Second Cycle, Jun 2010

Wife's veins were swollen on the third day after the second injection on May 25th. Mocha was tasteless on the fourth day. We tried using a cream (Hirudoid) a colleague suggested but the effect was minimal. The domestic helper could not come last week, but we coped quite well, so we are thinking of using less help, which frees Wife to do work and think by herself at home.

Wife has been giving me ideas for the preface of my new book 比喻人生, which my editor requested. The preface is much harder to do. All I wanted to do was to complete the task, but she reminded me of my dream in expository preaching. After working on it last night and this morning, I sent it to her for checking and she replied: "I think it is great in English! I don't know after translation whether this would be lost. The preface allows more storytelling about you as a person too." I dedicated the book to her, which she declined. Rev. Choy has been most gracious, agreeing to write a recommendation of 100 words for my book on the same day (June 9th) I e-mailed him. The editor-at-large had warned me when I presented him with a recommendation wish list: "O! That is a very strong list. They are all very busy, so you better ask and send material to them as soon as possible." Recommendation deadline is end of August.

Today (16th) is SAR public holiday in Hong Kong. We have a restful day after yesterday's third injection. I bought food for soup just after my morning pool exercise, before the crowd swelled at the supermarket. Breakfast is French bread, and lunch is noodles. In between I was stuck to live TV cheering the Lakers against Celtics as they cream their rivals in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Wife's friend from college days visited her for half an hour before lunch. They had a good talk and a good walk as well.

I was powerless to help Wife who suffered a lot of pain on the third day (17th) of the third injection due to her swollen arm. She could not sleep or rest and her injected arm was black. The pain was evident on the first day as well, somehow bypassing the second day, which is a public holiday. Shortly before I woke up the next morning, I had a dream she was crying. Her San Diego sister who is visiting Hong Kong was in the dream as well. As I told an overseas church memeber, "Every day is a blessing. Everyday is a bonus. Everyday is a battle." At night we listened to Somewhere Out There.

Wife was at her functional best yesterday (22nd) after a trip to Starbucks in the morning. Her eyes were big and bright all day. It seems mocha at home does not do the same job. She is thretaening to go again tomorrow. After the caffeine wore out, she was flat, drained and listless the next day. On Thursday (24th)she woke up and yesterday's day-long headache was gone, praise the Lord.

I could not bear to listen to the USA vs Algeria minute-by-minute gamecast on ESPN. All was not well when residents erupted in cheers in our apartment complex, which means England has scored, much to delight of previously-colonized Hong Kong fans. It also means USA was on the way out unless they score, which they did 1-0 in overtime. At half-time I turned off my PC. I knew we had won the next morning when I saw the highlights on TV before going to work, but later in the day only did I realize it was done in overtime. Ghana is next.

Wife was in a happy mood today (29th). I know for sure because she was singing. We are waiting for the dreaded 4th injection next week, otherwise known as the taxotere regimen. Yesterday was a terrible day for me. I ate a breakfast that sent me to the bathroom three times. At night after the first night of the intensive class I was so tired, but I woke at 4 am and could not go back to sleep, so I was dead the whole morning at work.

The Dreaded C Word, May 2010

The first day of the month started off on a bright note. We went out for breakfast, followed by Italian breakfast, took a nap and ended with a walk in the park. All went well but for a lump in the armpit at night shortly before rest. Our worst nightmare could begin again. I woke up before 5 am praying that it did not rear its ugly head again. Lots of thoughts crossed my mind, wondering what God is doing. I am sure we cannot go through an operation all over again. No doubt feelings of "being punished" surfaced. It couldn't come at a worse time. We are feeling helpless because we can only see the doctor tomorrow and chemotherapy is supposed to start in two days. Tears rolled down our eyes when we had Sunday breakfast together. Per request, I sang a song for our comfort. The emotions ran high into the night. The next day the doctor assured us the lump was unlikely cancerous.

We went on a tiring one-day trip to Macau yesterday (7th) for some unfinished business at the hospital, as requested by the school. The rains poured in the morning, stopped when we left for Macau at noon, and drizzled when we returned to Ma Wan. Into the fourth day of chemotherapy, Wife had more energy than me. I napped twice as the humidity worked overtime. Her health held up the whole time we were there but she slept on the ferry returning to Ma Wan. All praises to God. Next week is a crucial test; already her face is swollen this morning.

Into the fifth day, Wife drank two bowls of soup, with rice added, in the morning. Soup is appealing, but not food. After that the appetite disappeared the whole day, eating only a potato for lunch and bits of spare ribs/pineapple. Everything is bland except for pineapple. She feels like vomiting to meat. Wife had mocha in the afternoon after church, which made her day. Day 7 comes with acnes on the face and day 8 by swelling in the mouth. Day 9, the acnes have been aching the last two days. Wife discovered the soothing and healing power of bitter gourd for days 9 and 10, using it as paste for her hurting acnes. On day 11, after day 10's faint spell and shortness of breath, all is well. Happy as a lark, she grabbed a cup of mocha today (14th). Days 7 through 10 of the three-week cycle are supposedly the toughest to bear due to the lower white blood cell count.

The new normal since day 11 is quite pleasant even though hair is noticeable all over the tub today (day 15). On the same day we went out for Dialogue in the Dark exhibition, a worthwhile exploration into the world of the visually impaired or the blind. We were led by a blind guide into a darkened and spacious room, stepping into a grass area and then a stony (pebbles) area, feeling our way around assisted by a cane. I held on to Wife's shoulder as she led the way, later depending solely on my cane. Rich sounds of birds, rivers, and insects surround us. Without giving anything away, our guide expertly guided us as we mainly depended on our touch and cane to figure out a tree, flowers, a bench, a waterfall, fruits (orange, apple, onion, carrot, lemon). Without visual help, the visitors have to take a boat, cross the road, find a bench. A few things were lost to our sense without the guide's disclosure, including touching glass and a car.

Today is Day 17 (21st). Yesterday was characterized by sores in mouth, but hair fell like leaves today. I had to take a broom and sweep up the hair Wife left behind using the hairdryer after morning shower. The tub, too, was covered with hair; there was no escape the strands everywhere. A bald spot is noticeable at the neck behind the head. She said her worst will be in July and August. It aches to see more than half her hair gone the next day.

It's finally the last day of the first three-week cycle. Yesterday (23rd) we finished the last reflection question for the book to be released by Tien Dao in October (比喻人生). The credit was mainly Wife's. She surprised me by finishing the last four set of questions Saturday morning, two days ago, at Starbucks while I dozed off. She can really put her mind into the work once she gets going. To reward ourself, we ordered takeaway German pork knuckle and sip a can of coke together for dinner.

Last night (25th), day 1 of second cycle -we have as good a fright as any. Wife had pains in her stomach that refused to go away from evening on, so bad she thought she was dying. I asked if we need to call emergency but she said to wait till morning. In the middle of the night her bowel movements started and the pain was flushed away with the diarrhea, just in time for a brighter morning.

I finished my last class of the quarter today (27th). Two weeks ago, one of my colleagues said this quarter goes by so fast, but I begged to differ, which reminds me not to trust our feelings. This is the busiest week of activities in school so far, with the anniversary celebrations this weekend and graduation in two weeks. So far, it has lived up to expectations. On Monday's last sharing of the quarter (25th), a faculty raised hands in worship to a lively song, surprising all in attendance. Today a 1948 graduate shared in chapel, bringing tears to the faculty's eyes.

The Calm After the Storm, Apr 2010

April cannot come soon enough. No March could be worse. Here's a song by Alison Krauss to lift spirits up. All went well today at NPAC's English-language Good Friday worship. It was well-attended. The hymns brought more than a tear to my eyes. The clips - one of Steve Green and another of Peter - were impressive on the big screen. I was happily surprised to see Rocky and Claudia. God's angels are watching us through family, friends, brothers and sisters. We cannot ask for more.

What a miserable holiday. When sneezing replaces my allergies in the morning are replaced, then I am really sick, like I am today (5th). My throat is lousy, too. I just hope I do not pass it to others. The funny thing is all the wheezing is gone the next day (6th), so I am truly thankful.

Life has really changed since the dreaded C word. Early morning, before I go to work, I would boil hot water, pour it into a flask, do some stretching, mop the floor, and exercise in the pool (which I used to do after work), so that I can get home straight after work. Today (8th) I hope to visit the wet market after work to buy fish for dinner. It may be a weekly thing from now on since patients require fresh food. The landlord has told me rent would increase to HK$7,600 from the present HK$7,000 if we want to sign a new contract to guarantee the new owner would not raise rent, in the event the apartment changes hands. It seems he has put it on the market (for HK$2.1 million for his HK$1.75 million purchase) the day after his purchase! Hong Kong is about flipping homes, he said.

We have a turning point in our ministries in Hong Kong. Two weeks later Wife will do two days of video recording on "Bible Parents" to be broadcast on cable. As for me, yesterday (13th) a local publisher confirms they will release my new book on parables in five months time if all works out. Per my request, they will also allow me to post my online sermons in Chinese on the same series, minus the illustrations. I can live with that. With all my heart, I believe new media (internet) will drive old media (books) sales with just a simple link to the book. The target we agree on is selling 600 books first year, and 300 each year after that for the next four years. If I can do that, it goes to show my internet ministry does not hinder sales.

Today (18th) is the best day yet for us. Wife could go with me to TCAC, where I had to speak. We reached Tung Chung an hour earlier so that we can have breakfast. After worship we had buffet at Essence, a bargain at HK$128 per head. Wife tired out by lunch' end, but it was along day for her since we had left at 9 am and returned home nearly 3 pm.

I lost my cell phone last Wednesday (14th), so it was really inconvenient for me. After noticing it missing when I got off the bus at Yuen Long MTR station, I rushed to the bus headquarters to no avail. The people at the bus depot called the driver who did not see it or was handed one by passengers. It not only costs me HK$1,388 to get a new cell; it also costs me lots of missing phone numbers.

We really had to fight and refuse to give up at times, like yesterday (27th). On the way to the recording studio we left a backpack at the Ma Wan bus station. I caught the return bus from Kwai Fong as it was leaving but the driver won't allow me to board. The driver argued with me 2-3 minutes when he could simply press a button to allow me to board. My reason/neglect was not good enough for him. I shouldn't be mad but the bus left 5 minutes ahead of the 8:15 am schedule, so I filed a complaint today. All's well that ends well when I returned 30 minutes later to find the backpack untouched. It was not about the bag, but the notes we need in the bag for the recording. What riled me also was a mother and a child were refused boarding, too. Imagine not able to board the bus even when you are early to school. The reason the bus left early was they needed more buses at Ma Wan to bus people to work in the morning.

Wife admirably led a friend's father to the Lord on the last day of the month. She had shared with the person for the last two days and the harvest was ripe today. The man had brought her food when she was sick but had heart problems the last week. She visited him twice and reaped the results in his salvation.

Fog and Humidity, Mar 2010

The humid and foggy weather officially ended yesterday (Feb 28). It was so bad that the walls in Ma Wan were leaking water and an exposed cough drop in a container melted. I thought my toilet bowl had sprung a leak, leaving a wet pool in the restroom whole week. I even called the management office for service but they could not find anything. Now I realize the kitchen windows must be closed in the future in the event a fog arrives. If not, the humid air would blow through the kitchen window into the restroom, attracted by the walls there. On the same day I found the best bargain for a haircut yet locally, for HK$30 in Shum Shui Po. The lowest was HK$38 previously in North Point.

I have not blogged for two weeks due to a serious family illness. How deep were my feelings stirred. It seems like my world crashed with the bad news. No container could bottle the tears. It changes our priority. As a result Wife and I find time to walk the beach, sit on benches, eat a cheesecake and talk more often. Wife even rented an hour piano's time at the club, which calmed her spirits. As I leave for Taiwan tomorrow (14th) to teach at Logos, I am apprehensive of more challenges ahead, which I hope the Lord would spare faithless me.

It is five hours from the operation and I have been tossing and turning in my bed for the last three hours since 11 pm. I cried when I think of the surgery. What if something goes wrong? Being so far away does not help. The peace of God has certainly made a difference in us. I cannot ask for more than the courage and comfort at home.

Recuperation after a major surgery is hard on the family, but God sent a lot of angels to surround us with TLC. The doctor was kind and home help from a church sister, including cooking and cleaning, was priceless. We eat lots of pork and drink plenty of soup. Today we found out that Ma Wan has free shuttle rides for hospital checkups, which we have one four days from now. We managed to book a shuttle to the clinic and a return pickup two hours later, isn't that a miracle? We did not know about the free ride until we called for assistance to check on why our toilet bowl flushing system was not functioning today after the whole block's system was cleaned today (25th). A toilet meltdown turned into a family blessing.

Sermon Comments:
"我曾經在網站上看過葉牧師部落格十分欣賞,也十分得幫助若您是葉牧師向您致謝。楊師母"
"謝謝分享。很同意你所說："配偶是另一位的良心，而不是同謀。" 事實上，配偶是我們警衛和守望者，能提醒我們免犯過錯。願主賜福。C K"

Chinese New Year, Feb 2010

Well, all my January visitors have come and gone. Even the weather is mellow now. We are really blessed despite the costly recession in the States that affected us. The new Masters program is on a good start in its second quarter. I have received news that five to seven new students may join us the next school year. In the meantime Wife is really enjoying teaching the Sunday school adults class. I have stuck to my resolution of writing ten new sermons a year. In fact, I completed two so far.

I am excited that an article I wrote for CCCOWE's Pastoral Magazine was in the mail yesterday (6th). Of course, the publicity for http://www.preachchrist.com/ is invaluable. I still believe that my web ministry will outgrow my preaching and teaching ministry since it is global as well as local. In the meantime my local ministry is getting crowded. In less than 24 hours I have received two invitations to speak - one for a July 1st holiday retreat, and another for a weekend retreat in May, another public holiday.

After four months at Ma Wan I finally ironed my own clothes on Friday. I had to. There are no cleaners here that cater to a shirt or two, so I may as well save time and money. Sunday's rainy day (7th) was the longest that I can remember. It rained before I woke at 7 am and did not let up after I got home at 5 pm. A tall man like me dislikes the rain because short ladies keep poking me with their open umbrellas. They open their umbrellas for no reason even under a sheltered area. My consolation is a visitor e-mailing me and thanking me for my "encouraging" message.

Chinese New Year is four days away, I am feeling it. Today I threw away most of our recycled newsletters and magazines. This year we are heading to Zhongshan in Guangdong with our relatives for the new year. None of us will be in town, so we may as well celebrate together on the tour package we booked. But before that there's still a lot to be done, especially in getting rid of old stuff. This is the part I like best about the new year - when you live in a small apartment of less than 500 sq. ft. I got a cherished thank you e-mail from a sermoncentral.com visitor: "Hello Dr.Yap thanks for the message God Bless and more power to your ministry In Christ, Pastor Alvin."

I returned yesterday (15th) from a rich three-day HK$1,500 Chinese New Year tour of Zhongshan, Toishan, Hoiping, etc. Hoi Ping was most interesting. The Diaolu (碉樓) houses, built by returnees from the States, were hailed as Guangdong's only world cultural heritage. One of the finest hotels on our tour was the famous King Century Hotel. Another delight on the trip was staying at a spa resort, which boasts of 108 spas on the premises. The food was OK, but visits to the Mongolia and Yunnan cultural centers were disappointing. After the trip I got an email from buddy Michael, who told me his family was from Hoiping. The next day Dickson of Chicago, whose parents were from Hoiping, visited me in Hong Kong. On the shopping front I found bargains in a Lee Jeans jacket for RMB$75 and a Slazenger sports pants for RMB$50. Overall, it was good to take a break. For the new year, I break in two new shirts, a new T-shirt, two Chinese New Year boxes of Kleenex and a bag, besides the new jacket and sports pants I bought.

My first day of work after Chinese New Year was the only day, as far as I could remember, I managed to catch the early 7:40 am train to Yuen Long. Today (day 5) I do not feel so good because I caught a flu in the cold just by walking to the building next door in the morning to get coffee. (Hong Kong Observatory recorded the lowest temperature of the year at 8.2 degrees Celsius) Anyway I received an e-mail from China to warm me up:
"Hi: 感谢您每次发来的信息！我虽然忘记了是在哪里订阅的您的邮件，但每次发来的这些文章都使我受益匪浅！这些文章虽然比我订阅的别的每日查经都要长，但是我看得是最仔细的，因为每次都有收获。愿神继续带领您的这些文字事工！以马内利！Bu, Lake (布拉克)"
"Dear 葉牧師，新年快樂，主恩常在。多謝你講章的分享，它對我們教導現今的弟兄姊妹對愛情、婚姻有正確的觀念。謝謝！C K敬上" (19th)

Chinese New Year comes with an expensive price. I noticed my hairline receding, which is is bad news. There is so much one can do to hold age off. Hong Kong is as humid as it gets. The humidity level here is over 90%. It wasn't like that the first year I was here, but the floors on the streets have been wet since Monday (22nd). There is no letting up. Even my bathroom floors and refrigerator seem to be leaking water.

Happy New Year, Jan 2010

Happy New Year to everybody! Better say it on the morning of the first day into the new year, 2010. Yesterday we met old friends Waylon, Esther and Matthew for dinner with their family. Today we meet Chris and soon Betty and Chuck will visit; RCAC is in Hong Kong.

The old year has been very good to me. My e-mailed Chinese sermons has been a hit. I am now on http://preachchrist.vinemedia.org/ and I have been out of Hong Kong twice to train seminary students and church leaders preaching, even to an unspeakable place. For the new year, I hope to write ten new sermons. I have been unmotivated in this area. For the last 15 months, I only managed to write seven all-new sermons. Next, going to another all-new city overseas to train more pastors/leaders will be an added bonus. Anther goal is to trim an inch off my tummy, which was in vain after three months of pool exercise. In fact, this morning I have started to increase another 100 high kicks into my regimen.

Today (3rd) I heard a great song (無言的讚頌) at church and Wife and I taught our first Sunday school class together. It went well, praise God.

This is such a busy week due to the start of the new quarter. I can't believe how fast I moved on Monday (4th) to get my Greek class going. Yesterday (5th) the buses skipped me three times, I was the last one to board the fourth bus to from Yuen Long to school. Today (6th) I took a later ferry to Tsuen Wan when I miscalculated the time, so I had to run to the terminal in three minutes instead of the regular seven minutes. I was glad I made it, the exercises helped. At least the students were excited by the all-new message I gave yesterday on the two builders (Matt 7).

I did the most swimming today (9th) in the new year - four laps. A pastor joined me and we had afternoon tea together. I asked him how to go about publishing my new book in HK on parables, which I finished yesterday. The content is solid, it will be an eye-opener over here, I am sure. We talked about the possibilities. One thing I am sure is not to give away the copyright so that readers can enjoy it online as well. Distribution is important as well. I hope to buy locally so that I can give to friends as gifts. There is so little one can cover geographically in a lifetime, the pen is still mightier than the pulpit.

I was so clueless yesterday (11th) that I literally took Wife's keys to work, making it a very incovenient day for her as she had to go to Macau. Last week I was caught up with the idea of putting my three published books on the internet for others to download since ordering and shipping them to Hong Kong is so troublesome, so today I went ahead and did it and linked the dowload to http://www.preachchrist.com/. You can find it at the end of all books.

It must be the American holidays, so far I have met Chris, Waylon and Esther, Chuck and Betty, Herman and Eleanor, and Karl yesterday (15th). The last three nights have all been restaurant dinners. Stanley is supposed to meet me, too, but he has not called yet. The last two weeks of classes have been great but the present concern at school is recruiting students and increasing funding. My wish is find a publisher for my new book on parables before my August birthday, I can only dream.

The highlight last Saturday (16th) was bringing Wife's old friends and Ma Wan residents Calvin and Helen to Yan Fook's evangelistic meeting that is held every third Saturday of the month. We first went out for dinner together at Kwai Fong. Calvin was so excited after the meeting that he said he was looking forward to read the Bible. To cap the night, we had dessert before returning home.

Finally I sent out the first message of the new Sunday school series on Bible Couples that Wife and I are teaching. The response has been swift, good and encouraging:
"Dear Victor, Thank you for your touching message! God bless! Luke"
"Dear Pastor Yap, Thank you very much for this wonderful sermon. Best, Ruth"
"很棒的分享，謝謝你每次寄來的資料，對我及教會有很大的幫助！名山教會"
"我很喜歡前兩天收到的有關夫妻關係的文章，當中有很多提醒，很好看，謝!! 秀慧"
One down, nine more messages to go in the series.

Christmas Break, Dec 2009

My trip OVERSEAS has been a resounding success. The people I met were warm and gentle. They thirsted for theological training in a place where they did not have any for decades. I was the first instructor in this new Bible college-based extension program, with credits and all. 20 attended the week-long course 9am-5pm, Monday through Friday. The majority of the attendees were lay preachers with primary education, but they preach two to four times a month among their many gospel points throughout the city. I was energized, too. Intensive courses are the way to go due time constrain and many of them were busy businessmen. Now I realize why another school has classes Friday to Sunday instead. Maybe I can be the preaching coach for the same people dotted throughout the big land. The funny thing was that I was invited to train the same group in a different city but there was miscommunication, so I got another invitation to train here last minute.

For the Christmas break we decided to go to Beijing. Wife said I should go before I have further knee problems and cannot climb the Great Wall. As Mao once said, "You aren't a man till you've been to the Great Wall. (不到長城非好漢)." It was cold at the wall when the winds blow, but we had no other dates nor place to go. We stayed at WangFuJing, popular among tourists and we walked out for food most of the time. The tastiest black sesame dessert I have tasted for a long time is at the renowned restaurant Da Dong, The subway is the most convenient to travel and we did our share. Typical tourists we were, we visited Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, Ming Tombs, Empress Dowager's Summer Palace, and the Olympic favorite - the Bird's Nest. It was worth the endless walks and dripping noses on this chilly five-day trip, I can assure you. If you go there, avoid the kebab silkworms and fried milk I had, with compliments from Wife. In Peking we attended church at bicf.org, an approved worship center for expats where people enter showing their passports. The HK$10 gloves I bought from Shum Shui Po did its job, even though I regretted carrying them with me earlier. I was delighted to witness two young people giving their seats to a gray-hair man on the subway train; unfortuantely, the man was me. Wife grinned to no end.

Returning to Hong Kong (8th) brought me back to reality. I had allergies in the morning again after missing them in Beijing and I started coughing today (10th). There are papers galore to grade. Hopefully I can start preparing for the book of Job. In my absence vinemedia.org notified me they have posted the first of my parables series in the simplified script as well, which will be useful to folks in China. Also, my preachchrist.com promotional pens arrived yesterday.

The next day I was sick as a dog. The doctor said I have a fever besides coughing, and asked if I had been abroad. Then he gave me some medication. I am resting today but my mind is active. At least I get to rest for the whole weekend as well. I ate lots of fruits to perk me up. After more than 15 months here, we got our first credit card, courtesy of Citic Bank.

Unfortunately I have been sick for three days in a row. An ill wind blew today (12th) and I could barely survive two hours outdoors. I hope I did not catch anything nasty from my Beijing trip. Beckoning me this weekend is Sunday school, school dinner on Sunday and alumni lunch on Monday, what a time to get sick. My coughing is gone, to be replaced by a running nose. I was touched by two things staying home: (1) Hong Kong's football team winning the East Asian Games (2) the RTHK broadcast on overseas Chinese immigration history (華人移民史). The former makes me want to go out and purchase the team's shirt and the latter makes me understand more how the Chinese dispersion around the world had impacted many lives, including mine. My mom used to work as one of the "red-headcloth" day laborers interviewed in the documentary.

I have recovered yesterday (15th) from my three days of sickness, but all is not over. I still have mild diarrhea, coughing and sleepiness. The weather is a headache. If I wear a sweater, I want to rip it off. No sweater and I'll sneeze. Drinking Chinese medicine eased my throat irritation. The funny thing is that I did not get sick in freezing Beijing but here in balmy Hong Kong. Besides finishing the doctor's medication, I have also purchased Strepsils. I am a man of various medication.

Here is my favorite among YouTube's top videos of 2009: David after Dentist. Have fun watching!

Christmas time. We had dinner Sunday (21st) with relatives at Central's HKU Alumni Association. The food there is always good, but I had a headache, so I could not enjoy myself. Our office was treated to an all-you-can-eat buffet the next day. Buffets are dangerous to the tummy. I controlled myself but still ate a lot. At night a student took me to Genki Sushi, my first time, which is so-so, nothing comparable to Sushi Gen. Tomorrow we will have Christmas luncheon/potluck at the office. After work I will go to Macau to spend Christmas there, returning on Saturday for weekend preaching at NPAC. We cancelled our upcoming Macau buffet due too much eating. Hopefully we can go to a theatre over the break - my first of the year.

Today is Christmas in Macau. We did our best to enjoy our holidays here. On Wednesday (23rd) I went straight from the ferry at 7:30 pm to Venetian's Portofino, where I enjoyed my mixed grill dinner. The next day we had a fantastic appetizer and dessert lunch at MGM's Rossio. The price is inexpensive for the fine dining, one that you cannot get in Hong Kong or Los Angeles. This morning I had veggie scramble for breakfast at our favorite breakfast place, Savory Crab, followed by shrimp eggs noodles for lunch at Wong Chi Kee (黃枝記), then dessert at Starbucks. Hot pot is planned for dinner before we head home to Hong Kong tomorrow.

We returned home (26th) to watch Bodyguards and Assassins, which was an exciting and emotional movie for me watching how much people have sacrificed for China. I highly recommend it. This is the first movie I have watched since Ip Man. Ironically, the two movies star Donnie Yen. At night I watched the third episode of History of Chinese Overseas, It was just as touching as the first episode; this time it is about how Chinese history and politics from Sun Yat-Sen on impacted Chinese overseas.

School Newsletter, Dec 2009

將神的道教訓他們
葉福成博士： 本院碩士科主任

在一個星期天的早晨，一名老美國印地安人去參加主日崇拜。那天牧師的講道缺乏屬靈餵養，所以這位牧師就用大聲喊叫並擊打講台，來掩飾他不充足的準備。其實，可以說，他講得「風大浪大」。禮拜後，有人問那印地安基督徒，覺得牧師的信息如何？他想了一陣子，就用六個字綜合他的見解：「高風、大浪、無雨。」

過去十年我都在海外和本地教「釋經講道學」，因講道既是我主修的範圍、也是我的專長、所熱衷、所看為優先，也是我所引以自豪的。不過當我來到香港事奉，基於必要性與時代性，我發現教導事工應得到該有的尊重和地位。

今年，我教授了一門有關「教學法」的課程。當自己好好檢視聖經中有關教導的經文時，我發覺當今教會過份強調講道以致忽略了教導的重要性。

四福音記載了耶穌講道 (kērussō/preach) 32次，但提及祂的教導 (didaskō) 卻有59次之多。嚴格來說，福音書中羅列耶穌「講道」的活動，只有八次1，他的「教導」卻共有30次 2。不但如此，在約翰福音中，根本沒有記載「講道」(preach)一字，反而列出「教導 」(didaskō) 共有10 次。

耶穌傳道之初，正是施洗約翰被監禁之時。耶穌走遍加利利，在各會堂裡教訓人(didaskō)，傳 (kērussō) 天國的福音，醫治百姓各樣的病症 (太4：23) 。之後，耶穌走遍各城各鄉，在會堂裡教訓人，宣講天國的福音，又醫治各樣的病症 (太9:35)。耶穌吩咐完了十二個門徒，就離開那裡，往各城「施教傳道」(太11：1)。

在福音書裡，「傳講」與「教訓」同時提及的只有三次，都出現在馬太福音中(太4:23； 9:35； 11:1)，而且「教訓」總是被放在「傳講」之前。「教訓和傳講」，而不是「傳講和教訓」。很可惜和合本在馬太11:1把「傳道」放在「教訓」之前，新譯本則譯作「施教傳道」。甚至在強調差傳事工的使徒行傳中，「宣講/傳講」只提到八次，而「教訓」則有1 6次之多。

在新約中，有三處經文提到屬靈恩賜：羅馬書 12:6-8、哥林多前書12:7-11, 12:28-31和以弗所書4:11-12；其中只有教導的恩賜在三段經文都被提及 (羅12:7；林前12:28；弗4:11)。到底「教導」和「講道」有什麼不同？簡單來說，教導是裝備眾信徒，而講道則是向未信者傳福音。福音書裡有四次的「傳」都是與福音有關 (太4:23; 9:35;可1:14; 16:15)。

牧者絕不能二選其一，教導在牧養工作中是不可缺少的，且是不能分離的。誠如以弗所書4：11 所說者：牧師和教師的事工是不可分開的。該節經文的希臘文記載：「而他所賜的有 (冠詞 “the”) 使徒、有 (冠詞) 先知、有 (冠詞) 傳福音的、有 (冠詞) 牧師和教師。」可見「使徒」、「先知」和「傳福音的」均有冠詞 (“the”)放在前面，但「牧師和教師」前面則祇有一個冠詞 (“the”)。


為什麼要強調教導的事工？因為牧者在教會的角色與事奉，必須以教導為中心，而講台的事奉只是他「教導事工」的一部分而已。教導是今天稀有的珍寶，卻也是一種失落了的藝術。大多數牧者在事奉中發揮不了其影響力，就是因為他們不教導神的話、不明白如何教導神的話、也不理解或經歷過教導神的話語所帶出的大能。他們教導有關聖經的資料，卻未教導聖經本身。現代人對於演講與教導也是模糊不清，把聖經當作二手資料，而不是最重要的資源。現代的講道講究形式過於實質 ( style over substance)，充斥著許多書本上的研究，卻忽略了個人的查經。可悲的是，現在的神學生與牧者們只會閱讀許多的解經書，卻不會自己去查考聖經。

牧者們，請加強教導，淡化演講！教師們，務要教導神的話語，不要傳遞人的智慧。教導比講道更豐富，因為教導包括：經歷耶穌的同在、細察經文的內容、進而把教訓延伸他人。願我們回歸教導的角色與根源——與主同行、效法祂的事奉，並分享祂的作為。




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1 (太 4:17，4:23；9:35； 11:1； 可 1:14，1:39；路 4:44； 8:1)

2馬太福音7次 (太4:23；5:2；7:29； 9:35；11:1； 13:54； 21:23)，馬可福音13 次 (可 1:21， 1:22；2:13； 4:1， 4:2； 6:2， 6:6， 6:34； 8:31；9:31； 10:1；11:17；12:35) ，路加福音10 次 (路4:15， 4:31； 5:3， 5:17； 6:6； 13:10， 13:22； 19:47； 20:1； 21:37)

The Cold Front, Nov 2009

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.

Less is More, Oct 2009

"飄流日記"

Today (1st) is a leisurely day and a public holiday in Hong Kong due China's 60th Anniversary. I bought a new monthly pass (HK$180) when Green Green opened her doors at 9 am, allowing me unlimited access to the pool this month, so I intend to go twice today. An hour later we had breakfast (HK$24) at Blue Blue, read the papers there and shopped at the supermarket, arriving home at 1145 am. We prefer to stay in Ma Wan on Saturdays and holidays to enjoy a quiet rest and to avoid paying for fares. After having fruit salad for lunch, we slept till 3 pm. Wife prepared soup and watched a cable movie at the same time, while I headed for the pool again. After dinner, we went to the pier for an hour's walk, returning home to do the laundry.

Mid-Autumn/Mooncake (3rd) festival is a festive occassion and a big thing at Ma Wan. I don't know where the revelers are from, but they brought their lanterns, candles, towels and even picnic tables to the beach. It was quite a sight. We could not resist and joined them for a stroll.

After 40 days at Park Island, we went to the third, last and grandest of swimming pools - Chic Chic - the moment they opened the doors at 9:30 am. I swam five laps, the first time I do so in Hong Kong. Like I say, I live in Ma Wan, not Hong Kong, because it is more like a hamlet community than a city estate. No wonder I hear that kids sometimes cannot adjust to schools or living outside the island.

Flu season is in, I feel it today (5th), and I am one of the first victims. I am so used to sneezing in the morning that I dismissed the symptoms. Thankfully, I survived the rest of the morning's class, but the full effects were felt in the afternoon. I can not get sick yet because I still have a class to teach tomorrow night. After work, I took a rest and then went for my pool exercise, which was quite relieving, but the symptoms reappeared again after exercise was over. So I intend to take Panadol - my first in Hong Kong - and sleep earlier tonight.

After mid-autumn's arrival the weather has cooled down considerably. Occasionally I sleep without the ac unit on. I sneezed today (9th) after exercising in the outdoor pool. In the coming weeks I will try to stay indoor to avoid catching a chill.

DHL is a joke. It took making at least seven calls and talking to seven employees in two days to get a package in my name. We had a package (9315 727 831) sent from the States on Friday that landed in Hong Kong at 1 pm the Saturday but did not get to its Tsuen Wan facility as promised by 11 pm. So we asked it to be transferred next day to its only 24-hour center in Cheung Sha Wan since all its other centers were closed on Sunday (11th). We went there at 8:15 am but they refused to let me have my package for the next 45 minutes even though I was in person and I have my I.D. with me. They said I do not have the documentation for the transference, which I had sent. Plus, I am not allowed to do the documentation on the spot. They said it is policy. Say what? Is policy more important than the person? Is man made for the Sabbath, or the Sabbath for man? What is the purpose of a policy? Seems that its purpose it to protect the company rather than the customer. Such policy will spell its doom. Already it is not competitive in the States, the biggest market, with UPS and FedEx grabbing the lion's share of the market. Then I found a blog with worst complaints than mine.

Today I was grouchy because a new ferry leaving Ma Wan at 7:24am was late arriving at Tsuen Wan by one or two minutes, making me barely miss my 7:42am train to Yuen Long. The next train was due in 3 minutes. I wonder why the new ferry service in a newer ship and all is slower than the old one. Such is life in Park Island due its distance from land, but it is a small sacrifice for the tranquility there. Thanksgivings abound, too. I was blessed today (21st) reading a comment from Iraq, which also reminds me not to miss out on others, see below:
“Mr. Yap, I am in the US Air Force Stationed in Iraq. I have enjoyed reading the first three sermons you posted for Nehemiah. Have you finished this series? If so, is it possible to get an email copy. I would love to finish them. Thank you for your assistance.” In Service to God, Paul MSgt Paul Lyman United States Air Force
“Every time I receive your message, it's great helper for me, thank you very much. God bless” David Lee, Ethnic Ministry Pastor, Matthews, NC 28105, Oct 14th
“Thank you Rev. Yap, this is what we need to do on the earth in such dark hours. God bless your heart and work, it is so encourage, we helping people not because of man, but of God.” Judy, Oct 14th

I have been doing some soul-searching, examining how can I best use my gifts for ministry. After a year here, my heart is still on developing Bible study and preaching resources for my website http://www.preachchrist.com/, then translating all my sermons into Chinese, which is halfway done, and doing more intensive courses in Asia. The first two are priority because my internet project and writings travel around the world far quicker than I can. Today (29th) vinemedia.org requested my materials for their website. It seems like literature ministry might best compliment my vision.