Our house of guests

This is a catching up post:

While we were waiting for our India visa and patiently waiting for India to get all the counselor called, we have some down time.  We thought we should focus on our YSA assignment.  We have quite a few YSA engaged and married after FSY in Hong Kong but seems we need to provide more opportunity for our Hong Kong counselors so we decided to have a reunion of the sort.  We could only hold 12 people in our small 600 square feet apartment.  12 came and we have a grand time making personal home made pizza.  We played 5 crown afterward!

The next morning, we got up very early and a few of us walked from our apartment from Hung Hom to TST at 5 am to get tickets for this year's Chinese New Year Parade.  We are not going this year since we already went last year but 36 other missionaries and Area Presidency want to go so we volunteered to go stand in line for tickets.  It was cold but very fun.    It went mush smoother this year because we let the ticket agent know that we are buying 36 tickets with 8 people totaled.  By nine o'clock we got our tickets and was heading home!

Brave souls, waking up at 5 a.m. and walking to the Star Ferry (20 mins walk): Me, Sister Joyce Cory, Steve Roskelley, Marion and Dan Sellers, Kathy Ferguson, Ted, Stan Parry and Tim Cory.

We were helping out the mission with zone conference from Thursday to Saturday.  On Friday we ran into Shawn, my nephew's wife Rebecca's brother.  He is visiting his fiancee in Hong Kong.  We were glad to see him.  After finding out he has no place to stay and will have to stay in a hotel, we invited him to come stay with us for a few days until he leaves the following Wednesday.  We had a great time with both Shawn and Rebekah.  We are so happy for them and happy we are able to help them out. 

Sunday dinner with Shawn and Rebekah, Ikea salmon, stir fried veg, coleslaw and Red Lobster rolls.

Ted's sister Alice came into town on the same day Shawn left to go home.  We will have a busy house for the next months or two.  After Alice left, Quinton and Dave will be here and then Jennifer and David will be here till May.  We love companions here because it feels like home away from home!

FSY India 2018

It has been months in the working!  After the success of FSY in Hong Kong and Taiwan in 2017, the Area Presidency came up with a proposed FSY schedule for the next 4 years in the Asia area.  Mongolia and Indonesia was supposed to be in 2018.  They were so stoke when they learned of the plan.  Mongolia is ready to go because Elder Ben Tai was the Seventy overseeing both Hong Kong and Taiwan last year.  But we were disappointed to learn from Church Headquarter that translation of the FSY material to local languages will not be available in time for Mongolia and Indonesia to have FSY in 2018!  The Area Presidency did not want to not have one so after consulting with Elder Robert William (Area Seventy in India) they quickly made a decision to have FSY in India because no translation is needed.

It took a few months to get everyone on board in India; there is the logistic of getting all the youth from India into one central location because it was not possible to hold FSY in the different area due to the lower number of youth; calling of In-session couple; calling of coordinators, assistant coordinators and all YSA counselors.  We were very anxious as we were working on a very compressed schedule:  14 months verses 5 months!!!  Finally, after much prayers and patients, all are set.  We made our first trip to India for training.  This trip will last about two weeks so that we can visit as many stakes and branches as possible.  We hope to have all registration done by next weeks so we could start ordering T shirts and materials.

Here are some pictures:
Our first meal in India (New Delhi) is good old Mcdonald - most dependable for the taste and feel of home except of course they adopted their menu with spicy!!!

Traffic in Hyderabad is like China but 30 years ago.  There are two lines on the road but there are five lines of traffic driving on them.  The drivers are constantly honking on the road and you drive on the oncoming traffic if you want to pass somebody on your side of the road.  I am amazed they don't have accident every other seconds!!

India is very colorful, from the food of all spices to the clothing.  I just fall in love with all these wonderful color.  Even the temple around the church building is painted with very vibrant colors.  We enjoyed being here and I am staying away from all the spicy food! 

Writing like the Prophet Nephi

A few months ago when we were traveling to Taiwan, I learned from one of the sister in the Daya ward how to use this new app in my phone to do memories.  This is an app that is put out by Family Search.  I quickly fall in love with it.  I could pull the app out during sacrament meeting or devotional and start writing in it.  You should check this out if you are looking for something easy to keep up on your journal.  https://www.familysearch.org/mobile/memories

Now that I am writing in memories, I can keep some of the more spiritual experiences in there.  Then I have this blog.  I want to share some of the fun things we did here.  As I am writing, I can really feel for the prophet Nephi in the Book of Mormon.  It has to be so hard for him, having to write in the Large plates and then has to keep a separate records in the small plates.  He did not even have the modern conveniences, such as typing, auto-correct, spell check, etc ... The only excuse I have is time ... it seems like time is flying away for me.  We have been so busy and at the end of the day, I just want to sit in front of the TV and watch a movie! 

But, I feel guilty ...  if Nephi can do it, so can I, right!

October, 2017


The Chandlers who are Self-Reliance missionary went home early part of October.  They were not replaced by another set of missionary so they asked that we take over the English Class for them.  They have taught the class twice while they were here.  They taught the ILETS class helping mostly returned missionaries to prepare them to take the ILETS exam so they could apply for local college or overseas university.  We are now teaching two nights a week.  It will be 10 weeks course with 20 lessons.  Our first few classes we have about 10 YSA showed up.  It was fun to exclusively speak English.  We told the YSA that once they stepped into the room, there will be no Chinese during the two hours class.  I was skeptical about teaching because I don't feel my English was very good, but I guess it is good enough.  As long as we follow the manual Focus on ILETS, we will be okay.  I hope my English would improve too.  It is so funny when I see the student worked on their writing, I see them stop to count words to make sure they have the 100 or 150 words.  I remembered doing the same thing myself when I was at their age.  Counting to make sure I have the number of words required, and if not, adding a few a, the, add etc. just so I could squeeze in a few more words!

With teaching two nights a week and working in the Temple on Wednesday, we are gone over 12 hours days.  Because of this, I am cooking more and packing lunch.  We are starting this eating plan to let our stomach has a 16 hours fast every 24 hours.  This means, if we have dinner at 5 p.m., we will not eat until 9 a.m. the next morning.  After a couple weeks of this, we are getting used to it.  Hopefully, we can loose some of the weight we gained from eating so much starch here!!  If you want to read more about the 16:8 diet, check out this article.

http://www.bodyandsoul.com.au/diet/diets/the-eighthour-diet-is-the-key-to-weight-loss-according-to-experts/news-story/bdda1ada8bbb6f35d4be35ff63c9e199

Finally time to restart, August and September

Finally, I have no more excuses!!  All the posts that I could extract, I reposted in this blog.  Now it is time to catch up on the last 3 months!!

August 7 - 12, 2017  HONG KONG FSY - a different kind of success!
Hong Kong FSY is a quite a bit smaller.  We have about 200 youth actually attended with 40 YSA.  There were many trials during camp we observed.  The counselors were great and so were the coordinators and assistance coordinators. The evening and morning prior to day one of was a bit confusion for most but everyone jumped in.  We could have more training but time ran out.  The YSA is great at learning their role on the job.  Personally, I feel there were some communication break down between the two couples: logistic and in-session; each claiming the other not doing their job and become very critical of each other; one couple more then the others.  There were misunderstanding happened over the budget and how certain thing needs to happen.  Needless to say, I was affected also; I fear the Spirit has not be very strong.  Logistic tries to sooth thing over and provide explanation, tries to work in counsel but the other person was too proud.  There was terrible feeling between them.  However, they were able to set their personal feeling aside and work together for the greater good.  I guess this is how man works, they just forgive and forget, verses I on the other hand, would want to get to the bottom of understanding and compromise.  I was very concerned until day 4.  Normally, we see the youth struggled during the first 3 days with disobedience, homesickness, and difficulty in making friends, By day 4, we would see a bonding of the group and spirituality increased, however, this time, I was concerned.  But my worry was not to be sustained; The morning of day 4, we have Living Christ activity where the youth have been preparing to teach each other about Christ. Then in the afternoon, we have Variety show and then a wonderful music program.  The spirit was in abundant!  I stand in awe that God is really in control; what I see was a lot of negative but Heavenly Father can turn them into learning experience.  While the lesson or devotional provided by in session couple were not very spiritual, but what they lacked were make up by individual efforts of the counselors with their youth in their groups!  At the end of the week, I know God had accomplished his purpose with this FSY.  Many testimony strengthened, questions answered and friendship forged.  After FSY Hong Kong, we know of 6 couples of YSA that is firmed with dating and engagement to get married right afterward.  Recently, we know of few more couples in Taiwan that had gone public that they are dating.  I know there are more, but they done want people to know in case it didn't work out and they do not want to be embarrassed!

September, 2017

We have been serving in the Temple on Wednesday evening as temple worker.  The first Wednesday was the first time I was asked to be the first follower at a session with Tamil, an Indian dialect.  It was amazed to listen to the dialogue of the temple session in a different language other than Chinese and
English.  I found myself listening to familiar word.  I was able to get a feel on what other sisters felt when they sit thru a session that they could not understand.  Despite the fact that I didn't understand the language, the spirit was in abundant!

The first Sunday of September, we found out that a non-member who had attended FSY was getting baptized.  Ted and I has to divide and conquer because he was asked to teach in the Priesthood.  I took the bus and MTR after sacrament back to Wan Chai building to attend the baptism of Michael Wang.  I found out that his mother was baptized in March this year and Michael has been taking the missionary discussion but kept avoiding the challenge to be baptized!  After FSY, I guess he felt the spirit and when the missionary asked him when he will be ready to be baptized, he said he is ready anytime!!  So he set the date, September 3, 2017, to be baptized.  His mother was thrilled.  After the baptism, I went up to talk with him and ask him to share his testimony with me, he was shy but said he had already shared his feeling after FSY during sacrament.  I ask if he would write down his testimony for me.  He said he would but I still have not receive it.  I was so happy that as least one of the 4 non-member got baptized because of what they feel during FSY!

Brother Wang, his mother and a non-member friend.

It going to be a long post - two of two July 27, 2017

We had a wonderful testimony meeting on Saturday, I have never seen so many youths running to the seats set up for that purpose.  Their testimony all have a common theme:  they felt the spirit abundantly, their prayers were answered, their questions were answered, testimony strengthened, they know how to study the scriptures, they know how to continue to receive personal revelation and answers to their prayers!

Elder Evans shared with them his testimony and lesson he learned from his mother:  He said he had a lot of question when he was young and his mother told him:  "While you have questions, you need to continue to study, reflect and pray; need to do those thing that you should do while you are seeking instead of doing the opposite.  

Elder Evans continued:  There is a promise in Moroni 10:3-4, D&C 93:23-28 and D&C 88:118

If we follow those instruction, and continue in faith and doing those things we know we should do, then all mystery will be reviewed!

All the youth left for home and we had a two hours closing meeting with the YSA even though it was supposed to be a 30 minutes meeting.  They did not want to leave; they want to share their feelings!!! It was wonderful!  We did not leave camp until after 3 pm., by the time we got to our hotel, we were so tired!  Then we met up with the logistic couple 林育邦, 洪慧娟 and in session couple Robert Lee and Bridget Tsai for dinner.  We went to a restaurant that steam cook everything we eat.  Here are pictures of our meal, steamed cooked at 500 degree steam: First raw rice and seasoning at the bottom bowl, then a plate covering on top to cook our food:  clams, cabbage with beef, chicken, prawns the size of our hand, asparagus, whole fish, sausages, scallops, baby back ribs and whole lobster!  Then our rice became congee and you can taste the different seafood we have cooked.  It was a wonderful meal.

We had great night resting, attended a local ward on Sunday where they had a whole sacrament devoted to youth speakers,  They all shared there testimony and things that they learned for themselves.  Afterward, we had a four hour meeting reporting to Elder Kuan and Elder Chang by the couples.

FSY is truly inspired program!  If we followed the program as outlined, we will achieve what is promised!

We are so sad this will be our last trip here.  We are so thankful we were given this assignment to work with wonderful members who are dedicated and true disciple of Jesus Christ!

Taiwan FSY - it was a success! July 25, 2017

This is a picture of David and Jennifer and us.  We left on the same day to different destination:  David and Jennifer to China for their wheel chair training for LDSC and we are on our way to Taiwan for FSY.

It is a wonderful week of trial, heartbreak, tiredness, miracles and spiritual experiences;  The first miracle started the Saturday before conference.  Brother Lee unintentionally locked the classroom where we used for training.  After dinner, nobody could get it, all the computer were locked up.  There were talked of breaking the lock or calling for the locksmith.  Sister Lin and I went to pick up some last minute supply at Costco.  Sister Lin has given the spare key to the coordinators but the key would not work because Brother Lee had locked the bottom of the lock.  Everyone was panicking.  Then someone suggested to say a prayer - a kneel down prayer, which they did.  Withing minutes the door was opened.  A counselor happened to look into the room adjacent to ours and notice the media room in this room shared a door with our room, he walked in and noticed the media room door in our room was not locked.  He was able to get in and opened the door to our room!  A miracle first off the gate.

On Monday, we have a group picture with a drone.  The sky was getting very dark and we all plead with Heavenly Father in silent prayers that the rain would hold.  5 minutes, I thought to myself, Heavenly Father, just give us 5 minutes. He did!!! We took the picture, walked into the classroom for FHE lesson while it poured outside.  Then it stopped shortly before FHE games.  It was a blessing from Heaven!

This a a MRT station in Taiwan.  We flew into Kaoshiung.  Brother and Sister Lee (Robert and Bridget) were very kind.  After a delicious lunch, they took us on a tour.  This is the City light MRT station.  It was beautiful!

We took a ferry ride across a small harbor.  They have temples every where there is water.  We had a wonder seafood dinner the same evening.

I don't know if you can see this video (I looked horrible in the video!!) but if you do, you should also check out this exercise routine on You tube called Five Line Daily Exercises (5行健康操); Sister Lee told me that she did not feel well a couple of years ago.  She starting doing these easy exercises and it has helped her tremendously. I started doing them after coming back and they were easy to do and follow, only 15 mins twice a day.  Give it a try!

Logistic and all the YSA counselors helped with unloading supply for the whole week!

Super YSA leader moving the cart load of supply.

Kenny and Daisy Liu, Daisy hand painted the FSY sign, These two served for the whole week, left on Friday after devotional, Went up to Taipei Temple and got married!  We called them the first couple from FSY!

Checking in:  we have almost 700 youths attended!

Orientation meeting at the gym.

Sister Bridget Lee and I

This is the Wednesday evening activity:  Flag and Cheer

Game night

Talent show, this group of youth practiced for a month prior to coming to FSY!

Ted with the youth; Their customs remind me of the Polynesian!

Music program:  They planned to have 80 participants but 212 showed up for practice.  It was powerful to hear them sing!

For the Strength of Youth activity:  Sabbath

Counselors teamed up to teach a principle from the FTSOY pamphet

Our male coordinator, Tim Lee and logistic YSA Micah (from Phillipine).  They were so tired, catching a short nap on the floor!

Logistic couple: Brother and Sister Lin in the center.  They were wonderful and very resourceful!  Other assistance coordinators busy writing thank you card.

So tired!  She is a YSA (don't remember her name), in charge of dance, so talented!

This young man has a kidney problem and need to perform his own dialysis three times a day.  He was so thankful he could attend FSY, his first ever youth conference because of his health!

Ready to go home!

Pictures of counselors, we could not have done it without these wonderful YSA!

We are so thankful for Heavenly Father!  He has blessed us with wonderful people to work with.  All that participated at FSY, both the youths and YSA were blessed with renewal commitment to the gospel, strengthened testimonies and faith.  Many if not all had felt the Holy Ghost influence this week.  We love and will miss Taiwan!

Here is a Youtube link to the final draft of FSY Taiwan:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmCxNlhogy4&feature=youtu.be