Change the Title!!

OK, I'm writing this from still within Qingdao. Its still 13 days before we move to Hong Kong, but I thought I'd change the name of the blog anyhow!!

We're a little stressed. Hong Kong is requiring our dog to go through 4 months of quarantine since she is coming from China. Its just a little Chihuahua and we're pretty sure 4 months locked in a little cell at an immigration facility is not going to work wonders on this frail little creature.

Tammy is pretty upset about it but we've been praying and we know an answer will be made clear soon.

Other than that, the packing is in full swing in and amoungst the Christmas preparations at the school. Its going to be a busy journey for the next couple weeks as we prepare to leave but we're very excited...

cuz we're moving to Hong Kong!

Some catching up

Been busy here. Sorry for not writing more. We'll only be in Qingdao for another 2-3 weeks and then we're off to Hong Kong for good. Its been a good last few weeks though. Gabriel ran for Student Council and after a couple of good speeches that his parents were very proud of, he won a seat. Of course he only gets to sit on the council for a few weeks until he leaves but we're excited he won!

Tammy is busy getting our personal belongings all together. Her biggest challenge is getting Libby to Hong Kong which is proving to be a little difficult. Seems no airlines are going to let her be in the cabin as she was on the flight over here.

Mmmmm...Oh, Gabriel had an overnight trip to another school to play soccer last week. The whole secondary student body (all 17) went to Yantai together, which is a coastal city about 3 hours away. They had a night in a hotel and then played 4 games against 2 other schools. He had a great time...but forgot his cell phone!

Well...this may be our last post from Qingdao. Hong Kong...Here we come!!

International Day 2009

This is the second year Tammy, Gabriel, and I participated in International Day at our school in Qingdao. Its a great day as the children are divided into various countries and then go around to different stations that have the kids participate in cultural aspects of that country.



Tammy was part of the China team and Gabriel was in Egypt. I was running the U.S.A. station and for 45 minutes the children at my booth got to participate in an American Bar-B-Q. We made cheeseburgers together, watched a baseball game, and just hung out...American style. Later we played a baseball game and the day was capped off with tug-o-war matches. A good time was had by all...and only 7 more weeks until we move to Hong Kong!

Hong Kong: Its Official!

Well, its really official now! In about 9 weeks we will leave China for Hong Kong to take up a new position as Head of Christian Education at Yew Chung International School. In affect we are going "home"!

We left Hong Kong ten years ago to plant a church in Boulder Colorado but for the last few years though we pined for our lost home in Asia. Its funny because Hong Kong often drove me crazy but after a while both Tammy and I just missed the "crazy". Sometimes you don't appreciate things until it isn't there anymore.

In 2005 we returned to the city to visit Island City Church, which was the church we founded, on the occasion of it's 10th anniversary. On our first morning there while walking the busy streets Tammy was almost giddy! She finally just turned to me and said, "Lets come home."

I was pretty sure then that we would be back in Hong Kong one day. Of course there was a long haul between then and now.

In 2008 I flew to Hong Kong to explore some job opportunities. In a nutshell after a week I had a couple of possibilities that would allow us to relocate back to the city but nothing "felt" right.

Increasingly though we were feeling God's tug and I responded to a friend's suggestion that I apply for a Dorm supervisor position in Qingdao China. I was very reluctant. One, I didn't want to be a "Dorm Parent" and two, I knew Tammy would not entertain a move to China. But we argreed to an interview and, lo and behold, it was the best interview I had had in a while. I knew that the Dorm Parent position would be a foot in the door to both a higher position and a move back to Hong Kong and I was given every opportunity and encouragement from the school. In the last year I assumned many other duties including secondary teacher and campus coordinator while Tammy has assumed the Dorm Supervisor role as well as teaching art.

Last month I received a call from the main office in Hong Kong indicating that the Head of Christian & Moral Education (who is a friend of mine) would be resigning and offering me the position. Wow!

God does have his ways. We followed his leading even when it didn't always make sense and now He is leading us back to the place where we had started.

Hong Kong is so special to us. Its the city where Tammy and I met and fell in love. Its the city where as a young couple we spent years doing missionary work and eventually pastoring a church. Its the city where our son was born.

So, I don't know yet what He has in store for us as He brings us home to Hong Kong but we are ready...older...and hopefully a little wiser :)

Down to Hong Kong

10 years ago we left Hong Kong for America leaving the church we had planted, Island City Church in the very capable hands of Paul & Camilla Ellis. During those 10 years Paul & Camilla have faithfully ministered in the church by teaching and preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and shepherding the people that God had placed in their care.

Now Paul & Camilla have felt the season for their leadership there is over and will be moving back to New Zealand with their 3 children and turning the pastoral responsibility over to another special couple, Tung and Helen Lee. Gabriel and I had the chance to fly down to HK for the farewell of Paul & Camilla.


Granted, I never need to much of an excuse to get down to Hong Kong, but on this special occasion it was all the more meaningful. We got to enjoy a farewell party on Sat. evening followed by a final Sunday morning service with Paul & Tung sharing the leadership.

As someone who was instrumental in the birth of the church it was especially meaningful for me. When you watch the fruit that has been born I appreciated in just a small way, the feeling Paul the Apostle felt when he learned that the churches he had planted had held firm in the faith in the midst of hardships.


Gabriel & I's time in Hong Kong was much to short (40 hours) but...that may change soon...more details to come :)

Qingdao International Beer Fest. 2009

One of the major events in Qingdao every year (being that it is famous for its beer) is the Qingdao International Beer Festival which runs for 3 weekends in August.
As a school we had a staff outing to the fest as everyone is pretty frazzled with the mad rush of a new academic year.

Many of you know our school has two campus's on either side of the Qingdao bay so being as we are on the "far side" our "beer fest" adventure began with a 1:45 minute mini bus ride around the bay.

The beer fest is a beer event mixed with carnival rides, games, entertainment etc. After a few minutes at the fest though, one realizes including "International" in the event's name is a bit of a stretch. My guess is that they think that if you have some Heinekin and a couple German beers available as well as a few Chinese minority groups grilling kabobs over a grill, it becomes "International".

Ah..no..

Each of the different beer tents had music blaring so loud that a conversation is all but impossible. It might be forgiven if it was good music...but its not!

As you approach the toilets I nearly stepped into some vomit that no one seemed to be in a hurry to clean. The toilets themselves were not so much "International" as they were...mmm..third world prison. The urinal "trough" was loaded with vomit and the smell was pungent. You turn around to see not toilet "stalls" but a another trough with no doors or walls where a row of guys are doing their "# 2 business" staring up at you.

That ain't right.

A fellow teacher with me just said, "Ah, if I had the guts to snap a picture...no one would believe this otherwise"

We did have an enjoyable evening though and the "meat on a stick" kabobs we're delicious. Gabriel went around playing carnival games and a good time was had by all...mostly!

Back in China

(Sorry, wanted to include some pictures but a major internet cable was severed in the ocean near Asia and internet speed has slowed considerably. I tries to upload pics but they just wouldn't upload. Will add some later)

Had an amazing 2nd part of our trip to America but, as we expected, it ended all to soon. We arrived back in China on Aug 8 at midnight and were back to work on Aug 10.
Tammy is assuming all the duties related to the boarding program as I take on a full time teaching load. To add to my new found position, I've also been asked to be "campus coordinator" which acts as an administrative position for the school. I become the person everyone goes to with a question...which essentially means I can't get my other work done...but I'm learning alot. This year I'm teaching Travel & Tourism, Information and Communications, ESL, and even couple PE classes.

Gabriel was the family member who did NOT want to return to China preferring for us all, "to stay in Colorado" but he has gotten right back into the swing here. His Chinese language skills continue to improve and he really helps me out when I don't understand something.

We did get the disappointing news that 2 boarding students we thought would be joining us are not so that means the school year starts off with just having 2 students in the dorms. That should make Tammy's job easier but she has elected now to cook dinner every night rather than have the catered, and sometimes depressing, restaurant food.

Anyhow....we're back for year 2 in China and I know its going to be a good year!