Happy 12th anniversary UPHK!

So the rest of the afternoon passed quickly after our performance. There were dances by various members, the contestants in the Grandma of the year competition competed, and people shared speeches. I sat enjoyed the performances, laughed and had a good time. While UPHK’s anniversary was going on, FMA was hosting their monthly Battle of the Brains competition and POWER member Rochelle was taking part.

At the same time there were various other events going on cause well its a Sunday and life happens on Sunday’s.

Yet at the competition was winding down for Grandmother of the year Rochelle came walking back with a bright smile after Battle of the Brains. She looked happy and when I went over she smiled bigger and said “I won.” She won Battle of the Brain and will take part in the championship round come August!

The program finished up as everyone gathered around to hear the winners of the various sashes for Grandmother of the year. Tita Tess (POWER’s contestant) won Mrs. Love 12 and the sash was to be pinned by her talent scouts. Somehow that included me so I for the first time pinned a sash with Jesicea and smiled for photos. A bit later the final awards were announced. Tita Tess would go on to win Best in Modelling, Model Grandma (UPHK) before the winner was announced. Every time Tita Tess’s name was announced we cheered as POWER. Then the winner was announced. It was TITA TESS!!! She won UPHK Grandma of the Year 2012!! As she was presented with her sash, robe, crown, bouquet, and trophy everyone stood to the side ready to burst in for a picture moment. Finally everything was presented and the members of POWER ran in. We were so excited for Tita Tess and she sat in her ‘throne’ beaming her beautiful smile.

After quite a few pictures we all gathered around Momsie Wilma (aka POWER’s president) for a mass meeting in prep for the coming weeks. The mood in the meeting was quite upbeat as everyone was excited for the achievements of the day. We talked about next week coming for the UNIFIL anniversary & prepped for everything. In talking about our dance performance Momsie commented that she didn’t expect us to be that good. She’s been gone for a few weeks having to take care of her employers children and missed all our practices. She was proud and beaming as we talked. This was the first sunday that I had been with POWER that she has been there (minus last Sunday but i was everywhere then).

We made plans to celebrate come June and for all the birthday celebrants of April, May, & June. We finished by sharing food and meals at McDonalds and Laughing ALOT. I need to find some good jokes to share next week so if you have any feel free to pass them on.

A day that started in nerves ended in laughter and lots of good times. I’ll sleep well tonight and am proud to be a member of POWER-UPHK! Shout outs to both Rochelle & Tita Tess!!!

Reflections on Manggagawa (round 1)

Today was the day, the day we were to perform the dance we’ve been practicing. This morning my stomach was in knots as I tried to talk myself out of being nervous and head to work at the mission.

I didn’t know what to expect when I headed out to the mission. What happened? God was ready to begin to calm my nerves. I ran into three organization members in the MTR station and we all headed to Central together. I needed the distraction and must admit reassurance when they learned I am here for more than a year. I headed up to the mission for a few hours before heading down to the Chater Road for UP-HK’s 12^th anniversary (rescheduled from last week).

God met us there as we practiced, remembered and focused. What happened during the performance? WE DID IT! Our president (of POWER) Momsie Wilma would later comment that she didn’t expect us to be that good.

Everyone was nervous about performing and it was with shaking hands we started. Someone commented something that sounded to me like ‘Relax” and I actually did as I got in my opening pose listening to the now familiar opening beats of Manggagawa.

Near the end of the performance, there’s a series of moves that basically put involve Jesieca and I holding each other up as we lean backwards. During the move I looked into her eyes as her beautiful eyes practically said “We’ve got this together, hold me tight and I’ll hold you. We’re almost done. Yes, we can together” In that brief moment the sense of holding each other up and getting through together summarized so much.

I wouldn’t be standing there if it wasn’t for the convincing members of POWER & support they had gave me and the awesome teaching of the ladies of LIKHA. After we finished there was a since of relief as for the first time today I breathed really deep and relaxed a little bit. I watched the brief video of part of the dance and realized we had done it.

I watched a lot of the old me that was afraid of ‘ruffling feathers’, quite happy in her comfort zone, and really shy fall away, as I danced with part of my POWER family. Some of the reasons I wanted to do join an organization was to push myself, to learn first hand, and for Solidarity weekly. The dance did all that and so much more. I felt like I belonged with POWER and the feeling of always being a special guest was gone. It was like finding ‘home’ here in Hong Kong back in October but something deeper. There aren’t words yet to explain but as they come I’ll share them.

Together we had danced, we had done it even with all our nerves we did it. We’ll perfect it next Sunday in the morning before we perform at UNIFIL’s anniversary later in the day. We’ll do it together.

Beautiful conversations and prayers

It was a day of unplanned beautiful conversations of growth today. I’m blessed beyond measure by the people I was able to talk with today. Will you join with me in praying for them??

______________________________________________________________________________________

It was over 8 months ago that she first walked into the office terminated. Yet now she was back, having won her case, with a new employer. Wanting to help others and educate them on their rights. She wore her beautiful smile as we laughed and caught up when i briefly stopped by the office. She showed me beautiful pictures from her time back home and introduced me to her family (via pictures). I shared about how the previous months had been since she had left HK and we laughed over memories. She’s back working, joined the union and will be around the office some. I’m excited to continue to stay in touch and watch her continue to grow. She gave me a lesson in perseverance months ago, will you join me in continuing to pray for her as she continues to gain self-confidence and works at her new employers?

Time Zones cause a crazy time difference but its been over 9 months since we were in the same time zone. That hasn’t stopped a deep friendship from forming. There’s something special about her. Her caring spirit and drive to see her work prosper is special. We’re similar and she always lends a listening ear when I need it. Being able to share some of the broader bits of our jobs and offer some accountability and understanding on where we were raised is an unexplainable blessings. TIme zones don’t seem as much on the weekends and a bit less solid sleep is much better than light restless sleep any night. I’m thankful for someone whose willing to lend a listening ear and continue to hold me accountable even from Time Zones away. A loving heart, calming hug (send through God), and I know countless prayers. Plus the past few days has been full of some amazing “God moments’ that make us both excited so we continue to share and plan and dream. She puts others first and yet like me can overlook herself. She’s prayed with me and for me on many occasions since my arrival offering me space at her place when I was homeless back in October…reminding me I’m not alone. Will you join me in praying for her as she continues to serve others that she also takes time to let herself be served?

It had been almost 5 months since she was terminated and today was finally the day she saw a bit of reward. In that her employer was having to pay her long owed claims and medical expenses. Was it all the money she was owed? nope but today that didn’t matter. What mattered was that she was getting most of the expenses covered and could finally send money home to help her family after five months of nothing. Today as we sat in EOC for the first time since we started attending meetings together she was actually smiling. She knew she had won, not everything but she still had won. Her employer was paying her and she could send money back to her family. While we sat there we continued to share. She teaching me a little Bahasa and I teaching her English spelling. The EOC officer walked in, and asked her to write something out. She turned to me and asked me to teach her how to spell it. The officer gave me a look of ‘are you really going to teach her right now.” I smiled and said sure. I taught her taking the extra 2 minutes to explain as she wrote. She learned, the officer got her information and everyone was happy. After we finished in the EOC, she received her money and we headed back to MTR. The first thing she wanted to do was locate something sweet to take back to share with all the ladies at the shelter. It wasn’t about her but instead about her family here. How could she bless them just a bit? The money came just in time for her younger brother to be able to afford to take his final exams to end the business award. Exams that 48 hours ago he couldn’t afford. A reminder of the importance family and sacrifice these ladies make to leave their own countries for work and a  Solid reminder on what happens when we put others before ourselves. She has an interview next week with a western employer. Will you join me in praying for her that it goes well?

He’s always wanted to serve God as a missionary. He finally got the chance but now the question is will his nationality make it harder. They are optimistic and realistic. You can hear it in their tones, they want it so bad to go serve the Lord with all they have but You see these young men are from Africa and while they are currently is attending university in Zimbabwe, they are orphanage from another African Country and the one being the first of his siblings to attend University. The plan is for them to head off to the Philippines for their international service in August, but first theres a visa to obtain. Will this be a challenging process for both these special young men? These young men want nothing more than to be able to serve God in Philippines will World immigration issues make this impossible? I pray not. Will you joining me in praying for these gentlemen as they begin visa processes this week?

Words

So the past weeks have a been a whirlwind of events, clients, conversations and preparations, which has been really awesome and a bit challenging. I had a YAM roommate for two weeks this month before sending them to the Philippines to visit two other YAMs in our class. I’ve taken on more Indonesian clients and will start spending a day each week at the shelter with them instead of them paying to come to me at the MFMW office. I’ve gotten back into regular conversations with friends that I have missed. There are two new Global Justice Volunteers coming in June and I’m beyond excited for them to arrive. I’ve learned a dance which will be performed this Sunday and next with POWER and there are many more celebrations ahead.

One thing I’ve been reminded of through all the craziness is that words can heal and words can also hurt.

Words pierce, break, and leave ones soul in pieces
Words wound, challenge and leave one feeling less than

Words bind, heal, care, and lift you up
Words comfort, celebrate, and remind us we are not alone

It’s all about how you use words
It’s about knowing, understanding, and speaking from the heart
It’s about the intention of the words, the purpose, and showing whether or not you care

It’s about acknowledging that while actions may speak louder than words
Words still speak volumes to the listener

So I’ve processed words I’ve heard, shared lots of words, and comforted through lack of words
I’m thinking more carefully about the words I say, am thankful for those who listen even when the words don’t make sense, and for those who have pushed me to grow through words they’ve shared

Thank You Coach Richardson!

It’s that time for the previous 6 years that I would be finalising plans with family to go to Michigan to work swim camp at the University of Michigan under Coach Jim Richardson. This year is different I’m living in Hong Kong so I won’t be making the regular trip and Coach Richardson just announced retirement. I’m not there to say thank you in person so I thought I would here:

Coach Jim Richardson,

There aren’t enough words to say Thank You and express my gratitude for everything you have done in my life through the past 6 years. You taught me the importance of family in both the sport of swimming and in life and how when someone impacts your life in a special way you can’t ever forget it. THANK YOU for being one of those people in my life.

I can’t forget the first time I remember meeting you. Sitting at the Winston-Salem YMCA Swim team end of season banquet, you were speaking at with my family. And hearing “Oz Prim, is that really you Oz Prim??” come from the doorway as you entered. I blushed at the sudden attention brought to our table but remember thinking how awesome it is that you knew my father. Later that evening when my father told us we were going up that summer for swim camp I was excited.

For four years I journeyed with my family to swim camp in Ann Arbor. We went from visiting Ann Arbor for camp & a vacation to visiting family. You continuously greeted us with hugs, smiles, and wanted to hear about how the year had been. After I started varsity swimming myself, you always wanted to hear about my season and took the time to listen to more than just my times. Thank you for those conversations. You offered advice on how to handle issues that arose, encouraged me to stick through the challenges, and continued to be a Christian example for me to follow.

I won’t soon forget the year I got injured when I e-mailed you and you offered not only encouragement but genuine concern that I get better and stronger through it. It wasn’t just about the physical injury but about me as a person. THANK YOU! I had the feeling that you cared and that summer when you followed up about my injury I felt that caring and concern first hand and am incredibly thankful. You were a mentor through my college years in ways you don’t even know.

My senior year when I was unable to coordinate with my family to come up, I felt like a piece of my summer was incomplete and the next summer even with my sister now in college and my family not planning to go you welcomed me back. I can’t say thank you enough for welcoming me back. We took the ‘regular’ picture that summer in the ‘regular’ place and you commented that while the number of family members were less but we were still family and we must have the proper picture. I was speechless. At the end of that week for the first time leaving Michigan I cried because I had felt I was truly leaving family.

The next year at Ultra Swim when we were able to catch up again, I won’t forget your genuine excitement (albeit with a bit disappointment that I wouldn’t be at camp all summer) as I told you about my acceptance as a Mission Intern (before my own father knew I had been received the position). You still welcomed me to camp for two weeks.

For those two weeks last June, there aren’t enough words to express my appreciation and thankfulness for all you did. It’s no secret that I came to camp that summer a bit stressed with many unknowns about the Mission Intern program but you wanted to hear about my program and when my computer went down you offered your office to allow me to stay on top of my e-mails. I was again speechless and humbled at your openness to me.

You learned (again before my own father) that I was off to Hong Kong and you talked me through not only processing the news but also getting excited about it. You were excited to hear even before I was myself. God knew where I needed to be to get the news and God knew I needed your advice and traveling experience to help me get through the shock and to get excited. Just as God knew I needed your wisdom throughout my college life to and your support to become who I am today.

Through this year in the struggles I often find my way back to the pictures from my last day at camp and remember the blessing & encouragement that I would love Hong Kong just trust God. So while I won’t be at camp this summer and some part of me feels incomplete, know you are in my prayers and I wish you all the best of luck in your retirement. So Thank You for everything!

Coach Jim Richardson & Wife Mary-Sue during my last day at camp, summer 2011

Sincerely,

Me

“rain drops keep falling on my head..”

And that was the story of my afternoon….rain drips kept falling, and falling, and falling. I can’t say I’m a fan of rainy days ever but I totally abouseltly without a doubt DISLIKE rainy Sundays. But that being said I totally abouseltely without a doubt LOVE the people I spent (and continue to spend) my rainy (and dry) Sundays with. Why? Because I love the precious time I get to spend with my Filipino and Indonesian Sisters (and brothers)

At the mission today we ventured into Victoria Park for our 4th Give Care to Our Caregiver Days specifically aimed at our Indonesian Sisters. The day got off to a rocky start but quickly smoothed out, things came together, and GCC was a go. The booths were busy, and happening. Volunteers were rocking out their jobs, and for once the reading room was totally full. It was amazing. I was doing exactly what I was supposed to do. I was advising my team of volunteers and they were doing amazing things. I’m not sure if any of them spoke a lot of English but that didn’t stop us from stumbling through conversations, smiling, laughing, and generally having a good time. The plan was for me after lunch to ‘disappear’ briefly and reappear on Chater Road for UP-HKs anniversary and so I could dance with POWER Family. I was nervous but looking forward to dancing. So i did disappear and reappear on Chater Road but then the rain came.

I still got to spend an hourish with my POWER family huddled under bus stop awnings laughing, trying to figure out if we will dance and having a good time. There smiling faces can truly turn any bad time around and today I left knowing I was loved. Well the rain started, stopped, and then started again in full force. Somewhere along the way a decision was made that we weren’t going to dance. Dancing in the rain when part of the dance involves falling on the floor isn’t a good idea at all. But that didn’t stop smiles, laughter, and good memories to be made.

So I ran off back to Victoria Park in the rain. I arrived back to realise that the central grass lawn had magically turned into a mud pit while I was gone. Wearing sneakers this wasn’t appealing but the thing that stood out to me was that the Indonesian volunteers were out dancing in the rain having a good time. Many of the leaders were out in the rain with the organisation members, totally soaked, smiling, and jumping around. It brought  smile to my face. They were not going to let the rain ruin their day. It immediently brought a smile to face as I sat safely under a marquee and watched the events unfold. Eventually the rained stopped, we packed up, took some pictures in which we said “Long Live International Solidarity” instead of ‘cheese’ it brought chills to be surrounded by my FIlipino and Indonesian sisters as well as other friends in Hong Kong, wet from the rain and knowing that despite everything there were smiles and giggles all around.  It was then time to head back to my place with all the stuff.

Along the way we laughed, joked, and had a good time. Eman tried to convince the Chinese driver that it wasn’t raining at my place when we all could look across the harbour and see the rain, the driver called Eman crazy and keep patting his head to make sure it was still attached. This is because the sky was dark and it was already raining on the Island. We laughed and as we neared my place the driver randomly declares ‘Raindrops are falling on head’. We all burst out laughing in an awesome moment of randomness before rush emptying the van so things were not soaking wet.

So despite a rainy Sunday where many things got rained out, I’m smiling because even when the raindrops keep falling on my head. I am surrounded by amazing family here and my sisters and brothers remind me to have a good time no matter what.

There’s a familiarity to the soreness

There’s a familiarity to the soreness i’ve been feeling today
That soreness where it hurts to lift your legs, at all
That soreness that makes you give stairs an extra evil eye before you start moving your feet
Yet, I’m not sure Coach Anderson’s drylands ever made me hurt this much
Yet the familiarity makes me think back to the memories with my teammates
Of early morning practices when conversations were scare
It brings up memories of bonding over shoulder problems, over wall sits, and step ups

Today I stared down the stairs to my office and then the stairs won
As I so many times in the past stared down the variety of stairs around the village
Today I shared feelings of sore legs with fellow POWER members
As I shared feelings of painful legs after dry land with teammates

There’s a familiarity to the soreness but that’s just it
It’s similar yet different and yet I miss my teammates
And I’m excited for about all the awesomeness now
Of feeling confident in the dance, of knowing we had gotten it
The highfives exchanged as my partner and I remembered move after move
Brought back to high fives from a certain teammate as we got back into the water after shoulder problems

The locations different, the stories no where close, yet the soreness familiar
The soreness that always came with good memories, now comes with some of the best memories
The soreness that used to be the signal that training had started, now symbolises the start of something new again
The soreness that well I could have lived with out then and could also now
Yet the soreness that means i pushed myself to new limits and that fact makes me Smile
I’m looking forward to working out the soreness, of performing, and of continued bonding

While theres a familiarity in the soreness that doesn’t stop the fact that my legs ACHE and today it hurt to walk. I’m trying to stay positive, take pain meds as needed to dull the aching and remember I am not in this alone. I promise a video of at least one of the performances to share. Prayers for the soreness to go away soon (or well before next Sunday, from me and my fellow dancers)

Theres power in POWER

There’s power in POWER, power in the ladies determination for better, power in the ladies joint fighting together, power in the laughter, in the good times, in the shared struggles, and in the chosen family they have…theres power in POWER

Some of my POWER family during May Day

First off HAPPY MOTHER’s DAY to my mum!

So I realised today that while I have referenced the beautiful ladies of POWER in a couple blogs, I haven’t really gone into much detail about them, how I joined them, and all those details….well that changes today because I could not have hand chosen a better group of ladies (some mum’s themselves, other still single) to have spent Mother’s Day with.

These Ladies are Family, I’m sure my mum is happy to know that I am being looked after and very well taken care of.

During the holidays of 2011 and new years of 2012 I really wanted to get learn more about the grassroots organising/advocacy work the Mission is involved him. My supervisor and I decided the best was to have me connect with one organisation regularly. I welcomed this idea and looked forward to being able to form relationships with some of the ladies I had met around Chater Road on Sundays.

Conversations were had….and POWER-UPHK agreed for me to join with them. I was excited, nervous, and not sure what was to expect. I felt like it was my first few weeks in Hong Kong over again that first Sunday. Then life happened and the beauties of POWER welcomed me with out stretched arms. They surrounded me with love.

These ladies make me feel totally accepted even if I don’t always understand everything being said.
These beauties are truly beautiful, truly awesome, and truly one of a kind
These ladies push me out of my comfort zone, and always encourage me to be my best
These beauties have become FAMILY!

POWER family that goes above and beyond what I could of even dreamed this experience would be
POWER family whom I’m humbled & blessed to be a member of
POWER family that can turn a bad week around and start the new week right
POWER family of some of the most amazing, strong, dedicated women (and Mums) I know
POWER family whom make Sundays amazing, teach me something new weekly and see to it that I am well, very well fed

The family who always makes me feel welcome, might be a bit crazy/loud and one of kind but that’s ok because I am quickly becoming not only used to it but part of. The family whom I will be dancing with to a song I had never heard until I agreed to dance in something I never dreamed of I would do.

So to my POWER family I say Salamat for everything and I look forward to continuing to get to know you and spending time together on Sundays & other holidays!

A really tough ‘See You Later’

At a loss for words….a loss for words

Because Thank You just doesn’t say enough

Thank You for being a mentor, a friend, a coworker, and most of all for being you

Thank You for including me from Day 1 (literally)

Thank You for the ferry rides, adventures around Hong Kong, and listening ears

Thank You for the guidance in adjusting to life here

Thank You for bringing a bit of the south here when I needed it the most

I won’t soon forget your continuous acts of kindness

I won’t soon forget your willingness to help out others

I won’t soon forget your beautiful smile, gifted voice, and loving heart

I won’t soon forget your welcome to me and only hope I can make the new interns feel as welcome

You were always the one who understood when I needed to vent

You were always the one who understood the issues with deposits coming on time

You were always the one who understood when big city life got me down the beauty in the wild

For the retreat to Bethanny, the bus ride to the Big Buddha, and the first trip to the Philippine Consulate oh so many months ago

For bringing a bit of the south to HK, for finding Dimpals, and for letting me crash on your floor when I was homeless

There aren’t enough words….so until we meet again (which we will when I return to the US, cause you are on my short list of people to visit) know your in my prayers, and Thank You, Salamat, and Terima Kasih
_________________________________________________________________________

Today it happened, for the first time since arriving in Hong Kong I cried, really cried. Tears of gladness mixed with tears of sadness. Tears of hope mixed with tears of loneliness. Today I said my first extended ‘See You Later’ to a member of my Hong Kong Family, Kathleen, the young adult episcopal service core volunteer at the Mission from US. She’s going home two months early to see her brother get married and to represent her program at the Epliscopal’s church general Convention in July. I can’ think of a better representative for their program. I didn’t realize how much I was going to miss her until the celebration started at her farewell party and I couldn’t fight back the tears. When I was asked to speak I literally had to words and stopped fighting as we embraced in a hug there were no words to say that wasn’t being said in the hug. She was my first mentor at the mission, the answer to many prayers from training, and my first friend in Hong Kong. The afternoon was then full of lots of Karaoke including a much needed round of boot-scootin-boogy with Kathleen and of course delicious food.

Until June I will be the lone American at the Mission and that is honestly a bit scary I’m realizing. Scary but I know Im surrounded by my Hong Kong family and that even as part of this family moves back to the USA she is still family. I look forward to the future with great excitement for growth, for the new interns coming, and getting to pass on much of what she taught me. So Please pray for Kathleen as she flies back officially on Monday for safe travels and an easy adjustment back to life in the USA.

“Taking changes”

Today like any other Sunday has been quite a busy day and full of adventures and yet this day seemed to much more ‘real’ and it wasn’t anything in particular. I’ve realised that today the common seemed special and the special seemed that much more. Oh and today marks 8 months of me living in Hong Kong (ok so that might have something to do with) so as I looked back, looked ahead, reflected on the week and smiled a lot here are some thoughts….

• There comes some church services where you know you are exactly where you need to be and the message is directly for you….that was this Sunday Morning
• Fact I spend a lot of time with women….i sat with a guy today and realised I missed hearing male voices sing….nothing wrong with this just a fact.
• Chater Road is now like home
• I’m crazy, seriously crazy and Im gonna be really sore tomorrow from this one….but it is so worth it
• I need to swim more so I’m less sore after Sundays like today…but I’m not sure i want to go through the original pain to reach that point.
• POWER Ladies are beautiful, loud, and I love joining them
• Theres something special about going to Victoria Park
• Hugs will never get old, and I love getting them
• I know more than I think I due when I remember to breathe, and think throughly
• Talking with translation is totally becoming normal
• Nothing like seeing a friend you made last week and being greeted with high fives
• I LOVE SUNDAYS in Hong Kong.

Well I’ve got another week coming up at the office and even more exciting next month “THE METHODIST ARE COMING!”, in late August there will likely be at least one new Mission Intern arriving in Hong Kong if not more, I’ve been asked to possibly house sit at a house that has a Pool at some point during the summer and to put it simply life is AwEsOmE!