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Mr. Brown had been their teacher for five years, teaching them everything from reading to running races to religion. Mr. Brown had come from the United States to Hong Kong to teach in a Christian preparatory school. His assignment was for a year. Mr. Brown had just graduated from college, wanted to "see the world," and accepted the position eagerly.

Little did Mr. Brown know that he would fall in love with the culture and people. He especially loved the eagerness of his students. Several were children of American business people, some were boarding students from wealthy European families, and a few were Chinese. Mr. Brown loved the diversity they brought and he was happy to show them life through his experiences. He was able to discuss freely how his faith influenced every decision he made: even coming to Hong Kong.

The class had their ups and downs: some of the teenagers didn't want to be there -- they were homesick. Some of them scoffed at the idea of a caring God. Some of them were only interested in their music or sports. But all of them loved hearing stories of the United States. It was his incentive tool. If they did well on a test or paper, Mr. Brown would show the class a movie: not just any movie -- an American movie. Sometimes it was a U.S. travel documentary; sometimes it was American history; sometimes it was a biography of a famous American. Always, the children looked forward to their movies. It was just before their first movie that they learned how to pop popcorn.

Mr. Brown taught the children so much. He loved sports, history, cultural events, the movies, and the outdoors. He was able to share his love of so many different things in his teaching. They learned about chemistry using perfume; physics from a bicycle and radio parts; history from photographs. They sang songs, took long nature walks, and carefully recited poems.

But the time for Mr. Brown to return to the States had come: his mother was very ill, and he wanted to be near her. He accepted a teaching position in his hometown. He was excited to be home and he wanted to be closer to his mom, but he dreaded the day he would have to leave Hong Kong. He was used to the crowdedness, the smog, and the noise. He adored the city and what it had to offer: Victoria Harbour, extravagant opera costumes and makeup, quiet Buddhist temples tucked in the middle of neighborhoods, the many Chinese festivals the Hong Kong people celebrated. Mr. Brown would miss Hong Kong.

The last days of school were especially difficult. Mr. Brown served cheeseburgers, french fries, and pickles, taught them the exact ice measurements for slushes, and talked for hours with them.

"No more school -- school is over. Now it's time for life." "Life" included the future and Mr. Brown asked them about their dreams, their ambitions, their hopes. They all wanted to come to America -- to see Mr. Brown and all that they had learned about. They all wanted to be successful.

Mr. Brown stopped them. Successful in money was one thing, he warned them. But true success was found only in peace. True peace. Inner peace. And that true, inner peace was only possible knowing Christ. He told them about his days as a rebellious teen when he refused to go to hear the church's teachings. But the more he wondered, the more he questioned, the more he understood. A light had gone on in a sense in a dark corner of his mind. Where there were mysteries in life, there was an awesome wonder as to how powerful God really is. Where there was doubt came a sense of security in knowing that God was present in whatever he was doing. Mr. Brown had found a peace that could only come from God.

The students were listening intently. "Don't ever forget that God loves you," he told them. "If one day you start questioning your faith, ask God to give you insight. If you have doubts, ask God to give you understanding. But mostly, trust in God's presence in your life. Then live as if God were walking hand in hand with you at all times."

It was an emotional last day. Presents were exchanged and hugs were given. But Mr. Brown looked upon them with a deep love that came from watching them grow to be mature teens. He prayed with them, asking not only for God's blessing but for insight to life's mysteries. He prayed that their eyes would be opened to God's love. He prayed for God's continued guidance in his own life as he looked forward to knowing another group of children. He felt truly blessed.