Christmas in Hong Kong

What a wonderful time it is to be serving the Lord as we celebrate His sacred, transcendent birth.  Hearts are made tender as we contemplate loved ones far away, with home-spun traditions, smells, tastes and music, little ones laughter and joyous memories.  Yet with that tenderness comes a sense of the sacred rising deep within.  We remember His words, "But seek he first the kingdom of God, and His righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matthew 6:3)  All these things!  All that we hold dear and treasure in our hearts.  All for which we seek.  All things!

Christmas in Hong Kong - it's one of a kind!

It started in early December with a sister missionaries Christmas dinner with the Area Presidency wives - Sister Gong, Sister Funk and Sister Wong.

Then there was the Area Office Christmas Devotional - 

with the following group photo:

This was Elder and Sister Gong's last Christmas devotional in the Asia Area.
 Elder Gong has been called to the Presidency of the Seventy and will be sorely missed.

Our Area Public Affairs people planned and organized a number of Christmas events - including an amazing community service project with over 1300 fleece blankets for the elderly - donated to agencies throughout Hong Kong.  On one 

Saturday, hundreds of volunteers gathered in three different chapels throughout Hong Kong to cut and tie fringes and prepare the blankets and color Christmas cards.

Elder Coffey joined the children and others in coloring the Christmas cards which accompanied each fleece blanket.

Sister Chamberlain, the Public Affairs champion who organized this massive event.

The woman in the red hat heard about the service project and came in off the street to join us.  She was thrilled to be there!

We met this sweet family from India in the mall earlier in the week, and invited them to join us.  The mom wants to teach her children the blessings of service.  They loved their experience!

So Merry Christmas from Hong Kong! There's always something amazing going on!  We are ever grateful to be in the service of the Lord - however He needs us.                                                    Next post - Christmas Peninsula 3rd Branch style!

Missionary Sabbath

You might call today a “Missionary Sabbath”.  It was a great day.  We left home at 9:15 am to make our way to the Kwai Fong chapel where we met for a “Finding” activity – our first for Elder Coffey and myself. We were formed into teams and sent out to various areas not too far from the chapel. Our mission – to find Filipinas in parks or subways and invite them to learn more about the Church – or attend Church with us. 

Elder Coffey and I went with the two full time sister missionaries to a nearby park and found Jena.  

Jena is a domestic worker, and has Sundays off.  Like all domestic workers, on their day off they are not allowed to stay in their employer’s home, but must stay outside in parks, street corners, subways or wherever they can until the day is over.  After visiting with Jena briefly, we invited her to take a quick tour of the church building, and invited her to join us for services at 2:00. 

She was thrilled to meet fellow Christians!  At 2:00 she came back, and to everyone’s delight, she already knew a friend – someone she had met in the Philippines before they came to Hong Kong.  She instantly felt at home surrounded by dozens of Filipina domestic workers, a friend to call her own, Christian fellowship, and the presence of the Spirit.

Jena fits right in with all the rest of these sweet sisters!

Jena and her friend Catherine

Today was also Mary Jane Mondragon’s last day with us (shown above in yellow). She is going home, and while we will miss her terribly, we are thrilled for her.  Jane is preparing for her own full time missionary service, so a full blown missionary farewell was given in her honor after church services. Lots of hugs, lots of photos, and tons of food. Jane is such a sweetheart and we just know she will be a fantastic missionary!

 

Mary Jane Mondragon with Elder and Sister Coffey

More photos - always more photos!

 And what would a missionary farewell be without food??????

Then of course comes the clean up - one more hour to go at the end of a long day - no paper products with this crew - everything is hand washed and hand dried.

Our bright and cheerful dish washer committee - all volunteers!

At the end of a long and very wonderful Sabbath day. Cleaning up from the farewell....

 We got home at 9:00 pm - nearly a 12 hour day. The Peninsula 3rd branch is probably the best branch in the entire Church!

Courageous Business Women, Inc

Catherine once had a family bakery business in the Philippines.  Rona worked in a garment factory and had a small farm and sold produce on the side.  Fe had a Sari-sari– a small convenience store.  Jeanette and her family ran a piggery. One by one, each of these businesses just weren’t enough to sustain their family’s needs.  And some businesses collapsed under a weight of shattered dreams and broken promises.

Left to right - Nyda Lyn, Jeanette, Fe, Rona, Jessie, Michelle, Delsa, Catherine, and Eunice.  

Fe explains a self reliance principle

Now the sisters end up in Hong Kong as domestic workers, hoping to earn some money for their families back home.

Each of the sisters has a story to tell.  Many have a heartache endured with businesses-gone bad or mounting debts.

But hope is rising as they discover and take part in the Church’s new Self Reliance courses. On Sundays, Elder Coffey and I oversee the self-reliance course called Starting and Growing Your Business. 

The growing confidence in their faces each week is evidence of their mounting excitement to start again – this time with gospel values, sound business principles and a well-established family support system.

“Because of these principles,” said Eunice, “I decided to practice listening after prayer – I set aside time each morning to pray and listen.” She continued, “I think my life is changing, it is growing.  I just pray every day I can continue with these assignments. I am very happy.”

Jessie saw firsthand how the principles taught can help her right now. The sisters were taught to keep an expense log to record income and expenses. “By following this assignment, I saw that my income and profit was nearly equal” said Jessie.  “With a few simple changes I was able to see a 50% reduction in transportation fees. Now I have money to save!”  

Nyda Lyn studies with her self reliance classmates

Each week the group of eager sisters stands and recites together, “And it is my purpose to provide for my saints, for all things are mine. “

“With faith in the Lord, we are working together to become self reliant.”

Rona worked in a garment factory back home in the Philippines. She also sold home-grown vegetables on the side for extra income.  Then one day the factory closed.  Rona joined the hundreds of thousands of women who are forced to leave their families behind with the hopes of making some money abroad. But the conditions are usually harsh, often with employers giving only meager food and allowing little sleep.  And the debt keeps mounting as numerous criminal agency fees sink these sisters into ever further bondage. 

Rona pays close attention as a classmate shares her story

But Rona has hope. “I know starting a business is quite hard but through prayers, hard work and perseverance I know I can do it with the right guidance of our dear Heavenly Father. Being in the self reliance program of this church is really a big help to a single mom like me.”

Jeanette sums up the feelings of the sisters: 

"I'm so grateful for the self-reliance class - it helps me a lot to improve everything in my life. I am very confident of every decision that I make in my life because I know Heavenly Father is always there to support me."

Last Sunday this group of courageous women received their Business Course certificates of completion, which are issued by the LDS Business College, and are signed by President Thomas S. Monson and J. Laurence Richards, President of the LDS Business College. They were thrilled to receive a real certificate from a real college, and one signed by the prophet himself.  The future is as bright as their dreams.

Temple Sabbath in Hong Kong

The LDS temples are sacred places set apart from the rest of the world - kind of like a bit of heaven on earth.  A place to make sacred covenants with the Lord that bring peace, joy, and strength in this life and great blessings for eternity.

Two of our dear Filipino sisters in the Peninsula 3rd branch prepared themselves for the day when they could go to the temple for the first time and receive those promised blessings. Working 6 days a week, with Sunday being their only day off, getting to the temple was not an easy plan.  LDS temples are typically closed on Sundays.

But Sunday, May 17th, was one of those special days when the temple was open on a Sunday.  (for more information about Temple Sabbaths - click here - Hong Kong Temple).  Rona Pelongco and Jane Mondragon were among those wonderful sisters who came to the temple and received those great blessings in the House of the Lord.

Sister Coffey with Rona (left) and Jane (right)

Elder and Sister Coffey outside the temple with Rona and Jane

Words cannot fully describe the joy that is experienced on these days by these special sisters.  But Rona's words come very close.  Here she describes her feelings following her experience in the temple:

"No hard goal to fulfill if you have the "DESIRE & WILLINGNESS"....Today one of my GOAL had fulfill that I thought it was impossible for me to make it, but Heavenly Father did help me to find a way, gives me instructions & peoples to meet to help me work hard for my endowment...smile emoticon

Today is one of my remarkable day & year of my life, though struggles will more occur on my way i will try to stand firm, strong & faithful to my Creator & my Savior to stay & follow his will & counsel of my church leaders to lift me up spiritually to resist temptation. I will never be perfect but at least i will try to be a better person that will enjoy the Life i have, feel content to what i have with integrity, sincerity & honesty to share blessings, wisdom by serving others or be an example. It took 24 years for me to fulfill this goal but as my escort said Sis. Ling Ling Cacayorin its never too late but its done in the right time that our Heavenly Father prepared it for you to get it done, I really can't explain my feeling of joy today but one thing is for sure i will always keep this special day in my heart & in my memory forever. I feel strengthened & full of joy in my heart. I love my Creator, my Savior & I love & feel grateful of being ME!!!:D"

                Jane made this collage to express her feelings of gratitude.

Jane also expressed her feelings with these special words: " The week before my endowment, a parable about the prodigal son came to my mind.. It’s a similitude of how Heavenly Father accepts me again as His daughter. I'm like the son of this parable who asked for his part for his father’s treasure... I ask Heavenly Father to let me do what I ever know best for myself that I can handle myself ... but all of those years I was lonely and longing for Heavenly Father’s acceptance and guidance. As my heart turned to Him again I decided to repent and ask for forgiveness. Little by little I felt the light and love from God.. that leads me to continue to do more according to His will... as like the father of prodigal son he prepared first and everything for His son that came back to his life.  As Heavenly Father gave me all the ways to accept all His blessings.  I know this is the right time that I should move forward to more in God’s plan.  I'm happy that I have a lot of families, my own family, my inspiration , my Pen 3 family - each member contributed to my happiness each day here in Hong Kong that they set good examples and teach me a lot and show their love and trust. I love God. He knows our hearts desire - just wait for His timing to answer our prayer.  I am thankful and blessed that I receive my endowment. I will never forget the feelings that I have that day. And it reminds me now to continue more my life according to God’s will, to serve others and to share what I have now."   

Aren't they adorable?  We just love our sisters of the Pen 3 branch and

 are so blessed to be in their presence each week!

Some of the Peninsula 3 branch members outside the temple on the Temple Sabbath