A very busy July!

Well indeed it has been a very busy summer for the Ng family this year - so busy that this blog has been kept rather out of date for quite some time. Rather than do individual entries, I'll attempt to summarise:

The Bridge Church hosted our annual sports camp with kids from the community. This event has always been fun to watch, and to be a part of. It is amazing to watch what happens as youth from our mission teams interact and encourage these kids. Shown here is the awards night. This is where each child from the sports camp is presented with an award -- a character attribute that someone at the camp noticed about them. I cannot begin to describe how much this encourages them. What is more is that relationships are built, and kids in our community have a chance to experience what it is like to be a Christ follower.


Erich, keen as always to sing began some rudimentary piano lessons with his aunt this summer. It's been a really cool time for aunt Joycelin to get together and interact with Erich.





Emily, the youngest of the Bartlett family had her birthday over the summer as well. Shown here is a picture of her admiring the cake her mom made for her.

Erich had lots of fun too. He made quite the deal out of being able to 'drive' to Emily's birthday party!










We visited with good friends from high school (Karen) and university (Jonathan) to see their one month old boy. He is so very cute and so very tiny! I think I have forgotten what it is like to hold a newborn compared to Erich! It was so much fun being able to catch up with old friends. I even managed to put their baby to sleep for them!







Eddie, our IT consultant turned pastry chef, now long-term missionary tentmaking as a baker friend came back from Liberia briefly and had a wonderful stay with us. Erich graciously gave up his room so that Eddie could stay. I had the formidable task of transforming Erich's crib into a makeshift bed... something I managed to do with a few step stools, the top of an old desk, a futon mattress and a whole bunch C clamps. (Now Eddie, no jumping on the bed!) On a more serious note though, it was inspiring hearing what God has done in Eddie's life over the past 6 months, and he certainly encouraged me in my walk with Jesus and my faith. If you get the chance, I would encourage you to check out his blog!






Richard, a friend and relatively new member to our small group was baptized on Sunday, July 27th. I always like to boast about our baptismal tank - always available, never needs refilling and ample space. :-) Shown here are two photos - one just as he is making a public confession of his faith in Jesus Christ, and the next of his baptism. Congratulations Richard!







Erich took swimming lessons again over the summer. Shown here is him about to take a jump from the platform. Move over Michael Phelps! He's coming to get ya!






Erich has also taken to other forms of exercise. In particular, I've noticed he's become REALLY good at climbing stuff. Here at a playground near Port Moody (Belcarra Park), Erich easily handles the faux-stone climbing wall set out before him... and he searches methodically for the next best step!






Goodbye Sarah! Sarah Conner moved back to Kansas this summer as well. She finished her last year of high school this year and has moved back to Kansas in hopes of beginning her freshman year in the new year. We wish you the very best Sarah!

Happy Birthday Isaak and Elias!

My nephews celebrated their 3rd and 1st birthdays this summer. The Tsos held a grand party to celebrate. What fun it is to see them grow, and to see them celebrate another year. I love these photos because they show so much of their individual personalities.

Elias, is quietly content and happy to be held by Opa as he blows out his candle. Isaak, the adventurous explorer is already curious what happens if you should touch the candle!

Happy Birthday Isaak and Elias, and many more to come!

Sarah's Photo Shoot

With graduations come graduation photographs. This past July, I had the privelege of taking Sarah's "seniors" photos. Sarah, who has spent the last several years in Vancouver along with her missionary parents, is moving back to Kansas where she will begin her freshman year.

She is a beautiful young lady, and a joy to photograph. Some bystanders even mistook her for a model! Not a bad situation to be in considering we got a free cruise on the harbour because of that!

Exposure Information: Canon 10D, EF 70-200mm f/4L lens @ 200mm, f/4.0, 1/800 ISO 200. Gold reflector camera left.

From a photographical point of view, this was my favourite shoot yet. I had a lot of fun, and I was able to employ techniques I hadn't tried in 'production' before. For instance, I made heavy use of off camera diffused strobe lighting: first as the fill, then as the key light as the evening wore on. It made for a great learning experience and good confidence booster.

Many thanks to the Conners who trusted me with this opportunity and also many thanks to my wife Karen for encouraging me to pursue my photographic skills. (plus she's pretty good at getting people to pose also!)

Here are some of the results.

Exposure Information: Canon 10D, EF 70-200mm f/4L lens
@ 70mm, f/5.6, 1/60 ISO 200. (Strobist) Shot into sun, fill flash from off
camera flash @ 1/4 power through white umbrella, camera right.

Exposure Information: Canon 10D, EF 70-200mm f/4L lens
@ 104mm, f/5.0, 1/40 ISO 200, tripod mounted. (Strobist) Shot into
sun, fill flash from off camera flash @ 1/4 power through white
umbrella, camera right.

Exposure Information: Canon 10D, EF 35mm f/2 lens @ f/3.5, 1/60 ISO 100
(Strobist) Off camera flash @ 1/2 power through white umbrella, camera left.

Happy Canada Day!

The Ng family took a journey to Canada Place to celebrate Canada Day today -- probably our first time since our early university days. It's amazing how having kids will kick one's sorry butt off the couch and out doing something fun instead! Erich had a blast. We saw concerts, mounties, bagpipe bands, military equipment, and even tasted the very quebecois treat of maple-syrup taffee.... where they roll the maple syrup on packed snow into a lollipop. Mmmmm.... I remember having those in Quebec in the dead of winter as a kid. Of course, one does have to wonder the wisdom of having ice cold taffee (which melts almost the instance it leaves the ice) on a hot hot Vancouver day.

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Johnston!

Two old friends from university got married today at a chapel near Stanley Park. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Johnston! We are so happy for you two.

Two and a half...

Another 6 month mark... oh just too cute. We were just coming home from a walk, and the sun had this interesting glowing quality about it on the porch. So I grabbed the camera, and this is the result.

I also took the opportunity to take a shot of the little guy hanging out with mommy. :-)

A weekend with intercessors - the praying princesses

Four very special ladies - Trisha, June, Rubye and Barbara (right to left) - came to visit us from Garland, Texas this past weekend. They are an amazing bunch. Having been called to visit what was then a new church plant several years back, and having seen Vancouver, they were moved to pray inceasantly for our city and for our church. They do this literally: the four women gather together on Thursday evenings in Texas every other week and intercede for specific needs within our community and within our church. They also come visit Vancouver every year to regain a fresh vision of how best to pray for our city, and to put faces to people's names.

Imagine the surprise when these ladies, whom I hardly knew, greeted me and my family at our door by name, and asked specifically about how their prayers for my family had been answered. That is intercession indeed!

It was an incredible joy to spend a good part of my weekend with them. Here's why:

• Intercessors, by their gift, are people who long after God's heart. They long to hear God's Spirit and they yearn to do His will. People who are filled with the Holy Spirit are attractive: they are genuine and they are a joy to be around. In fact, their joy is contagious!
  
• Intercessors have an inherent assurance that the Lord is God, and that He is faithful to answering prayers. (They wouldn't be intercessors otherwise!) For the rest of us, who sometimes may wonder whether our prayers are even heard or felt, their steadfast faith reassures us that God is indeed who He says He is. Intercessors motivate me to pray even more inceasantly.
  
• I was motivated tremendously by the level of committment these ladies had for our city and for its people. Having been on missions myself, I too have been moved to pray for others not within my community. But never have I seen such dedication. (Did I mention that the oldest of the group is in her 80s?)

Karen, Erich and I had a fun time getting to know them this past weekend - not only at dinner gatherings, but in their very element too. We particularly enjoyed prayer walking with them around Kitsilano, and it was a privilege and tremendously encouraging to be able to pray together with them for people I knew in the community (my coworkers) and for my community at large.

conGRADulations to Sarah Conner!

Congratulations to Sarah Conner who received her dogwood diploma (high school diploma) this past Friday from Richmond Christian School. It was great to see her reach this milestone. We are all very proud of what you've accomplished and especially for achieving a special award. Way to go Sarah!

Perched atop the balcony of the church where the ceremony was held was yours truly complete with tripod and camera gear. I looked like a bit of a freak geek (translation: quite obviously over geared for the occasion) but hey, I got some shots that not many others did! :-)