First Full Week in Hong Kong

Our first full week in Hong Kong. Highlights of the week:

Took this picture last night on walk home from the ferry

• Friday lunch. Having lunch with Elder and Sister Gerrit W. Gong, Elder and Sister Chi Hong (Sam)Wong, and Sister Funk (Elder Randy D. Funk was away on assignment). These are very wonderful general  authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and their gracious wives who invited us to lunch at the Wong home. They are so very involved in everything happening in Asia. To take the time to have lunch with us was an incredible honor for us. 
• Projects. One project was our "Candy-bar wrapper" project. We were given the assignment to design and create candy bar wrappers with uplifting messages so that the candy bars could be given to members of the church in Nepal. We are now just getting started on our main roles in Hong Kong, which are to create and implement a social media plan for Asia, to create a more useful Public Affairs training website site for Asia, to ensure Mormon Newsroom has great content, and to work with local Hong Kong public affairs council for HK Public Affairs issues. 
• Drummers. Some professional Japanese drummers performed at the Star Ferry pier. Chuck and Elder MacBeth were asked to come forward and do some drumming. It was amazing. 
• Black and White. McDonalds has a promotion with two kinds of hamburgers--one all black with white sesame seeds, and one all white with black sesame seeds. They have hamburger or chicken, bacon, and mashed potatoes all in the bun. The black buns are made with squid ink. It was delicious. 
• Walking. We walked about 1.3 miles to the ferry every morning and walked back nearly every evening until Chuck got a blister. We love taking the ferry ride across the harbor to our offices. 

Just off the Star Ferry. Sunset. 

Hong Kong Harbor scene we shot the other day

Sister and Elder Gong, US, Sister Funk, Sister and Elder Wong

Top of our office building

Japanese drummers at Star Ferry pier

McDonald's Black and White burgers (w/mashed potatoes and Squid Ink)

Getting "Orient"-ed

Snippets of May 5- May 8:  15 hour flight to H.K. Mis-communications--No one to greet us. Finally discovered greeting party, Elder and Sister Lyon. Very sweet people. Worried about losing us. Jet lag!! Day at the temple. Area Presidency meeting with all Asia area couples. Blown away by scope of our responsibilities. Kind couples took us out to eat for three days, showed us around. Food, marvelous food. Ferry rides, crowded buses, walking along the promenade. Setting up our cubicle, speaking a lot of Cantonese, Lots of excitement. Loving THIS!!

My cubie mate - doin' the missionary work

View outside our office window in Wan Chai, Hong Kong Island, Hong Kong

Contains calamari, squid, rice, cashews, sugar, pinapple, Chinese sausage, etc. 

Hong Kong LDS Temple

Tai Chi Group

L-to-R(Back): Me, Elder Inouye, Sister Inouye, Laraine; Front: Elder Johnson, Sister Johnson, Sister Lyon, Elder Lyon

Goodbye, MTC -- Hello Hong Kong!

Our MTC District--(LtoR)Gubler, Tuesher, Fagans, Jarrards, Reeve, Chamberlains, Ramsey. We love these people!

Our final few hours at the MTC. We head to Hong Kong in just a few short hours. Unless you've experienced it, you won't fully understand when I say the spirit here is something else. We've loved every minute of our time here. (pictures coming soon. Right now I need to get a few ZZZ's)

Next blog entry will be from Hong Kong.

So. Much. Love.

We've now been here at the MTC for four days. This has been one of the most incredible experiences of our lives. We feel surrounded by God's love for us, and we feel full of God's love for others. We have met so many people and have come to love each of them.

We love the spirit that is here at the MTC. When we first arrived (all 30+ couples and some single sisters), and after we had taken our luggage to our room, we were told that we would meet in a room across the hall from the cafeteria. Because it was lunch-time, we needed to eat but we were advised not to take our belongings into the cafeteria with us. We were told we should just put all of our purses, laptops, cellphones, etc. on the chairs in the big, open, unlocked room where we would later meet. We were told, "This is the MTC; your stuff will be safe here." 

Having just come from the "outside world," where leaving valuables out in the open isn't possible, we felt a little funny about it. Now, after four days, we realize there is absolutely no concern that anyone would take our belongings. We are surrounded by thousands of 18 and 19 year-olds, and can trust everyone to leave valuables where they are. What an incredible feeling!

Helping Our Plane's Pilot

In Case Our Pilot Doesn't Know Where He'll Be Taking Us

What's Up With Missionary Name Tags, Anyway?

Elder & Sister Howden (left) / Elder & Sister Chamberlain (Right)

Posted by Sister Chamberlain - I see missionaries with their name tags on all the time; at grocery stores, restaurants, shopping malls and pretty much anywhere here in Utah. I have never thought much about what it means to wear one of those name tags. That is until this past week. 

As we began our training for Public Affairs in Salt Lake City this week there was a sweet Sister Howden that was in the group. She and her husband are going to South Africa. The first day there she kept asking when she would be getting her name tag. She was very excited to have it and wear it. At first I was a bit surprised that she was so anxious to get one. I hadn't thought much about wearing a name tag as a missionary. It seems very commonplace here in Utah.

So needless to say I was a bit taken aback when Friday afternoon came and we were approaching the end of our training. We had just completed a very powerful testimony meeting with our group and Elder Larsen said he had our name tags. I found myself getting very emotional. My lack of feelings about name tags at the beginning of the week suddenly transformed and I realized putting that name tag on had become a very sacred experience; one that I don't take lightly. 

For the past four days I have been in awe at how sacred this responsibility is to be a representative for the Savior for 18 months. Each day I found my thoughts turning to the Lord in gratitude for this tremendous privilege I have to serve this mission and the many people in my life who have made this possible. Each day of my training, I was also grateful for each one of my children and the support they are giving me despite how difficult it is. And with that gratitude I committed every day to give 100 % of my time and my heart to His service.

So having a name tag felt like I had gone through this process of growth and commitment and wearing a name tag was a way of expressing my love for my Savior and the privilege I have to share with others the great news of the atonement and the love the Savior has for all of us.  It truly was an inspiring week.  I think I am ready to go!!! 

We're Official! Just Got "Set Apart"!

We are now Elder and Sister Chamberlain. We were "set apart" this evening by President Randall to serve as missionaries in the Asia Area. Being "set apart" means that someone having authority to do so, placed their hands on our heads and blessed us with the authority and rights to be missionaries representing Jesus Christ.

Next: Training on Tuesday (April 21st) starts our first official full-time duties. We'll go to the MTC on Monday, April 27th, then fly to Hong Kong the following Monday (May 4th). Can't describe how excited we are.