Patience He said ....

Sue and I are on our way to Hong Kong for the next year to teach conversational English to seminary and high school students. This has been something that I have long dreamed about.

When I grew up in Oakland Chinese Bible Church (1956 to 1979), during our mission's conferences, we would often hear from missionaries about their ministry. I remember after one such sharing, I asked the missionary if I could be of use, even though I did not know the language. He said he didn't think so. I had often thought of being a missionary to China, but I didn't know the language.

Fast forward to early 1990's, while at Christ Community Chinese Alliance Church, God gave me the chance to go on a short-term mission's trip (STM). I have never been on one, although I had thought about it, but the opportunity never came up. I have to say, that even though this one was open, I still didn't sign up to go. My son and daughter was going, but I didn't intend to, that is, until God created events in my life that made it possible for me to do it. That first trip to Mexico changed the whole focus of my Christian perspective. My passion became missions. My many trips to Mexico fueled my passion for cross-cultural missions and to encourage others to be open to missions as well.



In 2000, Sue and I toured mainland China with Hong Kong as the final stop. While in Hong Kong, I visited with Pastor David Pardini, who was teaching at China Baptist Theological College. I asked him about missions and whether Sue and I could be used here. He responded with a yes. Hong Kong had reverted back to mainland China in 1997 after the British had ruled over it for 150 years. Since then, the English language has continued to decline as many native English speakers grew scarcer and scarcer. Andy and Elsa Lee, in 1998, started a Chinese class to teach Cantonese to American born children. They also had a vision to minister to the Hong Kong youth, so we got together and started our first STM to Hong Kong in 2002. The ministry has been going on ever since.

2009, Sue and I are among the Baby-Boomers who have retired, I at the end of March and Sue at the end of May. In March, we applied for a work visa to work in Hong Kong through ABWE (Association of Baptist for World Evangelism). ABWE is our sponsor since they are already in the country. A tourist visa is good for 90 days, but I didn't want to keep going out of the country and then back in, as this could cause a break in our teaching schedules. We didn't hear from them until mid-May, when they asked for additional info about our finances and education, they also asked ABWE for more info, not sure what. Anyway, the last of the info was given to them the first few days in June. My prayers were, if we get the visa, then I was sure that God was confirming that I was doing something that was in his will. If not, then there were many other things that had crossed my mind, including an invitation to teach missions at CCS (Chinese Christian Schools), participate in other mission's trips (Katrina and Mexico), etc.

The last week in June, since I had not heard anything, I was getting very concerned. Anxious would be a more accurate feeling. Our usual STM to Hong Kong starts on July 16th, and if I was going to stay, I would need the visa prior to my leaving. I started writing to the Immigration Dept. in Hong Kong, asking for my visa status, their reply "it is in active process". Phil. 4:6 keep coming to mind - "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer .....", yes God, I know, but I can't help it, I don't like last minute things. PATIENCE, He kept saying, except I wasn't listening very hard and was beginning to accept the fact that perhaps He did 't want me to stay.

On July, 2nd, I checked one of my email sites and no response from the Immigration Dept., I then checked my main email site and saw a response from my friend to an earlier email "my arrival", the response was that our visas have been approved for one year. This means that I will have to go through the process again next year. I think I'll be listening a bit harder this time.

Sorry this is so long, but future blogs will be somewhat shorter, I hope. Would apprciate your prayers for:
Adjust to living in a country that I don't speak the language, but will try to learn.
Open hearts and eyes of my students to see / hear God's love.
That I don't get caught up in the exoticness and shopping meca of Hong Kong.

Col. 4:3-4 "and pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, fo which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should."

Blessings,

Sheldon and Susan Yee