The Standard, a publication based in Hong Kong, published an online article about a survey conducted by the Whampoa youth center. Whampoa is one of several youth centers operated by our Hong Kong churches. The survey regards the attitudes of youth toward “global vision.” The article begins:

“Most Hong Kong youth have only a vague idea about global vision, a survey has revealed. But what makes the situation more acute is that most see no reason to improve their concepts, according to the Church of United Brethren in Christ Whampoa Integrated Children and Youth Service Center, which interviewed 747 secondary students in June.”


The Jerusalem Chapel church (Churchville, Va.) suffered a major fire a year and a half ago. Pastor Dennis Sites now reports, “We are pleased to see some major progression on the church construction here at Jerusalem Chapel. We now have the building under roof, which will allow construction to continue to go on throughout the winter. We are planning to dedicate the completed addition in Spring of 2008.”

Joe Leighton sent the following update on October 29 concerning the condition of his wife, Cheryl.

“Cheryl has been discharged from The James Cancer hospitalm because at this point she can be treated on an outpatient basis. Her next round of chemo is November 8. She has been admitted to a rehabilitation hospital for several different types of therapy: speech, so that she can learn to speak with a trach; respiratory, so she can have the trach downsized and hopefully removed altogether (she has a lot of swelling on the inside of her throat that currently hinders this; eating by mouth, which she has seldom done for the past two months, so the appetite must be rebuilt; physical, as she has been hospitalized for nearly two months now.

“Further complicating this is that the chemo she needs for the cancer can cause nerve damage, and we are beginning to see that with a condition called drop foot. We don’t know the severity as yet. Sometimes it can be treated with therapy or with surgery, and sometimes it does not respond to treatment, which means the patient will never walk again. So the hits keep on coming, and truthfully, it is a bit staggering at times.

“I sure do appreciate the prayers of everyone. It is good to know we are not in this alone. Hopefully the therapies will be effective and from this center she will be discharged home.”