Happy New Year - welcoming of 2k7

Just to say HAPPY NEW YEAR!  Time to say goodbye to 2k6 and say hello to 2k7!  I must admit that I quite excited about the new year as I sure there will be more change, more grace and more blessings from God.  Here just as a quick recap for all the things to be thankful for in the good ole?2k6.

End of 4^th year

     Much to be thankful for since I was able to get my piece of paper from Queen and graduate.  Not only did it feel good to get my degree but it marked the end of my undergraduate career (which internship taught me was simply my means to an end haha).  Not to sound hasty about leaving Queen, but after 5 long years it was just time to move on to something different.  I can say for myself that I definitely not one to be able to stay in school no matter how much free time it was .  CCF I will miss you all!  Internship 05, much <3

Trip to Calgary / Kananaskis

     Although the original purpose of the trip was for an all expense paid thesis competition, it ended up being much more than us nerds talking about our creative ideas.  I went on the trip with Jackie, a friend and thesis partner.  We decided to arrive in Calgary a week before the competition so we could spend some time traveling and seeing what the city had to offer.  We stayed with his cousin who gave us free lodging and access to his car!  So we spent most of the days driving around aimlessly trying to find all the good stuff to visit.  To our dismay however, we were finished within the first day haha >.<  The highlight of the trip for me however was when we got to the resort where the competition was held.  Although Ie flown over them many times on my way to Hong Kong, it wasn until then that I first set foot on those enormous Rockies.  The sights and scenery simply took my breath away.  The hikes were tranquil, the air was fresh and best of all the peace and quiet provided an excellent time to simply reflect on the beauty of God creation.  The thesis competition went well too, Jackie and I made a good presentation but didn go home with any prizes.  That ok, seeing him get frustrated and antsy over the presentation and at me doing summersaults on the bed was enough for me hahaha =] 

New York

     After Calgary, I was able to squeeze in a quick trip to New York!  Oddly enough it was actually my first time there.  Well it just seems odd to me cause I such a city person, and New York is one of those places that I thought I would have visited before then.  I went for about a week and stayed with Peter and Tim (friends from Toronto who moved to NY).  I stayed with Peter for the larger part of the week and he took me to a bunch of underground art shows which was a first for me.  Definitely a scene that I would have never seen if it wasn for Pete haha.  Not to mention the hipster clubs and a little Indian Restaurant that had some of the best butter chicken ever.  And I don think Il ever forget my lumberjack costume that Tim threw together for me to go to the club in.  And no I don think Il elaborate on what the lumberjack/hippy/hipster costume looked like >.<

Panama!

     The Panama trip definitely has to be one of the highlights of the year.  Not only was it an amazing time but I got to share with some of the most amazing people (shout out to Panama Krew!).  It was an amazing time of fellowship, with great food, lots of sun, surfing, Carcassone, BOHNANZA(!), kayaking, zip lining, drinks by the pool, giant chess, dancing (haha mel!), worship and prayer.  To Jackie, Greg, James, Pat, Kevin, Mel, Gladys and Beni, thanks for an amazing experience in Panama!

Summer of 2k6

     I don think there an end to the blessings that God gave during this summer.  Not only did he provide me with direction, but peace and strength which transcended all my doubt so that I could follow without hesitation.  It was in this summer that he confirmed His calling for me to be here in Hong Kong, and blessed me with a job to sustain me, a church to grow in, and a fellowship of believers to learn from.  Not to mention time with my family after 20 years of separation!  It was also great cause Steph and her family was around for a month as well.  And since it was Steph first time to HK, I got to show her around and tried to convince her that HK is > than Toronto. 

October and November

     Going back to Toronto was a lot of fun, but it went by very quickly.  In the two months I was back, I was able to sell most of my possessions and see most of my friends to say good bye.  I was actually quite unsure of how everything was going to turn out cause there was just SO much work to do.  I can assure you that trying to sell a car, clean out a house and sell it in two months isn easy.  But it certainly is much easier when you have a sales coordinator and sales reps that do a big garage sale with you (Thanks Jo and Steph!).  As Jo would put it, ho wouldn want to buy from a lovely lady such as myself? Haha. 

     It was also good to be able to spend a month with Steph while she was on practicum.  However, the weeks came and went by so quickly.  I still remember dropping her off at Scarborough town center to get back into Kingston then having to fly out myself the next week. 

My Birthday

     I had a small party after the 180 Christmas dinner and invited anyone to come.  We went to Gbar on top of IFC1 for some drinks and just a time of fellowship.  Props to the Vine crew for such an awesome birthday party, and Caleb for putting it together.     

You guys already know about the rest of the year with work and all so I won repeat myself.  So as a new year begins, I wish you all the best and that you may be blessed with God presence in all that you do. 

After a month...

Since coming up to China I've had a fairly easy time adjusting to the life-style.  I've lived in a few different factories before where I ate their food, lived in their residence, and even got accustomed to getting lost in conversations that weren't in English or Cantonese.  I must admit that I was able to get comfortable here very quickly, a positive to the quick adjustment was that I was able to be productive.  Although I must admit that language was a barrier, in fact most of my questions resulted in blank stares.  (Ever smile and nod at someone when you had no idea what they were saying to you?  Let just say I was able to meet a lot of happy, agreeable people the first day.)  But luckily as the week went on, I was able to pick up enough mando to ask questions and have suito conversations with people.  I also have my own room up here with a kind of hotel style service.  There a cleaning lady that comes in every day to clean the bathroom, make the bed and leave me nice gifts like two bottles of China best ealth?labeled water.  My bathroom is fairly nice, although not very spacious it does the job.  I was already quite surprised to my living arrangements, until I started working.  After showing me around the factory and offices, I was directed to my?no not workspace? Nor is it a cubicle, but a corner office.  It even said anager Office?on the door!  I can assure you however, that I not a manager, nor is the office mine.  There actually two desks in there at the moment and I get to temporarily use one of them.  But still, a corner office!  With a corner desk! 

Besides the nice workspace and living quarters, the work here has been good as well.  Ie been learning about the factories capabilities and the production processes of our assembly lines.  Ie even worked the lines to get a feel for what it was like.  This is all a learning process for when I get to do more designing.  Although I still not settled in stably as I still on probation, Ie started designing for the company.  Some of the projects I working on are actually lassified?projects, and the funniest thing is I designing stationary.  I was told that some of the projects I working on are actually quite new and such products don exist on the market yet.  It a little scary actually because these designs will later be patented if they work out.  It been challenging as Ie never worked in this field before.  Especially since I used to design seat systems for cars, maybe now I can put a nice little magazine pocket on the back of seats.  Wait.. it already been done.

From the work Ie been doing and talking to my boss Ie gotten a better look on what my future roll will be.  It seems as though designing is only a start and I may later have more responsibilities on the administrative side.  Il leave it at that for now as I can be sure just how far it will go.  Realizing this however, I beginning to see just how much I lack and how much I need to learn beyond just engineering.  But it not always a bad thing to lack, in fact I think lacking can be a good thing.  It reminds us that no matter how much we grow, wee still only what God made us.  And without Him, we can gain little.  So like Paul, Il take this opportunity and say that I can only be glad in my weaknesses, for it is through my weaknesses that God strength and wisdom may work through me. 

 ut he said to me, y grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.?span style="">  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ power may rest on me.?span style="">

- 2^nd Corinthians 12:9

start your engines!

Unexpected?  Yeah. Did I think I was ready?  No.  But God providence doesn require for me to think I ready.  Nor does it have to ask when I thought I wanted to go.  At least it doesn always. 

It has been about a week since I started work in China.  In fact it only been a week since I startedwork at all.  I arrived back in Hong Kong last Wednesday and reported in for work the following Monday.  In the back of my head I did want some more time to relax and repare?myself for what to come, but at least starting earlier doesn give me a chance to get too lazy.  I tried to enjoy the down time to the fullest, but the few days before Monday came and went and I found myself in the Hong Kong office ready to start a new career.  I was kinda excited, since before I left for Canada, I was told that I would be working under the VP of the company which so happensto be the Global Sourcing Director.  I expected that when I got back I would start where I left off; continue the sales and marketing work under my boss with a hint of engineering and a smidgenof product design.  But God had other plans.

My roll was no longer to be in sales, but to become apart of the Product Development team.  To be more specific,youe looking at the possible future product designer of the company!  Exciting?! My first reaction was actually quite mixed, probably because this was unexpected.  But I was excited to learn that I would become an important part of this company, and in a way my work will directly affect the future sales potential of the company.  I said ossible future product designer?is because right now I not doing any sort of designing yet.  I actually in China learning the manufacturingprocess of each of our products.  For thenext few months, Il be at our Chang Ping factory 4 out of the 5 business daysevery week.  Il work in the Hong Kong office on Mondays then go up to the factory onTuesday morning.  At least I get the weekend in HK to spend with my family. 

As new and exciting as this all sounds, one thing is for sure, God is alwaysworking even when you don see it.  To be honest my first reaction was mixed because I didn want to work in Chinaet.  When God first showed me the possibility of going to Hong Kong, was quite unsure and somewhat reluctant.  I did alot of ying?to myself at first haha. When people would ask me or when I would think about it myself, I simply say, ?meh, it only for the summer.?span> It wasn until I got to Hong Kong that God really confirmed my prayers.  At the time Hong Kong seemed to be my final destination, until I went to China to teach.  There God spoke again and changed my heart for China, giving me a passion towards the people.  He also gave me a vision of doing future work and ministries there as well.  Ie met a few CEO and contacts whom God has blessed me with.  Not onlywith their work in China which has inspired me to follow suit, but with opportunities that God has seemed to open.

One thing is for sure, being here at the factory has really given me opportunity to reflect on the reality of everything that happening.  The reality that I actually here, in the country that God has called me to, being with the people whom Ie grown to love, and more importantly finding myself amidst God plan for my life.  Has it been easy here?  Not really, especially since I barely speak a word of Mandarin.  But I learning what it means to rely only on God.  Having to ask Him for Strength, Wisdom, Perseverance and above all else His Love and Grace abundant so that it may overflow to those that are around me.  I can honestly say that here I feel like I know nothing, nor do I have much of anything.  But that no longer matters.  God, being in His plan, in His providence, and His love greatly surpasses what fear and uncertainty that I first had.   Being taught to be humble has never been so welcome.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men."

- Colossians3:23

"In this you greatly rejoice, though now you have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.  These have come so that your faith - of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire - may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."