Loving my neighbor - Part 2

This post about loving my neighbor is a bit different from the neighbors in my previous posts, because while I didn't really know the neighbors that I tried to reach out to earlier, the neighbor in this post is actually a good friend from high school, who is literally moving in next door!

I'm so excited, because after 20+ years of living sooo far away from all my friends, and commuting 45+ minutes to meet up with them, someone is finally moving to my neck of the woods! Woohoo!! To help my friend get adjusted to his new environment, I bought him some shuttle bus tickets (we kinda live in the boonies) and drew him a map of where the bus stops are.

I pray that God will bless his new home, and that everyone in his household may know the great love of Jesus!

Loving my small group

So, from yesterday, I was still on a high by being able to help Tim and rejoin Fuse, and I was really looking forward to attending a class that he was going to start teaching today. However, the time of the class clashed with a meeting that my small group leader had called, in which he was going to announce that he was stepping down from leadership.

Oh man, that meant that not only was I not going to make the class, but I had to now struggle through the issues of a small group that might fall apart! As much as I loved my small group, honestly, I really struggled with having to miss the class for the meeting!

But I'm thankful that God used a dear sister to speak Truth to me, and convict me of my motives. The small group meeting turned out to be very encouraging! And God used that time to not only remind me, but many others in attendance to "not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching."

Praise God for reminding me that when we lay down our own selfish motives, that is when we can hear Him speak with clarity!

Loving Mr.汤水 + Fuse + Tim + God

Today was a pretty neat day. In the morning, I prayed for God to show me how He wanted me to show love to someone, and not only did He bless me with one interesting experience, but two!

As I was walking the streets of CWB, on my way to catch the tram, I spotted an old man in his 60's banging away with great rhythm (and speed) at this wooden xylophone. He didn't seem like the typical street artists, because a) he was playing a huge and rare instrument, and b) he was neatly dressed and seemed to really enjoy what he was playing.

The old me would have just dropped some cash in support of the artist's work, and run off. But I realized how much God has been changing my heart through this 365 day love challenge, because not only did I financially support the artist, but I ended up chatting with Mr.汤水 for almost half an hour! Even though I didn't get to share the gospel with him, however, he was greatly encouraged that someone cared enough to actually learn about what he was doing and about his passion for music. It turns out that Mr.汤水 is a music teacher, and he knows how to play 15+ instruments, many of which he taught himself how to play! Wow! May God "put a new song in [Mr.汤水's] mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD."

Then, at night, I went to Fuse, our Young Adult Ministry at Island ECC. I was really excited about this meeting, since it's been over a year that I was last able to attend. We had some fun ice-breakers, and Tim gave a great message that challenged us to think about what Truth is. After the meeting, as I was getting ready to leave with everyone else, I felt prompted to say bye to Tim and see if he needed help with anything. I thought he would say no, since it seemed like he had already cleaned everything up, and plus, I'm a little crazy and giddy around my pastors, because (hehe) I get star-struck by them, but Tim actually asked me to help carry some stuff back downstairs for him! And, I not only got to do that, but I also got to help do the dishes too!! :)

I know, you're probably thinking that I'm crazy, because I'm so excited that I got to do dishes. Well, yeah, I probably am, but I'm just so thankful for the body that makes up Island ECC, and I love our leaders! So, no matter how big or small the task is, I'm overcome with joy when I know that I can help. And I think this is how God wants us to love and serve Him too. When we adore Him, anything that He calls us to do, and anywhere that He calls us to be, should bring us an overwhelming sense of joy!

Loving Hong Kong

"The world's fourth richest man, Li Ka-shing wants to give away HK$300 million with his philanthropic campaign called "Love HK Your Way." Anyone with an idea for how to improve Hong Kong can submit their project proposals to the organization and try to gain some of Li's dough." (per CNN).

I'm already pretty busy and stretched quite thin, but my friends and I love Hong Kong, so even though this means a bit of work ahead, but we're hoping to get an idea submitted to help improve this great city! I hope the idea works!

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden."

Loving Dad Part 4

My mom, my sisters and I have been fervently praying for my dad's salvation. Today, we took him to Noah's Ark at Ma Wan to show him God's covenant to mankind.

The Noah's Ark in Hong Kong is truly an amazing place! I'm in awe of how Noah could have built something like this by himself so many years ago, and without the help of modern technology and equipment! (Perhaps that's why it took him 100 years. :P)

We spent the day looking at all the different exhibits, and watching simulations and short movies (in 3D and 4D!) of the gospel. Although my dad still has many questions and hesitations, however, I was greatly encouraged that he joined us in our time of prayer at night. I do pray that God will continue to open his heart and to replace it with a heart of flesh! May he experience the covenant love that God the Father has promised us since the days of Noah!

"Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth." So God said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established between me and all life on the earth.""

Praise be to God for His wonderful love to us!

Encouraging my leaders is love

Being a leader is a high calling. God holds leaders to a higher level of accountability, and will hold them responsible for how they lead and shepherd His people. So, I thought I would send my leaders @ Alpha an encouraging email to root them on in their leadership:

"Hi leaders!

Thanks for your time and dedication in directing people to Jesus! I was doing my devos last night, and came upon this passage that I hope will be an encouragement to you (and us), as we continue to point people to Christ:

"The ministry of the Gospel of Jesus Christ involves a spiritual battle in which the evangelist is nothing more than an ambassador. Whether a person responds negatively to the "glorious gospel of Christ," or whether he believes and is given new life, the battle is fought on a spiritual plane outside the control of the messenger.

Why do some people reject the gospel? Satan has blinded their minds so they cannot see. Why do other people accept the gospel? "God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in their hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Cor 4:6) For this reason, "we faint not." (2 Cor 4:1,16) Paul faced persistent opposition and rejection throughout his ministry. He stayed in the battle, refusing to quit, because he knew that in the final analysis the struggle did not involve him personally.

You can easily misunderstand your task as a witness for Christ and take it personally when people reject His message. Conversely, you think too highly of yourself if you take pride in your ability to win others to Christ. In either case, you fail to grasp that you are limited to merely sharing the good news. Beyond that point, it becomes a spiritual struggle over which you have no control. Once you assimilate the significance of this, you will not be timid in sharing the gospel nor lose heart when people reject the message.

You do not preach for temporal gain. In sales, you only get credit for what you sell. With the gospel, you only get credit for proclaiming the gospel, irrespective of the response. For these reasons, "we faint not.""

- quoted from "Thoughts from the Diary of a Desperate Man" by Walter A. Henrichsen

Let us not lose heart, but continue to gently show love to those who have yet to experience God's grace and love! And may God fill you with wisdom, as you pray and lead Team 10 in discovering the glories of Calvary!"

Helping an old lady down some stairs is love!

Today was a rainy rainy day in HK. (No typhoon = 3 days of rain. sigh!) As I was rushing to lunch, I saw an old lady trying to get down some steps. The steps looked slippery, and it didn't seem like she could see very well, so I went up to her and asked if she needed some help. She accepted gratefully. :) She's happy, and I'm happy. And it made me realize that helping someone makes not just one person happy, but TWO people happy. Helping people can give you a joy that cannot be replaced by anything else else in this world. I think that's the type of joy that God wants us to experience all the time. May we not miss out on it, and keep spreading the love!

Reminding myself to love...is love!

Earlier, I wrote about a struggle with a sister. To make sure that I remind myself to keep loving her, I sent her a gift, and included an encouraging note! Loving someone doesn't mean just showing them love once, but loving them on a consistent basis. "Love never ends."

Loving God - Part 2

Lately, I've been feeling weak; not physically, but emotionally and spiritually. A small incident would send me reeling into the depths of a pit, where I would wrestle and struggle to get out without much success. And honestly, it's easy for me to keep wallowing in self-pity and despair.

But reading His Word today, I realized that loving God means following His commandments. (See the book of Deuteronomy.) It means remembering His promises to us, even when I don't feel like it. It means trusting and having faith that He is good, even when the circumstances around me don't seem like they'll get better. In Joshua 1:9, God commands us to "be strong and courageous." He commands us not to be terrified, because He is with us wherever we go. So if I love God, I need to follow Him in His commandments of being strong and standing firm.

And you know what? After a few hours of reminding myself of this truth, it doesn't seem so dark anymore. :) I pray that regardless of your situation or the circumstance, that you would remember His goodness too!

Loving my nephew

Originally, I had planned to go out after work today, but when I found out that my sister was taking my nephew out, I decided that whatever I needed to do could wait. Besides, who can turn down a date with such a cutie?

Lunch with a 3 year old shrieking little man was quite an experience. My sister bravely fought and won the battle of flying noodles and dropped pork bits. Seeing her so patiently trying to teach her 3 year old despite his disobedience really inspired me - what love! I wonder if God sees us as (cute) shrieking 3 year olds too.

Being a parent in this day and age is so hard... the least I could do was to treat them to lunch! May God continue to give my sister and my brother-in-law great wisdom to raise their kid!

Getting to know your neighbor is love!

I work in one of those old industrial buildings, and unlike modern offices, the offices in our building are pretty spaced out from each other, so it's quite hard to get to know our neighbor, unless I proactively try to seek them out.

Well, God knows I'm lazy (horrible, I know), and still blessed me today, by letting me cross paths with one of our neighbors. I was at one end of our long corridor getting ready to get in the elevator going down, when she just stepped out of her office, all the way on the other end of the long corridor. Instead of getting into the elevator really fast and closing the doors on her, I yelled down the hall to let her know that there's an elevator on this side of the corridor, and for her to take her time, because I could hold it for her.

Even though the elevator ride was short, but it was refreshing being able to meet our neighbor. I pray that God will let our paths cross again in the future, as He tells us to "love your neighbor as yourself."

Loving God

"We love because He first loved us." So, before I can learn to love others, or even love myself, I must know how to love God. But what does it mean to love God?

Does it mean that I should give God money, like tithe to church, or donate to good causes? Does it mean that I should spend hours and hours at church, reading the Bible, or praying? Perhaps it's a little bit of both these things, but most of all, I believe that loving God means to revere Him and His word, and to cultivate a humble heart: "This is the one I esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, and trembles at My Word."

Honestly, I haven't been loving God much; I haven't been humble, because I've been too busy being bitter and upset at life. I'm too tired and too angry to love. I'm frustrated because it seems like no matter how hard I try to "do good" in this fallen world, things will still be broken, people will still be hurting, and bad things will still keep happening.

But recently, I realized that God didn't design us for to be a fixer of things. Rather, He designed us to worship Him, He calls us to trust Him, He wants us to love Him. When we learn "to love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength," and focus to on that first, we will naturally know how to love others, because it will be an outflow from our hearts, rather than a striving that we try in vain to push ourselves to do.

So I pray that God will remind me to love Him first, even if I don't feel like it. I must persevere in faith. "In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls."

I believe that when we choose to trust in God, and believe in His goodness, despite our external circumstances, that is when we are loving God. May God help me to love Him more!

Confrontation could be love...

I'm not one to like confrontation. I don't even like discussions that seem remotely like they are heading down the path of confrontation. But perhaps God is trying to grow me in that area, because I have a sister, whom I seem to get into disagreements with every now and then. Honestly, I would rather sometimes just stop reaching out, so that I don't have to get hurt, but I realize that God blessed me with this relationship for a reason, and for this reason, I am called to learn to love this sister, because loving her means loving God. Although my sister and I will fail each other from time to time, and fall short of each others' expectations, but I know that Jesus is the one who teach us how to love, and will heal us of all our deepest hurts. People will fail us, but Jesus never will.

"Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail."

Giving manga is love!

My cousin loves manga. In fact, this summer, I ran into him in Wan Chai, as he and a few thousand other youngsters headed over to the annual comic book fair. So, it most fitting to give him some manga to read on his flight back to the States. I'll be missing my Carebear!

Praying for Alpha

It was the first meeting for Alpha 2010 @ 633 King's Road yesterday, and woo hoo was it awesome! The room was packed, and my friend stuck to his word and came along! In the beginning, he was a little nervous, because he was worried that he wouldn't know anyone and feel out of place, but I reassured him, "Are you serious? You're O! I'm sure you'll know a ton of people!"

And sure enough, as if "by coincidence", he not only recognized a few people that he had met before, but a really welcoming brother, Geoff, that O had not only met, but worked with previously, is the leader of our Alpha group! God is so awesome in how He orchestrates things to happen!

Even though O is going to miss Alpha next Monday, but he is keen to come back the week after. I can't wait to see how God will work in his heart through this Alpha course, and prayed for him that night that God will touch him in a special way in the next 10 weeks. I pray that God will reach out to him and let O know that He is God, the Alpha and the Omega, in a way that O comprehends and needs. I also prayed for the other members of my Alpha group by name. I'm thankful that God has placed us together as a group, to grow together, and to support and encourage each other. Whether we have walked with God for years, or are still holding God off at a distance, I pray that He will speak to each of us personally, and that we would encounter Him in a mighty way!

"The Mighty One, God, the LORD, speaks and summons the earth from the rising of the sun to the place where it sets. From Zion, perfect in beauty, God shines forth.

Our God comes and will not be silent; a fire devours before him, and around him a tempest rages. He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that he may judge his people:

"Gather to me my consecrated ones, who made a covenant with me by sacrifice." And the heavens proclaim his righteousness, for God himself is judge.

"Hear, O my people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you:
I am God, your God.

I do not rebuke you for your sacrifices or your burnt offerings, which are ever before me. I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills.

I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it. Do I eat the flesh of bulls or drink the blood of goats? Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High, and call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."

But to the wicked, God says: "What right have you to recite my laws or take my covenant on your lips? You hate my instruction and cast my words behind you. When you see a thief, you join with him; you throw in your lot with adulterers. You use your mouth for evil and harness your tongue to deceit. You speak continually against your brother and slander your own mother's son. These things you have done and I kept silent; you thought I was altogether like you. But I will rebuke you and accuse you to your face.

"Consider this, you who forget God, or I will tear you to pieces, with none to rescue: He who sacrifices thank offerings honors me, and he prepares the way so that I may show him the salvation of God."

Sharing an umbrella with someone is love!

It's been pouring rain in HK lately, which is fine for me, because I love the rain. But for those who hate carrying umbrellas around, they won't like HK much in this season. I ran into one of these no-umbrella-for-me type friends after service yesterday. He was standing in the rain, looking forlorn (in the rain, we all do!) So I went up to him (scared him a little bit though), and shared my umbrella with him, as we strolled over to the nearest subway stop.

We chatted about everything from our summers, to the differences between the Christian and Islam faith. It was the best 15 minute conversation that I've had in a long time, and it's all because of the rain! In retrospect, this incident reminds me to take hold of every opportunity, even little opportunities, to show love, because you never know how God will use it show you something and to bless others!

Leave it to God to do the judging; we are just called to love

Have you ever seen those people who stand on the streets holding cardboard signs that either say, "Repent for the Kingdom of God is near", or "Jesus died for your sins"? If you haven't seen them on the streets of downtown, you've probably seen them in an end of the world type movie, like 2012.

When I was shopping with a sister in a busy intersection of Mong Kok this afternoon, we saw one of these men. We just walked by him, and I jokingly said to my friend, "heh, maybe we should go say hi and give him a shout-out." Jokingly, because I was taught not talk to strangers. Not thinking too much more about it, we spent the next 2 hours wandering around and looking at the interesting knick-kacks in Flower Market.

As we were leaving, we spotted the old man again! The "normal" me would just smile and walk by, but for some reason, I turned to my girlfriend and asked if we should go say hi, to which she agreed! We timidly went up to him together to ask if we could buy him a drink, since he had been standing there holding the sign for some time now. He declined our offer, but began chatting with us about theology. Splendid! I love talking to theology; this was turning out to be much less frightening than I imagined it to be!

The conversation we had was quite interesting, and personally, I questioned a lot of his theology and also how effective his method of standing there with a cardboard sign was. However, I realized that it's not for me, but for God, to judge; I was only there to give the man encouragement. I pray that somehow and some way, God will use this man to point others to Jesus. Because the simple Truth, with everything stripped away is that "for God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

Chickeeduck love

Although I couldn't be there for a sister's baby shower, but I was able to take part in congratulating and blessing her and her baby by sending some Chickeeduck love!

Being real - Part 2

Lately, God has been using many different ways to show me the realities of life. That's not to say that I have been living with my head in the clouds for the past 20+ years, but that hearing about pain and suffering is very different from truly understanding it with your heart. Knowing about these painful events in our heads is just being able to recite the facts, but only by knowing with our heart can we then be prompted for action.

Recently, I've been staying at home to spend time with my mom, and we've started watching a really good TV series called 蜗居, Dwelling Narrowness. It's such a realistic depiction of the struggles of life for the Chinese people living in the big cities, that it's been banned from airing in China.

For the past 6+ years, God has placed the Chinese on my heart, and I've been praying for them and seeking God's purpose for making me a Chinese American. But honestly, it wasn't until I watched this TV series that I felt my heart break for them. Yes, China's economy has been growing at rapid speeds for the past 10 or so years, but it doesn't come without dire social consequences. Surely there must be more to life than just the rat race!

Although I'm still unsure as to what exactly God wants me to do, but at the very minimum I have become more compelled to share the Good News with more of those around me, especially with my coworkers. May they come to know that only through freedom in Christ can they break their bondage of sin and of the chains of this fallen world!

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

Being real

Lately, a lot of things have been going on at home and in my personal life, so much so, that I feel like I'm living in some type of Korean soap opera. Honestly, for me, I feel that it's easier to just keep quiet and get through it, than to share these personal and painful experiences with others.

It's not that I don't want to admit that I'm struggling with all these problems (well, maybe it partially is, because who wants to be known for being in a mess?), but it's also because I don't want other people to pity me or feel sorry for me. Now I'm not trying to be tough and all, because God knows my heart, but I just don't want a pity party. It's bad enough, pitying just makes the mood worse.

But then again, who am I to question other people's good intentions? I've been reminded that suffering and trails are a very normal part of life; that's the fallen world that we live in. The glorious reminder is that God is faithful through it all, and that we have a beautiful heaven to look forward to as followers of Christ! This a heaven that is free from pain or sorrow, a heaven where we will be doing what we love, and where we will be in the presence of God forever and ever.

So in light of that, how can I keep this glorious truth from others, especially those who might be suffering as well? Sure, suffering is not fun and glamorous, but I shouldn't be wasting these experiences by keeping them to myself. Rather, I should be real and honest with people, sharing plainly with them my honest thoughts and feelings, in hopes that they too can see the hope that is in me; this hope being not from me, but from Jesus Christ!

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."

My coworker is Ichiban!

I really appreciate of one the colleagues that I work with. She's efficient, great at what she does, and very helpful to everyone. She inspires me greatly at work. To appreciate her, I thought I would get her one of her favor snacks from Aji Ichiban.

"And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased."

Loving Mike-y

Mike-y is like the younger brother that I always wished I had; he's fun, kind, and hilarious! I met Mike-y when he was just starting out as a freshmen in college. I had graduated then, but was still helping out in college ministry, and one of my good friends asked if I could help watch out for Mike-y, and plug him into our fellowship.

The first time I met Mike-y was when I drove over to pick him up for church early one Sunday morning. Even though it was the first time we met, being the friendly person that he is, he came up to my car, and said, "I saw this kid at the student center on the way over here, and he looks like he's waiting for something, can we go ask him if he wants to go to church with us?" I was a bit surprised, but this kid's enthusiasm really inspired me, so sure, why not... It turns out that this guy was actually there waiting for someone to turn up to give him a ride to church! We were his answered prayer!

Well, fast forward a few years, it turns out that because of Mike-y's invitation to this guy, they became fast friends, and throughout their years in college, they encouraged and inspired each other in their walks with the Lord, like Nathan did to David.

Mike-y is graduated now, and it came as no surprise to me when I found out that instead of settling with the status quo, he is taking 2 years off to go to Japan to share his love and hope from the Lord to those there. What faith! What love! Of course I had to support and encourage my bro! May God be with Mike-y as he heads off for another year to Japan, and may God grant him more opportunities in which he can draw others to Christ, just as he had done with his friend in college...

"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Helping someone get plugged in is love!

When I walked into the sanctuary for service yesterday, I spotted an acquaintance sitting in the back of the room. Since I was attending service with a friend, I didn't get a chance to say hi, before my friend whisked us away to our seats.

After service, I was leaving with a few friends, when I ran into that acquaintance again on the street. I wondered for a few minutes whether I should say hi, since he didn't seem to recognize me (what nerve... :P), but I decided to go out on a limb and say hi anyway. He was a bit taken back (as would have I been, if someone just came up to me and introduced themselves), but he remembered who I was after my introduction (that's better.)

We had a good chat during our MTR ride, and it turns out that he had just moved to the city and was just trying to settle in. Settling down in a new place is always a struggle, so I tried to invite him to a few upcoming events, in hopes to introduce him to some other brothers and sisters. I prayed that God would surround him with great fellowship, and that he would encounter God in a mighty way during his time in HK.

Stepping out of our comfort zone, and helping someone get plugged in is love!

Love requires going out of your way to do something for others!

Lately dad has been pretty tired, so I try to drive him around as much as I can. Plus, he's getting old, so he deserves a break! Originally, I had planned to meet with a friend for coffee after lunch, and my plan was to drive my dad to lunch, have lunch with him, and depart for my coffee date. However, it turns out that he was a lot more tired than I had expected him to be, so instead of slipping away after lunch, I drove him all the way home, and came all the way back out to meet up with my friend.

Although I was rushing to make the coffee date, and was inconvenienced, but I realized that it's exactly the inconvenience that makes the act of love, well, loving.

May we go the extra mile for those who need our help!

Sending love via snail mail

I was on gchat with a good friend the other day, and we were having a great conversation pouring our hearts out to each other. Towards the end of the conversation, I asked her, "btw, how was your birthday? (which just passed about 3 days ago)" To which she replied, "It was great! But how come you didn't even wish me a happy birthday?" I know she wasn't saying that out of contempt, but rather asking out of curiosity. Oddly, I did remember her birthday; in fact, I made sure I sent her an ecard! Well, I guess as good and as convenient as technology can be, it still fails us sometimes...

So, to make up for it, I sent her a birthday card via snail mail, because I figured that she won't be expecting it, so it'll be a nice surprise! Besides, why do you need a reason to tell someone that they're special to you and dearly loved by Jesus?

Running for love

Unfortunately, the title of this blog post does not describe me, because I'm a pansy and can't run for long stretches, but at the very least, I can support my friend who is doing it for Unicef! It's her second half marathon this year, and I give her props for training for this, on top of all the other changes and transitions that she went through this past year.

God gives us strength, especially when we do things in love, so I pray that He will give her strength and remind her that He is God today!

Fruit Pastilles make life sweet!

Recently, I've been blogging a lot about my cousins. They are people that inspire me. I'm so thankful that my mom and dad had siblings, and that I have sisters. I can't imagine what it's like to be an only child; my heart really goes out to all the Chinese kids of the One Child Policy in China!

Anyway, after work yesterday, I went to visit my aunt in the hospital. Of course my cousins were there standing by to help out and to root my uncle on. The last time I went to visit, I brought with me some lychee fruit pastilles. Little did I know how much they liked them, because seeing them "fight" over it I vowed to get them more next time! Well, next time came around, this time I was more prepared. Not only did I bring the lychee fruit pastilles, but I also got them the mango and the blackcurrant ones too! I hope the gummies can bring them a little sweetness during these rough times!

"Go and enjoy choice food and sweet drinks, and send some to those who have nothing prepared. This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." May my uncle and cousins be filled with the joy and strength of the Lord!