Holiday Activities

We have not lacked for things to do during the holidays. We have attended two performances with other missionary couples. One, a musical performance by a group of members known as Songs of the Heart Singers, who have been singing together for years, was at the Tsuen Wan Town Hall (lower right). The other was a ballet performance of the Nutcracker (no pictures to show for that one).

The Wong family in our ward invited the missionaries to their home to help celebrate their son's 19th birthday. Wong Chung's birthday is the day after Christmas so they have traditionally cooked him a turkey dinner and this year he had a cake made by Susan (lower left and bottom center).

An acquaintance of ours from forty years ago, Sister Anita Pok (now less active), invited us to her home for a scrumptious dinner (upper left) and to meet her non-member husband and son (upper right).

The Christmas Crunch

It seems like all we do is eat---and then eat some more. We have had several invites to dinner what with Christmas around the corner and our imminent departure next month. Recent Christmas socials: one with temple missionaries and temple staff (upper left, l to r: the Arnells and Wilsons, now in the temple presidency), our mission president and his wife (center top), and included our newest missionary couple, the Davises (bottom left) from St. George. The other temple social was for all temple workers and included quite a spread (upper right) highlighted by a roast pig (lower right center).

We also have our twice monthly dinners for our local elders, this time including the Davises who live just six floors above us and who speak Mandarin as do two of the elders sharing an apartment with "our" Cantonese speaking elders (far lower right).

First Things First

For more than a year now, Lowell has been fellowshipping Brother Chan Tak Fai, son of our stake patriarch and his wife (upper right). He has made great progress in that time---from several years of near total inactivity to a regular attender, now a counselor in the Young Men's presidency, and just recently, receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood and being made an elder---this all happened miraculously the same evening that his niece (daughter of his older sister and her husband, lower right) was baptized and he was able to stand in the circle as she was confirmed.

Brother Chan came to the temple to do baptisms for the dead the following day; something he hasn't done since he was a young teenager. Lowell was able to help him perform the proxy baptisms. The family thinks Lowell is the angel sent as an answer to their prayers to help reactivate their son and brother.

A Flurry of Thanksgiving Activities

The week of Thanksgiving came with a flurry of activities. The temple being closed, the Arnells had two of their married daughters visiting them (center bottom). We escorted them to Hong Kong Peak (night view - bottom right); then they treated us to a free Chinese instrumental concert participated in by a member of their ward, Janet Leung (right bottom), who plays the erhu.

Thanksgiving dinner was enjoyed by the temple missionary couples at the temple president's residence (part of the temple complex) where we enjoyed a traditional feast (left top and bottom).

The week ended with an invite to join the young men and young women of our ward at the home of the Wong's (upper right). He is our high priest group leader and she the Young Women's president. It was a barbeque with a Thanksgiving flare (complete with Indian headbands) and a pie eating contest (Susan's contribution) as pictured (center top and right center).

These activites were interspersed with cleaning and organizing a new temple missionary couple's apartment. They will live five floors above us in our building and arrive next Wednesday.

Still Things To Do

Though the temple is now closed for two-week's cleaning, there are plenty of things going to fill our days. A family (the Taylors, lower right) Lowell sealed in the temple just before it closed, came from the mainland where they and a number of other couples are teaching at a university. There were two teenage children sealed to their English-speaking father (gold suit) and Spanish-speaking mother (between them).

We toured reclaimed land areas (right center) on Hong Kong Island with Lowell's friend and wife, Craig and Tussy Norman (center middle) seeing the first post office built in Hong Kong (center top) and a 100-year old blue building (center bottom). The red brick Church administration building (background top right) is built on what used to be the waters edge.

We visited a touring exhibition of an animated (digitalized) famous Chinese scroll being anxiously photographed by approximately 3,500 visitors every hour (bottom right). (http://www.npm.gov.tw/exh96/orientation/flash_4/index.html) Tickets (which have been sold out) were provided to us by a wonderful sister in the Kwun Tong Ward who felt impressed, after standing in a 3-hour line to get tickets, to give them to the missionary couples. We met and thanked her at a function in the Kwun Tong Ward building to which we were invited by a young temple worker, Brother Kai Shing Yau (top and center left) who, with the help of other youth, provided a "Thanksgiving Dinner" to a large group of members and investigators (lower left).

Susan attended a Stake Evening in Excellence with the young women of our ward, whose presentation was a spiritual take on the Wizard of Oz complete with Dorothy, Lion, Scarecrow, and Tin man (center top and middle).

Who Has Time to Sleep?

With our new time schedule at the temple, we are back to working either mornings or evenings again. This should make finding sufficient time to sleep a little easier, though Susan is still generally tuckered out by the time any of our shifts (regardless of time of day) are over. We did manage to go to dinner with four other missionary couples and catch a ballet performance of Sleeping Beauty last Saturday after a busy shift at the temple that day. The performance wasn't over until 10:30 p.m. however, which made catching enough sleep before Sunday's meetings a little challenging. Lowell fortunately had his Sunday School lesson prepared ahead of time.

Release From The Temple Presidency

Though is has only been 7 1/2 months for us serving with them in the presidency, President Charles Goo and his wife Helen have completed their three years as temple president and matron of the Hong Kong Temple. The Goos return home to Hawaii tomorrow and the new temple president (pictured at left), John Aki, and his wife who are also from Hawaii (though she is a native of Hong Kong) have arrived and selected two new counselors to serve with them. We will resume our role as temple missionaries for our remaining three months here. A farewell (for the Goos) and welcoming event (for the Akis) was held last evening and attending were a number of temple workers, two of whom (pictured at bottom right) were Sister Ruth Lau Shiu Yuk King (a former missionary companion of Susan's) and Brother John Yim Yeuk Hon (one of Susan's converts). This temple mission has been and will continue to be a great blessing in our lives.

Disneyland? On a Mission?

That's what we thought too---going to Disneyland while on your mission? Whoever heard of such a thing? But, go we did. Susan had been wanting to go for a long time and we finally found a few other venturing couples who thought they might enjoy it as well. We did select a perfect weather-day, so that made it nice. There were two great shows making the costliness worth it. Disneyland in Hong Kong is really small comparatively, but they do a great job and we were excited to see some of the Chinese in an "out of the box" kind of role! They are usually so quiet and to themselves. Seeing them lively and encouraging others' participation was worth more than the rides.

Juggling All We Need To Do

It seems that we can never get used to our rotating schedule at the temple necessitated by our being associated with the temple presidency. Out schedule rotates every week and rotates within the week. Lowell is always having to check his schedule to be able to answer anyone about whether we are free on such and such a day.

We have had a number of groups to the temple these past couple of weeks. A large group from Thailand, smaller groups from India and presently a group from Indonesia. Each has brought its attendant blessings---family file names to be baptized for, own endowments to prepare for, sealings to perform. Unfortunately, we seldom get a chance to catch a picture with any of these people, being that we are usually inside the temple.

President Goo and his wife will be leaving in another week having completed their three year assignment. This of course means we will be released from the presidency and so will have another new schedule to adjust to. There have been and will continue to be firesides and farewells, dinners and other get-togethers until they actually do leave, so we will continue juggling our schedules for at least the next week.

We did squeeze in an acrobatic performance last week with a few other missionary couples. The group was from Xinjiang, China and are actually of Uygur ethnicity. They performed some heart-stopping stunts, most without safety cords (and no safety nets) many feet above the stage. You can imagine how high the performers are in the air (upper left) as they perform on the outside and then inside of two revolving wheels which themselves are propelled by the shifting weight of the performers. One is even jump-roping on top of a spinning wheel as it reaches its zenith.

Focus on the Temple

The focus really is on the temple! The architects who designed the new Kowloon Tong chapel, part of the Legacy Center now functioning directly across from the Hong Kong Temple on Cornwall Street, did a marvelous job of placing a window on the floor above the chapel (upper right) in just the right position to capture a view of the temple across the street. This reminder for all who pass by directs their attention to that holy place in which they may paricipate in saving ordinances. The oldest son of the Lam family, Angus, (back left, lower left) has recently been ordained a deacon and has now had opportunity to perform baptisms for the dead as has Brother Leung Kai Chung (left, lower right) who we assisted in teaching before his baptism last year. Here, the missionary (Elder Cope) who taught him (back center, lower right) and his present companion came for a last "good-bye" prior to his returning home next month.

Lowell had the sweet opportunity this past week to seal Brother and Sister Narambat of Mongolia (he is standing directly behind his wife in the flowered dress, upper left) to each other after they and a son of their's (second to the left of Brother Narambat) were endowed. Lowell also sealed the oldest daughter (very pregnant to her mother's right) to her husband (standing behind Brother Narambat) and then all six living children and two deceased children to Brother and Sister Narambat. A son and daughter of the couple are currently serving missions in Mongolia but were permitted to come for the sealing to their parents. The youngest two boys performed hundreds of baptisms during the week. The foreign couple pictured are the Lassons (who were in the MTC the same time Lowell and Susan were last July) who accompanied the family from Mongolia.

The Narambat family have a remarkable story to tell. The oldest son (deceased) was murdered about ten years ago when he was nineteen. The family discovered a Book of Mormon among his belongings; read it, and subsequently came in contact with the Church. All joined. The oldest daughter also served a mission. It doesn't get any better than this!

Celebrating Susan's Birthday in China

The Lam family in our ward helped Susan celebrate her birthday by inviting us and the elders over to dinner (lower left). Susan and Lowell took advantage of having Susan's birthday off from the temple to go into China (making use of our remaining visa entry) and visit the Chinese Folk Cultural Villages in Shenzhen. We saw representative ethnic groups including (clockwise from upper left) the Dai, Miao, Wa, Uygur, Li, Mongol, Musuo, and Yi tribes in their native costumes and cultural display of dancing, singing, feats of agility and instrument playing. The festive entry (left center) to the place was spectacular and the day was a success.

Some of This, Some of That

We have done a little of this and that lately---all part of the weekly scheduling of things that should, need, or are wanting to be done.
We have had groups to the temple recently from Thailand and Cambodia, and individuals from mainland China, Singapore, and Indonesia. Pictured here (upper left) is Elder Gong and his parents from Szechwan, mainland China. Elder Gong returned from his mission in Adelaide, Australia to Hong Kong enroute home so he could meet up with his parents who were both coming to the temple for their own endowments. He was then of course sealed to them later that day. The parents left the next morning to go back to China with his passport and airline ticket accidentally in their possession. Our assistant temple recorder performed a small miracle by contacting the parents before they crossed the border, taking a bus to meet them and retrieve the documents; then taking a taxi to the airport just in time to give the son what he needed to be able to continue his flight home.

We went with the other temple couple missionaries to the revolving restaurant at the Hopewell Center on Hong Kong Island (far left center and lower left). We enjoyed a wonderful buffet on the 62nd floor of the cylindrical building (note elevators going up the outside of the building providing a breathtaking view). We also had the local sister missionaries over for dinner that same week before one of them was transfered.

At the end of the week, Susan prepared dinner for about eight young women and their leaders and a few of the leader's children (center top and bottom) following an activity they had participated in earlier in the day. Needless to say, our small apartment is often frequented by "hungry" visitors.

Today, we visited the jade market in Yau Ma Tei, Kowloon (right top and bottom) with the other missionary couples. With a little bartering help from Lowell in Cantonese, some were able to leave satisfied that they been on the right end of a good bargain.

1881 Heritage and Cheung Chau Island

During the past couple of weeks we have been to a few new places. One, the 1881 Heritage Building (lower left) in Tsim Sha Tsui, once housed the Hong Kong Marine Police Headquarters. It is now a hotel, shops, and somewhat of a museum. The metal time ball (far right center) used to be manually hoisted and dropped at 1:00pm each day for ship captains in the harbor to reset their instruments before going out to sea again. The view is now of course obscured by numerous high rise buildings, etc.

We also went by ferry to Cheung Chau Island which has a quaint feel and gave Susan an opportunity to wade in the ocean for a moment (upper left). It was a very hot day and many people were using umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun. We saw a blind man playing a native Chinese instrument (lower right) on our way to the ferry.

And Now, Another Grandson

Our most recent grandson, Bryce Joseph Bishop, born to our oldest son, Mark, and his wife, Emily, on 30 June 2010 weighed in at 7 lbs. 3 oz. and was 18.5 inches long. He is their fifth child and our twelfth grandchild (ninth grandson).

It took us a little while to get a picture of him to post on our blog.

Blessing The Lives of Others

Over the past month, Lowell has had the opportunity to perform three live sealings, one each for a Mongolian family (the Azbaryars with 17 and 21 year old sons sealed to them), an Indian family (Arvind and Lourhdu Mary Gosika) from Hyderabad, India [pictured above], and a Chinese family (the Chans including their 2 1/2 month old son sealed to them) from Macao. Lowell has had opportunity to seal living family members to deceased family members in the past, but these sealings where all participants are presently living are the sweetest experiences.

The Wilsons (Bob and Helga) from Sandy, Utah have arrived as a temple missionary couple to replace the Poons who left recently. She is originally from the Netherlands and he is a former missionary here, serving about five years earlier than Susan and Lowell did. We are enjoying orienting them since they live near us here in Fanling.

Missionaries Coming and Going

We have been reduced in force lately by two of our temple missionary couples leaving. The Lindsays (upper left) returned home to Phoenix early due to back problems she has had ever since she arrived. They left on 23 June. The Poons (last couple to the right, lower left) were scheduled to complete their mission and left on 28 June to return to Edmonton, Canada. Their replacement, the Wilsons, will arrive this month. The newest missionaries to our ward are Sister Simkovitch (joining Sister Kim from Korea) and Elders Lee and Wing and joined us recently for a dinner invitation at a member's home.

We also just learned that Lowell's best friend, Craig Normon, and his wife Theresa from Kemah, Texas have received their mission call to Hong Kong. He will be serving as executive secretary to the Area President and so they will be living on Hong Kong Island and probably working in the temple only one evening a week as do almost all of the couple missionaries serving here. They will arrive in September. They were the ones instrumental in getting us here on our mission when we came, so it will be fun to rub shoulders with them occasionally for our last several months.

Three Days in China

We spent three days, mostly in LianZhou, China where there was much of sitting on a 54-passenger bus, eating lots of Chinese cuisine (see if you can see the chicken's foot sticking up in one dish), and touring a facinating cave including an underground river ride. The cave was similar to, but on a much grander scale than our familiar Timpanogos Cave in Utah. The exit point of the cave is seen at the top of the hillside above and our fearless 23 yr.-old native Chinese tour leader appears here with his rallying flag just before the entrance to the cave. Susan was intrigued with the three-wheeled conveyances which we don't see at all in Hong Kong.

While the Temple is Closed

 

We have been keeping pretty busy going here and there with the Arnells while the temple is closed for two weeks' cleaning. From Noah's Ark (last blog), to the pandas at Ocean Park, shopping at Stanley market, lunch at the Jumbo Kingdom floating restaurant in Aberdeen, and a visit to Kadoorie Farm and Botanical Garden with all of its interesting "creatures" in Tai Po, we have not had much rest to speak of.

A Day In Noah's Ark

We took time with the Arnells to visit Noah's Ark, a fairly new park and exhibit in Ma Wan. (There is a picture of the full ark on an earlier blog entry of a month or so ago). Touted to be mostly for kids, we actually found it quite enjoyable and informative for adults as well. There are many replicas of life-size animals around the park and then of course the ark itself which was built to Biblical specifications, but in this case, houses a hostel/hotel on the top floor, a restaurant on the lower level, and educational displays and conference rooms on the middle level. We had joked that if it was raining that day (which it was projected to do) we wouldn't go, though I chided Elder Arnell saying, if it was raining, we should probably go earlier so we could "board the ark."

This joint venture is the product of five Protestant religious groups who have combined efforts to make the public aware of recent discoveries on Mt. Ararat in Turkey of remnants of what may have been the original ark. Their thrust is to get people to believe that the Bible record actually is true and thus, that they ought to give heed to God's warnings about pending disasters, etc. We needed no converting along this score.

The ark and park are positioned (as seen above) almost under a freeway overpass and there is a beautiful view of one of the expansive bridges connecting major islands in Hong Kong. Space is at a premium in Hong Kong and they make use of many spots we wouldn't think of as being usable.

A Day in Mainland China

We finally had the opportunity to visit China (Shenzhen). Ed Ngan (to Lowell's right) is a friend of Pres. & Sister Goo's. He hosted us and gave us VIP treatment, a free lunch and dinner and tickets not only to Splendid China (patterned after the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie Hawaii), but also to Window of the World (featuring miniature replicas of famous world structures) where he owns all of the restaurants. We saw some amazing performances by various Chinese cultural groups decked in their stunning colorful costumes as well as a staged battle by Mongolians riding their steeds and performing various feats of daring and expertise.

Another Granddaughter!

Just because we are distanced from our family by being away serving a mission, doesn't mean life won't continue to go on. Our only married daughter, Stephanie, gave birth Friday morning to a 7 lb. 13 oz. baby girl who they will name Mckinley. Mother, father, and baby are all doing well and isn't she a cutie? She brings to a total three granddaughters among our now eleven grandchildren. We don't feel any older but the numbers are revealing.

McKinley is actually a miracle baby---the results of invitro vertilzation---which only appeared to finally be successful just as we were beginning our mission to Hong Kong. Her parents feel this was a blessing directed to them because of our willingness to serve. The Lord blesses not only the missionaries, but those who they have temporarily left behind as well.

New Patron Housing Opens

The long anticipated completion of the new temple patron housing finally reached a conclusion during the last week of April. Approval for occupancy was given by the government and the first couple (from way up North in China) were able to stay the night there the evening they were sealed. It has a 50-bed capacity and we expect it to be filled to capacity this week with a large group here from Thailand and another group from India.

It is located almost directly across the street from the temple and will eventually also include a chapel (not yet completed) and house the distribution center. It sports a large kitchen and eating area with two refrigerators, a number of restrooms, and laundry facilities. There is even a handicapped restroom facility on the first floor. An open house is slated for July 2010.

We will now have many larger foreign groups booking visits to the temple whereas the lack of this facility has limited the number of individuals who could previously be accommodated.

Finishing Off Another Park (4 Months Later)

What began last December as a visit to Kowloon Park in Tsim Sha Tsui with the Lindsays who had only recently arrived, was finally finished with another trip to the same place with the Arnells who just arrived last month. The Lindsays were too tired to walk around much of the park and so only saw the aviary. Lowell had been wanting to go back and see what we missed those many months ago and so we finally did just that with the Arnells this past preparation day.

Hong Kong has some very beautiful "green spaces" where people can go and just relax or "get away from it all." This is another of those places. It marks a drastic change from what used to be referred to as the "cement city . "



Later that same evening, we were invited out to a fancy dinner in Lai Chi Kok by some members who remembered us from 40 years earlier, but who have not been active in the Church much at all since that time. As a matter of fact, Brother Wong Sau Sang and Sister Chow Chiu Lin's son, now 26 years of age, was just learning, (so it seemed) for the first time that evening, that his parents were members of our Church and was somewhat curious as to what we do at such a Church. His aunt and her daughter were also there and are also members, though probably also not very active. Others in the group who are active were a Sister Wong, Brother and Sister Mak (Lowell has been working with him for nine months in the temple and didn't know until that evening he is married to Sister Ling who both Susan and Lowell knew from 40 years ago), and Brother Chan, one of Lowell's former baptisms, and his wife who actually accompanied us to the dinner.

It is amazing how some old friendships seem to never die, no matter how much time has elapsed or how little contact individuals have had in the ensuing years. Perhaps this was all meant to be and there will be some good come from all such subsequent encounters .

Back to the Peak with a New Couple

We feel the need to take each new missionary couple up to Victoria Peak on Hong Kong Island to let them know the significance of the events that transpired there, now over 60 years ago, when Elder Matthew Cowley offered a prayer to open this area to missionary work. Here, the Arnells (in pink and blue) from Sugar City, Idaho join the Lindsays and us for lunch, a tram ride (in a newer version than the older one pictured here) to the peak and have rehearsed for them by Susan the recent discovery of the date etched in a rock (framed between myself and Susan) following that half-century-ago prayer. A semi-foggy day somewhat obscures our view of the peninsula and mainland China in the background.

Happy in the Work!

We continue to be happy in performing the work we've been called to do. Recently a group from Thailand came with a number of youth who performed hundreds of baptisms during the several days they were here. Some of the adults came to receive their own endowment and one couple had two of their children sealed to them. They were preceded by a couple from India who came to be endowed and to have their eight year old son sealed to them. We get to be pretty close to these people as we interact with them over the course of their stay.

We also continue to be involved with young single adults who Lowell teaches in Sunday School. Here, a group of them came to view the second part of The Work and the Glory after having dinner at our apartment. The one in green is Brother Chan who Lowell has been fellowshipping for six months or so and who is now not only coming to Church regularly, but is also interacting with other young singles and enjoying the change he is making in his life.

Remembering Old Friends, Old Times

With the Ngai's visiting Hong Kong these past two weeks, we have had opportunity to find, visit, or eat with people we knew many many years ago. Charles Ngai was a clerk to a branch presidency which included Wong Chung Hei, a mutual friend of ours. His wife, Kathy, was here from Australia last week so she was invited out to lunch along with us by the Ngai's (top). Charles and Shirley Ngai also knew Stephen Tse Yuen Kai who we have mentioned before as one we are fellowshipping (from our acquaintance 40 years ago). They joined us in paying him another visit (lower right) now that he is recuperating from his recent triple by-pass heart surgery. Another close friend of Shirley's and a favorite member of our former acquaintance (though now not active) is Sister Pok Wing Lan (left) who we were finally able to contact and meet with. She subsequently came to a Church musical presentation with Susan and me. Susan and I have received speaking invitations for May in three wards (due to our new responsibilities with the temple presidency) and providentially, two of the wards we are to speak in are the ones that Bro. Tse and Sister Pok are tied to. We have invited both of them to come out to those meetings. The reactivation process is sometimes a slow one, but we will keep at it.