Jennifer Garrett
Two Chopsticks and a Spoon
By Roxanne Walker
I sat in a restaurant in downtown Kowloon, most assuredly the only tourist in the room. There were no utensils, no napkins and nothing written in English. My hosts ordered pork soup, chicken, vegetables and what turned out to be a delicious mango dessert soup. Though I prefer white meat, it was clear as I looked around that dark meat was considered the best part. I was offered part of a thigh, and with two chopsticks and a spoon, did my best to eat it. I sat amazed as one of my hosts popped the whole thing in his mouth, chewed it, then spit out the grizzle and bones into his spoon.
I definitely wasn’t in Colorado anymore. I was in Hong Kong on an advance trip for the International Network of Children’s Ministry, the organization I plan for. It is hosting an international event for the first time in its 30-year history. With my first passport in hand at the age of 41, I ventured to Asia in August with the vision of planning a fall 2013 event. When I returned, Children’s Ministry Conference Asia was scheduled for September 2011 — less than a year away.
From my experiences, I learned not to assume you can replicate a U.S. event in another country. There are many things to consider: schedules, travel, priorities and economic factors. I went to Hong Kong thinking the registration rate might need to be drastically reduced. But in talking with several ministry leaders, I learned that education is a high priority in this region. Not only are they willing to pay for the training, but many volunteers in the local children’s ministries are willing to take vacations from their regular jobs to receive such training.
We chose Hong Kong as the host city because of its ease of travel and central location. No visa is required for U.S. citizens to travel there; it has convenient transportation for those in mainland China; it is a tourist destination; and it has a large airport with many transportation options. My trip, which consisted of site visits, meeting with local ministry leaders and exploring the region, gave me some insights into the differences in our cultures.
The workday begins later (even Starbucks doesn’t open until 7 a.m.), and it’s not uncommon for some to work well into the evening. People were so busy they didn’t seem to notice tourists at all. But I always felt safe, even walking alone in the evening. English is the official business language of Hong Kong, but even at some of the hotels, it was a challenge to communicate our needs and for the staff to meet them. When it came to planning, I was surprised by the limited meeting space available under one roof, how expensive meeting space was and the stringent guidelines for space rental in the city.
Since the trip, we have formed a steering committee that includes individuals from our office as well as other U.S. ministries and children’s ministry leaders from Hong Kong. We have chosen to use a local church to reduce expenses, and have established a working budget and schedule. There are still unanswered questions. Online registration is vital for our U.S. events, but we’re unsure if interested attendees in mainland China have access to such technology. Another question is what to do about overflow. Some, especially attendees from mainland China, will have to make a very long trip to come to the event, and we must figure out where and how we will train them if they arrive and the event is full.
It was an honor to have the opportunity to meet like-minded individuals, and though miles and cultures separate us, we are unified in our strong desire for the next generation.
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Read additional articles about planning international meetings from the December issue of Rejuvenate:
> Q&A: Cheryl Bell, Passion World Tour
