Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!

I said, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove!
    I would fly away and be at rest.
-- Psalm 55:6

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 material 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. 

After Martin Luther got married (at the rather ripe age of 42) he wrote, “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.”

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.

in USA

in Hong Kong

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. 

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.

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.

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.

"If I rise on the wings of the dawn,

    if I settle on the far side of the sea,

10 

even there your hand will guide me,

    your right hand will hold me fast." 

-- Psalm 139:9-10

Thanks to Kin Tharo for this photo of new international seminary students at LTS,
together with a few of my favorite people in Hong Kong!

Blessed 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

Singapore white tigers

happy orangutans

Wetland park mudflats - fun!

One of my favorite weird creatures - mudskippers! 

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.

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:

At our chapel Eucharist this week we were each given a candle, which I share with you today, along with an Epiphany prayer:

Opening Prayer for the Epiphany of Our Lord

Let us pray,

[grateful for the glory revealed today

through God made human.]

Father of light,

unchanging God,

today you reveal to people of faith

the resplendent fact of the Word made flesh.

Your light is strong,

Your love is near;

draw us beyond the limits

which this world imposes,

to the life where Your Spirit

makes all life complete.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen

Summer 2015: Contrasts USA and Hong Kong

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!

How is life different in the USA and Hong Kong?

2.A. Wild life in Wisconsin

2.B.Wild life in Hong Kong! (ok, not really wild)

3.A. Umbrellas in the USA (Usually for the rain)

3.B. Umbrellas in Hong Kong (for rain, sun, and to show hope for full democracy in Hong Kong) 

4. A. Snacks in Hong Kong... all natural, chewy, bony chicken feet!

4. B. Snacks in Wisconsin... artificial everything sno cone (so bad but so good)

5. Church life in Hong Kong... a little bit different than in the USA

Nepalese Congregation in Hong Kong.

Worship in Southeast Asia (YOUTHFUL Myanmar Lutheran Church) 

Worship in the USA tends to be.. newer hymnbooks, comfy-er chairs, a little older, a little emptier.

LOTS of differences, BUT ONE THING REMAINS THE SAME:

No matter the color of our umbrella or the way we eat our snacks,
we are "blood relatives" with sisters, brothers, aunties, grandpas all over the world, through Jesus, our Savior and Lord and Friend. And so,

"So, whether we are at home, or away, 

we make it our aim to please the LORD."

(St. Paul in his 2nd Letter to the Corinthians, 5:9)

Walking/dancing/playing/teaching with Jesus in Myanmar

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.

Two of our LTS Myanmar alumni 2014

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. Diakonia = a biblical Greek word meaning service, is a program which tries to build bridges between the needs, cries, and God-given gifts of all creation -- especially the incredibly beautiful, diverse, god-like creatures known as human beings... and the ministries of Christ's Church. Diakonia is the "gospel in action".

Two cuties - the design on their faces is "thanaka",
 a traditional natural cosmetic made from tree bark.

Tatooed Uncle - I just had to ask if I could photograph him,
so glad he said yes.

Mother and Child - the area was full of garbage
and standing water...  I could only marvel at this mother and baby,
clean and pristine, faces beautifully decorated.

Four Cuties - created in God's image

 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.

They let me do some of my favorite children's songs as part
of the English enrichment. Where
are your teeth???

I hope I'll see these children again. 

Cer Thlia's friend and co-worker is the "Pied Piper" in this remote and underprivileged
part of Yangon... barely accessible by motorbike in the dry season, I'm not sure how anyone gets around in the rainy season.

Lutheran Church in Myanmar "Hope Center" -- these Lutherans
are a relatively new "denomination"  in Myanmar, but eager
to find ways to put the Gospel into action.

See what kind of love the Father has given us: We are called God's children—and that is what we are!     -- I John 3:1 (International Standard Version)

Church Life over the Border in Mainland China

Last Saturday the Seminary faculty travelled into Mainland China.

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.

Full Bible classes, held in an art center.

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.

A toast with tea!

I've grown accustomed to having cherry tomatoes served as part of the fruit plate. They were delicious!

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.

LTS Faculty with Mainland Chinese hosts in front of a huge Christian Church in Shenzhen,
which is said to host 9,000 people, spread over four worship services each Sunday.

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.

Construction site.

Check out this little dude's haircut.

Cuties -- the image of the Creator!

These little guys were about to get in trouble for picking the dahlias. 

 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 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.   -- Deuteronomy 6:5-7

Pray for Hong Kong

  

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. 

Oct 1- 2 (Wednesday - Thursday) are public holidays in Hong Kong. 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.

Last night one of our colleagues organized a night hike/prayer walk for Hong Kong.

Arrival to Hong Kong Island by Star Ferry on Monday night.

Various professors have been accompanying small groups of seminary students to witness the actual protest situation.

Wayne took this photo Wed night, Oct 1, impressed to see even
children and young families engaged with this peaceful protest

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 "Civil Disobedience - An Impact on the Hong Kong Churches, " written by LTS professor, Dr. Pilgrim Lo. 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!). 

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!

A moment later he fanned me - a welcome second of relief
in the Hong Kong heat.

water bottles ready for distribution in heat indexes reaching over 100 F.

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 Tiananmen Square 25 years ago hangs heavy over Hong Kong.

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.

May God have mercy to allow this peaceful witness to continue - some how - into a peaceful resolution.

As Wayne is a Reinhold Niebuhr fan, he suggests one of his favorite Niebuhr prayers:

"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" 

Launching out from Lake Toba, Indonesia

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:

+++++++

Have you toiled all night near the shore in vain?

Push away from the shore, launch out:

Where the flood is deep cast your nets again.

Push away from the shore, launch out;

There a blessing waits your soul to take,

Haste away from the barren strand;

Toil no more where the surges break;

“Launch out’ is your Lord’s command. 

After June 2014 graduation celebrations, members of the Lutheran Theological Seminary (LTS) faculty journeyed to Northern Sumatra, Indonesia for our annual retreat.   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).  We were moved by these church ministries to the blind, orphans, Moslems and schools for teaching and preaching, training pastors and deaconesses.   A vibrant holistic ministry of Word, Sacrament, Service, Education and Song was evident to all.  

 One early evening we found ourselves on a passenger ferry crossing Lake Toba on our way to Samosir Island.   Lake Toba is the result of the eruption of a “super volcano” which took place about 75,000 years.  It is said to have been the greatest volcanic eruption within the last 25 million years of the earth’s history.  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.  This extraordinary geological event is said to have been responsible for changing the climate of the earth. 

 The sun was about to set when we boarded the ferry.  We faced a warm but growing headwind.  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.  I later read that the “crux” constellation was “circumpolar” – always above the horizon in the southern hemisphere.  Sailors used it as navigational aid – a guidepost.

I remembered an old hymn, “Launch Out.” written by Rev. James Bruce Mackay (author of some 60 hymns) who lived from 1861-1940.   It is one of the many nautical hymns composed in the missionary era.  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.

Nevertheless, MacKay believed that the Savior continually called his disciples to “push away from the shore, launch out.”  We, the LTS Hong Kong faculty, were witnesses to the Indonesian churches “launching out” through its many ministries.  The kingdom of God is emerging across the globe with men and women dreaming big dreams - reimagining the world.  And we, as teachers, felt privileged and grateful to have a (small) role in God’s movement in these churches and in this country.

  

The refrain for MacKay’s hymn is:  “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!”  May we as the Lutheran Theological Seminary – faculty, students and staff  together -  continue to “launch out” !!!