We feel so fortunate that it was the about the end of May with the weather being more mild than it normally is this time of year. Mild meaning, lots of WIND, rain, and cooler weather. Normally it is already 90% humidity and in the high 80's, which feels like about 110 degrees, SO I'll take the wind and rain! We have been caught in the rain so many times without an umbrella because it didn't "look like" it was going to rain. We decided, ok fine... We will bring the umbrella and it never rains when we do, so I guess that is the solution? I don't know, but you can't get too hung up on that stuff here. :) Joe got back from his 5 day trip to Mongolia where it snowed a few of the days. Talk about two polar opposite climates!

The summer is proving to be filled with all kinds of different projects that are coming to the peek of fruition. It's that part where there is a TON of work, and you are not sure it's going to work and there tends to be a lot of worry involved. Yep... That's where it's at right now. Let's put it this way... It's giving us both a lot of opportunity to grow our faith in so many ways.

FSY will be happening in just 8 weeks! FSY (For the Strength of Youth, which is the EFY in other countries) is July 21-27th. It is SO involved with 30 young single adults who will run the camp for 160 youth! There is a couple who handles the logistics, and another couple who is in charge of the spiritual part, and we are the "advisory couple". Advisory, means advising... No real authority, but our job is to make sure the handbook is followed exactly. Not a problem at all right? ADVISING in a different culture with a different thought process, language, ways of doing things, and decision making with wonderful people who work 5-6 days a week and are already stressed to the max. I know that it will turn out to be a very rewarding growing experience.

The purpose is to help the youth develop and gain a strong testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and His atonement as well as gain a stronger commitment to live it. The purpose for the involvement of the young single adults (ages 20-30) is to have leadership experience, and have their own testimonies and commitment strengthened by helping the youth. The "camp" is actually a dormitory type environment that is out in a place called, SaiKung. It is a beautiful area by the water out in the country.  A lot more details to come about the progression of this project.

Last Tuesday while working our shift at the temple, there were 14 Mongolian sisters who had traveled here to go to the temple for the first time. There are several parts to temple worship, but I was able to help many of them with the first important part that takes place there. One sister was blind and as she was going through the process, the spirit was incredibly strong and all of us were very emotional. The sacrifice and dedication to be able to travel from Mongolia all the way south to Hong Kong is incredible. You could smell the smoke on their clothing and hair from the coal that is burned in that country and most likely from the coal stoves in the Ger's that they live in.

Several families came to be "sealed" together forever with each other and their children.  I had many assignments that day in the temple that are dear to me, but I was also able to take care of this little three month old baby. She was so cute and happy. She kept smiling and "cooing" while waiting for her mom. We were on the 5th floor of the temple where families get sealed together.

We are incredibly busy. One example is last Sunday, our day started at 6:30am and didn't end until about 9:00pm. We had meetings all day in three different parts of Hong Kong which, our travel time alone was an hour to get to each of the three locations we needed to go. That evening, we hosted a rebroadcast of the Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults. We had what they would consider "light food" after, which was sandwiches, chips, watermelon, and cookies. Doesn't sound like that big of a deal, but you have to buy all of the stuff and get it to the church building to be able to make it. (see pictures) It's totally different when you can't just jump in your car and drive to Winco or Costco, get what you need and drive to the church... OR better yet, pass around a sign up sheet in Relief Society (woman's meeting) and have people bring food somewhere. I don't even remember what that is like! Ha ha. It turned out great and we had over 40 people there.

Tuesday of this week we were asked to help prepare a dinner for Elder Ballard who is a visiting apostle from Salt Lake with several other general authorities and that was really cool. Before the dinner, there was a special meeting for all of the young missionaries and before that they had a picture taken with him. They had all the missionaries (young as well as couples) get arranged for the picture so that when the General Authorities came in they could just sit down and have the picture taken. While the missionaries were standing there ready they decided to sing songs..." I am a child of God", "I'm trying to be like Jesus", etc.  When they were singing "A Childs Prayer" with all the parts Elder Ballard walked in. 160 missionaries kept singing and he joined in. It was an experience I'm sure they will never forget.

While they were having their meeting, Joe and I helped those who planned the meal get the dinner prepared and it was beautiful. Gold chargers, china, and silverware. It was very nice. The Wan Chai building has three kitchens and we used all of them! They had homemade artisan bread that had been cooked in the building that day, a wedge salad, roasted potatoes, roasted carrots, and a nice baked cod with butter and Panko bread crumbs for 28 people. For dessert, they had a pistachio chocolate bunt cake with butter cream on top. WOW. We sure enjoyed the food. :)

Last week I gave the lesson in Institute. It was about the conversion of the Lamanites in the Book of Mormon and the diligence that Ammon and his brothers had in being willing to do what needed to be done to be an instrument in the Lords hands. People thought they were crazy to even think they could have any success with this group of people who were traditionally very anti-christ, and anti everything except war and revenge. Ultimately Ammon and his brothers had HUGE success but not until after years of trials and crazy experiences that required courage and a tremendous amount of patience that most people would have quit before the miracle happened. Are we fortifying our selves and our lives so we are ready for the miracle? I don't know what yours or mine is, but what I do know is that the principles still apply and are still just as true today as they where in those times. The day of miracles is not over. They are still happening all over the world. You just don't hear about them. Choosing to have faith in the atonement of Christ and the possibility of tomorrow, brings a lot of hope, joy, and peace. May all of those things be within your reach.

We love you all,
The Kwans

Elder Ballard

President/Sister Phillips and Joe singing waiting for
Elder Ballard and the other General Authorities to come in.

All of this stuff needs to fit inside the trolly....

This is the shopping trolly... It was a game of Tetris!

People hanging their clothes to dry (in the rain) on the fence
outside of a church building in East Kowloon. :) This isn't our
normal building we go to, but had meetings there last week.

Joe working away in our office, blowing brain
cells solving several big challenges that have come up! See his
hand on his forehead? He looks like that a lot... :)

This is a "carnival" type playground inside the basement of a mall. The climate is so volatile (hot, humid, rain, wind, typhoons, cold) that an indoor play area makes more sense. Why not in a mall, right??

A cute mom and her two kids :) Everyone has backpacks or
bags because you have to carry everything no matter where you go. 

This is Sister Gardner. She is the new mental health advisor
for the Asia Area and works with missionaries in the 22
countries this area covers and is from Sacramento!

Easter, Hiking and Unexpected Events

So much has happened in the last three weeks. Where to start? The beginning of the month started with Cody coming to visit. It was great to spend some time with him here. It was the weekend of the Young Single Adult Convention in Hong Kong so he helped me with the big meal which was a Mexican fiesta. I told him I was going to make him Sunday dinner, but it would be with about 100 other people :) Ha ha. We were able to do some hiking and a few other fun things while he was here that week as well. We had a great time! Many people think of Hong Kong with all of the big city buildings and millions of people, but they don't often think of the rainforest, hiking, beautiful beaches and other outdoor opportunities. As couple missionaries, as long as we have our assignments handled we have a lot of freedom. Most couples have family come and visit which is a great experience for everyone for many reasons. :)

On Easter we had a really nice program at church where we attend. They had a narrated Easter program with a choir as well as small groups singing. That is not really common here in Hong Kong but this ward  (congregation) has more people who love to do those kinds of things. Some of the songs were in English but most were in Cantonese. They sang, "Master the Tempest Is Raging" in Cantonese and it was pretty powerful. Although I don't know the language, I knew what they were singing because I know and love this song.

"The winds and the waves shall obey thy will, peace be still. Whether the wrath of the storm-tossed sea or demons or men or whatever it be, no waters can swallow the ship where lies, the Master of ocean and earth and skies... They all shall sweetly obey thy will... Peace, peace be still."

Here we are, literally across the world reminded in another language that we are all one and that the whole earth is loved, governed, atoned for, and supported by this same power regardless of our background, beliefs, decisions, or struggles. Our Savior Jesus Christ is always there with loving arms and our Father in Heaven's eye is always on us even if ours is not on him. He is truly in the details of our lives and I'm personally reminded of that every day.

That night we had Easter dinner with a few missionary couples at our apartment and I made a roast, and bread and they all brought food as well. We had a "crepe bar" for dessert with different kinds of fruit, sauces, and of course whip cream. We had a great time!

Our work has continued moving forward here. The Mongolian project is just as intense as Joe is preparing everyone involved to start construction on 10 Ger new builds in June, and then 150 of the retrofitted existing Gers starting in August. He will go to Mongolia for a few days the middle of May to meet with contractors and other government officials. I'm not going on the May trip but will go with him for a few days in June. We still have the Hong Kong-wide YSAs we work with, the young missionaries food assignments, FSY preparations (It's like Especially For Youth at BYU but takes place in other countries), Joe's High Council responsibilities, a shift at the temple Tuesday mornings, and other miscellaneous assignments that come up. For example, on Wednesdays the women at the Asia Area Office building have an Institute class and I am teaching on May15th. Sometimes we will have assignments to speak at a district meeting, or the fact that Elder Ballard of the 12 (as in Apostles) is coming to visit this month and I was asked to execute the dinner. It is fun (most of the time :)) and not boring for sure!!

Last week we got a call that Joe's Mom was not doing well and was expected to pass within the day. We got a message that night that she indeed did pass and that the funeral would be that weekend (4 days later). We made arrangements and took a three-day trip to Los Angeles the last weekend in April to honor his Mom. It was a traditional Catholic Chinese funeral and it was really good that all of Joe's kids could be there as well. She lived to be 92 years old and I'm sure that she was happy to be reunited with Joe's dad, and sister who had passed on before.

I think we take the record for going back to the States the most amount of times as missionaries for funerals :(. That makes three in less than a year! My brother, Father, and Joe's Mother. What I do know is that Heavenly Father is in charge and that he knows what we need and what is best even when we don't understand everything. Life continues on regardless of our circumstances or what others do around us. The important thing is that we continue to focus on what is most important. The Savior said, "Come follow me"... (not other people). I love the quote, "If God is your co-pilot, swap seats." I can testify that it is a much more peaceful place to be.

Love you all!
Sister Kwan

We explored a semi abandoned old traditional
village way out in the New Territories.

Cody and Joe hiked from the bottom of Lantau Island
to the base of the Big Buddha. The rest of us took the
gondola and met them at the top. :)

Dim Sum! A couple friends came to visit
for a few days while Cody was here. 

While out exploring, we found this old traditional "bathroom". If you zoom in on the picture, you will see a hole in the middle. (eek)

We had six missionaries over for dinner. Chicken
enchiladas, chips, salsa, and fruit pizza.

At the grave site for Joe's 
Mother's funeral.

The YSA Convention committee. We had a dinner at 
our apartment and discussed what worked, what could be
 improved, and what they learned. It was a great evening.

Funny story... I was asked to teach a chocolate chip cookie making class for Relief Society (Women's group). The sky "cracked" and it started pouring SHEETS of water... No umbrella, so here I am RUNNING with a pan over my head for about a half a mile to get to the church.

We were both SOAKED! Joe was ringing out his socks.

Easter dinner with missionary friends.

Went on an amazing hike on Lamma Island last week.
We saw this abandoned school. It was completely
over grown with ghosts of school children past, ha ha.