from my dad in Hong Kong

HELLO FROM HONG KONG!!!

It's my first break in the schedule so I'm here in the Youth for Christ offfice trying to squeeze my fingers into one of those tiny little keyboards they make for NORMAL hands. Ouch, I'm cramping up already!!

I got to San Diego Airport late Tuesday afternoon, waited a couple of hours, got on a plane to L.A., then got off cuz mechanical difficulties. An hour and a half later, back on plane, to L.A., and then left for Hong Kong at 11 p.m. Yes, I DID get Bulkhead seat. Still had to park my legs in the aisle. Got run over by the Food Cart about a hundred times, but foot still somewhat attached to my leg.

I really tried to sleep this time. Denny Magnuson, how do you do it?? Overseas seats must be about a foot narrower than domestic. Felt like I was wedged in for 16 hours. Maybe standing on my head would work better.

Arrived in Hong Kong 6:30 a.m., found a Bus into Hong Kong, had 20 min. to unpack and was off to 2 school programs(1000 students), Senior Citizen program(400). How I love the seniors here. I think I high-fived all 400 of them. When I get to be old(another 40 years) I want to be like them!! So full of joy and laughter!! They ooh and ahh at everything I do(I could tie my shoes and get a standing ovation)

Got to bed at 11:30 my first night. Had to force myself to STAY AWAKE all day, even after 18 hours of flying, so I could get on a body time clock. My bed is a little 6 foot bunk bed. Not gonna work. So I piled some mattresses on the floor and gave it a shot. My room is 6'7" wide. I am 6'7" tall. Do the math. Do you really think there that many other 6'7" people in Hong Kong? NOT!!!!

Next day(Thursday. You lose a day going to Hong Kong), I did a high school program, back to Youth for Christ to do a Seniors program, then we did an outdoor program at a Fruit Market, kinda like our Farmers Market. We start doing our magic program, the crowds come, and we share the Gospel with them. Almost thought we were going to cancel, due to the rain.It has been VERY COLD and WET. Haven't seen much sun. And no heat in our little apt. so I just put on everything I own and fight through it. Really funny because at a few of schools I performed in, they had he windows wide open AND THE AIR CONDITIONER ON!!!! You could actually see your breath as you were talking!!! I wonder if they do this to kill off any germs or viruses. Still some concern about the viral problems they had a few years ago.

Friday I ministered again to a Seniors meeting. I had the perfect magic object lesson. I came out with a little teapot, poured me some tea(everyone drinks tea in Hong Kong), talked about how Teapot was specially made for making tea and how were specially planned and created to walk with God and become like Him. I then pulled a 30 foot silk streamer from inside the teapot, taling about the blessings of being "filled" with God. Then I told of how we use the teapot over and over, not throw it away. I actually put the teapot in a paper bag, wadded up the bag and threw it away. The audience went wild!! Wouldn't you, too??

Food has been quite good this trip. We go to a restaurant that has become good friends of the Youth for Christ director,David Chu. They bring us about 12 different dishes of all kinds of real Chinese food(Chicken feet, squid, chicken(sliced up, WITH the bones), and yes, RICE and NOODLES. I've learned to stay away from anything that looks like it's still alive and wiggling. The other stuff has been quite tasty. Not crazy about drinking 15 cups of tea everyday. How about just one Coke, but they're about $3 a bottle. Sometimes after a meal, the couple I'm ministering with(Michael and Jeannie) will sneak out to McDonalds for an ice cream cone. UMMMMM!!!

Today, I am preparing to go to a Phillipine Church to preach. How I love to preach and encourage the people in the churches. They are extremely receptive. This one church last week had a Praise service with Praise dancers that went for 50- minutues before they started the regular part of the service.

My health has been pretty good. Always hard to make adjustments the first 3 days. The cold has caused a little bit of a cold, but I feel strong. Last night, we had 2 Chinese young men over to teach them how to use Gospel magic in their ministry. Finished about midnite. Then yesterday I directed some young leaders in a mime Drama to use in their evangelistic meetings. I hoping we will debut the skit in the next day or 2.

Well, got to get some things together for Phillipine church. There is always very much preparation going on because we have a schedule but we never know when they will throw in another meeting or 2 each day. That's what we're here for, to be "on call" for the Lord. Boy, you really get a perspective for serving the Lord "moment by moment" when you go on the mission field. We may possible get ONE DAY to ourselves to maybe do some sight seeing but that's a big maybe.

Thanks for all our prayers. Thanks again to all the people who made this trip financially possible. Amazing all these years that God always provides every single need, sometimes at the 12th hour. All these years of missions trips teaches one to truly trust in the Lord let go of the worries about finances, health, safety, and open doors.


Love you all.

Mr. Tiny