Loving the slaves

Did you know that there are more children, women and men are held in slavery right now than over the course of the entire trans-Atlantic slave trade back in the day? Did you know that nearly 2 million children are exploited in the commercial sex industry? Did you know that it is often the poor who bear the burden of these abuses and injustices because they lack the access to their own justice systems and are unable to protect themselves or their families from those more powerful?

In the global, cosmopolitan, hi-tech world that we are in today, it's shocking to hear of these injustices and stories. IJM, International Justice Mission, is an international organization that is bent on stamping out modern day slavery. They work to make public justice systems work for victims of abuse and oppression, who urgently need the protection of the law. IJM's passion for what they do, and their compassionate heart for those who are hurting inspire me so much.

This summer, they started a campaign called the 5 Weeks of Freedom, in which a team of ordinary people are giving up 5 weeks of their time to cycle 1800 miles of the Underground Railroad, which was an informal network of secret routes used by the 19th-century African-American slaves in the United States to escape the people holding them captive. I had the honor of supporting them financially, raising awareness, and doing just a little bit to bring an end to modern-day slavery. You can too!

Love challenge: "Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy."

Loving in secret

I thought long and hard about how I was going to show love today. I knew that I was going to be out most of the day running errands and interacting with different people, so I knew that I would have plenty of opportunities to love, but I just didn't know how... so I woke up and prayed about it; I left the house and prayed about it; I walked down the streets of Hong Kong and prayed about it, but somehow, I still was at a loss for what to do.

So, I went about my day, doing all the "typical" acts of love; acts that were visible and very apparent to others. I gave up my seat to a lady holding her toddler on the subway, I helped an old man pick up his cane that he dropped on the ground, I helped out a student trying to raise money for Unicef, I chatted up a client and a sales person to give them some encouragement given the tough jobs that they have... but somehow, all these acts didn't really make me feel like I was really "loving" them at all. I felt like I was just going through the motions...

Until, I noticed two kids on the subway. These 2 middle school boys were on their way home from soccer practice. I could tell that they were really good friends; they joked and they laughed, and their friendship really warmed my heart. So I decided to pray for them. I prayed that God would open their hearts so that they would know Him. I prayed that God will protect and grow their friendship, so that it continues until they both old and well weathered in life. I prayed that they would be the Nathan to David in each others' lives and not only support one another, but point out faults in each others' lives so that they can grow in character and in Truth. I prayed that God would bless their family, and their parents.

Of course they didn't know that I did this, and if they did, they probably would have thought that I was some weird-o. (Perhaps you are now thinking that too. :P) But praying for them made me really joyful, because we really need more of these true friendships on earth. It also made me feel joyful knowing that I can love without any outward physical actions to show others that I did such and such. (Well ironically, I guess now you know about it, since I'm blogging about it!) But it's love like this - love that is behind the scenes, that I may or may not know the "ending" of, that has a mysteriously warm feeling about it. I pray that we would live in this way - humbly loving others.

Love challenge: Love in a way that warms the heart, but that other people may never find out about!

"[Love] does not boast."

Loving my ex-colleagues

Often, people leave their jobs disappointed either at the company, or at the people they used to work with. I'm thankful that neither is true of the last company that I worked for. Even though the job demanded crazy hours and they had their fair share of office politics, but overall, I loved it, and I'm thankful that I'm still able to keep in touch with some of them, even though they are on the other side of the world.

Recently, I found out that a few of my old colleagues will be running in a 92 mile marathon relay for charity. Wow, I can't imagine running 10 miles, let alone 92 miles, so of course I had to support them! I hope that my support will not only be able to help the charity that they are raising money for, but also let my ex-colleagues know that I'm still thinking of them!

Love challenge: Keep in touch with old colleagues; you never know when you may be an encouragement to them!

Showing love on the bus

I was running a bit late to work this morning, and of course, that made me even jumpier
than normal. So when I saw a line for the bus this morning, the Mainlander in me wanted to jump the quasi-queue, and revert to beating everyone to the door of the bus to make sure that I could get on... before everyone else. (Yes, I'm shameless when I'm running late and need to get somewhere!)

However, just as I was going to do so, I saw a mom with her toddler out of the corner of my eye hurrying over to try to catch the bus. So, instead of jumping on and leaving them behind, I waited by the bus door, stepped aside, and let them go ahead of me onto the bus. She graciously thanked me, though in retrospect, I think that I should thank HER for helping me to do my act of love for the day.

After that, I thought that was pretty much all the love I was going to show on the bus ride, but little did I know that God had another little incident in store. Since I was the last to get on the bus, I was standing pretty much right next to the bus door. And man, this morning, the bus was PACKED. Now it wasn't as packed as this:

but it was still pretty squishy. Unfortunately, at one of the bus stops, after everyone else had gotten off, and the bus was ready to take off, we heard a little shout all the way in the back from someone struggling to get off. It literally took the person a whole minute to get from the back of the bus, all the way to the door, at which point, people around her where tisking away and quite annoyed that she was holding them up. Apparently, it was a middle school girl who was trying to get off, and why it was taking so long was because she had on one of the biggest backpacks I had ever seen. (I think she was going camping.) But in addition to that, she was carrying 2 large bags holding tents too.

Poor girl, as she was struggling to squeeze through the throngs of people with her huge bags, I could see that she was very much struggling, but also very much embarrassed. That scene really took me back to my high school days when I used to go on overnight weekend hikes, and I felt really burdened to help her, so I literally had to "pull" her and the bags she was carrying through the crowd of people. Although I wasn't able to make eye-contact with her to give her an encouraging smile (she was trying to hide as much as she could under her cap at this point), but she thanked me profusely as she was getting off. I also said a silent prayer for God to protect her on her hike as the bus zoomed off.

Love challenge: Extend a helping hand to those in need... in big and small ways!

"Love is patient, love is kind"

Love bears all things...

I suppose summer is prime time for people to take vacations, which is all fine and dandy... but for those who get left behind at the office, here's what it feels like:

I came from the world of consulting, so working long hours is nothing new to me. But having to not only do my own work, but the work of 2 other people, who are on extended leave, has surely got to be breaking some type of personal record.

Unfortunately, the whole day today, I felt like I was going to snap under all the stress, and it took a lot of my energy not to unload it on my co-workers (poor people), or want to take revenge on those who are on their vacation! But thankfully, at all the right times, I was reminded that "love bears all things", so I was able to last until the end of the day... in one piece. I've resolved this week to keep persevering ahead, and to try to be as good of a witness at work as I can be, despite the given circumstances. I just have to remind myself that God's mercies and grace are sufficient for me; I just have to take it one day at a time.

Love challenge: When things get tough, remember God's mercies, and learn to bear all things!

"Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."

Loving my parents

Today is Sunday, and Sunday is family day. My parents have been under a lot of stress recently, and I was wondering what I should do to cheer them up a bit, since I had the whole day with them. So after morning service, we went to an old town that my parents like to go to once in awhile, and I treated them to lunch at the local 大排檔, a hole-in-the-wall type restaurant. Even though the meal was very simple, and we merely walked around town to pick up some odds and ends, but I think my parents had a good time reminiscing and were able to take a break from the busyness of life in the bustling city of Hong Kong.

Love challenge: Do something to show your parents you love them!

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."

#8-9 More shopping & goodbyes

I am finally home in Vancouver!

#8 I spent the whole day with my colleague in Guangzhou. She works as an educational assistant at my school and she has subbed for my class for the past 2 years whenever I got sick or during my prep times. At work, teachers and EA's have breaks and lunch at different times, so there's almost never an opportunity to sit down and get to know each other on a more personal level..everyone's always on the go, putting the kids first, that it's challenging to reach out to your colleagues and ask them how they're surviving!
The hour long train ride there and back allowed us time to talk and get to know each other better. It was so nice to listen to her talk about her university days in China, the Chinese people in Shenzhen, and how she met and married her husband within a few days in Nigeria, about motherhood. When we met up with her husband later in Shenzhen, she introduced me to him as "Ms. Li," which made me want to laugh because I was dressed like a kid, in sneakers, jeans and a t-shirt. Before we said goodbye, I got a chance to let her know how much I appreciated all her hard work & dedication... she really serves with a humble heart and all my kids tell me how funny she is when she subs.

#9 I met up with a student I taught this year at McDonald's. She had emailed me before asking if she could see me one last time. You might be thinking, awwww that's sweet. And yes it is, but in my mind, I was thinking... uhhhh-I have to get packing and move my stuff out! What a selfish teacher I am right? Then I thought about how on the last day of school, she couldn't stop hugging me and crying...I've never had a student this clingly before and I had to make a rule called the "3 second hug" in the middle of the year cause it was getting out of hand with her not letting me go! I had to explain to her as nicely as possible, "Teachers need their recess too, sweetie." So we spent some time at McDonald's eating our ice cream and talking.
And yes, one very last hug.

Spreading joy

Tonight is one of my best friends birthday party. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to join her. However, I know that she, well, maybe more her boyfriend, really likes games, so I "made" her one to give her as a birthday present. Now, I say "made", because I don't think I actually made up the game, but rather, it is a combination of different games that I've played before, and had a blast playing. I think playing games and having fun is one of the best ways to spread joy! (If you want to learn more about the game, please visit "The Love Cheer" tab on this blog.)

Love challenge: Spread joy through playing games and having fun with others!

"A cheerful heart is good medicine."

Loving myself

Lately, I've been pretty stressed. There's so much going on at home and at work that I don't even know where to start. So, today, I decided to play hooky, and take a day off from work to just relax and have some fun!

I ended up going to watch Toy Story 3 at imax with some friends. We watched a noontime showing, and the theater was pretty packed! (I guess I wasn't the only one play hooky. :P) The movie was hilarious! I laughed till I cried. After the movie, we found a great place for all you can eat hotpot. hmmmmmmmmmmm...! A great movie and all you can eat beef; what more could I ask for? :)


Love challenge: Learn how to love yourself!

"We have to learn to be our own best friends because we fall too easily into the trap of being our own worst enemies." ~Roderick Thorp, Rainbow Drive

Loving my hairdresser

I only get to go to my hairdresser once every few months, partly because the salon is a bit of a hike, but also because every time I go, he's so detail oriented that I have to plan to spend at least 2 hours there, with the record set at 8. Whenever I go by myself, I normally end up reading all their magazines, and still end up really bored, squiggling and squirming in my seat, itching to leave.

I really needed a haircut today, and thankfully, my sister suggested that she also needed one, so we were able to go together. On the way, the black rainstorm warning was hoisted, meaning that everyone should make their way to a safe place, and stay there - typically, that means, go home! We called our hairdresser to inquire if we should still make our appointment, since we were already on our way. I was thinking that he would tell us to reschedule, but he actually told us to come over instead, since we were almost there.


I was really inspired by his professionalism and his great customer service. So before I got there, I picked up some delicious, fresh out of the oven, Mrs.Fields cookies for him. I also left him a nice tip to thank him for his great work as well. :)

Love challenge: Show your appreciation to others, specifically those who serve you!

Loving in faith

Today I was faced with one of the toughest decisions of love; I was asked to do something that I really didn't want to do, and to a certain extent, didn't even agree with. And yet, it was my parents who asked me do it. What should I do?

I struggled and wrestled. I prayed and cried out to God.

I was very close to deciding not to do it, because carrying through with this act would put me firmly in my zone of discomfort, and yet I felt guilty that I would not be honoring my parents.

I struggled and wrestled some more.

In the end, I decided to carry thorough with the act. Before going trough with it, I prayed to God for help and strength. In retrospect, the act wasn't as tough as I imagined, and I realized that God truly is our ever-present help in times of trouble.

Love challenge: Step out in faith, trust in the Lord, and He will help you through the toughest acts of love!

" I lift up my eyes to the hills — where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot slip — He who watches over you will not slumber;
indeed, He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord watches over you — the Lord is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all harm — He will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore."

Loving my coworkers 2

I can't stand people who cheat the company that they work for. Now I'm not talking about going on Facebook at work when you should be analyzing those numbers, or "borrowing" a pen from the office to use at home, which are forms of cheating, or rather, stealing, as well. But I'm talking about blatantly cheating your boss by starting your own business on the side, operating this company during work hours, and stealing your boss's clients for your own.

There is a coworker that we speculate is doing this, and there's been talk of letting him go on numerous occasions. But for now, he's still around. Today, I had to contact him to discuss a new project, and when I got to him, I heard that his tone of voice was rather downcast. Now this is rather peculiar, because he normally is a fairly upbeat type of person. I asked if he was okay, and he said that he had some issues going on at home.

Although there was a part of me that thought, "haha, you are getting what you deserve after cheating the company so much." The other part of me realized that God loves this coworker as much as He loves me. So instead of continuing to wish ill, I prayed for this coworker, and sent him an email telling him that I'd be praying for him and his family. I also included a verse that the Lord had given me recently that had been an encouragement to me. Even though this coworker has not responded to my email, but I pray that he will be encouraged by the Word and presence of God.

Love challenge: Turn your ill wishes into acts of love!

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

Post script: My coworker replied and said thanks for the encouragement! :)

Loving missionaries

Last year at the Called 2 All conference, I met an amazing pair. They're a young couple, who've committed their lives to loving God and loving others. Despite their young age, they are confident in their life purpose, and are doing awesome things in pursuit of it.

Recently, they've informed me of an awesome journey that they will be taking to India, where they will spend time exploring a potential partnership with a ground-breaking organization that helps local entrepreneurs. Using local entrepreneurship to eradicate poverty and raise standards of living - that's what I'm talkin about! I'm so inspired and encouraged by this young couple's love for others, that they would step out of their comfort zone, travel all the way across the world, to help others in need. How could I not support and help be a part of this rocking movement?

Love challenge: Support great causes, whether financially, by praying, or going yourself!

"The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few."

Loving my brother-in-law

I grew up with two elder sisters. They're both great in their own ways, but I've always wanted a cool older brother, which I never had ... until, my elder sister got married. I have one of the best brother-in-laws in the whole world. He's kind and patient, he's handy and fixes everything at our house, and he's funny and genuinely cares for people. He's like the brother I always wanted!

Today was another sweltering day in Hong Kong, and my brother-in-law doesn't like hot weather much. He starts sweating just standing under the shade... so, to help him cool down a bit, I bought him some red bean popsicles and apple juice. One day, I hope to learn to be as caring as he is!

Love challenge: thank your family by buying them some yummy snacks!

Loving my mom 2

This Saturday morning dawned a little differently than normal. Originally, I had planned a fun day of going kayaking with my cousin, but unfortunately, because of tropical cyclone Conson, the outing got cancelled. So instead of hanging out with my cousin, I decided to spend time with my mom. We ended up cleaning out a cupboard, which is definitely not the most fun of tasks, but in the process, we dug up some old memories that we had a good laugh over. I'm so thankful for my mom, for her unconditional love, and for all the great times that we shared together.

Love challenge: Spend time with your mom by helping her out around the house!

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."

Loving my coworkers

Most Hong Kong ladies, especially housewives, love to collect stamps. These stamps that I'm talking about are not the stamps of old, which you use to send a letter by post with, but are stickers issued by various companies, like supermarkets, restaurants, retail stores, etc. to encourage customers to come back and shop or spend at their store. The more you spend, the more number of stickers you get. Once you collect over a certain number of stickers, you can trade them in for freebies, like toys, kitchenware, or even a chance to join a raffle to win something big, like a vacation overseas.

After making a run to the supermarket, I found myself holding a bunch of these stamps. Instead of collecting them to trade in for a cute stuffed animal, I decided to give them to the ladies at my office instead.

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

Loving my grandma

My grandmother, 嫲嫲, is the one who brought me up when I was young. She was the one who pulled me out of bed in Kindergarten, and dressed me as I kept sleeping away. She was the one who gave me extra pocket money to spend during the week. She was the one who let me take a break to watch tv and order pizza, instead of making me study.

When I got older and moved away, my grandmother was the one who would ask about my work and my love life, every time I came back to visit her. She was the one who would make sure that I was well fed, and got a chicken drumstick for every meal that I had with her. [In the Chinese culture, a chicken drumstick is considered the best part of the chicken, reserved for the child that they loved.] And she did it every time I saw her, without fail. Whether I visited her for lunch, or for dinner, the drumstick would always be there, steamy hot, waiting for me.

Recently, my grandmother hasn't been feeling so well. So, today, I blocked off my schedule, and took a 3+ hour car ride just to see her. It hurt to see my granny sleeping in her bed, looking weak and sick. But I was glad to see her, because I wanted to thank her for all the chicken drumsticks that she had saved for me, and so lovingly served me, year after year. I only got to talk to granny for a short time today, but I'm thankful that I got to thank her for her love, encourage her with God's promise of eternal life when we believe in Him, and show her that I loved her too.

Granny, I hope you feel better!

Love challenge: Go out of your way to sincerely thank someone for something they have done.

"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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."

#6-7 Shopping and Farewells

Wow, I'm more than a week behind...but I'm determined to keep going and catch up. My internet connection hasn't been working so well so my posts may be brief!

#6 I was trying to recover from a cold and was in a real "moody mood." I think I made up this silly term, "moody mood" when I was a teen.. and you have to say it in a Chinese accent to get it right. Anyhow, it just means I was feeling cranky and anti-social, just wanting to stay home and mope around. Anyhow, a friend was successful in persuading me to go out for dinner, then say farewell to a colleague who was leaving HK for good. We had good food, yummy cake, blessed conversations- spending time with friends is love! I'm truly blessed by friends who have stood by me these past 2 years in HK!

#7 A shopping day in MongKok! I was on our way home when I was thinking about how my friend would return to HK from her trip in Singapore. (We had parted ways in Malaysia.) I would be going to Guangzhou the next day so I wouldn't be at home when she arrived. I decided to make a simple salad for her that she'd find sitting in the fridge!
She loved it and later said, " Blueberries and pineapples are my favorite fruits... how did you know that?" (I really had no idea- but I'm glad she liked what I made in like a minute!)

Loving my dad 2

To continue on trying to show love and honor to my parents daily, I was able to successfully take my dad out for lunch today - just the two of us! [In a previous post, I had grumbled about how I wanted to hang out with my dad over coffee, but couldn't.]

I knew that he had been under a lot of stress lately, so I wanted to take him somewhere that was relaxing and that could help him unwind a bit. We decided on the Gold Coast, (I drove! AND backed into a weird spot without damaging his huge car! :D) and we had lunch by the water next to the Yacht Club.

Although the food wasn't as good as I had expected, but it was great to be able to chat with my dad. We chatted about life, about entrepreneurship, about people.... We had a long lunch, and I'm glad that he's my boss, so that I didn't have to get in trouble for getting back to the office late! :P

Love challenge: Show your dad you love him by taking him out to lunch!

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."

Loving Sacrificially

Well, maybe "sacrificial" is a bit of an exaggeration, but to me, this was quite a sacrifice! Last night, or should I say, the wee hours of this morning, one of my sisters went through a rough patch in her life. She asked for my attention... and when she asked, I dreaded it in my heart, because I knew that I wouldn't be able to get sleep that night, and God knows, I'm a big sucker for sleep. I can sleep anywhere, anytime. In fact, I even slept through the final World Cup match, without any shame or regret!

The night went on, and having not stayed up for such a long stretch of time in awhile, it was quite tough to get through the night. I can't say that I did much for my sister last night, but I think my simple presence was the biggest encouragement that she needed.

As dawn approached, I feared that work would be a drag, because I knew that I'd be tired from not sleeping the night before. Somehow though, God was the one who provided me with supernatural strength to keep going. Not only did I not feel tired at work, but I didn't even need much caffeine. What a miracle!

Love challenge: Love sacrificially and God will give you the strength to get through!

"Do you not know?
Have you not heard?

The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint."

Loving my dad

My dad is my hero. In this world, there's no one that I respect more than my dad. He is the model Hong Kong entrepreneur, who risked his life to come to this city, with nothing on him except the clothes that he was wearing, and worked his way up into the successful businessman that he is today. During this long journey, he endured many challenges; he was ridiculed and mocked, he went bankrupt, and was taken advantage of by others. Even now, he carries much of the family's burden on his shoulders. And yet, during all the years that I've known him, I've never heard him complain even once about the hardships in life, or the obstacles that he had endured or continues faces today.

Looking back, I don't think I've done much to show him my appreciation, and even now, I still wonder what I can do. But here, I want to give a shout-out to all (whoever reads this thing anyway...) for my dad. His humility, his positive outlook in life, and his love for people really inspire me to keep on striving in this fallen world. Although he is not yet a believer, but his actions speak louder to me than some of the Christians that I've encountered (myself included.) I pray that during this time that I get to spend with him, he will be able to see the love that I have for him, through the big and small things that I do everyday, whether it's driving him to work, or buying him something nice, or taking care of him when he's sick, or just spending time with him.

Love challenge: Try to appreciate and show love to your parents in big and small ways, every day.

"Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you."

Loving the taxi driver

Today's Sunday, and I was running really late, because my schedule got changed around last minute. Ugh, I hate that; how inconvenient! With only 5 minutes left before church service was to start, I arrived at the taxi stand in Admiralty. I jumped into the nearest taxi, thankful that I didn't have to stand and wait for a taxi, because once on a cab in Admiralty, it would normally only take 5 minutes or so to get to church, which means that I won't be late after all!

Unfortunately, just after I told the cabbie where to take me, he gave me a confused look and asked me if I could lead the way. Oh great! Not only does this cabbie not know where he's going, but he's asking a directionally-challenged me, for directions!

Somehow though, instead of getting highly irritated, as I sometimes might, I took the chance instead to make this my act of love for the day. We somehow found our way, and during the trip, I was able to find out a bit about his struggles. It turns out that he's only been driving a cab for two days, and driving a cab is just one out of three jobs that he's working at, in trying to make ends meet. Wow! As I got off the cab, I left him with some words of encouragement, and a nice tip. So even though running late was seemingly inconvenient, but it turns out that there was a greater purpose behind it; good things can be made from bad situations!

Love challenge: Try to redeem a bad situation and make it into something great!

"I know that there is nothing better for men than to be happy and do good while they live."

Rocking Love

Hong Kong is a city filled with all sorts of people, and one of the places where you can easily find this diversity is in Tsim Sha Tsui, TST. TST is always flooded with people, most of whom are tourists. But it's also filled with people asking for charity.

One of the places where you will find these people is in the underground subway in TST between The Peninsula Hotel and 1881 Heritage. Normally, I run into the same homeless man, whom I try to support every time I see him, and every time, I could never work up enough courage to talk to him. I promised myself that the next time I saw him, I would not only support him financially, but also say a few encouraging words to him, because I wanted to overcome this fear of talking to random strangers, and document it as my act of love for the day!

I was really excited when I found out that I'd be going there today, however, much to my disappointment, the homeless man wasn't there! I walked on, thinking that I wouldn't be able to try to overcome my fear, and do the act of love that I wanted to. However, as I continued on in the underground subway, I noticed these 2 youngsters jamming away on electric guitars. I paused a moment, and noticed that they were singing in English, even though they looked really local Hong Kong. They were both sweating profusely, because today was another sweltering day. So as an act of encouragement, I dropped them a $20 for a drink, and told them to rock on! But I'm such a chicken, because right after I said that, I dashed off, without even asking them what their names were! (though I did find out that they were playing with a band at their high school...)

Love challenge: Get to know the people you are trying to help!

"Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth."

Loving Old Friends

I've been digging around recently, and I came across a stash of old photos from back in the day. Woah. What in the world was I wearing...?! And did I really look like that? Such good stuff I couldn't just keep to myself, so I decided to scan the pictures and email them to the friends in the pictures, so that they could share in the laughter as well. (I know, I'm old - I still have non-digital pictures!)

Unfortunately, in the process of scanning them, my computer broke down, and the connection failed. It took me at least 3 tries to finally scan and get all the pictures through. Phew! But eh, it was all worth it!

Love challenge: Send an old friend some photos, and thank them for their friendship! :)

Anhop Love

Incubator Ministries, aka ANHOP, All Nations House of Prayer, is just awesome. Not only is it conveniently located a few floors below Island ECC (:P), but their vision is just inspiring - to create a house of prayer and worship, where people can seek God... 24/7. I had the wonderful opportunity of visiting ANHOP today, where I met and befriend a spunky girl, Sarah. She gave me a quick tour of the premise, and introduced me to a great place where I can hide-out to pray and seek God's face (that's rare in the bustling city of HK!) In return, I encouraged her with some words of encouragement, and a love donation to the ministry. I pray that this ministry will inspire and transform the city of HK, and make an impact in all the nations for God's Kingdom and glory!

Love challenge: Find and support an encouraging ministry to spread the love!

"May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face to shine upon us, that your way may be known on earth, your saving power among all nations. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you! Let the nations be glad and sing for joy, for you judge the peoples with equity and guide the nations upon earth. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you!"

7th Day of Love: Knowing

Today after dinner the family decided to go down for our usual midnight snacking. I went upstairs to grab my phone when all of a sudden I realized that one person wouldn't be coming with us. This person is part of the family, but because of certain issues he's become an outsider and not close with any of the relatives. He was walking down the hall when I yelled out asking if he wanted us to bring anything. Turning around, he held a piece of paper asking me to bring him a congee; he already written it down before I had asked him. I felt happy knowing what he wanted, knowing that he'd want something, but more importantly I just felt happy that I could include him in something & that I had put myself forward instead of him coming to me to ask for a favor.
Sometimes people just need a boost every now and then. You never know when that may be, but wouldn't hurt to just try all the time. Goodluck!

To Persevere in Love

Lately, there have been a lot of things happening that have been making it difficult to love, things that could not be anticipated, curve balls that life just throws you and that seem "unfair." Thankfully, God sent me 2 angels. One of them sat and heard me out, and prayed for me; the other lent me the Word of God, so that I could take time out to reflect and soak and be refreshed. During this precious time, God reminded me to persevere in trials, and to continue to seek to love Him, because those who do so will surely be blessed. Therefore, although the trials and battles will continue, but I will choose to love God and those around me, even if it's painful, even if it hurts, because love will endure; it will never fail. May He give me the power, love, and strength to do so.

Love challenge: "Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. ... Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."

Loving Your Elders

I'm blessed to be part of one of the best communities in the world, Island ECC. I'm probably biased when I say that, but eh. :) I'm so appreciative of the leadership, and am so inspired by the excellence that they pursue in everything that they do, from the big things, to the tiny details.

Recently, we studied 1 Tim 5, where I came across a verse that made me question if I had given the elders at my church the thanks and respect that they are due for all that they do for us, behind-the-scenes, selflessly. Unfortunately, I don't know any of the elders well, and thought it best not to stalk them, so I decided to just email all of them, to say thanks. :)

Love challenge: Say thanks and give an encouragement to someone (or a group of people) even if you don't know them well!

"The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching."

Post script: Some elders replied to say thanks for my encouragement! Aw, ECC elders rock! :)

LoveLoveLove, Days 1-3

Haha, as the title states: BQQ is behind on posting. But I'll be trying my best to get caught up! Starting with Day 1....

Numero Uno-7/2/10 Friday
Staying in Hong Kong for two and a half months is harder than I thought. Mainly the drastic changes between rainy to hot/humid weather, twists in the new lifestyle, and family.. I've actually experienced all of this each time I came back to visit previously. Except for the family part. First time coming back without parents forced many responsibilities and tasks on me that I didn't think of having to pick up until it actually happened. Sometimes it makes me homesick, but more than that it makes me appreciate and realize the things I had/have. I had forgotten the helping hands of relatives as I had put my focus on other things, things that I would not be having with me during this stay. No matter how much I feel the need/pressure to be independent, there's always a lending hand somewhere waiting to help.
That's where my cousin comes in. Even before arriving in Hong Kong, she had gone out of her way to help me, even if it was only a chance of hope to help me. She has basically paved my way for finding work, experience, and starting a myriad of things (including this blog!). Little things like checking up on me in the morning, finding and taking transportation routes along with me, telling me to put on sunscreen, all add up to bigger things.
My 1st day of love: treating her back with food! I think all Chinese people love food, and food is love. Haha:P
What can you do without family?
" 'Family' is not limited to 'mom' or 'dad' or 'sister' or 'brother'- it's everyone around you."
-BQQ fortune cookie

Numero 2- 7/3/10 Saturday

I love coming back to Hong Kong to see all the aunts, uncles, and... kids! They are so adorable and fun to play with. They remind me of myself in the past: being excited to go down to the park (not minding the burning hot weather and uncomfort of sweaty clothes sticking to your back), liking the elder who gives you sweets. I had already passed out the candy that was for them, so the thing left to do was: playing at the park! I felt terrible as last Saturday (when all the family from my mother's side eats dinner together) I was not able to take them. However I offered to take them again this Saturday, hoping that it would work out if we tried to go earlier. As we were about to go down, my uncle came home with the groceries and our trip to the park had to be canceled. We had to help make dinner and set up.
As much dissapointment I felt when I was told not to go anymore, I realized the kids shrugged it off easier than I did. They were still happy while playing toys and cards with each other. I realized that this was not entirely bad: I got a chance to get closer with my younger cousins who don't remember me from when they were only a couple years old. I'm still very glad that I tried to make it work and putting the thought and effort into taking them; as the saying goes, "It's the thought that counts" right? :)
"If you just put your foot forward and just make an initiative, even if it does not follow through, your work will not be wasted."
-BQQ fortune cookie

Numero 3- 7/4/10 Sunday
Another day with the kid cousins! We took them out to play at one of those kid arcades, similar to places like "Chucky Cheese" in the US. We started out with two groups, my brother with my boy cousin (age 5), and me with my girl cousin (age 8). Each team had 100 coins to start with, the main goal being to get tickets in exchange for prizes. In the middle of the arcade, I pass by my youngest cousin who is about 3 feet tall holding a bunch of tickets, too many for his small hands to hold. I then look at my pile of "tickets", only to see 1. I had been wasting coins playing a game that offered no tickets and had no idea until an employee went up to me realizing my lack of ability to read Chinese who pointed to a sign that read "no tickets".
Our groups were down to the last coins: each person had one last chance to earn tickets. The young boy cousin, happy from all his tickets, played his coin....only to have it get stuck in the machine. I watched him as he starred at it blankly and confused, watching it roll from one side to the other, never falling down. Although I laughed, I gave up my last coin for him to play a second time for another chance. Though he didn't get that many more tickets, it still felt good to give up my share for him-knowing he'd be happier using that coin than me.
"Love is when you think about others before yourself."
-Jason Ma music video song

Loving my mom

Lately, my mom hasn't been feeling so well, but today after work, I was able to give her a love massage! Now I must say, my massage skills are horrible (I regret that I didn't finish out the massage class that I took in college), but I hope that what compensated for my lack of skills was the time that I spent with my mom chatting about life, as I massaged her aching body. She didn't complain about my horrible skills, but even said that I did a great job. Mom, you can't fool me; I know you're biased. ;) But I realized tonight that sometimes it's not about your action per se, but your heart behind it.

Love challenge: Even if you can't do your act of love well, put your heart behind it, and love will find a way!

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart"

#4-5 Love Overseas

I've been at home resting because I've been sick! I forgot to mention in my last post that the person sitting on the other side of me had a bad cough and I think he passed something onto me. haha, yes, that was quite an interesting flight.

I haven't had many chances to really connect with my family and friends back home last month. The time zone is a bit tricky for calling and it was so crazy with end-of-school madness. Anyways, I was able to talk to all my family members at one time which is quite rare! After I started thinking about my mom. She's just the best. I could go on and on describing and bragging about her, but I will keep it brief... because I'm really tired and need to go bed soon!

She is a real MOM (if that makes any sense at all), the Asian Martha Stewart, loves to cook, clean, sew (she made all my Halloween costumes & my prom dress), garden, knit -she does it all! Anyhow, we have such a Gilmore-Girls relationship. Even though I've been overseas for the past 2 years, I can always rely on her for advice and guidance. She knows I love her a lot yet, sometimes I feel I don't fully show or express it enough in a very intentional way. It's often a quick phone call and I say "Thanks mom, gotta go now! Talk to you later" click.
So I decided to do that yesterday after our phone call. I wrote her an email expressing my gratefulness and how much I can't wait to come home and spend lots of mother-daughter time baking and chatting! How girly eh?

Today I wrote my friend a "thinking of you" note! Whenever I get thoughtful, surprise emails from friends back home, my energy level instantly goes up. It's like a happy pill! I hope she'll be encouraged.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up-1 Thessalonians 5:11.

Love via the Internet

I'm so thankful for technology. Twenty years ago, who would have thought that you would be able to not only speak to someone for free over the internet, but also see them in a live video chat? Nowadays, every other chat program that you turn to will offer this function, Skype, G-chat, MSN, ICQ (is this even around still?) Even Apple's targeting this with the iPhone 4 (woot!)

Anyway, today, I was able to encourage a friend, going through a big transition, by sending her an e-card (yes, there are still some people who use e-cards!), and I also Skyped another friend, who's half-way across the world, with words of encouragement about her direction in life. Technology makes reaching out to others and spreading love to them so much easier than before!

Love challenge: Use new technology and platforms to spread the love 24/7!

"A friend loves at all times."

#2-3 Why do we love?

Here I am catching up on my posts! During these two days, showing love was more difficult than I had imagined. It's not easy to show love when you are tired, hungry, grumpy or stressed. I was feeling all four of these emotions while traveling from Teman Negara to KL, then to Meleka in one day, then from Meleka to KL the next. Buses were late, my flight delayed- I was growing impatient and grouchy! While waiting for the bus for 30 minutes, my mind was clouded with so many negative and critical thoughts.

I was reminded of Philippians 2:14 "Do everything without complaining or arguing." I had this verse on the top right corner of my bulletin board in my classroom and I had my kids memorize it on the first day of school. Whenever somebody complains loudly, I don't say anything back...instead I just point to the verse and smile as a friendly reminder. It's funny watching kids silently direct each other to the verse. This time, I felt God "pointing" to the verse, showing me that I needed to "walk the talk."

So when I finally get on the plane, I felt somebody behind me kicking my chair. I thought it was a child, but it was actually a plus size, tall man, who really needed his leg space.
There was a lady sitting next to me who had no sense of personal space. She was either unaware or didn't care that she kept shoving me in the arm while going through her purse. She then decided that it would be a good idea to take off her sandals and put her bare feet on the seat. At that point, I prayed "Dear God, I really need patience." The lady had to fill out her HK arrival card and she asked me for a pen. I had a pen in my backpack and I really didn't feel like digging it out. I hesitated for a bit. I wasn't feeling loving at all and I was tempted to just say "no" and save myself the hassle. I gave her my pen and she returned it with a polite thankyou.

I think God is challenging me to humble myself.. put away my pride and self-ambition.
I hate to admit this, but I have naively thought to myself, " Why should I keep loving those who show no appreciation or don't show any love back? It's so exhausting!"
That's evidence for my selfish motives and that "me, me, me"-obsessed mentality.
Love is not self-seeking. When you are tuly loving someone, you give freely with no strings attached. There's no calculating what the other person owes you or what you deserve, because love is about serving other people and their needs, not your own.

We love because He first loved us. 1 John 4:19.

Day 2-4: J.O.Y.

You'll all soon get to know me as the queen of procrastination anyway, so I might as well own up to it.

Hence this summary of the last 3 days of 365.

It's been a great weekend of surprises, catchups, celebrations, and hangouts.

Have been also thinking how relationships can be more complicated the deeper it gets.

I think back on simpler times and sometimes naively wish for the 'good old days'. But at the same time I KNOW that the past just seems sweeter. Or maybe I just didn't allow myself to invest in other people so much as I do now. Because being open and vulnerable means you will get hurt, but you'll also be given opportunities to love so much more. More than you ever thought you could. Love that only comes from God. I trust that through 365, God will stretch my heart in ways unimaginable and I wouldn't have it any other way.

An awesome sister gave me this verse to meditate on.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. -Philippians 2:13

So we're always given a choice.

A choice to be selfish or selfless.

A choice to love ourselves or others.

A choice to be comfortable or step out of our comfort zone.

A choice to do what is pleasing in his eyes.

Another moment also stuck with me these last few days.

Playing scrabble with some awesome people, the word J-O-Y was spelled.

One friend mentioned J for Jesus, O for others, and Y for yourself.

But so often people have it backwards. Y-O-J.

So today, I choose J.O.Y.

What will you choose?

#1 Taman Negara

My first ever Canada Day not being in Canada! Instead, I was in Taman Negara, a tropical rainforest in Malaysia. On our seven-hour journey there, I noticed a little 2-year crying out loud on the bus. She kept crying and I was wondering to myself, "Why are her parents ignoring her?" I felt quite sheepish for judging too quickly when I found out later that her parents were deaf. They used sign language to communicate to their three children (who were not deaf).
In the morning, we made our way to the Canopy walkway. It was quite a long hike up, really not consistent with a mix of rocks, stairs, branches, sometimes really steep, other times flat. I noticed behind me the parents with the 2 year old sitting on daddy's shoulders. I could tell the mother was really struggling so I slowed down and offered her a hand for the really big steps. Later on, dad looked exhausted and put down the child. I took her tiny little hand and walked her a few steps. Then I picked her up and kept walking. I kind of expected her to break free from me and go back to dad, but to my surprise, she was really calm and still.
By the end of our 3 day tour of Teman Negara, I felt so blessed to have the chance to bond with the family through sign language, smiles and little acts of love.

Love Casts Out Fears

Having grown up in HK during the time when China was opening up to the rest of the world, I often heard stories of how professional pick-pockets schemed and practiced their trade. so when a girl approached me out of the blue on the bus today, my automatic response was to draw back (a reflex which I'm not proud of.) However, I still hadn't done my act of love that day, which thankfully prompted me to step out of my bubble of fear to see how I could help.

The girl was only looking to see if I could break her $20 bill so that she could pay for the bus fare, which made me realize how silly my fear was. It turns out that I didn't have enough change for her $20, but I decided to just give her the $2 that she needed for the fare. She was quite taken back by my gesture, and thanked and apologized profusely.

It's funny how guarded HK people are, myself of course being one of them. I'm thankful for this incident today, not only because I was able to help someone get home, but because I was able to lay down my guard to help and love others in need.

Love challenge: Don't let your fears stop you from loving others!

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love."

Loving on Flag Day

Every Saturday morning is flag day in HK. Flag Day, according to Wikipedia, is a day on which government approved, public fund-raising happens. Picture the street scattered with people, like land mines, holding sheets of stickers (or "flags"), carrying a bag to collect donations, standing about 6 to 7 feet apart from each other... all ready to charge at you to ask for a donation...every single Saturday morning... It's all for a good cause, but man, HK people can be aggressive! Thus the strategy is to get the flag early, stick it in a very obvious place, and point to it if you see a person approaching you with some flags for sale. It's a strategy that works, but I guess it's not very loving, huh?

Well, I started the day doing something even worse. I flat out refused to buy a flag from a lovely girl when I was rushing to work this morning, justifying myself by saying that I was running late, which I unfortunately was. Of course I felt horribly afterwards, and it was even worse, because I had seen her from afar and had felt prompted that I should help her (even before she asked me.) Thankfully, I didn't have to stay at the office long, and as I headed back out, I made it a point to try and look for her. HK people can't stand or sit still for long, so I thought that my chances of finding her again were slim, but she was still there - yay!

I had my flag, and continued on. Typically, people only buy one flag from one person (and do the point-to-flag motion if any other solicitors ask for more donations.) However, I felt a prompting urging me not to follow the norm, and this time, I made sure to respond to the prompting in a timely fashion. So, I scanned the scene, and approached a high school girl, telling her that I would like to buy another flag from her, even though I had already bought one previously. I even got to chat briefly with her, and found out that she was attending a high school just down the road. I told her to "add oil". (It was another blazing hot 33 degree Celsius day in HK, and those donation bags get really heavy with all the change!) She said, "THANKS!" :)

Love challenge: Don't follow the norm, double up on the Love!

"But to Hannah he gave a double portion, because he loved her"

Loving my cousins

I have some amazing cousins, The Carebear Gang. Unfortunately, I didn't grow up with any of them. This summer though, one of my cousins, Bon Qui Qui, is not only in HK for the summer, but will be working at my office part-time! This afternoon, she and her brother trekked all the way from the other side of HK to visit. They live spontaneously, so they didn't have breakfast or lunch yet when I met them, which worked out great, because I hadn't had lunch yet then either, and it gave me the chance to take them out and pick up the bill. :) I'm looking forward to a summer of cousin love!

Love challenge: Sharing is caring!

"The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."

Day 1: What is love?

I woke up excited about day 1 of this love challenge.

However has the day quickly flew by (being a public holiday and all), I soon got wrapped up in life and the people around me.

So today thinking back on yesterday, I am a bit disappointed with myself. It seemed like a lot of yesterday was about me, myself and Ruth.

But when I go over the day, there were moments where there were smiles at strangers and holding a door open for someone, or saying a simple heartfelt thank you. I guess I will start with the small things. It's the small things that make a day. And the days that make up a life. And I pray for a life lived in love.

My challenge for you today, smile at just five random people. You never know how far it will spread.

Just smile.

Serving in Love

Today is July 1st, the 13th year anniversary of Hong Kong's handover to China, aka a public holiday! I was really looking forward to a relaxing afternoon of driving around, hanging out, and chatting over coffee with my dad (he's my hero!) But just as we were going to leave the house, we got bombarded with a list of errands to run from everyone else in the family! Oh man... so much for chilling out. We spent the afternoon running around a few different places, in 33 degrees Celsius of blazing sun. Even though my dad and I didn't get to talk as much as I had hoped, but I'm thankful that I could still spend time with him. (He even taught me how to park his big huge car backwards into a tight spot in one go - an amazing feat!) I felt a great sense of accomplishment that afternoon, not because we checked so many things off the "to-do" list, but I was reminded of what love is all about - serving others and putting their priorities before my own, all done in excellence and without complaining.

Love challenge: "Do all things without grumbling or questioning."

Post script: My dad and I ended up having a lunch date after-all; just the two of us! :)