Day 5 in Hong Kong: To Whom Does the Kingdom of Heaven Belong?

Have you ever gotten your heart broken?

Have you ever regretted something you wish you had or had not done?

Have you ever feared for your future?

Have you ever felt rejected?

Unworthy?

Alone?

Confused?

Anxious?

Have you ever thought about why we exist?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then the Kingdom of Heaven is for you.

Today at the camp, many children answered yes -- they answered yes to not only these questions, but more importantly answered yes to God.

I was just blown away by the work God is doing everywhere around the world!!! It is by God's grace that their hearts are being opened.

When the children were asked if they wanted to accept Christ, several hands were raised.

One of the YWAM leaders prayed a prayer with all the children who raised their hands.

I basically bawled because God moves in awe-inspiring ways. What does God want most of all? God wants us! He wants us to be His children. He wants us to know that He loves us. He wants more and more people to share in His kingdom.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." +Matthew 19:14
 

Baffling Baubles in Hong Kong

Day 4 has ended.

But the craziness hasn't.

This place definitely brings a whole new kaleidoscopic light to the meaning of "quirky." Here are 6 items I found in Hong Kong that did just that.

1) "The Selfie Stick." what has the world come to...

2) "Fried Pears." Because regular pears aren't good enough.

3) "Paper Soap." Perhaps Purell has some competition now.

4) "The Heart of a Chicken." This is proof I'm willing to eat anything.

5) "The Head of a Chicken." 'nuff said.

6) "The Push-Up Drink." All the estrogen you need, now in a portable bottle for your convenience.

Honestly though, I sometime question mankind's sanity when things like "The Push-Up Drink" exist in this world... this was an actual advertisement in one of the MTR train stations. Surprised, baffled, and a bit weirded out are just some of the adjectives that described my feelings when I first glanced at the ad. #facepalm

Finding Him In Hong Kong

3 flights and more than 24 hours later, jet-lagged and hungry and bearing the brunt of a viral infection, I finally arrived in Hong Kong. My ears actually haven't popped yet, so I basically can't hear out of my ears. Muffled sounds fill my day. And I'm so congested I need two boxes of tissues on my bedside table. Two weeks of traveling in northern Europe was absolutely amazing, but a pesky virus probably found its way to me.

But that ain't gonna stop me from trying to serve God here in Hong Kong!

This week, I'm working at a Christian camp for underserved kids. We are teaching them English through drama, reading, art, and movement (ie dancing!).YWAM (Youth With A Mission) pretty much organized the whole program, and it's so encouraging to hear the stories of YWAMers of why they chose to go serve in Hong Kong, why they took 5 months to 7 years out of their life to just devote their whole selves to the work of reaching out to the lost.

It's also been fun to meet up with some friends from Hong Kong. They've taken us around and showed us hidden gems of the area... Look out for a picture of a chicken heart!!! Which I may or may not have eaten...I'll post more about that later haha.

For now, here are some pictures (selfies) of me and some of the kids!

P.S. hopefully my health can return to normalcy, and if/when it does, I will be so much more appreciative of the ability to hear!!! Don't take hearing for granted!!!

selfie #1

selfie #2

selfie #3

selfie #4

peace!