Success in Hong Kong.

A wise man advised our team before we left that success does not always mean accomplishing everything that you set out to do, but sometimes success is much more about what you learn in the process. Although we might not have successfully carried every Bible we attempted across the border, what the Lord accomplished here in us was great!

However despite a few minor setbacks, we were able to take the word into China! I would love to go into detail about the inner workings of “Bible smuggling” but it is important to be very vague so that we can protect the missionaries and the work that they do here. The work was not as “Sydney Bristow-ish” as I might have imagined but their were moments of  some super sly 007 moves Be sure and ask me about those stories when I get home!

It was really awesome to hear the hearts of the full time missionaries here; they continue to remain so passionate, despite years of the sometimes mundane and taxing work they do everyday. We also got a rundown on the need that the church in China is facing. I won’t bore you with too many statistics, but basically the number of Bibles that are allowed to be printed in China is very inadequate to meet the continually growing need; and those Bibles can only be found in state-sanctioned churches while the majority of Christians in China attend “underground” or home churches.

Just to give you an idea of what our day here looked like; we would wake up in the morning and usually have a few hours of freedom. Sage, Chris, and I spent most of these moments going on adventures, discussing and exploring the culture of Hong Kong. The things that we saw during those times God used to make the biggest impact on me. In the afternoons is when we would make most of our runs across the border, and then in the evening we would eat dinner and sometimes have an opportunity to hang out with the missionaries. Sage and I even squeezed in a little workout almost every night before bed. Our accommodations here were very plush compared to what we will most likely be experiencing on the rest of our journey. I was very thankful for the hot showers, mattress, and Aircon in the flat provided by the group we worked for here; I definitely won’t be getting much of that in India, our next stop.

I don’t have time to talk about all that the Lord has been teaching me, but I don’t think that I have ever been so challenged in my walk with our God. I have been really convicted about how individualistic my faith is and how really it is so much more about the church body as a whole, and how God’s plan is so much bigger than just my life. I feel a little overwhelmed by a sudden desire to just know more of God’s character, but not just the mushy Sunday school version, but the parts that might really rock my faith. As a result I have started reading through Romans and praying that God would help me work through the harder parts of it. I have been so challenged and broken over the types of worship I have seen. On our “adventures” we went to a temple that practiced ancestral worship and then to a temple called “The Temple of the 10,000 Buddhas” which just blew my mind. Can’t believe how much I’ve learned already and so excited to see what all God will show me!

I was really surprised how beautiful the countryside is here. We got to go on in an incredible hike up into the mountains and see a beautiful waterfall! Also got to see a pretty amazing view of the city one night and Sunday afternoon when we went up to Victoria’s peak.

Hope all is well at home in the states, continue to pray for our team unity and safe travels, as we head to India to love on the orphans at Emmanuel Ministries. Love you all!

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