Hello ga tihng!
Guess what! I'm in Hong
Kong! It's so exciting. My companion doesn't understand my awe since she
is from the place, but it's totally amazing and very very foreign (oh
the open-air markets. How they astound and turn the stomach.). As
another sister in our apartment (ther are 4 of us total there) said,
Hong Kong is very very Chinese, despite its British influences. So I
have a lot to learn.
So, I should now tell you about my week! It's been
crazy, wonderful, and full of a lot of learning. Here's the bottom line:
I have done more brave new things than ever this week (talking to
strangers about the Restoration, making phone calls, bearing my
testimony in lessons and in sacrament meetings - all in Cantonese!), and
I have learned that I, by myself, am not very good at these things. But
if I let the Lord help me, then I can do them. All it takes is a desire
to improve, a lot of humility, and going and doing. It's kind of
amazing. It's still easy to be absolutely terrified, but I know that I
don't need to be. And like I mentioned before, language isn't the true
barrier - it's getting over your own fears and just trying that is the
biggest hurdle. So, anyway, it's been a brave week.
Let me just explain a little about the work here. We
have about 8 progressing investigators (we cover three areas, you see),
so I've helped teach some lessons this week, and we also go finding a
lot, so we get to talk to people on the busy streets here. Natives here
think that Hong Kong is a very expensive and not-open-to-talking-to-
We cover three areas, so on Sunday we attended three
wards and I got to introduce myself and bear my testimony in each.
People were very nice and complitmentary about my Cantonese, which was
buoying. I have a long ways to go, but they were very nice. But you'll
never believe it! I am in the same ward as the Yeungs! Enoch's parents![Enoch married a friend of ours; Sarah met the Yeungs at the wedding.]
Yep. And do you remember the mormon.org
video with Stella and Jamie? They are in another ward I am in. And in
the third ward, an elder is serving who was in the older MTC group from
me, so I know him too. I think that Heavenly Father really wanted me to
feel at home here, which is why He has given me so many familiar faces
here.
The wards are very nice, too. They have this tradition
of asking the missionaries to their houses to eat - it's called
"chenging out" in the missionary vernacular - and this week alone I
have been asked to eat at members' homes 3 times. Lots. And they have
this habit of telling you to eat more and then putting more food in your
bowl, so don't worry I've been well-fed. Very yummy and authentic food,
too.
Speaking of Cantonese, though, I'm still amazed at how
much I understand and how much I don't understand. It's kinda cool - I
can tell exactly how in tune I am with the Spirit by how much I
understand of a conversation. So I know that I'm not really the one in
charge here. At all, in fact. This is very much the Lord's work and it's
up to us to listen to what He's telling us to do. But with my companion
being a native, I can tell it's really helped me comprehend more
Cantonese, but I can't let her do all the talking because I definitely
need to practice speaking it myself. In the lessons, for example, I can
usually understand enough to follow and contribute, but on the street I
still have a hard time understanding normal small-talk. So, it takes an
added measure of patience for my companion and I to understand each
other, but we're both learning a lot. She's been out for just over a
year now, but her English still isn't very good, and my Cantonese
requires a fair amount of pantomiming, so it's kinda funny to watch us
talk. She's really a kind and strong person, so we're doing well.
In fact, yesterday, we had a bit of a miracle. Really. I
am in awe of how much the Lord has prepared people to hear this
message. Yesterday evening we were finding in a park on the waterfront
when we passed by this bench with a 20-ish year old woman sitting there.
My companion said, we need to talk to her, so we did. And as we were
talking with her, we taught her the first lesson about the Restoration.
She herself had attended another Christian church growing up, but
obviously was looking for more. We prayed with her right there, and she
started just crying. We tried to explain that she was feeling the
Spirit. She was really interested to learn more, and I really hope she
does. Miracles, I tell you.
Lastly, here are some unique things about Hong Kong.
Dad, all of their scaffolding is bamboo. For reals. It's so cool. And
the buildings are ridiculously tall. I shall have to send pictures. I
myself live on the 14th floor of a 29 floor building. And one of the
largest shipping containers is in sight out of my window. Yes, I live in
a cool place.
And more importantly, I get to do the most amazing job
in the world. I'm very grateful for this opportunity and for your
support and prayers. I love you so much. When I talk about eternal
families with others, I think of you, and it makes me happy.
I love you!
Love,
Sister Nielsen
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