Around the World on a Mission: Taiwan

Having left Hong Kong behind us, we arrived in Taipei, Taiwan in mid-afternoon. While we arrived in the capital city, we were not going to stay there long. We would be going south to the city of Kaohsiung for most of our time in Taiwan. Following a meal at the church in Taipei, we participated in a church service that evening. When the service was over, we headed to the train station. We would be traveling by train to the…

Around the World on a Mission: Hong Kong

Having been in the ancient city of Cairo, Egypt and seen the rural center of India, we now headed for the big city of Hong Kong. Here was another opportunity to experience and learn about a different culture and peoples. In 1971 Hong Kong was in a building mode. Having been to Hong Kong recently, I saw the many apartment buildings which now look old and outdated. In 1971 it seemed construction was common as the population was growing. Because…

Around the World on a Mission: India Part 2

At the end of our first week in India my group traveled back to the city of Nagpur. Today the city of Nagpur tops 2 1/2 million people, but in 1971 it did not seem to be a very large city. We would leave behind the more rural environment of Yavatmal for city life. As we drove back to Nagpur, we passed a lot of the ox carts that were very common forms of transportation in the rural areas. What…

Around the World on a Mission: India

My first impression of India came at the airport. I remember sitting in the Bombay Airport (now known as Mumbai) waiting for our next flight. Across from us there was a counter that offered water to those passing by. From my perspective the attendant had two glasses. Someone would come along and grab one of the glasses, drink the water, and put the cup back down. The attendant would take the empty glass, dip it below the counter, and then…

Around the World on a Mission: Egypt

My first impression of Egypt was smelling the sweet fragrance of flowers, jasmine I think. It was a soothing odor as we disembarked the plane. My second impression was of guns, big machine guns carried by men in military fatigues as we entered the terminal. I had never been in a situation where there were so many military men around guarding a location. It made me nervous. I felt like I was entering a war zone. Egypt was our first…

Around the World on a Mission: The Beginning

I was 20 years old when I traveled for the first time on an airplane. That was 49 years ago. However, it wasn’t just any airplane ride. It was the beginning of a mission, a mission that would impact my life for years to come. For the next month I would travel around the world and see some of the most famous locations in the world as well as see what poverty really looks like. It would be my first…

Discovering Washington’s Record Setting Beach, Long Beach

Long Beach, Washington claims their 28 miles long beach is the longest beach in the United States. That makes it a good place to visit because in reality Washington does not have the greatest of beaches. Those in California and Oregon are generally better than Washington’s. Part of that is because a major part of Washington’s coast line is in the Puget Sound region. Here you don’t normally get the crashing waves one thinks of when going to the beach.…

The Lights of Hong Kong

The Hong Kong lights glows at night. The many buildings brighten the skyline. From our hotel room we enjoyed wonderful views of the lights of Hong Kong. The rather shabby apartment buildings around us looked different at night. Their shabby exteriors were darkened by the warm lights from the many apartment windows. To get the most enjoyment from these lights, there are a couple of night time activities that show how much Hong Kong lights up. The first experience is…

Hong Kong Shopping Opportunities

As I stated in last week’s blog, Hong Kong may not be the same as it was nearly two years ago when my wife and I visited. The political situation has altered the calm of Hong Kong. This post is a description of the Hong Kong I saw in July of 2018, not necessarily as it is today. For many years Hong Kong has been one of the major shopping centers of Asia. Under the freedom and influence of the…

Hong Kong Impressions

It was just last summer that Hong Kong nearly dominated the news media. There was considerable political unrest going on in the city. Protestors in Hong Kong were upset with concerns about losing freedoms which they have enjoyed that the rest of China has not. News reports showed protestors invading the airport and shutting down the light rail system. With the daily news reports about significant clashes between protestors and the police, tourism was definitely in decline. Our visit to…