In middle school, I met a friend who became one of my very best in life so far. Upon first meeting her, I didn’t notice anything significantly strange or different about her until I met her family. A few months later, she went on to tell me about their situation; They were an actively practicing polygamist family. My friend expressed to me the disconnect she felt with this lifestyle and how she knew it was not of God. She explained many forms of abuse in different circumstances she had first handedly witnessed. She has since then left her friends and family and everything she grew up with and was surrounded by to escape the harmful environment of polygamy. A few years ago she took missionary discussions with her husband and ended up not getting baptized.  To this day, they both say the one thing stopping them is the plural marriage that members of our church practiced during the restoration and establishment of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints while Joseph Smith was prophet.

This is why what we had discussed in my BOM class this week was so meaningful. In the book of Jacob, Jacob confronts his people for practicing plural marriage when not commanded to do so He gives them the law that they are not to marry of have relations with more than one woman. He also gives them the exception which states that unless the Lord commands them to do so “for the purpose of increasing His seed” (referring to members of the church) they will be held responsible for all of the pain and heartache of the women and children under such circumstances. He goes on to talk about women and how God views them in such a beautiful and tender way. The biggest thing I take from this is the reasoning given behind the exception. When Joseph Smith and the members supporting and sustaining  him during the early days of the restoring of the church according to this scripture, God commanded Joseph Smith to practice polygamy for this same purpose. Many women and even few young girls were sealed to the prophet in hopes of gaining access to the celestial world when he time came without any of the emotional, physical, and sexual abuse that accompanies polygamist families today. 

This week in class we studied 2 Ne 4 and 9 which include an emphasis on Christ’s Atonement explained by Lehi. The description and explanation he gives is beautiful. “And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.”  The scriptures tell us that Christ descended below all things. Before he was crucified on the cross He prayed in a garden called “Gethsamane”. During the hours He spent there, Christ himself atoned for the sins of the world: meaning he felt and experienced all the terrible consequences and after effects that come from doing things that are wrong that hurt ourselves and others. Some of these include guilt, shame, regret, addiction, depression, anxiety, loneliness, despair. This was just part of the sacrifice He made for us. He also experienced and felt the weight of our personal trials and hardships we pass through in this life. His heart took upon the sadness that often comes along with the death of a loved one, the isolation paired with mental illnesses and disabilities , the physical pain of Cancer and impairing diseases, the injustice and inequality of haunting acts of prejudice.

Next time somebody tells you “I completely understand”, sadly they don’t. I commend them for their attempt to sympathize and offer support, however, the distance between sympathy and empathy expands and enlarges to a distance that we as human beings may not be able to fully comprehend in this life. That far-reaching distance is made up by the most selfless act of service the world has ever seen, Christ’s Atonement. Christ, our Savior, is really the only one who truly understands what we are going through because he experienced it himself personally. What a beautiful thing to me.

I remember in class talking about the nail prints in his hands and feet. It reminded me of a mission conference I attended previously. They talked about how Christ choose to keep these scars as a remembrance of His love for us. In class, somebody mentioned that He was the only one of Heavenly Father’s children that would have an imperfection in his resurrected body. Personally, I don’t believe this. I like to think that we will be given the option to keep scars and physical imperfections that have made us who we are. I was born with a port-winestain birthmark on my forehead and lip. When I was younger it was dark. It has lightened but remains the same size. I used to be embarrassed of it and would cover it up every single day carefully with expensive makeup once I entered junior high. I did this every single morning for about eight years of my life. On my mission, I stopped. I figured that embracing myself, my WHOLE self, for who I am and the body and imperfections that God had given me helped me to be more accepting of both myself and others. Today, my birthmark is one of my most favorite things about me. I love it and wouldn’t change it for the world. After I am resurrected, I hope God asks me, “Tessa, would you like to keep this?”. Because I will exclaim “Yes, yes, yes, I would!” Like Christ’s scars which stand as a reminder of His sacrifice (mostly for us), I believe that my birthmark is also a reminder of my reliance on Him. It is a symbol to me that He sacrificed because I, as an imperfect person with flaws and shortcomings, am able to feel whole and free as I accept Him and allow Him into my life. This is my hope and my perspective on how I might be able to someday keep something sacred and special to my heart to remind me of my reliance on Him throughout my journey here on Earth.

                Since returning home from my mission in Hong Kong, I have been studying as a pre-dental student. I have recently started a new chapter of my academic career at a university called Brigham Young University. This isn’t your everyday institution. It being a private school owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has been dedicated by church leaders as a place of learning where the spirit of God, our Heavenly Father may dwell and influence the studies and efforts of all those who have chosen to become a part of it. With that, the University offers religious study classes. This semester I am enrolled in an ancient scripture class in which we as students will, more specifically, be studying The Book of Mormon. Some of you may have noticed that I have mentioned this book more than a dozen times in the entries accounting my experiences serving as a full-time missionary. Although this book is an ancient historical record containing the history of over a thousand years of early North American inhabitants and comparatively complex doctrine explained by prophets who witnessed many events that had occurred during the time, the message of the book is actually quite simple. It shares of God’s love for his children and how that love is manifest through miracles once we decide to let Him into our lives. As a matter of fact, the entirety of the record may be explained in a few short sentences at the beginning of the book. It begins with the writings of a young man named Nephi. “I, Nephi, having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in all the learning of my father;”, Instantly, this Nephi character is relatable to each and every one of us who have been raised by parents trying their best to teach us and help us grow and develop along the pathway of life into adulthood. However, what I find interesting about this line is Nephi’s use of the word “somewhat”, indicating that his father had not revealed all things known unto him, but rather had allowed his son to act on the things he chose to teach Nephi. I believe all good parents follow the same pattern in raising their children, in hopes that they may be able to learn and grow into something better and stronger than if they had not experienced hardships and slipped up along the way of life a time or another. “and having seen many afflictions in the course of my days, nevertheless, having been highly favored of the Lord in all my days; yea, having had a great knowledge of the goodness and the mysteries of God, therefore I make a record of my proceedings in my days.” Again, we may automatically see our own lives through Nephi’s account. Afflictions. Everybody has experienced them once or twice on their mortal quest to happiness. In this sentence, Nephi uses a cause and countereffect relationship which is apparent in his usage of the word “nevertheless”. Once again, I believe that most individuals reading this can attest that there will always be a countereffect to our afflictions as long as we are willing to handle them the right way and perceive them through hopeful eyes. Each of us have different ways of arriving at the results of a trial. Nephi goes about doing so with his faith in God being his Father in Heaven, a higher being he, Nephi, may look to for guidance and counsel when it seems as though there is nowhere else to turn. I, like Nephi, have chosen to believe in God not only as a source I may look to for direction, but as a physical breathing personage who lives and watches over me; someone I may rely on to reveal truth to me and those I love, someone who exists to understand and care about my most minute fears, hopes, and dreams. He is my father and my friend.

                This is only but one account out of dozens throughout The Book of Mormon, written firsthand by eye-witnesses of miracles, written by fathers, written by imperfect people living in an imperfect world, but believing in and striving for goodness, people like you and I who make mistakes and have doubts and flaws, but nonetheless, get right back up the next day and try again.  In Hong Kong, I shared this book with anyone and everyone I could. I knew that it had a certain power about it to fill the people of Hong Kong’s lives with hope, hope for a better world, for answers to long-awaiting questions, hope for peace and comfort within family relationships. It has done so for me. Something beautiful about the world is that we, as individuals, are each entitled to our own opinions and beliefs. That makes us who we are and helps us to express a uniqueness that each one of us hold. The intent of me writing this is not to force my opinion upon anyone, but rather to share what I hold near dear. We may not judge a book by its cover, but by the first page, maybe so.

God be With You Til We Meet Again..................In a few days!!!

Its so crazy weird to me that this is the last email I will be sending to you all from Hong Kong. This week has been really touching to see the people's Christ like care for little Sister HA. I wouldn't have guessed I would make such amazing friendships here all the way across the world. They are not just friendships though, they are made eternal through the goal and purpose that we each hold; to become like Christ. I am so so so blessed to have worked with them all and really could feel and see their love for me yesterday at church after I was able to get up and give my testimony. 

I don't really know what to write in this last email but maybe I can share some of the few simple things I have learned on my mission. First, I have been grateful to see that Heavenly Father's children that live all the way across the world from me are still Heavenly Father's children and they have the same hopes and needs and worries that I have. I have learned that we are happiest when we forget about ourselves; those that lose their lives in service of others and put others' happiness before theirs' in behalf of the Savior, will find their life and will more easily see the hand of God in their lives. I have learned that this gospel and this church is Christ's true church and His teachings brought back in its fullness and that Joseph Smith literally saw Christ and our Father in Heaven and was called by them to be a prophet and revelator to translate the Book of Mormon, a compass to guide our lives and answer our prayers. I know without a doubt that the Savior is real. I know He lives and the wonderful gospel He has given is a way for us to fully partake of the blessings from His Atonement that He performed while here on the Earth. Its almost as if it is still being performed because we can be active in receiving its strength every day. Basically, I'm just a really lucky missionary to have come to the beautiful land of Hong Kong to realize the beautiful blessings of the Gospel.:)

Thank you all for your emails and pictures. It has been a pretty good week. We gave our Zone Training Meeting last Friday and it wasn't as organized or as fulfilling as we had hoped for, but it was still good and I think helped the elders and sisters look forward to sharing the gospel during Christmas season.

 I've been really blessed this week to be able to give last testimonies. Last night all the departing missionaries spoke at a fireside and it was super fun and cool to see everybody and how they've changed. We were only supposed to give a two minute testimony but I think mine was five. haha oops. It was just really neat and fun to be up sharing experiences and I felt the gift of tongues so strongly like I could just be up for an hour speaking fluent Chinese. It was actually kind of weird in the moment just realizing that I was up on a stand in China speaking fluent Chinese and making an audience of Asians laugh at my jokes. I shared about how difficult it was to come out and how I told you two to come pick me up at the airport haha but how I was grateful you didn't and about meeting the handicapped girl and praying with her. It was really so fun and people came up to me afterwards to thank me for some of the things I said they needed to hear.

 

Our investigators are doing well. Sister _____ is so stinkin cute. She literally tells everyone she meets about how it was God's plan that one day that we found her in the park with her dog. and how I came back to Kwai Fong. She fasted with us yesterday for her first husband who died last year to meet the missionaries in the spirit world. Wow, I was pretty impressed with how she thought that through actually. And then in sacrament meeting almost all of the testimonies born were about the plan of salvation and we could tell she totally felt the spirit. My bishop told me to persuade her to get baptized before I leave, but I don't know.   However, tomorrow she set up a time that her and her husband will be out to lunch and we can accidentally swing by to eat with them.

 

Sister ______ is doing well. She has really changed and is becoming more humble. We can see the spirit working with her. She is also slowly starting to make more friendships in the ward with the sisters. ____ has started taking lessons from the elders so that should help. hopefully.

 

I'm trying to give me all the last time but its sometimes really hard like sometimes I don't even realize that I am thinking about coming home like its always in the back of my mind.

 

I can't even wait to see you guys. I think I might even be a little too excited. I will definitely tell my ward members how grateful you are for them and bear my testimony next week in sacrament meeting. I already bought the magnets and ornament haha and other souvenirs.

Did you guys know Jack is gettin' hitched?

Firstly thanks for the pics. You guys look all grown up! Hopefully I recognize you when I get home.

 

 We've had quite the round of events this week. Starting off with a flooded apartment! Remember when my apartment in college flooded and we had to live in a hotel for three days the week before finals? haha I thought I heard Sister Taylor doing the dishes for an unusually loooong amount of time one morning went in to find out our whole bathroom floor was flooded and water was spraying out of the water hose under the sink. Within like thirty seconds half our apartment floor had been covered. haha that is how small the apartments are. I needed to act fast! haha so grabbed the pipe and the water hose and held them together for literally almost half an hour while doing the Asian squat. haha the water pressure was so high and I was praying really hard the whole time to HF to give me more arm strength because my arms were shaking like jello. bwaha. Prayer works! Finally the elders came over and the repair man found the water button thing. So we spent hours mopping the water back into buckets. It was fun. I will send a pic.

 

Our investigator Sister ____ is doing incredibly well! She really likes reading the BOM and has been super active in church meetings and activities. We are so excited for her!! ______, on the other hand has not been answering our phone calls:( Don't know why but please pray for her.

My favorite part of the week was teaching our less active Sister ____ who is from Thailand. She is the cutest most humble little lady you'd ever meet! She wants to come back to church but works at a Thai restaurant and has to work on Sundays. She says that she doesn't want to switch jobs because at the previous restaurants she has worked at she gets "teased" (don't know how to say it in English) for not knowing Chinese characters. But our lesson with her was so spirit filled and I could really feel HF leading Sister Taylor and I and the member in helping Sister ____ realize her faith to come back. After that, her  husband Mr. ____ offered to show us the way to a members house that we didn't know how to get to. He is quite a character but he likes the missionaries and always welcomes us to his home. 

 

Yes, we had thanksgiving dinner both as a zone and as a ward. They were both really great and super fun to think of ideas for the zone missionaries.

 

We met a really great family from Thailand the other day and taught them in their home. A mom and son _____ and ______. It was really such a tender mercy to meet the son because we had forgotten the time of the appointment and had to run all the way to her house. We found just her son home and stood at the door talking to him unto his mom got home then taught the both of them about the plan of happiness and families. They were really receptive. Pray for them pplease!

 

See you soon and can't wait!

Sister Hadley

This is an old pic of the mission under Pres. Hawks but I thought we would throw it in so you can see the size of the mission

Thanks for all the pics and emails! I am so excited to see you guys in real life haha.

This week we've had some super great progressing investigators. _____ is doing well, she just can't wake up for church, but she has been reading and praying (she has been replacing her name in the book of Mormon like we invited her to and loves it!). Besides her, we have another investigator that I don't think I've told you about. Her name is Sister ____. A single mom in her early sixties. She lives with her daughter and was almost baptized into another Christian church until they basically almost pushed her into the font haha. She is actually a referral from another member.She is suuuuper golden and also loves the BOM is reading and praying everyday. And comes to church every week. She has a baptismal date for the 17th of January.

Along with her, we have another new investigator, _____, who is also a referral! She is a single mom of a 9 year old boy. While talking to her on the phone, she said she was looking for more direction in her life. We met with her and her friend and she is super prepared as well! Sister Taylor and I are soooo blessed.

I forgot to tell you then I listened last week to the endowment session in Cantonese. It was so cool!

This week we went on exchanges with another set of sisters. I was with the new missionary that is waiting for her visa to Cali. She is a native and it was fun to be with the new excitment of a greenie.

Uncle Alan sent me a really nice email. He has been super supportive my whole mission actually.  it made me really happy:

Scripture of the week:

Alma The Younger's conversion story. I love 36:17 because it reminds us that no effort is wasted. Because Alma's father continuously taught him about Christ and The Atonement, even when he didn't think his son was listening or even as he pulled further and further away from the truth, when Alma the younger was at his lowest of lows, he remembered what his dad had been telling him about "A Son of God" and he starts to cry out to Christ to save him from the frightening and heavy state he is in. It is a good reminder that even the little ways we share the gospel could be of great use to someone one day that they have no where else to turn. So keep spreading the gospel through the awesome light of Christ that you guys carry!

I love you all and am sooo excited to see you again. 

Sista Ha