June 2011 - Blessings of Divine Guidance

After 6 months of waiting and praying, I officially launch the marketplace ministry in my workplace by sending out my first message “PK COLUMN – Message No.1.2011” to all 150 staff, with the big boss’ permission. It titled INTRODUCTION, a life testimony of where I came from and where I am heading. The key points were:

1) Graduated from Hong Kong Technical College (now Hong Kong Polytechnic University) as a top student in 1969.

2) Won a place to be trained in the UK as a structural engineer.

3) Returned to Hong Kong in 1976 with a MSc(Eng) degree, a Chartered Structural Engineer status, a wife and a British Passport.

4) Joined Mott Hay & Anderson HK (now Mott MacDonald HK) as a Senior Structural Engineer in 1981.

5) Spent the next 16 years with Motts, becoming a Director in 1992. Motts was involved in 5 of the 10 mega projects in Hong Kong at the time – the HK International Airport, the Tsing Ma Bridge, the Tung Chung New Town, the North Lantau Express Way and the West Kowloon Reclamation.

6) Became the first Chinese to win the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers President’s Cup in golf in 1988.

7) Became a born-again Christian in 1991.

8) Responded to the Call of God to be a missionary in the UK in 1998, at the peak of my professional career.

9) Spent the following 12 years planting churches in many cities in UK and Europe, while working 3 days a week, initially as an Associate Professor at the London South Bank University and later as a Consultant with major consulting firms in London (the WYG Group and AECOM Europe).

10) In Jan., 2010, whilst on holiday in HK, was offered a 6-month contract with AECOM Asia as Project Manager on the iconic Station Entrance Building of the West Kowloon Terminus (WKT) of the Express Rail Link project, managing a 300 people team including Aedas (Architect), Buro Happold (Structural Engineer on the complex geometry roof), Meinhardt (M&E Engineer), ALT (Cladding Engineer), BMT (Wind Specialist), MVA (Transport Engineer), Widnell (QS) and AECOM Asia (Civil, Structural, Fire and Planning Engineers).

Then I told them that it was God’s plan for me to return to Hong Kong. The rest of the Message is reproduced in the following:

“At the beginning of 2011, I joined Canwest/DAAL as a Director through Mr. Lawrence Wong and Mr. David Au, who were long-time friends and fellow professionals.

In the 6-months of working in Canwest/DAAL, I got to know quite a few people in the company through working directly and indirectly, and through the Christian Prayer Group.

At 62, I have learnt many valuable lessons in life through over 40 years of my working life and 20 years as a Christian and a church leader. I am thankful for the full life that God has given me and I want to give all I have learnt in life back to the construction industry and my fellow professionals.

I believe I can work with you to make Canwest / DAAL

one of the top consultants in HK

and one of the best workplace that people want to join.

I know you are all working very hard. I am no exception. From Monday to Friday, I come to office at 8:00 each morning and I leave the office at 7:00 in the evening, unless I have other engagements. On weekends, I am planting a church and spend time with my family. I also constantly think about how I can improve myself and the company. You will seldom see me riding the MTR without a book in my hands, unless I was travelling with someone. :)

I believe each person is valuable and has the potential to achieve great things in life.

To reach one’s highest potential, working hard alone is not enough.

One also needs to work smart.

These may include improving all aspects of one’s life. I will share more about this in future. To achieve better results, the company will also need to improve its facilities. I understand Senior Management is taking steps in achieving this.

I will keep you posted on my thoughts and on the development of the above.”

After the message was sent, I could see the different responses, as expected. But all in all, they were positive. One of Christian Prayer Group members – a Senior Architect told me that one of her team members wanted to know more about Christianity. Praise the Lord!

My next message in the PK COLUMN will be entitled – Work Hard / Work Smart. :)

We are God’s workmanship and everyone needs the Lord. We are made to worship and we will only be satisfied when we find & worship the true God. “O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.” [Ps 63:1-11 NIV]

Out of pride, many people still refuse to believe in the LORD of creation. They are in effect their own god. But, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'In the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas." But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god. Are you wiser than Daniel? Is no secret hidden from you? By your wisdom and understanding you have gained wealth for yourself and amassed gold and silver in your treasuries. By your great skill in trading you have increased your wealth, and because of your wealth your heart has grown proud. "'Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "'Because you think you are wise, as wise as a god, I am going to bring foreigners against you, the most ruthless of nations; they will draw their swords against your beauty and wisdom and pierce your shining splendor. They will bring you down to the pit, and you will die a violent death in the heart of the seas. Will you then say, "I am a god," in the presence of those who kill you? You will be but a man, not a god, in the hands of those who slay you. You will die the death of the uncircumcised at the hands of foreigners. I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD.'" [Ezek 28:1-10 NIV]

“it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. [Eph 2:1-13 NIV] This mystery of God’s plan for mankind can only be understood by those who chose to humble themselves and accept Jesus as Lord & Saviour!

“A man who remains stiff-necked after many rebukes will suddenly be destroyed without remedy…….A man's pride brings him low, but a man of lowly spirit gains honor….. Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe.” [Prov 29:1,3,6,9-11,13,20-23,25,26 NIV]

Amen and amen!