanying small groups of seminary students to witness the actual protest situation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Wayne took this photo Wed night, Oct 1, impressed to see even<br />children and young families engaged with this peaceful protest</i></td></tr>
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Tomorrow (Friday) our seminary President and Dean have arranged for continued prayer and discussion of Hong Kong churches' engagement with the protests, including presentation of a paper <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/s/f7s6i1rlbhbvyq0/14.09%20TS_Civil_Disobedience%2C_published-LO%20.pdf?dl=0"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">"Civil Disobedience - An Impact on the Hong Kong Churches,</span> </a><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">" written by LTS professor, Dr. Pilgrim Lo.</span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> It provides a little history of the pro-democracy negotiations and then discusses the value and possible application of Luther's views to the situation (we are a Lutheran seminary!). </span><br />
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On the one hand, Wayne and I find ourselves wondering if the world has ever in its history seen such a peaceful way of protesting. We've followed the reports and also seen first hand how food and water is being distributed, contingency plans are in place to help any first aid or emergency vehicles to get through the crowds - protest signs and speeches seem remarkably polite and positive. I found myself behind this guy on Monday night -- fanning not only himself but reaching out to fan other demonstrators and bystanders, including me!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3z24eQINxOQvgZs_NN1T56k3jBYvfzzKnswJBMnY4qF0Sy77zLGX-zsA9KWa5hz_NF9sDaTjwsG8NYNJLHfsUNGF9Q26KVhIx3WCb_pHlz1gsJTCSCrUuxNKKrKDlbDMjHH9_nXMB7N6V/s1600/14.09.29+fan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3z24eQINxOQvgZs_NN1T56k3jBYvfzzKnswJBMnY4qF0Sy77zLGX-zsA9KWa5hz_NF9sDaTjwsG8NYNJLHfsUNGF9Q26KVhIx3WCb_pHlz1gsJTCSCrUuxNKKrKDlbDMjHH9_nXMB7N6V/s1600/14.09.29+fan.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A moment later he fanned me - a welcome second of relief<br />in the Hong Kong heat.</i></td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="font-size: 13px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQSLp2ENsCf5p2_-GfxXgIMZhlieP-1se1YxyApQ-3quYCRYvARPVS5PRfz0sUhbGuP13HU93B0lFaADPhKTPjcczo1GQvfsLhImJ2_ZBKdvjIsNxcydyCld2W83aO3xjZsG7NzsjlIIv/s1600/water+bottles.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbQSLp2ENsCf5p2_-GfxXgIMZhlieP-1se1YxyApQ-3quYCRYvARPVS5PRfz0sUhbGuP13HU93B0lFaADPhKTPjcczo1GQvfsLhImJ2_ZBKdvjIsNxcydyCld2W83aO3xjZsG7NzsjlIIv/s1600/water+bottles.jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>water bottles ready for distribution in heat indexes reaching over 100 F.</i></td></tr>
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On the other hand, many of our Chinese friends and colleagues here are worried. What may happen if the students decide to stay after Thursday, when a "normal" work day should resume? What will happen if the leaders of the students and Occupy Central and the current Hong Kong administrative leaders do not go to the negotiation table? The terrible shadow of <a href="http://time.com/2822290/tiananmen-square-massacre-anniversary/">Tiananmen Square 25 years ago</a> hangs heavy over Hong Kong.<br />
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Wherever you are ithe world, we invite you to say a prayer for beautiful Hong Kong and all of God's beloved people here - students, Occupy Central demonstrators, government, police, and especially the leaders and emerging leaders in Hong Kong and Mainland China.</div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">May God have mercy to allow this </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">peaceful witness to continue - some how - into a peaceful resolution.</span></div>
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As Wayne is a Reinhold Niebuhr fan, he suggests one of his favorite Niebuhr prayers:<br />
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<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">"O God, in whom there is no darkness at all, we thank you that though we walk in darkness, you have give us enough light in which to walk. As the sun dispels each morning the shadows of the night, so your mercies,which surround us, pierce the shadows of sin ever again, and help us to see the meaning of life. Give us grace to triumph over the confusion of impulse, in which we are so easily ensnared, and to walk in the way of wisdom disclosed by your wisdom. Grant us clearness of vision especially when good is intertwined with evil, and duty conflicts with desire, so that we do your will this day and always. Amen" </span></i><br />
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Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-81536995243894192992014-09-14T02:25:00.000-07:002014-09-14T05:04:24.754-07:00September Weather, Monkeys and Church Angels<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMib1_ArOoc65idFDjmQgP8C2qXhTXgtvq-oZxmHL7zOrW47ka6e1l7C-GEC8IYGtzJgKMbu8CCa5P4LJN6d5_0rO8nErstmU9uar2TYNkclxCLWN-df0rdLQWJzyIkdlOA3dwwFQFjWH/s1600/weather+sept+14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIMib1_ArOoc65idFDjmQgP8C2qXhTXgtvq-oZxmHL7zOrW47ka6e1l7C-GEC8IYGtzJgKMbu8CCa5P4LJN6d5_0rO8nErstmU9uar2TYNkclxCLWN-df0rdLQWJzyIkdlOA3dwwFQFjWH/s1600/weather+sept+14.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Please note the heat index. Yes, that's right. 108F !!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It's been hot. This is the second time this week I've see the heat index at 108F.<br />
<div>
Rumour is a typhoon is on its way. At least that may cool things down??!</div>
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<br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/5njVW4sl2Rs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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The monkeys have been active. This big guy was hanging around our house yesterday. I'm grateful for the bars on our windows. </div>
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The STUDENTS! It's been wonderful to return to new and "old" students at the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Hong Kong.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEqKDR7PFFlIwYkSM3r1rHIvL5-ZxK5S1-gMKuPwoEeGK8eW8ZWqcXXwXfhezP15Tu0KRV0HFArNnFyC7_oW1kxjMWZ8uAbbBJ0pbLNc5gosDNn9eQ7wXxXoACxX-cmlaqu77ALP7hquQ/s1600/3+new+students.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLEqKDR7PFFlIwYkSM3r1rHIvL5-ZxK5S1-gMKuPwoEeGK8eW8ZWqcXXwXfhezP15Tu0KRV0HFArNnFyC7_oW1kxjMWZ8uAbbBJ0pbLNc5gosDNn9eQ7wXxXoACxX-cmlaqu77ALP7hquQ/s1600/3+new+students.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three of our new students from Myanmar.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJgrk7FwttEniEEoLD6cZ-6HA8RINwqP6wgPQBG3io4cTK_OxkyVVQN_hrFhyphenhyphenQy3luF2yHOzc54x8KwVwwZv-Im5ArmrUgWTPamwEyaWwDexFcS7dwxV4Q6ReyYBw26GceZbBZvWilqkI/s1600/14.09.01+Rospita.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJgrk7FwttEniEEoLD6cZ-6HA8RINwqP6wgPQBG3io4cTK_OxkyVVQN_hrFhyphenhyphenQy3luF2yHOzc54x8KwVwwZv-Im5ArmrUgWTPamwEyaWwDexFcS7dwxV4Q6ReyYBw26GceZbBZvWilqkI/s1600/14.09.01+Rospita.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our "old" students from Indonesia,<br />
Rospita is turning into an amazing scholar and is on schedule to finish her doctorate this spring.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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And today (Sunday September 14th) Wayne and I each returned to our respective local Lutheran churches where we each serve as "sacramental minister."</div>
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<div>
We had each been feeling a little low -- overwhelmed by the heat, the monkeys in our yard and in our heads (!), the mounds and mounds of work awaiting us (Wayne is co-teaching an intensive course for a group of mostly Mainland Chinese students this coming week... and has not yet been assured there will be a translator! Did I mention our Mandarin skills consist of "ni-hao!" ??? Pray for him and the students!)</div>
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But today, each of us at our respective churches, we were strongly reminded of one of Bill Hybel's great sayings, "The local church is the hope of the world." By all means Wayne and I believe in a global church. We love the inter-connections of the Body of Christ. Amazing! Beautiful! Exotic! Awesome! Absolutely Necessary! But the local church -- in every place -- is where hand touches hand, live voices sing, Bread of Life given, encouragement received, forgiveness of neighbor is put into practice.</div>
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<div>
And today, we had the return of the Men's Choir at Ma On Shan Truth Lutheran Church:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22JGjQ-TxlDgsnx685Uwvb1iLN5VQg7AxmAu2l697NMJ9JEMGdxmn462lt9YUKQ_EaOcCo51eu0uSOyezv3DR_gBdepWylR3ozekEFjW2Ut6GQZOy-oQOpJUx-BezFKON4hlz0fT7VXJ2/s1600/men's%2Bchoir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg22JGjQ-TxlDgsnx685Uwvb1iLN5VQg7AxmAu2l697NMJ9JEMGdxmn462lt9YUKQ_EaOcCo51eu0uSOyezv3DR_gBdepWylR3ozekEFjW2Ut6GQZOy-oQOpJUx-BezFKON4hlz0fT7VXJ2/s1600/men's%2Bchoir.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love these guys! I'll try and add the video later. Note the harmonica player in the corner.</td></tr>
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And to top it off - still warm boiled red eggs in honor of the first moon (first month of life) of a grandchild to a congregational member: The egg symbolizes new life, the color red symbolizes good fortune and joy.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEsSXIqQkKEum3Euhzcu3rsOOcM_dVMSyPL5xrWggu0fpRKsBslh55xVhjH5-LooyV55cCVwFVey9iKW9ymr-5tmaP5uSYukqQ5_m9o86USUjvQ_5kqT9TVVYSRQp-8z1DTI2fbsS9qrs/s1600/red+egg+and+pc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEsSXIqQkKEum3Euhzcu3rsOOcM_dVMSyPL5xrWggu0fpRKsBslh55xVhjH5-LooyV55cCVwFVey9iKW9ymr-5tmaP5uSYukqQ5_m9o86USUjvQ_5kqT9TVVYSRQp-8z1DTI2fbsS9qrs/s1600/red+egg+and+pc.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">good fortune, joy, and delicious, too!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
Today, it was good to be back in Hong Kong. Except for the weather. </div>
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<h1 class="passage-display" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.1; margin: 0px 0px 20px;">
</h1>
<div style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Verdana, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 10px; text-align: center;">
<i><b><span class="text John-15-10" id="en-NIV-26710" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">10 </span>If you keep my commands,<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-26710A" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26710A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span> you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love.</span> <span class="text John-15-11" id="en-NIV-26711" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">11 </span>I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.<span class="crossreference" data-cr="#cen-NIV-26711B" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 0.625em; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-26711B" title="See cross-reference B">B</a>)"></span></span> </b></i><span class="text John-15-12" id="en-NIV-26712" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><i><b><span class="versenum" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; line-height: 22px; position: relative; top: 0px; vertical-align: top;">12 </span>My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.</b></i> -- Jesus, speaking in the Gospel of John 15:10-12 (NIV)</span></div>
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Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-45225093123174044822014-07-24T10:06:00.000-07:002014-07-24T10:06:16.927-07:00Launching out from Lake Toba, Indonesia<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">After a several month hiatus, Marathonangel returns with this guest post from Dr. Wayne L. Nieminen (a.k.a. my husband) returning to Hong Kong from an LTS faculty trip to Indonesia:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">+++++++</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPxvkunQYNsnCic00K3SV4AaY0ATYMiv48zTL6aSW6-CN_SN9fMQfZPbKjHEgKrLhVdcvfMsT9OAdRupbgErmG4607rPIh3P-2_jtpwKKpcdAi43B91z-oqPAbwfLLTmy48lfCZPNcDw1/s1600/Indonesia+Lake+Toba+sun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwPxvkunQYNsnCic00K3SV4AaY0ATYMiv48zTL6aSW6-CN_SN9fMQfZPbKjHEgKrLhVdcvfMsT9OAdRupbgErmG4607rPIh3P-2_jtpwKKpcdAi43B91z-oqPAbwfLLTmy48lfCZPNcDw1/s1600/Indonesia+Lake+Toba+sun.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Have you
toiled all night near the shore in vain?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Push away
from the shore, launch out:<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Where the
flood is deep cast your nets again. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Push away
from the shore, launch out; <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>There a
blessing waits your soul to take, <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Haste away
from the barren strand; <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>Toil no more
where the surges break; <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><i>“Launch out’
is your Lord’s command.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div class="MsoNoSpacing">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">After June 2014
graduation celebrations, members of the <a href="http://www.lts.edu/">Lutheran Theological Seminary (LTS)</a> faculty journeyed to Northern
Sumatra, Indonesia for our annual retreat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We visited church leaders and LTS alumni who now serve
a marvelous array of institutions within the Gereja Kristen Protestant
Indonesia Church (GKPI – 355,000 members ) and Huria Kristen Batak Protestant
(HKBP – with over 4.1 million members).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We were moved by these church ministries to the blind, orphans, Moslems
and schools for teaching and preaching, training pastors and deaconesses. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A vibrant holistic ministry of
Word, Sacrament, Service, Education and Song was evident to all. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22ppFxgsAcp3p1cmtUwfb1hw2Y9LHVa8fpi9-yttee_RSTexTWHwvbiwm7cq21y5h4I6VRbdPFGTMLQlRPPy1ChuupNswRz9a1r2UJ2QVXoiaosEuEWFhKi0sW38KhtGJTzdmz6Bow_5U/s1600/Indoensia+inside+full+church.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi22ppFxgsAcp3p1cmtUwfb1hw2Y9LHVa8fpi9-yttee_RSTexTWHwvbiwm7cq21y5h4I6VRbdPFGTMLQlRPPy1ChuupNswRz9a1r2UJ2QVXoiaosEuEWFhKi0sW38KhtGJTzdmz6Bow_5U/s1600/Indoensia+inside+full+church.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcKSUrJeqa7CWcKXv_Vi5CHHYkkmWTBHJL7EM1ZADeJ7Axm96cnigsgwg3HBrGhWP0fjoQq-_iCnz_UncjpS0H4Ro7mwCVzTw0iU4VgwpBBKNzeGoB_04RKcYF_YMoxyeasXwYqS7e049/s1600/Indonesia+deaconess+choir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqcKSUrJeqa7CWcKXv_Vi5CHHYkkmWTBHJL7EM1ZADeJ7Axm96cnigsgwg3HBrGhWP0fjoQq-_iCnz_UncjpS0H4Ro7mwCVzTw0iU4VgwpBBKNzeGoB_04RKcYF_YMoxyeasXwYqS7e049/s1600/Indonesia+deaconess+choir.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">One early
evening we found ourselves on a passenger ferry crossing Lake Toba on our way
to Samosir Island.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Lake Toba
is the result of the eruption of a “super volcano” which took place about
75,000 years.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">It is said to have
been the greatest volcanic eruption within the last 25 million years of the
earth’s history.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Samosir island
formed from the cone of the volcano and is surrounded by a lake that is nearly
100 kilometers long, 30 kilometers wide and 500 meters deep.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">This extraordinary geological event is
said to have been responsible for changing the climate of the earth. </span></div>
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The sun was
about to set when we boarded the ferry.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">
</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">We faced a warm but growing headwind.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Our HKBP guides sung hymns as the captain navigated the
choppy waters and the Southern Cross constellation seemed to travel with us above
our heads. </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">I later read that the “crux”
constellation was “circumpolar” – always above the horizon in the southern
hemisphere.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Sailors used it as
navigational aid – a guidepost.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">I remembered
an old hymn, “Launch Out.” written by Rev. James Bruce Mackay (author of some
60 hymns) who lived from 1861-1940.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>It is one of the many nautical hymns composed in the missionary era.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those hymn writers knew about
capricious seas, rogue waves, incoming swells, gusts of winds, typhoons, as
well as the sea’s calmness - The sea was a metaphor for the unpredictability
and arbitrariness of life. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nevertheless,
MacKay believed that the Savior continually called his disciples to “push away
from the shore, launch out.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We,
the LTS Hong Kong faculty, were witnesses to the Indonesian churches “launching
out” through its many ministries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The kingdom of God is emerging across the globe with men and women dreaming
big dreams - reimagining the world.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And we, as teachers, felt privileged and grateful to have a (small) role
in God’s movement in these churches and in this country.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ifXbZpB8H8aZ0JFBu-zaDs_AOuTHsraxL6_PjAQxy__mBrbqzPJyHwzrOf0EjJ_GdCBX907O6D70zvR26D0gCbJcQ29Z_I3SO4hzLiZXUeFF8jzDajkFJv3nGjEko1H1CylVXMu-BLa8/s1600/Indonesia+w+Tonggo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ifXbZpB8H8aZ0JFBu-zaDs_AOuTHsraxL6_PjAQxy__mBrbqzPJyHwzrOf0EjJ_GdCBX907O6D70zvR26D0gCbJcQ29Z_I3SO4hzLiZXUeFF8jzDajkFJv3nGjEko1H1CylVXMu-BLa8/s1600/Indonesia+w+Tonggo.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">The refrain
for MacKay’s hymn is:</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><i style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Launch out, launch out; Push away from the
shore, launch out; God’s grace
flows free, like a might sea, And the Master calls, “Launch out!”</i><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">May we as the Lutheran Theological
Seminary – faculty, students and staff </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"></a><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">together - </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';">continue to “launch out” !!!</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"> </span></div>
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Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-20689173253327968352014-03-14T06:36:00.001-07:002014-03-14T06:36:56.329-07:00Dancing a Prayer of Sadness<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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We received word of a terrible, tragic death of the 24 year old friend of one of our sons.<br />
Our world will not be the same.<br />
This is the kid who lived down the street. Who slept over at our house in a pile of boys in the basement. Who had a world class science project. Who got up in the dark winter mornings to get to 6 a.m. team wrestling practices at the school. An athlete and a scholar.<br />
<br />
Whose Mom & Dad took him to church, showed up at every school event, whose Mom & Dad loved him madly. Who was our son's good friend, and fun. A law school student.<br />
<br />
Who was a Christian. Who, yes, messed with drugs and alcohol, which everyone expected was a passing thing. Maybe it was or wasn't, but somehow this bright young man lost sight of all light, and got desperate. And took his own life.<br />
<br />
Our son called us, facetime, across the continents and ocean. This is when it's hard to be so far away. There are times when to see your kid on a little phone screen is not enough.<br />
<br />
In Christian tradition, it's Lent, and at the LTS chapel we entered into the season of dust and ashes with (of all things) dancing.<br />
<br />
Southeast Asian dancing is expressive, from the arch of the foot to the plane of the outstretched hand.<br />
Just so, our spirits try to express sadness, and anger, and confession, and more sadness, in prayer.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVWMf5erkGOGeNczYJjLSHQLLWUW5iwIdDY3BPmsrfclQ6uvSPkLsWeQjdJpHWQApab1H2FoOX9PFnPZZxPUZCNkmdvnSTxDrQVyc6fchv7jhCa0-Is5iyaDRSDSS5L0Rrv5h4FmaQVUrd/s1600/lts+seng+ja.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVWMf5erkGOGeNczYJjLSHQLLWUW5iwIdDY3BPmsrfclQ6uvSPkLsWeQjdJpHWQApab1H2FoOX9PFnPZZxPUZCNkmdvnSTxDrQVyc6fchv7jhCa0-Is5iyaDRSDSS5L0Rrv5h4FmaQVUrd/s1600/lts+seng+ja.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
It is for just a death like this, that we Christians insistently cling to hope beyond all hope: That there will, in fact, be full redemption, a rising up, of this particular and beloved life, the good friend of our son.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><b>In Romans 8:26, St. Paul writes: </b></span><i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><b> </b></span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">with sighs too deep for words.</span></i><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span>
<br />Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-62928994559817591052014-02-12T22:48:00.001-08:002014-02-12T22:50:17.746-08:00Eight Horses of the Bible - A meditation in honor of the Lunar New Year 2014<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxbDPOtcOTInLfuzLGTAaewkAWjTed12UE4_sSdWATUv-nPTDYahg58INU5PNLnDeaDd-e6HNn3H7HXaWN20Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Happy Chinese New Year of the Horse!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The New Year is supposed to bring Spring with it, but it's still very much Winter in Hong Kong: </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Many consecutive days of gray rain and temperatures of 45F outside means winter coats are needed inside, in our unheated seminary classrooms.</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMtxwaTtvrfae463rSM24_fyNNL0yoyfxVSivY0taO0m4ywpm_5beDHltEY-Y4SfZsPFv2tc5bENwK8nqtGFfE6Bk0piPhPZfucd-SsnGSdOa2W_T70n6Dhr3O0Xf0pSmiNnjs07kKcQC/s1600/rainycoldclass.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRMtxwaTtvrfae463rSM24_fyNNL0yoyfxVSivY0taO0m4ywpm_5beDHltEY-Y4SfZsPFv2tc5bENwK8nqtGFfE6Bk0piPhPZfucd-SsnGSdOa2W_T70n6Dhr3O0Xf0pSmiNnjs07kKcQC/s1600/rainycoldclass.jpeg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">And yet, students smile and "firecracker flowers" brighten the dull landscape. Good things are abloom, even in the midst of a gray Hong Kong winter!</span></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqy1exT0IWrdH4kC65CMENy9Z4NNc8IelboQMXjwffRvZP-SgXy0_Ybc93tl6SEeM5UB1zEa1YG7vBlC5cWsFhnpTntPBCV4jBBIj4Vf_Feo5t_yfY-8HhIsZX1bZ6MdtNExUkho8v6NzA/s1600/rainyskies.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqy1exT0IWrdH4kC65CMENy9Z4NNc8IelboQMXjwffRvZP-SgXy0_Ybc93tl6SEeM5UB1zEa1YG7vBlC5cWsFhnpTntPBCV4jBBIj4Vf_Feo5t_yfY-8HhIsZX1bZ6MdtNExUkho8v6NzA/s1600/rainyskies.jpeg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; line-height: 18px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, check out the excerpts (below) from a recent sermon by yours truly, on Biblical horse imagery for the New Year of the Horse. And remember:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Ps-20-7" id="en-NIV-14190" style="background-color: white; position: relative;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some trust in chariots</span></span></i></div>
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<i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="text Ps-20-7" style="background-color: white; position: relative;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="crossreference" style="font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-14190A" title="See cross-reference A">A</a>)"></span> and some in horses,</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></span><span class="text Ps-20-7" style="position: relative;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">but we trust </span></span></span></i><i><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Ps-20-7" style="position: relative;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">in </span></span></span></i></span></div>
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<i><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Ps-20-7" style="position: relative;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">the name of the <span class="small-caps" style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span> our God.</span></span></span></i></div>
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<i><span class="indent-1" style="background-color: white;"><span class="text Ps-20-7" style="position: relative;">-- Psalm 20:7</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Excerpts from a
Sermon:<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><u>Eight
Horses from the Bible </u><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Rev. Christa von Zychlin<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Lunar New Year of the Horse<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Season of Epiphany<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">2014</span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">In honor of
Chinese New Year of the Horse, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">here are eight
horses of the Bible who still speak to us today:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">HORSE #1<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span>“Do
you give the horse its strength</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br />
</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"> or clothe its neck with a flowing mane?</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br />
</span></i><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">20 </span></sup></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Do
you make it leap like a locust,</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br />
</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"> striking terror with its proud
snorting?</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br />
</span></i><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">21 </span></sup></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">It
paws fiercely, rejoicing in its strength,</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br />
</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"> and charges into the fray.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br />
</span></i><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">22 </span></sup></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">It
laughs at fear, afraid of nothing;<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">-- Job 30<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">In these verses,
God himself is speaking to Job. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Job, who has suffered beyond what any human being should
suffer. And it is a strange comfort to Job, but it is a comfort. Sometimes, there
is no answer to pain, sorrow or suffering. But God says, look at my Creation,
and don’t doubt me. Just look at the horse, its muscles its power its strength,
its joy, its beauty. God says, I am the God of that horse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And I am God of you, Job, even in all of
your incomprehensible suffering<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">HORSE #2<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">31 </span></sup></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The horse is made ready for the day of battle,</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br />
</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> but
victory rests with the <span style="font-variant: small-caps;">Lord</span>.</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> -- </span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Proverbs 21:31. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">The battle horse
reminds us it is good to prepare for things. We will have battles in life and
we’d better get ready to fight them. So let’s get our spiritual armor in place,
but make sure we’re fighting as Christ did – not with violence and hate, but
with the armor of God, the weapons of the Spirit.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">and still, even
with the best preparations, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>success
is not in our hands, but is with God… and that’s more than ok, it is good!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">HORSE
#3<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;"><o:p> </o:p></span></h4>
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<span class="textsong-1-9"><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">9 </span></sup></i></b></span><span class="textsong-1-9"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">I
liken you, my darling, to a mare</span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><br />
</span></i><span class="indent-1-breaks"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 5.5pt;"> </span></i></span><span class="textsong-1-9"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">among Pharaoh’s chariot horses. </span></i></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt;">--Song of
Solomon 1:9</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">Valentines’ Day is coming up and
some of you men may want to use this line for the ladies…</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">or maybe not!!</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">The Song of Solomon is a love song
celebrating the sexual love between a man and a woman, -- and that’s a good
thing.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">But it’s <u>also</u> always been
understood as an allegory – the</span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">allegory of love between God and
our soul, our deepest self.<o:p></o:p></span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal;">God sees each one of us,
individually, with eyes of love. Like a bridegroom for his one & only bride,
like a bride for her one & only husband.</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.5pt;">Among
all the horses, the horseman sees this one special mare.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 9.5pt;">Among
all the people God has created, God also sees you, in your most inward and
personal self, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and you are uniquely
beautiful to him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">HORSE #4<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">And
yet and yet - It is because we are so precious and beautiful in God’s sight
that He gets so enraged at the hurt we inflict on other people and on all of
creation. </span><span style="font-family: Arial;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">”None of them repent of
their wickedness, saying, ‘What have I done?’ Each pursues their own course
like a horse</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">charging into battle.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>-- </span></i><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Jeremiah 8:6<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">In
the preceding chapter (7) the prophet Jeremiah makes a list of sins that really
matter to God:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">--
the sin of oppressing the alien:<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">who are the “aliens” (strangers, weirdo’s, uninvited ones)
in your neighborhood?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">--
the sin of neglecting the fatherless and widowed:<span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">what are we doing for<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>the fatherless <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the
orphaned, throughout China and Southeast Asia?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How are vulnerable single women – today’s “widows” young and
old – being treated, exploited, or sold all over in today’s economies?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">--
the sin of following other gods:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">where do you
and I pour out our offerings, what does our credit card or our bank statement or
our business practices say about who the gods are in our lives?<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">In
which way are you and I like horse number 4, “<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Each pursues their own course like a horse</i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">charging into battle” <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Horse
# 4 is the horse that leads to spiritual death, each of us fighting our own
battles, dashing about like horse without a rider. We call ourselves<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Christians, but in so many ways live as
if we have no Saviour to lead us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Horse
#4 calls us to repentance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">HORSE
#5, 6, 7, 8<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"> </span><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.0pt;">2 </span></sup></i></b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">I looked, and behold,
a white horse… a red horse… a black horse… a pale horse…”</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>-- Revelation 6:1-8</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">What destination does living
apart from God bring us to?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Sin has already (I believe) unleashed
the parabolic horses of Revelation 6 into our world, the four horses of the
apocalypse: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">the white horse</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> -- bent on conquest, represents the sin of power-grabbing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">the red horse</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;">, the color of blood, represents war. God revealed in Christ hates war
and violence between humans; for Christians, there is no such thing as a
righteous human war.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">the black horse</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial;"> is the horse of famine and scarcity, but also represents unfair trade
practices, so prices for ordinary food is high, so people at the bottom of the
economic pyramids have to work all day just in order to eat, so as go back to
work another day. Meanwhile, the rich get richer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The last horse is <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">the pale horse</b> of death. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Those are the eight horses
of the Bible:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">Ah, but there is one more
horse. Surprise! There is a 9th horse to consider.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">(This is the last time a
horse is mentioned in the Bible)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">HORSE
#9<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">The old visionary John continues speaking
of what he once saw in a vision:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">“I saw heaven
standing open and there before me was a white</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">His eyes like
blazing fire, on his head crowns, dressed in a robe dipped in blood”</span></i><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"> – Revelation
19:11<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Whose blood is He wearing?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is his own blood – unlike any other
conqueror, this One wears his own blood.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Written on his robe he has this name:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">(Do you know His name?)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">The final horse of the Bible, the ninth
horse, is the horse on which the Son of Man is seated. He comes as the one who wins
all battles, who brings all justice, who leads his people forward into the New
Heaven and the New Earth where peace reigns, where justice lives, where love of
neighbor is practiced with imagination and strength.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">Horses of the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have much to live and learn and to
DO as Christians, living in this New Year of the Horse.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">As a website about the Chinese
understanding of the horse put it:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="apple-converted-space"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;"> </span></i></span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt;">Horses can give people a ride to their
destination. Therefore, the horse is not only a symbol of traveling, but also a
sign of speedy success.”<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">May God give us good travels, a great
destination and the <u>right kind of success</u> in this New Year of the Horse.
Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-17433500199003920392014-01-18T23:42:00.000-08:002014-01-19T04:47:33.045-08:00Seminary Olympics... for the sport of it<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikm1n0WP7p83uBt08TtPBab2M8dTdXFeg5EvhvuQ3nfg9B7ZpkvnvchVFsdko3MXfo0pTfIPFHCQSYJmgKIs2M_qz-U90RC6TLNsO1r0j-ln_6OhUVjHGUBk6bex6bWkA5FKYgIL4motq5/s1600/olympjoyteam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikm1n0WP7p83uBt08TtPBab2M8dTdXFeg5EvhvuQ3nfg9B7ZpkvnvchVFsdko3MXfo0pTfIPFHCQSYJmgKIs2M_qz-U90RC6TLNsO1r0j-ln_6OhUVjHGUBk6bex6bWkA5FKYgIL4motq5/s1600/olympjoyteam.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The opening ceremonies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Seminary Olympics held in the yard of our home in Hong Kong with inter-Asian and inter-national students. .... something we first experienced at <a href="http://www.lstc.edu/">LSTC</a>hicago many years ago. The Hong Kong version included the 1) cardboard slalom doubles event, 2) edible medals, and 3) fastest recitation of the books of the Bible (in one's own language). Below are some of the top contenders, can you recognize the languages? Can you guess who won?<br />
<div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm5b7NNjhyphenhyphenzicA50Ba89v6FGqIOr7CvL_lT_EB3iSPleFXzN853jeAkDORzq-92Bn8u05URJIOt3BJz87TabViImHxdWidfxe8jWgm4BI3aFOE4TkJI6bK9IcFozTOt2UsFh9S_rTPZATK/s1600/olympicesckate.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm5b7NNjhyphenhyphenzicA50Ba89v6FGqIOr7CvL_lT_EB3iSPleFXzN853jeAkDORzq-92Bn8u05URJIOt3BJz87TabViImHxdWidfxe8jWgm4BI3aFOE4TkJI6bK9IcFozTOt2UsFh9S_rTPZATK/s1600/olympicesckate.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notice the fancy footwear for the "slalom doubles"</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbabldB63tcFTcXXBKt2h9Q_kThkjjCUG2qGZtL7RbXDTQ3gIXDBP9Ubpe-YHtzRgGYh4Q27QomfJEmSYwArbgTzaUtcuRhWlSNYlN6xMRxFtwT6vFBuayjnK6nWUjHWWAnbt5Jc33vHT/s1600/olymawards.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijbabldB63tcFTcXXBKt2h9Q_kThkjjCUG2qGZtL7RbXDTQ3gIXDBP9Ubpe-YHtzRgGYh4Q27QomfJEmSYwArbgTzaUtcuRhWlSNYlN6xMRxFtwT6vFBuayjnK6nWUjHWWAnbt5Jc33vHT/s1600/olymawards.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alas, the edible medals did not last the night...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span class="versenum" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; vertical-align: top;">Sometimes it's good just to have fun together!</span><span class="versenum" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="versenum" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: top;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="versenum" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: top;"><b><i>You've all been to the stadium and seen the athletes race. Everyone runs; one wins. Run to win. </i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="versenum" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: top;"><b><i>All good athletes train hard. They do it for a gold medal that tarnishes and fades. </i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="versenum" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: large; vertical-align: top;"><b><i>You're after one that's gold eternally.</i></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="versenum" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; vertical-align: top;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<span class="versenum" style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; vertical-align: top;">-- St. Paul writing in I Corinthians 9:24-25 THE MESSAGE BIBLE</span><br />
<b>
<span class="versenum" style="background-color: white; vertical-align: top;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></b>Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-69977659714310793512014-01-03T01:45:00.001-08:002014-01-03T01:45:54.313-08:00A New Year and passport troubles in Southeast Asia<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27TjC3d7oTtZh-8P-7uphohB-4TjmvmI1XeCM5bPWr9r70vvqo5hai_a_Vz8uRSmEVOHK5Xf1KTPTBbUHC6BGGjly6I__evfN3dntCobUxxVKN28GFWPrFEGplevSzWzIg5BG3UKL08gE/s1600/vietCity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27TjC3d7oTtZh-8P-7uphohB-4TjmvmI1XeCM5bPWr9r70vvqo5hai_a_Vz8uRSmEVOHK5Xf1KTPTBbUHC6BGGjly6I__evfN3dntCobUxxVKN28GFWPrFEGplevSzWzIg5BG3UKL08gE/s320/vietCity.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
So this is how we started 2014... in a certain city in Southeast Asia along the Mekong, looking out of the hotel room at these rooftops, where a cat prowled for mice on a collapsed and rotted building just next to our room with its air-conditioning and room service menu.<br />
<br />
We had had the following conversation with a couple of our LTS seminary alumni. One of the ways their small "start-up" church is serving is by weekly visits to the local hospital, to bring meals to patients. The hospital does not provide any food, that's the family's job.<br />
<br />
"What if they don't have any family who can do that?"<br />
<br />
The answer can swiftly.<br />
<br />
"Then they die. That's the reality here in ________. If you don't have family who can take care of you, then you die."<br />
<br />
This young couple is leading a young church which is intent on making a difference in the local community. 90% of their church members are university students, and most of these young Christians are first generation Christians, coming from non-religious and cultural Buddhist backgrounds.<br />
<br />
The pastor of the church is asked to come in for questioning by the local authorities, on a pretty regular basis. So far, he's been looking at it as an opportunity to explain his church's special emphasis on serving the neighborhood, trying to do what Jesus did, helping the hungry and hurting, sharing basic ethics and teachings with other young adults and couples.<br />
<br />
However the situation is tricky, and things could change at any time for this small but not-yet "official" Christian community, in a part of the world where freedom of religion is far from a given.<br />
<br />
As if to emphasize the complexities of life in this part of the world, our oldest son was suddenly told he could not leave the country (and return with us to Hong Kong) because of a small tear in his passport So our family had to split up -- I returned with our other two sons and Wayne stayed behind to deal with the sudden bureaucratic nightmare. Long story short, thank God they were able to return to Hong Kong in time for eldest son to catch his flight back to home and life in NYC.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDGghnyEEpz5JOFisVhEPJv9utj4tyz-5tuwTXdt-LA5H17aVivQRExYXimXVO0ufe0ET1PxLSoMORHlnfVSx6Q7Lh4UjKuRIQSBfIT6rpWEfEC17NJ1xsf29jnF6h6lt22geOYnlmgba/s1600/vietSoren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwDGghnyEEpz5JOFisVhEPJv9utj4tyz-5tuwTXdt-LA5H17aVivQRExYXimXVO0ufe0ET1PxLSoMORHlnfVSx6Q7Lh4UjKuRIQSBfIT6rpWEfEC17NJ1xsf29jnF6h6lt22geOYnlmgba/s320/vietSoren.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does this look like an international trouble maker to you?</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
So, we had an interesting start to the New Year 2014!!! And have lots to think about, and hopes that in some way our work here can contribute to a critically conscious, yet also kinder and more hopeful world.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the <span class="sc">Lord</span> require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?</span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i></div>
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<i><span style="font-size: x-small;">(the Prophet Micah 6:8 ... also encapsulating some of the basic ethical principles taught by Jesus)</span></i></div>
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Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-60676335645716014942013-12-31T05:44:00.000-08:002013-12-31T05:44:40.269-08:00Up onto Jesus' shoulders in Vietnam<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4R5vJYSFSK-V2fh6dpCCPzoBsbLlBXGnzv6w7hOOOC0lbbuGZPbjVbnDAumDSrO-pznX0eaRw7sGBcnwU1-WBL6Ph9oEdkLXS7tIdLzERrn8b8E2ntNd1EUmG1arMdKbPJpCXqY1_7Qr/s1600/1vietbeach.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL4R5vJYSFSK-V2fh6dpCCPzoBsbLlBXGnzv6w7hOOOC0lbbuGZPbjVbnDAumDSrO-pznX0eaRw7sGBcnwU1-WBL6Ph9oEdkLXS7tIdLzERrn8b8E2ntNd1EUmG1arMdKbPJpCXqY1_7Qr/s320/1vietbeach.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Our last day of 2013 started on the beach in Vung Tau, Vietnam, where we are taking a grace-filled (dare I admit desperately needed?) family vacation.<br />
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Vung Tau is home to the largest statue of Jesus in the world, at 32 meters it is six meters higher than the one in Rio (Brazil).<br />
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We had try to climb up the statue two days ago, walking up the small mountain only to discover the stairway within the statue is closed for two hours in the middle of the day, exactly when we had arrived, of course.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjMh9JuSbzZOnU6yU_Uk9JdCvShQF_jtflp529MmMZ5FOFniKrgTOzQqoViyd-cgcM86XxQAD00keW0ZZHvaJrfKIm1f7PCcGcdhxgG9dEkgXCLLfuNwWb_0B8K7tF1ThZ1DOdTGFa64f/s1600/3vietmoses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOjMh9JuSbzZOnU6yU_Uk9JdCvShQF_jtflp529MmMZ5FOFniKrgTOzQqoViyd-cgcM86XxQAD00keW0ZZHvaJrfKIm1f7PCcGcdhxgG9dEkgXCLLfuNwWb_0B8K7tF1ThZ1DOdTGFa64f/s320/3vietmoses.jpg" width="240" /></a>So today was the day. Again we went by the smaller Biblical statues lower on the mountain... depicting some of the happiest prophets I've ever seen. I'm sure I've never seen a Moses with a big grin on his face before, although it mirrors something I once saw in Jerusalem, at the Wailing Wall, where grey-bearded orthodox Jews had gathered to dance their joy in commemoration of Shavuot, the giving of the Ten Commandments.<br />
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There's also one of the jolliest depictions of the preaching of the Beatitudes I've ever seen. And why not? Jesus was talking about deep happiness, blessedness, joy. Maybe a bird or two and lambs and a batch of kids did frolic, to hear about God's topsy-turvy hand-out of blessings to the poor, the sad, and those reaching out to taste a better world.<br />
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And then we came to the foot of Jesus: Note the scale of things... those are people peering out over the top of his shoulders!</div>
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It was a bit of a squeeze to walk up the last 133 steps. We were glad we were the only Western-sized tourists that day - we definitely would have been in trouble otherwise.</div>
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And at the top we were rewarded by a view of Jesus with Asian eyes, and the sense of seeing things from the perspective of resting on His shoulders. Hmmm. Not a bad way to look back upon the year that was, 2013, and ahead to the year starting up in a few hours, 2014.</div>
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Jesus according to Matthew 11:28-30</h3>
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The Message (MSG)</div>
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<span class="text Matt-11-28-Matt-11-30" id="en-MSG-10032"><span class="versenum" style="font-size: 0.75em; font-weight: bold; vertical-align: top;">28-30 </span><i>“Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I wo</i></span><i>n’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.”</i></div>
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<span style="color: #5c1101; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Happy New Year everybody!!!</span></h2>
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Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-78527375882781231922013-12-27T03:39:00.000-08:002013-12-27T03:39:05.542-08:00Peace on Earth -- reporting from Vietnam<div style="text-align: center;">
<i><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Garuda, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">“True peace is not a balancing of opposing forces. It’s not a lovely facade which conceals conflicts and divisions...</span></b></i></div>
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<i><b><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Garuda, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Peace calls for daily commitment."</span></b></i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Garuda, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Garuda, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> -- Pope Francis, Christmas Day 2013</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Garuda, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">As an American visiting Vietnam as a tourist, Pope Francis' words ring in my ears as our family tours first the Cu Chi Tunnels (said to be over 200 km long) by which the Vietnamese evaded American military, and where now children - beautifully incongruously - scamper over tanks.</span></span></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Life went on, underground, with systems for cooking, sewing, medical care, and the devising<br />of weapons to kill the "American enemy"... some of whom were neighbors to Wayne and I, growing up as American kids in the 1960's<br /><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2ikAG5y3ZaZqd-zWYDTuejvN5yad8YnL7X9A36VWS5aNPFrq8MQ2yvVWfQAIIRQGD9LI2i2ketBtQ40dlRHb3sKpuVx_jB2EJObBQnCz8_3tXfrdoteG72ypMMXUQ6klEXq4-i7jWKLP/s1600/tunnel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic2ikAG5y3ZaZqd-zWYDTuejvN5yad8YnL7X9A36VWS5aNPFrq8MQ2yvVWfQAIIRQGD9LI2i2ketBtQ40dlRHb3sKpuVx_jB2EJObBQnCz8_3tXfrdoteG72ypMMXUQ6klEXq4-i7jWKLP/s320/tunnel.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At an entrance to the tunnel system, portions of which<br />have been enlarged so Western-sized tourists can enter.</td></tr>
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We then went to the War Remnants Museum, which grimly reminded us of the millions killed in the war and the on-going aftereffects of land mines and chemicals used on Vietnamese soil, causing human mutilation and birth defects.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Garuda, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;">Wayne and I are of an age where we well remember neighbors and church families sending off young men to fight what some at the time thought was a noble war for freedom, what others believed was a horrible mistake, what all knew was a war fought, like every war, at the terrible cost of God-beloved human lives.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Garuda, Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"> May the One we name the "Prince of Peace" make Christians the first and the foremost to embrace that "daily commitment" for peace in the New Year 2014.</span><br />
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<i><b>So then let us pursue the things which make for peace </b></i></div>
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<i><b>and the building up of one another.</b></i></div>
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<i>Romans 14:19</i></div>
Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-44905729477597628602013-12-24T00:29:00.000-08:002013-12-24T00:29:14.766-08:00Merry Christmas 2013 from Hong Kong!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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We celebrated the last of the Advent Sundays in a tent sheltering us from the rain. </div>
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The church provides a welcome respite from the Hong Kong crowds... and you thought Christmas</div>
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shopping crowds were bad in your hometown?? (These are not, of course, Christmas</div>
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shoppers but just the normal Sunday afternoon crowds at the metro station!)</div>
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But we've also been surrounded by voices of peace & joy from all over the world this Christmas, as we've celebrated Christ's birth with professors and students...<br />
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from Hong Kong,<br />
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from Cambodia</div>
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from Germany<br />
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from Myanmar<br />
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and Wayne and I have our house full of men... our "boys" have beat the Midwestern and East coast storms and have landed safely in Hong Kong.<br />
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Merry Christmas from Hong Kong! With love and joy in our Savior's birth,<br />
<br />
Christa & Wayne<br />
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<div class="first-line-none" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span class="text Luke-2-8-Luke-2-12"><b><i>"The angel said, 'Don’t be afraid. I’m here to announce a great and joyful event that is meant for everybody, worldwide: A Savior has just been born in David’s town, a Savior who is Messiah and Master. </i></b></span></div>
<div class="first-line-none" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span class="text Luke-2-8-Luke-2-12"><b><i>This is what you’re to look for: </i></b></span></div>
<div class="first-line-none" style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span class="text Luke-2-8-Luke-2-12"><b><i>a baby wrapped in a blanket and lying in a manger.'</i></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span class="text Luke-2-13-Luke-2-14" id="en-MSG-10690"><b><i><span class="versenum" style="vertical-align: top;">13-14 </span>At once the angel was joined by a huge angelic choir singing God’s praises..."</i></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span class="text Luke-2-13-Luke-2-14"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span class="text Luke-2-13-Luke-2-14"><b><i>Luke chapter 2</i></b></span></div>
<br />Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-14085191593683886322013-11-17T04:20:00.001-08:002013-11-17T04:20:55.497-08:00God's amazing world in Myitkyina, Kachin State, Myanmar<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">A little
bit about our Mekong Mission Forum teaching trip to Myitkyina, Kachin State, Myanmar:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;">Of all the Mekong countries, Myanmar (or Burma) has the highest number of Christians. Much of this is due to the </span><span style="font-size: 14px;">perseverance</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"> of a husband and wife American Baptist mission couple, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ann_Hasseltine_Judson">Ann and Adoniram Judson</a>, who established a Christian Mission in Myanmar 200 years ago! The Myanmar Baptist Convention is expecting over 20,000 visitors for the celebrations in Yangon next month. Of course, those old-time American missionaries just got the ball rolling. Since then there have been generations of faithful <i>indigenous</i> ministers, pastors, Christian parents and grandparents, and yes, Myanma/Burmese/ Kachin missionaries who have attempted to live lives of service, witness and love in extremely difficult conditions, in response to the Gospel.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Wayne and I had the great adventure of visiting the Kachin Theological College, in Kachin State, Myanmar. </span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXn3_55A_W-FkG7dO3OCu2vdcZJ6DQnrs-d9uMPLS8Ii3ztWEV30o4qB8q2us3ja3nxtAzZaVBG9MtdNUXGYHwokbVlwzFGbwwvvd9tnxcCxOCkrHkE6GKPMyvvbzVAn_9CCYnt4sMqjo/s1600/myitkinaairport.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEXn3_55A_W-FkG7dO3OCu2vdcZJ6DQnrs-d9uMPLS8Ii3ztWEV30o4qB8q2us3ja3nxtAzZaVBG9MtdNUXGYHwokbVlwzFGbwwvvd9tnxcCxOCkrHkE6GKPMyvvbzVAn_9CCYnt4sMqjo/s1600/myitkinaairport.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Myitkyina airport</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">We had the opportunity to teach alongside a fantastically diverse group including Kachin Baptists, Independents, Anglicans, one Presbyterian (Dr. Lal Tin Hre from the <a href="http://atemmyanmar.org/">ATEM</a> - Association of Theological Education in Myanmar who was the chief organizer of everything), two Lutherans (us!) and even one Roman Catholic priest! We Americans talk about ecumenism, but these folks are living it. When times are hard, when you are a minority ethnic group AND belong to a minority religion, when you realize the Gospel calls us to be counter-cultural, then you unite for continuing education events. Beautiful!</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qcT5QB_kT6Rm-F092v_P_Ru-evk7YSamC0qCv_fv8JSfpYBw4zMSvfN1-ZbeMpKmmc-jtpUjfhvf_sLyNXE_lU4ENebKSAoVTLcOkLtmrvbxI7bmCbUke-GcabcAe8Fg2IWvKXPKrXha/s1600/myitkyina2group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qcT5QB_kT6Rm-F092v_P_Ru-evk7YSamC0qCv_fv8JSfpYBw4zMSvfN1-ZbeMpKmmc-jtpUjfhvf_sLyNXE_lU4ENebKSAoVTLcOkLtmrvbxI7bmCbUke-GcabcAe8Fg2IWvKXPKrXha/s400/myitkyina2group.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">Along with a trip to the site of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myitsone_Dam">Myitsone Dam Project</a> (halted last year due to the outcry among environmentalists and the Kachin people who fear for their lives if the dam should break) and taking a boat ride in the cold and fast moving river</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTV3CIM1wOwPkdW8F2FoqHOwx-VyycZrNqGyyH9uWMcGIP1bjsmcb_nz5WYnBIuvqoAj01vu5blO2tOFIf4mPGWjuK-olJCCro3J2wAeflafBrTODDY2BgTNbc15YPM9RQ5HbgQ2_voyv/s1600/kachinladies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwTV3CIM1wOwPkdW8F2FoqHOwx-VyycZrNqGyyH9uWMcGIP1bjsmcb_nz5WYnBIuvqoAj01vu5blO2tOFIf4mPGWjuK-olJCCro3J2wAeflafBrTODDY2BgTNbc15YPM9RQ5HbgQ2_voyv/s320/kachinladies.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGhkompOSBK1HfLl_P0BY1BEiyIHw4cdYf2n-i0WyU5_gir2ZNt53BSnjDKVhBQb1EgVJ12yH7jAI3TFTJEy1dBgkOw6Z0bRY6FjdB1ABeMQsyQ5z4p4EulYGc016wvtIMXBrUl3k4FmL/s1600/myitkyinaboatinMyitsone+hydropower+dam+project.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzGhkompOSBK1HfLl_P0BY1BEiyIHw4cdYf2n-i0WyU5_gir2ZNt53BSnjDKVhBQb1EgVJ12yH7jAI3TFTJEy1dBgkOw6Z0bRY6FjdB1ABeMQsyQ5z4p4EulYGc016wvtIMXBrUl3k4FmL/s320/myitkyinaboatinMyitsone+hydropower+dam+project.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">we also had the opportunity to visit the beautiful "Prayer Mountain, overlooking the exotic Kachin State landscape. Many people come up to pray for this land and its people who have been embroiled in war for years with the Burmese military (whose fighter jets we saw flying overhead, in what seemed a menacing show of power over the Kachin people).<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVF5Ax7kg3MxQO8TIJ35Dni3OQPJqT27g5Lq-whdCrvw9ebETczpcRXLLw7GZE2zCbRb0b1uTjknkAJ69ro-5P6v2Lq3mV7UmBwVopHSZ3GNrolpYJfN8lkIR0o4qvZdmsu-h-0qv3YiG/s1600/myitkyina3prayermt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCVF5Ax7kg3MxQO8TIJ35Dni3OQPJqT27g5Lq-whdCrvw9ebETczpcRXLLw7GZE2zCbRb0b1uTjknkAJ69ro-5P6v2Lq3mV7UmBwVopHSZ3GNrolpYJfN8lkIR0o4qvZdmsu-h-0qv3YiG/s320/myitkyina3prayermt.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Prayer Mountain</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwt_uMc-of6hpgRRKbZ9I66nugTpGtsMj8Vst9_IA8kkd3AfuF2rL1yM_YJ-xdx3zr8FIyroCGlmUAbslHj_MFdDz8RDgnMCXLF-swNS2r7kz76CgKRMTcfqN3q5g47-USsEY1IlHZVJf/s1600/kachinprayermt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwt_uMc-of6hpgRRKbZ9I66nugTpGtsMj8Vst9_IA8kkd3AfuF2rL1yM_YJ-xdx3zr8FIyroCGlmUAbslHj_MFdDz8RDgnMCXLF-swNS2r7kz76CgKRMTcfqN3q5g47-USsEY1IlHZVJf/s320/kachinprayermt.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">We were able to briefly visit an IDP camp
(Internally Displaced Persons) filled with children. </span><span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 13.63636302947998px;">The children at the camp just shouted with joy as (together with the Kachin Baptist Church members) we shared the Gospel with them through a simple children's song. I imagine the sound of the angels are no sweeter to God! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQrKDvm6avNPmn9rfYKeiQOp8eLdWyGOlnCaPGO553YBQ3cZvEQb7YulI0KcoeBm-9FglRJ3UDzrX5D-yJk0AB8lHN8tfvF0pikN0mcJI5o-_jhrJOSBxuyQgbdWkqOsq911FdUxJWy7_/s1600/myitkyinachildren.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJQrKDvm6avNPmn9rfYKeiQOp8eLdWyGOlnCaPGO553YBQ3cZvEQb7YulI0KcoeBm-9FglRJ3UDzrX5D-yJk0AB8lHN8tfvF0pikN0mcJI5o-_jhrJOSBxuyQgbdWkqOsq911FdUxJWy7_/s320/myitkyinachildren.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">We also heard about a
nearby camp where there are three toilets for 500 people, (a young Swedish guy working for UNICEF told us this... and thankfully it appears that together with the local people UNICEF is working to help this nearly unbelievable situation). Don't take your toilets for granted, people!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">We then heard from one of the Kachin ladies about her mission trip of encouragement and medical help in yet another camp, nearer to the Chinese border, where people have to learn how to function without arms and legs, which have
been amputated because of landmine casualties and lack of medical facilities. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;">As we begin to head into the Advent/Christmas season, (decorations are up all over Hong Kong when we arrived back last night) I am newly aware, again, of the real Gospel of Advent/Christmas -- that into this hurting and dangerous
world, God sent his son, fully human, a vulnerable baby, born to a poor family, in
a land occupied by the Romans, where babies could be slaughtered upon the whims
of a ruler.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 10pt;">What love is this that God gives to us, and which we are called to share in practical ways? </span><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJSpkYTfk2n09GuNk4lg1roj7lWjZ10Q4-asPtKeC8WRxQtneWW_UxQp8PqQWyNV24cgUsQbdQdwMX2OQm59GSoFyOw9V9hvigLRmL1EatUqek0hAuXMqtNLC1WfnI0viBRle4wTOys9Q/s1600/myitkyina_5mother&child.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxJSpkYTfk2n09GuNk4lg1roj7lWjZ10Q4-asPtKeC8WRxQtneWW_UxQp8PqQWyNV24cgUsQbdQdwMX2OQm59GSoFyOw9V9hvigLRmL1EatUqek0hAuXMqtNLC1WfnI0viBRle4wTOys9Q/s320/myitkyina_5mother&child.jpg" width="214" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theologian, lecturer, at KTC (Kachin Theological College) wife, mother, daughter of God: Saw Nam.</td></tr>
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<!--EndFragment-->Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4541773763471651123.post-78311162476657205352013-11-09T07:05:00.001-08:002013-11-09T07:05:38.632-08:00Doing theology under the young mango tree<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKp5HMZUmieH_dade7DFPU6t3MBPcYN9Ynghh1azw_Od86Rdx13IM7zyT-j7EbwrJSXpEmA9jA3v66h76bf2rTWbcLyj1vdc0z-MZ5WYJwrmRzPnHmWl-u7Prn5AJ8AIX2ocDdJDD8xixi/s1600/leaving+bangkok.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKp5HMZUmieH_dade7DFPU6t3MBPcYN9Ynghh1azw_Od86Rdx13IM7zyT-j7EbwrJSXpEmA9jA3v66h76bf2rTWbcLyj1vdc0z-MZ5WYJwrmRzPnHmWl-u7Prn5AJ8AIX2ocDdJDD8xixi/s320/leaving+bangkok.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">leaving Bangkok</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I always feel how amazing life is when I take this flight -- Hong Kong to Bangkok to Yangon.<br />
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The lights leaving Bangkok are much brighter than the lights upon arrival in Yangon, but the Yangon airport is looking much, much spiffier than when I first started flying there just two years ago.<br />
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Most of today was spent greeting Lutheran Theological Seminary (LTS) Hong Kong alumni now teaching at Karen Baptist Theological Seminary:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjVbeyDMCyDRvlG7Fu5KxxaW3THa0Aok0ZGcc5KcbLnv3ddVm_YdnrbUIZ0E1o6gXTvJ5NoShYE05FazvoUSAS7RWd4uIvYtP8ozdUOk9Ve-vZtknlNkCoxTT46I8jByIJeBtgzD2qrd3/s1600/yangontheologyundery.mango.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGjVbeyDMCyDRvlG7Fu5KxxaW3THa0Aok0ZGcc5KcbLnv3ddVm_YdnrbUIZ0E1o6gXTvJ5NoShYE05FazvoUSAS7RWd4uIvYtP8ozdUOk9Ve-vZtknlNkCoxTT46I8jByIJeBtgzD2qrd3/s320/yangontheologyundery.mango.jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theology under the young mango tree</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYTzfrCqCf6qBjazioOxKFSEjM-ciR07OtEXZbPKGfsgJRT_U7wQknsvCb9PWApQ4y8MIOHve8z10hvUasTAlssoxpox72VxSL3aP-tU3Ld3MDLKxIgwLTI_7kiSxwdrcJKiKyIOfoWhj/s1600/yangontheologyinclothing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdYTzfrCqCf6qBjazioOxKFSEjM-ciR07OtEXZbPKGfsgJRT_U7wQknsvCb9PWApQ4y8MIOHve8z10hvUasTAlssoxpox72VxSL3aP-tU3Ld3MDLKxIgwLTI_7kiSxwdrcJKiKyIOfoWhj/s320/yangontheologyinclothing.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Theology in the clothing shop</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQL3q_Aop85x4USUOtSi4QWG2W-AH55YefsTfQEpEo3pCtuhPZcgN2swcpwuv3vgvlBj2OLGeqZTJ1Sum_2xwZyGpPHz9KJegw33uMDVOIIFvQDzJkd_HvJP-CUirruPO2hnoamkCHtJc/s1600/yangontextiles2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQL3q_Aop85x4USUOtSi4QWG2W-AH55YefsTfQEpEo3pCtuhPZcgN2swcpwuv3vgvlBj2OLGeqZTJ1Sum_2xwZyGpPHz9KJegw33uMDVOIIFvQDzJkd_HvJP-CUirruPO2hnoamkCHtJc/s320/yangontextiles2.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karen culture textiles</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pocO-gWy0eYv2RKciDv_no5tiF0gShb9osEKFp0Txn_W76nuAHzvyk8GLEhzubgJTL1pwDACTFql8j1svCnRkFbkHXhBBcs8qBsA5IEVbKxazqQd6AZef95BUbxc7zdd9Jl2GlRonE6p/s1600/yangontextiles.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3pocO-gWy0eYv2RKciDv_no5tiF0gShb9osEKFp0Txn_W76nuAHzvyk8GLEhzubgJTL1pwDACTFql8j1svCnRkFbkHXhBBcs8qBsA5IEVbKxazqQd6AZef95BUbxc7zdd9Jl2GlRonE6p/s320/yangontextiles.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Karen culture handwoven clothes</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xAaGbRX9hoz2_mmrK-BRtmOmmcv3HcIzC45YVc445RbX6MNnzpl9-dmF4mZ65UwS92kbZO12B4h3m-9k8ahnrz5WxuYB6y98GjxBDceqXPHvomRUXUVGLyzSk4BbgucNxPlnmv8wmcBe/s1600/yangonseminaryhill.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8xAaGbRX9hoz2_mmrK-BRtmOmmcv3HcIzC45YVc445RbX6MNnzpl9-dmF4mZ65UwS92kbZO12B4h3m-9k8ahnrz5WxuYB6y98GjxBDceqXPHvomRUXUVGLyzSk4BbgucNxPlnmv8wmcBe/s320/yangonseminaryhill.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heading out for lunch</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwh_YD2rUNWY78WYv-4uYpTxDySDJQ7HPjDJRG5e7r-5W0Pa6nNY_Fu1NQAdhRQ0NchagslNNEDpBwQmppxHuieMPyX55879bvnTIrwPoemBh4WtL8DaMIJ0gbTBOQ44_uTx5zpMKSyFk/s1600/krissa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTwh_YD2rUNWY78WYv-4uYpTxDySDJQ7HPjDJRG5e7r-5W0Pa6nNY_Fu1NQAdhRQ0NchagslNNEDpBwQmppxHuieMPyX55879bvnTIrwPoemBh4WtL8DaMIJ0gbTBOQ44_uTx5zpMKSyFk/s320/krissa.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">The daughter of Dr. Christopher... who waited three long years for her Daddy <br />to return from his Hong Kong studies.</span></td></tr>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's an incredible gift to be here again and to see the thriving LTS alumni. Tomorrow we fly to Kachin State... a place we've never been to before. We are flying on either Asian Wings Airways (the name on the envelope with our tickets)... or Air KBZ (the crossed out name on the ticket) or Air Bagan... the name handwritten on the confirmation printout.<br />
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Wayne will be teaching a seminar on healthy families and I'll be his healthy assistant :) Actually, I'm going to be doing a unit on church-based sex education, based on the Master's degree thesis from another Myanmar LTS alumnus. Please please say a prayer for us! May we listen, and learn, and perhaps be of some use in our teaching.<br />
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">"As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, </span></i></div>
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<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 14px;">as good stewards of God's varied grace:" </span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 14px;">[1 Peter 4:10] </span></div>
Christahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01068856423646644907noreply@blogger.com0