May 2017 - Hope of the City Newsletter
When Sorrow Turns to Joy
Small acts of caring can make a huge difference in someone’s life. We saw this first hand recently in a cramped, 16-bed elderly home in North Point. During a visit, our volunteers discovered that one resident was a 78-year-old Thai lady, Supa Por Por, who was isolated and depressed since being abandoned by her family years ago. Partially paralyzed, she is bedridden and, unable to communicate in Cantonese, she cried every day.
Thankfully, Hope of the City’s Nelson can speak Thai. He went to see her and also found a Thai pastor to visit her. Now, Pastor Surachet and his wife, along with other Thai church members, visit her regularly, bringing her Thai food and encouragement. Supa Poh Poh has already accepted Christ as her Savior and she has begun to smile again.
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Rings All Around
Pliers – check. Metal snippers – check. Coils of colourful wire – check. Add a few decorative beads and a lively volunteer instructor, and you’ve got a laughter-filled afternoon of ring-making at the Oasis centre in North Point. Hope of the City organized the April 2 craft class in collaboration with Island ECC’s Indonesian Ministry. The 19 ladies who joined in soon produced a dazzling array of rings in various styles. They were so delighted with their creations, some of them even live-streamed the process to their friends in Indonesia!
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An IDEAL Walk
On May 13, when IDEAL held their annual Mother’s Day Walkathon at the Peak, our staff and volunteers were once again on hand to help put up distance markers. This year we had a record number of 12 volunteers pitching in - and they did so in the pouring rain! Fortunately, the skies cleared and the 70 participants had a good walk to raise funds for this excellent support group for families with intellectually disabled children. Just when the final walkers were straggling in and we had taken down the last of the markers, the heavy rain returned. What IDEAL timing!
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North Point Elderly Home Visits
For the past six months, Hope of the City volunteers have been making monthly home visits to the elderly in North Point, in partnership with the Hong Kong Family Welfare Society. During their April 22 visit, the director of an elderly home requested visitors for a lonely Thai lady, Supa Por Por, who was in very great need of someone to show care (read what happened in our main story above). Our May 27 visit was the final one of the official visiting scheme, but the director has welcomed our volunteers to continue visiting, and we certainly will.
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Dragon Boat Home Visits
The Dragon Boat Festival is the perfect time to splash a little love around. That’s just what 15 Hope of the City volunteers did on May 27, when we joined with two local churches in the greater Sham Shui Po district to visit 23 families. Volunteer teams brought caring hearts and blessing bags of seasonal goodies prepared by Yan Kei Church to each family. Many volunteers were touched at how hospitable the families were to them - one elderly gentleman even played some famous oldies for them on his harmonica. Hopefully, we can visit more often than just at festival times.
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