Ma & Pa!

Hey family!

Thanks for always writing letters to me, even though my letters home are never to great. I love hearing about how everything is going. The last 3 days have been great! Everyday is great as a missionary.

The temple was great, like always, I love that place so much. Sometimes I start to get just a wee bit homesick when the session starts, cause usually it is with my family and friends, but this time, right as it was starting someone behind me burped really loud, and I remembered I was still in Hong Kong. A blessing and a curse. :)

Friday was a super busy day. We went on exchanges again, so Sister Morgan and I were left to run Butterfly. We had a really busy day. We got to teach a lesson/ have lunch with Isis down at the Ferry Pier. She is so good. She hasnt quite gained her testimony yet, but she asked her boss if she could have Sundays off so that she could come to church. Unfortunately her boss said that she could have Sundays off when he finds someone to hire in her place. As in... when she is fired. So... Isis said hopefully she can save up enough money really quickly and will be able to quit her job.

We also got to teach Vanessa before English class. She is also doing really good. She wants to know if these things are true, and loves everything so far. The only problem with Vanessa is that she is only 15 and her parents are very traditional Buddhists. So we cant give Vanessa a date until she talks with her parents.

Saturday we did the Family Display again. We took over an entire bridge. With 6 missionaries, we took over both ends of the bridge between the park and the mall over the train station. We talked to alot of people. I dont think anyone got through that bridge without talking to at least one missionary. :)

Sister Palmer and I did some more finding after that. Right after we said our closing prayer, this lady come up to us and started talking to us. The next thing we knew she was singing "Total Eclipse of the Heart" to us... She was SUPER funny. She ran off before we could get her number. we were sad.

Last night we ate dinner over at the Au families. They cooked a huge traditional Chinese dinner. (You will have to look at all of sister Palmers pictures. I hope that you copy and paste them onto the blog...  I just feel like there is never a real reason to get out everyones cameras....) But the dinner was fantastic. Their kids are the cutest kids I have ever met in my entire life. I did the magic trick that Uncle Mark used to do where you rub the coin into your arm, and the entire family was loving it. So I taught it to their kids so they could do it later. :)

Things are still great over here. I love it SO much!!!!

Sister Wilcox just sent me a picture of Fantasy's baptism!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO excited for her!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The work is great!

Love you all!

Good old Butterfly...

Hey fam!

How is everyone? Everything here is still going great! Still having the best time of my life. This last week was exhausting. Because we are the Sister Trainer Leaders we had to go on exchanges twice this week. When I was a new missionary I thought that exchanges were the best thing ever. Now they are just kinda a maahfaahn (Bother). Sister Palmer left to go to the other areas both times this last week, leaving me to run the ship over here in Butterfly. I didn't realize how much I really depended on her. There is a reason that missionary work is done in companionship's. There is to much stuff that goes on for one brain to handle. But we pushed through the exhaustion and made it to lovely temple thursday! 

The area is still doing pretty good. I didn't mess things up to much with Sister Palmer gone. :) Here is just a rundown of what we did this week, or I guess last week as well:

Last Tuesday: Had a fantastic and busy day. Taught Mandy about tithing, which she actually didn't take to well, was then able to teach an investigator that hasn't answered her phone in at least 3 months, and then went to a members for dinner where they invited their friend who actually has a pretty good amount of interest. :)

Last Wednesday: Went on exchanges with Sister Ho, who is actually going to serve at temple square next week! Go look for her! She is the best! :) Did some finding and taught our other young investigator Vanessa before games night

Last Thursday: Interviews with President Hawks. Guess what. I didn't cry. :)

Friday: Exchanges with Sister Probst. We went finding for a bit and met A-Yan! She was just walking on her way home. When we first went up to us she just kept shaking her head, which usually means like "go away" but for some reason we kept trying to talk to her, and the next thing we know we sat down on a bench down the way and taught her the Restoration! Then we went to teach Mandy again. She is still not so happy about tithing. boo. She will get over it. She just needs some time.

Saturday: Did a district display about family. We have 5 different banners that have like mom, dad, kids, marriage and family written on them. Because Chinese New Years is a time for families to be together, we will be doing a family display every saturday till the end of February. We were afraid that the cops were going to come over and tell us that we had to move from the spot we were in the market, but instead they just protected us from a random man that was shouting we were evil. So that was cool. The cops in Hong Kong got our back.

Sunday: I made that brownie mix you sent me in the rice cooker. They tasted good.

Monday: Ate lunch with Isis and then got fonged(stood up) by two new investigators. Did some good finding in a little village on the side of our area. Met a nice new mom named Ms. Jung

Tuesday: Taught Sister Wong, who was a potential investigator that Sister Palmer had met like 3 months ago but wasn't ever able to reschedule. We were able to teach her a fantastic Restoration message in her home and will see her againtomorrow. Then in the afternoon we did some finding by just showing a picture of a baptism and asking people if they knew what is was. That was interesting.

Yesterday: Did a couple hours of service folding some clothes and some more finding, but this time we showed pictures of prophets. Yesterday was a miracle finding day. We felt the spirit guiding us, and even though we didn't teach any street lessons we met a lot of really great people that I am sure will one day soon become new investigators. :)

Then today we get to go to the temple as soon as we are done emailing. So that is just a little taste of what has been going on the last week and a half. Sorry I don't write some great stories anything. I am just really lazy.  :) The weather has been fantastic! I couldn't tell you exactly what the temperature is, but it is very comfortable. Perfect cardigan weather. Sometimes just a little bit colder. It is great. The language is still coming along. Sister Palmer and I are currently doing a week long English Fast. It is kinda hard, but it is helping us realize words that we don't know and focus more on things that are the most important. 

OK.... well I love you all!

Talk to you real soon!

hello!

Wellllll! Hello family!!!

Another week come and gone in the blink of an eye. crazy. Every week as a missionary is the best week ever.

The highlights of the week:

1st. On Tuesday we taught Mandy the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She is doing SO good! She is excited for her baptismal date in February and at the rate she is progressing is definitely going to make her date. But after the lesson as we were cleaning up our object lesson, we hear Mandy talking on the phone to someone asking what she is doing. She says she is learning about a church, and about the BOM. The man on the phone starts asking her all sorts of questions about the church. I am not sure if I have told you before or not, but in Hong Kong it is really common for people to get Anti-ed and then we don't ever see them again. It is really sad and frustrating. We didn't get a chance to talk to her about it at all since she left still talking on the phone. So we were REALLY worried that she was going to get Anti-ed. We called and talked to her later that night to schedule her later that week, but she was busy with work. We were just praying that she would be protected and know for herself whether or not the church is evil. Sunday comes... she comes! She is still the same as ever. So great. Then after church we were talking to her and told her we heard her talking on the phone. She then goes on to tell us that her friend said that we were an evil church and that she needs to stop affiliating with the church. She told him that she thinks that it is a good thing and that it is true. She surprised herself saying those words. So she went home and prayed to ask Father in Heaven if this church was true. and guess what.     ....    She had a warm and very peaceful feeling come over her. She knows the church is true!!!!!! We were so excited! We were like "WOW Mandy! You have a testimony!" She was so happy! I can't believe how good she is.

2nd highlight of the week. I went Mandarin for a day! Since Sister Palmer and I are the Sister Trainer leaders we get to go on exchanges with all the sisters in our zone. Since not as many sisters came in this last transfer as went home, President Hawks combined both the Hung Shui Kiu area and the New Territories Mandarin work. So we were super busy. I was with Sister Chou, who doesn't speak much english besides "Oh man" and "come on baby". She is the funniest little Hong Kongese you will ever meet. But 1 of the lessons that we were teaching were all in Mandarin. I can understand a little bit, but I can't speak worth poop. So I just spoke in Cantonese and luckily their investigator can understand Cantonese alright. So parts needed to be translated into Cantonese, but overall the lesson was great. Mandarin work is fantastic! People from mainland are unbelievably humble. They just soak everything in. The investigator we taught together is getting baptized in just a week in a half. :)

3rd. We taught 2 part member families this week! :) They are the cutest old couples you will ever see. Leung Hingdaaih(brother) just stays at home and takes care of his cute little wife who is a member but has been pretty sick so hasn't been able to come to church lately. We have talked with their whole family about sharing the gospel with Leung Hingdaaih, but they all say that whenever they say anything about the gospel he just says "Get that stuff out of my face." (like Nacho Libre) :) But when sister Palmer and Sister Tidwell went to visit Leung Jimuih, they just invited him over and he was totally listening to their lesson. So we went over again visiting "Leung Jimih" but really meaning to teach Leung Hingdaaih. The family is amazed that he will listen to us. Sister Palmer and I have faith that the spirit is going to touch him. He is going to change sooner that they think. :)

UPDATE on Cheung Sha Wan!: I called sister Wilcox last night, cause the sisters are going to have a little birthday party after we email at the chapel. and she updated me on how everyone is doing. Fantasy is FANTASTIC! She had a little of a rough time, but things are now going smoothly. She is loving everything. Then Sister Jeung! She came to church for the first time yesterday! I guess that Ho Yee her daughter doesn't have to go to dance on Sundays anymore so she can come to church from now on!!!! I was so happy I almost cried yesterday! We were working with her for the longest time! She is already so in with all the ward members. Oh man... she is going to be a fantastic ward member. :) and will soon be able to be sealed to her husband who passed away last year. 

Long story short. Being a missionary is the best thing in the world. 

Also my name is Dung Jimuih, or in british pin yam Sister Tung. Or if you directly translate it. Sister East. So I get called Sister East a lot of the time. Everyone thinks my last name is the funniest thing they have ever heard since their are really only like 15 real last names in Hong Kong, and NO one has EVER heard of a Dung. It is great. But we are supposed to be getting new half and half name tags. That have our names and the churches name in both Chinese and English. I am super excited!

I love you all so much!!!

Happy new years!

Hey Gatihng!!!

Happy American new years! No one really celebrates it to much here as far as I know. Some people do a count down thing, but nothing to special. We have been given like over 10 calendars of different sizes to start off the new year. I dont even know what we are going to do with them all. But The real holiday is Chinese New Year coming up Feb. 1st. I am so excited! They are already starting to put up lanterns and pass out red envelopes. Apparently there are all kinds of foods that only come out around New Years, and everyone just stays with their family and eats food. But I dont really know since this will be my first New Years. :)

aaahhhhhh, I am sorry, I hate emailing these days. I never know where to even start. SO much happens.

Last Thursday we had Mission Leadership Council (MLC), where all the zone leaders and sister trainer leaders get together along with President Hawks and present the months goals and actions. I love these MLCs. They are SO good. Then we are able to listen to what President Hawks wants the mission to be working on. Then everyone from MLC takes what we learn and present it during Zone Training meetings. I love it, cause as sister trainer leaders we REALLY have to pay attention and apply what we learn so that we can help the other missionaries do the same. There are some really wise and fantastic missionaries in Hong Kong and I get to learn from all of them! :)

Our ward for the new year had to make some mission goals. Because Butterfly ward hasnt had any baptisms in over 2 years, no one has much hope for the work to light on fire. Sister Palmer and I think otherwise. When the ward told the stake that they just wanted two baptisms for the first 6 months, the stake and President Hawks said, "That is not good enough." and then they assigned our ward 6 baptisms in 6 months!!! YEAH!!!!! AOPWEIRJALSJKD!!!!!! When I heard that I couldnt contain myself! This last week we also got to meet with our new ward coordinator as well, and he is FANTASTIC! He invited all of our ward missionaries to come so that everyone could know about all of our investigators and know how to help them. We had a coordination meeting that could have been straight from The District (Family if you dont know what that is... look it up on LDS.org. We watch it all the time here for training. It is great.) Butterfly is changing. Things truely are exploding. Not only is our ward starting to get on board but we are being blessed with investigators!

Mandy is still doing fantastic! She will be baptized on Febuary 23. When we gave her the date the only concern she had was if someone gets sick and she has to go take care of them. Mandy is SO good. She is truely so prepared. She hasnt missed a Sunday since we met her.

Isis is also still doing great! Although we didnt get a chance to meet with her because school started again and she started a new job, she is still reading and has already scheduled time for us to meet her tomorrow. She said that she should be able to get Sundays off of work soon as well. :)

Yesterday at church we had 2 new investigators randomly come to church. We hadnt taught them anything yet, and they still came to church. We shared a brief message after church and they are both great! A-queen is 16, likes to play with her pet snake and watch TV, wants to know and believe in Jesus Christ. Then the Elders found Yuki and invited her to church and she came and loved it. She has tried so many other churches but just hasnt found one that feels right yet. :)

Then we also have so many other families that we are just starting to work with! So many less active part member families that we want to teach SO bad. But they all have to work. But I know they will soon have time and a desire to see us. So we will keep calling them. :)

So that is just a bit of the update this week. Hong Kong is still SUPER great. I love this place SO much. I wouldnt rather be anywhere else in the world. I feel like I am just barely tapping into my potential as a missionary and as God's tool. I can feel him working through me everyday. It is the best feeling in the world.

I love you all so much!

Shea

東姊妹