19 out of 19 visas approved!

Flower arrangement courtesy of my friend Carol
who helped me clean, cook, and then
gathered this glorious bouquet
for the table in our
Wisconsin home.

Just received word this morning: the nineteenth international student visa has been approved! Joy!

Meanwhile, the international students have been arriving at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Hong Kong... they just experienced the annual Student-Faculty retreat, and for sure some of them are deeply homesick and wondering what they've gotten themselves into.

My husband-the-professor reports having a "welcome back to Hong Kong" stomach virus which thankfully didn't attack until after he'd nearly completed the retreat...

 and I'm packing to rejoin him in Hong Kong... where I'll at last get to MEET those 19 students whose names we've been keying in over and over again, whose lives will be changed by studies and the relationships they'll be building at LTS.

Still, it's hard to say good-bye... again... to our three sons -- one of whom just moved to New York City... one suitcase and one job offer in hand...

A last breakfast of Al Johnson's Swedish Pancakes

and it's always hard to say good-bye to my 89 year old mother... plans for a big celebration are underway for her 90th birthday party next summer.... something to look forward to!

Changes are in the air... maybe a good time to remember that none of us belongs wholly to any particular place - not Door County, Wisconsin, nor Hong Kong, China, nor New York City, nor Yangon, Myanmar, nor a village outside of Phnom Penh, Cambodia (two of the places the new international students are from)... 

Maybe a good chance to think about these words (paraphrased) from St. Paul nearly 2,000 years ago:

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. 

Romans 12:1-2

The Message (MSG)

Too Many Goodbyes.

Youngest Kid said it last Sunday:
Too many goodbyes.

Good bye to Eldest Son who's off in Korea teaching (I am waiting for his blog updates!!!)

Good bye to Middle Son who is happily applying for what he hopes will be lucrative internships in finance (he's a university senior and the world is his oyster.)

Goodbye to the season of "hands on" parenting.  Wayne and I are now officially empty-nesters. That Youngest Kid who bravely went off with us to Asia as a 15 year old is now an 18 year old University of Wisconsin freshman.  I said good bye to him and cried like I haven't cried in years.

Good bye to Eldest Sister, the gardener, who revamped our yard, helped cook, savored some lovely glasses of wine with us,  even though-- or maybe because she's wrestling with the pains and aches and hard decisions of Stage 4 breast cancer.

Goodbye to my eighty-seven year old Mutti who is still interested in every aspect of our lives. Who has finally agreed to start using a cane when she goes for her walks.

Oh yes, I almost forgot, good bye to that cat, Wilson, who terrorized the chipmunks in our back yard, but magically came when I, only I called him.

Sometimes good-byes are a good thing. We said goodbye to Wilson the cat - he's staying with friends. This chipmunk is enjoying raiding our bird feeder in peace.

 Good bye to cherry trees and fall colors and crisp evening air.  Good bye to those chipmunks and the deer and the bluebirds.  Goodbye to Door County ice-cream, tubs of Amish blue cheese, fresh salmon on the grill. Goodbye to the good Lutheran churches and kind, caring individuals who support us so graciously. 

Now it's back to Hong Kong, where my husband is already at work and where a new job awaits me.


The Daily Text  and prayer are especially helpful for me today:

Friday, September 9

I will say, "They are my people"; and they will say, "The Lord is our
God." Zechariah 13:9

Be all the more eager to confirm your call and election, for if you do
this, you will never stumble. 2 Peter 1:10

Lord, our God, help us to follow in the path you have set before us.
Keep our steps sure and prevent us from stumbling. We are your people.
Thank you for being our Lord and God. Amen.

I love Wisconsin... home from Hong Kong, summer scenes 2011

The week begins with worship at Gloria Dei in Menomonee Falls, where we were welcomed with open arms... and a scrumptious brat cookout after the service!  I'll post a picture of our "missionary special" car that almost didn't get us to the church on time in a later blog.  :)

On Monday we welcomed our middle son back to the good ol' USA from his semester abroad in Beijing, China. Was he happiest about seeing us again... or his car?

Gracious friends with a home on a lake let us stay at their place for several nights. Did I mention that I love Wisconsin?

A trip to our state capital in Madison... and to see our eldest son who just graduated from the University of Wisconsin.

Toothless in Wisconsin... my 87 year old Mom had a tooth pulled and gamely poses to show her new smile (false teeth are coming next week)

Our other home in Hong Kong is never far away... we just met some young women from China through a church "Bridges" program and we're looking forward to introducing them to some Wisconsin pastimes -- eating ice cream... bowling... mini-golf... eating ice cream... cookouts... boating... eating ice cream...

A dollar a minute, so youngest son and his cousin got five minutes each, and mastered the art of riding Segways!

 Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.

(Psalm 90:14)

From China to Door County, Wisconsin

We signed up to serve as an "American Connection" to an international seasonal worker here in Door County, Wisconsin, and guess what, it turns out that "our" student is from China! 

When we went to find her at the hotel where she works, she had gone for a bike ride so we met four of her friends, instead.

They were delighted to come for a deluxe tour of our home, to practice their English, and meet my sister (Karin, far left). 

They admitted a profound dislike for Wisconsin cheese (disgusting!) and were intrigued by pretzel sticks and microwave popcorn.

They laughed at, and encouraged us in our VERY fledgling Chinese,  and we're all looking forward to sharing the delights of our upcoming Fourth of July celebration.

What fun!  They took lots of photos and we were able to share with my sister some of what we love best about Hong Kong... the Chinese people!