Team Hong Kong Newsletter #15
Taboo, only without the Taboo
March 17, 2008
by Joshua Blank

"I like them, and you do not like them."
"They look like umbrellas."
"The colorful ones are toxic."
"They grow anywhere."
"They are soft."
"Do you know what it is?"
This is an excerpt from part of our Friday night English class. Above my head where I could not see it but everyone else could, Ben held open a picture book filled with simple English nouns. Similar to the game "Taboo," each person around the table took turns giving me clues about the picture without saying the word itself.

The class went pretty well, but our only students have been members of Pastor Jeremiah's family and one of his neighbors. But although we have not had very many students in the class so far, I think that it will grow. We have only had 2 classes, and there have been a number of people who have told us that they are interested in coming -- even if they have yet to actually walk through the door. There have been some scheduling conflicts and some other things which have prevented some of the people from participating in the class.

The purpose of the class is to provide a comfortable, casual atmosphere where people can practice what English they know and hopefully learn some more through the process. I am quite excited about how God can use this ministry to introduce the students into a setting where they can hear about His truth and the life that He alone can bring. Jeremiah's neighbor, Bruce, is a 16-year-old recent immigrant from mainland China. Since the class has started, he has taken an interest in some of the other activities in which the youth from the church are involved, including Saturday night youth group.

Praises:
- On Monday night, we had the opportunity to invite Pastor Jeremiah and his family over for dinner. Although it was an interesting and sometimes awkward mix of cultures, we were very grateful to serve the Choi family as they are such a blessing to us in so many ways.
- The weather is beginning to warm up, allowing us to wear some different clothes (like short sleeve T-shirts and shorts) without having to wear a coat.

Prayer Requests:
- That we would be able to reach out to people in the community through our English class.
- On Thursday, we have a presentation at a secondary (middle/high) school. Pray that we would be able to effectively share with the students there. Also, this presentation may bring about some other opportunities for us to get involved in the lives of students at this school.
- There has been an outbreak of the flu at a few primary (kindergarten/elementary) schools in different parts of Hong Kong, resulting in the death of two students. Extremely cautious in light of the SARS and bird flu scares, the Hong Kong government has taken the drastic step of closing all the primary schools in Hong Kong until after the Easter break. Please pray for the peace of Christ to guard the affected families from the fear that can so easily grip their hearts. For more information on this situation, feel free to follow this link.