September 16 - 22, 2013

Happy Birthday to Tyler who turned 13 today.  We are so proud of him.  He is a good big brother, son, student and friend.

Paul received this photo from one of the Area Mission couples who said he was doing what he does best, smiling among the people.

 Monday afternoon the Temple Missionaries all met for the going away luncheon for Elder & Sister Chan.  We are going to miss them.  They have added so much to our work in the temple.  They are both originally from China and Hong Kong and speak several language which helped immensely with our visitors from all over Asia.  They are returning to Kennewick, WA.

Jennifer and David Chan, Kennewick, WA

President & Sister Tai, Hong Kong

Jackie and Jerry Hoskins, Salt Lake City, UT

Sister and President Aki, Laie, Hawaii

Jocelyn & Warner, Morgan, UT

Brent and Bonnie Hathaway, Northern, CA 

 Monday evening Sister Castleton and Sister Fransen came over to our apartment and showed us their PowerPoint of the Beyond 5 tour which Sister Fransen put together and the two of them traveled with the group of 13 for five weeks throughout Asia.  What a great missionary tool and they had some wonderful receptions in the countries they visited.  Mongolia was first. They treated them royally.  The Government gave them a 3500 venue for free and many government officials were in the audience.

Mar Jean, Sisters Castleton, Fransen, and the Hoskins

Wednesday I took Yessie to lunch at Pizza Express for her birthday.  I met her at the temple for the 11 am session and we did that together and then to lunch and then I headed back to the temple for our afternoon shift.  Yessie and Michelle are such a wonderful family.  She is from Hondorus.  Her husband, Thomas, is very ill with bladder and colon cancer. She is an amazing woman.  Can't believe I didn't get a picture that day.  

Thursday was Janet Lung's birthday.  Months ago in RS we celebrated the RS Birthday and each of us got to write on a piece of paper what we would like for our birthday and then someone picked it up and did it.  Janet's was to go to a Chinese buffet so we fulfilled that yesterday at the Novotel Hotel.  Happy Happy Birthday Janet.  Unfortunately later that evening she called to tell us her father had suddenly passed away from a heart attach.  

Paul, Janet Lung, Mar Jean 

 HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROB who is 38 this year.  Of course, he is off working, what a way to spend your special day.

Today, Friday the temple is closed for the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival.  The Chans will leave around 11:30 and we will help load their luggage into Pres. Aki's car and later this evening the Salmons will arrive from SLC to replace them.  It was a fairly long day until the Salmons arrived around 8:30. They are from British Columbia and said it was a long flight.

SistersWarner and Hathaway welcoming the Salmons

 Sunday we took the Salmons to the Mandarin Branch in Wan Choi.  At the time we were not sure where they would be assigned.  After the meeting they met with President Tai and are assigned to Island 2 Branch with Elders Jackson and Bertin and wives.

We are on Typhoon 3 watch so most meetings were cancelled after Sacrament so I brought the Salmons home so he could have a rest.  The flight is catching up with him, plus he has a cold.  Paul went on to Peninsula 3 to help with the sacrament meeting.  He said they had 40 in attendance.  He got home about 3:30.

 Sister Salmon and I went for a walk and I took her over to Aeon, Wellcome store, the wet market etc.  We were not sure if we will be able to get out tomorrow or not.  It's suppose to reach a 10 by tonight.  This is what it looked like when we came home from Church.  Just a little rain and the clouds are moving in.

View from our apartment window

PREPARE FOR GENERAL CONFERENCE

1. Members of the Church are entitled to personal revelation as they listen to and study the inspired words spoken at general conference.  Prepare some questions now.  

2. Don't discount a message merely because it sounds familiar.  Repetition is the law of learning.

3. The words spoken at general conference should be a compass that points the way for us during the coming months.

AFFIRMATION THOUGHTS from the Temple Presidency this week

• Just because you're mad at someone doesn't mean you stop loving them. 
• Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil
• "Life becomes easier when you learn to accept an apology you never got."  Robert Brault
• Write the bad things that are done to you in sand, but write the good things that happen to you on a piece of marble.  Arabic Proverb.
• Our prime purpose in this life is to help others, and if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them.
• NEVER look down on someone unless you're HELPING THEM UP
• Use your voice for KINDNESS your ears for COMPASSION your hands for CHARITY your mind for TRUTH and your heart for LOVE.
• "Spending time with children is more important than spending money on children.

September 9 - 15, 2013

Monday all the Temple missionaries went to Lamma Island for the day.  We caught the #4 Ferry and headed out.  Bro Liu and his daughter who just got in from China came with us.  She has her mission call to the UK next month.   Lamma Island is about a 30 minute ferry ride from Central.  

map of the island

Chans and Lius

Sister and Elder Hoskins

Elder & Sister Victor

Elder & Sister Hathaway

Elder & Sister Warner

Sister and Elder Lewis

Brother Liu and daughter

After disembarking we walked down a board walk where there were lots of restaurants.  We decided to start walking across the island.  We looped around once and found our way back to where we started.  We started again and found the beach.  This young man helped us find our way.  At the beach the Victors found us and we started across the island again.

We finally made it across the island and on the way found a little restaurant and had a chocolate ice cream and french fries.

We went over to the WanChai bldg. and ran into the Svresh George Jayasingh family who have been here in Hong Kong for the last two weeks.  What a great family.They have been members for four years.  He is the Branch clerk and she is the nursery leader.  They got to take the kids to Disneyland while they were here.

An India family who have been to the temple for two weeks.

Walking down at the TST this week we saw they have a new display.  Looks like hunters.  Everyone takes pictures here.

1861 Square now has a new display.  It changes several times a year and is a famous picture taking place in TST.

Saturday after the temple we were invited to go across the street and learn to make moon cakes.  What a fun activity and they were soooo good.

Two RS sisters who are teaching us how to make moon cakes.

Baked moon cakes

Mar Jean with her moon cakes

Sister Chan and Sister Tai at the moon cake RS activity.

Sister Po and Mar Jean.  Sister Po comes on a regular basis to the temple from China.

Mar Jean & Sister Yau, coordinator at the temple.

Sunday was a wonderful day at Church.  The Santos Family came and their 15 year old daughter and her father were our speakers.  After the Block we had two baptisms.  Our Branch missionaries do an awesome job and finding people and the missionaries do a great job of teaching.  Elder Hazer and Elder Ford.  Both go home soon.  

Baptism group picture

Choir members finishing practice with Sister Castleton.

Elder Hazer, Elder Ford, Jonalyn Baga, Michelle, Kate, Carmela Lomibao

Baptism interlude with Kristy Anne leading the music and Kate singing "I Am A Child of God".

Michelle and Mar Jean (Primary Teacher)

Peninsula 3 Branch Presidency:  Elder Walker, President Collins, Brother Wen

Sister & Elder Victor, Elder & Sister Hathaway, Sister Lewis

Venim, Sister and Elder Lewis

Venim & Dad Liberato Jequinto

Elder & Sister Castleton, Venim, Elder & Sister Watkins

Shannon Jacinto playing prelude for Sacrament meeting.

Paul, Shannon, Megan, Gullian, Rommell

September 2-8, 2013

Monday was my big birthday.  Big #70.  Where have the years gone?  I don't feel that old but I must be.  In Church Sunday everyone wished me a great birthday and were all very kind.  Monday Paul took me to lunch at the JOJO India Restaurant.  We had made plans to meet the Blickenstaffs who were coming into Hong Kong for the Asia Mission Presidents Conference.

 President & Sister Blickenstaff are serving in the Taiwan Taichung Mission.  We stopped at the Wanchai Bldg. and then took the Starr Ferry across the harbor to our apartment.  It was a rushed trip but they were good sports and we got them back in time for their dinner at 6 pm.

 We were able to see them again on Thursday at the temple when the Mission Presidents attended a special temple session.  Later that evening we met up with them again to say goodbye and found out Pres. Blickenstaff was suffering from a back and leg ache.  We called Elder Chan and he was available to work on him so we took a cab to our apartment building where we hope he got some relief.

 As we were entering the temple for our new afternoon shift (this month we go in at 2:15 Tues and Wed until after the last session) we met these two wonderful families who were here to receive their endowments and be sealed.  We were blessed to work with them all week.

Last week we went to the ICC building one more time before our passes expired and I just found these pictures over looking HK.

Here we have Paul sliding down the building.  The kids wanted to know how he got up there.  It's a 3D picture painted on the floor.

 After my birthday I decided it was time to try to get fit before we go home.  I made it to the gym three days last week.  Unfortunately the pool was closed every time I went because of thunderstorm warnings.  Maybe this week.

Paul's taking it easy on his knee.  He went to see Dr. Lee on Thursday and has been dong his exercises.

Tim and Candy Fife at the end of the table.

We saw on FB a week or so ago that Tim Fife was hosting a BYU Management Meeting and friends and neighbors were invited so we decided to go.  It was in the Wan Chai Bldg at 7:30 pm.  It was very interesting.  They had someone, Josh, speak about starting up businesses in HK and then we had a getting to know you game and some good food.  

Saturday after the temple we took the MTR to Ikea where we had dinner and then had to hurry to the 20 year anniversary of Pres. & Sister Tai's Ward.  

Sister Cheng is assigned to this Ward.  She is from Hong Kong and when she received her mission call she started serving in the temple.  We loved working with her.  Four weeks ago she went to the Philippines MTC and has now been in Hong Kong for two weeks.  She is  an awesome missionary and we were so excited to see her.  She said they have ten investigators they are working with.

President Tai played a beautiful hymn on his harmonica.

Paul & Mar Jean, Sister and President Tai and Elder & Sister Chan.

Sister Lo, Sister Hui and Mar Jean

President and Sister Tai

Sisters from the temple.  Sister Lo, Sister Poon, Sister Chan,  Sister Cheung, Sister Chan, Sister Lewis

It was a beautiful program.  The choir sang several numbers and then the YM and YW did an awesome job.  So glad we were able to attend.  

Sunday we had great meetings.  Paul went early for Branch Council meeting.  I was planning to come later but he called and I came at 12:00 and helped with the program.  We had three great speakers, Sister Rizza, a new convert, Venim, has received her mission call and will serve in the Philippines, and Vilma Wen.  In my primary class we invited Gullian to join us.  She is six.  She did really well with us and so will probably continue to come.  Shannon is doing so well on her piano, we are so proud of her.  She is playing prelude in Sacrament meeting.  

We had dinner after the Block.  Sally Balad made spaghetti and then we had tuna sandwiches and fruit.  

Nida & Janet

Helpers in the kitchen, Taeia, Vilma, Venim, Megan and Gullian

Paul and Samara filling the toilet rolls.

Some of the cooks this week.  Janet, Mary Ann, Sally and Eunice

Lunch line

While listening to Bishop Dean M. Davies  April conference talk I want to leave you with this message.  

He spoke about building a firm foundation. I would like to focus on one of the stones, the sacrament."It gives us an opportunity to ponder our life in advance, to consider the actions or nonactions that may need to be repented of and then to partake of the bread and water as sacred emblems in remembrance of the body and blood of Jesus Christ, a witness of His Atonement.  If we partake with sincerity and in humility, we renew eternal covenants, are cleansed and sanctified, and receive the promise that we will have His Spirit to be with us always.  The Spirit acts as a type of mortar, a welding link that not only sanctifies but also brings all things to our remembrance and testifies again and again of Jesus Christ.  Worthily partaking of the sacrament strengthens our personal connection to the foundation rock, even to Jesus Christ."