My dear friends far and near,

Thank you for your 2004 Christmas greetings and cards. I am still surviving. It is God's mercy and grace. I had a very busy October, November and December 2004, traveling almost every other week -to Myanmar, Cambodia, Australia and many times to Mainland China.

We never thought of starting 2005 under the shadow of the tragic tsunami in Southeast Asia. Our church and people on one of the islands of India were affected too. May our gracious and merciful Lord have mercy for these suffering people, to heal and comfort the broken hearted.

This tragedy remind me of what Jesus has said, "and they knew nothing would happen until the flood came and took them all away. This is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man." (Matt. 24:39). Oh, Lord, teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom. (Ps. 90:12). And let us remember our Creator and Savior before the days of trouble come and the years approach when we will be too old. (Eccl. 12:1).

Life is so fragile and unpredictable. Let us walk closely with our Lord, and live everyday with a grateful heart, a contended heart, and a caring heart.

New office and correspondence address

Room 1602, 16/F QPL Industrial Building, 126-140 Texaco Road, Tsuen Wan, NT, HONG KONG, CHINA SAR.
Telephone number (852) 2741 9020, fax number (852) 2785 8454 remain the same.

We moved the office on the 16^th of December 2004. However, we have not yet finished putting all the things into the cabinets. It will take some more time to settle in. Also we still have no telephone lines, and may not until next week. It is good that we have mobile phones! We are thankful that a brother came as a volunteer computer engineer to help to set up the network of our computers and our Internet access.

Trip to Cambodia, 6-16 November

A week after I came back from Myanmar, I led the 16^th medical team to Cambodia. We had a very good time there. I also experienced the wonderful grace of our Lord Jesus. When we were at the check-in counter, the clerk found out that my "British National Overseas" passport was valid for only 4 months more, and I was not allowed to check in because it should be valid for 6 months. I had a Hong Kong SAR passport at home. However, there was only 1 hour before the closing of the check-in counter. The whole team prayed for me. I hurried home by taxi to get my other passport. It is good that I live near the airport. When I got back to the airport, I just had time to check in. Check your passport now to make sure you have 6 months valid before your departure!!

In Cambodia a piglet project has started to help the church members raise their living standards. However, one pig died recently because most of the people don't know how to raise pigs properly.

There has been opposition from the neighboring villagers around our land in Phnom Penh Thmei. Our church planters, Lim and Pauline, need your prayers for courage, patience and love.

The field director of Cambodia, Paula Guazon, has had heart problems recently, in addition to her kidney problem. She is coming back to Hong Kong in early January for a medical check up. Please pray for her health.

I will go to Cambodia again with the Hong Kong Free Methodist Church Conference Superintendent in late January for the 3^rd Annual Meeting of the Cambodia Mission District. Please pray for the preparations for the meetings.

Trip to Australia 22-28 November

A week after I came back from Cambodia, I went to Darwin, Australia. A lady pastor of the Philippine Free Methodist Church and her husband and children have migrated to Darwin, Australia. Three years ago she gathered a group of about 20-30 Christians and has meetings every Sunday in the community center. Some months ago the Philippine Church sent two pastors there to help the church. We visited them to see how APFMMA could be a part in it. Then I flew down to Sydney to visit some former HKFMC members and share in a Chinese church on missions and the work in Cambodia. The pastor of this church was a former HKFMC member. I was so thankful for the fellowship with these members.

Trip to Mainland China

A week after I came back from Australia, I went to Mainland China for the opening ceremony of the "House of Love" there. We had a very wonderful and exciting opening ceremony for this Chinese House of Love. There was great opposition from the neighbors. People had stones in their hands. They had discovered our cook was a leprosy rehab patient and the children' parents were also leprosy rehab patients living in a "leprosy village" on the hill. There is a very deep-rooted stigma about leprosy in this area. We could do nothing except pray to Jesus. The small children were very scared and curled up in the corner in the sitting room. This was not the first time in their life that this has happened. Praise the Lord, after short messages by the Officer of the Provincial Health Department, our superintendent and missionary, the women holding the stones left. Later the headman of the leprosy village comforted us and told us that this kind of opposition has occurred many times and the same thing happened when he enrolled the children in the regular school. Please pray for the leprosy ministry and also the House of Love and the children -  for protection and for their growth in wisdom, stature and love. We are thankful that Miss So is willing to be the part-time dorm mother and will go there from Hong Kong every other week. Please pray for her travel, and for wisdom in taking care of these children.

I went with 6 others to have Christmas with these lovely children. This was their "first" Christmas. We bought a 2-foot plastic Christmas tree. The children decorated the tree and the house together. We had Christmas songs, Christmas stories, games, candies and gifts. These children requested me to tell them a story before they went to bed. They love to listen to stories and love to draw pictures. However, they have only one story book and a few colored pens, and no drawing paper. We ate with them for a few meals and we were surprised to see that each child ate two or three big bowls of rice because there was very little other food. We need sponsors for these lovely children. It was very cold during our visit. The children had only a few thin clothes. We were happy that we had brought some used heavy winter clothes for them.

I also went to the "quilt project" to have a Christmas party with the 12 workers there. I used to go there regularly to teach literacy classes to these women, but in recent months, I have been so busy that I could not go. Most of them are also leprosy rehab people. They want to learn more, and also like singing. They memorized almost all the hymns that I taught them. They were eager to learn.

Christmas is a time of love, sharing and caring.

If you have only 30 days left

When I had the "group therapy" class in seminary, our group leader asked us to share what we would do if we only had30 days left on earth. I thought of these children and their parents and the people in need. I remembered Jesus had said that if we visited the people in jail or in the hospital, and gave clothes and food to the poor or water to the thirsty, we were doing these to the Lord. I would tell the doctor to use all my organs for transplant (in fact I have signed a Red Cross card for donating organs and a blood donating card and keep them in my purse all the time. I used to donate blood in my birthday month and then 6 months later; but have not been able to these few years; the Red Cross does not let me do so any more because I always go to Mainland China, Cambodia and India-- "high health risk" countries.) Do good works when you have the chance.

Prayer requests:

1. House of Love -- Mainland China: the children, Miss So the dorm mother, the need for sponsors, and the neighbors.
2. The leprosy ministry and the hearts of the patients.
3. The church planting in Darwin Australia.
4. Cambodia -- Piglet project, 3^rd annual meeting in late January.
5. The health of Paula Guazon.

In God we trust, love and serve,
Polly