2012 in Retrospect

2012.  When I sit here and look at this combination of numbers, my mind rolls through with countless memories and thoughts of the things I experienced and encountered throughout the year.  Each year, I like to take a little time to reflect on the year as I see what God did and how He brought me through.  These blog posts are probably some of the longest of the year…and I’m warning you about that now…but I’ll try not to make this one as long as last year. (Note the word try) :)

School
“Stick a fork in me, I’m done!”  This May, I graduated with my Master of Arts in Discipleship Ministries from Liberty University Baptist Theological Seminary.  What a fantastic program that I was privileged to be a part of!  The last semester of my program, I had some awesome classes with the children’s ministry professor, Dr. Michael Mitchell.  He was an excellent teacher!  He had such great advice and was one of the most helpful professors I have ever had.  I absolutely loved his book, Leading, Teaching, and Making Disciples…definitely a must-read for people who work with and teach kids – both spiritually and academically.  One of the funny things about the last semester was that I had some of the longest and most challenging projects that were like 20-25 pages each and I actually enjoyed doing them!

I decided to walk at graduation.  I knew from the get-go that there was going to be an insane amount of people and I wasn’t wrong.  Good thing I used to live in Hong Kong, ‘cause I would’ve been overwhelmed at the amount of graduates that there were.  We had quite an interesting commencement speaker for our graduation…Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney.  It was a bit controversial that he was speaking at a Baptist school’s graduation ceremony, but I thought he did a great job…spoke to duty to faith and career, but didn’t push his beliefs at all.  Not many people can say they heard a potential presidential candidate speak at their graduation, so that was neat to be able to say that (would’ve been neater to say the future president spoke at my graduation…but alas…).  I actually didn’t officially graduate from the program until later that afternoon when I had to attend another ceremony for the seminary.  It was a long day, but it was an awesome and unforgettable experience….AND I get to experience it from the other side in 2013 as I go back to Liberty to watch my sister graduate! :)

The graduate!  Not crazy about the long sleeves, but apparently, that's especially for Masters grads...

Our special commencement speaker - Mitt Romney.

The Liberty University & Seminary Class of 2012 plus the onlookers...I didn't take the picture, but I'm  in it!

I learned so much from seminary and I am SO thankful for the experience!  The knowledge and insight I gained about the Bible, ministry, and teaching children has been so helpful and useful and I am excited to see where all of my education will take me next!

Job
Work this year has been a whirlwind!  There has been so much go on in the form of design/screen stuff for the church as well as catering with Megan’s Corner.  I’m so blessed to have these jobs and use my gifts and talents for both.  Highlights of the year: running screens for the Annie Moses Band (one of my favorite music groups) and catering for an event featuring Elizabeth Smart.  God’s really blessing both places that I work and I am excited to see what He is going to do at First Baptist and Megan’s Corner in the coming year!

Church
This was my first full year as children’s missions leader at church.  I had lots of really cool experiences in this capacity this summer!  I got to be associational VBS leader as well as teach missions to children in AWANA, CiA (Children in Action), VBS, and help organize a fall children’s missions conference sponsored by the TN Baptist Convention.  It was so awesome to be able to interact with so many kids and open their eyes to the world of missions.  If you know me, you know that teaching kids missions is my love and passion AND seeing them have a love and passion for missions brings my heart so much happiness that it is literally smiling right now! :)

Teaching missions during VBS

Volunteering in the media department by overseeing the projection screens has also continued full force this year.  From special performances to regular Sunday services...there is never a dull moment!  Seven years ago, I would have never dreamed of myself in this capacity because I never had a background in media, but I am so thankful for two special ladies who saw potential in me and invited me into the ministry - since then, life has never been the same!  The only thing I wish is that I could wear tennis shoes every Sunday morning because it feels like most weeks I am a marathon runner trying to get last minute things done before we go live on air! Ha ha!

Unforgettable Summer
So much happened this summer and it’s really crazy to sit here and process it all, but I’ll try.

In May, my sister Meredith left for Thailand to be a summer missionary.  She got to use her gifts and talents in accounting to make a difference on the mission field!  So awesome!  Meredith got to experience many new and exciting things throughout the summer.  She even was gracious enough to Skype my VBS and CiA kids – they definitely thought that was cool!  God really used her and she has so many neat stories about her time there.  The experience in Thailand was definitely God-affirming that this is what He wants her to do for a career.

In June, I was asked for the fifth year to page for the Southern Baptist Convention in New Orleans, LA.  This year, my entire family went (minus Meredith who was in Thailand) and so my other sister, Lauren paged as well.  I know I say this every year, but this was my favorite year to page!  I had such an incredible experience working for the convention this year.  I was copier page and I also had the honor of working on the platform this year which was very cool.  Over the past few years, I have gotten to know some of the executive staff and so it has been neat in these last couple of years to see people who I recognize and vice-versa.  I have so much respect for the men and women who run the annual Southern Baptist Conventions as these events are intricately organized, staffed, and assembled – it is definitely a team effort.  Hands-down, my favorite part of this paging experience was meeting and being a part of the nomination/election of the new SBC president, Dr. Fred Luter.  He is the first African-American president to preside over the Southern Baptist Convention which made his nomination and subsequent election the most historic in SBC history AND I got to experience it all from the very stage where it was happening!  Talk about cool!  The day after his election, I got the opportunity to meet him and get my picture taken with him.  It was definitely an unforgettable experience!

View of the 2012 Southern Baptist Convention from my perch on the platform

Myself and Dr. Fred Luter, president of the Southern Baptist Convention

On the Fourth of July, the lives of two of my friends were turned completely upside down when they lost their boys in a lake accident.  It was a tragedy that rocked not only their lives, but the lives of our church and community.  I shared my feelings about this time on my blog (see A Prayer from My Heart and Flooded with Peace and A Calm After the Storm), but suffice it to say, it was a very difficult time.  This is a valley that these families are still walking through and I absolutely hate that for them.  I don't understand why this happened and we'll never understand why this happened this side of heaven - but I do know that God has been with us through every single moment and I can't imagine how this experience would have gone without that knowledge.  Through this, however, the boys have made a lasting impact on our community as many have come to Christ or have recommitted their lives to Christ through inspirational stories involving the boys.  I had the honor of knowing both of them and feel so blessed that I was able to interact with the two of them.  Not that I didn't before...but since July 4th when a kid runs up to me with huge, open arms...I hug a little tighter, listen a little closer, and love a lot deeper.

Nate & Noah - Two awesome young men of God who have made eternal impacts on the Kingdom!  Miss them, but rejoicing that I will see them again one day!

In the middle of July, I boarded and airplane and for the fourth time traveled to my heart city of Hong Kong to teach VBS to my heart church, Clearwater Bay International Baptist Church.  This year, I had the blessing of leading the music as well as the 4 yr-Kindergarten class.  It was such a joy to interact with the children through music this year; to watch how they responded to the songs and really took them to their heart warmed my heart deeply.  This year was the largest group of children and the smallest leadership team that CBIBC has ever had for VBS!  It was interesting to see how God worked everything out for His glory during this week as there was a low teacher to student ratio as well as unexpected things happen during the week!  I blogged all about my trip and you can find all those posts underneath August 2012.  During my time there, Meredith joined me and we got to spend some time together in "the" Hong Kong...it was definitely memorable!  I'm SO thankful I got the opportunity to go back to Hong Kong this year.  This place, through some extraordinary people who I am privileged to call dear friends, has made such an impact on my life and I feel so blessed that I have the opportunity to give back!!!

My adorably-cute 4 yr old/Kindergarten class!

Leading music

Favorite place in the entire world - hands-down

SO thankful to be able to serve in my heart city of Hong Kong

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Good news...I held to my word and this year's retrospective was MUCH shorter than last year!  Aren't you proud of me?  Ok, maybe not, but I'm proud of myself. :)

Through all of the experiences of 2012, God has shown me that He wants me to spend my life's career serving Him.  School is officially over and now it's time for life to begin.   I'll admit, I've been getting a little antsy as of late, waiting for God to show His plans for me....but you want to know what He's been teaching me?  Patience.  Wait upon Me.  I will not forsake you.  I have it all under control.  TRUST ME!

God knows the desires of my heart and I am following and trusting Him, day by day, knowing that in His perfect time He will provide.  Jeremiah 29:11 promises me that.  Psalm 37:4 promises me that.  And my favorite verse, Proverbs 3:5-6, promises that truth as well.  I appreciate and covet your prayers as I enter 2013 with a willing and ready heart - ready to go where God wants me to go and do what He wants me to do.

I encapsulated 2010 & 2011 with words, but this year, I’m encapsulating 2012 with a song.  This song is 2012 personified to me and I know this truth will hold true in 2013 as well.

Not for a moment will God forsake me.  He loves me...He's with me...He's got 2013 all under control.

Terrified....at the First Christmas?

I am scared of Santa.  There.  I admitted it.  This isn’t a new phobia …I have been afraid of Santa from the time I was 2 years old.  And the Santa Cow at Chick-fil-a…don’t even go there, I get chills just thinking about it! :)  Some people fear spiders, others fear snakes, but for me….Santa (and the Chick-fil-a cow).

To inhibit my Santa-phobia when we were little, my parents came up with a way to give those “special” presents to us, hence the creation of the Christmas angels.  We would call the Christmas angels a few days before Christmas and then on Christmas Day, the angels would drop off our presents attached with a special letter telling about how proud they and God were of us and all we had accomplished during the year.  It’s a special tradition that I hold close to my heart and plan to continue with my own family one day.

Ironically, just as Santa scares me, the real Christmas angels caused a bit of fright to some of the various characters in the Christmas story.  Imagine it…a strange figure appearing to you out of nowhere.  That would definitely cause quite a bit of fear!  The characters of the Christmas story had no reason to fear, however, because these angels were bringing good news!

The first angel to appear out of thin air was Gabriel, who appeared to Zechariah (Mary’s cousin-in-law).  Luke 1: 12 says that “when Zechariah saw him (Gabriel), he was startled and gripped with fear.”  There was no reason to fear, however, because Gabriel told Zechariah that he was going to be the father of the man who would prepare the world for Jesus.  Unfortunately, Zechariah wasn’t so sure of what Gabriel was telling him and as a result of his unbelief, Gabriel silenced Zechariah until the birth of his son, John (aka John the Baptist).

Gabriel appears once again…but this time to Mary.  She had to have been scared out of her wits because the first thing Gabriel says to her is, “Do not be afraid, Mary (Luke 1:30).”  Gabriel then proceeds to tell her that God had found favor with her and that she is going to be the mother of His most precious gift to mankind – His Son.  While I’m sure she was still a little frightened, she listened and responded to Gabriel’s annunciation by saying, “I am the Lord’s servant…may your word to me be fulfilled” (Luke 1:38).

An angel then appeared to Joseph in a dream, but there is no record of whether or not he was startled because of this appearance…I have a feeling he might have been, though.  I mean, come on, how would you feel if an angel appeared to you in a dream?  You’d probably wake up in a cold sweat!  Through the dream, the angel brought good news to Joseph, “Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.  She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save the people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20-21).

Finally, a whole company of angels appeared to the shepherds who were out in the fields watching over the sheep.  Luke 2:9 says that when that first angel appeared, “they were terrified.”  Um…I’m sure they were.  Case in point #1: It’s nighttime.  How would you feel if the heavenly host appeared to you in the pitch black of night?  Case in point #2: The shepherds didn’t get many visitors because they were the lowliest of all the people of that day.  A bunch of shining figures had to have been an overwhelming sight for them!  The angel calmed the shepherds down, though, by bringing good news about a Savior who had been born…a Savior for all people.  And “suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, ‘Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests'" (Luke 2:13-14).  After finding baby Jesus, the shepherds shared this good news that the angels had brought them with all who would listen.

I have a feeling that if I saw the Christmas angels live and in person, I’d probably be just as (if not more) terrified as the characters in the Christmas story (and probably more frightened than I am of Santa)!  Thankfully, the angels’ presence and message was incredibly positive – they were bringing good news about a coming Savior…a Savior who would save all of mankind.  Including me.

Gloria in excelsis Deo!

Heartbroken

Today a precious little girl stopped me in the sanctuary and said, “Miss Allison, I have something for you.”  I smiled and she reached out her hand to give me a little offering envelope with writing on the back that said, “Love I You” written in her sweet kindergarten handwriting.   I know I say this often, but I am SO blessed to have the opportunity to work with children.  I pray that I never take my time with them for granted.  I pray that I always make sure they know that that I care about them.  I pray that they always know that Jesus loves them and is with them every step of their lives.

I can’t begin to understand the senseless act that took place in Newtown, Connecticut yesterday.  Knowing that children saw horrific scenes, heard terrible sounds, and endured such tragedy tears my heart to pieces. 

As I poured over the names of the victims of the shooting, seeing the ages of 6 and 7 made me so sad.  Little ones with big dreams…ready to begin their educational careers.  Emerging readers, intrigued minds, children who were probably really excited to go to school just so they could learn something new.  Precious lives taken too quickly...now safe in the arms of Jesus.

Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”  I don’t understand why this happened, but I know that God is here in our midst.  He is the refuge and strength for the families who have lost loved ones.  He is the refuge and strength for the children who witnessed this gruesome scene.  He is the refuge and strength for community of Newtown.  And He is also the refuge and strength for America and the world as we struggle to come to grips with such evil.

All I have left to say is that I can’t wait for Jesus to come back.  We won’t ever have to worry about evil, sadness, or pain again.  Revelation 21:4: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” 

Even so, come Lord Jesus.

Thanksgiving Thoughts

“I thank my God every time I remember you…” Philippians 1:3

So a bunch of people have been doing day-by-day thankful posts and it’s been really neat to read them and see what is so meaningful in people’s lives.  I wanted to take a few moments to reflect on this “day of thanks.”

Here’s what I’m thankful for this Thanksgiving:

• Jesus – Without Jesus, I would be lonely.  Hopeless.  Worthless.  BUT because of Jesus, I am loved.  Free.  Saved.  And will live eternally with Him in Heaven one day.  He is my friend when I have no other.  He is my Shepherd in this wilderness of life.  He is my healer when I am hurting.  He is my Savior from this dark world.  I could never thank Him enough for what He’s done for me and for what He is going to do through me.  I am thankful that He works everything out for my good.  Trusting Him is a daily process, but it’s when I trust Him that He will direct my paths.  
• Family— I am so thankful for my family.  My parents have truly “trained up” their children in the way of the Lord.  They have shown us how to have servant heart’s in this world and how to use these hearts through ministry and missions.  I am so thankful I have such amazing people as examples for how to live for Christ.  I’m thankful for my sisters as well.  They are so unique in their gifts and talents, but they use those for Christ.  We have moved around a lot as siblings, but we’ve always had one another.  God has new directions for us in the coming years and our holidays together may be fewer, but I’m thankful for technology that will keep us closer even if we are far away (except for maybe Snapchat, Lauren…LOL!).  I’m also thankful for my extended family – grandparents, aunt, uncles, and cousins.  So glad we get to spend time together over the holidays!
• Kids – I am so thankful for each and every child I have the privilege of seeing or teaching at church.  Each “Miss Allison!” or sweet hug or special smile or interesting conversation about Abraham Lincoln or octopuses and chickens means more to me than those kids will ever know.  Since I was in high school, I have known that I want to work with children.  Over the years, my passion for working with kids has developed into more missions education and I am so grateful for that.  Being able to educate kids mission-ly is something I don’t take lightly.  I look forward to continuing to work with kids for the rest of my life.
• Two special little kid-missionaries who are already with Jesus are fresh on my mind today.  I have such sweet memories of these two.  My favorite memory of Nate is when I tailor-made a missions lesson just for him.  With him and his sister in mind, I taught the AWANA kids about artist missionaries and how we could use art to tell people about Jesus.  That was one of my favorite lessons and I remember having him come up to the front to draw on the whiteboard because I knew he was much better than me :)  My favorite memory of Noah is Christmas time last year when I went with him and his family to give Christmas presents to a family who didn’t have any.  He was so excited as we wrapped each present and he said, “MOM!  These kids are gonna love this stuff!”  When we delivered the presents it was pouring the rain, but he carried all the heavy presents into the house with a gigantic smile on his face.  When we were done he took time with each of the kids and was genuinely interested in what they were doing.  He had such a big heart.  I am so thankful I got to know Nate & Noah.
• Hong Kong – I am so thankful for this place that literally changed my life.  It showed me missions and ministry first-hand.  I’ve said it before, but I really don’t think I would be who I am today if I hadn’t been a missionary kid and lived overseas.  Such significant and special people who remain friends today made such an impact on me in this special place.  I wasn’t there for an extremely long period of time, but I was there in the years of my life that mattered most and being able to live missions as a child has molded me into the person I am today.  And for that I am so thankful. I’m also thankful I have been able to give back to this wonderful place by being a part of mission trips teaching VBS at my heart church, Clearwater Bay International Baptist Church.  I watched some videos of the kids singing the VBS songs this past summer and was so thankful that I got to be a part of the team that taught them those songs this year!  It was just a joy to hear them sing praises to Jesus!
• Gifts and Talents – Each day I thank God for what He has gifted me to do and how He lets me use these gifts and talents for Him on a daily basis.  Whether through work or volunteering, these gifts and talents are never wasted.  When I figured out what my gifts and talents were, I remember thinking, “How in the world is God going to use these completely different things for Him?”  Well He did! :)  Kids, design, singing, and teaching...I mean, come on…those are four things that don’t necessarily mesh together, but all of these I use in some capacity to help glorify God.
• Church – I am thankful I have been in the church house since before I was born.  Church is really my second home…and some of you know that is literal :)  It is such a joy to be able to serve at church and help others in their worship of and walk in Christ.  I have been a part of some really fantastic churches and watching them grow has been such a joy.
• Friends – I am so thankful for some fantastic friends.  There was a time in my life where I felt like I had absolutely zero friends and didn’t matter to anyone but my God and my family.  I don’t like to remember those days, but it’s important for me to do so and remember how far God’s brought me.  However, over time, God has placed some extraordinary friends in my life who are just as caring, encouraging…and sometimes sarcastic as I am :)
• You – If you’re reading this blog, you must know me enough to want to read this blog.  Thanks for not being bored yet…ha ha.  I’m thankful for you and I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving :)

There’s so much more that I am thankful for that if I listed it all…it would be next Thanksgiving before you finished it all.  Anyways, I wanted to take some time to list what I am thankful for today, I hope you will take time to do that too, if you haven’t already.

I pray each of you have a blessed day and don’t forget to thank God for all He has given you today.

We're Being Watched...

In everything set them an example by doing what is good. – Titus 2:7

This past month my church has sponsored a backyard Bible club called Takin’ it to the Streets that meets on Monday nights in a low-income neighborhood in the community.  My sister and I lead music for the event, and we stick around to sit with and love on the kids throughout the rest of the night.

Last night, after music, I was sitting next to a little girl during the story time and began to notice something oddly familiar.  This little girl was sitting the EXACT same way that I was – legs crossed, hands folded on top of her knees.  I began to laugh to myself as I saw her look at me, mimic the way I was seated, look at herself to make sure she was doing the same thing, and then look back at me again.  This went on for a good couple of minutes.  My sister and her friend noticed too, and they tried to get a picture, but alas…she moved and the “cute” moment was over.

This little “moment in time” got me thinking about how we as believers are examples to those around us.  Eyes are constantly and consistently watching us to see what we say, how we act, and how we live our lives.  Are we living our lives in a way that others will want to follow?  This verse in Titus says that we should set an example by doing what is good.  As Christ followers, doing good is living our lives in a way that is pleasing to God.  Ephesians 5:1 even says we should “Be imitators of God.”  We shouldn’t just live this way in and around church; this should encompass our entire life.  At school, at work, at the gym…everywhere!  In our speech, in our actions, in our desires…everything!  People are watching us; they know we are Christians and they are watching to see if we walk the talk.

Are we walking the same way we are talking?  Are we living a life pleasing to Christ?  Are we setting a good example to others?  Live your life in a way others will want to imitate.  Those eyes are watching…

It's Friday, but Sunday is Coming!

You know how when you were a kid in school, you always looked forward to your most favorite day of the week, Friday?  Friday meant the weekend, Friday meant fun, AND most importantly, Friday meant no school for two days!  WhoHOO!  I know I was one of those kids!

But sometimes, Friday isn't fun.  Sometimes Friday means the close of something special.  Sometimes Fridays are completely disheartening.  You know, Jesus and His followers had one of those Fridays.  Luke 23 traces the horrific events that Jesus experienced on a particular Friday.  Nailed to a cross, Jesus bled and then died to cover the sins of all mankind.  We know it was a Friday because Luke 23:54 tells us that the crucifixion & burial, "was done late on Friday afternoon, the day of preparation, as the Sabbath (which was Saturday) was about to begin."  Jesus' followers were probably inconsolable that Friday.  Luke 23:48 said that the crowd who came to watch the crucifixion, "went home in deep sorrow."  Here was their leader, their teacher, their Master and he was gone.

This is totally metaphoric...but I equate the second half of this summer to a disheartening Friday.  When we think of summer, we think of fun, relaxation, and happy times, but if you know what's gone on this summer in Morristown, you know that it was the complete opposite.  The sadness and hurt that so many of us have felt this summer has been probably some of the toughest and most emotional feelings we've ever had to deal with in our lives.  For some, no words can ever describe the summer of 2012.

BUT can I let you in on a secret???   This summer may have been Friday, but guess what??  Sunday is coming!

Just look in the Scriptures!  Jesus had died on Friday, people were sad, the disciples were holed up in a room just wondering what they were going to do next, but on Sunday something spectacular happened.  Luke 24:1-6: 

"But very early on Sunday morning the women went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared.  They found that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance.  So they went in, but they didn't find the body of the Lord Jesus.  As they stood there puzzled, two men suddenly appeared to them, clothed in dazzling robes...the men asked, "Why are you looking among the dead for someone who is alive?  He isn't here!  He is risen from the dead!"  

Christ had returned from the dead!  He is ALIVE!

Again, totally metaphoric, but...Sunday is coming - Jesus is coming again!  Revelation 22:7, Jesus says to John the Revelator, "Look, I am coming soon!"  Hallelujah!  As believers in Jesus Christ, we can hold to this incredible promise that Christ is indeed coming soon and as followers of Him, we will be carried up to live forever in heaven with Him!  Revelation 21:4:

"God's home [will be] among his people!  He will live with them, and they will be his people.  God himself will be with them.  He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain.  All these things are gone forever."  

Praise the Lord!!  When Jesus returns, Friday will NEVER exist again!  Worship will be our action, adoration our feeling, and praise will continually pour from our lips.  I.  CAN'T.  WAIT!

But until then, my dear blog readers and Morristown friends, we must live for Christ!  Right now, we must heed Christ's command to tell others about Him (Acts 1:8), serve others (John 12:26), and follow after Him (Matthew 16:24).  It's not going to be easy.  We will face more hardships and disheartening Fridays along the way, but there's a reward at the end - life forever with JESUS!  Paul said it best, "I press on toward the goal to win prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).

Because He lives...I can face tomorrow.

Because He lives...All fear is gone.

Because I know HE holds the future

And life is worth the living,

just

because

HE

LIVES

I leave you with this song, that sorta-kinda inspired my above thoughts.  It's called "Sunday" and it's by the Christian group Tree63.  "It's Friday, but Sunday is coming!"  Amen.

Hong Kong Trip 2012 (Sister Time Edition): Day 13 - Post #8

Traveling is the topic of today's post.  The strange thing about this day is that we lived it twice.  How, you ask?  Well...HK is a 12 hour time difference from Eastern Time in the US, so we left HK on Wednesday morning (HK time) and arrived in the US on Wednesday night (US time) (in HK it was actually Thursday morning); however, since we were on US time now, we lived Wednesday night over again.  Is that clear as mud?

It was a long and tiring journey, but I am definitely glad I got to spend it with my sister.  

----------------------------------------------------

Wednesday

Meredith and I woke up bright and early Wednesday morning to get ready to go to the airport - our flight left a bit after noon.  When you live out of a suitcase for two weeks (or for Meredith, two months), it takes a good bit of time to make sure that everything is packed correctly, weighed correctly, and where you want it.  Also, any time you fly internationally, you are encouraged to arrive at the airport 2 hours before your departure time to give you time to get through not only check-in, but also security and immigration.  However, we also had to eat breakfast, check-out of the hotel, get to a bus stop, and take the Airport Express to the airport...so needless to say, we had to wake up pretty early.

We had a good breakfast and then were able to easily check-out of the hotel.  Thankfully, there was a free shuttle available at the hotel next door that would take us to the Airport Express station.  From there we could ride the Airport Express subway to the airport.  Easy enough...however, we would have to cross the street with 3 suitcases and 2 carry-on size suitcases...if you're not good at math, that equals 5 suitcases...for two girls (with only 4 hands) to maneuver…in one of the busiest parts of Hong Kong.  J Since Meredith basically lived in Thailand all summer, she took 2 big suitcases and a carry-on suitcase.  I had one big suitcase and a carry-on suitcase.  Let's just say, it was quite humorous to cross the streets of Hong Kong with 5 suitcases.  Ha ha!

Somehow we managed to make it across the street and were able to catch the free shuttle, however, I was worried as to how we would make it on the airport subway with all of our luggage…it turns out, though, that I had nothing to worry about because when we got to the Airport Express station there was a flight check-in counter!!  Oh my goodness!  I never knew this existed!!  This meant that we could check-in for our flight, drop off our checked luggage, and not have to worry about the insane lines at the actual airport – we could simply go to security!  I was a bit concerned as to how the luggage would make it to the airport, but I figured the agents knew what they were doing.  Check-in was easy and we were able to easily board the Airport Express subway with our carry-ons! 

Although super early to the airport, we decided to go ahead and go through security & immigration as we figured it would take a while.  When we made it out and into the terminal, we walked around and looked at the shops, got something to drink, and then made our way to our gate to sit and wait.  FUNNY STORY: You know from the previous post that we encountered some people with some strange names…this continued into today as the person who took our order was named…get this…Crazy.  No, I’m not kidding…their name was Crazy.  I’m really not sure where these names come from, I mean if I saw names like Justin (as in Beiber) or Miley (as in Cyrus), I would totally understand, but Crazy, Machos, and Wicky????!!!  No words. J

We waited for a good bit and then were able to line up to prepare for boarding.  It was strange, however, that we had to go through another security check of our carry-on to make sure we were abiding by US security standards (liquids, etc.)  I made it through okay, but Meredith forgot to pack her toothpaste (over 3 oz.) in her checked luggage and it was confiscated.  So she likes to tell everyone that she made it back from Asia with everything except her toothpaste.

It was then time to board.  You remember from the first post how bad I dreaded the 15 hr. flight…the dread this time was just as bad.  The reward of being back home was sweet, but the thought of being in the same position for 15 hours was just so daunting.  Thankfully, Meredith & I were able to work it to where we could be beside each other so we had a shoulder to lean on or were able to share things…it was definitely nice to fly together!

As much as I dreaded the flight, it actually went by faster than it did before - I was bit surprised.  I think it helped that I kind of did different “activities.”  I read an entire book (Mary Beth Chapman’s Choosing to SEE), watched a couple of movies (Mirror, Mirror & the Avengers…which probably would have made more sense if I had watched the other superhero movies…but I digress), listened to music, and slept (for maybe a total of an hour – I told you I don’t sleep on planes).

After 15 hours, we made it to US soil as we arrived at the Chicago airport.  We had to go through customs, but it was a breeze compared to the other line (for visitors/non-US citizens).  While we waited to see the customs agent, Meredith said, I really hope someone says “Welcome Home” to us.  Incidentally, after he stamped our passports, the customs agent looked at us, smiled, and said “Welcome back home!”  Meredith and I smiled at each other. J

It was then time to get our luggage and take it out of the international terminal to be checked in for our next flight to Knoxville.  There was a bit more to do in the Chicago airport this time than there was when I arrived on my way to Hong Kong.  It seems like a pretty fluid system, but when you’re not used to it & it’s your first time there, it’s just a little confusing.  The airline took our luggage for our next flight and then we had to go to another terminal via the airport subway.

We made it to the domestic terminal, went through domestic security, and then were able to go to our gate which was in the downstairs of the terminal.  We waited at our gate for a good bit of time, and then were told our gate had been changed.  This meant we had to take our stuff back upstairs and also that our flight would be delayed for just a bit due to the gate change.  As we waited at our new gate, we discovered that our flight would be further delayed due to a mechanical problem.  People were aggravated, but I told Meredith I would rather be waiting in Chicago than in the air worried about a mechanical problem.  She agreed.

The flight was probably delayed about 30-45 minutes, and then we were off for Tennessee!  Meredith and I couldn’t help but smile on the flight because we knew we were going to get to see our family when we got off!  The flight was smooth and fairly quick...and we couldn’t get off fast enough when we landed.

The Knoxville airport was fairly empty by this time (it was about 9 pm), but when we exited the terminal, we saw a sweet welcoming party – our parents & sister.  Lauren (our little sister) had even made a sign especially for us – bedazzled and all!  After hugs all around, we went down to get our luggage.  Meredith & mine were one of the first to come out, so were able to leave pretty quickly. 

Lauren's bedazzeled sign - it says, "Welcome Home - It's 'Bout Time!" 

We stopped for a late dinner and then traveled back to Morristown and were able to sleep in our own beds.  Let me just say, there’s nothing like sleeping in your own bed! J

Overall, it was a great trip home – no major issues and most importantly, we were safe.  I am thankful for God’s traveling mercies and for his provision in getting us home safe & sound.  Long flights aren’t fun, but being able to travel home with Meredith made it SO much better! 

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I'm hoping to spend a blog post in short, overall reflection of my trip at some point in the future, but I really hope you've enjoyed my detailed journal of my day-to-day experiences and adventures in and around Hong Kong.  I've enjoyed writing and posting these entries immensely and know that it will be fun for me to look back on all these posts and remember the incredible time I had at VBS and with my sister.  Thanks for traveling on this journey with me.  Be blessed!

Hong Kong Trip 2012 (Sister Time Edition): Day 12 - Post #7

I left you in my last post with a teaser for this current post – on our final day in Hong Kong, Meredith & I wanted to share a special memory by doing something that we had never done in Hong Kong before so we went to what I phrased in the last blog post as “the happiest place in East Asia.”  Where is that you may ask??…Hong Kong Disneyland. J 

Tuesday

Although we were beyond tired from our long, hot Monday, Meredith & I managed to get up Tuesday and venture to Hong Kong Disneyland.  A few people who knew we were going were kind of confused as to why we would want to go to a place that you can find in the States…but my logic was this: how cool is it to say you’ve been to Disneyland in HONG KONG? J  Pretty cool, I think.

HK Disneyland - the happiest place in East Asia :)

It actually isn’t too hard to get to HK Disneyland – it’s basically a few MTR rides away!  Oh, how I wish it was that easy here in America…unfortunately, I would have to drive like 12ish hours from my home to get to Disneyworld.   Granted, the MTR ride is pretty much 45 minutes and we had to change subways twice, but that definitely beats 12 hours waiting in traffic!

HK Disneyland actually has its very own MTR – the windows are shaped like Mickey ears and the handles inside are mouse ears too!  Since it was a nice day (and it was also the hottest day since I had been there), we knew that it was most likely going to be crowded and we weren’t wrong…the MTR was packed which was a very good indication of the day.

HK Disneyland MTR windows

HK Disneyland MTR

When we got off the subway, we saw a welcome sign and got really excited!  We had to walk a ways to the entrance, but there was Disney music playing and you couldn’t help but smile!  I had pre-bought our tickets before I left the States, so all we had to do was go to a kiosk and type in a code.  I am SO glad I did this because it cut our wait at the entrance considerably. 

Welcome to HK Disneyland!

We walked into the entrance to the park and were immediately in Mainstreet USA…in Hong Kong (if that makes any sense) J  The entrance is set up very similar to the Magic Kingdom park in Disneyworld… there is also only 1 park here with little “lands” setup inside (i.e. Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, Adventureland, etc.).  We walked down Mainstreet and immediately saw the Sleeping Beauty castle!  Knowing that the lines would be tremendous today, we realized that we were not going to get to do everything in the park.  We knew we wanted to see the shows and that we wanted to try and ride a few rides, so we began to scope out the things we wanted to do.

Mainstreet USA...in Hong Kong.

Sleeping Beauty castle

Our first “adventure” was to Adventureland to see the Festival of the Lion King show.  It was in English with Chinese translation and there was a mixture of both Asian and Western cast members.  The show was really good and very colorful….PLUS, you couldn’t help but sing along to the familiar Lion King songs!  Oh yeah, the air conditioned theater was nice too. J

Festival of the Lion King show

Following the show, we ventured to Fantasyland to see what was going on there.  There were all sorts of familiar rides – Cinderella’s carousel, Mad Hatter teacups, Winnie the Pooh ride, as well as my favorite…It’s a Small World.  The lines for many of the rides were like 35-40 minute waits, however the Small World ride was 15-20…so we opted to wait in that one.  There’s just something about being in It’s a Small World in another country that just is really cool to me…Meredith didn’t really get my excitement, but I was excited nonetheless J  The only thing that wasn’t exciting in this particular ride is that about 15 people just cut straight in front of us so that they could be in front of us (no real reason)…not sure why and we really didn’t want to waste the energy to protest…but it was kinda nuts.  We just told ourselves…we’re in a different country with different rules and expectations.  I made the comment to Meredith that if that had happened in America, there would have been complaints up and down…good thing we weren’t in America…  FUNNY STORY #1: While waiting in line, a Disneyland worker came out of a back room.  He was a husky looking young man who looked to be 16 or 17 and his name was Machos…no, not Nachos, but Machos.  Hmmm…very interesting.

Anywhoo…we rode the ride and it was fun to sing along to the familiar song…yes, my dear blog reader, I can hear you humming it now. J  One cool thing about the HK Small World is that there are different Disney movies represented throughout the various nation-rooms.  There is also a special “Hong Kong” exhibit in the ride too.

Small World ride

Inside the ride....so colorful

Hong Kong portion of the ride...love the Star Ferry on the far left :)

After riding this fun ride, we went to the Phillarmagic 4-D show.  We’ve seen this one at Disneyworld in the US, so we kind of knew what to expect.  I won’t give anything away, but it’s an animated 4-D show….3D with the extra “dimension” of smell.  It includes a lot of the famous Disney movie songs and was a fun show…it was also nice to sit in an air-conditioned room J  FUNNY STORY #2: While waiting in this line, a Disneyland worker came up to give an announcement.  We looked at his name tag and saw his name was Wicky…no, not Ricky, but Wicky.  Geez.

Fun show :)

By this time, we were hungry so we scouted out a restaurant where we could find a seat…which ended up taking a whole lot of time because there were absolutely, positively NO SEATS at any restaurant.  We knew we needed to sit under shade because it was SUCH a hot day…finally, we found a restaurant and got some food.  After eating, we decided to just walk around the park to see some of the “extra” sights…we knew we didn’t really have enough time to wait in a ride line (because we were going to go to another show), but we did have time to walk around.  We ended up seeing ToyStory Land….it was so cute as it was like a gigantic land of toys from the popular movie.  It made you feel like you were smaller than all the toys… pretty cool.

Toy Story Land!

The final show we wanted to see was fast approaching, so we high-tailed it there and had an enjoyable time watching The Golden Mickey’s.  It was a Broadway-type show set up like an awards show for various Disney movies.  There was singing and dancing and it was just a very well put-together show.  It was nice to sing along with the songs in English…the dialogue was in Chinese, with English subtitles, however.

Golden Mickey show

One of the parts of the show - a tale as old as time....Beauty and the Beast! :)

Following the show, we went to Tomorrowland to try and ride the Buzz Lightyear ride.  When we got there, we found out the wait time was an hour…an hour!!!!!!!!!!  We decided not to wait an hour for a 10 minute ride, so we opted for another one – the Orbitron…basically the Dumbo-ride of Tomorrowland (in spaceships instead of elephants).  I had a fun time on the ride…Meredith, not so much!  J  Guess she didn’t like seeing a birds-eye view of HK Disneyland.

The Orbitron ride

Even though she was scared to death...I managed to get Meredith to smile on the ride!
 

Since the beginning of the day, Meredith had wanted to ride the Jungle Cruise in Adventureland.  Since I made her ride the Orbitron with me, I let her decide what ride she wanted to do…and Jungle Cruise it was.  When we made it to the ride, it began to get really dark…like storming dark.  We were put in an English only line, and when it was time to get on the boat, it began to rain.  The ride kept going, though, so I guess it wasn’t raining enough to close the ride.  This ride was basically taking a boat ride through the “jungle” and seeing fake elephants, alligators, and the like…it was a relaxing ride if you take into account all the walking we did most of the day.  The best part about it was our tour guide…which brings me into FUNNY STORY #3:  When we boarded the boat, our tour guide said in the most broken English I’ve ever heard anyone in HK speak, “Hallo…my name is Pui, but you can call me Steve.”  How in the world do you get Steve from Pui?  Not sure.  His inferences throughout the “cruise” were hi-larious.  He was more entertaining than the ride.  Now that’s funny.

Riding the Jungle Cruise boat

Our tour guide Pui....I mean Steve! :)

 When we got off the boat, it began to rain HARD.  Meredith pulled out her umbrella, but we were getting soaked anyway.  We ran under a shelter, but stood there for a long time.  Since it was both raining and beginning to get dark, we decided to head out.  We knew from the beginning of the day that we weren’t going to stay until the park closing because of all the crowds and the rain let us know it was that time.  We wanted to stop at the Disney store, first, however, to pick up some things for our Disney-fanatic friends. J

After making our purchases, we headed to the exit to leave for our hotel.  Let me just say, even though we left early to avoid crowds…it really didn’t help because the crowds to leave were just as horrible.  Let’s just say there was a lot of pushing and shoving…and Meredith and I were mustering up our grace and patience.  J  It was crowded for a good portion of the trip to the hotel, but it leveled off eventually. 

Leaving Disneyland :(

We made it back to our hotel, dropped off our stuff and went to the infamous McD’s for our last dinner in HK.  McD’s was chosen because it was quick, cheap, and had free wi-fi J  It was nice to just chill out and enjoy our time together reminiscing about our fun day at Disneyland.  Before returning to the hotel, we went to the harbor nearby to see the gorgeous Harbor lit up at night.  The lights are just beautiful and it was nice to have this one last memory of HK.  Our day was catching up with us, however, so we then returned back to the hotel, got our luggage together, and went to sleep, in order to wake up and take off the next morning for our journey back home.

The gorgeous Harbor at night!  Love the lights!

I had a great time with my sister in HK Disneyland.  I am SO glad I got the opportunity to share this special time with her.  It was nice to have this as our special last HK memory before returning home to America.  In my next and final post, I’ll share with you about our trip home…it’ll be a lot shorter than these previous posts, promise… J   

Hong Kong Trip 2012 (Sister Time Edition): Day 11 - Post #6

The previous posts have all discussed my mission trip to Hong Kong (see the previous posts if you haven't had a chance to read about the VBS experience).  Today's and the next post let you in on the special "sister time" I got to have with my sister Meredith.  As the team left on this particular day, we took a couple of extra days to reminisce and create new memories in a city we once explored as children.  I love my sister and am so glad I got the opportunity to spend some special time with her in Hong Kong!
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Monday
On Monday morning, the team left to return back to the States.  We gathered together for our final breakfast as a team and then everyone was off to the airport.  I am so glad I got the opportunity to work with these people on this mission trip.  I already knew a couple of the people and it was great to reconnect those relationships, as well as build new ones.  Each person on the trip was so encouraging, helpful, and had strengths that added so much to the team.  It has been cool to watch how God brought each of us together to form a tight-knit team ready to make a difference for His kingdom!  Although we were a small team, God used us to make a BIG impact here in Hong Kong.

Today began the two days of “Sister Time” in Hong Kong.  Since Meredith has not been back to HK since we left as missionary kids, we all thought that being able to spend a couple of days together in HK doing some more sight-seeing/remembering-type things would be a special memory that we could share together.

"Sister Time" in Hong Kong

My plan today was to take Meredith around and show her things that she would remember or that might spark a memory.  When we moved to Hong Kong, I was 10 years old and she was 6 years old and when we left HK, I was 12 and she was 8.  I take for granted these memories as I remember a lot from this time period, but because she was younger, Meredith doesn’t recall as much of it.  There were some things that sparked her memory, though.

Meredith and I took the morning to kind of relax a bit as we had been on the run since she had flown in on Friday night.  As we were meeting our dad’s old office staff for lunch at 11:50 am, we decided to head out about an hour & a half before that so that I could show her our old apartment complex as well as the old mission office where our dad worked.  We got ready and walked to the MTR.  We traveled on it for about 5 minutes to MongKok, one of the most crowded parts of Hong Kong (in the US, you would basically consider it the “downtown” area).  There are SO many people and a lot going on, but that’s what makes it even more exciting!  When we got off the MTR, I took her on the familiar trek to the exit where the mission office building was.  The office has since moved to another location in HK; it’s kind of sad this missions landmark is no longer there anymore, but “to everything there is a season!” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).  The old building wasn’t very far off the exit, so we detoured there for a minute to take a picture.  I asked Meredith if she remembered it, but she didn’t.  I’m sure if we could have gone into the old office as it looked when we were smaller, it would have for sure sparked major memories, but we didn’t have the opportunity to do so.

Building where the old office used to be

I then wanted to take her to our old apartment complex.  There really isn’t a MTR exit or anything near our old apartment building and it’s not far enough away to spend money on a taxi, so we decided to take a short 10-15 minute walk to get there.  From the old mission office, it’s basically a straight walk to the street that our old building was on, so there wasn’t really any opportunity to get lost.  I knew that once I saw a gas station on the corner, we were there.  One thing we noticed as we walked down the street was how incredibly hot it was today.  I’d say the weather was just as hot as it was in Macau on Saturday (however we were shielded by buildings more-so today).  Many Chinese had their umbrellas pulled out and were holding them to shield the sun.  This is a very typical Chinese thing to do when the sun is beating down – not a raincloud or drop in sight, but those umbrellas come popping out like wildfire!

We finally made it to the corner gas station and we were there!  We walked a little bit down the street, passing old memories like the motorcycle shop & the place where a man who sold chickens (to kill on site for you to take home to eat) used to have his stand.  Meredith remembered these things! :)  We looked straight and saw our street – Emma Avenue.  I remember so many times saying this in Cantonese to taxi drivers so that they could take us home, (and I am spelling this phonetically…this is not how it would be written…) “Ye-ma-doe, Ho-man-teen.”  If you said that to the taxi driver, he would know EXACTLY where to take you!  We walked down Emma Avenue and saw the gate that we would have to punch our code in order to get into.  Nothing about it had really changed at all.  Not even the grounds had really changed.  I wish we could have had the opportunity to go inside, but we weren’t able to do that.  We took a few pictures and then I looked at my watch and realized we needed to high-tail it back to the MTR in order to meet our dad’s old secretary at one of the other MongKok exits.

Our old street!

Wing Ying Mansion - we lived on the 17th floor...this building has 18 floors...you can bet we took the elevator!!

As we walked back the way we came, Meredith commented how thirsty she was and asked if we could stop at a McDonalds to get something to drink.  We knew that at lunch we would have hot tea, so when we saw a McDonalds across the street we decided to cross over via an overpass.  As we crossed on the overpass, I saw a sign that pointed to Grand Century Place - a mall that was built in HK when we lived there.  I was excited as I had been looking for this mall the past few times I have been.  My family has fond memories of this mall – this is one of the very few places that had a full playground for children to play on and we would go there frequently as children.  There was also a Pilipino-based restaurant called Jolibees there that was always a favorite for us to frequent.  We also shopped and went to the movie theater there.  Once Meredith & I saw the sign, we looked at each other and were like “We’ve got to go see this!”  So instead of going to McD’s, we took a detour to Grand Century Place.  As we walked up towards the mall, memories started flooding in!  We went through the mall and finally found the playground!  It was just as we remembered it!  Jolibees used to be in the food court across from the playground, but it was no longer there :(  Very sad, but I was excited that we got to see something today that was “unexpected.”  We did, however, stop at one of the food court places to get something cold to drink, so we got to set down for a couple of minutes.

Grand Century Place - Mall built while we lived in HK

The infamous playground at GCP!

Once we finished, we walked really fast back to the Mongkok MTR station to meet with our dad’s old secretary.  Her name is Carrie.  She had arranged a Dim Sum meal with at a restaurant some of the other office staff.  We were a few minutes late, but it worked out as she was running late too.  We followed her and another mission office staff person to a local dim sum restaurant.  When we got to the building, I realized that I had already been there before – when I came to HK in 2010, members of the office staff met at the same restaurant to eat dim sum with me.  This time there were even more former staff members from the office – all impacted by the influence of my parents.  From my dad’s assistants in finance and property to language teachers, each person remembered my parents fondly and we enjoyed conversing around the table and catching up on our lives.  The dim sum meal was very good, as well!  In the first post about my HK journey, I discussed what dim sum was…click here if you need a refresher.  I just love eating Chinese food in China with chopsticks :)  My favorite dim sum meal is a pork bun with BBQ pork inside…not sure of the correct name, but it’s really good!  Last time I was at this restaurant, I tried the jellyfish they ordered…this time they ordered spicy jellyfish.  I wasn’t feeling THAT adventurous today, so I passed on eating that particular item.

We had a great dim sum with my dad's old office staff!

We visited with each other for a good long time and then said our goodbyes and Carrie invited us to see the new mission office.  It is actually at an exit on the MTR stop where our hotel is located.  When we got on this particular MTR, it was VERY crowded.  Not sure why…it was past lunch time and it was a Monday…but it just goes to show you how crowded the Mongkok area is.  When we got to the correct MTR station, we went to a different exit than the one our hotel is at.  Carrie guided us through streets and eventually we got to the building that housed the new office.  The bottom couple of floors are actually mall space and the upper floors are office space…this was very strange.  In order to get up to the office part of the building, you have to take an elevator from the mall area.  I’m glad the office wasn’t there when we were children – our parents might have gone broke from all us girls wanting to shop! LOL!

The new office was very, very nice.  I was impressed with the new look and the space.  Carrie informed us, however, that they were looking for a smaller space.  As the IMB is continuing to downsize the HK office as HK is considered (by IMB standards) a more “evangelized-country”, the office staff is very, very small and with the high property price that office spaces in HK are, they feel it is behooving to find a space that suits the size of the staff.  I think this is a great thought and I hope that they are able to find what they want for a reasonable price.  Meredith and I enjoyed walking around the office with Carrie and even saw some things that sparked memories – like seeing a key box that my dad meticulously managed.  The keys are even in the same order he left them!  Crazy!  Carrie showed us a financial book put out by the IMB and inside was a list of the 2012-2013 trustees – our pastor’s name was listed right with Tennessee.  That was also crazy, seeing my pastor’s name on an “official” document all the way in Hong Kong!

The "key box" mentioned above!

The official document mentioned above with my pastor's name on it - cool to see it in another country!!

After taking pictures with Carrie, we left and traveled back to our hotel via the MTR exits.  Thank the Lord for MTR exits, instead of having just one exit, MTR stations have multiple exits so that you can end up in different locations without having to cross streets or waste money taking public transportation.  Once we got to the hotel, we crashed as we were thoroughly exhausted.  We intended on staying at the hotel for like 30 minutes so that we could go take pictures at the HK harbor in the daylight before meeting friends for dinner.  However, after an hour & half nap, we woke up and realized we were going to be late to our dinner appointment.  We needed the rest, though, so it was all good.

Love Carrie who was our dear friend as well as my dad's former secretary!  She is such a gracious host when I come to HK to visit!!

We woke up and hurried down to the harbor to get photos.  Let me tell you…today was the most picturesque day I have ever seen in Hong Kong.  The sky was gorgeous and provided some stunning shots of the beauty of the HK harbor.  FUNNY STORY: We wanted to get a sister-picture, so we asked a random stranger to take a photo of us.  They did and when they handed my camera back, Meredith thanked them in Mandarin.  I’m not sure that they spoke Mandarin because they looked at her and laughed.  Kinda funny. :)

Gorgeous day in HK!

My heart city!

After snapping a few pics, we hurried back to the MTR to travel to Kowloon Tong in order to meet our dear friends, the Aus for dinner.  As you can see, the MTR is THE way to travel.  It’s cheap, fast, and efficient.  I find that it’s the easiest way to travel in HK.  Although crowded, we made it to our stop and met the Aus at a mall called Festival Walk and ate dinner with them at an Italian restaurant.

It was so awesome to be able to catch up with our dear friends tonight.  Oscar and Faith have three children, but they are spread out all over the world.  I miss this family so much, they are dear friends.  Faith and I are especially close.  She was my Sunday School teacher through the entire time we lived in Hong Kong.  I’m not sure that a children’s SS teacher stays with you for that long, but Faith did and she really helped me grow in my faith (no pun intended!).  I am so thankful that God put her in my life and like I told a couple of people on the trip – there are some people in your life that you know you will be forever friends with and Faith is one of those people.  If you’re reading this Faith, know that I love you so much and thank God every time I think about you (Philippians 1:3).

Me and the Oscar & Faith - such special friends!

After dinner, we hung out for a bit at the mall, watching the ice skaters skate around the ice rink they have there, then we got our things together and Oscar & Faith drove us back to our hotel.

Today was intended to be a day of good memories and we accomplished just that!  We also saw people and places that mean so much to us and it did cause us to stop and appreciate how these people/places shaped our lives.  It’s good to remember – memories help us thank God for those significant times in our lives.  I thank God constantly for the memories I have of Hong Kong.  I grew so much as a human being in this city.  I can’t imagine the person I would be if I hadn’t had the opportunity to spend my “growing-up” years in Hong Kong.  Living here opened my eyes to the world around me and make me have a mission-minded lifestyle.  These reasons are why I refer to Hong Kong as my heart city…because it is a place that molded me into who I am and a place that remains to this day incredibly dear and near to my heart.

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New memories in Hong Kong were made on Tuesday...check out the next post to find out where we went...I'll give you a hint: It's the happiest place in East Asia.