day 2

i am so exhausted right now that even as i type this i don't know if my mind is working.

i had an incredible day today. we began with breakfast with a truly fascinating man...mr. tan. mr. tan is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom about numerous subjects. he is able to talk about business, church, finances, futures, and God all with the passion and knowledge of someone who has been involved in each. he was the example of a gracious chinese host. he took the time to share with us, eat with us, and showed genuine concern for us and each of our interests. doc and j were truly delightful to be with as they asked mr. tan questions that revealed more about who he truly is. what a great day.

*complete side note*
one of the most amazing sights i have seen is the scaffolding around buildings. it can go up many stories, but the kicker it is made of bamboo and put together with long wire ties. that's right, bamboo and wire ties make up the scaffolding. tonight i saw it completely surrounding a building of at least 30 stories from top to bottom! i wish i could have gotten a picture of that.

after breakfast i had the chance to share with a young lady for about an hour. doc set the meeting up in the church library and judy l. and i had the opportunity to talk about what LIFE had given each of us. i had the opportunity to share openly and honestly about my thoughts and feelings 10 years ago and now. i was able to give her some advice and encourage her to be spiritually dependent on God and trust nothing else--not her husband, her children, nor her job--to bring her joy, hope, and encouragement. it's funny, when you think things are rough, just sit down and listen to the stories of others for a few minutes. judy is hurting and frustrated, but it is easier for her to put the blame off of her and onto another rather than for her to accept that she is hurting.

the funniest part about today is that if you were to ask me what i LEAST like to do or feel comfortable doing, i would have answered counsel others, and today that's exactly what i did.

after my meeting with judy, doc, mrs. L, j, and i all went to the mall (one of about 10 million here in hong kong--i think they have one for each person) and we ate at a chicago-style restaurant...dan ryan's. that's right i came all the way to hong kong and ate at a chicago restaurant where they had a warning on the menu..."Warning, we serve AMERICAN portions." which is another way of saying that we american's ae FAT! We ate with Matt, (i don't remember his wife's name), and their daughters, Stephanie who is about to graduate from Princeton, and Audrey. amazing family. we are supposed to eat with them monday evening for Peking Duck at the peking palace. what a great thing. i hear that in china if someone offers you duck it is a great compliment. looking forward to that and chicken feet.

after lunch we got on the subway--which was one of the most crowded places i have ever been. i would have taken a picture, but i couldn't reach either my camera or my phone. i mean it was CROWDED!

we spent the afternoon shopping and doing a little errand running for doc and mrs. L. then we went home for a minute of down time then on to bubba gump's for an incredible dinner for the 4 of us. doc and mrs. L. were so amazing and patient as they listened to my stories and my words about what we and the church are going through now. what a blessing to have the opportunity to share with them and hear their wisdom.

we had an amazing view from the place called "the peak" where we overlooked the harbor and saw the lights. when we were finished with the meal we went outside to take some pictures and noticed the clouds had rolled in. we were so high the clouds obscured our view of the harbor below. oh well...

on the way out i passed on the chance to go to the harley davidson store here in hk. if you know me you know how much i love going to the hd store in the town i am in and getting a shirt, but tonight, i just wanted to come home and talk to my wife. got to chat with her and now i can finally go to bed...goodnight and God bless for another day/night...