The Yans': Spy? 3 Hour Nap!!!

This is a video I took of the other missionaries trying to take pic with a cow. I thought it was more fun to take a video of them instead!

Well, we have been so busy this week (the last two days), I took a 3 hours nap today so now I can't sleep so I am trying to catch up on the blog.

Monday: the week started out slow, I did not have anything on the calendar so I walk around offering help, Elder and Sister Kendall are the couple that is specifically assigned to the Every Day Branch, they had a sacrament meeting every day from Tuesday to Saturday, We noticed Sister Kendall was not at church last week when we spoke on Thursday and Friday, I was told "she just got so exhausted and needed a couple days to recover". Elder Kendall is 82 and Sister Kendall is 72. We found out that Elder Evans was their bishop some years ago!! What are small world! This is second marriage for both. We admire their dedication - we told them they are the most "perfect" and "sinless" since they are able to take the sacrament every day and when they are done with their mission, they could take a 7-8 years break from Church!! Just kidding. Anyway, I offer to help out if Sister Kendall needs to take a nap during the day and I could sit in on one of her meetings. I guess when we get older, one can't sleep in and needs a short nap during the day to keep going!

Tuesday: We have training meeting from Elder and Sister Evans (the Area Presidency do one every month), they shared their experiences on their recent trip to India. The Evans has a grand child that was born without ear, they received a video clip of this baby and the reaction when the baby hear for the first time. The family has a little late start and before they were pregnant, her daughter in-law was inspired to go back to school for speech therapy, husband and wife felt this was something that could help the family but didn't realize how soon they would benefit from her training. Shortly after she was pregnant, they found out about the defect; because of her study, they were able to know this professor that specialized in apparatus that people can wear to transmit sound wave into the bone so that one can hear. It was amazing to see the child smile when he hears for the first time!!! What a tender mercies for the Evans family. Sister Evans liken this to our own hearing and that we need to tune our spiritual hearing to the voice of God. She encourages us to never take that for granted. What a good message to start the week!

Wednesday: I spent the morning trying to create our own business pass along card. I updated my profile at Mormon.org and added Chinese on them. Then I worked on getting a QR code so I could use it on our card. Ted still need to work on his profile so we can get his done. I have never written so much Chinese for the last 30 years! If you want to read my profile, just go to mormon.org. I am still waiting for SL to update my profile description with Chinese in them but the introduction line is done. I hope they will move on it fast because when I give out the pass along card, I would like people to read them hopefully in Chinese!

In the afternoon, at the meeting with Tom Crockett, he gave us some assignments. He sent us the link to all the country web site/page on facebook. We are now working to get ourselves familiarize with FaceBook, we are also getting ourselves familiarize with each country's page and what they post, The biggest challenge was to read them in the different languages when there is no translation. Thank goodness for Google translate again!!!

Thursday: When we left in the morning, we prayed that we would have opportunity to share the gospel today and the Lord answered our prayer, we were able to visit with a sister that came down from ShenZhen. She said she is a Christian and is going to get baptized this week in ShenZhen. She came down for a business meeting and then got lost after her meeting was over, she found our church that has Jesus Christ's name so she came in. We were able to introduce her to the Book of Mormon, taught her how to pray and she said a prayer. She was interested in the gospel videos so we showed her a few videos to watch. She was thrilled to learn about modern prophets and apostles. I asked her how she was able to learn about Christ in China and she said her family are all Christians and wanted her to join. She said there are Christian church where she lives. In my mind, I wanted to tell her about our church in China, but I didn't say anything, We just invited her to come back to Hong Kong if she is interested. After she left, I couldn't shake the feeling that she might be one of those spys that China sent out to see if we would violate our agreement of not preaching in China!!! This is a lesson for me to learn and I was thankful for the Spirit!!!

We also had a meeting with Elder Wong on the Christmas Initiative, We received more information from Salt Lake. Because the areas we serve are very diverse with some countries more established, some developing and some emerging, we have to filter the information to differently to each country. I was able to help Annie (Assistance to PA) to create a power point presentation for the meeting. I think we are getting better at knowing what Elder Wong wants. His direction is to let the different area participate and do what they can so they could support themselves. He does not want senior missionaries to do it all for the local area because then when we leave, there will have no one to follow up. We are hoping for provide support but local area will need to do the work!! This reminds me of when my children were young, they have to learn on their own how to talk, walk etc. If we do it for them and never allow them to make mistake, take the first steps, they would have never grown to do things on their own! Just like our Heavenly Father knows all thing but we are to learn for ourselves; of course, He stands ready to help when we ask!!

Friday, we went to the office early so we could email all the Christmas information out to the various countries, then we decorated the building for Christmas. The building is beautiful with all of the Christmas trimmings and nativity scenes. Then we rushed over to the Ho Man Ting chapel for a meeting with the two YSA co-ordinator who will be running the FSY. We are very excited for this two YSA leaders. They will be very good!

Saturday: WE started early for the Big Buddha, then we visited a Relief Society Talent show. It was wonderful to be among Saints and it feels like "home" in the States. The church is true over here too and all the programs work to help build and strengthen us!

Sunday: I was tired today. We have been gone last two days from 7 am to 10 pm at night so after Church, I took a 3 hours nap. This feels so good to be busy and doing what the Lord wants us to do. We could make the FSY site visitation yesterday but was able to talk with the logistic chairman, our fast has been answered!! When Brother Leung and Elder Tai visited the site yesterday, they were told end of July is available (we were told not available before) and we can turn in our application now!!! This is so exciting... FASTING AND PRAYERS does work!!!