My Journey to Hong Kong

Downtown Hong Kong

Not too long after I became a Christian I wanted to become a missionary to Africa. I thought Africa because that’s where I thought all missionaries went. Sometime after I became a Christian, God gave me my first vision -  at least the first one that I knew was from Him. After having the vision I knew I was supposed to come to Hong Kong. Hong Kong was one of the last places on earth that I would have picked to be a missionary. I didn’t even know where it was. I was pretty normal for my circle, because many of the people that know me, after my family moved here, thought we were living in Japan. So for all of you who don’t know where it is, Hong Kong is in the most southern part of China.

I had a friend that worked for the Lancaster Vineyard Church. He was a caretaker for a ranch where they trained missionaries. I called him and told him that God had told me to go to Hong Kong. He knew a person named Jackie Pullenger who was (and is) a missionary in Hong Kong. He helped connect us with her.  After two years, they contacted me and asked me to come and check out the work to see if I thought our family could work there. After another two years they asked us to come and work with them.

Jackie Pullenger’s ministry, St. Stephens asked us to receive missionary training through another ministry in Los Angeles before coming to Hong Kong. So I quit my job. My family and I went through a summer training with a group called “Servants Among the Poor” in downtown LA known as Skid Row. This is an area full of drug dealers, drug addicts, prostitutes, alcoholics. and many homeless who slept in the streets or in abandoned cars.  We learned how to reach out and love the people who lived here. We were some of the few white people in the area. This experience greatly reduced our culture shock when we moved to Hong Kong.

When I dreamed of being a missionary I always thought that I would live in some remote village somewhere. Instead, I ended up living in a city of 7 million people with a high population density –all living on top of each other. My family has worked with drug addicts, street kids, troubled youth, and the working poor. Some of the troubled youth have been in the Chinese mafia (Triads). Over the years, we have spent much of our time praying for those that have been emotionally damaged and developing inner healing materials appropriate for Hong Kong. In addition discipleship materials, and literature that helps promote Biblical literacy as a focus. We have also put out a Bible to help people learn to read and use the Bible in Cantonese.

Some of my vision includes

Developing an online course to teach about moving in the spiritual gifts.

Opening a center where the poorer people can come and receive inner healing and counseling.

Hosting a school where people can learn what their gifts are and be equipped in those gifts.

Equipping Christians all over the world to grow into the callings that God has called them to.

Encouraging church leaders to see all of their people as gifted and equip them to become what God created them to be.