Another Wonderful Week in Hong Kong

Sharon Yau training us,  the Yan's,  and the Thongs,  in Vidyo Conference Calling.  Vidyo is a program the Church uses.  It's going to be great for our conference calls with the other Public Affairs Missionaries throughout Asia.

                      Walking around choosing a place to eat lunch,  and it wasn't here!

Lynn loves the Gaai Mei Bau (Coconut Bread)   While serving his mission here in 1973 he lived on these for lunch.  It's really really good.  Shopping on Saturday with Elder Yan and Elder Thong,   they really stocked up!

Another typical street in Hong Kong.

All the scaffolding in Hong Kong is bamboo.  Even the tall skyscrapers,  they use bamboo scaffolding all the way to the top.

Spending a fun Saturday together with the Yans and the Thongs!  They are wonderful friends.  We love serving with them.

                  This little girl looked like she was having a fun mother - daughter day!

We had another good week as Missionaries here in Hong Kong.

Monday, we started with a planning meeting where Annie announced the hiring of Tom Crockett as the Asia Area Public Affairs Director. He is currently waiting for his work visa but we had a nice meeting with him on Skype. He worked in Corporate Marketing before serving a mission here in Public Communications with his wife. I was told he and his wife finished their service a year ago November, so he is well acquainted with the issues and objectives we're dealing with here in Hong Kong.

Tuesday, Sharon Yau trained the Thongs, Yans and Becksteads on how to do Vidyo conference calling. Poor Sister Yau as she was working with six different SENIOR Missionaries at the same time. We all had computers or iPhones and were peppering her with how do I do this,  or how do I do that, it was worse than a bunch of kindergarteners. But somehow she got us all on one conference line and I think we can all make a Vidyo call now. We were able to experience a modern-day miracle.

Wednesday,  in response to a request from the Asia Area Presidency,  we spent brainstorming with the Yan's choosing topics for the Asia Area Liahona for a 12 month stretch.  

Thursday, the Senior Area Missionaries attended the Temple with the Area Presidency, then met in the Temple Chapel together and shared testimonies. It’s a special privilege for us to be able to meet in the Temple monthly with three General Authorities. There are currently ten couples in the Area office serving in different capacities covering legal, medical, humanitarian, self-reliance/perpetual education, auditing, young single adults (who also have communications),  and public affairs. We also have a Senior Sister, Sister Lee who provides Mental Health Care.  So it’s a total of ten couples, one sister and three General Authorities, and their wives in this special session. We  about fill the session,  the Endowment Room is very small!

After our morning in the Temple,   Karen and I along with our Assistant Public Affairs Director,  Annie Wong, met Jimmy Chan for lunch at the Pacific Club in Kowloon. Jimmy was taught and baptized by Matt Bagley  (a friend of ours),  and is now serving as a Bishop in one of the Wards here. We had a terrific lunch and were invited to dinner at the Chan’s home to meet the rest of his family.  

Friday, we met with a representative of BYU’s Folk Dance group and Elder’s Funk and Evans. We discussed objectives and priorities of the Folk Dancers upcoming Asia Tour. They will be performing in Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos. What a great opportunity for both the performers and the members, although I have to admit before this meeting I never really understood why BYU had a group of folk dancers. After the folk dancer meeting we met with President Lam and Sister Lam, the Hong Kong Mission President and his wife. They are a terrific couple and we came away with some great ideas regarding how we as Public Affairs Missionaries may be able to help the younger Missionaries here.

It's true what they taught us in our Public Affairs Training in SLC.  We as Public Affairs Missionaries plow the field.   The Humanitarian Missionaries plant the seeds,  then the Proselyting Missionaries reap the harvest!