What does Dr. Sun Yat-Sen and the LDS Church have in common?

April 18 (Monday)

Happy Birthday, Rhett! It's great to be 8! We're just waiting to hear when Rhett will be baptized. Jade was thinking they might wait until we can be there which would be in June. But they might do it before they move so he can be baptized in the ward where all his friends are.

If this is how my week is going to be, I'm in big trouble. It started off by sleeping in till 9:15, which wouldn't have been a bad thing, except that we were supposed to meet with the rest of the missionaries at 9:30 to catch the shuttle. You probably haven't seen  me move this fast in a long time. In 13 minutes, I hopped out of bed, brushed my teeth, hot ironed my hair, dressed and ran out to the shuttle just as everyone was boarding. Whew, made it!

Riding the Mid Level Escalator

We rode the Mid Level Escaltor up to the top then walked a few blocks to get to the museum. The Mid Level Escalator and walkway system in Hong Kong is the longest outdoor covered escalator system in the world. The entire system covers over 800 metres about 2,600 feet in distance and elevates over 135 metres or 443 feet from bottom to top. It was constructed in 1993 to provide a better commute by linking areas within the Central and Western District on Hong Kong Island. It was an "outside the box" transportation solution generated by a group of civil engineers.

Elder Hathaway had arranged a trip to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Museum. This building was formerly owned the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. There is a long history involving the purchase and sale of the property. It is an amazing mansion. The Church used it as the church offices, meeting house and chapel, and mission home. They installed a baptismal font, which had been preserved in the museum as a reminder of the relationship of the church and the Hong Kong government. Hong Kong wanted to preserve the cultural heritage of this building and turn it into a museum. The Church needed to expand, so a deal was made to "exchange" properties. The church gained a prime piece of real estate in the Wan Chai district. It was a win win situation.

Rob Rancie, Brent Hathaway, Richard & June Lee, John & Judy Chan, Deborah & Gary Bodily

The plaque on the front wall of the entrance to the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Museum 

The Baptismal Font was preserved in the museum as part of the history of this historic building.

Second Floor Balcony - Romeo and Juliet? Definitely not Rapunzel!

The Guys 

Kom Tong Hall - Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Museum, formerly The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 

 The exhibition explains how Dr. Sun was transformed from an aspiring medical student into a renowned revolutionary leader. Below is a picture from the brochure (no photos allowed in museum) of the "Four Deperados" and Kwan King-leung in 1888.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen 1866-1925 President and founding father of the Republic of China
and co-founder of the Kuomintang

Unfortunately, they didn't allow any photography inside. They had some amazing pictures and artifacts I would have loved pictures of. Believe it or not, they didn't even have a gift shop like most museums. So there weren't any postcards or anything to purchase. Bummer.

I'm not normally a museum lover, but his one was so interesting and it was nice to learn a little more of the history of China. I guess I was especially interested because my grandfather had close ties to Dr. Sun Yat-Sen and his movement to unite China.

After a couple hours in the museum, an outing wouldn't be complete without a meal. Elder Hathaway took us to a fabulous little Italian restaurant, Mo's Place, hidden in the maze of tiny shops and narrow streets.

Fun, Food and Friends

April 19 (Tuesday)

I woke up on time today, and didn't have to rush. It was a very tiring day since I spent about 4 hours doing initiatory work. Maybe I shouldn't admit this, but to be honest, out of all the things we are called to do, this is my least favorite...1 hour is fine, but 4 hours! I was so done.

I was glad to get home with thoughts of relaxing for the evening. Nope...not going to happen. After checking my email, I had to sort out some confusion with our tax returns, emailing back and forth with our accountant back in Canada.

As if that wasn't enough by itself, there was also an issue at Subway with some employees and discussion with Malou whether termination notices were in order.

And of course, I've also been under pressure to try to supply graduation caps and gowns for my Self-Reliance graduating class, and no suppliers are responding to our many requests. Graduation is schedules for May 1, and time is running out.

In between these issues, I was trying to make supper, and my curry chicken, got neglected and slightly burnt and all the liquid evaporated. I threw in another can of coconut milk and rescued dinner. It actually turned out pretty good. I had 2 helpings.

Then I got a desperate phone call from a sister in the ward who was terminated from her employer and wanted to know if my Auntie would sign her into a new contract so she will not be deported to the Philippines. I've been inundated with requests to sponsor family or friends of the sisters in our branch. So many people are so desperate to find employment in Hong Kong. They hope to use it as a stepping stone to emigrate to Canada or the U.S.

So much for my relaxing evening. It's already Tuesday, and I still have 3 biographies/stories to catch up on. I can only do interviews on Sunday, and I lose this Sunday, because of the special temple opening. Then I lose 2 Sundays in May due to a Regional Broadcast, and District Conference. I get this sinking feeling that I may not have enough time to interview all the sisters before my mission is done.

Add another dream car to John's collection.

April 20 (Wednesday)

Looks like my blog entries of Monday and Tuesday sure made up for last week, when I had nothing to say. Today is my day of repentance for grumbling about doing initiatory. I unloaded on Sister Wong. She was very sympathetic to my concern. She related her story about being stuck in the same situation so totally could relate to what I was saying. The difference being, she handled it well, and I not so good. If it was a test of patience for me, I failed miserably! Anyways, she must have felt bad for me because that evening she came over and dropped of half a dozen egg tarts for me (us). She such a sweet, compassionate, thoughtful matron. I love this lovely lady.


April 21 (Thursday)

Frustration continues to loom, as my computer keeps giving me an error message every time I try to write on my blog. Picture Lucy from Peanuts saying, "AHHHHH!" It won't let me "save" what I've written. It won't let me "close" without "saving". If I do try to do either, everything I've written gets wiped out!

We met with Elders White and Phung, and Constance tonight. We all went out for dinner...Yeah! Finally got Constance to come out. We had a wonderful meal, and I was so excited to just relax and hear Constance talk and carry on in conversation. He has opened up so much. We encouraged him to attend institute, so hopefully the Elders can get him to go. His mom gave him a hair cut (sort of). It's still long and bushy. It's an improvement.

Elder Phung, Elder White, Constance, John, Judy

April 22 (Friday)

"It's raining, it's pouring. No swimming for Judy this morning." Though the pool has been opening for 3 weeks now, most days it's been closed due to storm warnings. The last time I recall seeing the sun was February 29, when Carol and Sharon were here.

Went for lunch with Auntie May Soo again, then went to check out some more walkers and wheelchairs. There are a lot of options. She just has to decide exactly what kind will fit her needs.

Test driving a wheel chair.

Later we went to pick up John's pants. I thought it might be nice to get Constance a white shirt and tie and a pair of pants. Maybe, if he had some "church" clothes, he might feel more inclined to attend. We'll take the clothes to Elder Phung, and he will get it to Constance and encourage him to come to church and institute. I believe if you look good, you feel good.


April 23 (Saturday)

Another rainy day. Dropped the clothes for Constance off at Wan Chai for the Elders to take to him. Went home for a nap, then out for groceries. Hope to get a good nights sleep, since we don't have to be up early for church. Tomorrow is our special Sunday Temple opening so we won't start until 1:00.


April 24 (Sunday)

It was another successful Sunday Opening! Everything went so smoothly. We were even ahead of schedule. Elder and Sister Lee did an awesome job coordinating the event. I was assigned to be the 4th Floor coordinator. I had a wonderful team of very experienced temple workers, so it was so easy because everyone knew exactly what needed to be done, and did it. We had 2 overflowing sessions, many baptisms, initiatory, and sealings performed. All in all we all had a wonderful day in the Temple, both workers and patrons.

A Pattern for Living

April 11 (Monday)

Because things seem to be pretty routine lately, I thought I would just share some summary statements from the General Women's Conference and General Conference which happened this month.

Senior Missionaries - Embarking in the service of our Lord - Salt Lake Temple Solemn Assembly Hall
Back row - Elder and Sister Chan, Sister and Elder Walker (Sister Walker is President Hinckley's daughter.)

Cheryl A. Esplin - He Asks Us to Be His Hands

Showing love and service doesn't have to be big and grandiose to be meaningful and make a difference. All of us can incorporate some service into our daily living. We live in a contentious world. We give service when we don't criticize, when we refuse to gossip, when we don't judge, when we smile, when we say thank you, and when we are patient and kind.


April 12 (Tuesday)

Happy 38th Birthday, JJ! My baby's all growed up.

Neill F. Marriott - What Shall We Do?

The Lord's Church needs Spirit-directed women who use their unique gifts to nurture, to speak up, and to defend gospel truth. Our inspiration and intuition are necessary parts of building the kingdom of God, which really means doing our part to bring salvation to God's children.


April 13 (Wednesday)

Happy 10th Birthday, Rhome! Grandchild #10, oldest son of Jade and Mike Goodman. Enjoy your Harry Potter Birthday Party.

Linda K. Burton - I Was a Stranger

The Lord's storehouse is not composed just of goods but also of time, talents, skills, and our divine nature. He told the parable of the good Samaritan, which He concluded saying, "Go, and do thou likewise." Sometimes reaching out is inconvenient. But when we work together in love and unity, we can expect heaven's help.


April 14 (Thursday)

Great news...the Canadian dollar is finally back over $6.00 to $1.00 Hong Kong Dollar. Hasn't been that high since we first came on our mission. It went as low as $5.30 back in January.

Henry B. Eyring - Trust in That Spirit Which Leadeth to Do Good

"Come follow me, the Savior said, Then let us in his footsteps tread." (Hymn #116) So, with those feelings, the first thing you must commit to do is to go and serve, knowing that you do not go alone. When you go to comfort and serve anyone for the Savior, He prepares the way before you.

April 15 (Friday)

Elder Patrick Kearon - Refuge from the Storm

The Savior knows how it feels to be a refugee--He was one. As a child, Jesus and His family fled to Egypt to escape the murderous swords of Herod. And at various points in His ministry, He found Himself threatened and His life in danger, ultimately submitting to the designs of evil men who had plotted His death. Perhaps, then, it is all the more remarkable to us that He repeatedly taught us to love one another, to love as He loves, to love our neighbor as ourselves.


April 16 (Saturday)

President Thomas S. Monson -Choices

It has been said that the door of history turns on small hinges, and so do people's lives. The choices we make determine our destiny. May we choose to build up within ourselves a great and powerful faith which will be our most effective defense against the designs of the adversary--areal faith, the kind of faith which will sustain us and will bolster our desire to choose the right. Without such faith, we go nowhere. With it, we can accomplish our goals. May we maintain the courage to defy the consensus. May we ever choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong.


April 17 (Sunday)

Bishop W. Christopher Waddell - A Pattern for Peace

Peace of mind, peace of conscience, and peace of heart are not determined by our ability to avoid trials, sorrow, or heartache. Despite our sincere pleas, not every storm will change course, not every infirmity will be healed, and we may not fully understand every doctrine, principle, or practice taught by prophets, seers, and revelators. To assist us in our search for peace amidst the daily challenges of life, we've been given a simple pattern to keep our thoughts focused on the Savior, who said: "Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me. I am Jesus Christ." (D&C 19:23-24)

Rosana, Swimming, Pigs Feet & Party

April 4 (Monday)

P-day. Today we met with Rosana Li and her mother. Rosana is a childhood friend of my BFF, Pauline Loo Wingerter. It was great getting to know her. She spoke so highly of Pauline and what a kind, giving person she was even as a child. Rosana was from a very poor family, and Pauline would often give her things knowing she had very little. But from meager beginnings, hers is a story of rags to riches. Today she is a super extraordinary  entrepreneur, a successful business woman and CEO of an international company VITAS.

John was all impressed when he found out that Rosana was a personal friend of Bruce Lee. She used to be the host of a long running TV program here in Hong Kong and is very well known. Though it's been over 50 years since Pauline moved to Canada, they have remained life long friends.

The weather has been in the low 70's, but warm enough for the outdoor pool to open. I decided I'd go swimming today, but by the time I could fit it into my schedule and went down to the pool, I was advised it was closed due to a pending storm. Bummer.


April 5 (Tuesday)

Our first shift of a new week. It was a quiet day.


April 6 (Wednesday)

Burrrr. The water was cold, but refreshing. It took me a while to get totally submerged, but once I got all the way in, it wasn't bad. Swimming in an unheated pool with water temperature around 70 is great once you get used to it. I had the whole pool to myself for most of the time, just me and 3 lifeguards. I think I was pretty safe. Swam 60 laps, approximately 25 meters/lap. My goal is to swim 3 times a week if my schedule allows. Unfortunately, the pool closes at 6:00 pm which I think is crazy because I would think a lot of people would enjoy swimming after getting off work. I find the hours of operation of many business here are quite strange compared to what we're used to.

That's not me. John saw this guy swimming in the bay. No way, Jose!
The water is so stinkin' polluted, I wouldn't even put my toe in it!

We went to my new favorite burger place, Mos Burger. It's a Japanese burger franchise and they make awesome American style burgers and fries. It's in Whompoa area which is walking distance from our apartment. Handy...maybe too handy.


April 7 (Thursday)

Had the early shift today. I don't like getting up at 6:00 to leave by 7:00 and start at 7:45. It's not bad once I'm up. It was exciting to have 8 members from Thailand come to the Temple today. 2 couples were sealed for time and eternity and one family had their 13 year old daughter sealed to them. Such a special moment. Missed getting a photo with them, since photos are not allowed in the Temple.

I had a craving for "gee gek tu" pig's feet soup. So dear old John made a big pot of it and we polished most of it off in one sitting. Mmmmm....delicious!

Pork Hock, Peanuts, and Hard Cooked Eggs in Black Vinegar

 April 8 (Friday)

We met with Auntie May Soo for lunch today. What a zoo! We waited forever for a table at Maxim's. Good thing we weren't in a hurry. After lunch we went by taxi to Just Med, a place that sells walkers and wheelchairs. Auntie was checking out the various options. I think she's probably going to go with the "cadillac" an electric driven wheelchair. My only concern is that the places don't seem to be very handicap accessible. She'll think about it before she decides. She is also wanting to get a domestic helper. The last two she had were not very honest. We're trying to help her find a Filipino helper. They seem to be more industrious and honest.


April 9 (Saturday)

Because we get the General Conference Broadcast a week after it happened, they will be showing it at Wan Chai. Therefore, the Temple is closed this Saturday. Since we can watched it on line, that frees up our Saturday, a rare occurrence. There is also no church on Sunday, due to the rebroadcast of the Sunday Conference sessions. Yesterday was our OAD, and then Monday is p-day again, hence we have a 4 day long weekend.

Family and Friends in the Village

We were invited to Gillian's 9th birthday party. She is one of four primary children in our branch. The Filipinos sure know how to put on a party...endless food!

Fun with my girls...Kate, Megan, ???, Gillian

Avocado salad, BBQ chicken and pork, noodles, pasta, corn, sweet potatoes and more

The Jacinto Family - Rommel, Rowena, Shannon, Kate, Gillian

April 10 (Sunday)

A rare Sunday off. We actually got to sleep in. Got up. Watched some conference talks. Worked on one of the stories for my book. Had a nap. Researched quotes. Listened to more talks. Fell asleep. Made meat loaf for dinner. Overall, a very dreary, rainy, lazy day. I'll review conference a talk at a time since I have such a short attention span.

Yuen Family Photos

March 28 (Monday)

Went to have lunch with Auntie May Soo today. It was a public holiday, Easter Monday. Steven was able to join us for a few moments. After we went back to her apartment and looked over some old family photos. She didn't have too many. I was hoping to find some of the Yuen family, but since she is the youngest, she didn't have much. She said Uncle Henry and my Mom probably have most of the pictures.

Yuen Family Photo 

Aunt May Soo married to Tong Lau 

Steven, May Soo, Agatha, Tong, Louisa 

May Soo and Tong Lau

Grandma and Grandpa Yuen my Mom's parents.

For FHE tonight, there was a farewell dinner for Elder and Sister Pack and Elder and Sister Towers. The Pack's worked in the mission office, and the Towers worked in the Wan Chai office. The Edwards are also going home this month, but were unable to attend. They are from Red Deer and he worked in the auditing department.


March 29 (Tuesday)

OAD - Went shopping with Nora to Wendy's. Bought a dress. Found another interesting shopping area. Lots of little cubicles. They all are wholesalers, but some of them will sell to you, but charge you retail price. I saw a cute skirt that I really wanted, but she said I couldn't buy it since she only sells to stores, and not individuals. I did find a fun Mickey Mouse shirt that I purchased for "OJ".


March 30 (Wednesday)

I had a craving for cabbage rolls. I haven't had them here since ground beef is so expensive. This time I mixed it with ground pork. Had them for dinner, and left overs for lunch. Hit the spot...all gone!


March 31 (Thursday)

Went out to dinner with the Lee's after our shift at the Temple. Tried a Ramen Noodle place, but I didn't have noodles, John did. I had a very tasty crispy fish with cream sauce on rice.

I had missed a couple FaceTime calls from Jasmine, so I called her back. She said Emmy was trying to call us with some news. Curious...what kind of news could Emmy have? It must be something good or exciting. Nope. She had a little accident when she was backing out of the garage and hit my "Baby BooHoo" (nickname for my car). Nothing serious. Small scratch.


April 1 (Friday)

Time for a hair cut and colour for both John and myself.


April 2 (Saturday)

Nothing to report.

Another one of John's cars to add to his photo collection.

April 3 (Sunday)

Today is Mama Baby's last day in Hong Kong. She is going back to the Philippines where she will wait for her immigration papers to be finalized to move to Oregon. She will sure be missed.

I was able to get four more interviews done today. I'm trying to squeeze in as many as I can before we go home during Temple break. So far, besides stories of conversion, broken families, pain and heartache, some of the stories have included incidents of gambling, drugs, and murder, infidelity, jealousy, extortion and sting operations. It sure makes me thankful for the quiet little life I lead.

Happy 174th Anniversary Relief Society

March 21 (Monday)

My usual Monday morning starts off with a lazer treatment at the Advanced Hair Therapy Studio. I'm into the third week of treatment and am hopeful of positive results. Kelvin said I may notice my hair growing faster. He was right. I had it cut just over 2 weeks ago, and it already needs a trim.

Nice scenery while John was taking a walk.

March 22 (Tuesday)

Looks like this week is going to be slow. Not much to report on. Just been cruising the web for a cruise in November. We plan on going to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand before we come home. Elder and Sister Lee will join us.


March 23 (Wednesday)

Like I said, looks like it's going to be a slow week.


March 24 (Thursday)

Boy, if all my posts were this short, it would be a pretty boring blog. It's raining again, has been raining all month. It's my 64th birthday! Not all that exciting. I got to sleep in this morning since it's our OAD. John bought me a birthday cake and 2 McDonald's fish burgers for lunch...mmm. We will go out with Auntie May Soo for dinner tonight.

Not enough room for candles!

March 25 (Friday)

Happy Birthday, Crew! He's our 5 year old grandson. Rylan's family just moved from Gilbert, AZ to Middleton, ID. They are spending Easter weekend at Jade's in Eagle Mountain, UT. Cousins were excited to get together and celebrate Easter and Crew's birthday.

A real turkey dinner for Easter.

  

March 26 (Saturday)

Tonight we invited Nora Chan for an Easter turkey dinner before we go to the theatre to see Arirang of Mount Paektu - Yanbian Song and Dance Troupe. It was a pretty good meal if I do say so myself. When the Ball's left, they gave us a Butter"ball" turkey roast. It was wonderful. Dinner was complete with gravy, Idahoan mashed potatoes, broccoli and corn. What a nice change from Chinese food, and nice to have a home cooked meal. The show was the third cultural event we've been to since being in Hong Kong, and so far was the best.

The Nielsens, Macbeths, Browns, Chans, Deb. Bodily, Nora Chan, and the Brown's missionary friend .

Selfie!

 March 27 (Sunday)

Today we celebrated the Relief Society's 174th Anniversary. The sisters did an awesome job decorating. They honored the past 11 Relief Society Presidents of the Peninsula 3 Branch since it was formed on September 19, 1999.

Past and Present Presidents with Sister Stacy from the District Presidency

Our Primary: Kate, Michelle, Gillian, and Megan 

Current Presidency: Nida, Fe, Yessie, and Maribel