Last Letter Balm Of Gilead

I just cannot believe it's my last week in Hong Kong.

The last year and a half I have spent a lot more time in Buddhist temples than I ever thought I would. A lot more time on my knees than I ever thought I would. I also spent a lot more time laughing than I ever thought I would. I have loved Hong Kong more dearly than I ever thought I would. 

I also spent a lot of time trying to follow Jesus but He spent a lot of time telling me that He is the one following me. No matter what I've done or am doing or will do or any one of His children, His grace follows them. Always. 

I was reading in the Bible Dictionary about the Balm of Gilead. They found this balm that could cure people and it grew so abundantly in Gilead that it came to be called the Balm of Gilead. I have found God in so many places here and how He has healed me. Hong Kong is my Gilead.  <3

Endings and birthdays

I"m so happy about Andy too. He took us out to this fancy restaurant this week. He told us he wanted to take us and the Sheung Shui sisters out to eat and to meet him at mcdonalds so we assumed we'd be eating there but we show up and he and his wife walk us to this fancy jaulauh and we ate such amazing food. He's a good guy. Except. Ugh. Can I just say that I question on the daily why me a twenty year old averagely smart fake blonde is the person who deals with everyone's problems? He called me after church telling me how his son was telling him to leave our church because apparently Andy lended money to one of our members a few weeks ago and the member won't pay him back. Then Andy through his laughter tells me that he told this member that if they don't pay him back by next week he'd hit him. And so I'm panicking and asking andy so do you want to keep coming to church? And he's like uh yeah duh then I asked him well is it going to be uncomfortable and he says not for me but for that person yeah. Hahaha 

I tried to convince him to talk to Bishop about it but he refused. So yeah. That happened. But it seems that Andy is not the one you should be praying for but whoever took his money. Why why why why why.

Other than that this week was Bro Ho's birthday and we had the world's sweetest birthday party! One of our members Sister Chan bought him a cake and some snacks and went over to his house with us. He blew out a candle and everything. He told us that he has never had so many people celebrate his birthday before. My heart. He also bought me not one but two boxes of moon cakes to give to my "parentsey" (I don't know why all english words get an ey at the end but they do).

I had my exit interview with President Lam this week too. That was so weird. I told him how I remember sitting in his office the first time and being so nervous and afraid and I feel like it' been forever since then. It feels weird that next monday will be my last p day. Kinda of doesn't feel real. 

WE're going to see Jung Ji Muih from Kowloon City today. I'm so excited. 

Also I have been praying my freaking soul out for Infodatix. Even if it is slow at least we know God loves it. Well, He doesn't love that its slow but, you know what I mean. Thanks for working so hard even though it's so hard. I probably shouldn't ever complain about stuff in my life because at least I'm not on the phone with India whe things are going bad. I love you though I really am so grateful for all that you have done and do every day for me and our family. I will see you all so soon 

Andys baptism

Lol k Dad I'm sr comp but I'm not a dictator on the downlow my comps love p day because they don't have to be "on time". I have to let them be themselves. I'm kind of sad to hear the hot pot restaurant wasn't awesome but I don't really care we will still go together. Whenever I eat hot pot we have to have our own pot because we're not allowed to eat anything slightly raw bc Sister Lam thinks we're gonna die so I am excited to use the main pot. My goals in life. Yes! Andy was baptized yesterday!! HE is so precious I want to pass out every time I see him. Our ward was so supportive, I was so surprised when over half our ward stayed after to watch. He seemed so happy and sure of himself. He invited his family to come but they didn't :( but he just laughed and said that they are reverent enough for church. It was really cool to watch him be baptized. I could just see Jesus getting in that font with him and walking out with an arm around him. Before my mission I kind of thought that "getting baptisms" was like it, that's the big reward for everything you do. But I realized that it's not, it was a spritual and special experience but so is every time hearing him pray or hearing him tell us that even though he wants to smoke he stays away from 711 so that he won't get tempted to buy any cigarettes. IT's really cool to be a missionary and have such good cute little friends like Andy. I'm so excited for him. We talked to him about callings the other day and he was like "well I have nothing to do so yeah I thought I'd serve the church" lol. 

PS I am very proud of Luke's joke. Sounds pretty funny. I'm excited to read mom's talk, I'll do that in a minute. Congrats on fixing the ac, also proud of you. This week our toilet stopped flushing and plunging it didn't work so I had to call the landlord to help us. He came over and I kid you not pulls out this bot

tle of black liquid then tells me, "this is poison" then throws it in the toilet bowl and all this steam or something is rising up and the liquid got on the toilet paper and it straight BURNED hahahah what. It worked though. Toilet is back to normal. 

My new comp is so awesome. Her name is sister Lima Po, she's from Hawaii, she's so chill and the three of us get along so well. I'm sleeping on the floor and have a make shift stool desk because we're in a four person apt with five people but it's going pretty well. I'm happy to still been Fanling with Sister Stafford and Lima PO and the Sheung Shui sisters too. Sometimes they run into our office with panicked faces holding their phone on speaker and say we don't know what they're saying!! It makes me laugh because I remember being there. I really love them. 

I really love you too, good to hear from you. I made sure to reply to you first thing today so you can appreciate that. Today for  p day we are going to my favorite restaurant in Kwai Fong. IT's got the best spicy noodles you could ever imagine. I spent so much time calling every missionary serving in Kowloon to get directions and so so far I have a lot of vague directions to this place but I'm pretty sure we can find it. Flash back to you telling me how to find some place in Provo and me having a panic attack because I couldn't find it. Sorry about that. Ily.

One last baptism, before I leave

I totally forgot that it was pioneer day. That is so fun that you got to watch the fireworks.  I finally read all of our family history stories on my mission that Dad printed out for me and it's just so cool. IT really is touching to think about what they did and that's why we're here. 

I feel like my setting apart was a million years ago. Crazy. But at the same time I can hear you telling the boys to stop throwing the ball like it was yesterday.  Last night was the first time it actually feels real that I'm leaving when sister Rees and Sister Stafford were crying and telling me that they don't know what they're going to do without me. They'll be absolutely fine because little do they know mostly I just pretend to know what I'm doing but yeah they are right, someday I won't be with them mouthing what to say on the phone anymore. I'm going to miss Hong Kong so much ah. 

ANDY PASSED HIS BAPTISMAL INTERVIEW!!!! My heart! He's going to be baptized next Sunday! HE took us out to dinner after his interview and I just thought why are my best friends two 71 year old men? Bro Ho, and Andy? They are too precious for any words. And even Andy's wife is warming up to us. Yesterday church was cancelled because of a typhoon and Andy's wife called us and told us to come down and get some cherries and cakes she bought for us. I don't know why we are so blessed here. 

I love China more than I ever dreamed I could or would.  My hearts desire is that mainland China will open in my lifetime.  I want to come back and be a missionary if that happens.  These people are so pure and humble and when they open their hearts to Jesus Christ it is almost magical.  I love these people and now that I know what Im doing its time to come home.  It will be hard to leave my beloved Hong Kong.   

I LOVE YOU MOM. Thanks for the great email 

No snow cones but amazing people

 People in Hong Kong love stuff like this.  They always send me pictures theyve decorated like this

  We had another lesson with Shan Shan and she told us how she tried praying twice to see if God existed, but that he didn't answer either of her prayers. So we talked about how just like parents and children God knows what's good for us better than we know what's good for us. She seems willing to put effort into finding out about God. She and her family came to church on Sunday!! She called me Saturday night to say that she would come and I wanted to cry. They took a taxi to the church because I guess that's what you do when your a rich mainlander in Hong Kong solely for your five year olds education. Shan Shan seemed to enjoy it, even if it overwhelmed her. #could we have picked another day to discuss temple work and genealogy? I love her little boy A Fai. And she has a little baby who is two years old and she was happy playing in the nursery that only has one other kid in it. Church was never stressful before it was just going to church but now church is worrying so much about other people and are they being taken care of and do they like it and we need to schedule everyone. But it's still good. I love going to church. We met with a couple new potentials this week but there wasn't any potential aka one of them has no interest and the other just wanted to teach us about how we are worshipping the wrong Jesus (don't you know we are worshipping the gentile Jesus when we should be worshipping the Messianic Jesus?) I've been trying really hard to talk to everyone lately, especially because my cute companion hates it and I want to give her a good example. We've been getting at least one or two numbers a day and so we have a few potentials, just hoping to be able to schedule them. Things are going good. I love Fanling and Sister Stafford, and meeting so many people here.

I love the thought you shared about how God uses all these things around us and in us to teach us about how to be close to him. I never knew how kind He was and how beautiful the lives he gives us are, but it's so fun to find out. Thanks for always sharing with me and for emailing me. I love to hear from you. 

 I have been telling Sister Stafford all week all I want is a stinking snow cone. None in sight. Ugh. We ate watermelon and I was like wow this is so close to being a snow cone and she just laughed at me and said I've been in Hong Kong for too long. Lol.

Last Monday Elder Cook and Bishop Wadell spoke to our mission. It was a really cool experience. I loved hearing them and also loved being with all the missionaries in our mission together. They are some good people. Before Elder Cook came we were standing there posed for the picture. We were all tired and noisy and so President Lam said okay well let's have you sing. So he just tells us to start singing and had us keep singing all the way until Elder Cook showed up. IT was really cool. We had interviews with him this week, he's a great guy. 

I wanted to ask you a question. So our cute Shan Shan has been sharing with us how being a mom is so hard and busy and boring sometimes and she just wants to get away sometimes. She's afraid that joining the church will take that away. Did you ever struggle when you had little kids with that? Being mom really is hard. I"m so thankful you are willing to do it. You're great.

Well, things really are going well here. I love to be a missionary and I love to be in FAnling with my companion.