Tseun Wan and Kwai Chung 6

Miracle!! Yuen Ying and Gaga's mother is progressing! Slowly but well! She offered the closing prayer in our last two appointments and in the first one she expressed that she "hopes that one day that I could also be able to spread to others how mormon isn't bad church. But I know that to be able to do so, I first need to change myself and also accept the mormon myself, will You help me?" And she also has no problem with baptism as long as she can see gospel/Holy Ghost's effect in her family and her life. Then the second time, we watched the Joseph Smith's First Vision DVD, and during it she expressed that she feels confused the same way as Joseph Smith! So she has committed to also ask God herself, because the whole doctrine on God's nature is also a big confusion on her part. She isn't sure if God is really who we describe Him to be: a loving Heavenly Father who will hear and answer her every prayer, and is so concerned for her, because she has heard otherwise. So we committed her to find out herself what He is like. One Sunday there was the My Conversion Story Fireside in Kowloon Tong, and Yuen Ying, Gaga, and their mom committed to come. But then the children were waiting for their mom to come home from work, she didn't show, and it turned out she was still at work, even until the fireside ended. :( But this experience has taught and confirmed one thing: Yuen Ying and Gaga cannot progress waiting for their mother, we must focus on helping them first. We had actually prayed for their baptismal dates earlier in the week and felt that Yuen Ying and Gaga will be baptized in November, while their mother felt February. So we learned rather through a hard way that what we felt was right. So Yuen Ying and Gaga is preparing themselves to be baptized on November 11th, we will do our best to help them!

The past week we also got to meet Vina's mother! But sadly, she decided she had no desire whatsoever to learn the gospel,,,Vina was pretty upset, and if it was herself before baptism, she probably would have yelled at her mother, but the Holy Ghost calmed her down, so she shared with us how grateful she felt that she didn't actually succumb herself to anger. We encouraged her to keep loving her mother, and one day she will recognize the blessings of Gospel already in her home and will desire to spend eternities with Vina. She loves her mother so so much.

This morning I read in Alma 48. Captain Moroni reminded me of our Mission President, President Hawks. I am very impressed by the covenants the followers of Captain Moroni has made. And it made me want to make same covenant as well. Though I didn't actually tear a clothing of mine, I hope that the Lord accepts my broken heart as a covenant  like that of the armies of Moroni. I am coming to trust more and more that the Lord has really placed me here for His good purpose, and that things are working out the way He has designed them to work out. I am coming to trust more that things are always alright, as long as the Lord is in it. I am so grateful to have this opportunity to learn and grow from such wonderful loving Heavenly Father and His servant, our Mission President.

Loves and prayers to all of you as always,

Sister Younhee Burningham

Tseun Wan and Kwai Chung 5

Wow first monday P-day! It was very strange to be finishing the day Sunday to realize it's P-day Again! I have decided I'm just never going to catch up to the time that's just speeding by, and I know that I don't have to. I know I just need to do my best every hour as planned, and leave the rest upto the Lord.

 My current goal is to be a more grateful person by the end of my mission. Because I really feel like the boy with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fishes, and am struggling to have faith that that is enough to feed every hunger. I want to be like a child, simply handing over that food unto the Lord, simply because He asked for it, and witness the miracle He performs with it, and be grateful even for what isn't enough. I don't want to question the Lord and be so distracted in how many people there actually are and how impossible the task seems to be, and how little food I have to offer and be so devestated. The Lord knows what He's doing assigning such inexperienced people like me as His servents in His work. I need to have more faith in this, and count blessings and miracles. How happy and grateful we are to have such a Father in Heaven! I can't express enough how amazing, honored, grateful, undeserving, awed, and happy I feel that this all knowing, all powerful, all loving God is my Father!!

So quick updates of this weekend:

Yuen Ying and Gaga's mother did not make it to Stake Conference, which was a huge dissappointment. She couldn't get out of bed, despite all the phone calls in the morning and challenging Yuen Ying and Gaga themselves to try to help her wake up. But the two had wonderful experience at the Stake Conference-it was such a wonderful meeting, very powerful and revelatory!
We found a new investigator through a Consecrated Finding Time last Friday for Tseun Wan!! We are hoping this new investigator will have much potential, that we can work with the Ward to teach her and her husband!

I am still very amazed at the Lord's unending mercy and grace in this work, and towards me. I love Him so much, I am so grateful for Him,,for loving me even more.

Hong Kong is starting to cool down. And I am quite nervous of bone-chilling winter coming up, haha :)

Loves and Prayers always

Sister Burningham

Tseun Wan and Kwai Chung 4

Hello Everyone!

it's has been a very fast busy week!

We had the General Conference last weekend, and I couldn't love it more. The ones that helped me the most was Elder Scott D. Whiting's Address, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's Address, and Sunday Afternoon Session of President Thomas S. Monson's Address. Yuen Ying (16 years old) and Gaga (11 years old) came and stayed and came again, even though they had a hard time understanding and concentrating, they had the desire to be there to hear the Prophet and they really tried. :') It was also Vina (15 years old), a recent convert, her 2nd General Conference experience. She said the first time she thought it was boring and didn't get much out of it. But this time, it answered her questions and comforted her heartaches. She has been going through much, she is so mature for her age, she is grateful for her trials because it helps her get more out of the gospel, feel its need, and be lifted up and taught by the Lord. And she is so blessed for it. Her mother has gone to Mainland for the week, but still has the desire to see us when she returns. We are also helping Brother Leung to progress, to really set goals and make plans to achieve them, and actually do them. We are helping him to pray and to read. He feels very far away from God, and feels that the needed change from 90+% worldly life style to more church life style is a great challenge. But he admits he has a testimony, he knows that gospel is true and good, he just struggles with the enduring to the end part. We shared with him about the growing up analogy. How sometimes we get to comfortable as God's babies, and are content in our perfect crawling. But we have the divine nature, we are meant to become just like our Father, an "adult" that can not only Walk, but to run and be so independent and can do so many things, be God! And so babies will try to walk as it gets older, and it will fall and trip many times. That's really going to be uncomfortable and disheartening and discouraging. We may want to give up and go back to our old life when we were perfect at what we did, and totally content in just crawling forever. We may just want to stay as successful crawler and never try to stand. Because if we do, we may fall, and are not perfect anymore. But we are meant to utilize the Atonement, the encouragements from our Heavenly Parents for all the falls and trips, to keep trying until we master the walking, then running, then all others! And we can. It seem to really help Brother Leung as he is a father himself of a little 2(?) year old daughter. We want to bring in these father analogies more to help him understand how loving Heavenly Father is and Brother Leung's divine potential.

We have been striving to strengthen the members here and to help them feel the spirit so that we can help more of their loved ones that doesn't know the gospel yet. Also Yuen Ying and Gaga's mother has said she is willing to come to Stake Conference with us this Sunday!!! We are very thrilled! And so are Yuen Ying and Gaga :)

Yesterday was Sisters Training Meeting, (also Sister Jamison's birthday!) where we discussed about how it will be if things were arranged so that sister missionaries would serve in one ward only instead of 2,3, or even 4 wards, as it is often the case. It was such an uplifting discussion, we really felt considered and cared about, President Hawks is really like a loving father to us here. There was shared so many things, including a quote from a missionary shared by President Hawks: "In my mission I am learning that the Lord is more interested in my self improvement than my comfort." The meeting was as powerful as General Conference and really spoke to my heart. I am continuously awed at how much Lord is aware of me and how much He is communicating me and supporting me despite all my shortcomings in His work. I cannot express enough of His mercy and grace.

Time is really speeding by, and so are these email times :)

In our mission they will be switching our P-day now to Mondays instead of Thursdays. So in the coming Monday we will have another P-day. So I will be writing you again soon. :)

Loves to you as always, hope everyone is doing well and coming closer unto our Savior :')

Sister Lee

Tseun Wan and Kwai Chung 3

I don't know that I have been so overwhelmed by the Spirit, and just being under the water fall of the Grace and Mercy of our Father as it has been lately. I am feeling so much constant unseen power and support, and it really humbles me, and keeps my heart broken and contrite to be able to repent constantly. My weaknesses have felt so overwhelming yet to feel all that undeserving power and support from heaven, I am just so awed and so so grateful. I know the Lord really cares about His children so so much.

Korean Class last week went well, great turn out (there was a member that traveled all the way from another area even!). But I know it can be better. Today was our Temple day and we also got to talk to President Hawks about these classes. And he has a vision to make them better. He wants us to coordinate with the Ward more so that it becomes Ward sponsored activity with missionaries as resources, so that no matter which missionaries come and go, these classes and activities can still continue. I am thinking now towards that focus and direction, and it's an exciting thought! 

We have such great Ward Correlators here, so driven and inspiring, it has been incredibly helpful, I hope we missionaries are also helpful to them.

Mrs. Leung/Keih Keih, (Yuen Ying and GaGa's mother) has been progressing!! Just had the most positive phone conversation last time where she thanked us about the Book of Mormon texts we have been sending out to her, and how she wants to learn to pray with more faith and is listening to the counsels of her daughters!! She has been praying and wants to improve it, make it more meaningful and feels that it's been so long since we last saw her (last week, and in between she cancelled our appointments), so SHE misses us!! We were so glad to hear it! We feel that Yuen Ying and GaGa will be able to gain their mother's permission for baptism as they prepare together!

We have also been visiting many members. Last Sunday we got to meet a less-active member Faye Lee, who hasn't been to church for about a year because of her family opposition, but she came out to see us and actually wants to continue to see us. So our Ward Correlator assigned a Sister from Tseun Wan Ward to go with us so the Ward can help her! 

We also visited Sister Tse, who divorced her husband to join the church, and is now working, serving as early morning seminary teacher, has a son who is in the hospital for mental reasons due to having never gotten over his parents' divorce and blames it on the gospel, and while raising two other children all on her own! Yet when we visited her she was so excited and wanted to feed us and she told us about her neighbor friend whose husband had just passed away the night before! She felt that it was a perfect timing for her friend to finally learn about the Plan of Salvation to heal her and help her! She is such a powerful, enthusiastic member missionary!

We also found out that Vina's father recently has destroyed their statue of Buddha in their home because he was angry about his wife's commitment to Buddha over family. So Vina asked us to visit her mother with members to help her mother now that she needs "new religion". Her parents support her in going to church because they think it helps their daughter, but have not been willing to investigate themselves, because mainly, they have their own religion. But now that it's "gone", Vina wants to seize this opportunity!

Visiting less active member Sister Man Lai also has been very positive, we went over to teach her son English and also got the chance to talk to her, and she knows what she needs to change and work on and trust to bless her family! She just needs to do them, just needs much support, especially from the Spirit provided by church related visits. And while we were teaching the boy, to whom we also taught prayer (he himself believes that Buddha is more powerful than Jesus Christ), the father (who is also Buddhist) came home and we got to meet him as well!

Anyways, meeting many people and seeds are being planted. I know that there are prepared families in these two areas, and I will do my best to be the worthy enough missionary to be entrusted by the Lord to teach them!

I am so thankful for all of your support and prayers on my behalf and on the behalf of the missionaries and Hong Kong. I know it has brought forth so much miracles and blessings because of all the prayers of faith.

I love you all, and may the Lord also bless you. You are also in my prayers.

Add oil everyone :)

Sincerely,

 Sister Burningham

P.S. I am also very grateful for the temples, to be able to "come home" no matter where we are. To feel of Father's love and hear His teachings and guidance. I am also looking very much forward to the General Conference this week! We got to attend the last week's General Relief Society with our "resurrected" former investigator, Nancy. And though it was in Chinese it was still such enlightening, enriching, powerful, needs meeting 1hour and 1/2! So I can't imagine how fulfilling and amazing these upcoming 4 sessions will be! There was a wave of rumors and wanderings last week in church because of the newly adjusted ages of when young man and young woman can go on missions, it will be very exciting week! :)

Tseun Wan and Kwai Chung 2

This week we have started our Art Class and Korean Class. Art Class was yesterday and Korean Class is tonight. There is a huge interest in learning Korean and our recent convert said she is definitely bringing a friend. So we have much hopes again, we are trying many different ways to move the work forward here. Apparently, other than English class, they have never tried opening up other classes. It does take lots of planning and calling, but I have found that it is a great reason to call all the potential and former investigators and less-active members for. There were 2 major holidays in Hong Kong the past week: Mid-Autumn Festival and Chinese Independence/Establishment Day(?). So for the second holiday the Tseun Wan Ward went to a BBQ in the mountains and Nancy (a former investigator) and Yuen Ying and Gaga (sisters, investigators in Kwai Chung Ward) came with us. Anyways we got to meet many people and get to know them. I love Hong Kong :)

We are also teaching Yuen Ying and Gaga's mother!! It's slow but it seems to be helping little by little. Their mom would not let them be baptized but our goal is simply to strengthen and help their family because they really need help. So it has been a great blessing to be able to visit and teach their mother. We are also teaching Yuen Ying and Gaga about honoring parents more in depth, and they are trying their best to utilize the gospel to change themselves to be a better example to their family. We also visited a less active member who does have a desire to go to church but admits that her faith isn't great to sacrifice. She is also concerned about her children's progress and we are going to visit and teach them English etc to help them have more opportunity to have better influences in their young life. We also visited Brother Leung who is not a member anymore and missionaries have been helping him for a while with his wife who is active member, to lead him back to church. There's lot to pray and fast about, there are so much needs that need to be met. And time is flying by fast. I am spending my spare time with the member books to memorize the names of the people and such, and it has been such a blessing and tender mercies from the Lord to be able to discern their needs and to say what needs to be said. I am trying my best to lead our companionship into more effective focus and vision, and am relying on the Lord evermore. I remember a year ago Sister Cheung from Taiwan who has long since returned home, told me, about how it is when we don't know what to do or what is happening that we grow the most, because we learn to rely on the Lord for everything we do. I know that is true. And I am sure doing that for everything here in the new area where I don't have much time in. And the Lord has really been so patient and gracious,

Got to go now, so more about these two new areas next week!

Loves always,

Sister Lee

       some chinese temples?

    Chicken wings being bbq-ed by our Tseun Wan Correlator.

      explanation next week.

                              The "camp" ground  

                         Mid-autumn festival includes lanterns