Give More Place in Your Heart

Well hello! You are all such good looking people! I literally cannot wrap my mind around it. It's weird. Congrats on the graduation ceremony. I wasn't expecting to see Tommy and Camilla graduating together! That must have been so fun. I wish I would have done it before I left. It would have been neat to have pictures. I don't think I'll do it after the mission though. It will be several months before I need anybody taking pictures of me haha. It sounds like a fun weekend though!

We had a great week here too. I feel bad. I'm always just telling you all about these random people and their lives that you don't know, and I wonder if it's really the type of letters you want. I could write to you more about spiritual messages or life in Hong Kong, but the people are constantly running through your brain and it's hard not to stay on that subject. So if you have any specific questions you can let me know, and try to jog my brain to talk about other interesting things.

This week we were escorted out of a residential area. It was weird. And residential area isn't the right word haha. It makes it sounds like Silver Oaks, and it's definitely not that. It was a chyun. And if I can try to describe a chyun for you. A chyun is a little colony of those big tall guarded apartment buildings. So 10's of thousands of people literally can live within a block of each other. I've been finding there several times before no problem, but they had an especially grumpy guard this time who very much didn't like us. We hadn't even opened our mouth to anyone (because we were walking up this hill and all the people were at the top), and then out of nowhere, this super skinny short man with huge bottle cap glasses starts running up the hill after us and shouting at us. Cantonese always sounds like people are yelling at you, so I'm used to people talking in a harsh voice, but this guy was shaking his fist at us so we could tell he was actually upset ha. He tried telling us to leave in English. It was such a not funny experience, but I was trying to do everything I could to keep from laughing because I looked at him and he comes up to about my chest, and probably weighs 80 ponds, and he refuses to listen to us speak back in Chinese to him, and is struggling to show authority over us with his broken English. You. leave. no good. So he marches us through the block to the exit that goes to the highway (which was super not useful haha). and then he shews us away haha. We offered him an English class flier. Maybe we'll see hm around. It was a weird feeling though. Lot's of people were watching and staring at us getting kicked out. It made me sad. It also makes me sad because so many people here have such a misconception of our church for whatever reason. Some people are literally scared of us. They think we are a cult and they will curse us all the time. I have countless experiences of teaching someone on the street, and they are interested and willing to learn, and then a stranger will walk up and start anti-ing them. It's the saddest thing. I'm sure that happens everywhere, but I was shocked to see how much anti mormon there is here. Another thing I thought was interesting this week was that literally every kid here learns how to pray here in school. They learn about God. Practically every kid goes to a Christian or Catholic school, and people are surrounded by religion. Specifically in regards to learning about Jesus Christ. There are advertisements and huge campaigns constantly going on. I have been shocked to see how people are literally surrounded by religion and yet, for the most part, have nothing to do with it within themselves. I think back to the States where it is looked down upon to bring religion into the schools in any form, yet people give more place in there heart to the ideas of religion there than they do here where it is literally everywhere you look. Also, it's interesting to then see the huge contrast of mainlanders here who have never been exposed to it, or never seen our missionaries before and how searching they are for it. Interesting. I don't know.

This week we had stake conference which is always so great. Elder Wong presided, and took over the Saturday night session with talking about how we can improve our sacrament meetings. It was really good. At one point he called on President and Sister Hawks to give their input on a certain topic we were discussing. President Hawks can speak Cantonese just fine, so he gives his piece. And then Sister Hawks walks up, and Elder Wong called me up to translate for her. So Scary! It wasn't that big of a deal because it wasn't an entire talk or anything, and it was Saturday night session. But there are many many more experienced missionaries with much better cantonese here than me. But it went alright. It was fun. Except the elders in my district were laughing the whole time I was doing it haha.

Oh last thing. Remember that dance mom I was telling you about? So at first Angel just did the cha cha with those shoes she carries around. But this week we found out much more! You know those Chinese opera singers? Did you ever look those up? They paint their face white and have big black eyebrows and sing really high about Chinese History? Angel is one of those, and she's nine. We listened to a tape of her, but I need to see it in person because I still can't quite fathom how those noises would come out of her tiny self. But she's going to show us next week. Can't wait.

Anyway, Mother's day is coming up! I get to call you! When would be good? And I picked a different scripture if it isn't too late. If it is, than no problem. But I decided that I like Moroni 10:5-7 pretty good too. Oh, and I got my release date. which was super weird. Did they email it to you too?! I guess it's October 23rd so ya....so you know.

Alright, well I love you. Thanks for that letter. It was super interesting. If you have any other ideas or thoughts for me after the mission, I would love to hear about them. I'm pretty clueless right now. Except I'll have to take the GRE for sure. That was stupid. I should have taken that before I left. Anyway. Talk to you later! Literally talk to you soon! Can't wait!

Love Hannah