Pastor's Page "Report from Chengdu"   My wife Nancy and I, along with Gideon Ip of CCHK, and several folks from the broader local community, were privileged to represent Hong Kong at the celebration in Chengdu October 8 of the passing on ceremony of the One Millionth Animal to be distributed to Chinese farmers through Heifer Project China. The ceremony was held at the village of Olong at about 6,000 feet elevation in the high plateau and mountains of northeast Sechuan province. The temperature was coolish during the daytime ceremony and quite cold at night. This area of Sechuan is a transitional cultural zone in which Han Chinese, Tibetan people, and other Chinese ethnic traditions live and farm together. The other guests included a half dozen friends of Heifer from the U.S., the new American Consul in Chengdu, Brian Woo, his wife and three American families from the provincial capital, and a large local Chengdu delegation of volunteers, friends and ministry of agriculture workers. All of the hundred or so goats purchased through CCHK have been placed in or near the village where we were hosted and it was a delight to see the brown, all white, and multicolored goats of our gift program, and now their progeny, thriving in that area and receiving supervised care.. One of the guiding principles of Heifer is that each family which receives two to four goats, or other animals like yaks, rabbits, and ducks, as gifts will pass on, or give, offspring from the original gift to neighbors who lack any livestock. Both the donating and the receiving farmer sign formal contracts to honor this passing on principle. At the ceremony held in a school yard the giving farmer and the receiving farmer solemnly signed their contract and then five festooned goats were paraded across the school yard and passed on. Several hundred local villagers observed the ceremony and were palpably delighted with the antics of the goats and not overly bored, it would appear, with the several speeches, one of which I gave with Gideon Ip translating. The hospitality of the Chendu Heifer staff and volunteers was endearing and I was pleased to see the local officials of the Chinese agriculture ministry participating wholeheartedly in the celebration. As we drew near the celebration venues, which also included the great panda reserve, several dozen large banners hung across the road to greet us. The banners were provided by the township officials. At the panda reserve we also received a royal welcome co-organized by Heifer China and the local officials. It was fun there to hold baby pandas and pet adult pandas. These things most impressed me: the dedication of the mostly young Heifer China staff of a dozen persons and the two dozen or more volunteers, mostly students, who are helping Heifer make its program effective in the countryside. the obvious new wealth which Heifer animals are creating among the farmers. The average annual income for peasants in this poorest area of China is Yuan 400 per adult which is like HK$400 or US$50. At the passing on ceremony two farmers who have greatly increased their wealth from goat and rabbit husbandry made significant personal gifts to Heifer China. Two years ago these same farmers could not have scratched together a few Yuan in ready cash. the prospects that Heifer will continue to win friends as donors and volunteers in Hong Kong and in China. The vice president of Heifer, the Rev. Jerry Bedford, and other visitors worshipped with us October l0 and after the service were hosted at a beautiful lunch where enthusiasm from local businessmen, both Chinese and expatriate, was formally registered to begin a Hong Kong Heifer China support group. In the years ahead our church will not be the only source of support for Heifer in our city. Pastor Gene Preston 29 October 1999
	The Rev. Gene R.Preston 14th Floor, Blk 36, Lower Baguio Villa Tel : 25516161 Fax: 25512114 E-mail : gpreston@netvigator.com

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