Team Hong Kong Newsletter # 8
Watching the Sunrise
January 28, 2008
by Maria Sensenig


It was a crisp, clear morning (quite rare in Hong Kong) and we were on our rock. Now, even though I like to refer to it as "our rock" and to pretend that we are the only ones who know it exists, I realize this is not the case because a ladder and steps have been built to help one climb to the top. This rock sits atop the hill/mountain behind our home and offers an incredible view of the surrounding area. On this morning we had gotten up early in order to watch the sunrise.

There is something truly special about sunrises. Usually you are surrounded by nature, maybe in the mountains or at the beach, and the beauty of God's creation just puts a sense of awe inside of you. On this morning I was indeed in awe of what God had created, but it wasn't the mountains or even the sunrise that I was thinking about; instead, it was the people of this city. Everywhere I looked there was high-rise after high-rise, filled with thousands and thousands of people. Even at this early hour the streets were filled with buses and I watched as train after train pulled out of the station. This city is absolutely packed with people, and each and every one of them is different, with all kinds of different talents, personalities, and numbers of hairs on their heads! God hand-designed each one of them and knows them better than they know themselves, and here they are scurrying here and there, with no idea who their Creator is.

It saddened me to think about all of this. The people of Hong Kong are looking so hard to find something to bring them fulfillment. The pressure to succeed begins at a very young age. Parents strive to get their children into the best kindergarten (at age 3) and put huge amounts of pressure on them to do well, so that they can get into the best primary school, so that they can get into the best secondary school, so that they can get into the best university, so that they can get the best job, so that they can make the most money. How can we help them realize that they will not find happiness this way? How can we tell the youth that their value does not depend on the university they're in or the grades they are getting? How can we show the little children at the center how special and gifted they are even though everyone else is telling them to do better, to try harder?



Praises:

- The Tuen Mun Center is now having Sunday services. We joined them yesterday for their second service and they had a much better turnout than the previous week.

Prayer Requests:

- We, along with Pastor Jeremiah, are planning to start a cultural exchange program for students at a local school, with the hope of them then getting involved here at the church. The program is scheduled to start on Saturday but unfortunately no one has signed up yet. Please pray and believe with us that 15-20 students will sign up this week!

Team Hong Kong Newsletter # 7
Crossroads
January 21, 2008
by Joshua Blank

The guard eyed me suspiciously as he looked once more at my identification card. "What is your name?," he asked as if daring me to lie to him. "Akram," I said again, keeping my head bowed in submission and fear . Finally, after taking what money I had, he let me into the refugee camp. I was in a total daze after being forced to flee my village at gun-point, walk through the treacherous mine fields, and fill out a near-incomprehensible refugee camp form. Of my family of nine, only I and one of my daughters had made it safely. But the camp turned out to be anything short of safe -- soldiers taking what food we were given and terrorizing us day and night, the stench of death and dirt filling the air, sleeping with three or four others in a tent made for one very small person, "relief agents" taking any valuables we might still have in return for the most basic supplies and services, and people promising hope but delivering only more sorrow. One would think that a refugee camp would be a place of refuge, but it is almost worse than the devastated war zone not far from the camp's borders.

This is what we were able to experience for a short time this past Thursday during a simulation at a place called Crossroads International. Crossroads is a distribution agency that collects surplus goods such as clothing, furniture, medical supplies, electrical equipment, and pretty much anything else that could be useful at their 14 acre site on the western side of Hong Kong. Then, the 50+ staff and the other volunteers sort, clean, repair, and test everything in preparation for delivery to other charitable organizations around the world. It's an amazing ministry, and one of the many things that they offer in addition to the distribution of goods, is the opportunity to take part in intense simulations demonstrating in a very real way how people are suffering around the world, providing a fresh perspective on the many blessings we have here and reminding those involved in the ministries of Crossroads why they do what they do.

We will be working at Crossroads one or two days a week, quite possibly for the rest of our time here in Hong Kong. There are many amazing opportunities to help out there -- anything from stacking furniture to building a scale model of the facilities, from sorting clothes to testing appliances, from office work to acting in the simulations. I think that I can say with some confidence that we are all looking forward to what we will being do there.


Praises:
- The second English session this past Saturday at the Tuen Mun center went very well
- Our schedule is becoming more regular

Prayer Requests:
- Continued patience for learning Cantonese
- That we would be a blessing to Crossroads as they are to many others

English signs

Here is a collection of signs (and book covers) in English that we found amusing for grammatical reasons and for just being funny.
Enjoy.

Team Hong Kong Newsletter
Learning the Language
January 14, 2007
by Karen Martin

I held the book in my hand, eager to interact with these students for the next half hour. Yes, it would be challenging for all of us. No matter how exciting singing a song and listening to a story may be, it’s hard for young children to sit still sometimes. I think for these kids, the challenge of learning to communicate in English is much harder than trying to behave.

Saturday morning we helped to teach English at the Tuen Mun Center (the place we previously helped to renovate). For this first session we taught six kids who were between the ages of 4-8 and were accompanied by a parent. Learning English is of value to many parents, especially as their children are being taught in school. Sessions like this give parents the opportunity to also study and practice speaking English. The activities were centered around learning feelings such as happy, sad, excited, angry, and bored. Each of us helped to teach through various activities - I led a song and read a story, Josh played a game with them, and Maria and Ben helped with a craft.

As I encouraged the children to introduce themselves and talk with me, I recognize that I too am a beginner. I have endless opportunities to step out and try a new language. Sometimes it means repeating the same phrase over and over again, willing my brain to remember it and promptly forgetting what it means. Other times associations help, but most of the time it’s those crazy mistakes that help me remember the best. (Yes, there are stories to tell, but that will have to wait for another highly anticipated post)

Praises:
- This week we are officially beginning language study! . . . is this a praise or prayer request?
- Teaching the children at the Tuen Mun Center went well and we are excited for the next two sessions


Prayer Requests:
- For joy and perseverance as we learn Cantonese
- For boldness to ask questions and love in sharing our lives with others

Team Hong Kong Newsletter #5
Is Everything Different?
January 7, 2008
by Ben Herr

The first thing one notices when arriving in a another country is how a lot of things are different. The trees, the architecture, and certainly the language. The next thing one realizes, which comes after several days and continues for a while, is how pretty much everything is different. Table manners, queuing style, and pretty much how things are done in general. Even things you would expect to be the same find a way to be different, such as the fine dining Pizza Hut nearby.

The last Sunday of advent, three people from Agape were baptized. An older man, and two guys my age or a bit older. The church rented a bus, and after a joint service with the other Mennonite churches in Hong Kong, we drove to a beach. We sang a few songs and then proceeded with the baptisms. Throughout the service, I kept thinking about the ways in which it was different. It was on a beach, that was the big one, and it had a much more casual feel to it than baptisms I've been at in the States. I really liked seeing how it was done in a different part of the world.

After they were baptized, the three people gave their testimonies. I was struck by how similar the testimonies of the two guys sounded to some that I've heard back at home. It was a great reminder to me that even though they live in a different setting and culture, the one thing that isn't different is the people. That's something I've continued to notice whether it's Christmas celebrations or one of the youth cracking a joke about something. Despite cultural differences, people are a lot more similar than it may seem at first glance.

Praises:

- Thursday morning I slipped and fell off a ladder from about seven or eight feet up and my right foot landed on the edge of a concrete step. It was the worst I ever twisted/rolled my ankle and I expected it to hobble me up for a while, but as of now, I'm walking around fine.

Prayer Requests:

- For increased understanding as we continue to try to learn Cantonese.
- For patience as our schedule slowly develops.

Team Hong Kong Newsletter # 4
A Holly Jolly Christmas
December 31, 2007
by Maria Sensenig


Christmas in Hong Kong means time to celebrate. We learned this first-hand, as the church, aka our home, was the location of four parties over the span of four days. We happily joined the festivities and were able to meet many new people, learn new games, and of course sample a great variety of new foods.

Christmas Eve was my favorite of these celebrations because we were able to spend a large amount of time with the youth from Agape and connect with them in a way we hadn't previously. It began when they arrived early in the afternoon and suggested we all go out for tea. When I say tea, I need you to remove the images of hot beverages and pastries from your mind. They ordered a plate of this and a dish of that and were all very excited to watch us sample all the different things, laughing at our chopstick skills and sometimes insisting that it'd probably be better if we finish before they explain what all we were eating. Some of the fare was extremely delicious, some was a bit harder to swallow while still maintaining a smile. But it was all a lot of fun and ended with a rousing game of rock, paper, scissors to polish off the leftovers.

The church was already filling up when we arrived home and was soon packed out. We spent the evening playing games, eating more food, and watching a talent show. It was all quite fun but a bit on the chaotic side most of the time. As the party drew to a close everyone from the church headed out to the train station where we joined several hundred other people in singing Christmas carols and worship songs. By the time the singing was over we were all pretty exhausted but everyone else was still going strong and announced that it was now time to go for dessert. Despite our tiredness we were of course delighted to join them and spent the remaining few hours until Christmas eating tasty (and much less sketchy) treats and talking about everything from our first impressions of each other to why dating isn't allowed in YES. Good times were had by all.


At the Christmas party with Santa Ben

Along with all the parties, we were also able to get out of the city a number of times this week and experience the natural beauty of Hong Kong. We spent one day hiking, another on a bike ride by the sea, and we were also able to go to the beach twice, once for a baptism, and the other time for a BBQ.


There's more to Hong Kong than skyscrapers!


A leisurely and scenic bike ride


BBQ by the beach




May you all have a Happy New Year!


Praises:

- We've been able to spend a lot of time with the youth and are getting to know them better
- We were able to have an enjoyable Christmas despite being in a new place and away from our families

Prayer Requests:

- That we'd be an encouragement to the church here, and especially to the youth as the group seems to be dwindling and many of them are not very involved in the church
- That we could continue to understand the culture and the people and love and appreciate them even more

Team Hong Kong Newsletter #3
Religion and Christmas
December 23, 2007
by Joshua Blank

On Friday morning, Maria, Karen, Ben, and I made the short hike along the winding path through the thick underbrush up the small but steep hill behind Agape Mennonite Church. At the top, there is a huge boulder from which one can command a good view of the surrounding area. The rumble of traffic, the din of construction, and the other noises of the city can be clearly heard from this vantage point. It seems very out of place to me that after climbing a forested hill, I look around only to see that I am surrounded on all sides by city. (Ben posted some pictures below.)

At many places along the path up the hill, there are little pots filled with incense or food items in front of small monuments, set up for the remembrance and veneration of ancestors. Little spots like this are very common, even on some street corners. Larger or more wealthy Chinese families build temples in which they can worship their deceased family members in the hope that their ancestors will bring good luck and fortune to them so that they may become old and rich. The traditions upon which these practices have been built have been around for thousands of years and are deeply embedded into the people -- even with the strong Western influence that exists here in Hong Kong. This depth of tradition becomes increasingly evident as it draws near to Christmas. To the Chinese, this is just one of the many celebrations during which many people have off work and can (or must) spend time with their families. Christmas becomes simply a reason to party.

In contrast, we spent the beginning half of this week finishing up most of the work at the Tuen Mun Center, which is to shine out as a light for Jesus in that community. At the front of the Center is a silver cross, which really does shine out into the community, since the main entrance is all glass and the cross has a light behind it. There is also a path of floor tiles different in color than the rest which begins at the foot of the cross and gradually increases in size as it extends across the room to the main entrance. It is a powerful reminder of the purpose in the work that is going to be done there. Tomorrow night -- Christmas Eve -- is the grand opening, a celebration in the true spirit of Christmas focused on Jesus, His birth and ministry, and ultimately our salvation -- remembering that it is only by His grace and strength that we live and not by those who have gone on before us.

May you all have a blessed celebration of Christ's birth.

Praises:
- We were able to finish all of the major work at the Tuen Mun Center
- We had some time to relax and catch up on some rest this weekend in preparation for the busy week ahead of us
- It's Christmas time

Prayer Requests:
- That God would use the work at the Tuen Mun Center to extend His kingdom in that community, and especially for the opening festivities that will be happening there
- For patience as we struggle with the language barrier
- For guidance as we get more involved with different ministries here and for wisdom in interacting with the people, both those involved in leadership of those ministries and those to whom we will be ministering