a bit of a leap

This entry leaps forward to find me safely home in Maui. Our last day in the Capital was low key but interesting none the less. We visited (in)famous T. Square, and then went shopping along a broad pedestrian street nearby. Happily, there was also a Starbucks on said street:) It was in an awesome old historical building- as are most establishments along that road. But it was a fabulous place for an end of trip mocha!

I will post additional photos from the trip over the next week or two, however returning from the outreach means some closing paperwork etc. for me here at the base- so be patient. Even though my schedule upon returning is quite light, its difficult to settle in much with dozens of returned student girls from other outreach teams encamped on the floor of my home:)

But give it a week: this too shall pass.

My time in Asia already feels very long ago and far away. Perhaps this entry not flowing with smooth closure to the trip best represents the suddenness of leaving off at a lovely hotel in an ancient Capital and picking up in a chaotic old house in a hippie town on an island in the Pacific.

Its a bit of a leap.

no, you can’t actually see it from space

After a day in the hotel having debriefing meetings together as a team, it was time for another outing- so i arranged a van and driver to take us outside the city to a section of the Great Wall. Quite the weekend! The Great Wall was an outstanding sight- being there with my students was definitely memorable. We just walked and talked...and marveled that we were so blessed to end our trip here. The landscape of wandering hills, the snowy ground...and the Wall itself, studded in guard towers, wending through the scene- it was amazing. Some sections were steep and tiring, but all were exhilarating.

not Forbidden if you buy a ticket

After several months in the south, my team and i have traveled north to debrief in the capital. We’ve spent most of our excursions in the historic downtown area near our hotel; we’re just a couple blocks from the former residence of the Imperial court- the Forbidden City. Visiting there was such a splash of history and culture to liven up the end of our time together... and we obviously had fun:)

the beginning of the end

The last week here in the city has been a busier one. There is loose ends to tie up, logistics to work out and friends (finally returning to town) to meet with one last time. Its been a welcome change of pace -better to go out with a bang, ya know? It has been a great few months investing in lives here- to see what our Father is doing and to join Him... such a privilege. The fellowship with Him in sharing the pursuits of His kingdom is a sweet thing.

My very last coffee date was with my dear friend that became a believer last year. We drank coffee and read the bible together as i lead her through scripture's instruction on prayer. It was a sweet time for us both- i just kept being overwhelmed by the privilege it is to help guide another person in being a follower of Christ. His family is truly beautiful, and to love our brothers and sisters is a serious commission. Loving these people has been no sacrifice. Its simply been a joy and privilege to me from our Father.

Thank you again for your prayers and support in sending me out to preach the Word, teach the truth, answer for our hope, and strengthen others in the faith. Its been a well invested few months and I am excited to return Stateside soon.

But before i hop continents, there is more adventure in store! My team and i are flying north to the Capital- for some debriefing and time to unwind a little. Stay tuned- I expect the next couple posts to be an exciting change from grey city life down here in the south.

Please stand by for further transmissions

Due to busy trip closing and final travel preparations compounded with malfunctioning wifi, i have not been able to post recently. Please be patient and stand by for a final summary of my time in Asia, as well as fantastic pictures from these few days in the Capital. It will be worth it:) I hope to post within a week. Thank you for your patience!

pinwheels

As we were walking around a beautiful old university campus near the river the other day, I kept praying for change. For the windows to be opened and fresh air to rush into places long stale. Change. I couldn't help thinking of a conversation i had with a local friend recently, at a traditional new years flower market: Besides flowers, many people were buying forms of paper and foil pinwheels- and my friend informed me that according to their tradition, if you were not satisfied with your life situation you would buy a pinwheel- to represent movement and change. However, if you were satisfied with your life and circumstances you should not purchase one because you want your fortune to remain at rest. The symbolism shared with me in that conversation came back to me again and again as i prayed for the campus and the city. I felt like i was holding a pinwheel in my heart for this place. As i wandered around lifting these thoughts to God, i stopped here and there to scrawl the word change here and there around the grounds. These pictures are sort of a transcript of my pinwheel prayers.

out and about

With the local new year observance still underway, our studies are still in a relative lull- pushing us to invest here through other means over the last couple weeks. My team has been out walking the city- praying on the campuses, mostly. Its good way to remember all that's going on here that we cannot see- and engage on that front. Its also been refreshing just to have the whole team out and about together- when we are busy with studies etc, we more often find ourselves in pairs and trios than all together. The weather has been unseasonably warm ( yay!) so its been perfect for our prayer walks- and a Godsend for morale:) A little warmth goes a long way in the cold and gray!

what i see

Just some images captured in passing...

another taste of home

For many people, the prospect of eating Spam is just as unnerving as blindly choosing dinner from an asian fresh meat market. Its a substance on par with CheezWhiz and vienna sausages. However, for those steeped in the traditions of Hawaii...Spam is a welcome taste of home. Spam is commonly enjoyed in the islands, proudly persisting as a local favorite. So when i surprised my students with having brought a couple cans of Spam with us on this trip...the whole team was in a fit of excitement (having embraced the stuff during their months in Maui). The guys slices and fried it up while we girls bought the rice from the nearest take out place- and dinner was under way. Fried Spam and rice was a welcome and familiar meal for all of us. Wow, a legit cheeseburger and a Spam dinner all in one week...funny how the little things can be such a blessing and little boost for team morale as we move into our trips final weeks:)

A long way to go for a decent burger

This past week I was due to renew my visa yet again- so another border run was in order. And why go back to Hong Kong when i have never been to nearby Macau? A two hour bus ride brought me and my student Daniel to a fairly rapid border crossing, and with that formality taken care of...why not explore a little? Some friends had informed us that you could use the free Venetian Casino (just like Vegas) shuttle from the border to go to the hotel's international food court and find a truly american burger. So we opted for that...you have no idea how incredible america's beef is until you eat burgers (even at fine establishments) abroad. So we roamed through a world class hotel, and ate amazing double cheeseburgers with fat steak fries. Afterwards, we took the shuttle bus back out of that man made wonderland and headed into the historic downtown of Macau, colonized years ago by the portuguese. Such an interesting cultural mix- the Orient meets Portugal! Haha. We walked around some antiquated streets and saw some ruined churches and interesting architecture...then got icecream and headed back from whence we came. With all my love of historic downtown areas and new cultures, i have to say that the highlight of my day in Macau was lunch at Fatburger. Mmm. I mean, its kinda a long way to go for a burger (mostly the lines in immigration/border control, really) but i have to say that since i was already going there...it was worth the daytrip:)