Jan. 26, 2014 - Halfway? Already?

Well its weird to think that i have been a missionary for almost a year now. By weird, I mean just how fast things have gone. The flip side to that is I think of how much I have been able to experience and to think that I still have another year as a missionary gets me excited that I am here. The elders from my MTC group are all meeting up today at a burger place on the island. It should be a really fun lunch. Getting to catch up on things and talk about the mission so far. In the MTC, I don't think that any of us thought we would make it a year of living in HK, learning Chinese, and waking up early and going to bed late. But here we are, doing the Lord's work. It should be a really fun day.

As far as the week goes, we had an awesome one. New investigators, mainlanders, and baptisms! I'll try and recap as much as I can.

So we were really blessed because a companionship in another area met two different people who live in our area, and were able to schedule them to come to our family home evening. One is named Jason. He is really awesome, but there is just one problem. Jason is deaf. He knows chinese sign language (which is different than ASL) and when you talk to him, he reads your lips. It is crazy how he is able to do it. Especially since he cant here the tone on the word you are saying, so he has to do a lot of guessing. He were able to have an awesome lesson with him and he really enjoyed FHE. I think since communication is so difficult for him, he doesn't have a ton of friends, but at church everyone made a special effort to get to know him and I think that meant a lot to him. He was sick on Sunday, but we will be meeting with him again tomorrow.

The other investigator that came is named A-Ho. He is a really awesome kid. He is 20 and works in a kitchen at a giant restaurant up in my old area, Sha Tin. He fit in really well as well. He came to English class the night after FHE, then came the next night to meet with us and share the message of the Restoration. It was really awesome. He couldn't come to church since he had to work, but we will be meeting with him again this week as well. He seemed like he really likes the atmosphere at the church and the members he has gotten to know. He has very little religious background so we have moved really slow. But I think that we are already seeing progress. He isn't exactly sure that God exists, but since we have taught him, every night he has prayed to know more about God and if He is really there. A-Ho has real intent for sure. i cant wait to meet with him again this week.

Sunday was actually the craziest sacrament that I have ever been to. The reason? Well there were a 108 new branch presidents from mainland here for leadership training. Since they cant hold such a big meeting up in mainland, they all had to come down here. The branch presidents and their families all came to our sacrament meeting. It filled up our whole chapel and then some. We had to set up chairs into the gym as an overflow. That never happens! I think our bishop knew that they were coming so he had the whole program in mandarin. can you imagin that happeing back in Fallon 4th ward? Having sacrament in a different language? Just another day in Hong Kong.

Another awesome miracle was a baptism that they had in the ward that we share the building with, Cheung Sha Wan. The investigator's english name is Fanatasy. She was a walk in about a month ago that Elder Woo and I taught. We could tell just how prepared she was and so we turned them over to the sisters in the right area. They have been working with her ever since and then yesterday she was baptized. I think that the most rewarding thing is just having a small part in the change of someones life. We really did have a small part, but it means the world to me to think that we had that chance because we are doing what we need to be doing.

Overall a solid week. Really awesome. The idea of trying to remember that trials are not trials, but opportunities. It is making all the difference.

I love you you all and hope all is well.

I should have another exciting report next week, it is Chinese New Year! 

新年快樂！

胡基謙長老

Elder Woodburn