December 23 - 29, 2013

MERRY CHRISTMAS WEEK

Monday we were off so went to Ocean Park and Stanley.

 In Stanley we had to stop for New York Fries, now one of our favorite places.  It was a beautiful day and very pleasant out.

Splurged with caramel corn

 At the temple on Friday the Ubah family came to the temple from Gwonjo to be sealed.  Several of their Branch members came with them for the special day.  Bro. Ubah is from Nigeria and is married to a Chinese sister who received her endowment on Saturday and were sealed afterwards.  I was fortunate to help with the boys and then attend the sealing which Elder Castleton did.  He has received permission to be a sealer in the HK Temple.

Bellarmine, Nelson and John

Benjamin Ubah wife and Nelson and John

 On Thursday, the temple holiday, Rowena and Rommel were able to come to the temple for the first time in a long time.  It was a special day for them.  Her mother is here visiting from the Philippines and so she was watching the children.  It was also their 20th year anniversary.  We love this couple and their three girls.

 Mariah and Abraham Wilson were also in Hong Kong visiting their uncle, Pres. Wilson.  They are both very talented musicians and vocal performers.  Elder & Sister Sullivan organized two concerts for them while they were here.  We attended the one Saturday night in the Kowloon Bldg.  It was sponsored by the YSA and they had brownies afterwards.  Very enjoyable.

 After the concert we popped in to the mission office to visit with the missionaries.  We have some questions for them so we can report to Rob's Priest quorum when we get home.

Elders Lee, Woodburn, Kho, Lewis, Woo, Bradley, Brown

Sister Loh, who is from Malaysia, has been in the temple all week.  We have got to serve with her all week.  A very faithful sister. 

Sister Fong, Sister Li.  Sister Fong and her husband teach the new member lessons to the converts from China.

 Velma and another sister from Victoria 2 were in the temple early Saturday morning to do baptisms.

 After the concert we ran into the Wongs.  What is funny is that everywhere we went this week they were there.

Christmas Eve were were invited by the Area Missionaries to a Christmas eve dinner and evening of fun:  singing, games and gift exchange.  Sister Harrington did the games.  We had a relay race between the Elders and Sisters.  We had to put on socks and open a candy kiss and eat it before moving to the next person.  

Elder Salmon played and accompanied our caroling.  He is terrific and so fun to watch.  He plays by ear.

 One of the games was to put out five pitchers of water.  Blindfold Elder Heaps, Aardema and Wilson and give them directions on how to step over the water without knocking it over.  The answer was they removed the pitchers.  Here is Elder Heaps trying to maneuver himself through.

 The gift exchange was everyone bringing a gift for themselves.  They were all put on a table and we each chose one.  We opened it and then had three chances to guess who brought the gift.  Then they got to take their own gift home.  I had the best gift.  A white "Time First" watch for the temple.

 We finished up the evening by hearing from President Funk. 

We had a delicious dinner of ham and turkey and all the trimmings.  Everyone brought something.  Elder and Sister Aardema put it all together.  They brought a wonderful shrimp cocktail drink.  I'm going to include the recipe so I don't lose it. 

3 cans tomato juice large, 3 cups chopped celery, 14 oz catsup, 2 bottle cocktail sauce 14 oz, horseradish to taste (1 bottle) and 1 1/2 # salad shrimp.

 Paul did not want to walk home so we caught the ferry but when we got off on the Kowloon side we found out it was Silent Night count down.  All the roads were blocked off and there were literately thousands and thousands of people down at the TST waiting for midnight.  We ended up walking all the way home.

 Elder Hoskins came to the temple for a few hours.  His first time since his stroke.  He was able to help in sealings and then went home.

Christmas day we were up early and thanks to face time we watched Kelly and Rob and kids open their presents.  As soon as they finished Kimberly called and we got to see all of them open their gifts.  We were able to talk to Katie and Kory and boys later in the day.   We left the apartment around 9 for the Church.  Velma was off and came over and spent the day with us in Kwai Fong.

We started out caroling at an old folks home right across the courtyard from the Church.  That was a special experience for us.  

Janet and others getting some treats together to take to the Rest home

Brother Rommel holding the book for our Chinese friend who was playing the guitar.  The children also sang some songs for them and then all of us sang about 8 Christmas songs.

Megan and Gillian

Rowena in charge of the kitchen

Paul, Janet and Janet's friend who came with her two children to spend the day with us.

Velma spent most of the day practicing the piano.  I have her started on the Church's keyboard book 

Shannon and Megan had some gifts for us.  

 We played a ton of games after lunch.  They were so fun and we were all laughing and having a great time.  Sister Victor trying to walk with a balloon under each arm and between her legs.

Each team had to build a Santa.  This is Paul Sequeira

Elder Lewis worn out

 Saturday evening at the Wilson Concert where they sang, played the harp, violin and piano.

 Sunday Velma came and spent the day with us.  After Church a few of us hurried off and headed back to Wan Chai for the Wilson concert.  We are in the foyer of the bldg.

We had a very fun and long week.  It went by so quickly with lots of wonderful experiences.  We are so grateful for our Savior--for his birth, life and death.  How blessed we are to know the Plan of Happiness and have the opportunity to live it.