Chapter 71: Bruce Lai The Legend, Super Christmas Meeting, Bishop and lunch.

Elder Connor R. Duersch(Stan Theman鄧長老) Ministering to Hong Kong 1 by 1! Chapter 71
你好!!!  

Happy New Year!!!! Wow I think that it is now finally hitting me just how fast time has gone by. It wasn't to intense when I hit my year mark out here on my Mission, but now that it is almost 2019 I am now realizing just how little time I have left to be a missionary. But that just means that I have lots of good memories and lessons that I have learned over these months and that I still have more to come now and, in my life, to come. 

This week has gotten super, super cold!!! The temperature has now dropped to really cold hahaha. It is time to start pulling out the sweaters and scarfs once again. Super weird to see them out because of how hot Hong Kong gets and then they won’t be around for too much longer cause when the heat comes the cloths go away.

well I will don't want to take up to much more of your time so we will get right to the week.

Bruce Lai: 

If you remember last year in my baby area I was invited to a member’s house for Christmas. He wanted me to come and see him this Christmas, but it is hard because I am not in that area anymore. So, he called and told me that he would put it on the P-Day so that I could come. I invited some Elders to come along and it was so much fun!!! Bruce invited some members from Tai Wo to come and it was like going down memory lane!!! I remember them still and they remember me. Well they asked if I got sick cause of how much weight I lost so that was good to see that they noticed. 

There was so much food prepared for us that he bought 2 little pigs and then so much meat and vegies!!! Then he brought out a cheese block with all sorts of Cheese from across the world!!! So, I will remind you all that the Chinese people do not eat Dairy so when you live in China for a while and you don't eat that stuff then a man puts a lot of cheese in front of you, your body kinda has WWII with itself hahahaha. He shared a super powerful message just like last year and it was so strong. He has such a great testimony and it was so much fun to be at his house and to see my old family again! I really do miss the Tai WO members and all the good they have done for me in my life. They will forever be my family here in China!

Super Christmas meeting:

We met as an entire mission in Wan Chai to discuss this year of what happened and then next year with things to come. It took up the whole day and then they prepared some food for us. Now I can say that I haven't eaten this good on my mission before compared to this week with Bruce and the party. The mission ate Lasagna, sorry I don't remember how to spell things. We had basically Olive garden and man was it super good!!! 

Then we had a super huge minute to win it game with the whole mission. We did it in Zones and then our zone (New Territories) got 2nd. The winning zone got lots of wrapped packages and then it turns out that it was full of American Cereal hahahah. it was so funny to see all their faces when they got to open the gifts.

Super great conference with new things coming next year and new goals on what will be helping us become better missionaries and effective servants of the lord.

The Choir performed this week in a final concert down in Kowloon as well and the Chapel was full to the back! It reminded me of how many people usually come during an American sacrament meeting because of how full it was!!!  The choir did so good and it was so much fun to see so many people and missionaries gathered together to hear the choir and feel the spirit.

We also had a super good lunch with Bishop on Christmas day right after we Skyped home which also by the way was so great!!! My goal was not to cry during skype or make my mom cry and I accomplished my goals hahaha. But anyway the food was also super good at Bishops house and then we did some service helping him make some plaques for the ward for the coming year.

lets see Oh ya! Stephen got the Priesthood this Sunday and that he will next Sunday get a calling. I can't believe as well that church is now going to be 2 hours!! Our ward did a big meeting for third hour about how to do Come Follow me and then other things on how church will be organized. We now get church at 9;30 in the morning so that will be interesting. 

Well that pretty much does it for this week as time will permit me. I have to go now and try not to turn into a Popsicle hahaha. Love you all so much and I am grateful for all of your love and for all you have done for me in my life. 

Just wanted to invite you all to really get into the new Come Follow Me Program. I know I am not there to see it in the states and around the world, but I am excited to see what it can do to help the members here in Hong Kong. It is form a prophet of god and we should follow his council. After all, it is a commandment to follow the prophet hahaha.

Yours in Fellowship and Love,󾓭🐲🐼✌🍜

鄧 長 老

Elder Connor R.Duersch

Dahng Jeunglouh

Stan Theman   

Chapter 70: The Carpenters! and Bank of America!!!

Elder Connor R. Duersch(Stan Theman鄧長老) Ministering to Hong Kong 1 by 1! Chapter 70
你好!!!  

Merry Christmas!!!!!

Holly Cow I can't believe how fast the time has gone by out here! It seriously feels like  I was Skyping mothers day a month ago. Now it is time for the Christmas one as well!!! So crazy! The weather here got up to 28 and it was so hot!!! Then it will probably get super cold this week and then when it hits January and February we are gonna turn into Popsicles.

The Carpenters:

So I know there is a band, group or something by that title cause I have seen them out here on posters and such. But I am talking about X-Roads!!! WE had to rip out carpet from a building and wow my arms hurt so bad!! I thought that the carpet was actually concrete from the first time I saw it and then they said it was carpet. Ya it didn't look like that hahaha. But we had to use so much force to get it off and then we placed down new carpet squares. Some of the squares were so tough it took multiple people to get it off from the ground and then we sometimes had to shove a broom through a square and pry it out. Ya we broke the broom hahahaha. So much fun!!! Elder Long isn't to much of a fan of going to Cross Roads but hopefully we can keep going.

Bank of America:

The Mission Choir went to the Island and found the building to perform at. We asked where we would go and they said right here in the lobby. How on earth are we going to fit that many people and a piano!!!! Well we did it anyway and it was such a great performance. Lots of people videoed us and they took lots of Pictures. The church will hopefully get good reputation for it  and the people will see we are good as well!

That is pretty much it for this week and I hope you all remember what this holiday season is all about!

Luke 2: 8-10:

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the ^aglory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you ^agood tidings of great ^bjoy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is ^aborn this day in the city of David a ^bSaviour, which is Christ the ^cLord.

Yours in Fellowship and Love,󾓭🐲🐼✌🍜🎄

鄧 長 老

Elder Connor R.Duersch

Dahng Jeunglouh

Stan Theman  

     

Week: 69 , Rivendail, The Holy Ghost, Choir!!!

Elder Connor R. Duersch(Stan Theman鄧長老) Ministering to Hong Kong 1 by 1! Chapter 69
你好!!! 

What A week indeed!!!! The weather is still cold and I also heard that it will get hot again this weekend!!! Man I can't believe how interesting the weather pattern is here in Hong Kong. One day it is super hot the other. This week was really fun so I will get 

Rivendail:

So it was really cool this P-day because we were able to go to Tai Wo for a P-day. I was with Elder Beeson as well cause he is now home and it was his last P-day. It was kinda poetic really. The last P-day was in his baby area where he trained me as well and we had the same food we both got when I first got here. So turns out in Tai Wo there is a super hike where there are 3 super cool waterfalls! We climbed up this super steep mountain in the middle of no where and we made it to the falls! So Pretty!!!! Wow I couldn't believe this was in my area and I had no idea bout it! I lived in my baby are for a year and still never heard about this place. Got some cool pics and hope you all can see them. 

Choir:

We had a super big stake activity in the stake center and there was so many people! Each ward had the opportunity to sing and share some things and talks. We sang Jingle Bells and Rudolph

the red nose reindeer. If you are curious jingle bells goes like this,"Ding Ding Dong!" hahahahah

ya super fun activity and then we had the mission choir come and sing and it was so amazing!! The whole stake got up and wanted more it was so cool! I will hopefully get a video of it to you all and then get the full performance On Hong Kong Island filmed. 

The Holy Ghost.!!!!

Stephen was able to get the holy ghost this week and when he got his name called to go up, he literally ran up to the pulpit and plopped down in the chair with a super big smile on his face!!! He was so excited and is so glad to now be a member in the church and in the Tin Shui Wai ward. There was a speaker that got up and she said that The lord gave the ward a very special Christmas present and it was Stephen who was that Present! He was so happy! The ward is super good at fellowship and they really excited to help Stephen get to the temple and to make sure that he is well secured in the ward to help him in any way shape and form!

That pretty much does it for this week and I hope you all love the pictures and the Videos. Christmas is soon approaching and I am super excited to Skype home to see how it all goes!!! 

Serve all you can and have a great week!!! Merry Christmas in a week!!! Talk to you all soon!!!

Yours in Fellowship and Love,󾓭🐲🐼✌🍜

鄧 長 老

Elder Connor R.Duersch

Dahng Jeunglouh

Stan Theman