Chan's Personal Blog

Here I am, rapidly approaching the finish line. There is ten days left before the term finishes. I've got two assignments, one quiz, and one final project due within those ten days. So, it's time to gear up for this final stretch of the race. I'm going to have a fun time juggling school, sleep, work, church, and relationships. In either case, if you don't see too many blog updates this week, you'll know why. Lucky me, I also have an exam on the very first day of the exam period. Let them come.

I'll end off with a short excerpt from C.J. Block again from his book, "A Letter to the Canadians: The First Epistle of C.J. Block." This comes from chapter 4. Hopefully this can bring some refreshment to the many weary souls that dare tread here.

"However, in these trials I have learned that more important to God as how much you can handle, is the question of how you handle it. When the storms of life come, do not just pray that you will make it through the storm, but pray also that you will make it through the storm with integrity, having kept your word, represented the Truth, and maintained Christ's attitude genuinely in everything you said and did. It is important to God that you arrive with integrity on the other side of the storm. This is Christianity with style." - C.J. Block

As promised, this is a second installment of what I experienced at the Merge two weeks ago. I went to one of the truth sessions on Saturday morning, and the theme they were addressing was money. This is one of those touchy subjects that the Church tries to tip toe around, but I think it is especially important to address for young adults. A lot of us are starting to get our hands on income, credit cards, etc, and it's really easy to be sucked into uncontrollable debt.

In either case, they handed out a small book called, "A Letter to The Canadians: The first epistle of John Stevens." It is written in the style of Paul from the Bible, as a letter to various churches during biblical times. The difference is, this book addresses some of things that are specific to Canadians (the West), and uses more up to date language. John Stevens is a Canadian missionary who is currently working in Estonia. He provides a unique outsider's perspective on the Canadian church. Here is an excerpt from chapter 3 that spoke volumes to me.

"Don't be captured by greed, as those around you have allowed themselves to be. They chase with every breathe the debt that binds them to many masters. The credit card companies are quick to extend their hands filled with money to give to you, but when you cannot pay it back, the hand curls into a fist, and I tell you the truth, they will not stop beating you until the last penny is paid. It is the same with the money lenders as it is with the banks, and car dealers, and shopping centers.

Be aware! Do not define your wants as needs. Instead, ask God for your wants. It is not a sin to drive a nice car, or to live in a nice house, but when you do so outside of obedience, out of selfishness, or without genuine generosity in your life, you are a glutton. Such people buy more than they can afford, for they have not yet been generous. Do you not think the Lord loves both you and the same garbage dwellers in Calcutta with the same love. Do not ask how you can aford this or that, but ask how you can be generous and still fulfill your financial responsibilities. Do not be confused into a false sense of security, you will not be remembered for what you accumulated but for what you gave away." - John Stevens

The last sentence really resonated with me. This last month I've been to two funerals, and it does seem true, people remembered these individuals by what they gave away to others, not by how much stuff these people had. Sobering thoughts...

More to follow.

Today after church I was talking to my godmother. She was asking how my school was going in general, and I told her I was moving on to a masters degree in January. One of her friends was listening as I was explaining myself, she was an older Chinese lady. My parents came over to join the situation, and the older lady was commenting how proud my parents must be, etc, etc.

Then she said something that seemed caught my attention. She was saying oh how great it must be to have such successful sons unlike my daughters. From what I gathered, one of her daughters worked at BC Hydro with a decent job, and another had finished a degree at SFU. How ever she was hinting that because they were girls they weren't making as much money, or they weren't as smart so they couldn't go further on in school. She had the notion that if she had sons, they'd make more money, and be able to get more education because they'd be smarter and stronger. After she finished explaining that, she seemed teary eyed because all she had were daughters.

I always knew there was a sense in traditional Chinese culture that sons are preferrable to having daughters; however, I thought that was more of an older school of thought in China. In Western culture, gender is equal, and I thought that might have rubbed off on that lady, being Canadian and all.

Anyways, after the lady finished her rant, my godmother was saying how great daughters were, and there really isn't any difference, all children are blessings from God. My parents also mentioned that they always wished they had a daughter, but all they got were all sons.

In either case, I think this underscores a disturbing attitude that Chinese people have; this is especially true in Communist China where they have the one-child policy. People are performing gender-specific abortions if the child to be is a girl.

This article from the Washington Post paints a pretty good picture of what is happening in China with respect to their one-child policy.

Here's a small excerpt:

"Last year, 20 children were born to the women of Xicun. Sixteen were boys. The year before, 24 were born and 19 were boys. There is a reason for the preponderance of males: In 1999, the medical center that serves Xicun bought a cheap, Chinese-made ultrasound machine that allowed doctors to determine the sex of a fetus. Sex-selective abortions followed. And now the town, like hundreds of others in China, is facing a boom in boys."

China will face some very awkward demographic problems in the future. As these boys grow up, men need wives ... and these practices lead to a massive shortage of women in the future. (I think I'm going to invest in some mail order bride company futures now actually.) From experience, it's hard enough to find a girlfriend, but looks like it's going to get harder.

Thoughts? Comments? Is there a sense of sons being superior in other non-Chinese cultures that you've observed?

Well, I just got back from the Merge a few hours ago, and it was a very good conference. We arrived at the ferry terminal at 6:43pm, and managed to still get onto the 7:00pm ferry. This is a miracle in itself. Everyone was pretty tired and wanted to get home.

In either case, I learned a lot about myself and God's will for me. I call this entry The Merge Milestone because I feel this experience has been an important milestone in my life. I feel this has been a turning point where my faith has grown. It has resparked a passion for God, and a refocusing of my life. All in all a very spiritually refreshing weekend. More than ever, I can testify that God exists, and no one can convince me otherwise.

The rest is more of a journal entry to myself. So if you're not interested, move along...

So, tomorrow morning I leave for the Merge 2004 which is being held in Abbotsford. This is like Youth Convention ... except for a slightly older audience. Should be a fun trip. I'm looking forward to enjoying some restaurants in Vancouver while en route to Abbotsford. There's also going to be some DJs spinning music at the Merge, so that should be good.

I kind of spontaneously signed up to go on this trip with my youth group in early September. I didn't know what my school schedule or work load would be like, but it's all working out. I had finished a crap load of midterms and whatnot, so the pace of school has slowed down a bit. This is the first trip I've had in quite some time now. In either case, I'm glad I signed up for this, and I hope this will be a life changing weekend.

For the next few days I'll have no internet access, so that means no blog updates until I get back. I'm also won't be checking my e-mail, so if I don't reply, you'll know why. I don't think I'll miss getting spam that's offering v1akra, or a degree 4 $80. I think this is the longest time I will be offline (at least in the last few years)... wierd. No morning electonic newspapers, no Slashdot, no online comics .... this is strange.

In either case, pray for my safe travels and for mild withdraw symptons as I go cold turkey from the Internet. *twitch*

Tune in late Sunday as I'll have stories from my trip.