November 12th

Left Jim and Ardith’s apartment at 8:30 am, took the subways to the border crossing at Futian, exited China and entered Hong Kong and then took the subway to Kowloon Tong to meet Joel Scheiwe, the LCMS missionary called here. Had a great dialog reflecting on the Shenzhen worship and on my trip to Hubei and Hunan. Looks like we will be planning something similar for the end of February/beginning of March.

Met with Judy Newhouse, service coordinator for mission teams in Hong Kong. I had gotten to know her earlier this year when I taught in the Hong Kong Lutheran elementary schools. She has extended her commitment to Hong Kong to Nov. 2014 – loves her work here. Had supper at a restaurant located in a huge shopping mall. Noodles and pork (thought you’d like to know).

I’m staying with Joel and Iantha Scheiwe tonight (also their three children: Eliada, Talia, and Taran). They’ve provided a bed and breakfast before I head out to the airport at 9 am tomorrow morning.

I couldn't help by notice that the Yi Selle's live in Hong Kong. Never knew that we had relatives here.

November 11th

Jim and I left for the English-speaking Fellowship Church in Shekou (an area of the city of Shenzhen), about an hours ride from Jim and Ardith’s apartment. Arrived 10 minutes before the service and there was little room to sit. They were already singing praise songs led by a female with a pleasant voice. Some songs were familiar. Then a prayer, and the introduction of Enoch, an Asian-Indian Christian, who would be sharing the message (1 hour). It proved to be mostly a conversation on doing good without talking about why we should be doing good (law without Gospel).

Following the service, Jim and I looked for a place to eat. Asking where he wanted to go, he chose Subway. Interesting menu in Chinese and English (so I brought one home). We split a footlong teriyaki chicken with drinks. My first western meal in China this time around. Was disappointed to break my chain of “all Chinese.” 

Just like America except that the restaurant is much smaller.

We hopped the subway and went to a station called “Window to the World.” Along the way in the morning, we discovered that there was a special entrance called “free passage,” for people over 65. All I had to do was show my passport with my age. Only one person ever checked the date. So subway travel was free all day. Window to the World is a shopping area, but more than that, it is a showcase area. There’s an area built like a German city. As you leave the subway entrance, you stand in a pyramid. On a hill is the Eiffel Tower. There’s a huge globe in the center. A most interesting tourist attraction.

The pyramid at the entrance to the subway station.

Part of the European area adjacent to Window to the World.

We arrived at the Shenzhen Christian Church in time for the 2:30 Bible study led by a physics prof who originated in Singapore. Nice group of 30-40 mostly young people. His theology was quite “Lutheran.”

For dinner at 5, we found a little restaurant. Saw dumplings in the menu and tried to order them; Jim wanted the fried and I wanted the boiled. But the waitress pointed to the lines below: we didn’t know how to order the contents of the dumplings, so we just pointed. They were good. Joining us was Timothy whom we had met in the morning. He attended the Bible study and was going to come to the English worship in the evening.

Jesus has not forgotten China, and neither should we. I believe that within the next 10 years, we will see missionaries from China coming to the United States.

Evening service began at 7. I spoke the invocation, the absolution, did the message, led the Lord’s Prayer, and spoke the benediction. Jim did the rest. About 400 in attendance, a mixture of some foreigners, but mostly Chinese. Joel has received permission from the pastor of the church (he was asked) and the local religious bureau to lead English worship here. I believe that the provincial government would like the convenience of an English worship service at this big church.

Prayed for several women following the service, talked to some of the Americans from BCIS (Buena Vista Concordia International School) and returned home by 9 pm.

This is one way to bring a bike on the subway. Have you ever seen a folding bike?

Pictures

The prayer room at one of the churches. The Chinese character means love.

mopping the concrete floor to make sure that everything is clean.

Here's the special place where I was instructed to take a rest after lunch. All the bed clothes were brand new.

You simply can't beat the tasty food.

The vegetable gardens are always neatly kept. Each raised bed must be about 20 feet long and about 4 feet wide.

Picture of a team from Singapore distributing Bibles and hymnals in Hunan Province.

The Friday gathering of believers who had come for a weekend workshop.

 

 

November 10th

Samuel Yang’s birthday (maybe 11?), our godson. Also remembering the birthday of Martin Luther. This morning, the usual. Up at 6:30, a hurried breakfast down the street at the steamed bun shop (same breakfast as yesterday), and then back to the hotel.

The driver arrived, said goodbye to Michael, and with Ruth and Pr. Chen, left for the Changsha high speed rail station. They left me off at the front entry. Then I proceeded to pass through the first checkpoint, sent my luggage through xray, and headed for gate A10 where my train would board in about one hour.

Resorted to using my first squat toilet (my joints are not usually agile enough to use those toilets comfortably – again, more than you probably wanted to know). Picked up some snacks, and headed to the McDonalds to pick up a cup of coffee (haven’t had any for two days). Good brewed coffee! Then sat down to enjoy some snacks with my coffee.

The train was 4 minutes early so all of the passengers had plenty of time to board. This is maybe a “super express” since it only stops once before we arrive in Shenzhen. I’ll have some time to read.

The three hour train ride went quickly. I got off, found the purple line subway, took it to the green line, got off at Bao’an Stadium and walked to exit C where I was almost to the Vandercook apartment complex. Easy as pie.

Murphy, a young man, introduced himself to me on the subway. He works for an export company that sends technological things all over the world (computers, cameras, etc). Had a nice conversation. In fact, he stayed one station farther than his, just so we could talk. Before getting off the train, he made sure that I had his card.

It’s nice to be able to talk English easily. I’m sure that the evening will be spent here in the apartment relaxing and preparing for tomorrow.

This little boy was not feeling well, so his grandmother kept him close to her all day.

A family of new friends.

All ready for lunch

This is the church where I'll be preaching tomorrow evening.

November 9th

Up again at 6:45. Sisters and Brothers had come by last night to bring fruit and thanks. We were given mushrooms as a going away gift. Karol will love the mushrooms.

For breakfast, we went to the same steamed bun shop. I had a large veggie filled bun and four little pork filled buns. Additionally, I had a cup of sweet, warm soy milk.

Today we are waaay out in the country. We’re at a ch that was begun in 1902 by people from Norway. There is a big new building here now – right out in the country located adjacent to a huge expressway. People came from every direction to the event for singing, choir, and the weekend meeting.

Michael and I seem to make a good tag team. He is energetic and very expressive. He involves other people in his presentations. Now that my section is done, he will be speaking (and I will be in the dark since I don’t understand the language – you all know that).

Customs die hard, both good and bad. As soon as one walks in the door, a cup of thin tea in a plastic cup is offered. The cup is hot so one has to keep juggling it from hand to hand. If I greet someone else with a Ni Hao, there is a tendency for that other person to think that I speak Mandarin. So normally I only greet people with a “Very nice to meet you,” and a two handed handshake. The cement floors in this building are kept very clean – one woman was mopping this morning.

But spitting wherever you want to  is hard to change. I remember back in the days when I visited Beijing, there were lots of signs that said, “No spitting.” No such signs out here in the countryside. One of the choir women needed to clear her throat, and then spit. Well, maybe that is why mopping is such an important activity.

Another custom, first learned in Hong Kong, is that it is important to have fresh air. It is chilly this morning and people are wearing warmish coats. But here in the building where it is damp and cold, we need to have all the windows open for the fresh air. So the cover of my computer is freezy cold, and my hands are getting cooler by the minute. The only way to stay warm is with clothes and with the cup of tea or hot water that could be in one’s hands at any time.

About 45 minutes before lunch, I had to use the restroom. Almost went into the wrong place. Afterwards, I wandered toward where they were preparing food. The master chef was preparing the meatball soup in a huge wok, measuring about 2.5 feet in diameter. He tasted it and pronounced it good, so he took it out and began a new dish – carrots and tofu. He peppered, salted, tossed in some spices, tasted it, tasted it again, and decided that one was good too. What a pro!

Lunch with the large group. This time lots of meat: chicken, fish, pork of several kinds, plus vegetables and two kinds of soup. A great meal. It’s always a little uncomfortable for me because I can only eat but carry on no conversation. Another thing I forgot to note that is sometimes common in China. There is no specific place for the bones. They can be stacked in a pile on the plastic table cloth, or haphazardly deposited around one’s eating bowls, or, they can just be deposited on the floor. All options are of equal value.

After lunch, I was to take a rest, so Ruth took me to a room off of the dining area where there were two beds. I said that I was OK and didn’t need to rest. When I went back to Michael, he said that it was important for me to rest. The beds were special, and the bedclothes were brand new – and it was what I was supposed to do. So I did for about 15 minutes. The peace and solitude were very relaxing. I could just be in my own little English world.

Back in session. Michael can go for 3 hours without a break. Fiery and challenging. I’m kind of getting tired. There isn’t much English for me, and to hear Chinese most of the day is fatiguing. But, at least for this trip, once I get to Shenzhen, it will again be English – at least with the people I’ll be seeing.

Dinner was pretty similar to lunch, except there were only about 10 of us at the table. Serinya (27) and I were trying to communicate in English, but her pronunciation is so hard to understand. We got some basic sentences, and lots of laughs at the table.

At the hotel, the group came to say “goodbye.” I’ll be leaving at 7 am with a driver heading for the train station so I won’t be seeing them anymore. Indeed was sad to say goodbye.

I was given a gift of a “chunk” of black tea with all kinds of inscriptions on it. Will last for years…….