Leaving Green Bay in 2010, I didn't anticipate living somewhere where one might identify as Muslim or Hindu or Christian without once mentioning Lutheran. It hadn't occurred to me.
But here the designations are just that - more broad. Our family looked for and found, eventually, a Lutheran community in Seoul and later in Hong Kong. In both cases the churches were Missouri Synod because that is the branch of the Lutheran Church that sent missionaries to these areas.
In Seoul we eventually found an amazing church called ILC (International Lutheran Church). And in Hong Kong the sister church Church of All Nations is actually a part of our school, HKIS. That is the Missouri Synod Lutheran Church and the Hong Kong Government founded HKIS 54 years ago. And so it is that our church is located on the HKIS campus at Repulse Bay. See the pictures here.
It wasn't until our third year in Korea that we found ILC, though. Prior to that we happily attended a non-denominational English service of a Christian Church located in Migeum, not far from us.
Our first encounter at ILC couldn't have been more perfect. There was a potluck after church! How much more "Lutheran" could you get? That, along with an actual building with actual pews and actual cross and pulpit etc made us feel at home instantly. There was a meeting hall and Sunday school rooms. A far different feel from the rental space on the 7th floor of a business building in Migeum that we had been attending for church. On top of that, at ILC we adored Pastor Steve and his wife Mary who originally hailed from Minnesota.
Oddly enough we met friends of friends at that church, Suanne and Sean Forrester. It turned out that they were moving to Hong Kong at the same time as us and that Suanne would be working at HKIS and that they would attend CAN too! And so our new church community felt like home right away, for we brought friends with us. Here both Adam and Alec went through confirmation instruction. Alec also went through first communion preparations here. A few summers ago Alec attended the youth gathering in Minneapolis with the church group from CAN.
Pastor Joel's family is also an adoptive family and so we have shared some of that journey with them. He and Brent share a birthday too! (April 14) and his wife Iantha sings in the praise choir, too. And so we have gotten to know and appreciate them quite a lot, as well. It was with the CAN service group that I experienced an amazing service trip to Cambodia over a Spring Break.
I have to say, I didn't know what to expect when we left our lovely church community at Calvary in Green Bay, but we have been mightily blessed to find caring, loving Christians and a Christian family in both Korea and Hong Kong. Thank you, Asia.
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