Weeks 5 & 6

Reunion at the Kwum Tong Ward

The weeks are flying by!  So much goes on continually that it is getting harder to keep track of the time.  We went to church Sunday, April 2 at the Kwun Tong, an old established ward.  There were a few old faces and names that either recognized Dan, or he recognized them.  It was good to see a few people who remembered one of the ladies that Dan baptized, who served a summer mission, married and moved to Toronto.  We have kept in semi-contact with her, and even were able to visit her while touring in Toronto with the Tabernacle Choir.  She has unfortunately divorced and became inactive. This past Wednesday night we went to the Kwun Tong for a reunion of sorts and had a wonderful time visiting with old and new acquaintances. This was partly in honor of this sister since she is spending this month in Hong Kong.  However, she was unable to attend.  We are hoping to see her before she leaves for Toronto in a few weeks.

Indexing at the Wan Chai Building

Tuesday, April 4 was the Ching Ming Festival, or Grave Sweeper's Day.  It is similar to our Memorial Day where they honor their dead by sweeping the graves of their ancestors.  Our office was closed so the senior missionaries all went to the temple early in the  morning to work in anticipation of a larger than normal attendance day due to the fact that so many people--mainly Filipino sisters would be off work.  I was given a tour of the temple--and given small assignments in anticipation of our callings to be temple workers.  

Later that day we went back to our office building, which we call the Wan Chai Building, or Church Administration Building, to help to
run an indexing marathon.  Since Dan and I indexed a lot of names last year in our Bountiful ward--me 1,000, Dan 6,000, we helped to teach the Filipino sisters how to index.  By 8 PM we had almost indexed 1,000 names!  Everyone was so pleased.  Most of the names we did were from the Philippines. 

While we worked, some of the Filipino sisters told us their stories, and they are heartbreaking.  One sister came from a very large family, and her father was murdered in the fields by a partner who wanted all of the land.  Because the mother wasn't able to support all of the children by herself some of the older children had to be sent out to work without completing their education.  She described the hardships they were up against, and yet they remained faithful through it all.  Wow!

Tuesday group conducting class

Since most of the Filipino sisters don't have a knowledge of music (and yet they love to sing!) the branch president's wife had a meeting with a few of us to talk about the music needs and how we could help.  The church has a basic music program for learning to play the piano simply and conducting.  One of the senior missionaries already has been teaching some piano students, and I had already begun one, but we decided that I should teach the conducting course to however many people would like to take it.  Any future piano students would need to take the conducting course first, as there are many skills learned that segue into learning the piano.  Therefore, for the last couple of weeks I've been teaching classes each day--the same lesson each day for a week, but to different branches, then a new one the next week.  We're all enjoying the classes!

We caught up with some old friends, Allen and Jill Andersen who we have kept in touch with over that past 30 years through Operation Smile.  It was fun to go to lunch with them one day, and to pal around with Jill for the afternoon as she showed me one shop after another. It's hunt and peck around here--one store for this ingredient, another store for another.  Jill is a member of the Friday night choir group--Songs of the Heart--which Esther Chow conducts.  Jill has been subbing for Esther while she's been in the states for Conference, then seeing her daughter and son-in-law, James Bertin.  

And I saw James Bertin!  I was sitting in the chapel a couple of weeks ago watching General Conference when in walk James!  He comes here for business on a regular basis, he said.  I took him upstairs to the office where Dan was working on a medical issue and the two of them chatted for awhile.  He was a missionary here when one of the people Dan is working with on activation was serving a summer mission, so they were happy to chat.

After Conference I helped serve and clean up upstairs for lunch for a meeting of all of the Area 70's in the Asia Area after a meeting that they were having.  What a powerful group of men!   

A highlight of our week was having lunch with Rose Ma, an Operation Smile volunteer from years past.  She had come to see us years ago in Utah so it was good to connect with her again.  Her health is not good, but she's still the same spunky Rose.

We received our temple calling!  We will be serving on Tuesday nights.  The first night I met sisters that I would be working with, and then spent time alone trying to learn things.  We are looking forward to this calling.  I will be doing English, but they encourage us to learn in Cantonese.  Ugh!

Dragon fountain near the ferry

Dinner anyone?

http://asiacalls2017.blogspot.hk/Since this is also our journal, it may appear a bit long and trivial.  I apologize for that.  If you wish to be removed, please tell me and I promise I won't be offended!  Please know how much we love and care for you, our family and friends.  Continue to pray for the missionaries everywhere.  

Love, Dan and Marian  (Mom & Dad, Grandpa and Grandma)