Dear CEDAR Fans,
Peace be with you!
I would like to share with you a little reflection of mine during this season of Christmas.
The Letter From CEDAR | December 2019
The Letter From CEDAR | October 2019
Raymond in Dubai
Dear companions of CEDAR Fund, Shalom!
I paid my first visit to Dubai lately and wowed by this “artificial” city.
Though this ancient Middle East city sits on the coastline of Persian Gulf, it was all the time a small trading port due to its desert terrain (population was below 200,000 in 1970s). Large-scale development begins only in the millennium by heavy government funding. She now owns a few “top of the world”, for example, the tallest building, the largest shopping mall, the largest artificial islands under construction, the biggest indoor theme park, etc. To build a modern city in the desert, numerous extraordinary difficulties need to be solved, like land quality, water source, extreme weather and pollution. Therefore, Dubai is also called “a miracle in desert”.
The Letter From CEDAR | July 2019
Dear Friends of CEDAR,
Shalom!
In human’s perspective, a subject’s values are often determined by its benefits to people. For example, a down coat is a necessity for people living in cold areas, but often useless for those living in tropical areas. This methodology of defining a subject’s values not only applies to materials, but also to human beings. An old Chinese tale “Wu Yen” is a good illustration. When the country was in crisis, the all-rounded ugly queen, Wu Yen, gained attention from King Xuan of Qi Dynasty. However, when the war was over, the King avoided her the furthest as possible.
The Letter From CEDAR | March 2019
Dear Friends of CEDAR,
Few weeks ago, I took a train to Yuen Long for a meeting. Arriving at the train station’s lobby, I heard a loud and angry voice with foul languages from a short distance. A young man was yelling at a Station Assistant because the ticketing machines would not take his HK$100 note and he was in a hurry. The Assistant patiently advised him to purchase a ticket from the ticketing office. At the ticketing office, right after handing in the HK$100 note, he started scolding again for the same issue. The staff then had to respond to his complaint, instead of getting him a ticket.
I didn’t stop to see how he finally got the ticket, but I wondered if this young man realised his emotional act was actually causing further delay to his trip. This is an example of how emotion and a busy mind could distract us from the important things.
THE LETTER FROM CEDAR | December 2018
Dear Supporters of CEDAR,
Few weeks ago, I was in Donggala, Indonesia, one of the hardest hit regions by the earthquake and tsunami on 28th September. We visited the victims in 7 of the 11 villages/temporary camps, where CEDAR is offering emergency support via our local partner, PESAT. Please click for details there. Here, I want to share with you my reflection from the trip.
THE LETTER FROM CEDAR | September 2018
1st September 2018
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Hope you had a blessed summer.
My wife and I were invited to share on the handling of conflict in parenting at a fellowship group in our church few days ago. We shared about the struggle parents are facing. In Hong Kong, we do all we can to prepare our children for a successful life. This often means completion of higher education, successful career, better living environment, etc. However, less attention is paid to prepare the little ones for transforming the world.
In June and July, other than the World Cup, the world’s attention was captured by the Tham Luang cave rescue. We were thankful that all 12 boys and their coach had finally been rescued. Our prayer goes to the family of the Thai diver who lost his life in the rescue effort.