Finally Settled

We are finally settled enough in Hong Kong to put something on our blog.  What a wonderful experience we are having already.  Everything started with our training for three days in the Salt Lake Temple which really made us feel that we are now missionaries and ready to go forward and serve.  Things didn't start off as well as planned to get to Hong Kong because after arriving at the Salt Lake airport at 3:45 am to fly to Dallas to catch our flight to Hong Kong we found out that the flight had been cancelled.  We were not able to get another flight that day so we flew out the next morning.  Our flight to Dallas took 3 hours and then our flight to Hong Kong took 17 hours more.  We finally arrived in Hong Kong on Wednesday January 18th, our wedding anniversary.   President and Sister Lee, Hong Kong China Temple President and Matron, were waiting for us at the airport and gave us a very warm welcome.  They then took us to our apartment at the Kowloon Harbourfront Hotel where we were greeted by some of the temple missionaries.  After resting on Thursday we went to the temple on Friday and were set apart by President Lee as ordinance workers.  We also received our temple orientation that day so we can find our way around the temple and it was needed because different parts of the temple are located on different floors with three elevators each going to different places.  Saturday was our first full day of temple service and we both loved the opportunity to serve in the Hong Kong Temple and feel the spirit of the Chinese Saints, even though we don't always understand what is being said.  Sunday we had the opportunity to attend one of the several Filipino Branches in Hong Kong with mainly Filipino Sisters who are in Hong Kong employed as domestic helpers.  What a blessing to once again be among the Filipino members who we came to love so dearly as we served in the Cebu Philippines Temple.  We look forward to being assigned to serve in one of the Filipino Branches.

This is the wonderful group we received our training with in the Salt Lake Temple prior to heading to our different temple missions.  From left to right:  Elder and Sister Cannon -their mission call is to coordinate the training for temple missionaries and help with training, Elder and Sister Eccles - Boston Massachussetts, Elder and Sister Sorensen - Hong Kong China, Elder & Sister Chatterton - Hong Kong China, Elder and Sister Cox - Kona Hawaii, Elder and Sister Ohlson - Copenhagen Denmark, Sister Reuser - Washngton DC, Elder and Sister Thorne - Washington DC, President and Sister Aldredge, former Salt Lake Temple President and Matron, they were in charge of our training which was filled with the spirit.

We feel very privileged to wear our missionary badges everywhere we go.

Bags packed and ready to go at 3 am.

Entrance to our apartment complex.

Our apartment bedroom.

Our kitchen area with Sister Sorensen at work.

Our living room area.  Our apartment is very nice and adequate.

This is the view out of our window looking across the harbor to Hong Kong Island.

This is our apartment complex.  We are on the second floor.  The other temple missionaries also stay here as well as the missionaries in the area office.

The close building on the left is our apartment complex.  Very tall buildings every where.  We walk to the buildings in the center of the picture to do our shopping at ground level.

This is looking toward Hong Kong Island, on the right, from the harbor side of our apartment complex.  A nice walking path is on the left.

Looking across to  Hong Kong Island at night.

This is by the Area Office Building where we attended church on Sunday.  We are not in Fayette anymore.