5 Days in Hengyang: Day 4

For some strange reason, this is our 2nd consecutive Easter in China. Not that we mind. It’s just something I would never have foreseen in previous years.

Since it was Sunday, we didn’t go to the centre today. Instead, we had Easter service in a conference room in the hotel. The ICC volunteers joined us as our guys took charge of the service.

Glen led in worship. Sky shared a great message. My one takeout of it is this: Let us not focus on His death. Let us not even focus on the resurrection. Let us focus on the Holy Spirit that He sent and is with us today. Powerful stuff.

After that, Derek led the communion service. It was wonderful to break bread together in mainland China on Easter Sunday.

Right after communion, we prayed for the ICC staff plus some of the visitors that were with them – a group of full timers who worked with deaf children in Changsha.

It is one the most unusual Easter services ever, but it was simple and genuine. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience.

The rest of the day was FREE! Woooot! We went down to Hengyang’s city centre, first having lunch at a pizza buffet place that copied its décor from Pizza Hut and modified its name from Domino’s. Welcome to Domis Pizza (only in China la).

The rest of the day included walking around aimlessly around the city, having coffee at Hengyang’s most expensive coffee place and then adjourning en masse for a massage.

That night, 15 of us crammed into a restaurant and ordered 13 dishes. The food was amazing and when we got the bill we almost fell off our chairs: HK19 per head.

Our journey back to the hotel was quite unforgettable. We got onto a bus that smelt more like a boat. Diesel fumes hit us the moment we stepped in. Then, to make the toxic experience complete, some passengers started puffing away. As we were approaching our hotel, I saw (and heard) one guy clear his throat and actually spit his glob in the bus. The best part was the locals around him didn’t turn a hair. Oh well, if they don’t mind, who are we to complain?

Just when I thought the day was over, someone suggested we end the day with a bang. So, off we went to the fireworks shop. 3 boxes: 1 small, 1 medium, 1 jumbo-B52-killer-nuclear-death-star-canon. The one I'm holding is only the medium one.

We all felt like kids again that night. We always hear the phrase “Easter Celebration”. Well, this is Easter Celebration with a real bang – China style. What an experience!