All I can say is WOW!!

Hello Everyone!!

It's hard to put into words what we are feeling right right now. The Mongolian project was very successful and it took the work of MANY incredible people to make it happen! From the Brigham Young University team, to those in the Asia Area office and those in the Mongolian Service Center, it was a group effort for sure! We felt the love and support from people not just on this side of the veil, but on the other side that were clearly present as well as the prayers of so many of you! We felt the hand of the Lord on more occasions than we can count and I want to share many of the miracles that happened. I will write two blog posts. This one will be focused on the timeline and miracles that happened along the way and the other one will be more of the personal experiences with the people, culture, food, etc.

We are both incredibly grateful to have been a part of it and honestly, without Joe it would not have come together. With his 37 years experience in the field of environmental engineering, huge project management that involved construction and other processes, it gave him the experience he needed to pull this off and get the right people and details together to make it happen.

The solution for Mongolias pollution is getting rid of the coal stoves that over 200,000 "households" use. Two blog posts ago I explained much more completely but simply, Gers are round tent structures with felt layers and traditionally they use a coal stove to keep them warm. They have electricity, but there is no indoor plumbing or sewage meaning, no running water or toilets. There are other organizations trying to help but they have been so focused on different ways to modify the coal stove they missed the simple answer of insulating these structures to hold the heat so that they can use a small portable electric heater to keep warm, thus getting rid of the coal burning that is causing the horrific pollution.

Elder Peter Meurs, who is a General Authority of our church and who is in the Asia Area Presidency here in Hong Kong had met with Joe and me when we first arrived on our mission in June of 2018. As he got to know us a bit, he learned of Joe's education and experience and this is how this whole project got started. Joe's assignment from him was to work with a group of Brigham Young University engineering students in their senior year, and were tasked with the assignment to design, test and create a solution, which they did in Utah with a borrowed Ger. Joe had weekly video conference meetings with them leading them and helping them in this "real life" engineering project. Then they got the exciting news, that Elder Meurs wanted us and this BYU team to go to Mongolia to build, implement, and test this solution for real. WOW! Keep in mind that this whole process happened in a six month period.

Many miracles happened leadings up to this but one of them was finding the heaters. Several people had been looking for a 220 volt 1500 watt ceramic heater so that it could be used in Mongolia. No one could find them anywhere... Not on line, Amazon, China, etc. No heaters! This was a huge problem. On the last day possible to get the heaters and ship them to Mongolia on time, we just prayed and prayed and said, "Ok, this is not about us. We need help and we have to find these heaters. It's in your hands." That afternoon Marco Lee from the Asia Area office found the heaters at a store not too far from the Wan Chai office and they were able to get them shipped that day. Joe then needed to find adapters to convert the Hong Kong plug to a Mongolian one and again, couldn't find them anywhere. He had a feeling he needed to go to Mong Kok, which is a crazy busy area with HOARDS of people. He went to a street where they sold electronic devices etc. and went in a random store. He showed the clerk a picture of what he needed and the guy opens a cabinet where stuff had been piled for ages, and had the exact amount he needed in a box. It was crazy!!

Our 10 day trip to Mongolia turned into 9 days when our flight out of Hong Kong was delayed for 23 hours and we ended up leaving a day later. This backed up everything that was planned because we were going to be there a day ahead of BYU's 11 students, 2 coaches, and one faculty member. We had to scramble to get certain things ready so that we could start work on Wednesday, March 20th. With two teams, one for the new "Modern Ger" build, and one for the three retrofitted existing Gers. There would be a total of 4 families who would live in these new and modified structures to test this new solution.

Wednesday the 20th through Saturday the 23rd was a whirlwind of long freezing work days, and issues ranging from an 8 hour power outage on Thursday that had been scheduled from the power company that we didn't know about, to fixing a few design issues, contractor/material issues and normal things that come up when doing a big project like this. By Saturday morning, the retrofit team was complete with their three modifications but the new build team had determined that they were going to have to work on Sunday to complete everything by Monday. Someone had the idea of seeing if the contractor had big lights so they could work at night and maybe finish what they needed to so they could take Sunday off. The weeks prior to arriving in Mongolia, Joe had hired this contractor to source, prepare, and deliver materials to the site and with Joe's foresight, those kind of lights were on his equipment list. Not a big deal in the USA but this is Mongolia... The whole team worked until 1:00am and did take Sunday off. It was like the heavens opened and the work started going really fast. The contractor also provided 5-8 workers and did not charge extra for the labor. The Mongolians are used to working in the elements (remember it's freezing) and have a ton of experience. The miracle is that the BYU team could never have finished this project in a 5 day period without these workers. They worked side by side and even though they spoke ZERO English they could understand each other, work together, and built a pretty cool bond with each.

Retrofit team... They had sensors in each Ger to test heat levels, and PM2.5 (particulate matter for pollution) inside each home. They also put sensors in other Ger's not retrofitted so that data that could be compared and charted. This is an important part of the testing to be able to prove the concept and viability of this solution. There was an issue because the device had not been updated from the company who sold them and they would not work. BIG PROBLEM. The BYU faculty member who was there is this brilliant person who graduated from MIT, and then received a PHD from Cambridge  University in the UK. He also has 8 children and is a professor at BYU and wasn't going to go on this trip because of all of his responsibilities, but his wife said, "You know, I think you really should go." The bottom line is, he is the only one who could have fixed this extremely difficult issue. So here he is in Outer Mongolia literally writing code to get the sensors working properly. I can't even explain what he did, but it was total miracle because there is no one else on the team that could have done that.

Monday, 25th the new build team finished up the last few things and the retrofit team checked sensors and recorded data. Elder and Sister Meurs arrived that night and wanted to meet with the teams and have the site visits on Tuesday.

Tuesday, 26th Elder Meurs met with each team. The first visit was to the new build site. Gers are round so we stood in a circle and he asked them questions and had them present their design and discuss different aspects of it and what they learned. The students enjoyed being able to discuss technical aspects with Elder Meurs who is an engineer by trade. In the three retrofitted Ger's the families were at each one so they participated in the conversation as well. So we stood in a circle filling the Ger with all of us and a translator as Elder Meurs spoke with the students, and the family enjoying the improved home. One mother said she couldn't believe that the little heater (and insulation) could heat up her home and how great it was to not wake up to a freezing floor. Using a coal stove it's either super HOT, or absolutely freezing. It is spring there now, and one day while working outside it was -20 with the windchill. It took my breath away it was so freezing. The cold is not a joke. Having a Ger with consistent heat and no coal is literally life changing. They have more room inside, and a clean smoke free environment. It was so hot in the Ger with the heater (87 degrees) they had to turn it down on low. We were all overjoyed (and the students relieved) that this solution really does work.

Prime Minister of Mongolia Visit.... (Tuesday afternoon) This was another miracle. He was entertaining the Prime Minister of Korea that day and some streets were shut down and the city was crazy. The Prime Minister of Mongolia agreed to meet with all of us during his lunch. There is NO WAY without the Lords help that this would have happened on a day that was filled with major political meetings and important events for him. We went through two levels of security and about 15 doors, not kidding. He met with us for 30 minutes and was warm, kind, and showed much gratitude for everyones efforts and invited us back. He said, "Even though we may worship differently we all want the same thing... To help the people of Mongolia." In Mongolia there aren't "tag wearing" missionaries. There are around 60 young people there as English teachers, and humanitarian workers and they do have a Mission President. The organization is not the "church" per say, but is called "Deseret  International Charities". In every country, our church respects the laws and ordinances required and stays within those bounds. Who knows, maybe someday they will allow it but for now we will continue to love and serve the people in this way. He told all of us we brought a special energy and thanked us very much... He shook our hands twice and personally gave us each chocolate in the shape of a Ger.

My role in all of this was to handle all of the logistics for about 20 people. (lodging, food, drivers/interpreters, etc.) That night I felt strongly that the students should have a dinner with Elder and Sister Meurs in an environment where they could just talk to him and ask questions and enjoy being together. We had it catered and held it at the church. Elder Meurs asked Joe to talk first, then he spoke to them for a bit and then opened it up for questions. Elder Meurs wanted feedback from the students about what they learned and what they would do differently, how certain things could or should be tweaked, etc. Then it basically turned into a testimony meeting with many students expressing the joy of knowing that they did not do it alone and how they could see the hand of the Lord in their work and the many miracles that occurred. It was tender and emotional and a very cool evening I will never forget.

Wednesday, 27th was the BIG city unveiling with a member of parliament, city governor, many other government officials, and several camera crews present to get news coverage. There were several speakers, and a ceremony to honor the families with the new or improved property. There is more explanation attached to the pictures. That night the member of the Parliament honored our group with a special dinner and gifts. Joe and Elder Meurs were also given a special scroll with ancient Mongolian calligraphy. Pretty cool!

In the middle of the week when the days were long and crazy it was easy to forget what was really happening and the potential impact this will have long term with this country. Whatever our part is in this work we do, we need to remember that we are part of something so powerful and that the Lord is in charge. This is His work and miracles are happening every day! He loves all his people in every land and his hand is working everywhere... Even when it doesn't feel like it sometimes.

We are happy, feeling satisfied with what we accomplished so far, and what is happening now?? Joe and Elder Meurs are already working on the plans for Phase two.... 150 retrofitted Gers, and 10 new builds to be completed September 2019. I'm thinking that at some point we will sleep again, but it's time to get to work!

We love and miss you all,
Sister Kwan

Our formal picture with the Prime Minister of Mongolia (center).
Elder Meurs in on one side of him and Uchral, who
 is a member of the parliament is on the other side.

The Prime Minister spoke first with an interpreter and then Elder Meurs addressed him. After that, the Prime Minister asked the students questions and they got to share as well. 

This is me and the Prime Minister. He had a bowl of Ger shaped chocolates that he personally was handing to each person. We are both looking at the floor because I dropped one... Yup, that happened. We both laughed.

Joe doing an interview. He said it was so cold he could hardly move his lips. 

The ceremony of giving the gift (the new home) to one of the families. They are holding a golden bowl usually with warm milk. The"giver" takes a sip, then hands it to the "receiver" and they each take a sip. This is the family that got the new build. The wife is holding their baby...

Another family. This one received the retrofitted  Ger.

Students at the new build site. One day it was -20 with the wind chill.

This is inside the new build after they put their furniture inside. Elders Quorum still moving people, even in Mongolia ha ha.

This was at the ceremony on Wednesday the 28th. You can see us on the front row. There were about 100 people from the city that came to see and hear about these new and improved structures.

Finishing up the new build.

Formal picture at the Wednesday ceremony. Uchral, and
City Governor are in the center, with Elder and Sister Meurs
 to there right along with other government officials. You can
see the whole BYU team in the back.

The new build BYU team welcoming Uchral, the Parliament member to the completed "Modern Ger".

Elder Meurs shaking the Prime Ministers hand.

Us, the BYU team, and several people from the Mongolian Service center at the Gengis Khan equestrian statute and museum. Largest equestrian statue in the world.

Joe talking with Uchral, the parliament member inside the unfinished ger.

BYU team working away.

Crab, shrimp with eyes, and preparations for Mongolia!

We are sitting at the airport getting ready to fly to Mongolia.

You know the old saying, "I had to go so far, it was like outer Mongolia!"? Well, we really are going to outer Mongolia! Super cool and will be an adventure for sure. The weeks heading into this project have been filled with tons of crazy from properties of the families who are getting these new structures changing several times, to political challenges, legal issues, design issues, building material sourcing issues, as well as many miracles! Needless to say, Joe isn't getting much sleep and is back to working 12 hour days that he was used to when working for corporate. His "boss" is definitely much better, ha. At one point we started laughing and looked at each other and said, "Wow, sure glad we are on such a relaxing mission. It's just like a vacation." We will be in Mongolia from March 19th - 28th and then back to Hong Kong. More details and pictures to come. It is a direct 4 1/2 hour flight..

Every Tuesday we work at the temple for several hours and a couple weeks ago, there were 7 Mongolian Sisters who came through for the first time. (everywhere we turn, it's all about Mongolia right now) What a great experience to be a part of that as they made sacred covenants with the Savior. They didn't know any English and that always makes it challenging. When that is the case, which is often, we give them cards with the language they speak so they can read  and understand what is being said. It's always inspiring for me to see the commitment of people who have next to nothing and their willingness to travel far and wide, who love Heavenly Father and want to receive and stay true to the covenants they have made. This truly is a global church and although customs and culture may be different, at at the end of the day we are all the same.

The other night a very kind and generous couple from the ward (congregation) we attend, invited us and the younger missionaries to go to dinner. It was so funny. We walk into this restaurant to meet everyone and there is a 5 gallon bucket by the table with this HUGE crab in it that is alive. They said, "You have to pick it up and get a picture!" ... I thought, ok, when in Rome! (or Hong Kong as it were) I was cracking up. So we did, and that thing was heavy! 20 minutes later it was cut up and on a plate.(big eyes emoji!) They ordered: Alaskan King Crab, Suckling Pig, Peaking Duck, and Goose. Part of these dishes include layers of fat and skin as part of the delicacy as well as being the very most expensive items to order. They ordered several other dishes as well and it was quite a feast! I needed to not eat for a while after that (eek).. I felt my pants/skirt get tighter as I sat there, ha ha. Seriously, the next day we both ate VERY light with a whole lot of greens. :) I know I've shown a lot of pictures of Asian food, but we actually eat more American food here than not. Salads, sandwiches, chicken, different kinds of soups, etc. It's not as easy as it is back in the States, but it just takes some planning.

The first quarter of this year has been full of a lot of planning and activities. The Young Single Adults (age18-30ish) activity March 2nd went well and their three day convention is coming up the first weekend in April. In Hong Kong because we are a day ahead of the USA, General Conference for us is shown the following weekend. 

The translators receive all the printed talks a few weeks before General Conference and are crazy busy getting them translated. Then after the meetings, they have to change the documents to reflect what was actually said, verses the copy of the talk that was turned in before the conference. Think about all of the languages in the world that these talks are being translated into... Most countries have their own translators and that is how they can get the exact text of the talks up online so quickly. These people are brilliant. The sentence structure from English to Cantonese is completely reversed so to translate it and have it mean exactly what the speaker is saying is truly a talent.

Speaking of talks... We had the Asia Women's Conference here in Hong Kong March 7-9. There were about 200 women, most of whom are originally from the States, UK, or Australia and live or work in different Asian countries. It's basically a two day conference in Hong Kong with speakers, service projects and activities. A lot of these women have lived abroad like this for years and it can be very isolating for some of them because of areas they live in. India, Thailand, Mongolia, Indonesia, etc.... I was surprised by how many of these women live in mainland China. There is quite a large group of ex-pat women who live there. It was an inspiring worthwhile event and it was wonderful to have something like that all in English! 

One of the focuses was based on the scripture from Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God". "Be Still" comes from a Hebrew phase meaning, "to release"... It isn't only about putting our trust in God, although that is a big part of it. It's also about trusting the process and allowing it to change us. It's about surrendering and allowing what God is trying to do in our lives. As we become more focused and centered on the Savior and the only thing we have control over (our thoughts and behaviors) we create more of a balanced peaceful journey. Be Still... Allow the peace, and the process to change you and draw you closer to your divine nature and the Savior.

We are off to Mongolia!! Say a prayer or two for us.:)

Love,
Sister Kwan

This crab was alive. 20 minutes later is was
cut up and on a plate! 

You can't tell how big this plate of crab is
from the picture, but it was huge!

More crab and happy missionaries!

Part of the dinner

YSA activity! More Mexican food.

This is generally how shrimp is served here. You tear the head off,
peel the shrimp and take the legs off and then eat it. Oh my.

Grocery story chicken for sale. You can get chickens or goose
without the head but this is pretty common.

Look at the eyes on the shrimp... 

Miracles ....

So many cool things are happening! While both Joe and I have our regular assignments here in Hong Kong, I have also shared that a big one he is working on is this project for Mongolia with a group of BYU engineering students with the ultimate goal of helping to solve the air pollution problem specifically in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia.

With Joe leading the team, 12 students and two coaches were tasked with the job of coming up with a low cost effective solution to replace the coal stove in the Gers (round tent homes) that 800,000 people live in. No big deal, right?? The burning of coal has created a city with one of the worst air pollution problems in the world. In the last two months alone, 400 children under the age of five have died with respiratory issues and hospitals are inundated at all times with people who have the same issues. This is a very serious problem. In Mongolia people live in a few different kinds of structures. The Ger is a round tent with no indoor plumbing (200,000 of them). Bashens are a very rough kind of home with no indoor pluming. They do have apartments, and the very wealthy live in what would be considered a "regular home".

We are going to Mongolia for 10 days March 18-28th and the students and coaches will arrive the next day. No, we are not staying in a Ger. :) We will be at a hotel. They are going to build a new structure they've designed as well as retrofitting two existing Gers for testing to see if these are viable options. It's a combination of insulating, and replacing the coal stove with an efficient electric heater. They will be tested through a full harsh winter to work out any issues. Once the concept is proven effective with the bugs worked out, then they would carry out another phase of implementation and other organizations could get involved. Elder Meurs from the Asia Area Presidency will be meeting us in Mongolia at the end of the project and he will have meetings with government officials to discuss options, ideas and other solutions to increase the electricity grid and other issues that need to be worked out.

This is a very multifaceted issue and I am only very briefly explaining the high points, but as you can imagine, there are so many issues and details that need to come together to make this happen. We have seen many miracles thus far, and expect to see many more. There are still a lot of issues that have to be worked out but I wanted to share one experience....

After our Tuesday morning temple shift, I needed some things at the store and this means pulling a "trolly" behind me like a little old Italian lady in New York. (picture that) I was tired and didn't want to, but felt like I needed to go. We were walking around the store and wander into this isle, and this beautiful young woman says, "Hi Sister, Can you help me find the milk." The way she said it, I knew she was a member of the church and I asked her where she was from and she said, MONGOLIA.... I seriously wish I had a picture of my face when she said that because it was one of those moments I knew was a "divine appointment" we didn't know we had. Her husband was there too and has developed air filtration systems for apartments as well as being knowledgeable about different government regulations, and other issues. We got together that evening for dinner and talked for a few hours.

In that divinely appointed meeting, not only did we learn some critical things about the culture and how things work, but also got the answers and solutions to about 4 big issues. I am still in awe how Heavenly Father works and how if we just listen and have faith, what we need will always be provided. This solution the team is coming up with may not be the "end all be all" but it for sure is part of a solution to a world issue that can be built on and changed and continue to move things forward in that country. I can't wait to see what is going to happen and all of the other cool miracles that are sure to come.

This week we were assigned to give talks in Sacrament meeting in the "every day branch", which are the congregations comprising the Pilipino helpers (maids). The helpers only get one day off a week and if it is a Wednesday, that is the day they go to church so literally church meetings are available Tuesday-Sunday. Hong Kong is the only place in the world that does this. So... I can say I have been to Sacrament meeting 4 times this week, ha ha...There are two missionary couples that it is their assignment to "run" those branches and they are at church Tuesday-Sunday for 18 months. I am convinced there is a special place in heaven for them!!

On Saturday there is a Hong Kong wide Young Single Adult temple trip with a big activity afterward and they have asked me to prepare a taco/burrito bar and chocolate chip cookies. There will be about 100 YSA's and it should be fun. This week has been crazy busy and I really need a nap :) ha

It never ceases to amaze me how the Lord works and how things happen continually that show us that not only does He love us and is aware of us and our challenges, but how he loves all of His children. So many things are happening. So many miracles. If you look, you will see them. Not only in your life but in others lives as well. No matter where we are at spiritually, the Savior is aware and is there with arms wide open to help us and give us peace when we let Him in.

Love you all,
Sister Kwan

It was amazing getting to know
our new friends from Mongolia! :)

Dinner

YES!!

Filet Mignon, butter, and creamed spinach at Ruths Chris.