A Little Work and Sweat Part II

( you want to read the blog underneath this blog to understand what this blog means)

We came back and started welding the pipes together. The worker from the retreat attempted to use the welder. We turned away from the brightness of the welder. He had a shield but would often go without using it. I have observed that safety is not always observed by the workers. Getting the job done quickly is very important. I wonder what his eye sight will be in a few years. While they were working on this project, I went up with Tim to ask about the concrete. How about mixing it in a wheelbarrow and then running it down the walk to fill the holes? No, we don't do this way here in Hong Kong. Instead he lays down a thin sheet of plywood and we poor the cement dust and sand and begin mixing it by hand with shovels. Then we had rocks that we added to the mixture that was rather dry even though we had added some water (kind of like cookie dough but I did not ask to lick the shovel!) After spending twenty minutes working the mixture he sprays the edge gently and we scoop a shovel at a time and walk the cement down to the holes. The wall seemed to get longer with each trip balancing the shovel so that the cement gets to the designated hole and not on my shoe or the side of the hill.

It took all day and a little sweat but it felt good helping the retreat and making the walk safer for this retired pastor. We have enjoyed Hong Kong Hospitality by meaning, eaten many good meals and will probably be taking back more souvenirs than we should. But it will be nice knowing we will be leaving something that will be a reminder of our time here.

Oh yeah, I mentioned monkeys. There is a hill on the other side fo the mountain will wild monkeys live. More and more are making their way into the urban areas as well as in the hill country. We had a large monkey who was on the path no more than 5 feet away from us. As he moved closer he showed his teeth. The Chinese workers yelled but that did not scare him away. He finally picked up a rock and chased him away. The monkey only ran a short distance and climbed a tree to obseve these strange creatures. Several small monkeys we also climbing in the trees. The ground keeper brought his dog to stand guard for us. We asked what the dog's name is ..... "Smart" I wondered how he got his name. Whatever the reason it was really a smart plan!!!!!

your Hong Kong Cement Mixer,

A little work and sweat

This morning I am writing you from a coffee shop called Pacific Coffee. With my Alto Vanilla Cappuccino at my side, I am surrounded by a place that could easily be the setting I would find in Chicago or San Francisco but it instead is on the second floor of a high upscale mall called Festival Walk. It is filled with high end shops with designer names over the door. It has seven floors and is designed with marble floors, chrome and glass. School children from elementary to high school are climbing the steps just outside the entrance of this shop with wearing there school uniforms and making their way to class.

This is a far cry from what I was doing yesterday. Yesterday I was digging in the dirt, carrying cement with a shovel and being chased by monkeys! (Yes I was still in Hong Kong) The main purpose of our group was to come and do a workcamp for the new facilities. While this was our plan it did not seem that it would be a possibility. Russ Jones has his own construction company in Indianapolis. He feels most comfortable when he has a hammer in his hand (he has gone on 72 workcamps so far and his feet have touched every continent except Antarctica). David Brown is an electrical engineer and has worked for GM for 40 years. They wanted to not only get to know people in the church, see sights in Hong Kong, but get their hands dirty and shirts sweaty doing a project. So we checked with the manager who runs the retreat center if they had any work that we could be of help.

Their first response was to be a bit puzzled. Construction work and manual labor is done by the lower class. Why would we pay the money we did and travel as far as we have to do "hard labor." As it began to sink in they were very glad for our offer. Not long they came back with a project. On the property lives a retired pastor and his wife. They are both in their 80's and in good health. Their house is on the side of the mountain and a small steep path is the way they must leave to go anywhere. The edge of the concrete walk and steps the hill drops down steeply. Could we help install a railing for their benefit and safety? The challenge was before us - it was the opportunity our group welcomed.

The first step was to dig holes for the poles that would support the railing. We were given the necessary tools - a pick and a bar, shovels and gloves. Each of us took turns working our way down the steps digging holes five feet apart. Above us was a canopy of trees that provided shade and a breeze made the upper 70's very pleasant. When it was my turn I was handed a pick and "dug in" to the job. As I mentioned the area was very thick with forest and so it was common to hit roots that needed to be broken to make the 18 inch hole we needed for each pole. The ground was loose but rocks were plentiful where we worked. I hit something hard. No problem just put a little more sweat into it. As I did came a big spark and a loud pop. We checked with our Chinese workers who assured us that we hit a rock. No it was something more. A few minutes later Dave was using the bar and had the same experience. No exactly what we were looking forward to having. After careful investigation we discovered that the 2 inch power line to the pastor's house was buried along beside the walk. Hong Kong uses 240 voltage and so we felt very lucky to escape a potentially dangerous situation.

We worked through the morning to prepare the holes, carry the 21 ft. 2" galvanized steel pipe and lug the 90 lbs bags of concrete and 10 lbs. bags of sand which we carried around to the sight. Lunch came at 12:30 and we were glad for the break. The manager invited us to eat with him. I was glad for another chance of a Chinese meal that you could never have back in the States. The dishes of different vegetable and meat were at the center of the table and we enjoyed eating family style with chopsticks as well as western utensils.

I have been waiting to meet Dave Aulfrance who is a long time friend, long term missionary with OMS (over 20 years). I will continue this story later. Stayed tuned.

Drinking my favorite coffee in Hong Kong,

Comments from Tim Broyles

Tim is one of those in our group. He is also the mission pastor at Church at the Crossing. I thought you might enjoy seeing a few scenes he paints with words on his blog: (his blog is linked here on my site)

This afternoon, we visited a Buddhist cemetery and it's accompanying temple called "The Temple of 10,000 Buddhas". There are literally thousands (10,000.. who knows?) of statues of Buddha around the cemetery; along with incense, offerings, fire pits for prayers/gifts, etc. I have visited this place before and find it intriguing, yet cold and empty. It is a good location for us 'westerners' to learn about and understand Buddhism, and the cultural mindset here. After some rest, we did the 'tourist' thing and took a tram to the highest peak to look out over Hong Kong harbor and the overwhelming view of the skyline of Hong Kong. We had dinner there and got to see the same view at night....then took a quick taxi down the mountain and ferry across the harbor to catch the daily 8pm "Largest Permanent Light Show on Earth" in which the buildings of Hong Kong island are a virtual Disneyland of laser lights and sounds. It is not just lasers ON the buildings.. entire perimeters of the tallest buildings are covered in light shows, screens that wrap around buidling completely with images and words. It is just incredible.... extends from far to your left and far to the right... you can't take it all in in one view. This city is so advanced in technology and in wealth and in celebrating their accomplishments. Just incredible.

I could not have said it better Tim!

Seeing Hong Kong with new friends from CATC,

Mountain top experiences

It was kind of symbolic on Sunday morning we had to come down the mountain to get to the church. The previous day had been "a mountain top experience." Literally I had been riding at 50,000 feet above the ground for 15 hrs. in the Boeing 747-400. Though I came down a few thousand feet when we landed, I don't think my shoes were touching the ground because I was so excited to be back in Hong Kong: to ride the double decker buses again, to try my Cantonese on the taxi driver, to see familiar places with new buildings and roads under construction. We arrived at the retreat center after dark and so the view was spectacular of the valley. High rise buildings were squeezed together in the valley with only enough space for the maze of roads that divided them. They are between 30-35 stories tall (6-8,000 people in each building) and in the dark night they looked like Christmas trees with the lights from each home shining. Daybreak removed the collage of colors displayed during the night and revealed the "concrete jungled" that is the home of 1 million people.

Sunday morning we started down the mountain on foot walking along the narrow road that hugged the side of the hill and broke off steeply on the other side. The road was similar to the road that led to our house where we stayed 12 years ago. I remember many Sunday mornings that I had walked down that steep road to the center to make preparations for worship. Today, it would be five minutes walking before we would come to a taxi that could take us into the "concrete jungle" where the congregation would meet at one of the social centers for worship. It had been some time but the sidewalk seemed so familar but so different. In the past I had walked with my children up the steps and now Tim, Russ and Dave, members of our group followed me. As I entered I heard the worship team practicing in Chinese the songs that would be sung in a few minutes. Many I recognized from the past. It was like being gone only yesterday as we greeted and embraced. Yet there were many others I was meeting for the first time. Edmund and Lisa (the pastor and his wife) arrive and we embrace. They were still in school when I was here. Now they are married, both have graduated from the univesity, and he has graduated from seminary with a Master of Divinity. We both look different with 12 years but yet out hearts reconnect.

The center that we are using we opened in 1989 as a study center for secondary students. The center that they had been using for worship they have closed and given back to the government. I had opened it in 1995 and it served this growing church over the twelve years. More was needed and a new place had been found. But renovation would keep them from using it until December of this year. In the transition of these few months required creativity and flexibility. The church had grown from 30 in 1989 to over 200 presently. This study center was divided by a wall with only a door between the two rooms. Each room was 20 X 20. One room would be used for worship. 50 chairs were all that could be squeezed into the room but they quickly filled as the service began and more came in. After 10 minutes more than 30 people had to stand to be a part of the service. The music and prayers lasted for 45 minutes. No one complained. It came time for me to preach and everyone sat down after standing for the music and prayers. Those who had no seat went to the other room where they could only listen. The oldest person was under 40 and most of them are in their 20's. I preached and Edmund translated - it took 45 minutes but no one complained. They came here to worship and praise God. 50 junior high and high school students had comes Saturday afternoon for a worship service. All of them are first generation Christians. They come with commitment and excitement. I had the opportunity to preach the Word of God but they were living out the message as they gathered together.

The seeds that had been planted 20 years ago was now producing a harvest of hearts and lives loving and serving God. It wsa a time for me to celebrate. I had come down from the mountain to get to the center and to participate in worship. Truly God has come much farther from his place on high to be among these young people. Coming here allowed me to pull the curtain to see what had happened during my absence. Next Sunday at worship time, I wil be gone, traveling on back in the air on a 747-400 . But God will still be there working in their lives and in this community of faith. I will take this experience and treasure it in my heart. With it there, my shoes may not touch the ground for I have been lifted up in my spirit. In many ways coming back to the church has been "a mountain top experience" being with my brothers and sisters in Christ.

Serving the God of Mountain top experiences,

Words Now - Pictures Later

It is hard to believe that I am sitting on the side of a mountain at a beautiful retreat center in Hong Kong and be able to stay in contact with friends and family through the internet. The last time I was in Hong Kong (12 years ago) we were still excited when a letter arrived by "slow mail" with news from home. Phone calls were made on rare occasions to the United States because it cost $10 @ minute. Last night my cell phone rang once with an unknown call (sorry, I didn't answer it - it was 1:00 in the afternoon in Indiana and 2:00 AM IN HONG KONG! The group says I need my beauty sleep and besides I was tired). I am not able to download pictures from this site so I will attempt to let you see what I am describing when I return to the States. I hope that you can get "a picture" of what we are experiencing. I am still pinching myself to believe I am really here - meeting old friends and new, eating all the Chinese food I can, and rexperiencing the sights, smells and tastes of Hong Kong. JOI GIN (Chinese for see you again)

Getting from there to here

We left at 7:30 am from the Church at the Crossing located at Keystone and the Crossing in Indianapolis and I am staying at Tao Fong Shan Retreat Center on the side of a mountain that is beside Tai Wai in Hong Kong (I am writing this at 4:30 AM because I can't keep my eyes shut - body clock, jet lag, you name it) We took off from Chicago at 12:30 pm (Friday Nov 2) and arrived at 4:39 pm (Saturday Nov 3) in Hong Kong. It was 15 hrs. and 39 minutes of cruising at 50,000 ft above the ground. We flew on a Boeing 747-400. The 400 means there were 399 people sitting up there with me. I don't like sardines but if I did I would stop eating them just out of respect because I have a new understanding of "being packed in like sardines." I was sitting in 52A - the good thing: a window seat. It was great to see out the window. We went straight north through Canada, Iceland, Artic Circle, Siberia and China. I saw mostly clouds but there were moments before the sun set that I could see the scattered islands of Greenland and then the continuous frozen ice and snow around the artic circle; - the bad thing: I couldn't get out very easy. (I wished they had a giant shoe horn that could have helped me into my seat.) I sat beside a couple from New York (I assume that because he wore a Yankee hat) that was going to Singapore after the plane dropped most of us off in Hong Kong. I attempted to get out in the aisle twice in those 15 hours to get circulation back in my legs and to give relief to my bladder.

The Hong Kong Airport was so beautiful. I watched them build it 12 years ago by cutting off part of a mountain and pushing it into the sea to have the land needed. It was spacious and easy to get through immigration. Customs never stopped us. We exchanged money from US to Hong Kong Dollars. ($100 US gave me $716 HK - I felt rich until I looked at the menu and saw the hamburger I ordered cost $103. I will let you calculate the exchange) We met Jamie and Patrick Natchigall and their 5 year old son Marco outside of customs. They gave us a cash card that gives easy access to the trains and buses without having to always keep looking for the right change. We rode a double decker bus across the suspension bridge, through the tunnels that took us from the harbor through the mountains to the New Territories, where we took two taxis loaded with suitcases and drove to the retreat where we are staying. It is a Christian retreat that is a Christian mission to Buddhists. The architecture looks similar to a Buddhist temple but with Christian symbols.

After getting settled, we walked 10 minutes down the road to catch another taxi that took us back to a large mall where it seemed everybody was out shopping, eating and just hanging out. We caught a bite to eat at 8 pm. and took a taxi back to where we stayed for a hot shower and a little sleep (in the horizontal position instead of in vertical on the plane). We are heading to Sun Chui where the church operates a social center and we will have worship.

I had so many things rush through my head and my heart as I put my feet back on Hong Kong soil. First it reminded me of our time here. I could remember pushing carts with our suitcases and two small children (Rachel 3 years and David 6 month) through the airport for the first time. I heard the sounds of Catonese (Chinese dialect) and my ears recognized the sounds but my mind was still jumbling around trying to recall what I had learned. I remembered why they call it "the concrete jungle." The tall buildings I remember have now been dwarfed by the more recent ones. I kept saying "it has really changed." I am sure the group will get tired of me saying this if they have not already. As I tried to recall things from my past, Jamie would often say, "Oh yes, that use to be there but they tore it down a few years ago to build what we have now." I soon realized how much faster life moves here in comparison to what I have become accustom to knowing back home in the States. In some ways I feel "old and outdated." But in other ways it is stirring within me this part of my life of having lived in Hong Kong surrounded by Chinese. There seems to so much energy in the air as people are out. There seems to be so much optimism as new construction is everywhere. It reminds me of magnitude of humanity as we are rubbing shoulders with people, keeping up a good pace as there are thousands behind us heading in the same direction. I have swam in this "sea of humanity" but it reminds me of how different it is from "the pond" back home.

Stepping out in Hong Kong,
Alan

How the Dream Began

It seemed like forever since we had lived and worked in Hong Kong. That was particularly true when I heard from Ilene Bertschman that a group from the Church at the Crossing, in Indianapolis, was going back to help the church with renovation of a new facility.As she shared about the trip, I said, "I would love to go back to see the church, but I am in the middle of residency training at Methodist Hospital (in Indianapolis) and there is no way I could afford it on the stipend that I am receiving this year."The next week, Ilene told me that the church would pay 1/2 of the cost of my trip. Wow! I wasn't sure if I could take 10 days off in the middle of my unit. I checked with the coordinator of the program and she agreed to let me go. I couldn't believe it.

I needed to give the group (going to Hong Kong) a response in one week if I was going . The problem was that I did not know from where the rest of the funds would come. Talking to Tim Broyles, the mission pastor at the Church at the Crossing, he said, "I believe the Lord is wanting you to go and he will work out this need." I stepped out in faith.

I wrote letters to a few former churches that had supported us when we were missionaries in Hong Kong. I received responses from the Maiden Lane Church of God in Springfield and a few members from the congregation in Bedford, IN where I had pastored. The funds had been supplied and the dream began.

Partners in His Service