See You Later

July 27, 2008

Our final week in Hong Kong was filled with last minute things we wanted to do and people we wanted to see once more before our departure. There is a saying in Hong Kong that we had found to be fairly accurate: "It takes 2 years to make a friend." Yet at the airport when it was finally time to say "goodbye" -- or as we preferred, "see you later" -- we realized how deeply we have come to know a few people. As tears ran down their faces, we finally saw that we had built good relationships. And maybe that old saying wasn't as true as we had thought.

Now, as we look back over our time in Hong Kong, we become increasingly grateful for the many things we have experienced, the people we have met and gotten to know, the ways we have been taught and challenged and stretched. We praise our glorious Father who has given good gifts to His children. Yes, there were hard times in Hong Kong -- times when we did not understand why God had called us to this place, times when we thought that it would be better if we had not come at all -- yet He has remained faithful in both the good and bad, the rain and the sun, the busy times and the time when we didn't have much to do.

But now, a life-changing, formational part of our life is reaching its end. And although we are sure that there are still many more things for us to learn and experience, each of us will now go on our separate way. God called us together for a blessed time and now it is time to move in different directions (still keeping in contact of course, but no longer spending most of our waking time together). And we just wanted to take this opportunity to inform you of our future plans:


Maria is not sure what her next step will be. At this point she is returning home, getting a job, and discerning where God is taking her.

Ben will be returning to Harrisburg Discipleship Center three weeks after re-entry is over to spend a year on the volunteer staff there, helping coordinate community outreach, general house keeping, and doing other tasks.

Joshua will be attending Albright College in Reading, probably studying something along the lines of secondary education with mathematics and/or computer science.

Karen is planning to return home and get a job. At this point, she is thinking of attending a LPN (practical nursing) program in 2009.



We thank you, our readers, so much for the time that you have put into keeping track of what we were doing and in also faithfully lifting us up in your prayers. We have all definitely felt the effects of your prayers and can never express our full appreciation to you all. You may continue praying, of course, both for us as we enter the next phase of our lives and the church in Hong Kong as it continues to grow. Our desire is to "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ," boldly proclaiming, "to Him be glory both now and forever! Amen." (our theme verse, II Peter 3:18)