January 7 - 13, 2012

We spent most of this week working on Branch Business, temple assignment to work with training materials, and Paul working on a talk for Sunday.  Our extra assignment at the temple is to help organize the temple training materials.  It has been a busy week. We have gone early in order to work on the computer and take care of some of the materials.

It was a pretty quiet week.  We went to Wanchai on Monday and walked around TST and had lunch at Paisanos, our new favorite pizza place except we had salad and lazagne this time.  We caught a bus and went out to Stanley again.  I wanted a vest which Sister Castleton found out there and we were able to find the store.  A beautiful ride out there on the bus.

Paul was invited to speak Sunday with the two full-time missionaries on Prophets.  All three did a good job.  Elder Bingham told a story of not being interested in serving a mission.  He became ill with a heart problem.  A good friend from his YM leaders came to visit him.  He gave him a blessing and encouraged him to start keeping Heavenly Father's commandments which he did.  He then decided Heavenly Father wanted him to serve and mission and he moved forward.

Elder Wu told of being a convert at 13, the only member in his family.  He always wanted to serve a mission but his mom was against it.  His parents are from mainland China but he grew up in New Zealand and did not speak Cantonese.  Long story short he took care of all his medical and dental and submitted his papers thinking that when his Mom took him to the airport he would say "goodbye, see you in two years".  However the call came in the mail while he was gone to visit some friends at the temple and his Mom opened the letter.  When she found out he would be going to Hong Kong and learning Cantonese she was happy.  Since being out her heart has softened and she is willing to have the missionary lessons when he returns home.  The Lord works in miraculous ways His wonders to perform.

Our shift this month at the the temple is to be dressed and ready to work by 8:45.  That means we leave home by 8:00.  We usually walk to the MTR (train station) where we catch the train and go two stops.  From there we walk to the temple which takes about 10 minutes.  The Hoskins have been taking the taxi since his accident with his foot.  Another two or three weeks and he should be good again.  Sister Victor has been having headaches.  She is always so up you can't tell unless she tells you.  Hopefully she will have a new grand baby any day now and that should ease up some of her stress.  The Rhyasens are starting to talk about going home.  Their year will be up in March and they have to buy their own way home.  The Hathaways have received their okay to go home for the wedding of their son in June so they have purchased their tickets.


Sunday was the Block and then Home Teaching followed by dinner.

The food line.  They are great cooks

The Jacinto family

 Christmas has been taken down and now everything looks like Valentines.  The malls do not miss a beat.  We have FHE in a few weeks and we are going to do it on the Five Love Languages.  It will fit right into the season.

Hope you have a wonderful week.  We are half-way into the month so you better get a date set to get to the temple before January 31st.