Once off the plane life began its familiar routine from years ago in HKG. The train to the station the taxi up the hill to home of Henry and Florence Craig who I have known since their arrival in HKG in 1989 as a pair and Henry some time before that. Tazia, the older daughter now a very attractive teenager and Juliana the younger one. Tazia had her friend Clare with her picking up the last few days before Clare leaves for Australia and schooling there. They have known each other most of school lives in HKG. Partings like this very much part of the international life style these people live. In the end they have a very rich heritage from around the world much as I do but at the time it is not easy. For the evening meal we went to the Cricket Club. My choice on the menu fish and chips; Henry into Indonesian style Nasi Goreng, a type of Chinese fried rice.

Friday: My big event was meeting up with Cissy Yim, a former staff person in the United Bible Societies (UBS). We have had a long association going back to helping her with some study progams and then followed on in the recent period when we spent 18 months serving Ambassador Fellowship. Met up at her office and went over to a popular cafe Deli France. Cissy is an office manager for the Institute of Financial Managers which carry out certification procedures for qualified people. I knew she was not all that happy with the job slot and knew she was seeking some other position. However was not quite prepared for her statement. I have made my decision. This decision is to join a group working in Cambodia. In previous contacts she had spoken about going on short term visits. Her background is Roman Catholic, the time in UBS has brought her to real faith as she continues her association with her background people. She said that up until recently they had only asked for medical qualified people but recently told her they were doing more projects so now need her kind of inputs. The group is Jesuit in background. She will be given a room but will eat with the group in a common dining room. So a major decision. The initial sign on is for two years. It was great to hear of her commitment to service and ministry. Meeting people like this is a life enriching experience

Saturday morning a return to old haunts as Janette and I used to join a group at Dan Ryans for breakfast many Saturdays. Dan Ryans is a very American orientated place so not my first choice but for Auld Lang Syne a lot can be done.  One of these people was Dorothy, a Chinese woman who worked with Bob Bonds, the man behind the breakfast initiative. So we relived those happenings! Bob is now in Germany working with the same Company in a similar capacity to what he had done in HKG.