One thing I learned about my great-great-grandfather, Hung Gee Kit, was that he was a royal court official during the Ching Dynasty.  The Ching Dynasty was the last imperial dynasty in Chinese history, and Hung Gee Kit served under emperor Kwong She.  He was born into a Christian family in Swatow, China and went to a school that was operated by the Baptist Church.  After graduating, he was recommended to do government work, particularly in foreign affairs.  He worked hard and was promoted very quickly, and soon he became a government officer and advisor for the emperor.  From what I've heard, it seems as though he really wasn't connected to God initially, but as an officer, he came into contact with several American missionaries and through them became a true follower of Christ.  However, as Hung Gee Kit came closer to God, he became more and more troubled by his work for the emperor.  The reason was because emperors were intended to be worshiped as gods, and this caused Hung Gee Kit to have a "Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego vs. Nebuchadnezzar" moment.  He started looking harder at his career and whether it was really pleasing to the Lord.

After a period of time praying and seeking the Lord, he and his wife decided to leave the royal court and the lifestyle it contained.  He never wore his royal robes again and put commoners clothes on from that time forward.  Interestingly enough, he kept them because there are pictures of my father and grandmother wearing his royal robes in the 80's and 90's, but somewhere between then and now, the robes were sold by an unknown family member.  Grr, I'm still a little bit bitter at whoever did sell them, because I still think it would be really cool to wear them...

It was actually a good time for Hung Gee Kit to leave the Ching Royal Court when he did.  Apparently, the emperor's wife died shortly this, meaning he would have to bow before her coffin for 90 days.

After his government work, my great great grandfather established two Christian schools, one for boys and one for girls.  The teaching staff for these schools was made up entirely of family.  Hung Gee Kit evangelized in his free time and stood strong in his Christian faith, leading many people to the Lord.

He is one of the older men in this picture, but I am not entirely sure which one he is...