Last, but not least, is Anna, the tiny little dynamo who covered a lot of ground with me the Sunday before I left. (123). Finally you see me as a fire-eating dragon in a Chinese opera set. Dragons are good luck for the Chinese - my good luck comes from a different source. Praise the Lord!

Next is "Sunny" (082), what a perfect name for someone with a bright personality. She is a news caster on one of the local TV channels, speaking in Mandarin, as she is originally from China. In the group photo of part of the team on the Monday before I left, you can see Sunny and Maggie on the right. Maggie is the office manager, who keeps Concordia English Center running, by scheduling classes and doing all kinds of thoughtful things. Sunny and Maggie may surprise us with a December visit to New England - don't tell anyone just yet. In the pink sweater is Marry Eddy U our team leader. Look back through the photos in my blog and you will now see some familiar faces.

Farewell

I'm back in Boxford, MA. My mission to Macau was about people and places - at the heart it was about some very special people - seekers, new Christians and seasoned laborers for Christ. They will continue to be in my prayers, as I share their stories with my friends and family in the United States. First is an interior photo of one of the "canals" inside the Venetian Casino and Resort (014). This casino is spectacular to visit and a good place to enjoy a meal. Casinos are so central to the Macau economy, however, for me the people are what make Macau important to me.

The Altar

Lenten Season

Macau was a Portuguese colony for 400 years, which is what gives it its unique look and flavors. There are several beautiful Roman Catholic churches, so Christianity is not new concept. This is St. Lawrence Church and it's altar as prepared for the Lenten season. (066 & 062) Imagine what it will look like for Easter!

Lenten Season

A Hong Kong parish, Church of All Nations (022), sent a 15 member English speaking team to Macau on March 14. This team provided a lively two hours to meet our students at small tables and speak English with them on any topics they that interested them such as families, volunteering, travel and even American cowboys.

Lenten Season

During Lent the Friday night Bible classes at St. Paul's Lutheran Church have been using the Alpha course, which was developed in England. It gives our students a chance to develop a richer vocabulary and deeper understanding of Scripture. (001)

March 15

Now you see the dinner (113) with Anna and the son as the proud cooks. There are three kinds of cooked greens - that beautiful lettuce was cooked. There is Portuguese style rice with tomatoes, onions, garlic and Portuguese sausage (my favorite). Then you see the whole fish cooked with special herbs, the chicken and chicken corn soup in the bowls. The last photo is the cheerful grandfather. These people opened up their hearts and home to me - none of them could speak English except Anna, which is why I never got to write down their names. Anna's best friend said next time she should bring someone like me to visit earlier in my stay, I would love that.

Jane

March 15

We headed down to Coloane, the farthest point at the end of Macau. We rode in a bus first, then in her friend's family car with the grandmother, husband and wife. They sent me out to the garden with Anna's friend and her 84 year old mother, where we picked beautiful lettuce (111), while Anna and her friend's husband were inside cooking up a wonderful dinner. I also was outside with Anna while she washed and rinsed the lettuce and other greens many times. Soon the son of the family arrived with his eight month old son and his and his mother-in-law. The son also joined in the cooking. A little while later, the daughter-in-law and the grandfather arrived, so we now had four generations of the family in the house on the original farm - one of the few small farms left in Macau. Most of the family now lives in the central part of Macau, but they come to Coloane for special occasions and just to enjoy this beautiful spot.

March 15

My last days in Macau were packed happiness and sadness. Spring and azaleas blooming come a little earlier than in New England. They were in full bloom for March 15. (104) My last Sunday at St. Paul's Church was then. When I told my little friend Anna this, as we were coming out of church, she said I want to take you out to lunch - this was 11:30 AM, we never arrived home until 10:30 that evening! We packed in quite a day, most of the following photos come from that day. We walked to many places that I still wanted to see. She got on her phone several times and arranged for us to go to visit her "best friend" at dinner time and Anna was going to do the cooking. After lots of sightseeing and a a foot massage we went to the fresh or the wet market right in the main square to pick up the ingredients for dinner. (094) You can see the chicken we had for dinner- guaranteed fresh!