Happy Christmas From Hong Kong

Happy Christmas From Hong Kong

2016 has been a year of new things for us!

Firstly Reuben started in grade 5 (year 6 in the UK) at the same school as Samuel. He has already had lots of new oportunities including learning the tenor sax … seemed like it was nearly as tall as him though he’s growing so fast that will soon change. He’s also taken up basketball and is on the U12 team – along with his new best friend Josh.

A new school for Reuben has a knock on effect for Jo and I too. Until the beginning of this academic year it’s mainly been me working with the men in our ‘new man house’ (Jo was still home schooling Reuben). It’s a great relief to the guys that they get to have Jo’s brillaint input too. This is especially true since we started leading the house in May. As with most new things it’s been hard work – please keep praying for us to learn Cantonese better as it’s now more vital than ever to be able to communicate effectively!

We continue to have a lot of fun mixed in with the serious business of how we can be a ‘new creation’ (2 Corinthians 5:17). We call the place where we work ‘new man’ house for a good reason - as we are trying to show these guys a new way to live, to have the fresh start which Jesus never stops offering to those who ask.

Other new things included Samuel becoming a teenager. Here he is with his friends before the Cinema on his 13^th birthday!!! How has that come about so fast? He’s growing in to a fine young man. It’s not easy being where we are and sharing dad with the the guys in the house but he copes well and is enjoying life and school! This year was his first year of drama club … landing the role of King Richard in their production of Robin Hood.

Reuben also did some acting in a school assembly – Paul on the road to Damascus. We’re so proud of them both as they seem to thrive despite the challenges of being transplanted into a new culture and a totally different environment to the one we left behind 2 years ago.

We have had a number of visitors here in Hong Kong (including my mum and cousin) as well as people I knew from 30 years ago when I was a gap year student here! But it’s been amazing to make some new special friends too. Some families that have visited have truly become brothers and sisters for our boys (left), not to mention the ones that seem to be twins separated at birth! (right).

What hasn’t changed is where we live. We still have the same wonderful apartment as when we arrived. It’s amazing that we still fit into a space that is the same size as our kitchen back in the UK … and that I still manage to lose things. But the surroundings are beautiful and while this is what God has called us to we are happy to share our lives and our family with the special people that He calls to be His disciples here.

So we send our prayers and wish you a peaceful and meaningful

Christmas and a happy new year.

Much love,

  

Christmas Greetings!

Dear Friends and Family,

This comes with our very best wishes for a wonderful peaceful and blessed Christmas and our love and prayers for 2016!

That just shows how long it's been since we sent an update! (our apologies) we hope you didn't think we'd dropped off the face of the earth. We are still here - on the face of the earth and here in Hong Kong! It seems like only a few weeks ago that we were in the UK, but in fact it's been about 4 months! We had a really wonderful time. If we managed to see you thank you so much for making the time amazing! If we didn't manage to see you we really hope that we'll be able to see you next year ... or maybe out here!!??

Well since the last time we wrote there have been some big changes in how we are doing things here. The biggest change is that Samuel is now in School. We really have so much to thank God for in this. Samuel got a place at ICS (International Christian School), we got a bursary and provision of funds for the remaining part, and the school is wonderful. After so much transition and a year of homeschool Samuel is doing amazingly well. His grades are good. Perhaps surprisingly Mandarin is his favorite subject at the moment - he's even learning to write the characters (though it's slightly odd that they learn Mandarin in Hong Kong ... where the main language is Cantonese). He's enjoying being responsible as he get's himself ready every morning at 6am! But most importantly he's happy and making new friends - something that was lacking last year. 
He's also had an amazing school trip to Vietnam!

Reuben is also doing really well. We're still praying for him to get into ICS but while he doesn't have a place there, Jo is continuing to do an amazing job. Reuben is growing so fast in confidence and is adding reading to his list of things he enjoys (phew!). The great thing is that Jo also has some help now (one morning a week we have someone come in from outside to teach maths, music and Cantonese). Another family also came to Sin Mun Springs this year. They have a son aged 11 and a daughter who's 8 - this is just perfect as Reuben and Ian have found each other as friends. It's such a blessing to have other families with kids Samuel and Reuben's age here.

• Do pray for Reuben's schooling - For Jo to have the resource/patience and/or others to come in to help. And the possibility of him joining ICS sooner rather than later.

With the friend coming in once a week to help teach Reuben it means that Jo has a little more time in 'block2'. We are trying to make other changes so that Jo can be more involved over in the men's first stage house. It's been great to be able to work together a bit and are praying for ways to make that happen more.

In 'block2' we have had 3 baptisms in the last few months. We had one guy come in who just mocked us when we prayed for him (or especially when we asked him to pray). It's wonderful to see a 180 degree turn around in him. He's given his life to Jesus, received significant healing from past hurts! and is now sharing what he's received with others. He's tasted and seen that the Lord is good and was one of the ones who got baptized. Our desire is not just to see that turning and healing but also to help them become disciples.



We try to have plenty of fun with the guys, part of this is practically experiencing the things God has made them to be and do. For example we recently took a group of guys on a 10k run. For some of them persevering through to the end of a training program and doing a race is a first, and something they can really look at as an achievement! Added to that as a 'house parent', it filled me with a real sense of pride that they all completed what they had started! But even more simple things like having a pizza night (Jo's pizza dough is amazing!) or playing Jenga can bring a significant 'family' feel to the house. These things make a difference - but ultimately if Jesus isn't healing the brokenness that leads to addictions in the first place, then we won't see the changes we hope for in the guys. This is an ongoing battle.

You probably want to know what our ongoing plans are like. Well at this stage we're still unsure. We are learning so much here - but also see so much need. There is desperate need for workers in all sorts of places along the opium trail and the Philippines and we hear many stories of the harvest being plentiful ... but the workers few. 

• Do pray for our ongoing vision and clarity of calling as our desire is to serve wherever God would send us ...

This comes with so much love at Christmas from Alec, Jo, Samuel and Reuben.