Kwai Chung 12

Wun Ying and Ka Ka are Baptized!!!!!!!

And their mother, Kay Kay came!!!! And their little brother, Hong Hong, wanted to come on his own to watch even though they originally said he can stay home! This is a huge miracle! And to have been able to be a part of it is such a huge miracle, grace, and mercy of our Heavenly Father...!!! The Young Women sang for them, and Wun Ying just broke down with joy, this girl has waited a year and half for this day. Having gone through the anti-s and at one time not having  even been allowed to go to church, to finally be baptized with her mother's permission, with her little sister, with her mother and brother in attendance, I can't even begin to imagine all that Wun Ying must have felt and gone through for this moment. This has been such a huge, gratest miracle, and I'm so thankful to have witnessed it.

That night there was My Conversion Story Fireside, where missionaries going home invites one of the converts they have helped baptize and ask them to share their testimony in. It is held in Kowloon, the mission office, and anyone in Hong Kong and Macau are welcome. I have invited A-Yan from Macau to share her testimony. She is such a miracle, she is now serving as a counselor in Young Womens, and is preparing to serve a mission!! She has served a Summer Mission already and it has been so meaningful to her, learning how to follow the Spirit!! She is so intune to the spirit, and is quick to obey, and it has brought huge change and blessing to her life already since February! She is a living miracle!! She shared a very heartfelt testimony of how she knows all this to be true, it was a pure testimony shared from her heart. She is so humble and loves the Lord with all her heart. As she bid me good bye, she was so full of hope, she confidently and cheerfully, and humbly said, see you again, if not in this life in celestial kingdom! I couldn't have asked for more. I feel so comforted knowing that she understands this life is to help us all to get on this path of the gospel of Jesus Christ, which will bring eternal blessings despite the situations of now.

The time goes by fast again, and I know, that it will continue to move on. It feels so strange that this is my last email home from my mission in Hong Kong. It just doesn't seem real. but I know that the Lord is in this. I will not fear the future, where I know I will still have my Savior with me every step of the way. The mission has been truly an indescribable blessing and privilege. I am eternally grateful. The Lord has given this sacred time and experience to me. And I shouldn't mourn with the change but be grateful for the opportunities. As an article in Liahona a month or two ago has said, good things keep on coming, and I know that it will. The kingdom of God in Hong Kong will grow on, and now I am to help build and strengthen it in a new area, a new world. And I know that in the "end", it will all come together, we will be whole. I cannot begin to express how grateful I am for the Lord for this sacred time. My beloved family and friends back home, it's going to be alright. Everything will work out. Let the Lord be in it. And thank you all for your support, faith, encouragements, and love.

Loves, as always,

See you soon,

Sincerely, Sister Burningham, Leih Ji muih

       huge group picture with the Young Women and their leaders and the Bishop!

       Sister Wong, me, and A- YAN!!!!! from MACAU!!!!

Kwai Chung 11

Wun Ying and Kaka have passed their baptismal interviews and obtained their mother's signature!!!! So it is official!!!! They will be baptized!!!

It was always so uncertain because how much their mother changes her mind left and right, but they are very excited now, and I know these two will be a huge blessing to their family!

Yesterday (Sunday) Tiffany also made it back to the church for the first time after years of not having come back! She has moved from Casawaybay to Kwai Fong, and has made a brave commited move to quit her job so she can go to church on Sunday not knowing anyone in that ward and the rest of her family being still less-active. She was so brave! She has forgotten a lot and was as if a new member, and despite how humiliating and nervous it may be she made it through the church and the members helped her out as well.

A-Ying, the 60+ year old out going grandma, has been a struggle. We have found that she can't really progress, most likely her age have already set her to an unchangeable attitude. So we will see if any of her sons are willing to see the elders.

Nancy is progressing! She has only been interested in the activities, and never understood the application of the gospel in her life, but she actually made it to church yesterday and actually understood!! We are now helping her to develope a habit of prayer. She has also felt the Spirit before, and even shared the experience with us!

I was reminded by many people last week that December has come now. And this coming week is my last full week in Hong Kong. This morning I woke up and had the chance to look out the window which happens to be right beside my bedhead, and just stare at the Hong Kong city. It is really, hard to be at ease in conscience watching all the people busily going about their days, their life, never knowing it's full potential, never knowing our Father's great Love and the Plan of Happiness. And it's really heartbreaking to see so many souls stuck in the misery of sin. This just can't end. I know that I am eternally committed to this work. I don't want to ever spend one day without having contributed to this work in one way or another. A sister has shared her sorrow about her son's miserable state due to his bad influences from his friends. At school these "friends" were so kind and nice to him, and befriended him. And by and by he was over at their houses and were introduced to many sinful things. And now he is in the hospital, giving so much heartache to his mother. Listening to this I was stricken. The devil is so diligent, and so creative, so never-ending and never at rest in inviting and enticing so many to sin. Why are we, the members of the Lord's restored church, not as diligent and reaching out to invite them to repent (turning towards Christ: not sinning but doing good) and find out the restored truths and feel the Love of God, as these evil influences are 24/7 inviting people to sin?

We really have so many things distracting us from what is true, and most important. I hope to never be clouded from these things by daily communing with my Heavenly Father, my constant, my best true friend.

Hope everyone can also join in this great and so crucial of cause, if not already, to bring souls unto Christ, in whom there's true life.

I love you

Sister Burningham

      Me and Sister Chan with the turkey

                               the elders made an angry bird and a turkey pinata xD

Tseun Wan and Kwai Chung 10

A news through a phone call on Saturday morning: Our companionship will no longer be serving in Tseun Wan Ward. We were given six weeks to gradually turn over any work we have been doing in Tseun Wan over to the Tseun Wan elders. It was expected in a way because we had the Sisters Meeting a while ago where we discussed about the possibilities of sister missonaries to start serving in just one Ward. Because often, sister missionaries serve in more than two wards.

This week Vina brought a friend who wanted to learn Korean, we have seen her a few times already and she offered the prayer in Korean-Chinese as well! She also prayed on her own but is unsure if it's working or not, just that she's learning Korean pretty fast. She then even agreed to come to church on sunday even though it didn't involve Korean and she usually gets too shy and nervous around many many people she doesn't know. But suddenly just before Sunday she told Vina that her mom doesn't want her to learn Korean and that she wouldn't come to church. We don't know what happened, Vina thinks she might have went online and read some false things about our church. We will continue to follow up for more details.

On Friday Sister Tse from Tseun Wan Ward invited us over for FHE dinner with her 2 non-member friends. The friends are sisters and the older one, A-Fung just had her husband pass away about a month ago. The Spirit was very powerful as Sister Tse openly bore her thoughts, feelings, love, and testimony about A-Fung, how special she is and how much she believes that they knew each other from the Pre-Earth life and how she is ready now. We shared on the Plan of Salvation, which seemed a bit of too much information at once for her, especially with all the kids round about. But as we explained about Prayer very simply it seemed to have more meaning for her and more motivation to try it out. We will be visiting her to teach her daughter English, and to teach her more about the message of the Family Home Evening.

In the Ward Thanksgiving Party on Saturday (we had two going on in the same building, both Kwai Chung and Tseun Wan, we just kept going back and forth between the two) and at Church on Sunday, we also met some potential investigators brought by the members. We hope to be able to schedule them soon.

We are also preparing Yuen Ying and Kaka to be interviewed on Saturday!!  They are very excited! Kaka even shared excitedly about her dream that she had that really meant a lot to her and helped her to feel that God is hearing her prayers and she knows the Book of Mormon is true!

Thanksgiving Day was very very good. I think it was my most meaningful thanksgiving season of my life. Satan is working hard on me to be discouraged and distracted lately, but I have set a goal to think of at least 20 grateful things to count each time, or until I forget about being tempted by him. And it has been so amazing. Then that counting blessings session would normally begin and end with a hymn in my mind and thoughts towards my Savior. This is a habit I want to possess all my life. And I hope to continue to improve. With all the reminders lately about how little time I have left in Hong Kong, and feeling how much I never want to leave this place and how much I don't want to go back home and fear of returning to my old life, I was just so grateful for our Father's eternal perfect Plan of Happiness and His companionship of the Holy Ghost to comfort and guide and instruct me. I have also been reading bits and bits out of Jesus the Christ about how He lived His last moments before His crucifixion, and it has helped me very much. I am so grateful for our Savior and His everlasting, perfect, strengthening example.

I hope to endure to the end in love as He did. Knowing that broken heart is just part of the process and required sacrifice of becoming more like Him.

Loves to everyone as always,

Sister lee

Tseun Wan and Kwai Chung 9

Hello everyone~!!

The Lord is doing His wonders, and I am fastening my seatbelt.

During our Consecrated finding we contacted a very sweet girl on the street named Tong Yan, and she loves Korea and their music band and was excited about learning Korean for free. Then on Saturday she brought 2 of her friends, Cammy and Fanny, with her and we made cookies and shared a message on conversion. They were touched and even shared that they felt so "loyal to the time"? meaning, they utilized the time so well, and felt so productive/accomplished in that short time with us. Cammy was willing to give the closing prayer, and it was just so great!!

We also did some Former Investigator finding, meaning we called through many former investigators, and met the most sentimental(?), most spunky, out going 60+ year old grandma! Her name is A-Ying! She also have tried praying probably for the first time with us! We are focusing on helping her find Heavenly Father through prayer, and reading out of the Book of Mormon together each time we meet. She doesn't really know how to read, so we are teaching her through the Book of Mormon, the same way I'm learning ^_^

Yuen Ying and Kaka's mother has decided that she doensn't want to be baptized after all, because she won't be able to start keeping the Sabbath Day or even to come to church before Christmas, but perhaps she'll progress slowly and be baptized at a later date. But, she is still going to let Yuen Ying and KaKa be baptized!!! They have set their date as December 9th.

On Sunday they had the Primary program in the Sacrament meeting and the Spirit was so powerful as these children sang the most basic, simple, plain truths of the gospel and their straight forward dedication and commitment to live it. The message of how true this gospel was just pounding and overwhelming the whole chapel the whole hour. It is just so plain and obvious why the Savior teaches us to be like a little child.

I'm striving to develope the faith like these children, hope everyone also strives to become more like a child each day with me as well!

Loves and thanks to you all,

Sister Burningham

 

Happy Thanks Giving Day soon!!!!!

HUGE NEWS!!

After a very long talk, Kay Kay Leung (Yuen Ying and Kaka's mother--I'm spelling Gaga's name with the "K" now, because she hates people making the joke out of her name with another famous person with the "same" name, so to her request it will be spelled with "K" now) returned home saying she will think about this baptism. Then came the reply, Yuen Ying, Kaka, AND Mrs. Leung will be baptized TOGETHER! On Christmas! So this is good, it's really good that she has this desire, now we need to help her act on her desire to be baptized to make some big changes in her life so she can be ready for this baptism.

We also visited some part-member-families, where the Dad isn't the member, so we may end up turning over the dad to the elders to teach.

We finally met up with our referral Nike [Nai kee] Chan, who also brought her relative A-Yi! And after getting to know each other and chatting and making cookie/brownie, A-Yi wanted to know how to pray. Though she never believed in Jesus Christ, she wants to try it out! AND! It turns out she also lives in TSUEN WAN!!! where we basically have no investigators so far!!! SO Excited!!! We are praying for Father's mercy to help A-Yi feel the power of prayer! 

Wow, Sister Chan is such a gift from heaven. She really loves me like a real sister. It seemed to be very noticeable because people comment on how much we are like blood-related sisters together.

I am finding my heart healing like none other, it has been so incredible time together. I'm just so grateful that she is my companion for my last move, it has been such a support, I know we can accomplish so much here together planting seed and perhaps also sowing!!

Prayers and Loves to everyone home!!! Time is flying by so fast, don't let a moment pass you by without having had come at least a step closer to the Lord!

Loves always,

Sister Burningham!

It was Elder Oberg's birthday and some of the youth wanted to do a surprise party for him, and here is the result!

From the Left: E. Oberg, Johnny, me, Sister Chan, Camera-Shy Dave (also the one who planned all the surprise and prepared the cake) hidden behind the table, E. Lau, Vina

     From the Left: me, S. Chan, Vina, E. Oberg, Johnny

This was from last P-day when we cooked and ate together with Vina, and she also brought delicious cream           dessert :q mmm~        From left: Sister Chan, Vina, me

Tseun Wan and Kwai Chung 7

Hello everyone!

Sadly last week, Yuen Ying and Ga ga's mother did not give them a baptismal permission. And lately her marriage situation has been worsening. But we were able to schedule her Tuesday to visit her with the Young Women President, so we are praying and fasting towards this appointment.

Changes changes,

Sister Jamison has been moved to Aberdeen.

And so I am now companions with

SISTER CHAN!!!!!

She is from Tai Wo Ward, the very first place I served in, and just got moved out of Macau area, Sister Farr and I back than helped her less-active mother and sister, and were so close to them, Sister Chan, the mother, even "adopted" me, and she became my Hong Kong mother, and calls me her "nice pig"! Just like my real mom who also calls me her pig xD And ever since we first met in Hong Kong we had a special connection, and felt like we knew each other and were very close friends from pre-earth life, and were always just happy to see each other though we have never served in same district nor zone. And now we are companions!! Who knew!!! she will be finishing her mission a move after me, so no one guessed that two missionaries that "old" would be put together! xD

Sister Chan is such an inspiration, most happiest missionary I know, and it is rubbing on me a lot :) :) wow, it has been such a power lately. I actually did hope that I could end my mission with having served with another native missionary before I finish. The Lord knew my heart, so well.

After Sister Kiene left, Sister Wong (my companion back when I served in Macau) also moved into our apartment as well!!! I am surrounded by Tai Wo people, Hong Kong people whom I love so so much, so it has been an incredible blessing.

Anyways, last week with Sister Chan we saw Li Yin Ni, less active member in Tseun Wan. She is developing more desire for change lately, and wants to increase her faith. Sister Chan has also been a great help and encouragement for her, it was a perfect timing! The Tseun Wan Ward finally gave us some names of people we could visit, (after having visited people on our own and having been told that it is unnecessary to visit those people). So we hope to find more success within those names! The elders had baptismal service last Wednesday where Yuen Ying and Gaga also came, and their mom was unable to make it again.. Gaga has a desire to teach the gospel more effectively to her younger brother Hong Hong, which have been rather touching, because their relationship wasn't the best. She also shared her desire that one of the reasons she wants to be baptized is because she does regret many things from the past and would love this chance to start over. We were so glad to hear that!

Everything is going well, and I am doing all I can for these beloved 2 areas!

But loves and prayers to all of you back home as always,

and I will write again next week!

Sister burningham :)

Last week, for Sister Kiene's last P-day, our zone went to this Star pier? Basically Hong Kong version of Hollywood, where there are hand prints of all these chinese stars on the ground, etc.

                          

      Jackie Chan hand print

                      Bruce Lee Statue

Every Wednesday we have service activity where we clean up the trash in the pier. This was my last district before all the change

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

Tseun Wan and Kwai Chung 1

Hello everyone!

Very quickly,

The people in this new area are great, so many new people to get to know and meet!

Apparently in this district, finding new investigators are a big challenge, especially in Tseun Wan where more of the rich part of Hong Kong people live, if I heard it right.

But we are striving our best to apply the direction of our mission president to find families to teach through less-active members, part family members, and other member and investigator referrals. And in my personal study I have just finished reading up to Alma 9, And has learned that he also had difficulties finding people to teach, and returned with a different approach: he met the member, Amulek, and spent some days with this member for a while and with him found more people to teach. I know that it will be a challenge but it is possible.

We already were able to meet and teach our investigators Yuen Ying and Gaga's mother Keih Keih, it was a miracle and tender mercy from the Lord because it was led by the Spirit so powerfully, with the help of Vina as well. We are now allowed to keep visiting her and teach her, and also to help her feel more comfortable and understanding about why Yuen Ying and Gaga wants to be baptized so much.

We are also visiting Tseun Wan people and getting to know them and strengthening them with the Gospel. Tseun Wan ward's Ward Correlator, Brother Lee, used to be the Stake President and he is the most incredible correlator I have ever worked with! it was so helpful to meet with him and discuss about Tseun Wan's needs! There are much to get done here, and we are progressing and moving this work forward one step at a time. I am so excited to see the arms of God to unfold in this area as well!! I am so honored and grateful to be here. The Lord has already been helping me so so much! He is so full of Grace and Mercy!

Loves to you all, hope you are all coming one step closer to our God every moment.

Sister Burningham

We visited less-active member Sister Chan from Tseun Wan Ward, and I love her home! Her husband and children are not members, we will do our best to strengthen her and invite her family to Christ as well, they love us :D

The sister in Blue is my new companion Sister Jamison from Idaho!

       Michelle-Debby's older sister, Debby, their mother. They are shy around cameras, usually very happy sisters.

 everyone: Sister Cook, Michelle, me, Sister Taylor, Debby, her mom, Elder Perry, Elder Ng

Debby's baptism was held after Stake conference so Sister Cook was able to be there to see it too! Happy Day :)

Kwun Tong 28 - My last week in Kwun Tong - Month 15 in Mission

Jada was baptized!!!!! She bore a powerful testimony and shared scriptures afterwards and talked about enduring to the end! And invited us all to endure to the end with her! Her parents were there and they also felt that her baptism was arranged by God! We potentially have a family that will come unto Christ together!!! I am just overwhelmed with sheer joy!!

So much has happened and not enough time to write! I wish I could write more about Jada, she is so incredible, she is already an incredible example to me! She is so humble and quick to observe and obey, she is 14 like Joseph Smith :D and she is so full of Spirit's guidance! She also wants to serve a mission! I am so honored and blessed to know her!!!

So much is happening! So much miracles! 

This past week was my last week in Kwun Tong. After serving there for 6.5 months, they moved me to a new area today.

Originally President Hawks wanted me finish my mission there. But this new incoming move, he felt strongly that Sister Taylor needed to train the new incoming solo sister in Kwun Tong this move. So for the first time in her entire mission, Sister Taylor will stay in an area for at least 3 moves! As for me, he has decided to move me to serve in Kwai Chung and Tseun Wan Wards. And to all these big news, I felt incredibly at peace. There's much to worry and stress about since Sister Taylor has only been in Kwun Tong for 6 weeks and haven't yet done a senior companion and all the information and responsibilities that need to be handed over, and all the people that may not be ready for such a sudden change, etc., but thanks be to the Lord, I felt a huge peace, and no worries; I know Sister Taylor and her new trainee sister will be alright. This really is the Lord's work, and we really need to rely on Him. And sometimes, we need all these uncertainties and weaknesses or inadequate feelings to rely on the Savior with all we've got. And as a result, we will be able to accomplish so much more good and bring about so much more blessings because we let the Lord do His work, than we would otherwise by our own strength and wisdom. I know this to be true, and I hope I never forget it.

I am also incredibly honored to serve in Kwai Chung Ward and Tseun Wan Ward. Actually my summer missionary Sister Yam is from Kwai Chung Ward! I actually hardly know anything about these two wards, but just from this first day, seeing the names, and maps, and hearing about the people, I know there's also a huge responsibility that needs fulfilling here. There are many souls here also that are ready and in need of Savior's help. So I am grateful. I feel a bit that Kwun Tong has prepared me for this place. I don't have much time here but I want to give them my all. I am so grateful for Kwun Tong, it's such a special place, means so much to me. But I know it's still in God's hands. We all are. So grateful for Him. So Thankful, so incredible!!!

Wish I could write more and send more pictures, but these will have to do for this week. I am really excited to get to know my new companion Sister Jamison more, and to get to know these members and investigators, and the people in this area!!!

Loves always,

Sister Lee

                        Jada and me

Jada, she comes, actually, runs, right after school to church and hears the gospel and prepares for her baptism.

She usually eats that snack, school gets out at 5:30 ish,,, This is at 6pm.

But she is still happy as ever to hear the gospel!

                               Christy, at TKO Ward Cooking activity

    Baptism Jada's parents 

     Jaba and us 

Aberdeen Sister and her husband, she is Jada's English teacher. Also on Jada's left hand side are Sister LawPoon and Sarah

 Temple ground visit after baptism Jada also wanted to go to the My Conversion Story Fireside in Kowloon Tong :D she gave us each a little flower :)

Kwun Tong 27

Miracles miracles miracles...

We haven't been able to see Jada in a while, but we prayed about her baptismal date and we felt the 16th. On Friday we met her and extended the date to her (we had just finished teaching the message of the Restoration), and asked how she felt. With a big smile she said, "very happy". She hasn't been able to see us in a while because her phone broke, and she just moved--right in the Street Market next to the church!!! But she had been praying and reading and she has prayed to feel the Holy Ghost, but she didn't, so she picked up the Book of Mormon and read it, then she felt it! So she likes to read it! On our way out, we were going to eat out but didn't know what we wanted to eat, she told us that we should pray and ask God. So Sister Taylor prayed, that perhaps we may be able to meet a prepared person when we get food. Then we said good bye to Jada and talked about what we should eat, then we really wanted to eat the Indonesian Curry, but the store was about to close in five minutes! So we dashed to the store and they were fine and happy about getting us a take out order of curry, and we went to the APM Mall in the food court to sit down and eat. There were so many people already eating there and we waited a while when I saw two seats next to two people on a 4people table. I looked around and there didn't seem any other option so I asked if they were taken and they weren't so we sat there and started eating. After blessing the food and I started eating, I heard the lady speak in Korean right next to me! I asked her in Korean if she was Korean and she said no, she is Korean Born Chinese! Then we started speaking in Cantonese with her and she recognized our church, she has seen Elders on the street before and was also impressed by our Cantonese. The man who was with her also was excited to see the food we were eating and asked where we got it from, because they like eating at this Indonesian store but they had moved and they didn't know where to. We told them it was nearby our church and were able to give them our church flier with address, website, and our phone number on it, and invited them to learn more about our church online. They were very pleasant and left happily! We were stunned, and according to Sister Taylor apparently there were many other two people seats open at the time but I chose that table--I hadn't noticed! It was amazing how specific everything was: The place, the language, the time, the food, everything! We shared it with Jada next day and she was so excited! We have been teaching her daily and she is always beaming and excited! She also has a testimony of prayer because meeting with us everything she prayed about the night before is answered. She knows Heavenly Father really is listening.

We had scheduled to teach Jada again, and invited Sarah to help us, and her mom, Sister Law Poon felt to just come along, We had just finished seeing A-Yih, who has been progressing lately, she has been praying and feeling good, her faith is increasing and still has questions. She had a bad bug/mosquito bite that wouldn't stop itching badly no matter what medicine she tried putting on it, and she prayed that it won't itch that badly. We were just done teaching A-Yih and were looking at the baptismal pictures and picture of Law-Poon family, their father's recent baptism picture, and A-Yih just told us that she wants to be baptised!!! then, Sister Law Poon and Sarah walked in and A-Yih really wanted to ask Sister Law-Poon many things. So we split and Sister Law Poon was able to help A-Yih a lot, and, she had even randomly brought a Thai medicine to put on bug bites to reduce itchiness that day! A-Yih tried it on, and it really worked! We had prayed for a while for a great fellowshipper for A-Yih and we couldn't really find one, but sister Law Poon was inspired to come with her daughter and she was really who A-yih needed! I love LawPoon Ji muih so much! She is so in tune and incredible, so humble yet so bold and pure. She is such a powerful living, walking testimony of God's blessing and influence and love.

Anyways, so we are very excited about these people progressing. So excited about Jada's baptism this week! she is so pure and honest, so humble and child-like. So willing to listen and follow, and in tune with the Spirit, she readily recognizes God's answers and His love for her. I am learning so much from Jada's example. She has already invited people from the Aberdeen Ward to her baptismal service :)

Christy is also determined to do anything to come to church, she knows she is happiest when she is at church and with the church people. She also wants to be baptized!

A-Kay is also determined to join our church and be active, we will be pushing her baptismal date back though, because the policies has changed this week and has become more specific in the mission. But she is ready to quit, even smoking, she has already completely quit her alcohol.

We are so incredibly blessed with these miracles the Lord pours upon us. We never deserve them, nor are fully worthy of them, but we are grateful for the Grace of God and our Savior's Atonement.

Loves Always,

Sister Burningham

I finally remembered to bring my camera and the usb cord today, but,,

I forgot to bring my other memory card! So only these pictures, wait for Debby's baptism and other pictures later!

Sister Taylor is a very thoughtful person, and she has prepared this "Birthday Celebration" on Sister Kelly and I(?)'s Year mark in Hong Kong, and our almost quarter but not quite birthday for Sister Kelly, Sister Clements and I, after doing daily planning. It was really sweet of her. 

We had a "sushi" night, on P-day we spent some more time "cooking", since they didn't sell the skins of the yu-bu-sushi(?) I attempted to cook one up with normal tofu, but it didn't work, so I whipped up a random tofu soup with left over kimchi and chopped lettus and dumplings at the last minute which was better tasting than I thought it would be! So I was rather proud of myself. Sister Taylor's Aunt is Korean and she loves korean food and we just had some pleasant time eating very random dinner. 

Kwun Tong 26 - Year Mark in Hong Kong

A-Kay has a baptismal date!!! She has already been changing so much!! Buying only one pack of cigarette, and buying milk instead of tea or alcohol (we haven't even asked her to commit to word of wisdom yet!), and thinking and panicking a little, "what's happening? This isn't me!". She is also constantly turning to prayer and calls upon Heavenly Father, and her faith has been growing a lot. She is reading the Book of Mormon and came to church last Sunday despite how much she wanted to sleep in! She is really so prepared! Just seeing her change her life around is really touching me.

It has been quite the emotional week. A-Yih's brother has also been investigating the church before A-Yih ever did, and so the Elders ran into her one day, and then she called Elder Ng and talked on the phone for 2 hours with him about all the Anti things she has heard and read and came to a conclusion that she misses the sisters. Then she called me and told me that she wanted to come back to church, and that she wants to try and believe. So we scheduled her for Monday. On Monday we had 24hours companion exchange where Sister Wong came to serve with me in Kwun Tong for that time!! Wha, I had missed her so much! And it was perfect because on Monday we had scheduled: Hidy (someone who really misses Sister Wong), A-Yih, A-Kay, and Wendy! Sister Wong is a convert herself and when she first met with the missionaries she herself has also read many things online that were awful about The Church. But because the feeling she felt and what she has experienced seeing the missionaries, she didn't believe them and continued investigating. She was able to talk A-Yih through a lot, and for A-Yih, it seemed to have meant more for her to hear a conversion story of a Hong Kong sister who used to never believe in God and was taught in Buddhist school and had many family and life challenges, and then finally finding God and gaining testimony of Jesus Christ and seeing immediate changes and miracles after baptism and while serving missions. A-Yih then agreed to keep learning, and when she gave her closing prayer, she told us that she feels hot inside!

A-Kay was also very happy to see Sister Wong, and Sister Wong was also impressed to see Wendy. She had never imagined that Wendy could change so much, and that she could actually invite and share with her the Gospel! It was one of very powerful 24 hour companion exchange. We both have learned so much and experienced so much since we were companions in Macau, and was able to share much and to feel each other's testimony again. I truly admire her so much, she is definitely one of the people in Hong Kong that will influence and inspire me the rest of my life and into eternities.

Debby was confirmed on Sunday and she is doing great! She is already fellowshipping and bearing her testimony! It has been very emotional week. Also tomorrow is my year mark in Hong Kong. For some reason lately, more people has been asking me when I finish my mission and it's pretty tough to be reminded how fast it's coming up.

Hong Kong is truly special place. I can't believe a year have gone by already. Can the time stop? But then I think of all the ways I have grown and learned and all the people that I have seen come closer to the Lord, all the miracles I have seen, the special times I have spent with the Lord.

I can't thank Him enough, that He has allowed me to come serve in Hong Kong. I can't believe I am serving amongst these beautiful children of God. I love them, I love Cantonese, I am even enjoying the heat and being drenched in sweat, who knew! My heart aches, if I dare say, like Alma, if I were an angel, if I could be more than just me, if I could just call each and all of them to turn to our Savior, If I could take away their burdens, take away their blindness, have their trust and lead them to the right way, help them to see that each of their hard work can and will really be worth so much if they would turn that efforts onto our Savior's Gospel! I want to be the voice in their ear-phones, enter into their I-phones, TVs, commercials, mall windows, their group of friends and acquaintances and testify of the Savior! Our only true, our perfect best friend, our everything! The answer to all, the solution for all, the only way for true satisfaction and joy! But I am but me, and I know that Lord has called me here as I am, and so I am so humbled and grateful that He could use even me to further His work in Hong Kong. To be a blessing to the lives of the people I love so much.

I must go now, I hope that everyone is well and happy, and coming closer to our Savior. He is truly all we ever need.

Loves,

Sister Burningham