Hong Kong

Isn't it great to be able to celebrate American Thanksgiving? I think so because it meant a 4 day weekend where I got to travel to the amazing city of Hong Kong! I loved the atmosphere of the city right away - very much Asian but a lot more relaxed than Japan. The area where I was staying also had a TON of international people, so it was refreshing to hear so much English again. Hong Kong was not at all what I expected for one of the largest cities in the world. Instead of building upon buildings with no green in sight, the city skyline had a beautiful hill/mountain backdrop. And then, of course, there was the ocean. I loved being so near the water, listening to the waves, watching the city lights sparkle off it, and walking along the beaches along some of the outlying islands.

There were so many highlights, like viewing the city from "The Peak" (a mountain/hill), bargaining at the night market, eating delicios dim sum for lunch, seeing old friends and making new ones. On the first we went to a fishing village called Tai O, where families live in houses built on stilts just above the ocean. This was a huge contrast to the upscale, modern downtown Hong Kong, and I was once again struck by the inequality in the distribution of wealth in our world's cities. I SO want to see God's Kingdom come, when the poor and the rich stand equal before King Jesus, who supplies all our needs. Of course, there is also the difference between those who are poor and those who are poor in spirit, but my prayer is that God will teach me how to show the right sort of compassion for each one.

You can see pictures of my trip at this website:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=21104&l=8c0d7&id=501141145. I'd upload them here but facebook is so much more efficient. Let me know if the link doesn't work, but you should be able to see them. Enjoy!