Hand hugs and tender mercies

 It's good here in Hong Kong and I'm grateful for all the amazing things that happen but it is still pretty hard. The tones of every sound continue to haunt my dreams and I focus so hard all day I fall asleep almost instantaneously.  But the people here, oh the people.  They are truly the most humble kind devoted people you could ever meet.  The youth are so strong.  Most are Christian.  But whats so interesting is that even though they have found Christianity, their parents refuse religion.  I think its interesting what a strong Christian following of youth there is here in Hong Kong. 

I really truly with everything in me want to find people everyday to teach and reach.  When you talk one on one you feel such a genuine kindness in them.  They all need it so much they just work all the time and even the little kids are doing homework all the time and they need to be happy. I hope we get an investigator soon.  For their commitment to work and school, they sacrifice laughing and joy and rich meaningful life experiences of people interaction.

At English class this young Mom named Amy came after and asked me if I could help her read a book in English. It was this cute little book about boy and his kite that was something Luke would read for school. She told me that she wants to learn English so she can get a better job and be a better Mom to her two daughters. She brings them to English class every week and records it so that she can help them. She was so great 

We had one lesson with a fifteen year old named Steffy who is so adorable. She has such a strong testimony of Jesus and was really into our lessons about the Restoration. But at the end she told us she would ask her preacher about it and so we don't have much hope for her to call us back :( but we'll find someone out there who won't ask their preacher haha  Most people here have been informed by their preachers that mormons are a cult and stay away from the missionaries. 

We are teaching one little girl named Gigi and she is finally warming up to me, yesterday at church she came over and held my hand to tell me goodbye :) everyone here holds hands instead of hugging like we do haha it's kind of funny.  But honestly when you a feel a little kids hand slip into yours its hard not to tear up a little.  It feels like a big warm hug to me.  I love you guys.  Please know I am grateful to be here even if I complain about the fish and not knowing the language.  I have perfect hope this will pass and I will be able to do all things, through Christ, who strengthens me.  Have a great week. 

What have you done lately?

This week has been good and crazy, so much seems to happen every day. I am really starting to love Hong Kong so much. Sometimes, well usually, the people are grumpy to us but they are also funny and kind when you start talking. This week we met with a new friend named Naomi and her friend Christina. I was happy because as I was doing potential calls she was the only one out of a thousand that didn't hang up on me and she ended up scheduling a meeting with us. We taught them the restoration and they were really interested. I think it is so cool that the gospel just makes so much sense. They were already Christian and accepted the Restoration pretty easily. But then they had a million questions about prophets and we didn't really know what to do. So hopefully they will want to meet with us again but we will see. :) The kids here are still my favorite people ever. Honestly they teach me more cantonese than anyone else haha it's pretty helpful. We taught one little girl named Gigi on Sunday. She is eight years old and has been an investigator since before I got here. At first I though wow she's only eight what are we even going to teach her? But then when the lesson started she talked about her testimony and it turns out she knows more about God than most people probably do. She was so so cute and is on her way to be baptized. The Yihp family helped us teach her and their little kids are so naughty and yell the whole time and fight with each other in cantonese. I don't know what they are saying but I love it so much. I feel so grateful to be here and learning from these people. Sometimes I just think how am I going to do this? I don't know cantonese and it's all so overwhelming sometimes. But in those moments God keeps reminding me to have patience. He gives me little tender mercies like a kind soul in church leaning over to translate for me or a little kid who comes to hold my hand during sacrament meeting. I still don't understand chinese and you know what that is not an easy life to be in China and not know Chinese, but I know Jesus helps me every single day. I could not do it without Him and I don't know how anyone else could either. I'm so happy to be helping others understand that. PS HBD PAUL WHAT'S UP 14 Joseph Smith was 14 when he had a vision, what have you done lately? I love you fam !!!!!!!!!!! <3

I'VE ARRIVED

I'm in Hong Kong! this is crazy! So much has happened in the past week I don't even know what to say here! Last Monday we left the MTC and after a crazy long flight we got to Hong Kong! President Lam and Sister Lam picked us up and they are super nice! Then we stayed a couple of days at the temple residence housing and they trained us and did things like get our IDs and random stuff like that. Then on Thursday we got our trainers and went to our areas. My trainer is Sister Ng. She is from Washington, and she has only been out here four months but she is awesome! Her language is incredible and she is just incredible. Our area right now is Kowloon City. Since I've gotten here we've met a few members and investigators. Everyone is so kind, but I don't really know what they are saying ever so I am just assuming that they are kind. We met on investigator who has two little daughters and while Ng JM talked to the Mom the seven year old daughter taught me. I would point to something and she would teach me how to say it and get so frustrated when I said the tones wrong. She would put her head in her hands and shake her head, it was super cute. But also kind of helpful which is sad. On Sunday I got to meet the ward and I love them! They were all so welcoming and are sooo patient with my terrible Cantonese. Most of them speak good English and so they help me a ton. At church I bore my testimony and even though I'm sure they could barely understand what I said, I enjoyed speaking to them and sharing my testimony and afterwards they were really nice to me about it. One lady gave me a bag of chips and said "for the new born baby!" Last night we met with a young couple in the ward and it was so fun. They fed us and (I think) they shared their conversion stories. Honestly the people here are amazing. It surprises me that anyone will give us the time of day when we talk to them on the bus or at a crosswalk, but some of them do! They are so great. My trainer usually starts conversations by asking them to guess how long I've been in Hong Kong and then they guess too high and we say one week and they go "so smart!!" But the only thing I said at that point is hello so they are just very kind :) But then usually when we talk about being missionaries they walk away haha, but we are able to get some people's numbers and talk to them a little bit more. OH AND ONE MORE THING. HONG KONG IS CAT CENTRAL. LIKE THERE ARE CATS EVERYWHERE. EVERYWHERE. NOT EVEN KIDDING. I'VE SEEN LIKE AT LEAST THIRTY SINCE COMING HERE. Does God even love me? What is a cat? After I tell Kowloon City about how this gospel and Jesus Christ can change their live I am going to teach them about dogs. And no cats. And I don't even like dogs very much either.

I already love the people here and when I see them it's so crazy to feel how much God loves them. I want them all to know that. I love my family, Terry family and Hong Kong family and everybody. xoxoxox