In less than 24 hours we will be leaving our home for the past four months. Our NWA flight will take us to Tokyo where we will spend six hours in the airport before heading to Honolulu, Hawaii for five days. We were told it is best to break up the trip east so that jet lag doesn’t incapacitate us too much when we get home; thus a stop to celebrate my 65th birthday at the site of the commemoration of the 65th anniversary of Pearl Harbor. As we make our final plans for departure a few parting thoughts:

We thank the Lord we were given this opportunity to serve the Lord in Hong Kong. It has been a wonderful experience and we have learned far more than we have taught. We thank all of you for your prayers on our behalf. We ask that even though we will be coming home, that you remember in your prayers our mission team, Asia Lutheran Seminary, Southeast Asia Lutheran Evangelical Mission, our Chinese brothers and sisters in Christ, and the many millions of people in China who this Christmas season have no knowledge of the baby born in Bethlehem.Thank you, readers, for allowing me to share this experience with you. This will be the last blog from Hong Kong.

It’s just a week and a half from Christmas as I write this.  The temperatures still say 70’s, we seldom need to wear a coat, and hot chocolate and mistletoe are nowhere to be seen.  Christmas is not the BIG holiday in Hong Kong.  That will come with the Chinese New Year in February.  Yet there are a few ads reminding us we should be looking to buy gifts, especially expensive jewelry, for our friends.  Our apartment building does have a plastic banner with a reindeer wishing us a “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.” Some of the stationery stores have tinsel and garland for sale and some of the expensive stores on Hong Kong Island have gone all out in expensive decorating.  There is a Santa Land on Statue Square on the island which many Hong Kongers complain is an extravagant waste of taxpayers’ money.  One of the few Christmas trees I have seen is there – full of tiny white lights with a red heart on the top.

Last week Phoebe and I went to Telford Plaza shopping mall to see their Christmas decorations.  It’s amazing how corporate America can tarnish Christmas in Hong Kong.  Apparently Disney has a part ownership in the mall so they did the decorating.  It wasn’t so much Christmas decorations as an attempt by Hong Kong Disneyland to take the opportunity to advertise Disneyland.  Every plastic Disney character you could imagine is on display at Telford with a Christmas light attached here and there to add a touch of the season.  It looked more like a blatant commercial for the park than Christmas.  Looked like they are trying to convince Hong Kongers that Snow White = Christmas.  There were a couple of boughs with ornaments over stores but the majority of decorations were plastic Disney characters.

The city did spruce up the park across the street and brought in several trucks filled with poinsettias.  They are beautiful set in front of the white columns at the entrance to the park.  There are places within the park where multiple plants have been put in and it really looks nice.

One of the small shops that I walk past almost daily has a small manger scene with a bright star in the window.  It is a lone message of the reason for the season.  Hong Kong is only 5% Christian – an open mission field for sharing the story of the birth of the babe in Bethlehem.  Our English ex pat group will have their Christmas worship service on Sunday, December 17.  It will be our final worship service with them before leaving early on the morning of December 19.  God-willing we will be home for Christmas.

A blessed Christmas to one and all from both of us!

Although we have been busy in the classroom, there has been time for culture and fun as well in Hong Kong.  We have visited the Hong Kong Museum of Art, the Hong Kong Maritime Museum, and the Hong Kong Museum of History.  The Maritime Museum is down on the south end of Hong Kong Island in a building right on the South China Sea.  The other two are in Tsim Sha Tsui which is the southern part of Kowloon.  Admission to most Hong Kong Museums is free on Wednesdays and other days senior citizens (we both qualify) pay just $10HK/person – about $1.25 USA each – a real deal! We went to the Art Museum first and especially enjoyed the special exhibit entitled “The Hair Dialogue” by Gu Wenda and Leum Mee-ping.  The artists collected hair from salons in 100 countries and using a glue adhesive formed letters of the alphabets from around the world.  The display was a dining room with Chinese furniture; the walls and ceilings were draped with sheets of transparent materials with all this hair on it.  In another area they had hundreds of children’s shoes woven from human hair.  Unfortunately we couldn’t take pictures – you had to see it to believe it. The Maritime Museum looks at China’s contribution to the development of boats, ships, maritime exploration and trade, and naval warfare.  The two sections of historical and modern displays share Hong Kong’s growth as a major world port and top maritime center.  There are huge areas of container docks; some not too far from our apartment.

The most interesting museum was the Hong Kong Museum of History.  This is one of the best museums we have ever been in.  “The Hong Kong Story” chronicles life in Hong Kong up to today.  We were especially interested in the Hong Kong ethnic groups and their traditions, clothing, occupations, living conditions, etc.  We now understand why they are comfortable living in small quarters after seeing a life-size junk boat that housed a family of four.  We saw a life-size replica of a Chinese Opera Stage and were introduced to many of the rituals associated with Chinese beliefs.  There is a detailed history of the Opium Wars.  Although the Japanese occupation lasted just three years and eight months, that horrific time in Hong Kong’s history has a prominent place in the museum.  That invasion occurred 65 years ago this week Friday (12/08/41). 

On Friday, December 1 while Milwaukee was buried under about a foot of snow, we were sitting in our shirt sleeves under an almost full moon on the banks of Victoria Harbor listening to a Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra concert.  All 15,000 + of us were provided with free tickets and mats to sit on the ground to enjoy the concert.  The venue was a typical orchestra concert:  Pieces by Dvorak, Bolero, a favorite Chinese violin concerto “Butterfly Lovers”  and a closing with the 1812 Overture complete with fireworks.  The concert was very well done and the scenery across the Bay to Hong Kong Island as all the buildings were lit up was awesome.  Although we sat more than half way back, the sound system was excellent and the camera people did close-ups of the performers so we could see and hear clearly.  A very enjoyable evening – sure beat shoveling snow!!!  We will be doing that soon enough.

I have completed my teaching assignment in Hong Kong for the fall semester.  Grades have been turned in for my 2 credit course entitled Children’s Education.  I just want to share some observations regarding my teaching experience here in Hong Kong. 

We weren’t sure exactly what my role would be here when Ron accepted the position of Visiting Professor at Asia Lutheran Seminary.  It was clear that he would be teaching seminary level courses in Systematic Theology, II Corinthians both here and in Taiwan, doing some consulting with the congregations here and teaching a Bible Institute course based on some of the Old Testament books from his GOD’S WAYS class.  However, several possibilities were given me and in June it was determined that I would be teaching a two-credit class for the Bible Institute called Children’s Education.  The course was geared toward Sunday School teachers and parents who wanted to learn more about children’s ministry.  I spent quite a bit of time before leaving preparing for this course since it is not a course I usually teach at WLC.

The course was not scheduled to begin until Oct. 5 and as the starting date approached it became obvious that a second section of the class would need to be added on a second night and in another location because of the numbers of students registering.  On Thursday nights I had 16 students at the SALEM Bible Institute and on Tuesday nights I had 8 students in Sam Shing, New Territories which was about a 45 minute train ride/light rail ride west of here.  Phoebe Lawrenz went with me since this was truly uncharted territory for me.  (One week Phoebe did not go and I actually managed the whole system quite well on my own!)

Three of the 24 students indicated they had parents or grandparents who are Christian; the remainder are first generation Christians.  What a joy to witness their faith and their knowledge of the Bible!  The majority of the students were young mothers who were eager to learn how to share the love of Jesus with their children; they had no models.  So that’s what we spent 7 weeks, 2 ½ hrs. a class period doing.  The final class they presented their group projects of Bible stories, activities, songs, and prayers in an age appropriate manner.

Keep in mind all of this had to be done with a translator; Charlene on Thursday night and Angela on Tuesday night.  Talk about faith – I learned you are totally dependent on your translator to repeat what you have said.  I had no way of knowing if what I said is what they heard.  (But then, that is a communication principle even when speaking with someone in English!)  They were both very enthusiastic and fun to work with!!  During the final presentations they had to translate in the reverse as all presentations were in Cantonese and Charlene and Angela had to translate it into English so I could understand.  Some of the written materials were handed in done in English; the rest in Chinese – again it had to be translated for me so that I could grade it.

These students are very committed to learning.  Most of them had jobs during the day, many of them putting in 9+ hours (normal HK working day) and then came directly to class.  Many of them stopped to pick up some food on the way and would have to eat their dinner right before or at the beginning of class.  Many had to pick up their children after class on the way home and didn’t get home until after 10:30PM.  It is not at all unusual to see small children up late into the evening here as you ride the MTR.

It was a real privilege to be in a classroom with these sisters and a couple of brothers in Christ.  It was wonderful to share our love for the Word and our love for children.  I pray that my meager efforts have been a blessing for them.  I look forward to seeing Hamia, Olivia, Minnie, May, Joey, Grace, Kalman, Kennis, Ching Mei, Winky, Apple, Miu, Maggie, and all the others in heaven some day – along with their children, and God-willing many more who speak Cantonese!

I indicated in an earlier blog that our television stations are limited to 2-3 English speaking channels and about 8 Chinese speaking channels.  We investigated the possibility of getting cable for the duration of our stay and when we saw the price we decided to purchase the South China Morning Post @ $7HK a day instead.  It was a good decision.  We have gained insights into this part of the world far beyond what a television program could tell us; and that’s just in the advertisements.  The content brings us to tears one minute and hilarious laughter the next.  Some of the issues are similar to USA; others so far removed that we are reminded we are indeed in a foreign country.

The October 28 edition contained an EDUCATION section with a headline of “Friedman condemns limits on vouchers” as Hong Kong debates using a voucher system for kindergarten.  Does it sound like Milwaukee?   Image my surprise when on page 5 it quotes a Destiny Hatcher who is a student at Hope Christian School in Milwaukee.  The article cites Hope School several times as a positive example of how vouchers can enable students and their parents the opportunity to choose their own school and the positive outcomes that result.

Sexual harassment is another similar issue that women are facing here – especially on the MTR.  I don’t know how it is possible when you cram this many people into a train car to not touch other people, but some women are suggesting the need for “women only” cars on the MTR as is done in Japan and some other countries.  In the business world women here also struggle as Sophia Kao Ching-chi laments, “Whether you like it or not, the glass ceiling does exist.  It’s still very much still an old boy’s club.”

Bird flu is especially on the minds of people here in China.  However, the US State Department may have gone a bit overboard when it was reported in the SCMP that they warned US citizens here in HK to “build an emergency three-month stockpile of food, water and medicine as part of a survival plan in case of a bird flu pandemic.”  The next day someone pointed out that a 3 month supply of water could collapse your floor into your downstairs neighbor’s living room and a 3 month supply of food would take ¾ of your floor space.  They have now changed the recommendation to a 2 week supply.

I indicated earlier there is a great deal of pressure on students to perform academically.  The emphasis on test-taking for entrance into a university can be seen in an article in today’s SCMP where it is reported that in Seoul, Korea when 600,000 students sat for the College Scholastic Ability Test, the city was brought to a halt.  All aircraft were banned from taking off or landing for two 30 minute periods during the day during an auditory portion of the exam; 138 planes were affected.  Vehicles had to slow down and banned from honking their horns near exam sites and the start of office hours was delayed by an hour, until 10AM.  The article also states that rituals and superstitions abound over the exam.  “Special gifts for examinees include rolls of toilet paper, symbolic of hopes that they can smoothly unreel their knowledge.”

Weather is often reported as “Fine apart from cloudy periods.  Haze.  Mainly fine.”

China now has not only a one child policy, but also a one dog policy – and that dog can not be taller than 35cm.  It is China’s attempt to crack down on rabies; but it has become common for the local police to raid homes and take the dogs, never to be seen again (except in the next day’s paper as dog skins hung out to dry).  The paper also reported that three drunken elephants (guzzling rice beer) trampled a hut in India and killed three family members. 

Ethical and moral lapses are not limited to US politicians.  Daily we read of local and national government officials who have been “sacked” because of graft, bribery, sexual misconduct and a variety of other crimes.  College professors are no better as it is reported that “about 90 percent of research papers and scientific projects were flawed, ranging from plagiarism to overstatement of a result’s significance.”  In an attempt to curb rural corruption the central government in China has released a “slew” of changes saying “Everything, except state secrets, must be open to party members and villagers.”

And just yesterday the Ministry of Public Service announced that “Motorists who have been driving continuously for more than four hours have to stop for a 20 minute break.”  Enforcement was recognized as a potential problem.  The pollution problem in Hong Kong has been described by a very high official as “just a matter of perception”, nothing serious.  Meanwhile we long to see the mountains which are very close.

Meanwhile the Chinese government has a theme this year of building harmony among the citizens.  A happiness index is being developed by the central government to determine the happiness of the peasants.

Happiness is reading the South China Morning Post!!

Monday was a public holiday in Hong Kong and all of China.  The ninth day of the ninth lunar month is set aside as one of two days in the Chinese calendar to honor their ancestors.  The companion day is called Ching Ming and occurs in April or May.

There are no classes and it is one of those rare days when the Chinese do not have to work.  As a result many take a long weekend holiday.  My translator for my Tuesday night class and her husband went on an extended holiday to Japan for five days.

Our Christian brothers and sisters were happy to have a day off from work and/or class, however, it was obvious to us as they talked about this holiday it was not a holiday that Christians would celebrate in the traditional Chinese manner.  This is a day when the Chinese honor their dead ancestors.  However, it is more than just a visit to a cemetery as we sometimes do around Memorial Day.  It is a time when Chinese families gather to sweep the graves of their dead loved ones, bring fresh flowers to the cemetery, burn paper money and other offerings and offer lavish feasts to the dead as well as the living.

The offering of chicken and pork, fruit,  paper money and clothes is to ensure that their ancestors will have all the wealth and protection that they will need.  They believe that by taking care of their loved ones in the afterlife, their loved ones will one day take care of them.  How blessed we are to know we have a Savior who took care of the afterlife for us!

Many of the graves are in the hillsides and up the mountains here in Hong Kong.  As a result there were many pilgrimages and pictures showing hundreds of people walking up the hills.  October has been an unusually hot month here in HK and Monday was no exception.  As a result, there were many older individuals who had health problems on their trek up the mountain.  They were in misery as they were within 15-20 minutes of reaching their spouse’s grave and had to stop; feeling they had forsaken their loved ones, and in turn would be forgotten.

The newspaper reported that there were 71 fires in the HK area on Monday.  It has been unusually dry along with the heat, and many of the grave sweepers did not have enough water with them to douse the flames of their sacrificial offerings of paper money and clothes. 

We have an elderly woman whose apartment is straight across from us.  She has a family altar set up on the ledge just outside her window.  Every morning she does her ritual of bowing and praying in front of that altar.  On Monday morning she had a tray of fruit and other food piled high in front of her altar.  By early afternoon it was cleared away.  About twice a week she burns incense sticks.  On Monday night as I sat on our balcony the air was heavy with the smell of incense as the day honoring their dead ancestors drew to a close.

China has millions of people who worship their ancestors rather than the one true God.  Pray for them and pray for our fellow Christians here who struggle with family pressures to follow the Chinese traditions.  Pray also for our mission team here who brings the light of the Gospel to the Chinese people every day.

We have been told about how elaborate wedding banquets are in China.  On Saturday we were invited along with the other HK missionaries to a “Thank You Banquet” by the SALEM organization.  It was an appreciation for the joint effort in completing a new roofing project at SALEM Headquarters.  Although the invitation did use the word “banquet” we did not realize what was in store for us. It began with the arrival of a deep fried baby pig on a large gold platter.  There were small red glittering jewels in place of the eyes that were flashing on and off to get our attention.  The insides had been removed so what remained to eat were the skin, a layer of fat, and a thin layer of meat.  It was all cut into small pieces so it could easily be taken to one’s plate with chop sticks.  There were nine of us seated at our round table, including two children.  We ate the whole pig, excluding the head and tail.

The second dish brought to the table was a broccoli, chicken, squid combination.  It was steamed with a mild oriental sauce over it and quite tasty.  Next came a platter full of deep fried shrimp balls – perhaps the closest thing to American food we had all evening.  Condiments included dipping sauces of plum, vinegar, mustard, and many others that I did not recognize.  This was followed by a dish of straw mushrooms wrapped in a wonton type wrapper, rice, and scallops.  Exquisite!

Shark fin soup is a delicacy in China; so much so that there is great concern over the harvesting of small shark for their fins to satisfy the tastes of the Chinese.  We contributed to that concern by having small bowls of shark fin soup even though we had just read an editorial in the South China Morning Post that asked residents to order it less often in restaurants.  However, we also know it is not good to refuse Chinese hospitality, so we joined in the tasty slurping.

The next course was a very large steamed fish complete with head and tail.  It was very well prepared and delicious.  I was told the tastiest part of the fish is its cheeks – and it was very good!  Then came Chinese ham with green vegetables.  A bit salty, but tasty, nonetheless.  The next dish, baby pigeon, was deep fried and cut into quarters.  It reminded us a bit of the pheasant we used to eat in South Dakota, but deep fried instead of roasted.  Then came large bowls of rice and noodle dishes with cut up vegetables and mushrooms.  Tasty, but not much room left in the tummy!

Dessert included steamed sweet breads, sweet red bean soup, red date filled sesame rolls, and a large plate of fresh fruit.  We have never seen so much food brought to one table for one meal in our 60+ years of living!!  The Chinese really know how to throw a feast.  What was amazing is that we ate almost everything brought to the table.  How these people stay so slim is beyond us.  They must have a whole different metabolism!!  We didn’t think we would need to each again for several days.

However, on Sunday Ron preached at Yuen Long and after the service members took us out for the usual noon dim sum.  There were several of the usual steamed barbeque beef  bread rolls, shrimp rolls, noodle dishes, egg tarts, chicken feet, etc. and a new one added that we had not had before was fried octopus tentacles; a bit chewy but also quite tasty.

We are becoming quite adept at using chop sticks as utensils.  We will never match the dexterity and finesse of the Chinese; however, we no longer embarrass ourselves or those with us, most of the time.  There are occasions I still resort to using my Chinese porcelain spoon to help cut things into bite size pieces, but Chinese table manners allow for many activities that we would not approve of.  Spitting food on to the side plate, slurping of soup, reaching across the table to get something with your chopsticks, using a toothpick at the table, are all part of Chinese dining, even in the finest of places.  So one can risk eating with chopsticks and bring the bowl to your mouth and do about anything you want and still eat at the table.

Sunday night we finished our marathon eating at Missionary Mark and Sue Sprengeler home with a murder mystery dinner.  Good Italian food such as lasagna and spaghetti were served.  Ron played the role of the head grounds man at the Arizona ranch and I was his daughter, complete with pigtails.  Good thing HKers have Halloween celebrations – I was able to find a cowboy hat for him and the pigtails for me in a costume shop – dirt cheap!  A good time was had by all!

For those of you watching for my next blog, my apologies for the delay.  Dr. Natzke and Prof. Uecker were here to visit for a week and I barely had time to sleep, much less write blogs!  I understand they will be sending a description of their experience to this site soon – so watch for it. Saturday was hump day for us in Hong Kong.  Hard to believe we are over the half way mark already for our visit here.  Since I had not had a hair cut for over 9 weeks I decided to set out to find someone to cut my hair on Saturday.  Several of the missionary wives offered to take me to their hairdressers, but I decided to be adventuresome, figuring it would grow out in another 9 weeks if it was too bad.  I had seen a shop in the Mei Foo area where we live that had signs in English in the window – I figured that was a good sign someone would speak English.  If not, I thought I would be able to communicate nonverbally that I wanted a cut.

My only regret is that my hair won’t be needing another cut until early December.  It was a wonderful experience and I felt like queen for a day.  Understand that stateside I go to one of those quick-cut places and usually wash my hair before I go.  So I was prepared to just get a cut.  Not in Hong Kong!  I was greeted at the door by a young Chinese woman who took me to the receptionist to get me registered.  It was quite easy to communicate that I wanted a haircut.  Then a third woman led me to the shampoo area.  As I sat in the chair and leaned back, a built-in massager massaged my neck and back as I leaned back for the shampoo.  The shampoo lady massaged my head, forehead, temples, upper cheeks, and shoulders for about 15 minutes while she shampooed my hair with wonderful smelling tropical products.  Pure luxury!

The young man who cut my hair spoke some English so we had a pretty good conversation while he cut.  The Chinese are trained whole differently in cutting hair; my husband had noticed that for his two haircuts.  Although the process was different, the end product was just what I wanted.  After the cut, it’s back to the shampoo area for a rinse and quick neck massage by another person.  Finally a blow dry and styling ends the process.  All this for just $90HK which is less than $12USA.  Tipping is not a big thing in HK, but I gave the guy who cut my hair a $20HK tip.  He grinned from ear to ear, walked me all the way outside and invited me to return soon.  I think he felt like king for a day!

Hair care and cosmetics are quite popular in HK.  I have been surprised that in most of the department stores I have been in, the main floor is all cosmetics and grooming products.  Each brand, and there are many, has their own area on the main floor.  Not only are the popular American brands here, but you also see French and Italian make-up, perfumes, hair care products, etc.

On the way back to our apartment I stopped to pick up a few groceries and was approached by a middle-aged Chinese woman who asked if I was a missionary.  When I indicated I was, she said most of the Westerners who live in Mei Foo are missionaries.  I then asked if she was a Christian, and she said she was.  We had quite a lively discussion in the produce department as she expressed her concern for the Godless direction of American society, indicating it was time to send missionaries to America.  She commented on the Congressman Mark Foley incident and referenced several other instances where America is forsaking God’s commands regarding homosexuality.  We had a nice chat!  She believes Jesus is her Savior.  As we parted I gave her my Asia Lutheran Seminary business card with the Chinese on one side and the English on the other and said I’d see her in heaven; she gave me a hug!

It occurs on the day of the biggest and brightest full moon – it’s called Mid-Autumn Festival.  This year it was on Friday, October 6.  It is quite a celebration in the Chinese world.  The excitement was building all week as I walked past my usual fruit and flower shops there were fruit baskets and flower arrangements being put together since Weds. Some of the shops actually covered their usual products with sheets and brought out special Mid-Autumn Festival goods.

Mid-Autumn Festival is a time when families try to get together so the already crowded trains, buses, and streets are really packed with people.  The favorite gift of the Chinese for family, friends, or bosses on this holiday is “moon cake”.  Moon cake is a 5 inch round cake that has a center of either an egg yolk, lotus seeds, or nuts.  The cake part is very much like a heavy spice cake; some say more like a fruit cake.  We received five moon cakes yesterday, but were invited out for both dim sum and snacks so haven’t begun to eat them yet.

The SALEM group invited all the American expat missionaries for dim sum yesterday noon as a “thank you” for our being here.  This was part of their Mid-Autumn celebration for us.  We feasted on about 20 different dishes and closed with a dessert of red date soup.  All was very tasty.  In the evening President and Phoebe Lawrenz invited us over for snacks, wine and moon cake – a typical way to celebrate Mid-Autumn Festival with friends.  At 9:00 PM we went for a walk in Lai Chi Kok Park across the street from us.  It was 78 degrees, the full moon was shining in all its glory, many of the shops and apartments were decorated with bright lights, and the park was filled with families – some walking and carrying lanterns, others spread out on blankets with lots of food and goodies lit by candlelight.  Now and then an aroma of burning incense would float by on the wind.  The children were running and playing and the adults enjoying the beautiful autumn evening in the park.  It was truly a festive occasion!

We understand the lights and decorations will remain up for several more weeks.  It’s almost like Christmas in October.  The only difference is the temperatures – we are experiencing mid 80’s by day and mid 70’s at night.  We have not had rain for a long time – one could get used to this!!!! 

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!

Ron and I left for Taiwan on Weds. September 27.  We joined Pastor Rob and Judy Siirila on Dragon Air for a 1:15 flight to Chiang Kai-shek Airport in Taipei.  Our trip had two purposes:  1) Ron taught the II Corinthians course he has been teaching here at ALS to a couple of students in Taipei, and 2) our passports only allow us to stay in Hong Kong for 90 days at a time.  So we had to leave Hong Kong and then return within 90 days of our intended departure.  We returned on Oct. 3 so we should be good until our departure on Dec. 19.

This was an interesting time to be in Taiwan.  There is somewhat of a political crisis right now as there is a movement afoot to depose President Chen Shui-bian.  He and his family and friends are being accused of corruption and ruining Taiwan.  His response is to push for a constitutional amendment declaring Taiwan’s total independence from China.  We stayed in the YMCA which is just a block from the main train station in Taipei and just a short distance from the seat of government.  It was a very noisy seven days as the protestors gathered in that area to demand Pres. Chen’s resignation or recall.  This area of Taipei is also the college and university area so we were deluged with hundreds of thousands of college students.  (I felt right at home.)  In Taiwan students have to pass an entrance exam to get into college and the area we were in had hundreds of schools preparing these students to be successful test writers.

From late afternoon well into the evening we could hear the cheering and jeering and loud microphones and music.  Pastor Siirila did walk over one evening to check it out and did not stay long because it was rather frightening.  We were advised not to wear red (the protestor color) or green (the supporter color) to avoid any confrontation.  We have not heard the end of this confrontation yet!!  President Chen is in a rather precarious position with the protestors rattling sabers from within and if they fail in their attempt to depose him he has China rattling sabers from across the straits with his call for total independence from them.  Stay tuned!

Our movement around Taipei was not hampered by the political situation.  Judy and I were able to shop, eat out, and act like tourists without any problems.  We spent an afternoon at the Chiang Kai-shek memorial – another part of Taiwan/Chinese history.  Hard to believe that when I was younger Chiang Kai-shek and Formosa (now Taiwan) were the big news stories.  History became very real for me as I walked through the museum honoring him.

We experienced our first earthquake while in Taipei.  Taiwan sits on 66 fault lines, we were told; so earthquakes are quite common.  This one was so minor that many people didn’t notice it; but Ron and I did notice our chairs and the bed moving just a bit mid Sunday afternoon.  Just like that everything stabilized and it occurred to us what had happened.

On Sunday morning we worshiped at Pastor Chen’s church in Taipei.  Much to my surprise Eric Chen, a nephew of Pastor Chen and former WLC student walked in.  Greetings from Eric to those of you who remember him.  Eric is married and has three children.  He works at a bank in money trading.  I don’t know if any of you know Pastor Chen’s daughters Jennifer and Alice who attended MLS.  Eric, Jennifer, and Alice all did some translating for us.  They had a wonderful fellowship meal after the service and we had a good time.  I was also surprised to learn that Eric’s parents are Noah and Angeline who are in the PSI program at Mequon and members at St. John’s.  Talk about a small world!!

Another element we learned about was the “cram schools”.  From 3^rd grade and up students are expected by their parents to get all A’s.  If they are not successful (get less than an A), they attend privately operated “cram schools” after the normal school day.  This high stress emphasis has and does take away childhood from all Taiwanese children.  They are often in school 10-12 hours a day (including “cram” schools) with homework yet to come.  This has contributed to a very high suicide rate among young people.

Our last evening in Taipei we had a special treat.  We had dinner at the Taipei Grand Hotel.  What an elegant spot!!  They had a buffet dinner with food from around the world.  Very tasty.  Shortly after we were seated a table behind us filled with six young French models.  There was a textile show in Taipei and they were apparently there to be part of the show.  We didn’t pay too much attention to them but after the meal they were wandering around looking at the grandeur of the place just as we were.  They were taking posed pictures around a dragon fountain and laughing and having a good time when two of them asked me to join their picture.  So there was an under five foot, over 120 pound short haired American woman between two lovely long-haired twiggy French models in front of a dragon fountain.  Look for it in the latest Vogue magazine!!!  An Arab Sheik in all his regalia had been in the vicinity and he offered to pose with them as well.  If you see me on the front page of the Arab Times with a Sheik, believe it!!  A fun time was had by all!!

Traffic again was quite challenging.  The taxi cabs were larger than in Hong Kong, many more privately owned cars, and hundreds of thousands of scooters.  Whereas the scooters in China were electric, these were gas driven so the noise is much greater.  The streets and sidewalks are just lined with scooters.  You have a hard time crossing the street to the other side because you can’t get between the scooters to get up on the sidewalk.  Streets and alleys are parked solid with scooters.

Chiang Kai-shek Airport is designed for inter-China flights so a great portion of it is unused at this time.  Except for special chartered holiday flights there is no agreement to allow direct travel between Taiwan and the China mainland.  All travel has to go through Hong Kong.  We left Taiwan at a good time.  They will begin a five day holiday on Friday and expectation is for increased political rallies and protests, a huge influx of travelers, and perhaps a typhoon heading that way.  We arrived safely in Hong Kong late Tuesday evening.

I did a lot of reading about Hong Kong before we left USA and every book mentioned shopping at Stanley Market.  Because of the heat and humidity, Phoebe Lawrenz and I had delayed a trip there.  Last Thursday the temps and humidity went down into the 80’s so we scheduled a trip to Stanley Market. 

Phoebe had told me this was the place tourists shop.  I fully understand that because I had gone into many of the shops in our Mei Foo area and beyond but could find very little in sizes that Americans normally wear.  The Chinese are much smaller people.

We left at 9:30 AM and took a double-decker bus down to the Star Ferry.  The next leg of the trip was the Star Ferry 7 minute ride across Victoria Harbor that cost $1.70HK which is about 25 cents USA.  The trip to HK Island was awesome.  The harbor was full of everything from international cruise ships to the typical Chinese boat that one person with a pointed hat stands and rows – and everything in between.  The MTR does run under the harbor but Phoebe wanted me to experience the visual impact of the island.

Hong Kong Island is the financial center and business sector of Hong Kong.  The modern sky scrapers and glass high rises were breathtaking.  We had to take another double-decker bus about 2/3 of the way around the island to reach our destination.  Many of the expats in Hong Kong live on the island in very secluded homes along the mountains and hills.  There were beautiful sand beaches along the South China Sea that were lovely to look at from the top deck where we sat.  The road is very narrow, and at times I felt as though I was riding a roller coaster and extremely thankful I wasn’t driving.  I still am not accustomed to driving on the “wrong” side of the road – especially on those hills and curves.

Stanley Market was the place to shop.  Many of the Chinese products that I had seen here in Colon department stores were 60%+ cheaper there.  Yes, I had a good time shopping!!  There were many more westerners there than I had seen in the previous month in Kowloon combined.  We had lunch at a neat little French deli where the people around us were talking Italian, French, Japanese, and of course Chinese.  Phoebe is the language expert so was able to identify them for us.  On the way back to catch the MTR we stopped at Oliver’s – an Italian grocery store.  It was on the 4^th floor of a commercial building.  One would never know about it if someone didn’t tell you.  The wine collection was outstanding – but wine is pricey here.  Most of it is imported – lots come from Chile.  Yes, we can get California wine too.

It took us 2 hours to get from Mei Foo to Stanley Market via bus/ferry/bus.  It took us just a little over 1 hour to return via bus and MTR.  Underground rail can move a lot of people a long distance very quickly.  It is very convenient!

The visiting professor’s apartment here in Hong Kong is quite nice.  We will admit our first impression was a bit haunting.  Keep in mind we arrived at 10:30PM HK time on Wednesday, August 23 – about 25 hours after leaving Milwaukee.  Neither Ron nor I had slept much on the plane so we were exhausted.  We were met at the airport by John and Phoebe Lawrenz as well as Alex Wong, an evangelist with SALEM.  They had a van ready to take us back to Mei Foo – about a 25 minute ride from the airport.

They unloaded the van and took us to a gated back door that needed a code punched in to open; on to the elevator and up to the third floor in overwhelming heat and humidity even at 11PM.  There we were faced with a locked sliding stainless steel door and an inside locked door before entering a small (about 845 sq. ft.) apartment.  The air conditioning had cooled the place somewhat, but it was still somewhat stuffy.  John and Phoebe left us with the sound of the sliding stainless steel door clanging shut, much like a jail cell.  We both wondered what we had gotten ourselves into.  Although we were exhausted, sleep came sparingly and prayers incessantly.

But a new day dawned in Hong Kong and we discovered what a neat place this apartment is.  We have lots of windows to the west and to the north.  We have two bedrooms, a small living room, an even smaller kitchen, 2 bathrooms and a laundry room.  One of the bedrooms doubles as a home office and has a sliding glass door to a balcony.  It overlooks Lai Chi Kok Park just across the street.  Our view is the lovely green park with skyscraper commercial and apartment buildings beyond.

The Mei Foo area where we live is a complex of 96 high rise apartments housing 250,000 people in this small area.  The apartments are about 20 stories high and the ground level is all shops.  The entrance to the MTR (subway) is just beyond our apartment complex entrance so it is very convenient.  It takes about 20 minutes to get from our apartment to Asia Lutheran Seminary.

The greatest challenge in the apartment is the kitchen.  It has space for one person at a time.  We have a small refrigerator/freezer and a 2 burner gas stovetop unit.  There is a small microwave in the dining area; no oven.  Counter space is at a minimum – a total of 4 feet and most of it at almost chin-level for me.  Good thing we are campers and used to improvising.  I went out and bought some cutting boards to set across the stovetop unit so when the burners aren’t on I have extra counter space at a good height.  (I added counterspace in our camper using the same method.)  All of the overhead cupboards are beyond my reach so I need to find other places to store groceries.  There is ample space in other storage areas but it means I gather things from throughout the apartment when I cook.  It works.

I am thankful for hot running water in the kitchen; Phoebe Lawrenz does not have that luxury.  All kitchens have water pots which heat water very quickly for making tea as well as doing dishes.  We have learned that there are two water systems in HK.  The toilet facilities use salt water and the faucets use regular treated water.  On Thursday of this week we will have our faucet water turned off from 9AM – 1PM and our toilet water turned off from 1PM – 5PM.  They regularly flush each of the systems.  They warn us ahead of time so we plan accordingly.  All drinking water is delivered in 5 gallon containers.  We have three delivered at a time and just need to call for a delivery on either Tuesday or Thursdays in our area.

Our dining area is quite spacious and has a built in china cupboard with shelves that I can actually reach.  We did our first entertaining last Friday evening and it was a challenge putting it all together in “someone else’s” kitchen using “someone else’s” dishes etc.  At home I am equipped to entertain and have all the serving dishes etc. that I need.  Here it was called improvise, improvise, improvise – and it all worked out!  I did go out and buy more silverware, however – setting for four just was not going to cut it!  Would you believe I bought four- five piece place settings for a total of $5 USA??

We have a washer/dryer in the apartment – it is all in one unit.  The capacity is very small and it takes forever.  I plan about 2 hours for washing and then another 2 hours for drying a load.  Even then it comes out damp.  I have gone to the HK style of drying – there are bamboo poles out on the balcony and every balcony has laundry hanging on it.  Because of the high humidity it takes a long time to dry – but it eventually does!

We have been here four weeks now and this feels like home.  Those first impressions have all but been forgotten.  We laugh when we think about it.  We have learned that this small apartment in our eyes is really quite spacious by HK standards.  We share the space with just the two of us; most families have the same or smaller space and share it with more than one generation.  The balcony provides not only laundry drying space but a wonderful spot to read, pray, listen to the sounds of HK and especially smell the aromas of Chinese cooking wafting up to us from the restaurant below.  We are indeed blessed!

Dr. Ron and Prof. Mary Heins are in Hong Kong for the fall semester of this school year.  Dr. John Lawrenz, the president of Asia Lutheran Seminary spoke with Ron in November of 2005 inquiring about his availability as a visiting professor to ALS.  ALS has been in operation two years and is staffed by two full-time professors and a regular stream of visiting professors.  Some of the visiting professors have taught three week sessions, others are here for the full semester.  We are the second “team” serving for a full semester. Ron is teaching a portion of his God’s Ways class to students at the SALEM (Southeast Asia Lutheran Evangelical Mission) Bible Institute (a junior college).  At Asia Lutheran Seminary he is teaching the book of II Corinthians and a Systematic Theology course on Church and Ministry.  In addition, he will be working with two of the SALEM congregations in a Parish Assistance program as they look more closely at how they carry on ministry in Hong Kong.  He will also be teaching in Taiwan for a week.

Mary has been asked to teach a course in Children’s Education geared to Sunday School teachers and parents who want to teach their children about Jesus.  This course will be taught at the SALEM Bible Institute on Thursday nights and perhaps in one of the congregations on Tuesday nights, if there is enough interest.

We will be in Hong Kong until December 19 and returning to Milwaukee via Hawaii on the morning of Christmas Eve Day, God-willing.

We left Milwaukee three weeks ago today. What a three weeks this has been! We have moved half way around the world, yet find it possible to communicate with family and friends with the click of a mouse at no cost. We talk live with our four children a couple of times a week and hear our grandchildren laugh and cry as if they are in the same room with us through the miracle of a computer package called “skype”. E-mails arrive within seconds of their being sent and I get to read the daily announcements at WLC as if I were on campus. The only difference is that we are 13 hours ahead of you in time. That means 9AM on 9/12/06 here is 8 PM 9/11/06 in Milwaukee. In Hong Kong I read my Milwaukee Journal/Sentinel and Wauwatosa News Times on line and I get my weather forecasts from www.weatherchannel.com.

We have no radio in our apartment and the TV gets limited stations without cable and very few English speaking channels. We do watch the ABC Evening News with Charles Gibson live at 7:30AM every day on channel 4. Channel 10 is the official Chinese government English speaking station. We get to watch worldwide news from the Chinese government perspective out of Beijing. It has been refreshing to get news that is truly world-wide. We get stories out of Australia, Pakistan, France, England, USA and all points in between. I have found especially refreshing the half hour of “culture” news that follows the ABC Morning News. This morning it covered fashions from Beijing and Paris, music from China and Italy, a violin maker in Austria, travel in Japan, skateboarding in USA and a rock concert in Shanghai featuring groups from Europe.

A week ago the national badminton championships were being played here in HK so instead of Sat. afternoon football we watched badminton. A whole lot more exciting than the Packers are right now! The other night I watched a segment of CSI in Cantonese – a very small segment, but it was interesting!

Pageantry is big with the Chinese. One night we were watching an awesome show of music, dancing, costuming, lights, etc. We had no idea what it was because it was all in Chinese. The next day we learned on an English channel that we had watched an anniversary celebration of Confucianism. Word has it the new Disney theme park in China has had disappointing attendance numbers; perhaps it isn’t spectacular enough??

At the same time we have observed few public smiles and almost no public laughter. The exception is the Christian community – we have seen smiles on the faces of people in the churches we have attended. Another exception is the Filipino maids. Sunday is their day off and you see and hear them having a wonderful time as they spend time together on Sundays.

Hong Kong is such a modern cosmopolite city that we are hardly noticed as being different. However, this past weekend we were in Hangzhou, China where westerners are uncommon, and Ron and I found that we really were looked over as we walked the streets of the city. When we smiled in response it really surprised them. More about our trip to Hangzhou later.

I have had several people indicate a desire to hear about what we are doing. I intend to send updates on a somewhat regular basis. If you aren’t interested, feel free to delete. I will try keep these short so as not to consume too much of your time. Future topics will include details about where we live, the challenges of laundry, food, and most importantly our mission here in Hong Kong. Ron began to teach on 9/11; the course I am teaching doesn’t begin until 10/5.