Better late than never...

It has been a year and a half since our last blog and it is exciting for us to be back in the blogosphere updating you on our lives. It has been an exciting time for our family and the biggest news is that we have decided to leave Hong Kong permanently this summer.

Our plans at present are uncertain but we do know that God is calling us to a new city and to a new ministry. We have enjoyed our years in Hong Kong immensely and we often comment on how much we will miss our friends here.

We will be making a decision on our future plans at the end of February. We are applying to numerous international schools in Singapore and are praying that God will open a door for us there. We have only travelled to Singapore once but we really felt comfortable and at home during our visit. In many ways, these two cities are similar but the main advantages of Singapore, for us, are that the official language is English and Singapore is only a few hours drive from my parents in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. While I am a self proclaimed "dinosaur" when it comes to language acquisition, our desire is for the girls to grow up knowing of their Chinese roots and be bilingual in both English and Chinese.

If we are unable to secure employment in Singapore, we will be returning to North America somewhere. We have a number of cities on our list for a variety of reasons. We will cross that bridge if and when necessary but we have a deep peace that God will guide us and take care of us. Due to the timing of our return, the possibilities of teaching that academic year are unlikely so we are looking forward to having time to visit family and friends all over Canada and the U.S.

As for the girls, they have both grown so fast. Naomi started

kindergarten this year at International Christian School. I still can't believe they start school here at three years old. But, I guess it isn't surprising considering how the Chinese emphasize education. We have been blessed that one of my benefits as a teacher is free tuition and we are thrilled at the amazing start Naomi has received. She has grown so much in her ability to communicate and interact and she is such a source of happiness and pride. She is a compassionate and kind little girl and we have seen many instances of her trying to comfort other children who are in distress. She is very sensitive and emotional; this Christmas she began to sob when she watched the claymation classic "Rudolf, the Rednosed Reindeer" becuase Rudolf was being mistreated for being different. We know that her empathy for others is special and look forward to witnessing how God will use her to love and encourage others.

In school, Naomi has been learning about community helpers. When asked what she wanted to be when she grew up, she said she wanted to be a golfer! When asked by her teacher how being a golfer would benefit the community, she said she would give her money to help others! I cannot express my pride as a father! We just bought Naomi her first 7 iron and she has been working on her swing. I think she's a natural! She did also mention that she wanted to be a teacher like Mommy! I think its funny that she doesn't see me as a teacher as well!

Like Naomi, Taylor has grown up very quickly. She has just hit a growth spurt of late and has been eating nonstop. She is still petite, but compared to the smaller Chinese children, is pretty much average. She is a free spirit and has an infectious smile. In the past month she has started talking more and it is so touching for Anna and I to finally hear her calling us by name. Her favorite things to do include petting and kissing our dog Mia, playing with doors, climbing stairs, trying on our shoes, and getting into things that she shouldn't! Her favorite animals right now are monkeys and she loves saying "ooh, ooh, aah, aah." We bought her a toy monkey for Christmas who we have named Max. She cuddles with him at night when she goes to sleep; it is so cute!

Taylor loves her sister and always wants to do what Naomi is doing. We just moved the girls into the same room and they get along really well. Naomi watches over Taylor figuratively and literally as we have her on the top bunk looking over Taylor's crib. Our hope and prayer is that these two little ones will be best friends and always be there for one another as they grow up.

As for Anna, it has been a busy year for her. She has been working at Christian Alliance International School as an elementary art teacher. She has loved the experience of teaching these younger children and imparting her passion for art upon them. She is genuinely respected and appreciated by her school and I believe this has made this last teaching post especially rewarding and fulfilling. Anna has also been working on illustrating her first children's book. She has been on an intense and grueling timeline but hopes to complete her series of 20 paintings before Father's Day. The book is called "The Gift of Time" and is written by a close friend. Despite all this busyness, Anna continues to serve as a stay-at-home Mom. I admire her for her ability to balance work and care for our two energetic girls. God's grace truly has been sufficient for her! I am so blessed to have such a wonderful wife!

As for me, I have begun preparing myself emotionally to leave Hong Kong. This has been my home for the last nine years and am thankful for the experiences I have gained from living overseas. My Chinese - or should I say Chinglish - is almost passable and I have a new appreciation for my culture. And, it is very meaningful that my entire family will be leaving Hong Kong as permanent residents. While we have decided to leave Hong Kong permanently, both Anna and I believe we will be back again. The wonderful thing about our residency status is that we have the freedom to return at any time to work.

Professionally, I have learned much as a teacher here and know that my greatest impact lies not in the curriculum I taught but more in the relationships that were fostered with my students. While it makes some anxious that my future employment is uncertain, I am truly excited to see what God has in store for me and my family. I have always been a dreamer and I am praying that I will have a chance to pursue some of my dreams in the coming year.

We will remain in Hong Kong until August of this year. After this point, we will either move to Singapore for our new jobs - God willing - or travel to Malaysia for an extended stay with my parents. Anna will begin her Hong Kong permanent residency application on Aug. 1 and will need to remain in the region until she is granted a new Hong Kong ID card. This process will take one to three months and our timeline will have to remain flexible as we wait. We will obviously be sad to leave this amazing city and the incredible people we have gotten to know, but we are looking forward to this next great adventure! If you would like to come visit us, your time is short. Our guest room is ready, our dog is ready for a walk, we'll take you to eat yummy food and I'll take you golfing!