Christmas Time

This was the last week of December and closed out the year 2017. A very special time for us, an entire year that we were able to focus twenty-four seven without worldly interruption in developing stronger testimonies and an increased awareness of the reality of Jesus Christ. 

We have been blessed in so many ways since our arrival here in Hong Kong including the expectations we brought into this Mission of how we would build the Kingdom versus the reality of how little it seems we have contributed. Yet our Father in Heaven has showered blessings on us and those we love and care about. We have learned that we are not measured by what we do here as much as it is that we came here. We simply answered a call and came,  and by so doing have felt the appreciation and love from on high.

We spent most of the week celebrating with Branch parties, office parties, Temple worker parties, and other parties of other friends. It was a partying week. We met for breakfasts, we met for lunches, and we met for dinners. We indulged in really good food and some food we would rather not think about. We had some quiet time with some of our closest friends listening to Christmas music and watching Christmas movies with nothing but light from our little Christmas tree and some illuminating fake candles. We also spent time on the busy streets of Hong Kong with all the noise of a big city and all the Christmas lights and decorations you can imagine. It even got cold one day last week as we approached Christmas day.

We called all our daughters and their families on the day after Christmas here in Hong Kong which was Christmas day in the states. It was so fun to see that all of them enjoyed a wonderful Christmas and Karen loved reminding them all that we would be with them next Christmas. I agree with Karen, two Christmas’s away from home is enough and we will appreciate being home next year a lot.

Our Sisters in our Branch love to party!   They sing and dance and prepare an unbelievable amount of food.

We had a devotional and dinner with all of the Temple Workers.  The members here who serve are amazing!

Our Second Chistmas in Hong Kong

We are in enjoying the Christmas season this year with so many opportunities to celebrate, participate, and reflect on all the goodness that can be felt at this time of year.

Hong Kong is always a spectacular view at night with hundreds if not thousands of building structures as tall as anywhere else in the world, creating a skyline of millions of colored lights reflecting in the harbor.

During Christmas time the City, as awesome as it is, really amps it up by adopting a Christmas theme of red and green with Merry Christmas and Happy New Year salutations illuminating in every kind of way you can imagine. Unfortunately, the motive behind this gargantuan effort and beautiful display is commercial rather than spiritual. None the less with the right attitude we can transform this mirage into something that feels very special and recognize all the goodness taking place in the present that “Charles Dickens” described so well in the past.

 This week we spent some time seeking out and spending time at a few of the numerous Christmas displays here in Hong Kong. Some were way out there like the one with the “Snoopy” theme, but then there were some very impressive and thought-provoking themes as well. We particularly enjoyed the Land Mark Mall’s atrium with robotic characters singing and a Christmas tree the size of the ones they used to have downtown when we were kids.

Each year a member of the Area Presidency teaches the sister's  institute class the week before Christmas, (for this lesson the husbands are invited to attend).   For some reason this year not one of the three were available, so I was asked to step in as a replacement. I felt a lot of pressure and was very nervous, so I spent a lot of time preparing. The lesson went well because of the participation and testimonies of those in the class, it turned out to be a lesson to me of fear versus faith even though the lesson material was something completely different. Faith will always trump fear!

This week brought another special opportunity for Karen and I to work a session together in the Temple. Our temple assignment has been a great influence of balance to us as Missionaries, and we understand that it’s a unique opportunity for us and appreciate this wonderful blessing.

Karen attended her first musical production in Cantonese, “Scrooge the Musical” performed by the Hong Kong Academy of Arts. It was a lot of fun and seeing a Chinese Scrooge made out to look Caucasian was a different twist for Karen and I. The songs were all in English and if you are interested, you can get a flavor of what they sounded like if you refer to the final scene of the “Christmas Story” where Ralph and his family end up in a Chinese restaurant on Christmas Day.

This week also included Christmas caroling with the younger Missionaries, our Branch Christmas Dinner, and a special Christmas Family Concert performed by the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra.

Merry Christmas!

I couldn't help asking this little guy's mother if I could take his picture!  

Christmas Caroling with the senior  couples and a few young Elders and Sisters.     We passed out  about 150 Light the World pamphlets.  We also had cookies for the little kids!

The Elder and Sisters were able to talk to quite a few people,  it was really fun!

Cambodia

We traveled to Cambodia this week and met with Elder and Sister Dowd.  They will be returning home at the end of the month and their replacements, the Smiths, will not be arriving until mid-April. We have been asked if we can help, “bridge the gap” by supporting the Director of Public Affairs and the National Council of Cambodia during the absence of a Senior Missionary Couple being there. Very similar to what we did a few months ago with Sister Carol Ng in Malaysia.

It was close to a three-hour flight from Hong Kong to Phnom Penn and another hour or so getting through immigration because we had to get a Visa there at the airport. After collecting our baggage, we quickly found the shuttle driver sent by the hotel. We then experienced another hour of moving very slowly through narrow and congested streets to the hotel. After settling in we called the Dowds who picked us up, took us out to eat, and then to their apartment. We visited there for a while before they took us back to our hotel, “The Luminer”, where we then enjoyed a well deserved good night of sleep!

The Dowds introduced us to Sister Theany, the Director, with the rest of the Council the second night of our visit at a dinner organized for all of us to meet each other. It was a wonderful evening and a great opportunity for us to get to know the members who serve in Cambodia in Public Affairs. The dinner also served as the end-of-a Mission thank you event for Elder and Sister Dowd.  It was well deserved and a great blessing for us to witness the love that has developed between the Dowd’s and the Cambodian delegation attending the dinner.

Earlier that day we met Brother Lee who owns a tuk-tuk and makes a living moving people around in the City. He took us out to the “Killing Fields” and “S-21”. It was a very sobering experience and an introduction to unimaginable atrocities. Three million Cambodians of a total population of eight million killed by fellow Cambodians and an evil leader. Visiting these sights is probably an experience that would  be good for everyone to do once, but I know Karen and I hope never to do again.

The next evening, we met with Theany  and Vannak reviewing and teaching them how to use Corus, Newsroom, and the Public Affairs Network. They were great and were able to learn how to use the software in about one-tenth the time it took me. It will be fun working with them from Hong Kong for the next few months while there are no Senior Public Affairs Missionaries in Cambodia.

We had another chance before our meeting with Theany and Vannak for Brother Lee to spend some time motoring us around town in his tuk-tuk. Besides seeing all the back allies and markets of Phnom Penn he also found his way to the King’s Palace. We hired a woman tour guide to walk us through the royal complex including several royal buildings and gardens. 

Before we left Cambodia,  the Dowd's took us to the Service Center and to the Mission Home.  We were able to meet Elder and Sister Thurston who are serving a Humanitarian Mission,  and Elder and Sister Scott who serve as the Senior Missionary couple in the Mission Home.

Our Tuk Tuk driver,  Tree,  was wonderful.  He is a member of the Church,  and a survivor of the Khmer Rouge regime (1975-79).   He serves on the District High Council.   He told me the most wonderful day of his life was when he took his 6 children (made possible through the Temple Patron fund),  to the Hong Kong Temple where they were sealed together in 2006.   

This little house is a very very nice house for Cambodia!  The people are so poor,  they are so humble,  and they are so happy.

Getting around in a Tuk Tuk was such a fun experience.  The Tuk Tuk is an icon for Cambodia.  It's a little cart pulled by a motorcycle.  There are hundreds of them everywhere.   There are also hundreds and hundreds of scooters.  In the city,  there are lots of cars that share the road with the Tuk Tuk's and the scooters.  It's an adventure.

Our ride a little way out of the city to see the "Killing Fields".   An experience that was very somber and we'll never forget.

It was fun to ride up next to the Elders.  Our driver Tree was honking and waving at them,  they were waving to him,  calling him by name,  it's obvious the missionaries and the members are very close.  The Church in Cambodia is very small,  having only been in the country for a short time.

Most definitely a third world country.  Electricity throughout the city at it's finest!

Christmas FHE

This week began with a special Christmas Family Home Evening with all the Senior Missionaries serving in the Area. The Seller’s, who were in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir for ten years, were in charge of this activity and with Sister Marian Sellers playing the piano we all participated in a group sing along. We sang all the Christmas songs Karen and I know and then some we did not know both traditional and spiritual, and I must say it was not that bad and I enjoyed it a little bit.

A group from Salt Lake working in Church publishing visited us this week as part of a world-wide tour of all the Areas of the Church. The purpose is to introduce a new approach the Church is taking to protect the integrity of published products. In addition to the Church’s visual identity we are now including proprietary developed fonts, light and color schemes, and patented style guides to protect the integrity of future Church published products. Going forward it will be much easier for you to determine whether or not what your looking at or reading has been produced by the Church.

The temple reopened this week after being closed for three weeks,  so we were able to attend our Wednesday evening assignment and again for our first Thursday of the monthy morning session with the Area Presidency. 

Thursday morning after the session we gathered across the street for a Testimony meeting and an official welcome of the new Missionaries that have arrived since our last Thursday Morning meeting with the Presidency. This included Elder Randy and Sister Teddi Jones, Elder Stanley and Sister Carol Parry, and Elder Allan and Sister Arendje Whidden. The Jone’s will be serving as the Branch President of the every-day Branch, the Parry’s are legal, and Whidden’s are the Mental Health Couple.

We worked in the office and had another good week from our cubicle, we also had a fun play day. Elder Thong and I were the first to ever ride the Ocean Park Mine Train roller coaster with Virtual Reality Goggles. It was really fun to have this pioneering experience as a missionary, it connected me to my pioneering ancestors. Elder Thong is from Singapore and Sister Thong is from Hong Kong and were called from Seattle where they will be returning after their Mission. They met while attending school at BYU Hawaii and he is currently serving as the Area Financial Auditor. We have become good friends and will miss the daily association we share with them as Missionaries. Developing new life time friendships has been another wonderful perk allowed us by serving here in Hong Kong.

              Ocean Park with Elder and Sister Thong

We went to lunch with Thongs to the "Jumbo Floating Restaurant"  in Aberdeen.  We had Dim Sum.  A little scary having Chinese people make your menu selections for Dim Sum,  but we survived!

FHE with the Senior Missionaries.  Dad and Eder Thong trying to make music with the pop bottles.  They did pretty good! 

Saying Goodbye to Sister Barcocols

Our December calendar is beginning to look the Chinese New Year fireworks. We have so much going on here right now that it will be difficult to keep up with it all. Karen knows how to use the invite function in Outlook and is wearing it out here in December.

This week begin  visiting a secluded white sand beach on the east side of the peninsula at Clear Water Bay. The temperature was in the low sixties so besides ourselves there were only a couple other people on the beach. We enjoyed the sounds and sights of the serf as each wave would form, crest, and crash before disappearing into the sand.

After about an hour we left and stopped for lunch at Big Bite when we received a message that Sister Barcolcols’ brother had passed away unexpectedly, and she would be leaving to go home to the Philippines later that day or in the morning. Her flight was postponed a day, so we were able to see her and offer our condolences before she left.

We love and worry about the Sister Missionaries serving here that after their Missions are returning to a quality of life that would be difficult to endure. We wish there was more we could do for them and their families.

Horse racing is big here in Hong Kong and has been for years. I remember as a young Missionary seeing billboards advertising the races at the “Happy Valley Race Track” and hearing the name, “the Hong Kong Jockey Club”. So, Karen and I mostly out of curiosity decided to go to the races this week. Having never been we did not know quite what to expect and are pleased to report that it was a lot of fun. The horses were amazing, not only were they physically marvelous but the way they competed against each other to win was more like a human than an animal.

We had a good week at the office and continue to progress with the Opinion Leader Data Base and CRM. We had productive conference calls with both Salt Lake and Washington D.C. concerning how we can best utilize the system. We also saw “Light the World” kick off in all the countries in our area and are excited about the campaign being a great success similar to last year.

We took the Filipino Sister Missionaries (Sister Cory joined us), to lunch to say a sad goodbye to Sister Barcolcols (sitting to the left of me).   Her brother passed away,  President Lam sent her home to stay.  She would have completed her mission here in February.   He told her she needed to be home with her family and finish her mission teaching them the gospel.  Sister Barcolcols and her brother  were the only 2 members in all of her immediate and extended family.  Her brother had completed his mission and was engaged to be married in the Manilla Temple in May. 

Left to right:  E/S Beckstead,  Sister Barcolcols, Sister Cory, Sister Salangnad.

Who would have thought our first horse race would be in Hong Kong!  This was really fun!

Week of Thanksgiving

This last week we had several memorable experiences beginning with a special moment last Sunday.  I was sitting on the stand, gazing at Karen, and pondering the reality of her having the opportunity to serve as a full time Missionary. It occurred to me that she has patiently waited many years to enjoy the reality of entering the realm of serving full time and then returning home with the honor of forever bearing the title of a “Returned Missionary. I was overwhelmed with a surreal feeling of gratitude to be a part of her opportunity to realize a lifelong dream.

We attended a devotional on Tuesday and were taught by Eder Meurs. He shared a video recording of an interview he did in Australia before being called into the Quorum of Seventy. The televised interview was a similar format to MSNBC Business with a news reporter like Lou Dobbs in America. The take-away of Elder Meurs message was the importance of relationships and the value added when developing and managing a project, especially of the size and scope of the one being discussed in the interview.

On Thanksgiving Day, which is not a Hong Kong holiday, we worked in the office in the morning and then met Elder and Sister Chatterton, their daughter and son in law at the Hopewell Center for Lunch. The Hopewell Center houses a revolving restaurant on the sixty-second floor of the building that serves one of the two finest buffets in the city. Our plan was to eat and then spend the afternoon catching up on some work in the office but after feasting and revolving for the better part of two hours we went back to the apartment and enjoyed a wonderful nap!

The day after Thanksgiving we worked in the office (I’m using the word work rather loosely here) until three o-clock and then went down to the lobby to help decorate for the Christmas holiday. The men that work at the security desk in the building oversaw bringing in all the boxes of decorations from storage. As they brought them in they were unpacked and put in their proper places based on photos of years past. The decorations included a large nativity set, wreaths, bells, lots of holly and ivy, and of course a larger than life Christmas tree.

The Christmas tree and all the decorations were opened, and the tree was assembled and decorated by at least a dozen people. All of them were warranted by the size of the tree and the multitude of boxes containing bows, ribbons, and decorative Christmas ornaments of every size and shape imaginable. Upon completion of this organized chaos, those involved stepped back to admire the now newly created work of art. No doubt it was beautiful, and just as everyone was congratulating one another on this miraculous feat of a human army working together someone noticed an undisturbed box somehow passed over. The group gasped when the box was opened and they found in it the Christmas tree lights that should have gone on the tree first.

Friday, we kicked off the “Light the World” campaign by hanging a large banner on the outside of the building. My personal opinion is; in the years that follow they find something different from this humongous piece of canvas hanging from this beautiful building. Hopefully some kind of high definition laser projection that does not have a negative impact to the architecture of the structure holding it up.

The end of the week featured a Thanksgiving feast worthy of the holiday being celebrated at home. Turkey with cranberry, stuffing and mashed potatoes with gravy, rolls with butter, sweat potatoes, and at least a dozen pies. Shared with the Senior Missionaries assigned to the Asia Area and a few others including Sister Evans. It was a time to be thankful for and to reflect upon another year of blessings received.

This is the TSZ Shan Monastery and Guan Yin Statue.  This is the world's tallest bronze Guan Yin (Goddess of Mercy, also known as Kwun Yum).  Yes, she's bronze, painted white!    We visited here with other senior missionaries,  it was beautiful.  Not to mention finally getting some perfect weather for adventures.

            Robert and Cheri Jenson,  us,  Teddi and Randy Jones,  Marilyn and John Chatterton.

On Thanksgiving we went to lunch with our friends the Chattertons,  their daughter and son-in-law.  This is the view from the Hopewell Center  - Grand Buffett.  It's a revolving restaurant on the 62nd floor.  The view was good,  the food was great!

Our decorating day was the day after Thanksgiving.   We can't believe it's almost our second Christmas here in Hong Kong!

Totally random,  this is the view from our office window,  (our view is looking behind our building).  Not very attractive,  but none the less,   I've grown accustomed to it !

A Really Good Week

This week was a much better week than last week because Karen was feeling much better. The antibiotic given to her by Elder Sellers finally kicked in and she was “up and at um” like she had never been sick a day in her life. She completed a couple of her newsbriefs  to the Area Presidency and attended her Institute Class.

We had a video call this week with the Hubbard’s and Montague’s. The Hubbard’s are serving in India and the Montague’s in Malaysia. The Montague’s stayed on the video call after the group call and shared with us that they have been asked to keep a low profile by the Mission President for a while because of some political issues in the Country. It was sad because they have recently arrived and are so eager to bring the Church out of obscurity and to have to sit still for the foreseeable future is very disappointing and difficult. It will be interesting to observe the windows that will open for them in the next few weeks through patience and obedience.

We had multiple video calls with Elder and Sister Dowd this week. We were able to help her post some pictures in a Newsroom article and reviewed with her a second article. Their departure date moved up a week, so they will be leaving the end of December. They are a lot of fun and we enjoy visiting with them a lot. Their home is in Houston but they have children in Utah so we are hoping that we will be able to spend time with them after our Mission.

We attended a concert at the Hong Kong Concert Hall this week featuring the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra and a world-famous pianist named Luganski. Review: Nikolai Lugnaski/HK Phil/Charles Dutoit-masterful Rachmaninov, effortless Stravinsky, restrained Ravel. I enjoyed it and was particularly emotionally moved by the last number, as I listened to it I felt like I was musically being led through the Temple Endowment. It was a remarkable experience to see Luganski play the piano, Karen and I talked about it and are agreed that he wore out the piano by the of the program.

Sister Lee’s replacements arrived Saturday, Karen and  I took them to church on Sunday. We attended a Cantonese Ward because we wanted to see a primary program in Chinese. Elder and Sister Whidden were great sports and enjoyed the experience as much as we did. It is so fun to participate in a Sacrament Meeting in China and know that the same program is being held all over the world this month by primary children of most every nation, kindred, and tongue.

Lynn had fun flying Elder Yan's droan this week.  Boys will be boys,  even if they're boys in men's bodies!

Sister Norman (left) and Sister Cory didn't have to work too hard to persuade Lynn to help them with preparations for our Senior Missionary Thanksgiving!

I love that wherever you are in the world,  this is the time of year for the Primary Presentation!  We attended a Cantonese Ward having theirs today.    Afterwards I snapped this photo of the poster they used to help the kids with the program!   We are all so different,  but at the same time,  we are so much the same!

Next Week Will Be Better!

This week’s entry will be short because Karen has spent the week in the apartment with a Urinary Tract Infection, and I have been running all over trying to find what she needs to help her feel better. Elder Sellers (our mission Doctor),  has had her try three different antibiotics to fight the infection,  finally,  this last one seems to be working.

Tom and Annie have both been out of the office as well, so I spent as much time in the apartment this week as in the office. I did however have an opportunity to meet all the Area Service Center Managers at a Conference being held here in Hong Kong. 

We also attended the Temple Wednesday night, (which Karen probably should not have) and were asked to attend a Session as the Witness Couple. We don’t have the opportunity to attend the Temple often as Patrons so this was fun to experience the Temple in this capacity.

Karen and I were invited to speak in the Peninsula 3rd Branch Sunday, but Karen did not feel well enough to attend, so I spoke for about forty minutes and the Branch President made a few comments. I enjoy the confidence that we have as Missionaries to teach and testify without apprehension when called upon. A speaking assignment as a Missionary does not seem to carry the burden of the same assignment at home. We love to find opportunities to share the feelings of our hearts out here.

Karen’s starting to feel better,  so I’m sure that this next week will be better for her. A lesson for us that not every week as Missionaries can be “a walk in the park”.

Sui Kung Village

This week Karen and I were walking home on the promenade enjoying the beautiful lights of Hong Kong Island reflecting off the water in the harbor and realized that someday we will be leaving all this behind. We experienced a bit of separation anxiety before concluding the fallacy of the thought and realized the truth; that we will never leave this experience behind because going forward it will be a part of us forever.

This epiphany applies not just to the view we enjoy every night, but also to the many wonderful people, the culture, the food and even the smells, as well as every other “good or bad” experience we have enjoyed as missionaries on this side of the world. The Lord revealed to Joseph that all his experiences “shall be for thy good’, and we have lived to enjoy this lesson as Missionaries.

This week we visited Yuen Long, in the New Territories (they were called the New Territories the last time I was a Missionary here forty-years ago) not so new anymore. We found a hiking trail and walked towards China for a while and soon came to a river. The river similar in size, depth, and smell to the Jordon back home had a ferry service that we paid a fee and were carried across. The farrier rowed us across the river in this rag tag piece of junk that defied the laws of physics by floating. After we boarded he offered a disclaimer warning us that we may get wet, but the water was only a few feet deep. Of course, this was in Chinese and he seemed quite surprised when we responded to him in his native tongue.

In addition to our weekly Temple Assignment we attended our monthly Area Presidency Temple Session. This was different than any previous like session because the Area Presidency were all out of the country, so they were not able to attend. Our zealous District Leader claimed that someone told us that we should do it anyway, so we did. The Sellers and Beckstead’s provided lunch after, pizza, green salad, and doughnuts.

In the office we spent most of the week working closely with Annie, we really enjoy this part of our Mission. She is always making sure that we are having a good Mission and loves to side with Karen in helping me stay humble. She reminds me often of the Dog House video and that I should stay out of the dog house.

Speaking about staying out of the doghouse, we were talking the other night and we are hoping that all our children will be able to serve a Senior Mission because of the opportunity to spend so much time together. It is a wonderful blessing to spend time with your best friend in the Mission Field because it is an environment that is magical. You are in a realm of the world but not of the world, a place where we can escape the noise of mortality and find stillness.  We have experienced glimpses beyond the present into immortality and what we are promised if faithful.

I would caution our grandchildren that as they serve Missions that the growth experienced as a Missionary does not come fast. It comes slowly, day by day, hour by hour, through faith, obedience, love and a lot of hard work.  None the less, it will happen and just like us, before you leave your Mission you will realize that all the hard work, obedience, and love will lead you to experiences gained that will be a part of you forever.

Preview YouTube video Beware of the Doghouse- Hilarious!

Beware of the Doghouse- Hilarious!

Chan Family - Highlight of Our Week

This week flew by faster than the speed of light,  or so it felt. I had a WebEx conference scheduled for Friday morning with Salt Lake that I did not realize I missed until Sunday morning.

We were able to visit Sail Kung, this week with Elders and Sisters Salmon and Chatterton, a small fishing village located about eight miles northwest of Hung Hum. Although it is not very far it still takes an hour to get there by bus and a bus is the only way to get there. It is an interesting little village that has somehow resisted the changes that come with time. It felt as though we left the present and returned to the past several decades ago, as we walked through the small alleys and came to the central plaza of the village.  Fortunately, for us there was great food and we had a great lunch.

We had a fun call this week with the other PA missionaries. There are three couples including ourselves that have hit fill stride as Missionaries and all will be returning in the first quarter of next year. The Dowds in January, The Pollmanns in February and the Becksteads in March. Sister Dowd sent us a link with her great granddaughter.

Karen spent two days preparing meals with some of the other Sisters for the Mission President Seminar that the Area Presidency held this week.

It has been interesting for me to observe how the Twelve meet with all the Area Presidencies every six months to teach and counsel. The Area Presidencies around the world then meet with the Area Seventies, District and Stake Presidents then meet with the Bishops and Quorum Leaders who then meet with the Auxiliaries. Six months seems like a very short time to me for information, instruction, and policy to be integrated into such a large organization, but somehow, they are able to do it just in time to start the cycle all over again.  

This week was President and Sister Jones first week of everyday presiding over a full block of meetings. They handled it very well and will be great leaders for the next twenty-three months to the Sisters in the Branch here. I conducted the meeting Saturday and Karen said I only maid two mistakes.

We were given a challenge by one of the Chinese Temple workers a few weeks ago that we invite Grandma and Grandpa Chan to the Chai Wan Ward. They are old and have not been active for several years now and he thought that if we invited them they may consider attending. Later the Relief Society President of the Chai Wan Ward called and asked us if we would be interested in asking the Chan’s if she could visit them with us, and then the Elders Quorum President called and left a similar message. So, I talked with their grandson Lance and asked him what he thought they would be most responsive to. He suggested that I send a message to his mother and ask her to pick them up and meet us at the Ward, he also went on to say that this would help his family in several ways but did not elaborate nor did I ask.

This week I sent a message to his mother and she immediately responded that she could do it this Sunday. We met them at the Ward this morning and it was a wonderful experience. Lances mother showed up with Grandma and Grandpa and three great grandsons. The ward was thrilled to see them and embraced them with fellowship and love. Karen and I were so pleased to be introduced as their special friends from forty-plus years ago as they were recognized by one of the older members to Ward Members as some of the first members of  Chai Wan Branch.

Sai Kung Fishing Village.  Here you just buy your fish directly from the boat.  Not just fish,  but giant shrimp,  turtles,  and lots of other live sea creatures that I have no idea what they were.  They throw them in a sack, you take them home,  kill them,  cook them (sometimes!),  and dinner is ready!

A wonderful day having Brother and Sister Chan,  their daughter-in-law Joyce Chan,  and their great grandsons at Church with us.  Definitely the highlight of our week!

A Week with Many Changes and Challenges

This week we are at the office on our day off, at a time when I am usually sleeping. I am carefully weighing if it is a benefit to pick a wonderful righteous person to be my eternal partner. I am also considering calling for a vote for a role reversal on who gets to be the Senior Companion these next few months.

Every week begins with a Church employee/office missionary devotional followed by a district meeting. We never attend because we are the only Area Missionaries that have Monday as our prep-day. The others have Saturday, but because of our Saturday Church assignment we are never here on Monday. This week we are rolling out a new program that will involve all the Senior Missionaries, so Annie asked us to be here.

Because of the size and diversity of the Asia Area, Public Affairs are inviting each Senior Missionary Couple to choose a Country in the Area they would be willing to research and become familiar enough with that they can brief a member of the Area Presidency prior to a visit to that Country. We are providing a templet for the information that will be entered into a shared-drive that can be accessed through the internet. A vault of information developed by our Missionaries that will hopefully enrich their Mission experience through the process.

This week is a week of coming and goings. Elder and Sister Jones arrived, and he was sustained as the New Branch President  this last Saturday. Elder and Sister Parry also arrived and will be serving as another Legal Couple. Sister Parry said, “she is interested in and loves family history”.  She has previously served a Family History Mission.   She'll  be sitting in the office next to us. We hope she will share some of  her knowledge and know how with us. 

We had a farewell lunch with Sister Lee, who will be leaving the first week of November. The Sellers and Chatterton’s joined us taking her to the Cheesecake Factory,  and in sharing a special time with such a special person as Sister Lee. 

This week included a farewell party every day in the Everyday Branch for Elder and Sister Kendell.  With Elder Kendell’s release, I am now serving as the Second Counselor to Elder Jones in the Everyday Branch.

The week also included a monthly meeting with the Government Relations Committee as well as the weekly Welfare Coordination Council. There is a lot going on right now and humanitarian aid is much needed in this part of the world. There are a lot of Emergency Response demands such as floods, typhoons, draughts, and fires that are the results of natural events. These are difficult and emotional for us because of the suffering of the innocent and weak that are exposed to the natural consequences of such events. Unfortunately, we are also witnessing an ethnic purging that is atrocious. The Rohingya refugee crisis is a problem we have joined with a multiple of NGO’s for the relief of more than six-hundred thousand refugees in Bangladesh.

Saying goodbye to Elder and Sister Kendell was a special evening for all of us!

Back to Normal after General Conference

This week everyone returned from Salt Lake, so the tenth floor was back to its crazy busy self. 

Annie had a birthday while she was gone so we took her to dinner for a belated birthday dinner Tuesday night. Jimmy Chan and his wife Jo were planning on meeting us at the Cheesecake Factory,  however, Jo was sick and couldn't make it,  but Jimmy and the three of us had a great meal together to celebrate Annie’s thirty-third birthday.

The Montagues were able to join our bi-weekly Senior Missionary Public Affairs call this week. This is a significant note that needs to be recorded in our Missionary Blog because it typically takes several weeks for us to be able to connect with a new Missionary couple. Getting the hard wiring and software installed and connected with new users online is usually a nightmare. The major issue discussed in the call was this year’s Christmas Campaign which will be the same as last year, “Light the World".

We also had a good meeting this week with Paul Hanson and the rest of the Welfare Coordination Council. Elder Evans attended and plans to attend whenever he is in town going forward. We had a backlog of projects to catch up on, if I remember right we reviewed eleven or twelve. The Harmon’s are doing a great job and each meeting are feeling more comfortable with their presentations. The humanitarian needs worldwide is more than we could have ever imagined prior to coming over here.

The Kendell’s will be leaving October 25^th and are busy getting ready to meet the Jones who will be replacing them. The Jensen’s and ourselves took Elder and Sister Kendell out for dinner as a token of appreciation for all they have done here in the Filipino Branch. He has served as the Branch President and Elder Jensen and I have served as his counselors. After dinner the six of us went to a movie, “The Helper” a documentary about the domestic workers here in Hong Kong.

We were scheduled to speak in the Pennisula 3rd Ward on Sunday but Church was canceled because of the sixth typhoon we have experienced as Missionaries. This typhoon, Khanun caused a T8 storm signal warning which means everybody in Hong Kong stays home. This weeks typhoon was not near as strong as the last one and by Sunday night the weather was calm.

Enjoying the newly opened Cheesecake Factory with our friend Jimmy Chun,  and Annie (for Annie's birthday).

We love working with Annie in Public Affairs.  One of the many blessings we have from our mission is the wonderful friendships we've made.

Elder and Sister Kendell,  sitting across from Lynn and I,  and the Jensons.  The Kendells  will be leaving to go home next week.   We had a nice dinner together,  the Saturday Branch Presidency and wives). 

Mid Autumn Festival

This week we celebrated two holidays, completed one assignment, started another, and enjoyed another week without any leadership in the office. I only mention this last item because it is so quiet every October and April during General Conference on the tenth floor. The lack of noise created by all the activity at the office gives us a chance to get caught up both mentally and emotionally. We never felt old until we accepted this assignment in this crazy busy environment we live in.

We were asked to do some research on why the Seventh-Day Adventist Church has been so successful with conversion growth in India. Neither Karen or I knew much about the Adventist Church so it was fun to learn about their history and beliefs. Of course, like any other student of this generation, we went right to “Google” for our source of information. We turned in an impressive report but have no idea of the accuracy of the content and included a disclaimer to protect our integrity.

We began working with the Montagues this week and their first effort to insert an article into Newsroom. They are so smart that it felt like we were being trained by them. After close to an hour of working together we ended the session and set up a time for another call next week. We expect that in this next call they will show us how the software works in the first few minutes and the rest of the call will just be time for a fun personal visit.

This last Sunday was China’s National Day. Several of the Senior Missionary Couple’s converged on Elder and Sister Cory’s apartment because of the beautiful view of the harbor they have. Each couple brought a desert and we enjoyed the firework display while devouring sugar.

Karen and I spent our off-day Monday with the Chatterton’s, in North Point browsing small local shops, and having lunch at Big Bite,  a good place for burgers and fries.   Karen ordered a root beer float will real ice cream and with my help she was able to eat just a small amount of it. We were supposedly looking for ribbon or something our wives wanted, but John and I were more interested in cheap electronic gadgets. I bought an LED light that plugs into a USB port for ten dollars HK,  (1.28 USD).  I am not sure how I will use it but it is really cool.

We worked in the office Tuesday and Wednesday morning. The office closed at 3:00 Wednesday and was closed all day Thursday for the Mid-Autumn Festival. We were asked if we could help out at the Temple on Thursday and had a very busy morning there.

That evening Karen and I walked along the promenade and could see families enjoying the holiday. The children were especially happy with their lanterns. I remember my first Mid-Autumn Festival years ago as a young missionary and tasting my first “Moon Cake”. Fortunately for me, I somehow survived and this time around was not tempted in the least to eat one. I talked Karen in to taking a bite just for the cultural experience.  She was quick to spit it out. You would think that after all these years she would quit listening to me.

A great day in Hong Kong.  Left to right:  Lynn and Karen,  Sister Alamanzor, Rowenalyn, Elder Jenson, Sister Jenson, Sister Bacolcol, Sister Kendell, Elder Kendell.  

It was so fun walking along the harbor during the Mid Autumn Festival.