In the wake of the Yau Ma Tei tenement fire in mid-November, Christian Action has started raising funds to repair the electrical wiring and other essential utilities in our shelters under the Migrant Domestic Workers Programme to reduce fire hazards. Praise God for His “just enough” provision.

In late January, our Employment Support Services On Tai Service Centre co-launched the virtual closing ceremony for “HKCSS Chatroom for Parents” 社聯爸媽茶座.  Pray that we strive to impart the importance of smart parenting in the digital era so as to guide children to use electronic gadgets wisely.

5 staff members from our Tuen Mun Service Centre were diagnosed with COVID-19 in early December. Praise God for His miraculous healing that all of them have already been discharged from hospital. Pray for their complete recovery and for further protection of their family members against any virus attack. 

Give thanks!

A private clubhouse has generously contributed some Chinese New Year cakes to hundreds of our service users of the Mong Kok Service Centre and Choi Wan Centre. Pray that more enterprises will partner with us to show love and care to the disadvantaged and needy.

Urgent!
After fighting the pandemic for almost a full year, the toll is particularly hard on the National Health Service in the UK.
Please join us in praying earnestly for the health care professionals in the UK and the ongoing safety and health of all board members, their families and supporters of  Christian Action UK! Amen!

Subject to social distancing guidelines to curb the spread of the virus, our Training Services Division has to shift some of our training courses under the Employees Retraining Board (ERB) to on-line mode. Pray for His continuous protection and provision for all our clients, partners and staff of Christian Action; that our services would resume very soon. 

Pray for the successful completion for the 1st-phase rebuilding of our Centre for Refugees including the network construction before the Chinese New Year, so the installation of computers will begin as planned after the holidays.

Some children from our Qinghai children’s homes will return to their extended families on the Tibetan Plateau during the holidays.  Pray that they will grow better and stronger; and understand how precious they are in the eyes of the Lord. Amen!

Many mentees’ families from our Long Ping Centre have been deeply affected by the current economic setback. We are very grateful to a generous donor for contributing some food packages to help relieve their burden. The student mentees will visit the centre to collect the packages from their mentors. Pray for His wisdom and provision as we serve one of the poorest districts of Hong Kong.

7 colleagues from our Sheung Shui Centre, God willing, will participate in a retreat co-organized with other partners this month sharing positive psychology. Pray for its successful implementation and that all participants would be uplifted both physically and mentally to serve the clients with joy and vigor amid the epidemic attack.

May God bless our Season of Love Charity Drive 2020 that we will get enough to sustain our services for the underprivileged children and orphans in Hong Kong and Qinghai. Every cent matters, especially in these difficult times.

Kung Ho Sun Hei!   
When we celebrate family reunions, marginalized sojourners especially refugees and some migrant domestic workers living in our shelters have to bear daily mental and emotional stress during the festive season. May they be personally comforted by God’s presence. Amen!

In mid-January, Hong Kong recorded over 100 coronavirus infections with a particular concentration in the Yau Ma Tei-Jordan district. Residents from seven more buildings in that area were issued mandatory testing notices., many of whom are our Ethnic Minorities (EM) Integrated Services Woosung Street Centre’s target clients. Pray that we strive to impart the importance of personal and environmental hygiene to them; and together we fight the virus.

This February, our Employment Support Services at On Tai Service Centre is designing an updated online job information website for its clients on benefits. Pray that the initiative would empower them to re-enter the job market with skills and courage.
   

Rebuilding the Centre for Refugees (CFR) began in late December, after a dreadful fire in August. Pray that it will be completed and ready for its service resumption soon. CFR is really a home away from home in a foreign area where our clients rely on it for food, daily necessities, education, medical referrals, counselling and caring friendship etc.

Our China programme team is strategizing initiatives to help disabled and disadvantaged children on the Tibetan Plateau. Pray for His inspiration and provision to support this much needed work that would gain recognition and glorify our Lord.

Today sees the kick-off of our 3-week long campaign themed “Lunar New Year Used Clothes Collection” co-organized with a well-established property management corporation. Pray that the public will join us in transforming this decluttering programme into a more meaningful scheme so people will contribute good-quality used clothes for resale in our outlets that partly sustain our charity services.

Christian Action Asia (USA) is launching another round of its Facebook publicity campaign. Pray for a further increase of 1,000 viewers soon; and that more friends will be linked up to support our Friends of Qinghai Programme through this virtual platform.

To contain the spread of the epidemic, schools in HK were closed for almost 2 months. Recently many of them have resumed physical classes with adjustments. Pray that all beneficiaries and their families under the care of our New Arrivals Service Programme, Child Development Fund Mentorship Programme and EM Integrated Services Programme will always be in the good hands of God.

Our “Flying over Self-Reliance and Mutual Help– House Captain for On Tai Project” under the Community Investment and Inclusive Fund is now in full swing helping promote community cohesion and mutual help within the neighbourhood through different activities. Pray that more people will understand as we try to follow Jesus Christ’s example to serve the impoverished.

Give thanks!
Two ladies have just joined our Centre for Refugees this month. Pray that they will quickly get integrated to work as a team; and together bring warmth and love to the distressed sojourners who are in Hong Kong waiting for relocation to other countries. 

The current unemployment rate reached 6.6% and the underemployment rate 3.4% in December 2020, hitting the peak in the past 16 years. Layoffs and job cuts accelerate as coronavirus disrupts our economy. In light of this, CA has been co-organizing the One-Stop Job-seeking and Empowerment Training Programme under the Hong Kong Church Network for the Poor to enrich  job-seekers and the underemployed. Pray that we strive to deliver hope and love to the needy as one body of Christ.    

Our New Arrivals Mong Kok Service Centre is looking for new opportunities to extend its free meal distribution. Pray that we keep filling up the service gap for the grassroots families who are seriously battered by the economic recession due to the pandemic. We treasure any support to our "Emergency Food!" Campaign.

Our Corporate Development and Communications Division is preparing the annual fundraising event - 3-Legged Charity Walk 2021 (virtual version) which will be held between 12 and 25 March. May God shower His insight and strength for us to harvest abundantly so as to sustain our charity services for the vulnerable and poor.

Amid the current Covid-19 pandemic, we continue to team up with a corporation, Aloestree, to help disinfect crowded subdivided flats, churches and agencies using photocatalyst technology that kills germs with light. Pray that we thrive on serving the deprived through this collaboration.   

Today is Chinese Lantern Festival! (equivalent to Valentine’s Day in the West).
May God shower His joy, peace, and love on the city and let’s meditate and embrace one another with love for God is love. (Adapted from 1 John 4:7)

This February, our Social Enterprise Division conducted several green collection events in different private housing estates in the vicinity. Pray that we continue to promote environmental conservation through our persistent advocacy.

About 1/3 of the present mentees under the care of our Child Development Fund On Tai Service Centre claimed that they would continue to seek God upon the completion of the 3-year mentorship programme. Pray that they would be inspired to live out a Godly purpose-driven life through our service.