September Weather, Monkeys and Church Angels

Please note the heat index. Yes, that's right. 108F !!!

It's been hot. This is the second time this week I've see the heat index at 108F.

Rumour is a typhoon is on its way. At least that may cool things down??!

The monkeys have been active. This big guy was hanging around our house yesterday. I'm grateful for the bars on our windows. 

The STUDENTS! It's been wonderful to return to new and "old" students at the Lutheran Theological Seminary, Hong Kong.

Three of our new students from Myanmar.

One of our "old" students from Indonesia,
Rospita is turning into an amazing scholar and is on schedule to finish her doctorate this spring.

And today (Sunday September 14th) Wayne and I each returned to our respective local Lutheran churches where we each serve as "sacramental minister."

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!)

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.

And today, we had the return of the Men's Choir at Ma On Shan Truth Lutheran Church:

Love these guys! I'll try and add the video later. Note the harmonica player in the corner.

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.

good fortune, joy, and delicious, too!

Today, it was good to be back in Hong Kong. Except for the weather. 

10 If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. 11 I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.  -- Jesus, speaking in the Gospel of John 15:10-12 (NIV)

Indonesian & Cantonese Angels in Church

It was an extra bright morning with 6 Indonesian graduate students arriving at my door at 8:30 a.m. to leave for Truth Lutheran Church, Ma On Shan.

At church the crowd seemed to be sparser than usual... it's a holiday weekend (Chung Yeung... another fine opportunity for grave sweeping... and picnicking... and - since this is Hong Kong, after all -- shopping)

but this did not hold the students back from singing their hearts out, nor did it hinder Pastor Rospita Siahaan -- (the beautiful small person on the right, standing next to her Cantonese translator) -- from preaching a BIG message on thankfulness. She later told me it was the first sermon she had ever preached in English. 

After church I got to go along with a few of the Chinese members who were taking communion to one of the elderly members of the church:

My own 89 year old Mom is in the hospital this week back in the USA (kidney stones, sorry to say it runs in our family, and she had a gigantic one!!) and since I am 18 hours of flight time away, it was just great to hear this 93 year old Chinese Christian promise to keep her in his prayers.

1. What a friend we have in Jesus,
   All our sins and griefs to bear!
   What a privilege to carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
   Oh, what peace we often forfeit,
   Oh, what needless pain we bear,
   All because we do not carry
   Everything to God in prayer!
2. -- Traditional Christian Hymn