An Interesting Week to Say the Least…

So this week will be really short as I mostly just got readjusted to the island (Hong Kong island).

A lot of our investigators were not able to meet with us.  I am telling you I am getting quite tired of hearing the, "oh I am super busy right now.. in 2 weeks I might have time".  It is super frustrating to try and teach the gospel once every two weeks because by then most people forget anyway; so we are trying to think of new ways to go about that problem.

Well along with that is we got fang (stood up) 4 times this week.  The funny thing is that each person we called and they were like "oh I am out with friends" or "oh we are at the park?" and we were just sitting there like, well didnt we have an appointment?  Does it mean nothing to you..? So that was super frustrating in itself.

The great news for the week was.. We had a baptism!  Her name is Vivian and she is well.. special.  She walked into the church and we were called (before I left the island) and rushed over to teach her.  From the beginning she knew this church was true and just soaks everything up.  She can talk to you for about an hour about the relationship between Chinese characters and Christianity and how it proves it is true.  She has the Bible basically memorized and is apparently a multi millionaire...we don't know...but she is taking some classed to become a security guard and use the time to read the book of mormon.  So that is a little bit about her.

All in all though yesterday she was the happiest person I have ever seen.  At one point in time she was jumping up and down and clapping, it was so cute.  We had the opportunity to sing as well and I truly have a testimony of the power of music.  We sang an arrangment of "I know that My Redeemer Lives" and everyone came up to us saying how beautiful it was and some ladies were even crying.  It was a wonderful baptismal service that thankfully, went smoothly!

Miracle moment this week.  I am trying to be better at opening my mouth on the MTR.  One night we were heading home and I saw this teenaged girl with a huge bruise on her leg.  What better way to start off a conversation then ask where that bruise came from.. right? :)  We started talking and of course it turned into a gospel conversation of what are you doing here and why are you learning mandarin?  The miracle was she was actually from China so her mother tongue was mandarin and she was more than willing to give us her phone number!  The Lord has truly blessed me with so many miracles when I do what I am commanded.. open my mouth!

So short this week, but there isnt much time!

Wo ai nimen,

Sister Loo​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

PANDA'S...

Sister Tang got her Visa and now she is heading to temple square :( 

At disneyland they have churros...

...well in a china amusment park they have bao instead...haha!

Ocean park was awesome! Got to see a Panda. 

Vivian's baptism

Just when I started to get comfortable..

Well I am getting transferred back to Hong Kong Island.  You would think that I would be super happy, but again I have a mix of emotions!  It is amazing how quickly you fall in love with an area and investigators.

It seemed like we were just starting to figure things out, just starting to develop a relationship with the investigators and just starting to meet with new investigators. I know that this is the Lords work though and I don't need to fear as He has a perfect plan.  

So all the visa waiters in the mission have their visas, which is a bummer for us because President Lam likes to put the visa waiters in Mandarin work.  So sister Tang is the first to leave tomorrow and that is why I am heading back to the island to "fill" her spot.  So my new companion is Sister Grover.  I am excited to meet again with old investigators and she says the work is starting to pick up on the island!

This week we met with an investigator named Luchine.  We met with her twice.  She is probably the sassiest person with the most attitude I have ever met, but I love her because she reminds me of well…me…haha.

The first day we met with her I untderstood absolutely nothing she said (she talks so fast).  It was super frustrating as I just had to sit there and could not add anything.

Well, two days later we were meeting with her and I had been praying to be able to understand her to be able to contribute in the lesson and another miracle.. I understood!  It was also such a great lesson and she agreed to come to church!  She doesn't like coming to church and thinks it is extremely boring.  This is the only thing that is stopping her from getting baptized.

During this lesson we tried something different and tried talking to her in a not so "serious" way and we were able to laugh and give her sass as well and she loved it.  I realized that the spirit can testify to someone in lots of different environments and to teach people not lessons!  I will for sure miss her.

Another miracle this week was we were calling people to try and schedule them and we had a potential that we met in the park.  She said she had no time this week so we said we would call her later on in the week to see if something free'd up.

Well, about an hour later she called us and said "are you guys wanting to meet every week?"  We of course said yes we would love too and she said okay I am free on Friday!  Crazyyy!

The spirit definitely was working on her and I am so glad she was willing and excited enough to call us back!

Well that is about all for this week!  Wo ai nimen,

Sister Loo

Feast! We were so proud we could actually make food.

District picture 

China Hong Kong mission Mandarin Missionaries

Less Active we met with last week and took her to the temple grounds.
What better way for her to feel the spirit that has been missing from her life!

JoAnn (member who took us to dim sum.. reminds me of grandma Loo!)

Living with sister Colombel means homemade crepes yumm

Pig heads anyone?

Ups and Downs...

Ups and Downs!!!

This week was full of ups and downs, like every week.

For starters, this week I went on an exchange with sister Colombel who has only been out on the mission for 1 month.  We had a recent convert to visit as well as a lesson with a new investigator.  We were both super nervous as we know our language skills are not the best with being so knew.

BUT, miracles happened!  I was able to understand everything they were saying!  Kiko, who is the recent convert is going through a pretty tough time with getting custody of her daughter as her and her ex husband are not on good terms.  She had a lot of questions about why Heavenly Father was not letting her see her daughter every day as she felt this was a righteous and reasonable desire.

The spirit was so strong as we bore testimony of Heavenly Fathers perfect timing and the importance of challenges; me and Kiko were in tears.  No matter the language barrier, the spirit is the teacher.  After all I am only the vessel that can take it UNTO her heart, but the spirit takes it INTO her heart.

We had a lot of time to go finding this week as well, but finding is gradually growing on me.  Yesterday we had a goal to find 2 full lessons.  We prayed where to go, then prayed again once we got to the place we felt to decide where to go in that city.  Then we prayed again to know who to talk too.

I wish I could say from the get go we found those two lessons right off the bat, but the Lord does not work this way.  When we had an hour left we found our two lessons in the most random places.  One of them was on the side of a freeway type place where cars were passing by and super loud.  That was a miracle in of itself that she was willing to stop and listen even with all that noise.

Two things I learned from this finding time.  First, we need to have faith that Heavenly Father will give us those two lessons.  Second, (because we taught two lessons and 2 other lessons but they didn't want to give us their numbers) its the Lords time.  Just because we are prepared to preach and bear testimony to them doesn't mean they are ready or prepared to accept it.  

I am truly just a tool in the Lords hand.  As long as I am giving my best and opening my mouth miracles happen.  Often times right before I am ready to give up, but every time I am reminded about how much the Lord is aware of Sister Leong and I.  This is His work and I am so grateful to be a part of it!

To end on a lighter note, some funny quotes from this week:

Sister Leong: "The way you speak, act and move sometimes reminds me of black people."

Sister Woo (From Korea):  "I don't have tights!  I am going to freeze to die!"

Lastly, here is a list of things you will get caner from according to the HK natives:

• Drinking cold water
• Having cereal with milk in a bowl
• Cooking in a pan that has those burnt marks in it 

Better watch out this week :)

Wo ai nimen!

Sister Loo