Case Family in Hong Kong

On my mom’s birthday we headed out to Huber’s Orchard for dinner.  The kids enjoyed the weather and the scenery (adults too).

After an hour to and an hour in the airport in Hong Kong, a 5 hour flight to Korea, a 7 hour layover in the Korean airport, a 12 hour flight to Chicago, an UNEXPECTED 12 hour layover in the Chicago airport and another 1 hour flight to Louisville, we finally made it.  We all had many breakdowns along the way, felt and looked like zombies upon arrival, but we’re here and very grateful that we made it safely.  Our expert opinion is to stay as far away from Chicago O’Hare airport as possible and DO NOT fly American Airlines, it seems like they’re hiring anyone with a GED these days and cancelling flights with little regard for their customers.  Anyways, we got to fly from Korea next to a couple adopting a 10 month old Korean baby boy, so Melanie and I were watching and learning, trying to see how Ezri reacted to the baby.  She did good but somehow she’s confused, “SHARE!” with “Let go, it’s mine, don’t even think about touching it.”  We heard from the US embassy in Guatemala yesterday and they want us to get our fingerprints updated as soon as possible, so we hope to get an appointment made, hopefully sometime this week.  Well Ezri loves her grandparents “puppies” and enjoyed chasing the dogs around the house.  She also basked in all the attention from her grandparents and playing with some of her cousins for the first time.  I’ll try to post some pictures soon.  Thanks for checking in, the Cases

So, we are a little anxious with this big trip to the U.S. coming up….lots to get ready for leaving here and bringing there….for a long 6-week holiday.  We are also excited…but when we finally hit American soil, particularly Louisville soil, we will have crossed a big hurdle in our trip:  getting from here to there successfully!  We leave here at 12:30am (midnight) on a Sunday to fly to Korea….spend 7 hours in the Seoul airport…fly to Chicago…round up our belongings and fly to Louisville…about a 26 hour trip…makes for a little anxiety flying with a free-spirited toddler who loves to run and get around!  But we’ll get there.

We’ve had some fun events over the past week:  Saturday was the opening day of Kung Fu Panda in Hong Kong; the IMAX theatre was showing it in English so we took Ezri.  She started shaking a bit when the screen lit up and the music started, so we moved to the top seats…still great seats.  She watched every minute of the movie and really enjoyed it, exclaiming, Bear!…Kitty…Bear! from time to time (she called the raccoon a kitty).  On Tuesday Ezri and I went for a play date to meet friends at a toy store called WiseKids.  They have an amazing playroom(s) area for kiddos and you can go to a given session of play there.  We took Sabrina (15 months) and Ezri (nearly 19 months) and the girls had a ball!  It was overload, really….so many things to see and play with and only 1hour 15 minutes to do it in.  They had a multi-sensory room with cool fiber-optics, dress-up, large block area, train-track table, a beach-fun area, a ‘house’ set-up, and even a sushi restaurant with everything mini…even costumes, so the girls could play chef!  Ezri wasn’t into the hat, but Sabrina wore one and looked soooo cute!  Then, today, Wednesday we went for a play date with Ezri’s good friend, Ka Ka (short for Kaitlyn).  We went to their house and played, swam, ate lunch, and made snow cones and played some more.  The girls play really well together.

On Javier, we should have an update and new photos soon.  Good news is that his new birth certificate has been issued and the passport has been applied for and they should have that soon, if not already.  We now await a second round of DNA testing and then a date for our appointment with the embassy.  We’ll keep you posted.  Also, several of the kids from Javi’s orphanage have chicken pox….so keep those babies that are sick and those that are well…and those caring for them in your prayers, please.

Well, just wanted to update you on the goings-on with us.  We depart for the U.S. in 4 short days!  Please keep our travel in your prayers!

—Melanie, for the Cases

So, on Saturday, we headed out to Shek O Beach–located on the eastern side of HK island. It is one of two beaches we’ve visited since living in HK (beaches, of which there are sooo many we’ve yet to see!). Anyway, we really like Shek O b/c the water seems to be calm and good for the kiddos…and it’s a really nice scenic spot as well. Turns out it takes us less than an hour to get there via public transport…so that’s nice too.

This being the first time Ezri’s been to the beach since she was around 10 months old, she loved it!!! She did not want to leave and kept saying, “Pool, pool…..” as we were leaving…really wanting to go back into the water and sand…of which she was a great fan!

We’ll post some videos of our sea-faring fun very soon…enjoy!

On Sunday past, Hong Kong celebrated Tuen Ng; this is a public holiday commemorating a special event in the history of HK. The tradition goes as follows: Dragon Boat Festival falls on the fifth day of the fifth month/moon of the Chinese calendar (approximately early- to mid-June), commemorating the death of Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet who lived during the Warring States period. Known for his patriotism, Qu Yuan tried unsuccessfully to warn his king and countrymen against the expansionism of their Qin neighbors. When the Qin Dynasty general Bai Qi took Yingdu, the Chu capital, in 278 BC, Qu Yuan’s grief was so intense that he drowned himself in the Miluo river after penning the Lament for Ying. According to legend, rice dumplings were thrown into the river to prevent fish from eating the poet’s body. (reference: http://zique.blogsome.com/2007/08/12/glutinous-rice-dumpling/)

So, following with tradition, Dragon Boat races are held all over Hong Kong. We were able to go to the races in Sai Kung, only 20 minutes bus from us. There were lots of people, boats, and festivities. Hope you enjoy the photographs from this eventful celebration!

The Cases

We’re hearing that 230 cases were released on Friday. We do not know how many were approvals and how many were kickouts (previos) at this point. We’ll be checking Monday to see if we were in the 230!

Joint Council on International Children Services Website

The official announcement:

June 6, 2008

Joint Council is pleased to announce that PGN has released approximately 230 adoption cases today. At this time, there is no estimate of the number of cases with previos, versus the number of cases without. Upon the release of cases by PGN, Joint Council will be providing estimates of the number of cases without previos. Joint Council extends its appreciation to PGN for its release of these cases. We will continue to work with PGN and key stakeholders in Guatemala on the review of the adoption procedure.

Way back in late 2005 Melanie and I started the application process to become candidates for the International Mission Board, the missions agency for the Southern Baptist Convention.  Melanie served two years in Guatemala with the IMB as a journeyman and has felt a strong call overseas from a very young age.  I too felt a calling to live out the gospel in foreign cultures.  Unfortunately for us, the IMB implemented two highly controversial guidelines while we were in process.  You can find out about those guidelines here: Rodney Hammer’s Open Letter to the SBC, Baptism Meanings and Methods Spark Debate Among Some Baptists, and Pulling Back the Curtain on SBC Power Politics 

One of the guidelines required me to be rebaptized since I was baptized in a Christian church.  After much prayer and heartache and consulting with our church elders, I could not in clear conscience be rebaptized to gain a “Baptist Identity”.  I’m Southern Baptist by choice, not coercion.  Our church elders submitted a request for an exception on our behalf (see below), but we were told by our candidate consultant almost immediately that it had no chance of being granted.  If you know our story you’ll know that God still found a way to get us overseas.  Although we have no insurance, no formal training, no support network locally and are going into debt, we know that this is where God wants us right now.  Finally though, there are a group of people trying to reverse these guidelines. 

PLEASE visit http://imbchange.info/index.php and sign if you agree with the statement so that more workers can be sent. 

Jason,

Here’s a copy of the letter we are planning to send to the IMB.  I tried to get an appointment with the IMB representative, but his secretary said his schedule was completely full.  I have heard some rumors that the IMB is already rethinking this policy.  Let us hope and pray that letters like this will help repeal this policy.   -Rob

March 29, 2006

International Mission Board
3806 Monument Avenue
P.O. Box 6767
Richmond, VA 23230-0767

Dear Partners in the Gospel,

We, the pastors of Sojourn Community Church (SBC), are writing this letter in support of Jason Case, who is in the process of applying for missionary service with his wife, Melanie Case.   According to new IMB policies, Jason is required to be rebaptized because the church in which he was originally baptized does not hold to the doctrine of eternal security.  (Jason, though, does hold to the doctrine of eternal security.)  We cannot in good conscience rebaptize Jason, and are writing this letter to appeal for an exception.

Jason came to saving faith in Christ through the ministry of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Ky., and was subsequently baptized in this church.  Southeast is well-known in Louisville for its strong stance on the authority of the Bible and salvation by faith in Christ alone.  The church has friendly ties with the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and their senior pastor has spoken in the seminary’s chapel.

We have talked with Jason, and he has a Biblical understanding of his baptism.  He views his baptism as a symbolic proclamation of the salvation which he received as a free gift from God (Eph 2:8-10).  Jason and his wife, Melanie, are faithful members of our congregation and committed Southern Baptists.  We feel constrained by both the Scriptures and conscience not to rebaptize Jason.  We believe Jason and Melanie would make great international missionaries, and we hope that this new policy will not hamper their continued application.

Sincerely,

The Pastors of Sojourn Community Church (SBC)

Robert Cheong
Mike Cosper
Daniel Ems
Brian Miller
Daniel Montgomery
Rob Plummer

So….this morning Ezri and I headed down to Central (downtown area, Hong Kong) for playgroup. It was a good time, as there were 4 moms and babies…lots of fun toys for the kiddos, tea and muffins (morning tea) for the mums…and conversation between all. Another plus and point of interest is the makeup of the group: one couple (mom and baby) from Congo, Africa, another from the Philippines, another from New Zealand, and then us from the U.S.–diversity can be such a blessing…to see God’s creativity in the people he has fashioned—how amazing!!!

Today was the second of two very rainy days in a row, and so, as Ezri and I left playgroup, we went a different way than usual–so as to avoid the pouring rain. We landed in IFC mall, where I attempted to purchase a 3rd anniversary gift for Jason–something leather. Anyway, Ezri was getting a little antsy, and was begging me for a hot dog…which I had not brought with me…so I decided to try a couple pastry shops, scouring for a ‘pig in a blanket’. When that idea failed, I was passing by a Starbucks and noticed some yummy looking quiche in the pastry case. I passed by at first, heading for the train, but Ezri began to whimper, so I thought rather than set myself up for a long 45 minute train-ride with an unhappy toddler, I’d better head back and try the quiche! So, we ordered one “bacon and egg pie” and a bottled water and lounged to enjoy them. The quiche was surprisingly of little interest to Ezri, but the courtesy baby-size frappucino was very enticing! I let her taste it and then drank most of it, leaving whipped cream for her to slurp up. One of the baristas who was talking to Ezri asked if I’d like a ‘baby-chino’ for her. (I was thinking, “you have a frapp. for babies on your menu?…hmmm…don’t think we need that.”) But then she brought Ezri another tiny cup with steamed froth topped with cinnamon sprinkles! Ezri was aglow! She took it and dipped the straw in the taste–fabulous in the eyes of this toddler! So, the barista–whose name we found to be Sandra–was talking to me as Ezri enjoyed her ‘drink’. It turned out that she was from mainland China and had moved to Hong Kong with her family 15 years past. She spoke pretty good English, and, in making conversation, I asked if she attended a church in HK. She looked puzzled, “Church?” So, I tried to then ask about God,…then religion…and so on….she said, “Could you use simple terms, please?” I was floored! She was a spiritual blank slate! —– (It occurred to me that it was no coincidence that it had been raining, we’d taken a different route home, Ezri had been cranky…and I’d stumbled into Starbuck’s seeking respite in the form of a quiche!!! God is at work!!!) I then began to talk to her about a very ancient book in which we believe (the Bible) that tells us of God… and before I knew it, Ezri was off–darting out of Starbuck’s and I had to run after her. By this time, of course, Sandra needed to get back to work, and Ezri needed my full attention. She asked if we were in the area often and mentioned that she worked there full-time. I told her that we came out that way on Tuesdays, and so could hopefully see her again. That was it…for today. Please pray for Sandra and her family. Pray that God almighty, who fashioned our meeting today, will give her eyes that see, ears that hear and a heart that understands His truth from scripture!!! Pray that God will give me both the words to share the gospel message with her and the boldness to do so.

Thankful to serve a God who is larger than life,

Melanie