Evelyn and I spent the month of November 2006 in Shenzhou (神州) – the Divine Land. That’s an ancient name for China. We spent most of that month in Hong Kong where we had lived from 1966 to 1989, but also took time visiting mainland China and Macau.
During our stay in Hong Kong, we felt like we had come home. When we first arrived in Hong Kong in 1966, the territory was recovering from waves of refugees who had flocked there in the 1950’s and earlier in the 1960’s. Today it’s fast and efficient mass transport system and amazing infrastructure makes it a pulsating, vibrant city.
November 5 was the celebration of the 40-year anniversary of the first long-term missionaries sent to Hong Kong by Eastern Mennonite Missions. That same day was the celebration of the 30-year anniversary of the first Mennonite church in Hong Kong. So there we were at the Baptist Assembly in Fanling, near the China border, almost all of us wearing orange T-shirts. What a joy to meet friends whom we have known for up to 25 or 30 years who are still walking with the Lord, serving in various way, some of them serving in full-time ministry. And then to see their children growing and involved in the life of the people of God. For many Hong Kong has been a stepping-stone to elsewhere. This transient orientation has brought instability to the church, but there are a couple faithful pastors serving. For them we give thanks to God.
What would a person do in Hong Kong? Eat, ride the marvelous mass transport system—the metro (MTR), the KCR, double-decker buses. Experience the movement of the population at rush hour. With friends old and new we savored Mongolian Hot Pot, a Japanese buffet and a KFC in Guangzhou, China, ate in pastors’ homes, but often eating out with friends. One couple took us on a tour of Hong Kong stopping off at the Jumbo Floating Restaurant and visiting the two Disneyland hotels.
In Guangzhou we visited a huge bookstore where I bought the Chinese version of Riverside Talks: A Friendly Dialogue Between an Atheist and a Christian. It’s authored by Zhao Qizheng and Luis Palau. Look for the American edition in English sometime in 2007.
We had the privilege of traveling on China’s new highway system, and of going with some friends from Hong Kong to the apartments they own in a resort area outside Guangzhou. In Guangzhou we took the metro, which is similar to Hong Kong’s. On another occasion in China, there was Thanksgiving dinner in Kaipeng, China, the day after Thanksgiving, and with the trimmings.
Mennonite missionaries in Hong Kong come from Indonesia, the Philippines, and the United States. Besides ministry among the Chinese, there is also an important ministry to the domestic helpers from Indonesia and the Philippines.
For a bit of nostalgia, we visited the Pousada de Coloane and Restaurante Solmar in Macau. Thanks George for introducing us to Macau egg tarts, the tour and the meal with your family. We traveled the 45 miles between Hong Kong and Macau on a turbo jet ferry. These ferries run every 15 minutes round-the-clock. On our trip to Macau we pulled out the seating chart and figured the ferry must seat about 330 passengers.
What did we experience in Hong Kong? Hospitality. Evelyn gave talks on hospitality, but we were on the receiving end of warm, gracious, and generous hospitality.
Thanks to all who graciously helped to make this month-long visit possible, and make it so memorable.
For more on Mennonites in Hong Kong and Macau visit http://www.hkmenno.org