Hello family! Well, I am working on sending you some pictures. It's been a great week. I forgot how awesome summers here are. They are so great. just so great. And hot. and fun. and I just love them. Hong Kong is not that big, but it's fun how different the areas are. Kwun tong was mostly characterized by colorful and traditional, and blood, and sweaty people without a lot of clothes. Sham Shui Po was busy and fast and malls and university and foreigners. And air conditioning. That was nice, excpet I was there for the winter ha. And Butterfly. Butterfly is tiny. and slow. but it's great. The best way I can describe butterfly are by these two men I met. We call them suk-suks. (like soak-soaks) But they were working suk-suks. The streets have lots of open shops...just kind of like sheds with walls in between them, but no front wall. It's just open. And inside was this kitchen. And these two (of course shirtless) old men were in there long white aprons, each stirring a huge pot of something over a big burner. Their long wooden stirring stick/pole things were going in unison, and they were just swaying back in forth together. I saw them from a distance and thought it was pretty cute, but as we got closer, I can here the song "You've got a friend in me" ha. They obviously had no idea what the song was about, but they were just loving life. So that's what I feel like Butterfly is like. Good people. not a lot of urgency or need for anything. Whenever we talk about purpose or desires they just give the answer,"well it's just the way it is". But the people here are good. It's going to be a fun summer.
We had a great kid get baptized yesterday. His name is A-Sam, and he is awesome. He's 15. We have a good group of Young Men here in the ward. They don't have a Young Men's president though, which is challenging. And no elders in our area makes it challenging too. But Sister Robinson and I have earned some respect from them through our basketball skills ha. We went out to a park and had a breakfast/basketball/lesson at the church the other day. Me and Sister Robinson guarded each other so it would be ok, but we sure showed those 15 year olds! haha. just kidding. Actually, it was super fun. And we got some street credit from the summer break teenagers haha. I always wanted to do basketball finding....? those kids have been a great support for A-Sam. He's been investigating for about a year and a half now, but his mom hasn't been too keen on the church. But miracles can happen. His friend was ordained a priest in church, and then baptized him after church. But the best part was his testimony afterwards. He has prayed and felt things that only he could know. He's a pretty shy kid, not always wanting to express his feelings, so it was neat to see him really open up to the ward and share a 10 minute plus testimony on things he knew for himself.
The youth here are incredible. I am so impressed with them. Another Young man, named Ka jeung, is having some troubles at school. For youth conference, the Church sent out a letter to excuse the youth from summer camps or tutoring sessions so they can attend the conference. Ka Jeung goes to a Christian school, and his headmaster received the letter and called him in to his office. He pulled up all sorts of anti information from online and just hammered this poor kid on what a heresy he has been tricked into. He asked Ka Jeung to bring his Book of Mormon with him to school this next week so they can continue their interview. He came to church pretty nervous about it. He is a convert of about 2 years. But at Sam's baptism he also stood up and shared his testimony about why he was baptized and especially why he knows the Book of Mormon is true. I learned a great lesson of the importance of personal experiences and searching. We need to find our own answers because we will be tested and tried, and I am sure there will come times that we have nothing but our personal experiences and memories of knowing what is true to hold on to. But also the importance of strengthening and encouraging and sharing and standing by those who are on the same path as us, to give enough courage to keep what we have. They are incredible kids, and they don't have to stand alone. We're the dorky sister missionaries who play basketball with them and probably add to the embarrassment haha, but it's been fun to see their faith grow this last while through such hard things. So we're praying and fasting with Ka Jeung this week to make this situation into an opportunity to grow and share was he believes. Good kids.
Another picture I am sending is Uncle Fai. He is the coolest. Only he could wear leather pants to church in the middle of the summer. And he wears this aweome jockey looking cap. he just makes me smile. We had dinner at his house. He wasn't willing to turn the tv off for dinner, but he did for the message ha. Dont worry, I dont go all out and watch tv on this mission.
Perhaps this is inappropriate, if it is you can edit it out. But Chinese people are very blunt and say things that aren't always super correct. and I feel like it might be rubbing off on me. I am sorry if it is. I cant tell you how many times we've heard how fat we are ha. And it's true..compared to the girls here, everyone is. But we were teaching uncle fai about scriptures. We're trying to get him reading. He loves to have very deep and complex discussions on God or anything really, so we're trying to channel it. So we came up with a scripture study class we're going to have once a week, and invite investigators and recent converts or la's or really anybody who could come in the wards that meet in our building. uncle fai doesn't have a calling or anything yet, so we were trying to give him a little bit of responsibility to maybe lead this next class discussion on faith, Alma 32. He thought it was great. But said we can't do it at the church. It's too maahfaahn. there isn't a word for it. It means what it sounds. inconvenient, hassle,...etc. He thinks it's a far better idea for us to have it at his house. So we can eat food ha. we were trying to explain that a lot of people were going to be involved, and the church was best. But then he starts going off about how we are haak yahn. black people. we were't sure what he was going at, since clearly we are white. so we were confused and tried to move on. But then he goes on "I am from hong kong. This is my country. I am the master. When I go to america you can be the master, and I will be the haak yahn. But it's just the way things go. You are guests in my country and I am the master. So I can give you food and offer my house for this class. When I go to america, you give me food. That's how things go. But now I am the master and you are haak yahn. By the way, my house can only fit four people." Ha. I'm not sure what he really understands about slave history, but I just about died. We did everything we could to try to get it at the church, but he is set on his house. And our class will now just be us and uncle fai and his wife haha. So we need to think of another name for the class, and invite him again. Sorry, it was funnier in my mind as it happened. He spoke all in Chinese until he used the word master. Maybe that was why it was so funny. Everything becomes 10 times funier when people try to drop english words into their converstaions. We showed Sister Jiu a restoration pamphlet, which has a picture of Jesus Christ holdiing a sheep. The lesson went great, but at the end, she decided to start practicing her english and in the middle of the hospital just looks at this pamphlet and starts saying, "I am a sheep. I am a sheep" over and over. It was too funny and sweet and made me laugh. Sometimes I just need to remove myself from what's going on.
I love this mission. Alright. I need to send some pictures. I love you! Have a good week!
Hannah
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