Complaining in the rain

Family, oh my family I love you. So it looks like everyone has almost figured out how to be in the same country as each other and that is pretty exciting. I'm so happy for Max. He's been a big inspiration to me. When being a missionary is just not too easy I think of him and think well okay if Max is gonna do it I guess I'll do it too. Mostly I just don't want him to outshine me, but also he is a really good example. Hong Kong is so amazing. Sometimes I just look up at the high buildings and can't even believe I'm here. Cantonese is still just... cantonese. Everybody says not to worry about it but when you go through five hours of church meetings without a clue of what they were about, it's pretty easy to worry.

But my ability to speak is improving so... silver linings yay.  This week we met with our investigator Sister Chung. She is the mother of an ammaazzing girl in our ward. Her name is Glenyis and she's adorable and wonderful and so is her mom. Her Mom is already Christian and has been investigating our church for a while and just warmed up to missionaries. She took us to dim sum and met with us again at the President's house. She also told us for the first time that she is going to read the Book of Mormon. We are so proud of her. She has a thick mandarine accent so if we're being honest here I rarely know what she is saying but I feel so much love for her and can really feel the Spirit when ever she shares her feelings on God. Another miracle, even though her daughter Glynis is doing summer missionary right now (amazing!!) and won't be home, she told us she wants to come to English class on Friday and meet with us afterward. The most I ever related to her is when she told me that English was so hard and I told her cantonese was so hard and then she shared her umbrella with me while we complained to each other.  This week we also got to meet with a family in our ward who have four adorable little kids. I watched them play and it made me think of me and my siblings when we were little. I love getting to be with the families and feel their love and light. It's amazing that even though we also know that they are struggling and challenges that are just heartbreaking, they still have love and they still have God. They are so adorable, I'll send some pictures of them. Also they live in a beyond gorgeous apartment building with an incredible view, I can't even describe how pretty it is.  God is good and kind and life is good and even though it is a hard life that doesn't make it bad. Don't forget that, but I know you won't so that is why I am in Hong Kong talking to people and not to you.

Being Carried

Hi Mom! This week I am feeling a lot better. It is still difficult with the language and all the other things but I have just felt more at peace. I've been trying to focus on no thinking about myself and when I start to feel homesick or sad or annoyed or angry or stressed or anything I just try to remember that I'm not here to be comfortable I'm just here to do what God wants me to do and then I try to think about my companion or the people on the street and its helping me alot. 

The other day I did calls for like four hours because Sister Ng has been pretty sick and at first it was the worst because calls are pretty hard. But then I just started talking to people and asking them about their lives and I couldn't really understand them but it was ok and there was this guy outside out apartment singing terrible karaoke and there I was talking to about a thousand chinese people on the phone and it was the funniest situation I have ever been in.  This whole experience is really pushing me and I'm realizing I want the results but not always the uncomfortable parts.  

Yesterday at church I was feeling so discouraged because I just want to communicate with people but I can't fully understand them when I try to and they can't understand me and I just feel like I sit there feeling so awkard and no one can tell and it is the worst. And then our district leader who is from Korea went up and bore his testimony. He talked about how hard being a missionary is and then he looked at me and said dai ji muih(me) and song jeung louh (elder stober) are new missionaries and they have a lot of difficulties no one can see. I felt like for the first time someone finally got it. I knew that god was really hearing my prayers for them to just get it and so he sent little korean Elder Kim to go tell them. It was a cool experience.  Another tender mercy on a list of many.

When I was in first grade I got sick at school so the school called my Mom and had her pick me up. For some reason (which isn't surprising because we are the Terry's) my Mom didn't have a car at the time and so she walked to the school and when she got there she put me on her back and gave me a piggy back ride all the way home. Our house on Montana Avenue was up at the top of the hill from the school and she carried me the whole way.

I've been thinking about this day a lot. I feel like it is happening again. I feel like Im struggling to understand language and culture so much I cant really do anything on my own yet and so I had to call home. And the person this time who came to pick me up without a car was my Savior. Every morning when I wake up I climb up on His back and He carries me. It's sooooooo hot outside and our house is uphill but he doesn't complain, He doesn't even seem to mind. He is just carrying me home. My heart is full of gratitude for this Jesus who never tires of succoring us. My faith is not perfect and I'm ashamed to admit the way I so often doubt Him and ask Him if He knows what we are even doing. But it doesn't matter. I think that if I was carrying my daughter on my own back up a steep hill and she was telling me I wasn't doing enough I would put her down and say "Okay, do it yourself." But our Jesus does not do that, and wow I am so thankful for that. He hears me out and all the while never stops walking, never puts me down, never makes me do it all on my own.

 I love Him with all my heart and if there is something He is teaching me while on his stable back it is that He love me too. He loves all of His children, maybe especially the ones in Hong Kong.

I love you guys!  Have a great week.