MTC, Arrival In Hong Kong, Pen 3 Branch

We finished our service at the MTC by spending  four days at the Provo Temple with Elder & Sister Hammond.  We enjoyed training from the Temple Presidency, Engineer, Recorder, Laundry and a visit with Elder Chay, Seventy from Korea and his wife.  The Hammonds were terrific trainers and we learned so very much.  We were also able to participate in all the ordinances.  The Provo Temple has 4700 workers and does more ordinances per day than any other temple.  Of course, they have BYU and the MTC.  We said our goodbyes to the other couples who were also headed out to Boston, DC, Manhattan, Columbia, Argentina, and Kiev Temples.

On our way home from the Provo Temple we stopped to have dinner and say goodbye to our good friend an former missionary, Linn Justus in Alpine.  We served together in Slovenia.

Sunday evening we met with Brother & Sister Wilson of Sandy.  They had just returned home from the HK Temple as Counselor and Assistant Matron.  We learned many things from them.  And were told we were in for a wonderful treat.  

We spent Sunday, September 2, with Kory, Katie, Tyler, Josh, Gage & Kelly celebrating my  birthday.  We had already said our goodbyes to Kimberly and her family and Rob and the boys.  My favorite, rasleberry pie was birthday cake.

 Monday morning Kelly drove us to the airport.  We went early and dropped off our luggage so we wouldn't have a hassle with it. We meet up with the Victors at the airport and flew out to LA at 10:05.  In LA we transferred to Cathay Airlines and had a 15 hour flight to Hong Kong.  Just lets say that's a long time in a plane.  It was a great airlines and they treated us well, but just a long time sitting.  President Aki and Brother Lau met us with vans to take us to our apartments.

Elder & Sister Hathaway took over from there and gave us a quick orientation of the apartment and left us to go to bed.  We definitely were tired but who could sleep so we unpacked our four bags and finally climbed into bed about 2 am.  Wednesday we had as a p-day to get settled in.  The Victors called about 10 and we were all ready to get out and explore, at least a super market.  We caught a taxi to the nearest bank.  After getting some HK dollars we found a Park N Shop and did some grocery shopping.  Everything was pretty recognizable and we didn't have any trouble finding things we could eat.  We took a taxi home and waited for our host couple to come home from the temple to take us out again to a store called Justco.  Huge place that has about everything you could want.  Paul ended up going with Mr. Magic to get the mattress and things we had purchased from Denise Hagen, the Tuckers sister, and I went with the Hathaways down the promenade, which is right along the waterfront, to Justco where we picked up a few more things to make life more comfortable.

 Sister Rhysen walked us to the temple Thursday morning.  Her husband was recovering from hernia surgery.     Here we are outside the Hong Kong Temple.  We caught the shuttle to the TMC where we caught the train. Got off the train and walked across the walkway and up two streets to the temple.  It is not a bad walk.  We can relate with the Kenleys on the humidity.

Thursday was orientation for us.  We were made to feel so welcome.  What a beautiful temple.  The Hathaways, Deans and Rhysens showed us around the temple. Sister Aki had a wonderful lunch prepared for us.  We were set apart as ordinance workers by President Aki and more orientation by the Hathaways.

We are still getting use to the jet lag.  We have been waking up at 3:30-4:00 every day.  It's slowly getting better.  We served in the temple Friday and Saturday and were able to participate in most of the ordinances.  What wonderful local people we have as  coordinators and we met Sisters Tai and Wan, Assistants to the Matron.  We are very blessed to be serving here with these wonderful people.  Their stories and church service are amazing.

 Sunday, today, was a real treat.  We, along with the Victors, are assigned to the Peninsula Third Branch with President Collins, from Scotland, as Branch President.  He was out of town on business so Brother Wen, Counselor, was presiding.  Elder & Sister Castleton, from the area office, guided us to the building.  It's about a 45 ride on the TMR with three transfers and a walk through a huge mall, very Chinese with stalls of anything imaginable.  Sacrament meeting was great.  This Branch has three families with children so they have a Primary and they have two YM who are Priests.  One set of Elders and they passed the sacrament.  The youth talk was excellent, two sisters spoke and the choir sang.  I was able to join with the choir.  Sister Castleton is the choir director so we went early so she could practice with them. The speakers topic was "wherefore, let all men beware how they take my name in their lips".  After sacrament meeting they had a baptism.  Sister Jocelyn Rodriguez was baptized.

Elder & Sister Lewis, Jocelyn, Sister Castleton, Sister Collins, Sister Victor

 Elder & Sister Rippy are headed home in two weeks,Washington State, and the Branch had a going away recognition for them.  The Primary sang to them.  Sister Rippy has been playing the piano for the Branch,

and then a group of adults sang "And If It So Be That Ye Shall Labor All Your Days".

 This is a new friend, Alma.  She joined the Church ten months ago.  She sent a Book of Mormon home to her husband and son and her husband accepted the gospel and was baptized in August and next Sunday her son will be baptized in the Philippines. She works here.  As you can see, we are in for a wonderful experience with our Branch on Sundays.  Everyone has a touching wonderful story of how the Lord lead them to His true and living Church.  We look forward to hearing every one of them.  Needless to say our first week in Hong Kong has been a spiritual high.  We are grateful and humbled to be serving with these wonderful people.

This morning before our Church we were able to watch the River Ridge Stake Conference, Saturday night session.  What a great meeting, hope none of you missed it.