11 years later

Amy, Johnny Mak (the CEO), Johnny Yun (the small business owner), Richard Lee (the PhD) and Patrick Chan (the designer-lecturer)

We had a great time last night meeting with really old friends from church. I have not seen these friends for over 10 years, except Patrick, whom I see almost every time I come back to Hong Kong. All of us have gained some weight (except Patrick) and lost some hair (all of us), but most of us (except me) have become "someone" in their area of expertise.

We started out at the new high-end mall the Elements, well, for an average person like me, everything in this mall is way over my budget. We ended up having dinner at an Arabian restaurant, we ordered four dishes, but I don't think any of the guys went away with a full stomach, however, their wallets have become quite thin. They were very nice to treat me to this very special meal.

We were just starting to catch up with old times and talk a bit about the future when the meal ended, so the CEO Johnny Mak suggested that we catch a taxi to the night scene of Tsim Sha Tsui to continue on our conversation. We ended up in a lounge in a hotel, sitting in those big comfy chairs, we had lots of laughs.

Even after all these years, it seems like our friendships have not changed one bit, we are still as at ease with each other as before and laughed just as loud.

What a great privilege to have this opportunity to meet and chat. I hope we will be able to do this more often. We see each other so little that next time we meet, it might be in one of our memorial services. (quote Richard)

What if it is me?

My friend Grace's father, a faithful minister of God, is in a coma. When I read her updates and her blog, I was reminded of two things:

1) God is good no matter what our circumstance is. When we thought we might just fall apart and not be able to stand up, God is there to sustain and lift us up.
2) With hope for eternal life, sickness and death are not as painful. Don't get me wrong, they are still extremely painful to go through, for those who are taking care of the sick and have to live on, but the pain is so much more bearable.

I wonder what I will do if I were in Grace's shoe. I probably won't be in Hong Kong if anything like that happen to my parents. I will probably be making trips back to Hong Kong to take care of them. It is so hard to imagine how would it be like, if I have to go through what Grace is going through. But one thing I know for sure: the God whom has sustained Grace, will lift me up also, if that was me.

Scott Gray

I went to Scooter Scoop today and read a number of postings in that blog, I do that once every few months, just to make sure I catch the newest posting. This blog is about the Grays: Scott, Michele, their daughter Josephine, and their son True. The blog has not have new posting since December 8, 2005, six months after Scott's death, he died of brain cancer, he had just graduated with a Master of Divinity at TEDS. Scott was a father of 2 year old Josephine, and their son, True, who was still in his mommy Michele's tummy when Scott went to heaven.

I still go read the post, because I want to celebrate his life. He is one of the few people I have met whom have truly shown the joy of being a Christian.

I was the Field Education Coordinator at TEDS. While grading papers, I realized that Scott Gray has not turned in his paper, and it has been one week after the deadline. I wrote him an email, gave him a call, no reply to either. A week had past, a student walked into my office with a great big smile and a piece of paper in his hand, it was Scott Gray. He said, 'I am so sorry that my paper is so late, I just became a father, but that is no excuse for being late. I am willing to take any penalty, even if I have to do the Field Ed course again, I will do so.'

I deducted points from him, but he passed. However, what I cannot forget was Scott beaming with joy, showing me the photos of his beautiful wife and their new born daughter, Josephine. I was pregnant with Kioni at that time, he shared with me a few books on parenting.

A while later, he came into my office again, just to see if I am doing OK with my pregnancy.

A few months later, I saw him in the hallway outside of my office. He was wearing a baseball cap that was a bit too big for his head. I jokingly said, "that's a cool hat". He said, "It is cool, but I would much rather not wear it. I have cancer, I just had an operation two weeks ago." He took off his hat and showed me his hairless head. He was undergoing chemotherapy and had lost his hair.

That was the last time I saw him. On June 12, 2005, he died.

He is one of those special people that I will not forget, not because he died young, not because he left behind a beautiful wife and a young daughter, not because he didn't get to meet his son before he was born. But because he is a true Christian. He had true joy in his heart, that I know comes from his radical obedience to God. Even when his life was fading away, he never once doubted God.

Scott Gray, if I were to die a death that would make me suffer the way you did, you will be my hero, you will be someone that I will remember and look up to.

Ta-ta for now, will see you in heaven, Scott.

A sad day

We were awaken by a text message on Dan's cell phone this morning:
"Eric resigned. We are leaving Sunday. Please stop by."

Eric and Susan Rosenberg are the American friends we met in Bo's Coffee two months ago, they had just arrived in Cebu for two weeks at the time we met. The two families just spend a weekend vacationing in Bantayan island. Eric resigned from the organization he was working with last night because of complicated personnel issues.
We were surprised by the news, to say the least. I was unable to fall back asleep. We always knew the situation at Eric's work was bad, but didn't know it was so bad. He wrote a three-page memo and send it to the "top" before we went on vacation, someone in the leadership did not like what he wrote, Eric felt that he had to resign, and they accepted his resignation.

We dropped by their house this morning. It was a saddness filled the air. While we were there, their helper Dolor whom they love dearly arrived. Susan broke the news to her, both Susan and Dolor were in tears.

They gave us some wonderful books from their twin girls' collection, and some clothes. We left after an hour or so because Kioni had to eat lunch and take a nap.

When we arrived home, I checked my email. My sister Annie couldn't find plane tickets to come. So the anticipated family visit is not going to happen.

We will surely miss the Rosenbergs. It will be hard to help Kioni understand that the Rosenberg girls, Alex and Isabelle are not going to be around anymore.

What a sad day.