Team Hong Kong Newsletter # 20
China
April 26, 2008
by Maria Sensenig

I hate to admit what a complete tourist I was. Everywhere I went I was snapping pictures left and right. This put me in grave danger as the chances of stepping on something or being plowed over by a moving object are quite high when one is distracted, even for a moment. I decided the risk was worth it, even though deep down inside I knew that no matter how hard I tried there was no way I could capture what I was feeling and seeing.

One thing I thought about a lot was all the contrasts that were around us. One moment we were out in the country surrounded by newly planted rice fields and everything was so fresh and a vibrant green. Soon after we were on a bus passing factory after factory, tall, drab, and depressing. One minute we wondering the aisles of a huge department store, the next we were in the wet market passing piles of jumping frogs and side-stepping pools of chicken blood. One morning we walked through a rural village with a population of about 30; by evening we were walking a city street that had 100 times that many people.

It only took a few moments in this place to realize that it isn't Hong Kong and everything moves at a much slower pace. I really enjoyed the laidback feel, but after spending more time there and discussing this with June we realized that it was actually a hopelessness we were seeing. But was there a contrast to this hopelessness? Yes, there certainly was. Hope in the form of a teenager who has no longer been bothered by evil spirits since committing his life to Christ. Hope in the form of several churches in this region that have been able to re-open since being closed during the cultural revolution. Hope in the form of a baby being dedicated to the Lord by her parents and church family. Praise God for the way He's moving among these wonderful people!

Praises:
- We had a safe an enjoyable trip to China.

Prayer Requests:
- We will be leaving for Cambodia tomorrow and then going from there to Thailand. Please pray for safety as we're traveling, continued wisdom and energy as we take care of the kids, and a relaxing vacation!