Endless Gratitude

Libin and her husband

　　Time flies indeed. It has been over five years since I took up the Doctor of Theology program at Hong Kong Baptist Theological Seminary (HKBTS) in January, 2016 and now I am approaching the end of my studies here, having completed the first draft of my dissertation. Meanwhile, I am the most grateful to God for sending me an extremely dedicated, responsible and caring academic advisor, Prof. Wong Fook Kong. Had it not been for Prof. Wong’s wholehearted help and teaching, I would not have been able to complete the first draft of my dissertation.

　　While drafting the dissertation, I found it most difficult to handle the collation of the Hebrew text. The two manuscripts of prayer books in Hebrew, with a total of more than 40 pages, looked like two huge mountains with steep slopes, which are really difficult to climb. I owe deep gratitude to Prof. Wong, who patiently taught me how to understand the vocabulary and syntax again and again, instructed me as to how to do the translation and advised me how to enhance the writing quality for the commentary part. It was Prof. Wong’s teaching and enlightenment that enabled me to climb over these “two huge mountains” finally. Meanwhile, he has aroused my interest in academic research and passion in scaling the “heights.” Prof. Wong is not only my respected teacher but also my guide on the path of academic research.

　　Besides, I am very grateful to President Joshua Cho, a man of wisdom and inclusiveness, for admitting Mainland preachers to HKBTS. This not only gave us a chance for personal growth, but also contributed to the development of theological education for the Mainland.

　　Special thanks must be given to all my teachers, including Dr. Tony Sher, whose meticulously devised Hebrew course benefited me a lot. Dr. Sher also gave me a lot of valuable suggestions on my first draft. Prof. Andres Tang’s course has broadened my theological vision and prompted me to develop a new theological perspective on what I had learnt before. The courses of Dr. Jonathan Lo and Dr. Clement Shum have also brought me good harvests. More importantly, the lives of HKBTS teachers have manifested adorable qualities, which always touch me incidentally and make me reflect upon my own inadequacies, urging me to seek improvement strenuously.

　　My study and life at HKBTS in these five years is unforgettable and I am grateful for this. I would like to express my gratitude to God for guiding and keeping me, to the teachers and staff of HKBTS, to my loving classmates and to my family for their understanding and support. May God continue to bless HKBTS!