Dinner with friends at Leicester .....

I was invited to old friends’ places in Leicester. First, Man Lan invited me over on Wednesday. Her husband Phil picked me up to their house in Wigston. It was a nice 4-course home cooked meal – fish, spare ribs, egg and chicken breast. Ah, yummy.


Then, on Thursday, Esther invited me over to her house. I had known Esther since 1996 when I first came to Leicester - she was a staff of COCM (Chinese Overseas Christian Mission) who was also attached with the LCCC (Leicester Chinese Christian Church) as an honorary pastor. She really took good care of us students. From that time all the way until I finished my Ph.D. in 2002, I had shared many meals with her (or rather, she had cooked many meals for me). During all those times spent with her, and talking to her, she had influenced me greatly, and I would dare say that she is the greatest influence in my Christian life!

So anyway, on Thursday, I went to church at 2:00 pm (Esther was having prayer meeting in church) and we (Esther, Siu Man and me) drove to Esther’s house. She cooked up a simple meal of noodles. Simple, but very tasty.

Then, from 3:00 pm all the way until dinner time, we just shared and caught up about each other’s lives, and also about the life of the LCCC.

She cut up a lovely ripe pineapple for tea-time.

Then it was dinner time. Again, it was a feast – boiled prawns, ‘pak cham kai’, home-grown beans, and …. spare ribs in black bean sauce! (YUMMY!) Siu Man kindly washed up the dishes while Esther and I still chatted.

Finally, at about 10:15 pm, both Siu Man and Esther drove me home. It was a fantastic few hours that we shared together. Through the things that she shared with me (though she wasn’t directly advising me), I felt very much ministered, in the areas of family, relationship, children, parenting, ministry, and faith. I was re-inspired, and refreshed. Even if nothing else was achieved in this trip to Leicester, this day alone would have certainly made it all worthwhile!