GOOD TO BE BACK!

LeRoy standing on the main walkway to the beach in the village

Almost feels like coming home. Two years ago we cut our trip short to return to the US for Marianne's surgery. We had just completed serving at Bethany Ministries on Cheung Chau and were planning to travel in the Mainland.

Now we are back filling in for the Pastoral Care directors for two weeks as they have holiday with their children in Thailand. All the staff at Bethany is the same so it does feel nice to slip back in our roles as relief staff.

We arrived at the end of the Easter holiday in Hong Kong and our island was packed with visitors.

All four buildings at Bethany were full, with people from Hong Kong, America, England, New Zealand and Australia.

Both of us are almost over jet lag and are thankful for sleeping longer each night.

Singing Sleepy Songs

I wonder if my grandkids have these conversations about my singing to them. Surely not.

A doting father used to sing his little children to sleep until he overheard the four-year-old tell the three-year-old, "If you pretend you're asleep, he stops."

HONG KONG ARRIVAL

After two flights, one  taxi and a train, we boarded the three-decker ferry to Cheung Chau to begin our time at Bethany Ministries. LeRoy napped on the 50-minute trip to the island.

Hong Kong Easter holiday continues to this weekend so the retreat center is packed with guests including 18 children. The past two days have been filled with good visits and reconnecting with staff members. 

We officially begin tomorrow (Friday) morning. Today we had meetings to bring us up-to-date with the new procedures. Also enjoyed a morning devotion with staff and guests.  

So good to be back!

He is Risen

Loving Others

We get lost in loving ourselves but found in loving others. - Saint Augustine

Hong Kong Opportunity

The Difference Between Religion and the Gospel

• Religion says, if I obey, God will love me. 
• Gospel says, because God loves me, I can obey.
• Religion has good people & bad people. 
• Gospel has only repentant and unrepentant people.
• Religion values a birth family. 
• Gospel values a new birth.
• Religion depends on what I do. 
• Gospel depends on what Jesus has done.
• Religion has the goal to get stuff from God. 
• Gospel has the goal to get God.
• Religion sees hardships as punishment for sin. 
• Gospel sees hardship as sanctified affliction.
• Religion is about me. 
• Gospel is about Jesus.
• Religion believes appearing as a good person is the key. 
• Gospel believes that being honest is the key.
• Religion has an uncertainty of standing before God. 
• Gospel has certainty based upon Jesus' work.
• Religion ends in pride or despair. 
• Gospel ends in humble joy.

--edited from Mark Driscoll, on the difference between Religion and the Gospel

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