jou sahn!

oh my goodness. i'm actually here. in some indonesian "cafe" writing you an email. it's so weird to think that i'm actually in hong kong haha sometimes i feel like i'm just in another state or something because it's pretty westernized, but other times i definitely feel like i'm in china. Some of the buildings where people live are very old. For some reason i thought everything wouldn't look too bad but the insides aren't too shabby. our apartment is really big. i was pretty shocked. supposedly it's one of the bigger ones but i don't know if we have AC so it's always blazing. We're only on the 10th floor. the flight over was pretty long and i didn't sleep much so yesterday when we got here we were complete zombies. it was pretty funny hahaha and since i was the only sister i slept in the mission president's apartment with their family (which happens to be in the hong kong temple). Now it's not everyday that you can say you've slept under a temple :) hahah it was really nice and President and Sister Chan are so great! All the missionaries have amazing cantonese (some of the white ones sound completely native it's crazy!) and it just motivates me to really get the language down. So my Trainer! Her name is Sister Chinison. She's from tahiti and she speaks fluent english, french, and cantonese. she's also chinese and grew up learning all those languages so she was only in the mtc for 3 or 4 weeks. She's really hard working and she will help me a lot i think. I told her that I want her to speak Cantonese with me a lot so that has been helpful. I can't remember what our area is called but we live far from where our proselyting area is. I haven't been to our area, only our apt so i don't know what it's like over but she says there are a lot of trees and mosquitos(no clue how to spell that one). Sweeett. i love trees and mosquits never bite me. It is pretty hot hear. The humidity just makes you drip but it's ok, i really don't mind it. I haven't done a whole lot these first two days....mostly orientation stuff but i did bare my testimony to a taxi driver on our way to the peak (which is sight where you can see over all of hong kong---so beautiful! the ap's took all the new missionaries) but people see our nametags and jolt. at least that's how i feel haha i guess i can say i've never felt so noticed before but it's a good thing. when we were waiting for a taxi to get to the peak, a lady was walking by in another line and i caught her smiling and reading my nametag. it sounded like she was speaking mandarin, but i asked her if she spoke cantonese and she just smiled and didn't respond. so then i yelled to the new mandarin elder so that he could go talk to her. he called out something in mandarin and she responded, but then she turned the corner and our taxi came up. i wanted to talk to her so badly, but she couldn't understand me. there are sooo many people that are ready to hear the gospel and we have to find them. It feels overwhelming sometimes because there are so many people, but as we learn to listen to the spirit, even when chaos is surrounding us, we will be lead to those people. I really feel that my faith will be tried here, especially this first part of my mission. I have so much to do, so much to learn, and so many people to help. and with faith i can do all those things.

tonight we have EEFY which is english especially for youth. we'll play games, teach english, and give a message. it should be way fun! then afterwards we are teaching pang ji muih---she's from mainland china but speaks cantonese. we are teaching her the first second and third lessons and then seeing if she can get baptized on sunday before she leaves back to mainland. my companion says she's ready. they already taught her the commandments too so we are just teaching the lessons in depth for her. i'm excited and hopefully i can do or say something that will help her increase her faith. we are also teaching an 11 year old girl tomorrow. I bet she's adorable and i can't wait! even though i don't know a lot i'm so excited to just dive into all of this. anyway, sorry this letter isn't too grand, i'm sure i will have many more stories and experiences to share next thursday. as for now, i will just press forward! I love you all!!

Kahm Ji Muih

ps Keep me in your prayers. I need a lot of help learning this language.

call tonight

i'll call you tonight! fun fun! ok love you bye!
kahm ji muih

Sister Rachel Kiene did call us from the airport. She is very excited to go to Hong Kong. She, like many who have gone before of her, is concerned she doesn't know enough Cantonese. But she has faith that the Lord will qualify her throught faith and hard work. She was very grateful for her native Hong Kong teacher and will miss her. Also, she will miss being with her missionary district from the MTC. She studied with two elders and had three other elders in her district. She said that they had grown close through their experiences in the MTC and she will miss seeing them everyday. (And beating them in 4 square...ha ha.)

If we are lucky she will call again from San Fransico later tonight, but for now this is the latest news.

Mama Kiene

Hong Kong here I come! (July 19,2011)

(Help I can't get this picture the right direction)
So it has been another crazy week! i feel like I say that ever letter but it's true. We just had a lot of struggles with the sisters in the branch and so I had to help out a lot. I have missed so much class and language study because of problems going on but that is what missionary work is about, helping people come unto christ. I know that my Cantonese isn't as good as it could have been or isn't as good as a lot of other missionaries but I'm learning to not worry about it. I'm doing what I can with the time I have. I think it will come a lot more in hong kong! I'm getting so excited to go! i was freaking out a few weeks ago because all the teachers say they are throwing us to the wolves hahaha but it's better to be prepared for what's coming versus having complete shock when i get there. It feels like i have been here for so long that I'm so ready to go! I just need a change. I love it here though. I love the missionaries in the other district, I love other missionaries going other places. you just meet some incredible people, but it's time to get to hong kong and "trash hong kong" with our spirit. haha a volunteer told our companionship to do that haha he's from hong kong. So funny story, there are a couple of hong kong missionaries here and I talk to them any chance i get! They think i'm crazy i'm sure but it's so funny and fun haha even though we can hardly understand each other because they are learning english and I'm learning cantonese. anyway, wu ji muih is stinking cute! i just want to take her back with me (along with my teacher lauh ji muih) and then the other elders (both elder chan) are really nice. Much quieter and don't know as much english. one Chan Jeung Louh has been a member only a year. So we see the Jeung Louh at the temple during our walk and they say hello ask us how we're doing and ask to take a pic with us (all in cantonese! i understood something!!) and we were all stoked and excited because usually i go up to them but they wanted a picture! this was definitely a step forward. so we all take a pic and while we are taking it i say, "Jisi!" which is cheese in cantonese! hahaha and Chan Jeung Louh (the more outgoing one) was laughing super hard. So the pic that is on my camera is of me laughing at him laughing at me haha then after they were telling us where they were serving, Australia and New York. Everyone was saying how awesome that was and then I said, "Yeah, well it's too bad we're going to the best mission..." and they just sat there probably translating in their head and then they started busting up laughing! haha then the Elder goes,"You so funny!!" hahaha it was hilarious and I just started laughing because i really wasn't trying to be that funny but they think everything i do is funny I guess. Then one of the Elders who's from the new district hardly new anything they were saying expect when they said how is your day? and he flew off the bench screaming, "I know that one!!" hahaha then when they told us they were going to leave he yells to them, "Ngoh ngoi leih!" which means I love you hahaha oh all of us were dying including the Hong Kong Elders.

Things have been going well. I'm really pushing myself this last week and I'm ready to head out. I don't even know what to expect but it will be great. one of the other teachers talked to me for a while after class on saturday and she gave me so much encouragement. She knows the language really well and she said she didn't know nearly half as much as we did before getting to HK. She's a singer too so she was able to relate to me in that sense. I have felt Satan work on me a lot these last few weeks in a lot of different aspects because he doesn't want me to believe in myself, he doesn't want me to do God's work. I have just been praying to have more peace, patience, love, and confidence/faith. I want to have unwavering faith when I search for the souls ready to hear the gospel. Everyone deserves the happiness I have been given and I can't wait to see lives change because of it! Thank you everyone for your letters of encouragement and updates! it's so great hearing from everyone! I said bye to Mike last night but it was a good goodbye! we're both just ready to go out and serve. Sounds like HP was great too. I'll have to watch it in a couple years. Just so everyone knows, the mailroom closes early on Saturday and is not open monday! I leave monday night so any dear elders will need to be sent by friday and other letters will need to get here by friday so that I can get them. or you can just send them to Hong kong. my address should be on the blog. Ok, thanks for everything and I love you all!

Love,
Kahm Ji Muih

hou faai

So the weeks are just starting to blur together. I have a hard time figure out what actually happened this week and everything. But I know I've been learning a lot personally. I have been learning and relearning so many valuable principles but what I lack at times is REALLY applying them. I know I must have faith, but what do I REALLY need to do to exercise it as best as I can? My district is getting ready to head out soon. TWO weeks?! So crazy. We are trying to speak even more Cantonese but sometimes it's hard especially because of our callings and many missionaries that need help. but we're trying. Today is my Cantonese day and I haven't spoken English yet. you can ask Mike haha I helped him in the laundry room just an hour ago. but I could only speak Cantonese. So funny haha he's doing ok, I think the sickness is wearing on him a bit so just keep praying for him. FAMILY---Thank you so much for the packages and letters this week! Besides Kait helping with the packages, I only got things from you and it made the week so much better! Lisa did send music which was so nice too! We have an entire closet devoted to food because we get so much. One of my roommate’s grandmas sent all of Costco over! It's so funny. Anyway, we are trying to share it as best as we can and then eat the rest :) hahaha This week I focused a lot on studying the resurrection because I gave the lesson in district meeting and my love for the Savior and his atonement has grown so much. I feel often times we look over the resurrection when talking about the atonement, but without it there would be no purpose for Christ's suffering. (John 11:25-26) It's so simple, follow and believe in Christ and we will receive the greatest gift, eternal life. Like I've said before, I wish I could just put my feelings in a box and send it home for you to feel as well, because it's hard to describe everything and when you experience so much every day you forget all that you want to write about. But just know that I'm doing well. It's been challenging in several ways and it's just going to get harder once I'm in Hong Kong, but I know that the joy and happiness I feel will help me overcome the challenges. I LOVE my teacher Lauh Ji Muih. She's so precious and patient and we laugh SO much together. I wish I could take her with me. She's a native and she makes me love the people so much more. I met two missionaries from Hong Kong and I always talk to them. The elder doesn't speak very good English and he doesn't understand my Cantonese very well either (fabulous). But the sister and I communicate really well! She's so stinking cute! I always feel comfortable talking to her and hopefully they will prep me for Hong Kong a little bit so I won't be AS shocked once I'm there :). I'm no where near what I thought I would be language wise and preparation wise but I know that it will come. Once again, thank you for everything! Gaa yauh!

Kahm Ji Muih

ps Mom--I will send stuff home next Tuesday. my comp in Hong Kong, Sis Bishop says to try to not have a lot of stuff so I'm trying to simplify but I'll just specify what I want to stay home and what can be sent to Hong Kong. Sorry I didn't get the clothes till after you had left for home. Anyway, thanks a bunch! Oh and the other district hears about you sending stuff to missionaries so they may want a little treat. But there are 10 elders so I don't know. And an elder, Elder Todd who's going to Thailand does too but he's just crazy so don't worry about him. ha-ha anyway, thanks again for everything! Talk to you soon.

CRAZY WEEK

So, it's been a crazy week but a good one! It has been fun seeing Elder Kiene (or Kahm Jeung Louh hahaha) and our schedules are actually pretty opposite but we have gym right after eachother and we always seem to find eachother at things. On Sat we had a special 4th fireside and it was so cool! then afterwards we got icecream and watched the stadium of fire fireworks! mike found me when we were getting ice cream and we all ran to find a nice spot to watch together! saturday was a great day. I was SYLing a lot and we taught well and then I got t spend the evening watching fireworks with my bro and fellow missionaries! Earlier in the week it was a bit crazy. We have been trying to help the new district really understand the importance of using time (especially personal study time) well and really understanding their purpose as a missionary. not just the purpose that's stated in PMG, but something even on a more personal level for that individual. I think it will take time for them but hopefully what we shared with them will encourage them to seek that and find the motivation to be better. I have been learning a lot about patience and love too. I feel that as I continue to pray for it, God gives me more opportunities to use that patience. Funny how that works hahaha, usually we think that we'll just be given this power to be able to handle situations but God wants to stretch us and push us so he'll give us the experience and let us choose to act in whatever way we want. It's good though. It's helping me learn to just accept and love people for who they are. You can't change anyone but yourself. YOu can influence, but that's a bit different. I feel that as I learn to love people for them, my perspective continues to increase. I'll just say, prayer is my best friend out here. It's crazy how often we pray but it's really neat too. We, as a district, decided to tell eachother a weakness we have or something that we are trying to work on and ask to prayer for eachother. I think it has really helped us bond as we understand that each of us has a specific need and can only receive help through God. Something that I really noticed this week is my increased love for the book of mormon. I just love personal study time and i feel like there is never enough time because i'm just thriving on everything that i'm reading. i feel like my focus is so much stronger than ever before and i'm constantly tieing things together from all that i learn. the scriptures are amazing! I know that as we really feast on the words we will continue to be nourished spiritually. I'm reading in Alma right now about the anti-nephi-lehi's and how they barried their weapons of rebellion and war. First, I thought of how each of us have our own weapons of rebellion and it will take a lot of sacrifice, but when we commit to barrying them, we will find so much more joy and see miracles happen in our lives. Then i continued to read about how the lamanites came to fight and they said they wouldn't break that commitment with God so they didn't fight back. Many were killed, HOWEVER because of their example, some of the lamanites were converted to the gospel. It's crazy because we would think, why would God let those men die in the first place? Well I know that God has a specific plan for everyone. God knows what needs to be done in order for his children to accept the gospel and strive to return back to them. That was just a neat example to me of how keeping our covenants and commitments can not only help us individually but others as well. Well I gotta run! But I love you all! Mike told me about the cupcake story with TY! so cute! tell me more fun stories like that! send pics and everything too! you are all wonderful and it was pretty cool that we were watching the same fireworks on saturday ;) hahaha ok well travel safely, thanks for the updates and keep pressing forward with FAITH! Oh and I can read a couple of scriptures written in characters! oh yeah baby! ok, peace and blessings!

Kahm Ji Muih