Concordia students travel to and serve in Hong Kong and China

During July and August, a group of Concordia University, Nebraska students participated in a trip to China and Hong Kong. The students were led by Professor of Education and Director of the TESOL, ESL and Modern Language Programs, Dr. Vicki Anderson. The group departed July 3 and returned August 18 after visiting Hong Kong and the city of Shenzhen, China.

The group spent three weeks in Hong Kong working with The Lutheran Church - Hong Kong Synod and their partners to run morning and afternoon Vacation Bible School sessions for children ages 6-14. The students worked at 13 different church school locations and served over 1,800 kids. Through Pastor Simon Kwon, head of the Social Services division for The Lutheran Church—Hong Kong Synod, LCMS Pastor Joel Schiewe of Church of All Nations and WELS Pastor Anthony Bartels, the students were able to gain a deeper understanding of how education and mission outreach works in Hong Kong. They learned about differences in strategies, including ones based on location and outreach demographics. They also learned about the plans of The Lutheran Church—Hong Kong Synod for continued expansion in their mission outreach through Vacation Bible School. 

Dr. Anderson says, “While it is true that our efforts during three weeks of VBS were sometimes about planting seeds of the Gospel—a very large percentage (maybe even 90%) of the children we served in Hong Kong are not Christian, even if they do attend Lutheran or Anglican schools—more often, we realized, our efforts were about watering seeds that others have planted. Some of this watering is for children who know about Jesus but have not believed in him, but some of it also was for children with a genuine faith but so many questions!...we were able to be part of that struggle to understand for many, many kids, and to build relationships with and work to communicate God’s love to them all!”

The group was also able to do some sightseeing and participated in English-language church services. They visited places like Victoria Harbor, Avenue of the Stars, the Art Museum, the Space Museum and the street markets.

“Traveling and working in big cities like Shenzhen and Hong Kong help students build professional skills in teaching and working with people whose first language is not English, but it also helps in the development of confidence and understanding of other cultures. Plus, it gives us all the opportunity to see how God is building His kingdom among His people around the world!”

The team witnessed several instances of severe weather during their time in Hong Kong. They experienced signal level three and signal level 10 typhoons, a “black rainstorm” period and “impromptu waterfalls.” Due to the inclement weather the group missed out on a few days of work and some of the outdoor attractions they had been planning on seeing.

In Shenzhen, the students worked in a Bridging Program for students in Nanshan Chinese International College, Hong Kong Studies Division (NCIC—HK), a school partially run by the Lutheran Church-Hong Kong Synod. The students ran classes for grades 1-10 in Oral English, Vocabulary, Art, Music and PE. They also acted as teacher aides in classes for Science, English Language Arts, Robotics and Math. This program aims to help students improve their English so that they are ready for the beginning of school in September, since the medium of instruction at NCIC—HK is English. Since China is very strict about evangelism, especially to minors, the group talked about American holidays, especially Christmas and Easter. This gave the students an opportunity to explain who Jesus is and what the celebrations mean. 

Trips like this are very beneficial for Concordia students. Dr. Anderson, says, “Traveling and working in big cities like Shenzhen and Hong Kong help students build professional skills in teaching and working with people whose first language is not English, but it also helps in the development of confidence and understanding of other cultures. Plus, it gives us all the opportunity to see how God is building His kingdom among His people around the world!”

Students who participated in the trip include:

Caroline Beck, Guthrie, Okla.

Abbey Kudrna, Omaha, Neb.

Jaelynne Kosmos, Beatrice, Neb.

Grace Weber, Sidney, Neb.

Caden Korell, Blair, Neb.

Matthew Guilford, Lincoln, Neb.

Aidan McKinnon, Grand Island, Neb.

Karson Sherman, Glenvil, Neb.

In keeping with their mission, Concordia Nebraska offers a wide variety of opportunities abroad to promote your intellectual, emotional and spiritual growth. The broader and richer your experiences, the more effective you’ll be as a servant-leader. Learn more about global opportunities at Concordia here.