My week's update

I realized I hadn't posted in a while, so here goes with my week's update.

Although I had said I wasn't going to work with the kids again this year, it turns out I am. :) Liz and Maria, two amazing, MD ladies here, lead the kids in a weekly, one hour Book Study. Maria has been here five years, and has felt the MD calling her back home to Sydney to continue training to be a counsellor. (She actually leaves tonight.) They asked me to step into Maria's role, and it was odd how excited I was to do so. I guess the MD really does work miracles! The kids come over to see me all the time, and I am amazed at what a great relationship I have with each of them. I'm excited to lead them in their growth and answer their millions of questions about the MD. They are so inquisitive, and ask such thoughtful questions ... I really enjoy it. I'm trying to come up with some unique activities for them to do, so any suggestions are very welcome! (keep in mind, they range in age from 5 - 15, which makes it a little more challenging!)

Also this past week, I've had to say good bye to two friends that I had made while here last year, that are now both leaving this week (today and tomorrow). I'm grateful my time overlapped with them a little so I could see them again, but I hate good byes, so I am just chatting for peace and to be able to keep in touch with them.

This past week I've spent just getting my arms around the work some more. They really do some incredible work here. Since they are the only organization of their kind (hard to imagine in the States, since we have Salvation Army, Good Will, and many other such places), they actually get a lot of media attention. This is soooo helpful, from a communication perspective, because we don't have to lobby for attention as much as we would if there were others like us. The attention helps secure donations and funding, which we need since we make zero revenue. For example, World Refugee Day is coming up this summer, and there are quite a few refugees in HK, and CRV helps promote awareness of the difficulties faced by refugees. We're working with UNHCR and putting on a simulated refugee camp, with speakers and other performances, to illuminate the battles faced by refugees all over the world. CRV does a lot of these kinds of events, and they are always well attended and life changing for so many. Since I work with Communications, I get to sort of project manage this, which I am SO EXCITED to do, because it's a great, impacting event and I love working toward a goal I am so passionate about. We work with many refugees here, and their plight is so downplayed and misunderstood, so shedding light on it and giving people a glimpse of their hardship helps promote better relations between them and the HK community.

So other than all of that, I've been just trying to adjust still. I am fortunate enough to have my own (small) bedroom, and have decided to really make it comfortable - my inner sanctum. :) We have lots of paint available here at CRV because they've been fixing things up, so I'm going to paint the trim in my room a chocolate brown color (my walls are cream already), mostly because the trim is this awful pastel purple color and I don't want that for all the time I'm here. Someone randomly gave me brand new red curtains, which match the blanket I already had (thanks, MD!), so I'm excited to make it feel more like mine and be a restful place for me.

And speaking of decorating, on Thursday, just after Maz got out of her bed, a huge chunk of ceiling fell onto her bed! Turns out there's lots of water damage that is corroding our ceiling, and a piece decided to come down on Maz's bed. She cleverly stuck a post-it to the chunk, and stuck it in the office of our maintenance guy asking him to fix it. We came home that evening and huge chunks had been taken out of the ceiling in the sitting room as well (they came in to take out the other pieces that looked loose). Lots of people here theme their living areas, like Garden of Eden and will make it look like that (some very creative people here!), so we decided our theme is "War Torn." I told her we should cover the walls in thick tent material, and make it refugee camp-like. Just a suggestion. :)

And other than that, I've been helping Maria pack herself up to go back home to Australia, and trying to offer what encouragement I can. She loves being here, and living here, and keeps saying, "I can't believe I'm doing this." It's a huge, hard move for her to make, but she knows it's the one the MD has asked her to do, so she's following beautifully and is a testimony of faithfulness to us all. I will miss her dearly, and as I told her last night, "Now I have to come to Sydney some time!" So anyone up for an Australia trip in the next few years? Let me know ... I know just the place to stay.

Well, that's all for now. Still settling, getting my bearings and have done surprisingly well getting around and not getting lost! I've found "normal" things I can eat when I need to, and am feeling comfortable and most of all glad to have followed the MD to this point. I was able to share my feelings on leaving with Maria, because it was very similar with my thoughts of, "I can't believe I'm doing this!" and leaving my comfortable home and job and everything familiar, but how glad I am I did and am able to be here now. The MD is amazing in setting up the timing the way He did so I was able to share from the same experience she is having.

I appreciate all your chats as I continue to adjust ... can you believe I've been here for two weeks now? Thanks for reading. Until next time ...

Chai Vanilla Latte, please!

I have discovered the awesome power of the chai vanilla latte. It is the most amazing thing!! Let me just say, I never ever drink coffee or tea, so this is somewhat surprising to me that I've taken to this drink so quickly.

We have this cafe on our site that makes the most amazing chai latte. I'm pretty much a regular there by now. It just makes my day. And it's so nice to have something so good to look forward to in the morning.

I just wanted to put this newfound happiness of mine out there for the world to know. It's latte time!!

Cultural differences, and some much needed quiet time

I woke up early this morning, threw my clothes in the washer, and decided to take advantage of the beautiful morning by taking a walk. I chose a wooded path that began at the CRV (see the picture to the left) site and wound around the back end. It was so peaceful, and allowed me some much needed quiet time with the MD. It was more of a conversation than anything else, and I really enjoyed it. I prayed for various needs I was aware of, asked for the MD's guidance and discernment for my new job, and also for His will on my future in Asia to be made clear to me. I felt at such peace after our long chat, and I am so grateful for that time and hope to make that morning walk a regular thing (please pray that I can remain diligent!).

I was also able to visit the supermarket early enough to where it wasn't overcrowded yet. I was able to take my time, with no one pushing me out of the way, and really look at and think about what I was buying. It also afforded me a private moment to snap a shot of some of the odd things available for sale. While most of the things in the store are fairly normal and familiar, they have a whole section of weird soup packages, with labels that I am unable to read. I can't even tell from the picture what they are:

I was also able to spend a good long time this evening with Maz's friend, Katie, who is stopping through Hong Kong from Australia on her way to a 28 day tour of China. She's been great, and we've been comparing our cultures and words we use quite a bit. Did you know it's required of everyone in Australia to vote, and if you don't vote you get fined? I couldn't get over that. I actually thought that wasn't such a bad idea. They also call cotton candy "fairy floss" which I found odd, and there are other various word differences and cultural differences. It's really been fun learning more about Australia, since I know next to nothing about it. And it's also been another blessing to get along so well with yet another person I've just met. Below is a picture of Maz (left) and Katie (right).

Good Friday

Today was an incredible time of fellowship, worship, prayer, reflection, and fun. (There are pictures below.)

We began the day meeting together for singing to Him, which in itself is one of my favorite things here. The voices singing far outweigh the person leading, and I love it. We also had readings from Matthew regarding the the final days of the Son. Following this time, we all trekked up the mountain nearby our site, stopping along the way to read other passages and think on the Son's own trek up the mountain, bearing the cross. At the top, we had an amazing view, and each of us split off on our own for an hour of quiet time. I situated myself on a rock overlooking the coast, and reread the passages from Matthew regarding the crucifixion and resurrection, asking that the MD would keep me mindful of this season and the incredible gift He has given me. At the end of the hour, we celebrated the Supper together with hot cross buns and grape juice, then trekked back down the mountain.

This evening, we rejoined together for dinner. We created a huge garden salad depicting the final days of the Son. There was a potato mountain of olives (with olives on it), a carrot cross, a lake made of salmon, grass made of lettuce, and so on. (Please check out the photos!) It was so fun to create as a group, expressing creativity together and working as a team to develop the best way to portray the torn curtain (we used a torn lettuce leaf) and houses (blocks of cheese with doors cut out and carrot roofs). At the end, after an explanation of the significance of each scene, we ate it (and it was good!). We then watched Prince of Egypt together.

I've really been impacted this Good Friday by all the reminders of the MD's sacrifice and gift of love. It was a slightly strenuous climb this morning, and every time I would think of my own fatigue, I would stop my inward grumbling because I know it was infinitely harder for the Son to do the same, bearing His own cross and walking to His painful death. I also found it impacting to sit on a mountaintop to have my quiet time with the MD. I was able to take in the mountaintop view, thinking on the Son's final moments on His ownmountaintop.

At the bottom, beginning the climb:

Views from the top:

Salad Creation: top left corner: the temple, made of cantaloupe; right: mount of olives; the walkway is lined with beans and made of crumpled chips

Salad: the tomb made of bread, with a cucumber stone rolled away; broccoli trees

Salad: Finished Product

I finally have some photos

Here is my happy little workspace, from where I change the world each day. Well, I try to anyway.
You can see the "Welcome Suzanne" sign on my little wall, that Zoe (one of the kids) made for me. It has a verse about being on the mountaintop, so she and Kara put mountain photos all around it to remind me of the MD's presence and love and how neither can be shaken or moved, like the mountains. (Zoe also made a smiley face out of push pins for me, which you can see in the picture.)

You will also notice that my profile picture has changed. Sam, a Londoner here for the past
2 months, is a photographer and has taken so many amazing photos to document the work being done at CRV. These in turn will be used in promotional pieces we can put out to garner further funding and raise awareness among the community about our mission and the people we serve.
Anyway, I needed an ID card made, so he took photos of me, and this was my favorite. Hope you like!

This last photo is of this very random sculpture thing outside my window. I look at it every day as I work. It makes me laugh. I always think to myself, "Jacqui should have this in her office," though it may not quite suit her pretty beach scene. :)

I'm going to do a separate post next on my experiences yesterday, so please read that as well.

Training Day

Each morning, we begin with a time of singing and chatting together for an hour. It's considered a tithe of our work day. This morning was my first morning back to the work week after the weekend, and I was overwhelmed by the huge, warm welcome I received from the team. I really felt loved and appreciated. And it was all genuine, sincere happiness to see me back. It just felt good.

I spent almost all of today meeting with Kate, our Comms Director, whom I will be assisting. While that may sound like a slow, tedious day to some, I had a great time learning from her, and digging into the job ahead. I will primarily be assisting her with her tasks. She does a lot, and needs some of the burden lifted. I'll be taking on some project and event management as well as playing an administrative role and doing some writing that is needed. I couldn't have asked for a job more suited to my strengths and interests. And what's more is the team I will be working with is small and close-knit, and I know each of them from when I was here last. This is a huge praise for me! I still get a little nervous about the open-ended length of my term here, but I am confident this is where I'm supposed to be right now. It's an exciting journey!

I am really enjoying re-connecting with old friends and finding my place in it all. I look forward to being more settled and comfortable, but know that this transition time will be a good learning experience for me.

The MD is showing up in big ways, and I am so grateful for His faithfulness and perfect timing and plans. It's still a big adjustment being here, but I am remaining confident that He will continue to provide and bless the work being done here.

Another exciting day in HK ...

Well, due to my very long sleep yesterday afternoon, I hardly slept at all last night, but made myself get up this morning at a reasonable time so I can sleep tonight. The result is I'm starting to crash now, and it's only 3 pm. Must keep moving. Must not sleep.

So to keep myself up, if only for a few minutes, I thought I'd blog on my incredibly exciting day of nothing. The schedule at CRV is to work Tuesday through Saturday (we work with a lot of community volunteers who can only come on Saturdays, so we adjusted our work week to accomodate them). So it's Monday, and I'm off. I spent the morning getting a few groceries, and then being lazy with my roommate and watching (a pirated version of) Maid in Manhattan (just about every DVD here is pirated because they're cheaper to buy). I know this isn't the exciting stuff you were hoping to hear from me, but I promise it will get more interesting once I start work tomorrow and really settle in. I've actually been grateful that Maz (my roommate) and I are getting on so well. One thing I really missed last time being here was that my roommate was never around, and so we never hung out together or really made it feel homey. In my new flat (as they call it here), Maz and I actually cross paths and chat quite a bit. She'll never replace Kerrie (I mean that, Kerrie!), but I am so thankful our living situation is working out so well. It's only been two days, but we've really clicked, making what could have been a stressful situation not bad at all.

And all the kids I had last year have been coming by to see me, which has been really special. And as much as I loved being with them, and still love spending time with them, I am looking forward to working with adults this year in the Comms department. So far, the MD has provided a wonderful living situation, and I am continuing to pray that the work part fall into place as well.
Other than that, I'm just trying to get used to my surroundings again. I look out the window, and can't believe I'm back in Hong Kong, back at CRV. I have the window open now, and can hear all the traffic and people going by outside. It's a busy city, with several million people stuffed into such a small space. I'm getting used to looking different, being treated like a foreigner, trying to remember the money and currency conversion, dealing with the intense pollution and smog, and keeping the MD at the focus as this is the place He has called me to. It's amazing to me how He works, and where He works.

Amazing.

The Number 8

I hate being jet lagged. I laid down this afternoon for a short nap, because I was so sleepy, and ended up sleeping far longer than expected. Now I feel groggy and am hoping I'll be able to sleep tonight and get on a normal schedule.

Other than that, I had a nice day. I woke up and rode the mini-bus into Tsim Sha Tsui with Kara, the other Texan here who was also my first point of contact with CRV. It felt like old times. We attended Sunday morning "club" (the same one I went to last year), and afterward ordered take away (aka take out) food from a hole in the wall vendor. We took our boxes of satay beef and sticky rice to Kowloon Park across the road, and made ourselves comfortable on a low wall surrounded by colorful flowers within the park. We unwrapped our chopsticks and ate while people-watching.

Directly in front of us was the countdown clock to the Olympic Games. (I would have taken a picture, but had left my camera at home.) Apparently, the Olympics, primarily being held in Beijing in August, are being shared among various other Chinese cities, Hong Kong being one of them. Hong Kong will be hosting the Equestrian games. There's quite a lot of excitement about that. There is also a lot of superstition surrounding the number 8. The games begin on August 8, 2008 (8-8-08) at 8:08.08 (8 o'clock, 8 minutes, and 8 seconds). It's a very superstitious culture, to say the least.

And so other than that, I've been sleeping this afternoon. Hopefully I can be a little more social tomorrow. And hopefully I won't forget my camera again, so you can see some actual pictures of what's going on! :)

Back in Hong Kong

Well, it feels good to be back here in Hong Kong. It's a world of difference from being in San Antonio, but it really helps to have been here before so all the differences aren't so overwhelming. The flight was very long and uncomfortable, but I'm so glad to have it behind me. I have the chore of unpacking ahead of me, and overcoming the 13 hour time difference from home, but I've run into a few familiar faces, and am sitting now with my new roommate, Maz (from Australia) and getting to know her. Please continue to pray for a smooth transition.

I'll add some pictures and write more when I'm thinking more clearly.

It's good to be back!

Pre-Flight

So I've said all my good-byes this week ... and it's been hard. There are so many people I will miss. When I left last time, I knew I would be back soon. I'd be back in my apartment, back in my job, back with my same co-workers, back in my car ... back. Now, I don't know when I'll be home. I have no job, no co-workers, no apartment, no home to return to, and that's a little frightening.

It's a little scary, and any time those fearful, doubtful thoughts start to creep in, I have to shove them out. The MD has overwhelmingly confirmed that this is what He wants from me, and He has provided abundantly, so I'm just trying to remember that. He'll provide a job and other things when I come back, and in the mean time He wants me to trust and follow as He leads. I don't know how to explain how scary that uncertainty is, but it's hard and remaining faithful, and not doubting, is a challenge.

The flight tomorrow seems like a mountain I have to cross before reaching HK, because I really don't like overseas, looooong flights. So it's a little hard for me to think past that obstacle, but at least it will give me lots of time to prepare for what lays ahead. Please chat for safe travel, that I won't have too much anxiety, that I will overcome the loneliness of being so far away with no close friends, and that I will adjust to all the newness quickly.

I'll post again when I get there. And I'll try to send pictures when I can. Thanks for all the support!

Welcome!

Hello, and welcome to my blog!

I hope for this blog to be a means for me to let my prayer and financial supporters, as well as anyone else, hear about the incredible challenges and adventures the MD is leading me through in Asia. The field is vast and much need exists, and I hope I can keep myself out of the way enough for the MD's work and vision to be fully realized through my hands and heart. I'll try to keep the posts as candid and direct as I can so you can be blessed by the MD's work as well as know how to chat for me and the organization.

Feel free to e-mail me or post comments - I have a long road ahead of me, and could use any encouragement you can send! I am very excited to have been chosen for such a mighty purpose, and am humbled to have so much support from those around me. Thank you!