Moving. . . To Another Blog Site

For our 2016-2017 Asia Area mission, we have moved to

TheFlyingNormanos.WordPress.com

The Envelope, Please!

As all prospective missionaries know, waiting for that big white envelope from Church Headquarters can make each day feel a week long! Craig and I had it a little easier this time, since we received an email from an Asia Area office senior missionary, and a follow-up email from one of the Asia Area presidency, asking us for details about our upcoming mission there. So, we concluded we knew where we were going, just not when. 

Our official call letter states that we will be member and leader support missionaries in the Asia Area, reporting to the MTC in Provo on September 12th, 2016. However, what we understood was that the presidency could use us sooner, so Craig checked with Elder Funk and Elder Wong, who directed us to work with the Missionary Department to have us arrive mid-July. That's 6 weeks from now, which is about how long it takes for visas to Hong Kong, and to make travel arrangements. Six weeks!!!

Today our mission application was submitted! It's a relief to be able to talk about our mission plans, finally! Out of concern for undue speculation about who might replace Craig in the stake presidency, our stake president asked that we keep these plans confidential--and it was tough! 

At the last League City Texas Stake conference, in November 2015, the visiting authority, Elder Lawrence Corbridge, had asked why the Normans had not returned to their mission in Hong Kong, since Sister Norman was enjoying good health. That was the green light we had been waiting for. Craig had not wanted to disrupt the stake presidency, knowing that it doesn't matter where one serves, and he didn't want to tell the Lord what to do, so instead he served faithfully as President Reeves' 1st counselor, having unforgettable experiences along the way. 

We were able to videoconference with the Asia Area presidency, Presidents Funk, Wong, and Pon, 12 January 2016, determining that they did need our willing service, as soon as possible. Accordingly, we completed all of the required medical and dental appointments and all of the applications, and. . . when Craig hit "submit," he got the red screen of denial. At some point since we did this in 2010, a new requirement had been put in place that the applicants could not currently be in a leadership position. 

So here we are, over 3 months later, officially submitting our mission application!

Good Health is a Blessing!

Not wanting to turn this into a 'sickness blog,' and since we're no longer in Hong Kong, I stopped posting. However, I didn't mean to leave anyone hanging about what our status has been since departing February 27th. Now, three months later, I am grateful to report that I am feeling very well! I have regained all the weight and most of my stamina. I acknowledge the Lord's loving hand in hearing the many prayers offered on my behalf and in granting me good health.
Just recently both Craig and I were given new callings which surprised us, since we had assumed we would resume our mission once my health permitted it. However, Craig was called as 2nd counselor in our stake presidency, and I have been called as an early-morning seminary teacher, to begin in the fall. These positions require a commitment of at least a year, though typically, especially in the case of Craig, it can be 5-10 years. To us it is evidence that the Lord wants us to trust Him, and not lean to our own understanding.
If anyone would like to communicate with us, my email address is tussyis@gmail.com.

It's Tomorrow in Hong Kong

Despite initial success with diet modifications, I had to admit last week that I was not only not doing any better, but declining. Yet another trip to the doctor, my 6th, resulted in my being admitted to Hong Kong Adventist Hospital where a colonoscopy was performed and extensive ulceration of the descending colon was detected. There followed 5 days of antibiotics, albumin, and blood transfusions along with a list of drugs. A diagnosis of Crohn's disease was given. Craig met with the Area Presidency and they all concluded that my health was such that we could not continue our assignment. 
With immense disappointment I was released from the hospital Saturday afternoon, February 26th and we left for the airport the next morning at 8:30am. The miraculous organizing, packing, and getting everything ready was accomplished by the other senior couples, who had already taken over my responsibilities for what would have been our busiest week in the mission so far. The yearly Mission Presidents' Seminar and the China Area Units Leadership Conference were happening, back to back in the same week, while I was lying in a hospital a mile away! Our fellow missionary couples, as well as terrific full-time employees, dropped their responsibilities and took over for me, though Craig still had to be there for much of it, and everything went well. 
Bryce and Gentry met us at the baggage claim in Houston Sunday night the 27th at 4:30pm, took us home, and cooked us dinner. They have been wonderfully loving and supportive as we've unpacked and encountered jet lag. This situation is one I never, ever would have imagined could happen. We are feeling the reality of those words in the scriptures, the Ensign, and from living prophets concerning trusting in the Lord and of not only accepting His will, but giving Him our wills. 
In a General Conference address in April 2009, Elder Richard G. Scott said: ". . . I have never complained, because I know it was His will. I have never asked why, but rather what is it that He wants me to learn from this experience. I believe that is a good way to face the unpleasant things in our lives, not complaining, but thanking the Lord for the trust He places in us when He gives us the opportunity to overcome difficulties. . . . (W)hen we live righteously and have received the ordinances of the temple, everything else is in the hands of the Lord. We can do the best we can, but the final outcome is up to Him. We should never complain, when we live worthily, about what happens in our lives. What I am trying to teach is that when we keep the temple covenants we have made and when we live righteously in order to maintain the blessings promised by those ordinances, then come what may, we have no reason to worry or to feel despondent." 
Trusting in that quote, along with getting me well enough to resume a mission, will be our goals over the next several months. Accordingly, the Flying Normanos blog will conclude until we announce our next mission!

Where are all the sampans, rickshaws, and coolies?

Imagining Hong Kong, you might think of red-sailed sampans, strong men pulling passengers in wheeled rickshaws, and coolies with big wicker hats hauling loads balanced on bamboo poles. In the mid-70's, when Craig served his mission, all of those things were here. A clip from the 1950's shows glimpses of all three: Hong Kong video. 
Though it is much too encompassing and complicated to explore the history of Hong Kong here, it is interesting why those typical icons of Hong Kong are no longer seen. Originally a group of islands with steep hills meeting the water, with very few natural resources, Hong Kong didn't offer much. The British claimed it but that didn't affect the few residents, at first. Then families began fleeing their homeland of China to escape the cruelties of communism, though it meant leaving everything but each other behind. They initially had to take the lowest, most demeaning jobs, living on boats or in shanties, but the inspiring part is, they did not give up hope and they did not settle for being coolies. What they brought with them is what is still evident today and why Hong Kong has become a major world power: a willingness to work hard, hold to high standards, value honesty, and maintain a love of family. It is an honor to serve in such a place and to participate in establishing the gospel of Jesus Christ in China.

Security, Part Two

When we first arrived at the Church Administration building, we were given security cards with which to enter our offices. Familiar to those who work in some office settings, the key cards are read by sensors in the elevator and office floors and you can't get in without them. 

Entering the CAB, we are greeted by professional security guards, who man a whole command center of monitors, alarms, and other high-tech stuff. Here Sonny (who likes to joke with new missionaries by telling them his name is Cher, which he pronounces with a Chinese accent!) shows a complicated panel of sensitive instruments. 
We enter an elevator and let the sensor read our card before being allowed to punch a button, then arriving at our floor, we once again present our card at the door and wait to be clicked in. The downside is if we go out of the office and forget our card, we have to push a doorbell which plays an annoying electronic tune to alert someone to let us in. It's a pretty secure place to be!