Holy Week 1998
Palm Sunday
Washing the palm on Saturday afternoon. It was full of bugs! The palm used here is quite different from the long, flexible type used in the United States. 
Changing the liturgical color in the chapel from violet to red. 
Reading the gospel about the entrance into Jerusalem. 
The deaf community's Palm Sunday procession begins.Holy Thursday
Aachhh..... I forgot to take my videocamera to the Holy Thursday liturgy to get pictures for the web page here!
Good Friday
Signing the passion narrative outside 
Preaching the homily, which focused on the people standing at the foot of the cross. The Chinese characters read "soldier".
Presenting the Good Friday Intercessions 
Veneration of the Cross. This was the first time we used our new free standing cross made by one of the deaf men. It worked out beautifully.
The final prayer of the Good Friday ceremony Holy Saturday--Easter Vigil
Signing the reading from Exodus
The congregation signing a response
Preaching the homily
The litany of the saints, using printed names of the saints for which there are no sign language names
Blessing the water to be used for baptism
This year we had only one baptism, an infant. Her parents elected for baptism by immersion as a better symbol of our dying and rising with Jesus in the waters of baptism. Her she stands in the bowl of water as the water is poured over her.
Here the baby receives the new white garment symbolic of her new life as one of God's children.
Easter Sunday
Because we did not have a liturgy on Easter Sunday morning, we planned a hike around Shing Mun Reservoir (click here for map) for today. At 0730 the hike organizer faxed to me to say that it was raining, the yellow rainstorm warning was up, a thunderstorm warning was in effect, and should we cancel. Since we would not be able to contact everyone by fax, we decided to continue with the hike and we met on schedule at 1030 at one of the MTR (subway) stations. Seven out of the ten who had signed up gathered at the meeting place. From there we took a minibus to the Shing Mun Country Park Visitors Centre where we prepared to set out in an intermittent drizzle.
Most of the hike was in drizzle which sometimes strengthened to a steady light rain. Because of the rain, we made a choice--after we reached the north end of the reservoir--of coming back by a service road rather than by the dirt trail which runs along the water's edge. It was feared it was too slippery, especially because we had two older people with us. The road headed uphill and at the top we paused to rest. A big monkey (circled in the photo), about 40-50 lbs in weight, came up while I was showing the group where we were on a map, and stole the plastic bag in which we had been collecting trash as we walked. He tore open a cardboard drink box to get the last of the liquid in that. The monkeys are a serious problem in Hong Kong because they get quite aggressive, taking any food literally they can get their hands on, and even attacking people when they try to drive the monkeys away.At the end of the hike, which took about 2:45 hours, we went back to Tsuen Wan and had yam chah (Chinese dim sum and tea) together in a restaurant. While we were there, the hike organizer had two rolls of film developed so that by the time we left, we got to see the photos of the trip that day. A pleasant day, despite the rain!