A Different Thanksgiving

It's late on Wednesday, the night before Thanksgiving.  But, it doesn't feel like Thanksgiving...or at least the one I'm used to.  It's been in the 70's and 80's the last two weeks, the kids are going to school tomorrow, and I have no plans to make a big meal, or even attend one.

No, Hong Kong doesn't really acknowledge Thanksgiving...but we are trying to be disciplined to show thanks anyway, and to spend our Thanksgiving a little differently this year.

One of the things that we are thankful for is that my children get to go to a wonderful school that keeps Christ the basis for what they do.  They have wonderful teachers who push them, academically as well as spiritually.  And, they teach an American curriculum, so they give the kids off on Friday and have been discussing Thanksgiving this past week.  Another amazing advantage of belonging to this school's community is the opportunity to be part of mission trips.  This is particularly important to us because Andy and I really wanted to prioritize missions while we were here.  So, instead of a big meal, and even being together, Andy and the three older children will be boarding a plane to the Philippines tomorrow evening for almost four days to serve the poor and homeless.   I will be at home with Abby and Sarah. Is this hard for us? Of course!  In fact, the closer the trip has gotten, the more challenging it has been to be positive and thankful for this opportunity.  But, it is a sacrifice we are willing to make.  What an amazing trip to be a part of and for my children to be involved with...life changing.  We are convinced that it is these moments that make our faith real and solid.  It will be hard for them...but it's in the times we are challenged that we have the chance to grow and mature the most. 

So while I am at home, missing them, I will be challenged as well.  Challenged to keep giving thanks and not to withhold praise.  I have been reminded of this in many different ways, but as my favorite devotional put it, giving thanks reminds us of our place with God.  It is from HIM whom our blessings flow, and our position is under His authority, not above Him or even beside Him. And even acknowledging this in a conversation with a friend this morning changed my perspective and my attitude.  This devotion even stated that when our hearts our thankful, and we are praising Him, we are ready to receive even more blessings.  I believe when our attitudes are right with the Lord, our eyes are opened and we are able to see so much more of what He gives us daily...we don't miss as much.  What a gift that is...to be able to see the gifts we are given from the God of the universe-because He loves us.

As I sit here in my shorts and t-shirt, I am thankful that it doesn't "feel" like a regular Thanksgiving...I think I would miss my friends and family even more...feel like I am missing out. I am thankful for the opportunity that Andy and the kids have to be the hands and feet of Christ. I am thankful for the friends He has already placed in our path and the great church He has allowed us to be a part of. I am thankful for the home He has given us and the community He has placed us in.  I am thankful for the extra pounds I will not be gaining because of a big meal.   And I am thankful that the Lord continues to teach us about who He is...He loves it when we give thanks and praise, and He loves to lavish us with gifts.  Have a wonderful Thanksgiving and enjoy the gifts He's given you.

Our family at Sarah's dedication.  I am so thankful for these special people in my life, as well as the church this was taken in, and the people who were there to support us.  I love the memories attached to this photo.

Taxis...

Ahhh...taxis!  They have been a very interesting thing to navigate in Hong Kong. Here, they are extremely affordable and bring so much joy to my heart! I love just getting into the car (when I know that the driver understands me) and being taken to my destination, usually in half the time that it would take me if I get on a bus or a train...or often both.    I get to sit on a cushioned seat, my kids are belted in and contained, and, depending on my company, it's usually quiet.  Now there is still the erratic driving.  But in my experience so far, it's not fast driving...it's pushing the accelerator, then taking the foot off the accelerator...on, off, on, off. 

Now, with our family of seven, we have run into the issue of either squeezing in or just getting two taxis.  There is a five person limit, and we try to respect that, but early on when we tried to get away with one taxi (after all, we all fit since Abby is more of a half, and we don't count Sarah since she doesn't take up her own seat, yet) we learned our lesson.  We ordered by phone a taxi from the kids' school to home(about a 15 min drive, 50 min public transportation), and when the car got there, the driver was on the phone.  So, we all piled in...Andy had Sarah in the carrier...and all of them were in the back...I was in the front.  We were driving about two minutes, when the driver got off his phone call and started counting us in English...1,2,3,4,5...6.."Oh, no...can't do six" Then, he looked in the back one more time and realized what was in the carrier... "Seven!  Oh, can't do seven!" He looked at me, and by then we were on the highway.  I was wondering if he was going to leave us on the side of the road.  I asked him if he could take us to an MTR station close by, and he agreed.  So Abby, Emma and I got in a new taxi and the other four stayed in the old taxi and we all made it home safely.  Lesson learned...but we still laugh at the driver's reaction when it comes up.

Of course, the language barrier can be a little intimidating.  One of the best tools is to have our frequent destinations written down in English and Chinese. But there are advantages to not being understood.  Like when your children are arguing, or asking me if we have too many people in the car, or one of them asks about the smell, or another one says they are bleeding because they itched their bug bite too much and they needed a tissue.  But then again, you never know when you are being understood.  This past week, Abby, Sarah and I took a taxi from the train station.  Abby loves to take a taxi because then she doesn't have to walk from the shuttle stop.  We got into a taxi and the driver, after driving a bit, was asking in very broken English where to go.  Luckily, I have taken that trip enough I could give some directions.  But the funny thing was, Abby is into making up songs, so she was singing.  Well, we found ourselves behind the Hong Lok Yuen shuttle.  So, Abby started singing, "Follow the bus, follow the bus, taxi, follow the bus." I started cracking up, and the driver turned around and asked, "Should I follow the bus?"

Another interesting thing is that there are two different colored taxis.  Our simple understanding is that the red taxis go anywhere in Hong Kong, and the green taxis just stay in the New Territories.  For the most part, we have found that to be true.  But today, when I was going to my parent teacher conference for Abby, Andy and I thought that only a red taxi would take me to the school...but when Andy called there were none available.  So I took a green taxi to an MTR station in the middle.  Andy told me to catch a red taxi there.  But when I asked a red taxi to take me to the school, the driver told me that I  needed to take a green taxi-and he was right.  Then, when I was done with the conference, there was only a red taxi waiting.  So, I pulled out my address written in Chinese and asked the driver if he could take me home.  He nodded and said sure.  So, we haven't really figured things out.

Finally, one more unrelated story.  As I stated earlier, I met with Abby's teacher today.  She told me that Abby has fit in marvelously and she couldn't be happier.  She said that the only thing she could work on was talking with confidence in front of the class, especially when she volunteers.  Then she told me that Abby was in charge of the weather this week.  That job entails the student to decide what the weather is and share it with the class.  Well, Abby told the class that the weather was hot.  Her teacher asked if she was sure....you see, all of her classmates were wearing long-sleeves and sweaters.  Abby told her teacher that she was wearing short sleeves(she was the only one) and that she was hot.  So her teacher agreed.  I told her teacher that I agreed with her, too.  It has been in the 80's all week...but people here are preparing for "cold weather".  We laughed a lot. I'm sure there will be many more differences to laugh at in the future...the key is how we respond, and thank goodness the Lord has allowed us to see things with humor.

 Sarah found her hands this week...and loves them!

 Big sister Emma reads a favorite to Sarah.

 Josh, Grace and Abby spending some time on a lazy Sunday afternoon

 Red and green taxis...hmmm...which one do we take?

Our Sarah Jane turned 3 months this past week...where has the time gone?

Six Weeks Down

Six weeks down.  It's really hard to believe I have been here that long...and most of my family longer than that. Most days it feels like a blur.  How in the world did we get here?  Other times I feel like we are on vacation. Then there are the days I get to skype, or even just talk on the phone with family or friends, and I feel like I am still in my little Pennslyvania town.  The range of emotions during the day, let alone a whole week, can be pretty extreme. Now add those emotions to the feelings I am having as I try to adjust to a fifth child, and it can be pretty crazy sometimes.

This past week, the adjustment to five children trumped living in Hong Kong for the first time.  They will always be interconnected, but my multitasking was definitely put to the test...as well as my sanity..  It was supposed to be an easier week since Andy wasn't traveling, but things come up, and a last-minute presentation, business dinner and IKEA run put Andy home late three nights in a row. This did not make me very happy, mostly because I knew he was traveling the next week and wouldn't have his help at all.  So I'm sure my attitude made things harder than they needed to be...but nonetheless, they were challenging. 

As soon as the older three get home from school, about 4:20pm, they come in, put things away (if I'm lucky) and get a snack...even though I would love them to eat in an hour. Then they have to water the plants.  Side note: there are three areas around our house that we have plants we are responsible to water. When it was very hot, the watering was supposed to happen twice a day.  Now we can get away with once.  I don't mind watering, but the kids don't get eaten by misquitos as bad as I do, so I ask them do it.  Plus, it seems to make sense...three kids...three areas of plants.

After the watering and eating is done...it's time for homework. Usually the older girls can get along on their own.  Meanwhile, I normally have to sit on Josh for him to get his work done.  Well, this past week, for three days in a row...everyone needed my help.  Math with Grace, maps with Emma, spelling with Josh, keeping Abby out of everyones stuff, and Sarah needing to be fed...oh yeah, making dinner too...all consumed me. Then there was the cleaning up and making lunches when we were done eating, as well as any homework that hadn't gotten accomplished before dinner.  I wish I could say that it sent me straight to my knees, but the only thing it did, at least on Monday, was evoke impatient responses, some tears, and some doubts and questions.  On Tuesday, things did get a little better...I decided to put some praise and worhship music on...this diffused the tears, and helped the impatient responses, but the doubts and poor attitude were still there.  It wasn't until Wednesday that I realized worship music PLUS a glass of wine was the trick to surviving the evening with a smile on my face.

Of course I knew this adventure was not going to be easy.  And evenings like these are enough for me to question...why are we here, and why now?  Things are difficult enough with the family dynamics...but doing it in Hong Kong?  And then I read a verse from Deuteronomy 31:8 that states, "The Lord himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged." This was such a great reminder for me.  While we do not know why we are here, we know that we are supposed to be here and the Lord has shown us in countless ways that He has been here before we arrived, and He is here with us now, not leaving our side. 

Well, six weeks has come and gone...and this lesson in God's faithfulness is just one of the many He has shown us.  I thought it would be fun to share a few other random things I have learned since living here.

#1 "Please mind the gap" is a phrase I hear in my sleep because it is said on the train at every stop.  I't's not talking about the clothing store...it's warning you not to fall into the open space between the platform and the train-a good reminder.

#2 Often I look around, and I am the only one wearing summer clothes.  Granted, today was 85 degrees, but everyone else believes that winter is right around the corner and they are wearing pants and sometimes sweaters.

#3 It is unheard of to be raising five children in Hong Kong, let alone NOT have a helper.  People cannot believe that we don't have one yet...and now that I have been here for six weeks, I understand their thinking.  But I have the Lord...and our helper should be arriving in the next week...more to come.

#4 I still feel like I am playing with Monopoly money...not good when trying to stay on a budget.

#5 Taxis are my best friend...and extremely affordable-hallelujah.

Happy or Surviving?

Am I happy or surviving? This is a question that a good friend just posed to me recently.  My answer...depends on the day!  This past week was a week of highs and lows.  But while the challenging times can be difficult, the Lord continues to show Himself faithful...providing what we need, when we need it.

So here are a few highs and lows of this week:

We were able to share a meal with two other families who also moved to Hong Kong with Andy's company.  It was great to get together, share experiences, commiserate with one another, laugh with one another, and connect! Our kids played with one another after they ate, and then the adults sat out on the balcony, overlooking the water, sharing a meal.  It was such an encouragement, and we feel very blessed to be able to do this alongside others whom we really enjoy spending time with.

My transit issue with Abby got resolved.  Only by God's grace did we figure out that she could take a twenty minute bus ride to a closer bus stop right off the MTR, instead of me having to travel for over an hour to get her.  I was leaving at 10am and getting home around 12:30pm.  Her new bus stop is about 20-25 minutes away....if all goes the way it is supposed to go.  And when you are depending on public transportation, it doesn't always go according to plan...

    ...after riding the bus with her on Monday to her new  bus stop to make sure she was comfortable, I felt fairly confident that this was going to be great and save me a ton of time. On Tuesday, I left just before 11am, caught a HLY(Hong Lok Yuen) bus to the Tai Wo MTR pretty quickly, took the train to the Fo Tan station three stops down, and walked across the street to where the bus was going to drop Abby off.  Pretty easy.  I arrived there with 25 minutes to spare.  While I waited, I spoke to a man who Andy had met and gotten to know in the mornings when he drops Abby off.  He was extremely nice, and lived in the high rise where the bus stop was located.  That night, Andy mentioned that he was going to get this man's phone number just in case he was running late in the morning.  Knowing my husband, I thought this was an excellent idea!  On Wednesday I had a relaxed  morning that was filled with laundry...but I will get to that later.  So I went out to catch the HLY bus (down at the corner) and I had just missed the 11am bus by about a minute.  No problem, I thought, since they come every 15 minutes and I had plenty of time.  So I waited...and waited...it was 11:20 and the bus was finally in sight.  As I went to get my ticket out of my pocket, the bus driver beeped and drove by, indicating that the bus was full.  This had only happened to me once before...on a weekend.  Now I was starting to panic a bit.  I immediately looked for a taxi.  I usually saw two or three drive by while waiting for the bus, but of course, there were none to be seen! So as I was praying about what to do, I decided to text Andy to see if he had gotten his friend's phone number.  Sure enough, he had, and even offered to call him and explain the situation.  As I finally got on the bus after waiting for 30 minutes, Andy got back to me and let me know that his friend was more than happy to get Abby off the bus.  So as I got to the stop, only five minutes late, but late nonetheless, Andy's friend, his wife and his daughter were standing there talking to Abby...and Abby had a smile on her face.  Yet again, the Lord provided.

The other challenge of the week was that my washer and dryer stopped working properly at different times.  Now don't get me wrong, I am extremely thankful that I have both.  But these machines are about one third the size that I am used to, and the washer takes over an hour to run it's cycle, so you can only imagine how long it takes me to do wash for our family of seven.  Factor in that I wasn't able to do any laundry for five days, and you can picture what my home looks like with all my piles! Luckily, I have an amazing and very handy husband who took care of the problems, and my children have enough uniforms to keep them going.

All that being said, we had some great family time at the club pool and restaurant.  We went out to lunch after church with new friends who are very easy to be with (and whose children get along with our kids and are the same ages). I am starting to get into a groove with grocery shopping and cooking. And, the kids got to go trick or treating in our neighborhood.  So there are definitely days we are happy...and other days we are surviving.  But I think the challenge of it all is how I am going to respond to my circumstances?  It would be easy to fall into self-pity, or just stay in a bubble and only go out if I have to...but look how much I would miss.  No, I don't believe that we are supposed to be in Hong Kong living "safely"...don't get me wrong, we will be safe...but we will live in the moment and be "all in." In Philippians we are called to be content in all circumstances, and in 1Thessalonians we are called to be thankful.  So these are my challenges: contentment and thanksgiving...in the happy times... or times of survival.

Pic#1 Getting ready to go trick or treating...Hong Kong style.  Sarah slept on my lap while I handed out candy...and people LOVED our littlest pumpkin!
Pic#2 Our smily Sarah
Pic#3 Grace, the US soccer player holding our pumpkin
Pic#4 Abby met a friend on the MTR on our way to lunch...they talked for at least 15 minutes...not sure if it was English, Mandarin or both!
Pic #5 Totally relaxed!

One Quarter Down...

We had first quarter parent-teacher conferences tonight for Grace, Emma and Joshua...eight conferences within about two hours, with about a ten minute break.  It was quite an experience.  First, we have amazing friends who brought their own four kids to watch four of our kids (Emma came with us to lead her conference).  I even left Sarah, which was the right decision with all the running around we had to do.  Emma and I met Andy there...actually arriving at the same time (on time :)) Part of the major changes is that we now have a middle schooler who has seven different teachers...so we needed to decide which teachers to meet with, and then did they have an opening that would work with us. So after looking at Grace's teachers' openings and compared them to Emma and Josh's teacher's openings, we came up with two hours of fun.

I'm not sure I have been more proud of my children.  Forgive me for bragging...as we told their teachers, it's all the Lord...but each of their teachers could not believe how well-adjusted they had become in such a short period of time.  Now they are not straight A students, but that is never the first question we ask.  We always start with their character...how are they in the classroom? Each of their teachers, before we even asked, were delighted with how they have fit in, how respectful they are, and how hard they have worked.  I almost got emotional, just thinking about how much they have been through in the last six weeks.  For them to come to a new country on the other side of the world, two and a half weeks late to school, without their mom, and already become adjusted, can only be explained by God's amazing grace.  My children love school...and they have been placed with some amazing teachers.  Now, they work very hard, but we are learning that they cannot compare themselves to their classmates...we are only asking that they try their best.  This is not always easy. Our children have two pretty competitive parents, and they go to school with some children who eat, sleep and breathe academics, but letting go of perfection and being more concerned about their best is what we are focusing on.

The other amazing thing tonight was to see their progress with Chinese.  They take Mandarin every day.  It blows me away that they are reading and writing Chinese...something Andy and I cannot even help them with since we are clueless-which is why we haven't really seen their work.  In fact, as I have reference before, we haven't helped them in this area at all.  We send Josh to Emma. We send Emma to Grace.  And Grace has found a friend who has taken four years of Chinese.  It's very humbling, in a good way, to see your six year old's work and have NO IDEA what it means.  Really, it was quite funny.

So we will continue to take each day as it comes, and learn as we go.  We feel incredibly blessed to be where we are, having the opportunity to be stretched in new ways, rely on the Lord, and strive to choose joy independent of our circumstances.  This past week was our first experience with Andy traveling...going to Japan on Monday, and returning from Shanghai on Thursday.  While it wasn't easy, it was great that Andy wasn't gone for a weekend, didn't have jet lag, and was in, or almost in, the same time zone.  It's so true that God gives you what you need, when you need it.  While Andy was gone, I had two nights of full sleep (thanks Sarah!) and the kids only had two days of school this week. 

Finally, a quick shout out to our moms...Betsy Gregory and Linda Puffenberger have birthdays today...we love and miss you!!!

Hong Kong ID Card...Part 2

So if you read an earlier post, you may have noticed how important it is to have a Hong Kong ID card.  It is basically your license and most prominent form of indentification.  The other thing is that you are supposed to get your ID card within 30 days of getting here.  This past weekend, when Andy and I went to schedule an appointment, that left us this week to get it done.  Yes, nothing like a little procrastination.  We also really wanted to get an appointment in Fo Tan, which I am familiar with and only about 20 minutes away instead of in Kowloon, where Andy got his ID card.  So, as we sat down to schedule the appointment, it was a little disheartening to see the earliest Fo Tan opening was next week, after my deadline.  Then, when we went to check openings in Kowloon, there were only a few on Friday, during my children's parent-teacher conferences-so that wouldn't work.  It seemed our only option was to try and walk-in.  "Walking-in" could add a couple hours of waiting, and oh yeah, I was bringing my children since they had off school and Andy was leaving for a four-day trip.  So we went back to the Fo Tan site, deciding that if I was going to walk-in, I was going to walk-in at Fo Tan.  Then...MIRACULOUSLY, an opening at 9:15am on Monday.  Someone at that precise time decided to cancel their appointment.  I immediately said "Take it!" not really thinking through what that meant, but knowing it had to be better than the alternative. 

The next morning, my children weren't exactly excited about making my 9:15am appointment on a day they could have slept in, but they rolled with it.  We got out in good time, and actually found the immigration department easily, and a little before 9:00am, when it opened.  But, what we found were easily over 100 people waiting in lines.  Not sure which line to get into(nothing marked), I asked someone who looked like they knew, showing my appointment time.  He put me in a line that didn't seem too long, but it was hard to tell.  Josh and Abby asked for their goldfish, which I hesitated giving since I wasn't sure how long we would be waiting, but said, "when they're gone, they're gone," and handed them over.  It wasn't long before they let our line in first, breaking us up into three different lines leading to people behind windows.  They also ushered my older children into a waiting area where I would be joining them as soon as I saw the person behind the window to give me a number.  You might think that this was unsafe, but here in Hong Kong, I have never felt more safe, or feared for the safety of my children.  I could also see them from my line.  After being in line for about 10 minutes, I received my number and waited in the area with my kids, who were now onto their hand held electronics.  I waited about 15 minutes before my number was called, and went to someone at a desk.  This was the part I was most anxious about.  Andy said they were very critical in checking the paperwork.  As the woman looked at my answers, she asked me some questions, and I could understand her pretty well.  She also smiled at my sleeping Sarah in the front carrier.  Then, after being fingerprinted, she asked if I had someone with me who could hold the baby since I had to get photographed.  I was kind of hoping she would make it work since Sarah was low enough, and since she was sleeping, but not to be.  I went back to Emma, Abby and Josh (Grace was at a friend's house) and handed Sarah to Emma.  Of course, Abby started to have a fit because she wanted to hold her and I tried to appease her with a promise that she will have a turn later.  This didn't do much, but that's all I had time for.  I went back to the woman to get my pic taken, hearing Sarah's cries and Abby's appeals for her turn...imagining in my mind what was taking place...

Finally, after 5 minutes, I got back to them and placed Sarah back in the carrier.  I waited another 10 minutes before getting called back again, checking my fingerprints and then they handed me my temporary card.  And not a moment too long because Abby decided that she had had enough.  We were out of there in five minutes...thanking God that we did not have to walk-in, as we walked past over 100 people in a separate waiting area, hoping that they would get called.  Isn't it amazing when the Lord answers prayers that haven't even been spoken yet, or that we didn't know we needed. This was definitely one of those times...one of many we have already had, and I'm praying there are many more to come!

My First "Hong Kong Moment"

What do you mean, "Hong Kong Moment"? It's a phrase that I heard often when I first came almost three weeks ago.  Andy, Rebecca and the kids would use it when things went a "little differently" than planned.  OK, sometimes it was a lot differently.  Our favorite story so far occurred before Abby, Sarah and I arrived.  It was sometime during the first two weeks, the kids were challenged daily with the amount of homework they were getting, and therefore, what time they were going to bed.  They were also struggling with all the pressure that went along with these changes, sometimes resulting in breakdowns.  So as my oldest was having one of these meltdowns at 10pm, she woke up daughter #2, who had already been asleep for over an hour.  When Emma woke up, she started crying out , "This is NOT going to work!" Yes, Emma can be dramatic, and we can laugh about it now, and we often use that phrase when we are having a "Hong Kong Moment."

So my first major "Hong Kong Moment" came today.  I was going to my friends house to have our weekly get together and prayer time.  I live for these times.  So I was so excited to get there, greet her two younger children, and take all my "stuff" off...including my purse, my baby (in the front carrier) and my diaper bag...uh-oh...the diaper bag (a book bag) was not on my back! I immediately knew that I had left it on the train.  I hadn't been at my friend's flat for two minutes before she was dialing the MTR to call customer service and see if they had found it.  Luckily, her MTR stop is the last on the line, so they often sweep the trains before heading the other way.  Sure enough, the person on the other line asked, "Does it have a bible in it?" That's the one.  So I headed back to the MTR, about an 8 minute walk, to collect my bag.  When I got there, I told the man that my bag was there and I was there to collect it.  He repeated, "the one with the bible in it?" Yep, that's the one.  He went back and brought out another man who had my bag in hand. I identified it again, and to myself I was thinking how blessed I am and how easy this was.  Then, he asked for my Hong Kong ID card.  I hadn't gotten mine yet.  Then, he asked for my passport.  I didn't have that either.  Andy had taken it because of some paperwork and had not returned it.  The man could not believe that I didn't have either in my possession.  He then asked if I had my passport number.  Maybe I'm the only one who doesn't have her passport # memorized.  Didn't have that either, but I told him I would try to get it.  Now I am feeling very alone.  Very unprepared. Very frustrated that I have no ID on me.  I called Andy to see if he had my passport on him.  After finally pulling him out of a meeting with my four calls and "urgent" text, he tells me he left them at home.  Now I am upset and tears are starting to stream down my face.  Granted, I have just been through a month of cry-fest with all the change and being postpartum, but this emotional reaction kind of took me by surprise.  Finally, Andy asked me if I had my Hong Lok Yuen (our community) card.  This has my picture and name on it.  Yes I did.  I handed it over, and the man said that he would check if it would work.  He went in the back room and came back two minutes later to let me know that it worked.  He finally brought my bag out to me and had me sign for it.  Needless to say, I will not be walking around without my passport until I get my ID card :) Lesson learned...and I survived my first, but probably not my last "Hong Kong Moment."