Hello from the Other Side!

I am in HONG KONG! The flight was smooth, and I am in an area called Pok Fu
Lam. It is on Hong Kong island and our apartment is outside our actual
area. We take a lot of buses and the MTR. The busses are so nice because
you can see Hong Kong, and they're air conditioned! I am most surprised at
how much AC there is here-all stores and buildings usually blast it. Our
apartment is tiny and has an AC unit. We can use 2 hours of our unit AC a
week, and then use it all night. So sometimes it gets hot, but it's not
bad!
So my first few days were spent in a trio. Basically a big
miscommunication. But it was fun to see an experienced companionship in
practice. Sister Perry (Sister Gomez' old companion) has really good
Chinese, so it was motivating to be with someone who has worked so hard at
the language. Sister Gomez is my companion and she's awesome!! She went to
a year at Princeton and was on the rowing team. She's from Florida and has
been out for 6 months. President and sister Lam are super nice. They are
pretty relaxed and a little reserved. Very easy to talk to and believers of
common sense, hard work, and exact obedience. I don't think I'll see them a
ton. We had zone conference right when I got there, so that was fun. We had
really good food and the Assistants to the President prepared really good
training sessions on teaching repentance, humility, and sacrifice.
Cantonese is really hard, but I have already talked a bit in lessons, and I
have faith that heavenly Father will help me learn exponentially. The ward
is awesome! Some of the youth helped us with Chinese yesterday after church
and they're really nice. One has a call to the Temple Square mission!!
We have 3 progressing investigators and 2 with baptismal dates. But here
they have to attend 5 out of 6 sacrament meetings in a row, so one of them
keeps moving the date back because she can't wake up for 9 am church. I
really think it will happen though!
I taught a woman named Lowina this week. They've been meeting with here for
a few weeks, and she is Buddhist. She loves learning about Jesus, but
doesn't believe she can change because she is Buddhist. It is really
confusing and sad. It's like there is a literal barrier in her mind against
changing. I almost started crying teaching her because she is older and we
were teaching gospel dispensations. We had simple laminated pictures to
explain the gospel truths, and I just felt so grateful, humbled, and felt
so much love for her. Here was a child of God, who knew this all before,
but has not had it in her life. She has experienced so much confusion and
sadness, and if she could just accept our message, her life would change! I
could just see her in heaven, accepting Christ as her Savior, and hoping
she would find him again in mortality. And she has! We just need to help
her see that she CAN change. Pray for a miracle!
Missions are definitely not for sissies. This is the hardest thing I have
ever done. And sometimes 16 months seems like a REALLY long time. But I
just take it one day at a time and rely on Heavenly Father. Elder Holland
said "Man's extremities are God's opportunity." I know this is true! It's a
leap of faith leaving everything I've ever known, living in a tiny
apartment in an area I hardly know, speaking a language I've studied for 2
months, being rejected hourly, and not always understanding much. But it's
so worth it to be a representative of Christ, to be humbled, to be taught,
and to take this amazing message to people that need it so much. Love you
all!! The church is true. So many have sacrificed for it! Study, live, and
love it. CHARITY NEVER FAILETH

--
*Sister Dopp*

 Also, group continued...
We went to a ward/stake music concert and it was hilarious. A bunch of the
songs were in English and I felt like I was in 8th grade choir again. Like
a bunch of young women and leaders were singing and doing these dance moves
that can only be described as junior high glory. And then this Chinese guy
walks up and starts singing "I Had a Dream" from Mama Mia! I don't know if
that's what it's called, but it's sung by the mom and I could not even
contain myself. I had to try so hard not to laugh at loud hahaha! Then they
did the prophet primary song and had the kids dressed as prophets and it
was the funniest thing I've ever seen! hahahaha. Sister Perry before the
concert was like "I am so excited. And a little nervous. I don't know what
it is about Chinese people.....but they are just not created to sing."
hahahahaha she is right

I also met a couple from Britain in the church building before the concert.
His parents are Irish, and he lived in Hong Kong, South Africa, and
Britain. His wife was British and her accent was the heaviest English
accent I'd ever heard! It was beautiful!! His dad was like "I think we've
met!" and I was like "I arrived here yesterday, so I don't think so" and he
was like "Oh, well all white people look the same anyway!" lol! We didn't
even know them, but they welcomed us to the reception and gave us some
food. They were honeymooning and meeting the ward members here that he grew
up with.

Sorry this is all so random and I don't have time to reread and edit!
Love you all! I need your prayers!

--
*Sister Dopp*