Summer in Hong Kong

Sunday, June 30th we had the "Special Sunday Temple Opening" that happens four times a year. Hong Kong is the only place in the world where the temple is open on Sunday! It is primarily for the Filipino Sisters who are helpers (maids) and if their day off is Sunday, that is the only day they can attend the temple. Usually when older people go on missions you have a very specific assignment. You are either a temple  missionary, member leader support, public affairs, humanitarian, mental health, or one of MANY different kinds of assigned missions in the church. In Hong Kong, most couple missionaries serve a shift in the temple every week in addition to their other assignments. Our temple shift has been on Tuesday mornings. We also have the opportunity to serve in the temple on these special Sunday openings as well.

The Hong Kong temple is closing July 6th, 2019 for an extensive renovation that will take 2-3 years. We have had so many cool experiences being there and feeling the power of these ordinances that go on in this sacred place. We have seen the sacrifices of people from all over this part of the world. People who have nothing, sacrificing everything they have just to get to the temple because they understand how it will bless their lives. Groups come here from Mainland China, Mongolia, Indonesia, Thailand, etc. Yesterday (July 2), forty people came from Cambodia. For twenty of them, it was their first time to a temple! When I was leaving we saw 5 young Cambodian children with big smiles crossing the street on their way to the temple to be sealed to their parents.

The next few months will be a flurry of activity and a culmination of a lot of planning. The Mongolia phase 2 of the Ger project is in full swing. Between July - September they are building 10 new structures and retrofitting 150 existing Gers with a special radiant barrier insulation and a different heating system so they can stop the use of the coal stove. It requires Joe to travel to Mongolia a few times during this period. He is in Mongolia this week. I will go with him for two weeks in August. Yes, you read it correctly. He is in Mongolia this week and I am in Hong Kong! Crazy right? When I say that a church mission for couples is a completely different experience depending on assignments and needs of an area, I wasn't kidding.

This week he is working with the contractor and government officials on the new builds so he is in meetings and at construction sites... in Mongolia. That means something completely different than if that were happening in the USA. I'm not sure I can even adequately describe what it is like there, but you can't just "run to the store" or even a regular bathroom out in the Ger district. When we are there we stay in a regular hotel but it's about an hour drive to get to the work site. You absolutely can not go anywhere without a driver and an interpreter. Ninety-nine percent of the people do NOT speak English so you have to have someone to interpret for you. Think of the complications of working with a contractor, purchasing supplies or building materials, etc. You can't just run to the Home Depot and get what you need, or fix what doesn't fit or is cut wrong, etc. It takes double the time to explain anything because you tell the interpreter something, and then they have to repeat and explain it to the contractor. Think of a bad game of "telephone" (eek). That is what it feels like sometimes. That is why Joe HAS to be there at times besides the fact that when a general authority asks you to do something you generally say yes, ha ha.

When I go with him in August, I will be organizing the logistics of getting 150 insulation kits cut and prepared, utilizing the youth of the church in Mongolia, a few YSAs and a few missionaries who are serving in there. Much more on this later, but it will be really awesome. Stay tuned.

In two weeks we will have the FSY here in Hong Kong. The next blog will be all about that week with the youth and YSAs. FSY is basically the Especially For Youth that takes place at BYU but in other countries. It's a big deal with a ton of logistics and preparation. Think of a Stake youth conference on steroids that lasts a full week. That pretty much describes it. It will be out in Sai Kung which is a beautiful place way out in the New Territories... Rainforest, South China Sea, little islands, hiking trails, country, open space. Those are not things people usually think of when they think of Hong Kong.

Politically it has been a bit crazy in Hong Kong! Culturally they are very disciplined and organized even in their protesting, so we always knew when and where they were going to happen. We weren't anywhere near those places during those times. For now, they have taken the proposed law off of the "floor" for discussion. This particular law would take away some of their freedoms and give Mainland China more control which is why the people here are so upset. China is supposed allow Hong Kong to be completely independent for 50 years after it was given back to China from Britain. That is why it's called "Hong Kong special administration of the Peoples Republic of China" (HKSAR). It has only been 22 years.

I'm incredibly grateful for these experiences. I'm not sure I could have even dreamed half of this stuff up! Sometimes Joe and I look at each other and shrug our shoulders feeling like we are in a movie or something and that this isn't real. One thing that is constant is seeing the hand of the Lord in so many ways and in the different assignments we've been given. From Hong Kong to Mongolia, we see that the Lord loves his people. All of them... and in every land! No matter what governments do, or what beliefs people have, the Lord sees it all, is in the details, and will continue to guide us into more understanding if we let him. I promise. We see it everyday!

We love you all!
The Kwans

After a Hong Kong wide YSA meeting with our friends
Kristen and Tami. We realized they both know
 David, Joe's son from BYU. Small world!

Twenty YSAs in our apartment for dinner.
Two missionaries brought two others who are learning
about the church and two others were new members.

Classic old Chinese building.

Found a really cool park with a huge pond. There were
turtles and koi fish. Very beautiful and peaceful.

It was so hot and humid but we really enjoyed walking around
this little gem we found in the middle of the city.

More of Tak Wah park.

Beautiful waterfalls in the park

There were literally at least 50 turtles in the
 pond area. These three were  enjoying the sun. :)

Another unique thing about the temple is the second floor has three apartments. One for the temple president, one for the mission president, and one for 6 young Elders. Since the temple is closing we are helping to clean things out. This isn't even half of what was in one room. 

Chicken feet... A big thing here :)
This was in a grocery store.
$10HK is about $1.25US