This week started with Karen’s Birthday! The Filipino Sister Missionaries and I pulled off a fun surprise party for her at our little apartment in Hung Hom. Four companionships of Sister Missionaries and two sets of Senior Missionaries knocked on our door with birthday cards and goodies to eat. Sister Chatterton brought a red velvet birthday cake and the Sister Missionaries brought mango floats. Karen had no idea and was surprised when everyone showed up.
The next day we spent the morning working in the office until lunch time. We then went to lunch with the Fergusons. They will be leaving two weeks after us, we wanted to have lunch together before we all left Hong Kong.
We also received an invitation from Elder Funk to join the Area Presidency and their wives for a farewell luncheon next Tuesday. It seems a little early to us for a farewell lunch but the Area Presidency and other Senior Area Directors will be leaving for Salt Lake soon to attend meetings associated with but held prior to General Conference.
Thursday, we had our first bi-weekly call with other Area Public Affairs Missionaries in Annie’s new office on her big screen TV. Later in the day we attended our weekly Welfare Meeting on the ninth floor. It was the third week in a row that I was listed on the agenda to give the opening prayer and the third week in a row that I have been late.
In the meeting there was a discussion led by legal concerning when and how we could help refugees migrating to different countries in the Area. There is a lot of state specific rules in the twenty-odd countries we work with from Mongolia to the north down to Timor Leste in the south.
Friday, we did some OLCRM training with the Montagues who are serving in Malaysia. The work-flow process was well accepted, and we believe it will be of great assistance to the Public Affairs work here going forward.
In the evening we were treated to dinner by Elder Stan Parry and his good wife Carol. We dined at a very nice Thai restaurant in Tsim Tsau Tsui on the Kowloon side. The restaurant was located next to the Star Ferry Terminal with a harbor view and we were able to watch the sunset and the heart of the Island business district in Central light up across the water.
The next morning, we met the Cory’s who treated us to breakfast before church. They took us to the “Flying Pan” a western restaurant operated and named by a Chinese entrepreneur that thinks he named his restaurant after a western cooking utensil. This is one of the few places that you can find a western breakfast and the only place in Hong Kong that we know of that serves biscuits and gravy. This was also a farewell meal that Elder Tim Cory and his good wife Joyce wanted to have before we left.
We spent five or six hours in church and then were treated to another meal, this time with the Jones and the Jensens. We served in the Every-Day Branch Presidency with these two Senior Missionary Couples in Wan Chai. It was another good meal, this time at the Outback Restaurant. We have been told that we will be released on the 17th from the Branch so this was another special occasion.
While eating dinner we discussed how excited the Branch members were when President Jones announced that President Nelsen and Elder Holland would be in Hong Kong on the 21st of April. They will be holding a special meeting in the Hong Kong Convention Center for all the members here in Hong Kong and because it will be on a Saturday night all the members in the Saturday Family will be able to attend.
Speaking of visits, Elder Stevenson with a member of the Presiding Bishopric and one of the First Quorum of the Seventy will also be visiting Hong Kong and hold a special meeting for all the Missionaries here on the twelfth of March. Fortunately for us it is before we leave so we will be able to attend.
A lot is going on right now including a lot of eating.
A surprise birthday visit from Chattertons, Jensens and the sister missionaries!
Lynn's turn, a birthday surprise for him! Left to right: Sister Bautista, Sister Romero, Sister Rodriguez, Lynn, Sister Salangad, Sister Miranda, Sister Almanzor, Sister Nelsen.
Outside of Sweet Basil Thai Restaurant in TST
Going home on the Ferry
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