A Busy Week and A Visit to Macau

This was a week of lasts for the Ortons and a first for the Becksteads.

The Ortons will be ending their Mission this week and returning home. As all of you know that have served it is a bitter sweet experience. The Ortons are reluctant to leave the many special associations they have developed here as Missionaries and a lifestyle of daily fulfillment. As they explain it, “knowing that we have something to do and somewhere to be every day.” Yet on the other hand they will be surprising their children and grandchildren by showing up at the finish line of a marathon that their family is participating in and has no idea that grandma and grandpa will be there.

 To celebrate their Mission all the Sisters went to a “girly restaurant” called the Passion and feasted upon salads and sandwiches. The Elders on the other hand visited the Big Bite, the best burger restaurant in Hong Kong, and celebrated in style.

The Becksteads on the other hand experienced there first assignment covering a high-profile church visitor. Sisters Burton, General Relief Society President, and Sister Cordon, 2^nd Counselor in the General Primary Presidency, toured the Asia Area and finished in Hong Kong this last week.

Sister Beckstead and I received the assignment to cover Sister Cordon’s visit here which included Friday nights Auxiliary Training Meeting.  All the Primary leadership and teachers from all the Stakes, Districts, Wards, and Branches from Hong Kong and Macau were invited to attend. Our assignment is to write an article reporting on the teaching and instruction given by Sister Cordon to all the primary leadership in the area that attended. When the assignment was given to us we were told that the article needs to be published in Newsroom but should be of such quality that it can be submitted to Salt Lake for the Church News.  I might just add that Sister Cordon's  instruction was very good and she was a pleasure to meet.

When we finish this article, and publish it,   we will make you all aware so that you can read it. Hopefully we will be able to present it well,  like I said,   the instruction was very good.

Talk to you soon…

For our P day  we went to Macau.   It only takes an hour from Hong Kong on a Turbo Jet Boat.  Macau was a Portuguese territory until 1999.  Then,  like Hong Kong,  when  it's lease was up, was returned to China.  We went with several senior missionaries and we had a wonderful day there.

 Behind us is what's left of St. Paul's Cathedral after a fire.  From  left to right:  Elder and Sister Kendell,  Sister Lee,  Karen,   Lynn,   Sister and Elder Yan.


We ended the day going to a show "The House of Dreams Dancing Waters"  It was incredible.  We saw so many beautiful and interesting things,  and  we really enjoyed spending the day with such wonderful people.

The inside of the Church was small and modest,  but nice.   This is the only Church building in Macau.  They have 3 Branches,  2 Chinese and 1 English.   The District President was our tour guide.  He is in his early 30's and has a little girl and new baby boy.  He is the first  District President in Macau.   He told me that when he received his calling,  he called President Lam (the Hong Kong Mission President),  and said "President Lam,  what does a District President do?".