It has been super hot here the past few days and probably the most humidity I have felt in Hong Kong!  But it has been super fun and have spent a lot of time with our members.

This week we have been finding and giving away lots of prepared people that live in different areas. 

Sister ____ is still sick and we have not seen her:( but we've talked to her on the phone and she just says she doesn't have enough energy or she is not well enough to come to church. Please continue to pray for her.  Please join us in praying for Tessa's investigator who is fighting cancer.

I've been studying Chinese characters lately and am up to 200.

We had two way fun pdays in a row. Both on the island and one of them was traveling with our ward members! sorry too many pics sent

Sister Taylor's birthday was fun. I got up and decorated her desk a bit, bought parfaits (yogurt and berries) because she is eating healthy, and yes dad took your advice on writing her that note. Thanks!

So, not that I am getting trunkie or anything, I just want to let you know what I've been thinking about school a bit lately: What I've just had on my mind a bit is the option of staying at home for a semester and maybe taking some classes at slcc?? Idk what do you think? I just want to spend some time with you guys. Also when do you think I need to start applying?

Spiritual thought for this week: Repentance. to be completely honest, this is something I have been trying to avoid my whole mission but lately Heavenly Father has led me to so many different answers and scriptures that talk about repentance. We instinctively see it as maybe something super painful or as somewhat of a chore, but I've been thinking about the idea of repenting daily as more of something exciting and a way we are more easily able to feel the power of Christ's Atonement. recognizing our weak points and flaws gives us hope for tomorrow and paints a picture of the you that Heavenly Father intends you to become. I'm gonna try it this week. I invite you guys to do it with me!! Its not something to bash on yourself but something that you find throughout the day you can strengthen and do better the next.

I love you all and I can't believe I've got apprx. 2.5 months left before I see you again.

Sista Hads

Potato Noodles

Before I forget, Sister Taylor's birthday is on Sunday. I wonder what I should do? any ideas?

It has been a good week full of teaching and literally running and taking taxis from one point of Kwai fong to the other. One of the best parts of the week was teaching the ____family. They are Mandarin so we need to turn them over to the other sisters but it was really fun to meet them in the tiniest little apartment ever with over ten people inside. The next was not so good news: _____ my former investigator kept telling us when we met with her how she has found her God and he is a lot greater than ours. We tried going about so many different routes to help her understand but she just wouldn't accept it. Well I'm pretty worried for her in the long run but we did try our best. Basically she dropped us but expressed her appreciation for my friendship. Its too bad because ____ and I were real close but she doesn't want to meet with us anymore.

Sister ____ came to church!! I think I may have forgotten to mention that she is recovering from breast cancer they had found a little while ago but is now starting radiation treatment. So it's kind of sanfu for her right now. She is just so kind and sincere but is too scared to talk to her husband about going to church and getting baptized. I'm just really grateful for the miracle of her coming to church! Please pray for her. We have thought of inviting her over to eat dinner with the ____ family whose son is going through some pretty serious type of cancer himself.

I found a huge pile of cocroaches under my mattress this week :) Sister Taylor insisted that we switch beds. so kind.

Miracle of the week: I sat by a LA philippino woman on the bus who hadn't been to church in three years just because she had no clue where it was. She was soo excited to get the addresses from us!!

 I LOVE the people here so much but sometimes don't know how to fully share myself and my true personality with them. I am hoping to start to feel like I can't part ways with hong kong and my mission but it hasn't overcome the happier part of coming home. :(

I love you all. Keep sharing the gospel.

Sista Ha

I got a haircut!

"I got a new haircut"

We have been so blessed this week with new investigators, referrals, baptismal dates. Sister ___and ___are still set for the 18th of October but of course have their own difficulties and schedules we need to work with. Sister ____ and ___ we haven't taught this week, although they came to church. we are excited to teach them soon about Joseph Smith and how he can be their great example of taking truths he had learned growing up and acting on them. We are excited to show her how the gospel can more fully enhance the principles she has already treasured and made a part of her life by learning about other religions. ___ needs so many prayers because she is sooooo ready to have the gospel in her life and has such sincere real intent.

Sometimes Sister Taylor and I get kind of stressed over all the things we are missing or just running back and forth from. This week has been a lot better and we have both committed to enjoying our time a bit more. I'm just really super grateful for her and her friendship. I can tell she really cares about me.

Last Wednesday we did companion exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders. I don't know if you remember Sister Chan from the MTC but she came to serve with me in Kwai Fong. She is one of the most Christlike people I know and truly emulates His example and love. I learned so much from her and especially love talking to her about how we can more fully accept and embrace all of the blessings that the Atonement gives us. It seems that sometimes we are prone to holding up an umbrella over our heads which could represent fear, doubts, unworthiness, or pride. If we just decide to close the umbrella and let Heavenly Father shower the blessings on us that we need to be happy. She also talked about the difference she saw in me from when she first lived with me in the Kwai Fong apartment at the beginning of my mission. It was really nice and quite a spiritual experience talking to her about it. I will forever be grateful for her. (see link to talk below)

We are now teaching a family!!! The ___ Family. The reason why they are a family is because the father/husband just passed away from cancer a few months ago. So it is a mom and her ten year old daughter, ___, and her 15 yr old son, ___. (that is the english name I would pick  too if I was from HK) They are actually a member referral and have been super solid in coming to church for three whole weeks. They are going through a very difficult time and I can tell how much their father's death just weighs on the kids. Please pray for them.

Last but certainly not least, we bumped into ____my previous investigator yesterday!!!! So happy to see her and we rescheduled her for this week!!!! We also rescheduled Sister ___ and ___ but she is too busy working night and day. 

Sounds like you guys are doing great. I can't believe I will be home in three months. Time flies by but also has felt like 5 years sometimes haha. I hope that I can more selflessly serve this last part of my mission and make Heavenly Father proud of my service in Hong Kong. Thank you for all your love and support.

My fav script of the week is Mosiah 2 King Benjamin is my hero and totally understands the concept of charity. I invite you all to take a look!! 

Love you all,

Sista Ha

PS. Cliff bars would be awesome!!! Or any kind of granola.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/living-the-gospel-joyful?lang=eng

Corn is Sister Ha's favorite food!

This is a sign one of the new converts brought to church.  If we could all keep our enthusiasm for finding Jesus Christ.
LOVE IT!!!!

Sister Chan

Beautiful fashion in Hong Kong

This is a blog kept by Sister Hadley's family to let family and friends keep up with what/how she is doing as she serves a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  

DRAGON FRUIT, MY FAV!

This week we've seen soo many small miracles that really have meant a lot to both Sister Taylor and I. That is why I look so tired in this pic of the week. We go literally non stop. I  need MORE ENERGY!! Maybe its best not to put this pic on the blog.

The best miracle was Sister ____ accepting her baptismal date on the 18th of Oct. So soon!! It was totally led by the spirit because in our lesson yesterday she told us she herself had actually been looking at her calendar thinking about which day would be best for baptism. Its her time!!! We just need to work real hard and help her avoid any kind of setbacks or temptations that she may run into these next few weeks. We are having different ward members contact her each day. Any other suggestions. Thank you so much for your advice on her in this week's emails. I just need to translate that into Chinese bwaha. The weird thing is, the tides have kind of turned a bit. Because now ____is saying that he wants to look into other religions before accepting baptism. ha he's such a cutie:) I think it should be all good but we do need to address the concern. Please pray for them. They may be a big part of why I came back.

 

Our less active, ____, who was such an awesome active member and good friend of mine when I served here last year, is coming back to church.  In testimony meeting yesterday at the end of bearing her testimony she says " I'm back brothers and sisters. Name of Jesus Christ amen." haha its so ____.

 

This week we totally slammed our goals!! We only had about three numbers left and totally met almost all of the others that we set last week. I've never done that before but we have been working soo hard to do so. Sister Taylor is the hardest working missionary I've ever met but she does it in a loving way. She is da beeest as Nacho would say.

 

I fasted yesterday for _____ because I literally have no idea what to do about her. 

 

Love you all. You all look great. Sophia, stay on the outskirts of the dance floor please. no middle. George, behave yourself. I found your Asian doppelganger this week!! haha he is as sassy as you are too.

Thanks for the baby pics, Ar.

 Thanks for taking care of Rachel.

Do missionary work.

I love you.

Sista Ha

 

One of the best parts of this week was being able to see my previous investigators at church, Sister ___and little (not so little anymore) ____!! It was so great to see that they are still investigating the church. ____has been ready since the first day we found them. We had a lesson with them after church and he is just like a little angel. Everything he says you can tell is really coming from his heart. Even simple statements like, "Because I know Jesus is real." We can tell that what he says affects Sister ____ and hopefully she can overcome some of her fears about joining the church ( giving up buhddism). I think she is scared that baptism is just going to completely change her identity and get rid of all the many other things that are a part of her and her growing up.

 

Sister Taylor and I have been soo excited to work with the members in this ward. We made an awesome plan that just basically consists of building a rock solid relationship with each member and it has been working so far so good. Any suggestions? What have the missionaries done in our ward that helps you build your trust in them? 

 

"Here is Hope" is a song that I sang at our last zone training meeting and in the lesson with Sister Jeung and Sam. The verses are very meaningful to me:

"He who healed our sorrows, here was bruised and broken,

He whose love no end knows

He was forsaken, left all alone.

Here despair cries boldly, claiming this its victory,

Sweeter peace unfolds me.

Hope did not die here, but here was given.

Here is hope.

 

He who was rejected, He knows well my longing,

He so long expected

Carried our burdens, bore every sorrow.

Here is hope. And ours is the victory.

Here is hope."

It is from "The Lamb of God" if you want to look it up.

 

_____ is an investigator that Sister Kartchner and I found sitting on a bench one day. Sister ___ is super golden awesome. But her husband has a lot against Christianity. Apparently some christian in some place offended him one day or something? 

Anyways, we gave her a baptismal date of Oct. 18 if you could please pray for her. She has to get an operation before then so doesn't know if she can, but nonetheless set the goal.

____ is another investigator that Sister Kartchner and I called up one day.  Wow, she has changed a lot though! The gospel does amazing things. she has a bap date for oct and a quit smoking date for this week. Pray for her please.

 

More about Sister Taylor:

She is from Alpine Utah. She has six older brothers and one older sister, all of whom have served full time missions. Her parents are currently serving as senior couple missionaries in South Africa. She played on Celtic Storm soccer club team. She works really hard and we are both exhausted.

 

I love youall. Share the gospel this week. And tell Amanda Happy B-day. I am writing her a letter.

Sister Hadley

 

PS I wanted your advice on teaching people with learning/mental/physical disabilities . Seems these days we have A LOT of those kind of investigators.