Dear Doris:
I read your previous email. I was very sorrowful. I was so sad and I don't know how to comfort you. I don't want you to suffer and I don't want you to give up. You have inspired me many times in many ways. I love both you and Victor. I remember first time Victor introduced you to me as his girlfriend. I remember we had enjoyed food together. I remember just hanging out with both of you. Eleanor and I treasured all these memories. We appreciate your teaching when you both came to speak for the RCCCC retreat. I still think your are more interesting to listen to. (Yeah! I know Victor does not like me when I say so.) To be fair to him, I happen to think that Victor is one of the best Chinese preachers I have known.
Thank you for sharing that you are trying the new drug. I am praying for effectiveness of the drug and minimum damages it will cause. Hang in there. You are never far away from God's love. He loves us more than we can ever feel or comprehend. I use this verse in my sermon this morning:
Rom 8:32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?
I hope to see you even though I don't know where and when. What a blessing it is to have friends like you and Victor!
Herman and Eleanor
Monday, August 31, 2015
Sunday, August 23, 2015
Thanks, Aug 24
Dear Victor,
Sorry to learn about Doris' cancer has mestasized. My wife and I are remembering you two in our prayer.
Life has been hard for me too because I have not been free from physical problems since arriving in Vancouver. God is teaching me to trust Him and I feel closer to Him more than any time in the past.
I have forwarded your email and the manuscripts to A who will contact you in due time.
In His grace,
AK
Sorry to learn about Doris' cancer has mestasized. My wife and I are remembering you two in our prayer.
Life has been hard for me too because I have not been free from physical problems since arriving in Vancouver. God is teaching me to trust Him and I feel closer to Him more than any time in the past.
I have forwarded your email and the manuscripts to A who will contact you in due time.
In His grace,
AK
Sunday, August 9, 2015
Mestasized, Aug 2015
We received news two days ago Aug 8 from Doris PET CT scan that her cancer is likely mestasized. She has been suffering from a month long ribcage and shoulder pain two months after her two year oral chemotherapy ended in May. Yesterday she had abdominal pain at around 3 pm and went to lie down and sleep while we had a marketplace meeting at home. Pray for her pain, it hurts to see her helpless and in anguish.
Saturday, August 1, 2015
Anniversary, Aug 2015
Yesterday was our anniversary. We bought an overnight package at a popular hotel but the dinner buffet and especially morning breakfast were flat. The noon part was rather ho-hum but we made it up with takeout dinner and cake, enough to spare for our neighbor who dropped by.
Doris had finished her treatment but the pain in the ribcage and shoulder are a concern. We will order tests to see what happens. Please pray for her. We will cancel our trip to USA due her pain.
Besides wife's struggles, not much has changed for me. Last month was a breakthrough because I managed four sermons, three new ones, all by God's grace. I have handed over leadership in a couples fellowship to my other coworkers, so I am glad that we have bought stability to the couples and church as a whole. By the way I will have completed two years fulltime at YF this month. It's been quite a challenging and growing experience.
I seldom check in nowadays because of my busy schedule, but I still hope to write once every two months for now, bye.
Doris had finished her treatment but the pain in the ribcage and shoulder are a concern. We will order tests to see what happens. Please pray for her. We will cancel our trip to USA due her pain.
Besides wife's struggles, not much has changed for me. Last month was a breakthrough because I managed four sermons, three new ones, all by God's grace. I have handed over leadership in a couples fellowship to my other coworkers, so I am glad that we have bought stability to the couples and church as a whole. By the way I will have completed two years fulltime at YF this month. It's been quite a challenging and growing experience.
I seldom check in nowadays because of my busy schedule, but I still hope to write once every two months for now, bye.
Tuesday, June 2, 2015
Shanghai, June 2015
We just came back from six days of holiday in Shanghai two weeks after the end of wife's two-year chemotherapy treatment. It was an enjoyable trip for the two of us. We stayed at Okura and took the mtr or traveled on foot. The biggest surprise was an impromptu one-day trip Hangzhou. On day two we were caught by the rain at the same time I was sneezing all day. The scenes, sights and sounds that amaze us are the museum, 淮海路， 新天地， 恆龍， 外灘 and a lot of things and places. Peace Hotel napkins were perfect. We were very impressed. I could only find a piece of litter on mtr trains through five days.
In Hangzhou we strolled halfway through Westlake before we came to Shangrila and had high tea for RMB$88. We were just glad we were allowed to eat there. Starbucks was everywhere on the lake but the drinks are not as good. It was one of the best places we traveled.
Food was good at 大吉士 and most eateries, including Napoleon cake. Local street Shanghai food is good for a small budget, like four buns for RMB$5, less than 20% of the price at a fancy restaurant.
At the end fo the trip I had finished the 文法聖經 three months after I started, hoorah!
In Hangzhou we strolled halfway through Westlake before we came to Shangrila and had high tea for RMB$88. We were just glad we were allowed to eat there. Starbucks was everywhere on the lake but the drinks are not as good. It was one of the best places we traveled.
Food was good at 大吉士 and most eateries, including Napoleon cake. Local street Shanghai food is good for a small budget, like four buns for RMB$5, less than 20% of the price at a fancy restaurant.
At the end fo the trip I had finished the 文法聖經 three months after I started, hoorah!
文法聖經 Apr 2015
I am hot at work on my grammatical Bible, which is my labor of love and masterpiece to contribute to the world of Bible exposition. I have just finished the New Testament version, but it is hard work, tedious, detailed and taxing. Instead of teaching more students how to look at the verbs (imperatives, indicatives, infinitives, subjunctives and participles) I have worked it into the Chinese Bible. I started in March, so I am two months into the job. The hardest is to edit, and I have lost a few days of editing error.
Praise God, Doris is in the last month of oral chem. The next thing is deciding what to do, stay in Macau or back to HK. We trust God to open doors for her and tell her what to decide, otherwise she would feel uneasy.
It is the end of the year review for many things at work and I have contributed much but much is required. Next week I am heading to Taiwan to do a two hour lecture on expository sermon, but I am not sure how it will be received. I prefer a whole course rather than a short talk.
Praise God, Doris is in the last month of oral chem. The next thing is deciding what to do, stay in Macau or back to HK. We trust God to open doors for her and tell her what to decide, otherwise she would feel uneasy.
It is the end of the year review for many things at work and I have contributed much but much is required. Next week I am heading to Taiwan to do a two hour lecture on expository sermon, but I am not sure how it will be received. I prefer a whole course rather than a short talk.
Wednesday, March 4, 2015
Chinese New Year, Mar 2015
We had a quiet but meaningful new year, slowing down enough to rest and relax. The truth is we did not even go out on the first day. On the second day we went to relatives for dinner. On the third day we ate German pork knuckle at home. I went back to work like most people did next week, Tuesday for us.
Yesterday a student from China visited me with his wife and seven months old daughter. It was heart-wrenching to discover that graduates there make less than $3,000 a month and they have to turn to secular jobs. They left Beijing after seven years to return to Shandong with baby's birth but the living there with the husband's family is harsh with problems adjusting to food and in-laws there. They hope to visit Dongguan where her parents are, and see if they can live there, but living with in-laws is not an option for the young family. It is interesting they think HK has hukou.
What I am most happy about is to finish revising all my old sermons, putting in the Hebrew and Greek structure into its place. That would make the sermons timeless and technical. Now I have two more challenges to revise my preaching notes and record it for my students. The second is to put structures into parsing guides and its Chinese translation and upload it on the net with permission. It's a long story but pastors and seminarians would appreciate it. It is durable for the long haul.
Yesterday a student from China visited me with his wife and seven months old daughter. It was heart-wrenching to discover that graduates there make less than $3,000 a month and they have to turn to secular jobs. They left Beijing after seven years to return to Shandong with baby's birth but the living there with the husband's family is harsh with problems adjusting to food and in-laws there. They hope to visit Dongguan where her parents are, and see if they can live there, but living with in-laws is not an option for the young family. It is interesting they think HK has hukou.
What I am most happy about is to finish revising all my old sermons, putting in the Hebrew and Greek structure into its place. That would make the sermons timeless and technical. Now I have two more challenges to revise my preaching notes and record it for my students. The second is to put structures into parsing guides and its Chinese translation and upload it on the net with permission. It's a long story but pastors and seminarians would appreciate it. It is durable for the long haul.
Friday, January 9, 2015
New Year, Jan 2015
The new year has arrived. As usual, I changed a pair of shoes, few pair of socks and some garments, just like old days. For last year I gave thanks for PTH ministry, Couples Fellowship and my brother's immigration to USA. It's been a long six years and four months since we have arrived in HK and we are pretty much settled here.
The last month has been great for wife. She has been happy for a few weeks, no longer bothered by the cancer she has. We have been to mainland twice in the last month, Panyu and Foshan, and we manage to adjust the mishaps much better than we thought. Once we went to the wrong place and another time we went to an old mall.
I was unhappy when a good friend left his job, but life can be unfair especially to those without clout. For the new year I pray for health, stability and friends. May the Lord look after family and friends.
The last month has been great for wife. She has been happy for a few weeks, no longer bothered by the cancer she has. We have been to mainland twice in the last month, Panyu and Foshan, and we manage to adjust the mishaps much better than we thought. Once we went to the wrong place and another time we went to an old mall.
I was unhappy when a good friend left his job, but life can be unfair especially to those without clout. For the new year I pray for health, stability and friends. May the Lord look after family and friends.
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