I went to the HKGLS conference on Saturday and Sunday (1st). It was inspirational, which is very American but is lacking in Hong Kong. People in Hong Kong work so hard for so little to show, and there is not much time left for relationships, rest or recreation. I wake up today to the realization that there is nothing more precious to bottle and sell than hope, especially in Hong Kong, where 20% of households earn less than HK$8,000 (US$1,032) a month and one in 10 lives in poverty. I was inspired by a song (普通的人) sang on the second day of the conference, which is posted below.The cold front officially arrived today (Nov 2nd), the same day when snow hit Beijing, so I wore more clothes. I was already sick last week - on a Sunday (Oct 25th) and on Friday (Oct 30th). Wife says I should do less since I usually get sick over a long Sunday which begins from 730am till 430pm. Moving to Ma Wan helped. I forget my fatigue after 20 minutes in the pool, no matter how tired I am, isn't that amazing?
Swimming in the cold outdoor pool the next day was a new experience. I had no choice because my day was rather full. It was either a morning swim at 17 degrees Celsius or nothing, so I chose the former. It was not so bad, especially after 15 minutes in the water; I was even tempted to swim a few laps after my pool exercise. Today's class ended perfectly, the students have turned a big corner.
Receiving mail like Boon's makes http://www.preachchrist.com/ ministry especially sweet:
"Dear Rev. Yap, Thank you so much for your sermons which always encourage me. I feel as though I am continuing learning from you as I did in the class. (I was in your last summer intensive course at LOGOS). Really appreciate. May God bless you and continue to bless many others through you. Boon - now serving in N.Thailand"
"平安 謝謝你傳遞過來的文章 給了我們很大的幫助" Minsan Church
"請問牧師，這一篇是要投稿給信望愛 http://bible.fhl.net/ ，與讀者分享嗎？"
The response to switching the distribution of my sermons in Chinese instead of English has been tremendous. This morning (6th) 信望愛 asked if they can post my latest sermon (The Cry of My Heart) to their website, which I responded with wholehearted "yes" because they do a tremendous online ministry, see above. I had a request from China the same day, too, but I turned it down because our ministries do not match.
I think I have my fill of kids for now. Yesterday (10th) a parent at the pool persuaded his baby daughter to call me "Pak Pak" (伯伯). Fortunately she is not at speaking age yet or I would have to turn down the greeting of a clueles kid. Gray hair is really a big disadvantage in Hong Kong.
The first full-week of cold weather that began today (13th) blindsided me even though it did not come without warning. The news warned of today's conditions last night but I was in a hurry to catch the ferry to work and I did not think I have the extra one or two minutes to spare to return from the lift on my floor into the house to get a jacket. Poor decision. My eyes were burning for the rest of the day and at night I had a sore throat. Wife, not too great herself, was worried I could pass what I have to her. My voice even cracked by the next morning.
After two days I have slightly recovered from the flu. It was worse than normal. My eyes were so tired that it did not want to open when it was at rest. Today (15th) I was at Galilee Chapel to speak on her 41st anniversary. The worhship was most vibrant - one of the best, and they have youth as well as adults. The future of Christianity in Hong Kong lies in smaller churches 100-plus in attendance like GC as much as in the mega-churches. The same night I started coughing through the night; I think I need a scarf.
Cold, windy days like today (17th) make me thankful I am in Ma Wan. I went to the indoor pool when they open at 7 am because I have a lot on my plate, including getting my visa, having my foot treated and eating lunch with an old friend. I have the luxury of swimming 3 laps on top of my exercise routine. The funny thing is I have not found a store that sells turtlenecks yet.
Two days later I found a set of "long johns" for HK$90 in Yuen Long, of all places, in a wet market! It was pretty good and effective for the price, although the short sleeves are better suited for Hongkongers. The winter here is comparable to the winter in Los Angeles, chilly but not bitter.
Wife thought I was mad mixing winter melon and green raddish for soup, inisting that the two do not match and I had spoilt the soup instead. At the end of the day (20th) it was one of the sweetest soups I have ever tasted. Nobody I know has blended the two before, so I am happy that my adventurous spirit paid off.
Surprisingly, the parable of the sheep and the goats struck a chord among readers. Internet ministry is the same as literature ministry - you don't know who you are helping, but someone out there is thankful, as the response below shows. The text is as difficult as it gets. I had to rework on my exposition and illustrations the second time round till I was satisfied with the work I did. Appropriately, today is Thanksgiving Day, so I am happy as a small fat sheep (小肥羊):
"親愛的主內弟兄平安! 最近常常收到您的信息、非常感謝您的關懷。今天這篇信息真的是對我講的、讓我在日常中好好思考、成為行動。我們雖然從未謀面、但神的愛就是這樣奇妙。感謝主!相信您的信息不但感動我、同樣也感動有需要的人。神祝福您!" Emmy
"Thanks so much for sending me your sermons, I got a lot of encouragement from you. I love it and was inspired by your sermons. Happy Thanksgiving." 翁牧師娘
The last quarter of the school year ended on a high note. There is much to be thankful for. The students are fun and more relaxed; the atmosphere is pleasant and team spirit is high. We ate more than usual these last three days, including yesterday for Thanksgiving and the day before benefitting from the snacks I bought at Yuen Long. To cap the day, Wife suggested going to Tsing Yi for dinner to celebrate Thanksgiving and the the last day of school this year, which we did at C'est Bon. Here's to a promising new year.
