A Warm Hello

After several months of goodbyes it was wonderful to finally have some hellos. The trip to Hong Kong was long but uneventful. Our daughters drove us to the airport in Minneapolis 3 hours before our flight. We sat on an airplane to Seattle and then another airplane to Hong Kong and after about 25 hours of travel and waiting time we landed in Hong Kong. It seemed strange that somewhere in there we lost 13 hours. We had started out early Tuesday morning and came in to our destination on Wednesday evening. According to the team that came to pick us up we set record times of getting our luggage and out of the airport.

What a blessing it has been to have a team meet us at the airport and help us transition to our new home! Some things had already been set up for us in our new apartment and a few staples of food were provided for us for breakfast the next morning! Yay, coffee! I had told our mentors that my husband did not enjoy coffee but liked diet Pepsi. He knew that he would need to find a new beverage because it is difficult to find diet Pepsi in other countries. But again God has provided! The week we were to arrive, Pepsi Light was found in the small grocery store near our home. It is the small blessings that really do help with our transition.

We rejoice over finding our way to the grocery store or not getting lost on the transit system. We are grateful for the members of the One China Team in Hong Kong who have made us feel welcome. We are so happy to have met so many who work with the seminary here. Words cannot express my relief when the people here will speak English and offer their assistance to us.

It has been really really hot here.It is the rainy season and temperatures are in the 90s most days with 85-90% humidity. Every day it rains and I think, “Now it will cool down,” but it never does. It just gets more humid and hot. I have often said that I am not afraid to get wet when it rains because “I will not melt.” I think I might melt here in this heat. I am dripping wet within minutes of stepping outside. This humidity does interesting things to my hair and a pony tail is about as good as it gets these days. Also there is no point in any makeup since most of it slides off my face soon after I leave the apartment. Even sunscreen seems to have little point when it is this  humid. Don’t worry: we have room air conditioners in our apartment so we will keep cool enough.

It takes time to transition. We have had jet lag for a few days and it just takes time for our bodies to adjust to a new time zone and a new climate. It takes time to recognize names of places or to find our way around a new city. God is teaching us patience as we wait for our brains not to be foggy or as we slowly learn our way around. We are learning not to be to hard on ourselves when we make a mistake or take a wrong turn. Although when you are outside trying to find the nearest Yau Shing (like a local small Ben Franklin or K-mart or Yellow Front) the last thing you want to do is stay outside longer walking around in the heat.

God is good all the time. He has provided for us in big and small ways. We are blessed with new people in our lives to help support us and all of you who continue to pray for us and our transition. I will leave you all with a few extra pictures of our adventure this past week.