Nothing Loss Nothing Gain

As we walk along the sidewalks full of people, we've noticed a good portion of them have on T-shirts with words, slogans, or pictures. There's the predictable assortment of Hollister, Abercrombie, and Aeropostale, but there are others, too, such as the title of this post. If it weren't rude to take pictures of people as they walked by, we would be tempted to do it, but being respectful, and honestly not wanting to make fun of them, we just enjoy the wacky translations they wear. 

Can you name 33 fresh vegetable?

We've actually been impressed with the ability of most Hong Kong people to speak English; we certainly wouldn't want to have to learn it, it's so unpredictable compared to Cantonese. Some usage makes us wonder, though, such as this napkin from KFC: are they referring to the chicken, the napkin, or something else?!

This is supposed to attract customers. . . .

Looks like an inviting store, right? But what
they sell is. . . alcohol!

We had a fun adventure shopping recently at the Wanchai Market and thought you would enjoy some of what we saw.

These were dried--appetizing, huh?

We've Been in Hong Kong One Month!

The CAB is the orange building with the gray
spire in the center of the photo.

Everyone has had this feeling at one time or another: you feel as if you just got somewhere, but that at the same time, you've been there forever. That's our feeling looking back on our first month in Hong Kong! We feel such gratitude to the Lord for this opportunity and acknowledge the blessings that are all around us. Just being in this wonderful place, with its rich culture and history, is a privilege. The Chinese are truly noble and admirable; we've met many extraordinary people, and in fact get to daily associate with some of them.
     Our mission is somewhat unique in that we walk to "work" every day in a high-rise. There is not room here to outline the history of the Church in Hong Kong, except to mention that in the mid-70's, Craig lived and worked in a mansion that the Church had purchased, known as the Kam Tong. Some 20 years later, the government decided they wanted that historical structure, and at the same time the Church was outgrowing the old building anyway, so it was turned over to the government to become the Sun Yat-Sen Museum.


 In exchange, a lot of the red tape to build a new building was eliminated, paving the way for the Church Administration building, or CAB, also known as the Wanchai building, situated on busy Gloucester Road just blocks from the harbor. It is truly a blessing to everyone who serves or worships there: there are four chapels, numerous classrooms, and of course, from the 7th-10th floors, Church offices. We're on the 10th floor since we work closely with the Asia area presidency. They have apartments on the 11th and 12th floors. Noting how the Lord's work has progressed in this area over the past 61 years, since Matthew Cowley dedicated the land for the preaching of the gospel in 1949 (more about that later!), it's evident that the Lord's hand has been here in Hong Kong overseeing the spread of His gospel.

Looking down on our building from the 46th
observation floor of the Central Plaza
building across Gloucester Road. 

A Typhoon on Craig's Birthday!

We've been checking the Hong Kong Observatory website for updates on Typhoon Megi, and feel relieved that it looks like this area will be spared. We're sad to hear how the Philippines and other places had more direct hits from the powerful storm. 

Clockwise from left: Sister Linford, Elder Sackley, Sister Sackley, Tussy,
Craig, Sister Gibb, Elder Gibb, and Elder Linford. 

Speaking of storms, Stormin' Norman turned 55 today: what a great place to have a birthday! We had a memorable time going out with some of our new friends to Outback Steakhouse, just a 10-minute walk from our apartment building. 

You paid HOW MUCH for that?!

The currency used here in Hong Kong is the dollar, the HK dollar, that is. This has caused us some raised eyebrows, since the exchange rate is about 7.76, meaning something costing $1 here would cost about 13 cents in the U.S. That doesn't keep me from being concerned when I see how much my groceries are costing! For instance, the other day I went and splurged at City's Super, a fun shopping adventure after buying our usual stuff in cramped, crowded basement grocery stores with not anywhere near the variety back in Kemah. It's adequate, though, and fairly inexpensive. For this shopping trip, however, you will note that for 8 items, I paid with a 500 dollar bill, getting $245.50 in food with $254.50 in change. See how that bag of {imported} Fritos set me back 30 bucks? Not as extravagant as the Hormel pepperoni for $71.50. The cost of those same groceries in U.S. dollars: about $32, waaay too much to be paying for those items, unless you're splurging. 

Devotion

There are many benefits to serving in Asia's Church Administration building, one of which is the weekly devotionals all of the missionary couples and staff attend and at which a member of the area presidency speaks once a month. Tuesday, October 19th, in addition to being Drew's 26th birthday (happy birthday, Drew!!!), was  Elder Carl Pratt's turn as the devotional speaker. He showed several clips from the most recent General Conference in a PowerPoint presentation, outlining how stories are a great way to teach principles and doctrine. Some of the stories he spotlighted were the one about how the cow broke through the fence to get to the wheat, not realizing that the fence was there for her protection, and how fishing flies were hand-crafted to fool fish into biting hooks disguised as insects. It was a good overview of the stories of Conference and a privilege to hear a General Authority speak to a small group. 


We realized that we have been feeling the Holy Ghost more frequently since we entered the MTC, which is logical since we are devoting our time and interests to serving. We feel noticeably more positive and hopeful, willing to help, not as bothered by inconveniences or problems, and our thoughts are somehow more clear. It brings to mind President Ezra Taft Benson's quote: 


"Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life in the service of God will find eternal life."

Modern AND Primitive

Down the street from our apartment.

We love Hong Kong! It is endlessly fascinating, and we feel it a genuine privilege to live here while we serve the Lord. Observing the city as we walk to and from the Church Administration building, we marvel at the complex surroundings. There are approximately 7 million people here in an area of 382 square miles (much of which is mountains where no one lives), making the population density 18,000 per square mile! Compare that with the League City/Kemah area of 2,000 people per square mile. As mentioned before, the people are all polite as they travel along the sidewalks, so there is no bumping or pushing, even though we are almost always surrounded by thousands of people. In fact, probably because for the most part they all live in small dwellings, and have not known anything different, rather than stay home in those small rooms, people look on getting out and walking as an enjoyable pastime, as evidenced by the crowds out on weekends.  

Hong Kong garbage truck.

Early-morning vegetable delivery.

Though this is a modern, cutting-edge place, we have noticed some primitive practices, such as the way garbage is collected. One-person crews push metal carts around to residential buildings and businesses and haul out the trash, heaping it on those carts--no trash trucks here. Deliveries to restaurants are often done in large wicker baskets in the early morning before the businesses open. The same electric streetcars that were in service when Craig was here 35 years ago still carry thousands of passengers daily, in open, un-airconditioned cars, known as "ding-dings" in both Cantonese and English, for the bell that sounds when they near a stop. 

Our own personal version of primitive is the way we dry our laundry, as you can see below. We run a dehumidifier (and the air conditioner) constantly and just have to empty the collector bucket more often when there's wet laundry hanging--about twice a day. There is a laundry room with "real" dryers up on the 18th floor (we live on the 12th floor) where I have taken Craig's shirts so they come out nice and wrinkle-free, since ironing those removes the wrinkle-resistant finish (it even says that on the inside of the shirts). These differences, along with many more, just make Hong Kong more endearing and fascinating to us!

Our dryer : )

Unforgettable Week

After viewing all of the sessions of General Conference, we began our busiest week ever. On Tuesday, Oct 12th we rode with the Asia area president, Anthony Perkins, to his home overlooking Repulse Bay, only about 6 miles 'as the crow flies' from the Church Administration building (CAB). That was an experience in itself, after walking for more than two weeks, to whisk along at such a fast speed! The roads were just as crowded and busy as the sidewalks we had been using, however, and the winding road up to the Perkins' 24th floor apartment was much longer than 6 miles. Sister Perkins had made one of our favorites: Mexican food; we were joined by the other members of the presidency and their wives, Elder & Sister Watson and Elder & Sister Pratt (Sister Watson brought lovely fruit bowls, and Sister Pratt made authentic enchiladas). After a conversation-filled dinner we held a brief testimony meeting; what a privilege to spend an evening with such fine people. Sister Perkins presented us with an attractive "pillow box," fashioned after a traditional Chinese custom where valuables were placed in boxes that could be slept on, preventing them from being stolen. She likened it to our keeping safe those things which are most important to us, such as our marriage and our family relationships.

The pillow box given to us by the Perkins

The next day was Craig's first experience in the weekly area presidency meeting, where the three men, with Craig as executive secretary, do much of their coordination and planning. After being gone for two weeks attending General Conference and other regional meetings, the agenda was long, so the meeting lasted SIX hours with no break. We have come to observe that the presidency are judicious, focused men who are exceptionally kind and patient but pretty no-nonsense, who take seriously their callings to serve Jesus Christ and who emulate His teachings. 

Craig speaking at the Hong
Kong Golf Club

Thursday found us being picked up at the CAB at the end of the day by a friend from mission days, Andrew Lai, and his wife Sandy, and traveling way out to the New Territories to the Hong Kong Golf Club. Another former missionary, Edward Lai, had arranged a combination going-away party for President & Sister Goo, the outgoing Hong Kong temple president, and us as new missionaries. A wonderful meal was followed by speeches by the Goos, the Bishops, (another missionary couple who have been serving in the temple), and us. It was an unforgettably warm reception by many of Craig's former mission companions from 35 years ago as well as new friends. 


As if that weren't enough to pack into one week, on Friday the 14th we attended a BYU-Hawaii alumni get-together at the new building the Church recently completed across the street from the Hong Kong temple on Kowloon peninsula. Even though we were graduates of BYU-Provo, that same set of former missionaries from the 70's insisted that we attend and we were once again treated as honored guests. The Chinese have not forgotten Craig's love for the people of Hong Kong and are extraordinarily generous and welcoming!


Finally, the Asia Area Council is being held today, Saturday the 16th, and tomorrow, with the 6 Asia Area 70's coming in for meetings and planning. We have both been very busy all week (during the day when we weren't partying!) making arrangements for handouts, overhead presentations in the big conference room on the 10th floor of the CAB, and food for the two-day event. Our third week in Hong Kong has been unforgettably rewarding. 

General Conference

Even though General Conference was last week in Utah, we have not yet seen it. Since we're 14 hours ahead of Salt Lake City, while they were broadcasting the Sunday afternoon session, it was already Monday morning here. So the sessions were all recorded, and translated into Cantonese as well, and those will be shown Saturday, October 9th, and Sunday, October 10th (we get to watch it in English). While all of the husbands attend the priesthood session on Saturday afternoon, all of us missionary sisters are going out to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen. 


We all had the unique blessing of riding the bus from our apartment building Thursday night, the 7th, through the tunnel under Hong Kong harbor, over to the Kowloon peninsula, to attend a special meeting in the temple. President Goo is about to be released as the temple president, so he invited all of us couples to one of the sealing rooms on the 5th floor of the temple, where he spoke to us about how greatly temple attendance blesses our lives, and how keeping the covenants that we make there blesses not only us but our posterity. It was a genuine privilege to be in attendance.

600 Square Feet

The entrance door is there on the left; the Easy Bake Oven
is on the center shelf, just outside the kitchen door. 

First, let's take a tour of the kitchen. It is roughly 5 feet wide by 8 feet long. On the left going in is a midget refrigerator with the microwave on top, then the washer, which looks kind of like a trash compactor. Next is the 2-burner gas stove with pots and pans underneath. Then the drain and the sink. There is actually a tiny window to the right of the sink which is opaque glass since it just looks out on a wall, but at least it's a window. On the left wall outside the kitchen are three free-standing shelves, one of which holds what our predecessor Sister Arnold calls the "Easy Bake Oven," owing to its size. 


The Church arranged for these 
apartments, which was an 
immense help in not having
 to look for a place to live.
 They have serviceable
 furnishings, maybe
not what we would have 
chosen, but they do the job. 


The floors are all tile. There 
are 3 window unit air-cond-
itioners, but get this: there is
no heat. Instead, we have
two portable radiators we
wheel to wherever we want
the warmth (but it's not cold
yet--- it's even warmer than 
Houston). 
We also have
a dehumidifier which we run constantly and have to empty about twice a day. 

Our cozy living room; our bedroom is on the left, then the other bedroom is
on the right: it holds two wardrobes where we keep our clothes. 

Harmony Mansion

The narrow entrance to our building is to the right
of the "MESSINA" sign; there is a code we punch
in to unlock the door, and a staff member is always
on duty at the desk inside. The store with the maroon
front just to the right of our entrance is a bakery!

Craig stands in front of Harmony Mansion.
Can you see the bakery to the right?! 

We live in an 18-story apartment building on very busy Hennessey Road, in the Wan Chai district of Hong Kong Island. Our building even has a name: Harmony Mansion. The other 9 missionary couples also live in the building, but we're scattered throughout and we are the only ones on the 12th floor. It has been so cool to learn a different way of living, kind of a cross between Asian and British, with a Hong Kong flavor all its own. We've been meeting another missionary couple, the Sackleys, to go walking/jogging in the mornings before we head to the office. We're also joined by 81-year old Sister Linford, who is just as fit and energetic as any of the rest of us! We accomplish not only exercise, but we're becoming familiar with our neighborhood, as well.  

Office

As soon as we arrived in Hong Kong, we got right to work in our new positions as area presidency executive secretary and assistant. There is so much to learn! At least we have nice surroundings, and it's less than 10 minutes to walk to the Church Administration building on Gloucester Road to our apartment on Hennessey. 
We're privileged to work with some amazing, accomplished people, and just to be in a place where the gospel is taking off, especially in China, is a great honor. We can't believe this is really happening!