skyscrapers, thunderstorms and chinitos every where!

well, some of you may already know that i'm no longer in lima, peru.  why am i no longer there?  why Lord did you take me there and allow me to step away from there, especially in such a brief period of time?  the original plan wasn't 1 year and 2 months, what happened? was i really supposed to leave?  mysteries. 

when i went back to los angeles for christmas and new years, i met with the investor of my company.  we spent some time discussing how business was, and that she wanted to close the office in peru and wants me in beijing with a few month lay over in hong kong to learn operations.    
whoa… whoa… whoa! 

i just started getting used to lima.  i've been learning spanish and i'm just getting into it.  i've developed a network of friends.  i decided on where i wanted to serve in church and out.  my life was just getting on track.  more importantly, i just spent a 2-3 day retreat, preparing my heart for the upcoming year.  que paso?!   :'(

left turn or right turn?  was i to follow after this new endeavor to leave lima? or was i to stay in lima and work things out? 

by no means was this an easy decision.  i toiled over this decision for weeks.  fasted for clear direction.  asked others to petition on my behalf.  heated discussions w/ family members.  the final decision was to leave my comfort zone (again), to say good bye to my network of friends & family and uproot my life… again.  i had no peace in my heart with this decision.  i did not want to leave.  i did not want to uproot again.  i did not want to find new friends.  


since then, 3 months have passed.  i've been in asia for roughly 3 weeks.  and the Lord has given me the peace that i so much sought after.  the last 2 months in peru were so delightful.  without the stress of work and language study, it was such a blessing (sad, yes, but blessings nonetheless).  there was still work to be done, which bound me to stay within the city of lima.  but that resulted in a good time of enjoy the city during the summer months.  my mom visited.  i travelled a little (machu picchu -- check).  ate way too much ceviche.  hehe.  and i'm determined to return (of course Lord willing) for the long haul after i get better at spanish and a bit more stable financially.  i want my children to be fluently trilingual (english, spanish and mandarin)!  but mainly, there are so many opportunities and so many friends there.  may you pray that this becomes reality one day?

Huacachina sandboarding despedida!

 
the past 3 weeks in hong kong have been a whirlwind.  a good brother of mine continuously reminds me how blessed i am - to live in hk on someone else's dime.  i am indeed blessed.  the first 1-2 wks, were really hard adjusting both culturally and professionally.  through the comfort of the Lord, week 3 & 3+ have been a whole lot better.  :D  however, i still got some prayer requests that i'd like to send out.

1. hong kong is just a transition, so this time here is a bit awkward.  what do i mean?  i love spending time in fellowship, but because of this 2 month transition, its just an awkward time frame.  i may meet someone and then i'm gone the next month.  do you want to be friends with someone like that?  haha.  more importantly however, when i move to beijing, i'll need to find a church.  i'll need fellowship. 

2. work.  being human and foolish, i rely on my own strength way more than i'd like and i don't turn to the Lord enough.  pray that although the stress level is way lower, that i'd be able to continuously draw my strength from Him.  and that i may be a light at work.  (ps 127)

3. to hold onto the convictions that were born in peru and continue to lift up the missionaries and friends in prayer.  

4. to walk in integrity and character, especially when i move to beijing and deal with local mainlanders.  they have a very different culture and i hear a lot of their shadiness.  that God will give me the strength and boldness to be different and upright (as much as a sinner can). 

5. my wife.  nope, not yet married, but to be so would be nice.  it gets lonely in all these cities. 

6. that i may be aware of the work that the Lord is preparing me for after my stint here in asia.  and that i may continue to walk and grow in that relationship with Him.  (no brainer! hehe)

7. shine bright here in hk, especially at my work place.   
 
8. lastly, to stay as connected as possible with friends from all over.  if you're reading this and we haven't connected in some time and you'd want to catch up in person, drop me a line email or fb and we'll try to work something out!  and i apologize for the lack of correspondence.  the older i get, the more introverted i get.  thanks for understanding. 

thanks for reading and praying!

- kc

christmas humble pie.

Matthew 26: ⁵⁰ Jesus replied, “Do what you came for, friend.” Then the men stepped forward, seized Jesus and arrested him. With that, one of Jesus’ companions reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear. “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword.  Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

wowzers.  twelve legions of angels!  makes me think lord of the rings, when the elves show up at helm's deep to help theoden.  well trained skillful fighters (all with pointy ears) instantly, all at our Jesus' disposal.  you'd be scared.  i'd go home and change my underwear. 

moving to peru has been a very humbling experience.  how were things socially at home?  i have a group of friends that i enjoy, that i love.  they have known me for over a decade and i know them, trust them and confide in them as well.  financially?  i had a good job that was steady, stressless, well paid that allowed me to have time + energy for extra activities.  freedom?  i had a car that i loved and an environment where i can play all day under the sun!   palos verdes (the city i live in), is so gorgeous.  i'd go on vacation in my own hometown.  haha.  status?  i never really cared about that, probably because i was never really disrespected much.   

then i chose to move to peru.  socially?  i knew no one.  people are a lot more complex here.  probably due to the cultural difference and probably we were too sheltered back at home.  :P  financially?  let's just say i've had my days where i covet my previous job at northrop.  freedom?  it becomes a little challenging and limiting when your hindered by communication skills.  communication?  haha.  como se dice finger?  como se dice "can i get a fork"? como se dice ... everything.  status?  well... you realize that you kind of have to earn it (outside of the church setting).  and when you can't communicate, earning it kind of goes out the door also.  haha. 

it's a very humbling experience when you can't even ask for a fork.  you kind of sit there, just a little too long.  haha. 

i cannot even begin to fathom how it was for Jesus.  "who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."

i honestly think this is something very hard for people who have never lived outside their own culture/language to truly experience.  i'm not saying i'm better than anyone, but, when i was in los angeles, i scratched only the surface of Jesus humbling himself to be with us.  yeah, He left His throne and came to earth. however, after experiencing it for a long period of time, it has become more of a heart knowledge.

more importantly, He chose to be humbled in a way that we can never fully experience.  i will never know the power of controlling legions of angels, nor will i ever experience the intense agony of the cross as Jesus did.  but more importantly, it's the ginormous difference between the two.  the sharp contrast of being King of Kings, to... "nothing in his appearance shall we desire him" and the suffering He chose to bear. 

humility.  meekness.  sacrifice.  fortitude.  obedience.  submission.  love.   

Luke 2: ⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 

this christmas, as i head home to be in the comfort of family, friends and familiarity, i get to worship Him with a slightly new heart.  i now know very well, that He is able to completely sympathize with the struggles and challenges of this past year.  more importantly, imma worship Him cause of how amazing He is.  He actively chose struggles, pain, discomfort, inability... all the emotions and physical disabilities i've experienced this past year, AND MORE AND at a way more extreme level.  all this so He can die on the cross ... for me & for you.  

gracias senor.