Wooo!! I'm in HK! =) I can freely say where I am. No restrictions. Feels pretty good actually. And I can actually understand what's going on around me. Haha. But if you guys know me, you know me well enough to know that my Cantonese is not that good. I'm mixing up Cantonese and Mandarin. Not good! I'm like forgetting how to say SO many things! But anyway, so we've arrived! I'm safe and excited about this place. It's really cool actually. It's interesting to see how different this place is. I know we've just arrived, but it really feels like back in T.O. I feel closer to home.

Just to update you on the past week and bit ... things have been relatively the same. Things don't really start up till we get back anyway. We are going to be super busy when I get back and we are super busy here. Please p.r.a.y for discipline and balance because we really need it in the coming months.

It's getting pretty late here and I don't have much to say. I'll update you guys more as things pick up. Please continue to p.r.a.y for this nation. As I've said before there's a crazy movement going on. You can really feel it. It's really exciting. =)

I shall update more later. I wish you all the best! If I don't get a chance to say it later ... 'gong hei fat choi!' Be b.l.e.s.s.e.d! =)

So I have been requested to update more here. Hmm ... there's not much to say. I've been kind of sick the past few days and I'm getting slightly better, but I still don't feel the greatest. I've been resting lots, so I don't know why I'm not getting better. Maybe it's the food or something. We eat okay here. We don't go out to eat as much as before. We now rely on our own cooking. Scary eh? I've been cooking for everyone! =| Which means, please send me your much needed favorite recipes because I'm not a very good cook at all. I've never really had to cook before, let alone Asian food. LOL. And there's certain things that I could probably cook here, but I don't really trust it because the food standards aren't the same as Canada.

We are exploring more and discovering all these cool things in our neighborhood. Our place is pretty convenient. We have a grocery store downstairs, a fresh food market nearby, a crazy amount of restaurants, and a cool everything market nearby. The international meeting place is also really close to where we live. It's quite awesome!

I don't know what we will be doing today since it's our 'day-off.' I have a few errands to run and probably some books I should catch up on. But not too much is planned. Maybe I should get ready for HK. We are leaving for HK in less than 10 days! Exciting! I've wanted to go there my entire life and now I finally get to go! We're going for three weeks and spending Chinese New Year there! =) But we are crazy busy there which kind of sucks since I probably won't get a chance to really see the city and stuff. But it's exciting nonetheless and there's more freedom there which I think is really taken for granted.

I don't think anyone can truly understand what it means to feel b.l.e.s.s.e.d until it is taken away. Well okay, let me re-state that. I'm sure people can understand what it means, but it's pretty hard to fathom until something is taken away from you, no matter how much you know about it. I've heard lots of stories about how 'lucky' we are back home and I know we are, but going somewhere else and experiencing a different way of life really confirms it. It really opens your eyes to how convenient, luxurious and comfortable things are back in North America. We are truly b.l.e.s.s.e.d and it's a lesson I really need to learn because those conditions are all I've ever known. Poverty in North America is so different from poverty here. People live sad lives just to scrape by. It's really sad seeing this in front of my eyes, but it is a reality here. Daddy really has been breaking my heart over these past few weeks. I'm growing to really love these people and really love this place. You can see the b.r.o.k.e.n.e.s.s hidden behind all the happy faces. Hmm..maybe that's something that isn't so different from home. You can see that back home too. People hiding behind their hurts. I know Daddy is doing some crazy things through this place. The stories I've heard, the things I've read, even the things I've seen have told me that. But there is still much work to be done. If you could partner with me through your "quiet times," you can be apart of this movement for this lost place.

Some requests are ...
- togetherness of the team
- for health
- our eyes be opened to the things around us
- the people of this place, especially those we encounter
- comfort from the homesickness we feel
- the 'places' all over this nation
- the movement that is occurring

Thanks everyone. I will try to update again soon! Miss you all!

I wrote most of my post and then I had to re-write it for certain precautions.

I have been taught a lot of things today that I'm still unwinding and trying to unravel. Oh how my heart has been broken so many times today! But let me tell you this, good things are to come! Amazing things! It's so exciting!

Oh how I wish I could share more with you. How I wish even more that you were here to see it yourself! I think this is okay to say ... the passion is spreading, but the work is far from being done.

Please continue to keep these people and the passion that is spreading in your thoughts.

The harvest is ready! Yay to him! =)

Hello All!

Sorry for not updating earlier! Things have been quite busy around here as we are all settling in! The plane ride was okay. It felt like being on a bus, except at the times when there were turbulence, then it felt like a drop on a roller coaster. If you know me, I hate roller coasters, so that wasn't fun at all! But we got here safe and sound so all is well!

Things are quite interesting here I must say! No real culture shock yet. Being here actually answers a lot of questions to why people act the way they do! It's quite funny really! I get a glimpse of how certain mannerisms have developed. I hope that made sense. LOL.

Anyway, there really isn't much to say. Things are different here. I'm so used to seeing different faces all over town, but here it's all one race! And it doesn't help that I don't know the language, but that will come in time! We live among the locals which is pretty cool. I really get to see what things are like here. I will have to tell you more when I get home!

So this week was spent settling in and getting a bit more acquainted with things. We are still working things out with the internet, but hopefully I can update you guys more. Just a side note. I cannot see my comments, so if you want to relay a message to me, it's probably best to email me.

I hope all is well with you guys! You will all be in my thoughts as I hope I'm in yours! ; ) Please remember to think about our togetherness, studies, and things going on here.

Take care & have a good week! =)

Hey!

Sorry, I had revamp my blog for certain reasons.

Anyway, I just want to say a quick thank you to everyone! I am truly going to miss all of you! Please take care of yourselves and keep in touch!

To email me, please use onrouteasia@gmail.com. Please use discretion when emailing me. Thanks and take care!

- g e n