I got arrested this week... Week 93 from Hong Kong

 Do not worry I will explain in a bit. Also I forgot my camera so can't send home any pictures/ videos. So that sucks, that was going to help me tell the story. So I guess that will happen next week. This week we were very blessed to be addressed by Elder Cook of the 12 Apostles. That was super cool! I recorded the whole thing and it was supper amazing to see him. In his traveling party there was Bishop Wadell of the Presiding Bishopric and Elder Sorez of the presidency of the 70 and the Asia Area Presidency. We got to Shake all of their hands. They all gave us great instruction. There was a Q&A part too. we only got to ask 3 questions but they were good ones so I guess that is ok. The coolest part by far was the Closing testimony by Elder Cook he talked about what it is like to be called a member of the 12 and bore a very, very special testimony of the Savior. Coolest part of the week by far. 

  We also got to have interviews with President Lam. That was really cool. The problem was that it was on a Wednesday. Which just so happened to be the day that we had a huge rain storm! It got up to black rain so that meant that we had a few hours that we couldn't go outside. That meant that President Lam was 2 hours late and so was everyone that was supposed to come. So The schedule was completely messed up. But we had a good time together. Sister Lam showed us pictures of President Lam when they were newly married and that was funny to tease him for. 

  The other big thing that happened was that Elder Stober and I went on exchanges again. This time it was in the Yuen Long area. We were taking a bus to someplace when we passed a place called Fairview Garden. Elder Stober mentioned that he had always wanted to go in there. So we jumped off the bus and walked in. The little place felt a lot like McMinnville feels. We walked for a while and ended up next to some guard posts. Elder Stober said that we should probably just leave  but I said we should at least try. So we just walked right in! We were very surprised. I thought for sure they were going to tell us to leave. So we walked around inside the fence. It was a HUGE American style Neighborhood! I have not been inside one of those in forever. I have videos that help me explain that I will have to share next week. So we walked around for a long time and we saw a few guards but no one stopped us. Until a car stated following us so we tried to loose it by walking down some random back streets and eventually lost him. But as we turned a corner a car pulled up with flashing lights and we were caught! haha The guy called for backup because he saw that we were white guys and thought we could not speak Cantonese. SO we explained that we just walked in and were enjoying the scenery and not really preaching to any one. Then the head guard showed up and we shook his had and were very polite and they were to us in return. So we explained that we had thought if they stop us walking in then we shouldn't come here but they didn't so we thought it was ok. In the end they escorted us to a bus stop and we were on our way. They also took our ID numbers and we are now on their black list. I have never been on a black list before. haha it is kinda fun! 

   We also started a Korean Class. That is fun. Korean is designed to be easy and reading at least is way easier than Chinese but I am more comfortable with the Chinese.     

Love you all!

Elder Walker

伍長老

He forgot his camera AGAIN so I googled Fairview Garden in Hong Kong. 

These are the pictures I found.

Week 92 from Hong Kong

Hello All,

   I had a lovely week this week. I am not sure where to begin. It almost feels like I haven't written for 2 weeks because I skyped last week. That was so much fun!!! My parents surprised me by having a lot of my friends there. My parents asked who I missed the most. I could feel that it was a loaded question so I said I missed them all. Then they all jumped into view. So I answered well haha. That was a ton of fun. I miss everyone a lot. It was super weird to hang up the call and suddenly snap out of my living room and back to the nasty internet bar place, and transition straight to writing my mission president about the area and stuff.   

   On Monday we went to Central so I could pick up my new suit. It is super nice! I took a picture with the tailor so I will attach that. Then after P-day we went to a dinner appointment with a member. He took us to go eat Dim Sum. That is always good. We got a dish called Beijing duck. It is amazing! So It was a good dinner. Afterword he took us to his house and asked us to give him a blessing. Apparently he was having some back troubles and the Doctor was not sure what to do. He works on maintaining the temple here and he needed to go to work because the AC was broken. So we gave him the blessing. We saw him a few days later and he said that he felt fine! Cool stuff.

   We also had ward council this week. Before the meeting the bishop took us out to dinner. It was really good, However ever since then Elder Cox and I have been having some stomach issues. Hopefully that goes away soon. haha. The meeting was good. Our mission leader is white and speaks no Cantonese, He is amazing, but  doesn't know Cantonese. So Elder Cox represented the missionaries in the meeting and I sat next to Brother Fife and translated the meeting for him. That was exhausting! Fun but exhausting! It was mostly hard because there is no one to one in Chinese so I kinda had to change what people were saying. 

   I went on exchanges this week with Elder Stober. He is great! We live together so the exchange was really convenient! We went to Cross Roads which is an organization that we volunteer at. This week they sent us to Admiralty (on Hong Kong Island) to pick up some goods that were being donated. So they drove us down in a mini van! I think that is the second time I have been in a mini van since I was dropped off at the MTC. So that was fun. Turns out it was the warehouse for the US Consulate (I think that is not spelled right. It is an embassy like thing) so that means I got to be on US soil!!!! 

   After that they took us back to Tuen Mun and we ate lunch and then went and played baseball with a less active. That was ok. Every time we play he nails me with a fast ball. I am not a fan of that. 

   Then we went to the church and met another less active who was a Shaolin monk for like 7 years. So he is teaching us some Shaolin Kung-fu. I forgot how much fun Martial Arts is. I might pick it up when I go back home now. I am not sure, we will see haha. SO I was very sore after that day. 

Gordon earned is Black Belt in Kuiki-do when he was 13.

   The rest of the week was pretty normal. We met with one of our Investigators who is doing great aside from not coming to church. We asked him why and he said it is because he wants to watch Netflix really late on Saturday night and is not willing to change. So we will see how that goes. 

  We are also going to hear from Elder Cook of the 12 Apostles and Bishop Wadell of the presiding Bishopric. I am really excited for that. 

Love,

Elder Walker

Once again the videos are at the end

my new suit and the Tailor

Dinner with the member. The other missionaries are Mandarin Speaking

The View of mainland China

the view out my window 

In English class we taught etiquette

Video of new apartment in Tin Sui Wai

Gordon's friends were laughing while telling him about a rumor going around about him not really being in Hong Kong.  This video is for them!

Internet Café where missionaries Skyped home on Mother's day

A sideways video of Elder Cox on the phone

Shaolin Kung Fu

Mother's Day. Week 91 from Hong Kong

Hello All,

   This was a great week! It will be short one this week with pictures.

   I had a great Skype Call with my family!!!! It was awesome! All my friends were there too!!!! It was so much fun!!!! I Love everyone today!!! We are super excited for Elder Cook next week too!

haha just kidding, no photos this week! Next week!

He forgot his media card!

Love,

Elder Walker

I'm attaching a couple photos I took during our Skype call.  We surprised Gordon by inviting a lot of his friends to join us for the call.  Sounds like he loved it!

We didn't have a great connection this time but we LOVED talking to and seeing him!

Elder Walker, his brother and the friends that joined us!

 This is when he realized all his friends were there!

New in Tin Sui Wai. Week 90 from Hong Kong.

​Hello all,

   Last Monday was super cool! We went to a Guan Yin monastery. It is this supper cool one made by the richest person in Hong Kong. The main attraction is a huge statue of the goddess Guan Yin. It is actually just about the same size as the statue of liberty. It was just the coolest thing ever! I took a lot of pictures so you can see those. It was also near Buddha 的 birthday. So that was cool. There was a lot of people there so that was not the best but that is ok. There was also a few cool statues of baby Buddha that one could bathe. I did that. It was interesting. I got in trouble because I did not know that there was a procedure but I finally did it correctly. There was also this place where we went in the monastery to copy Buddhist scripture as a form of meditation. That was a mistake it took about an hour and a half. My hand hurt super bad afterword. 

   After that on Tuesday we had a combined district meeting as a zone to start and the 3 sisters that went home gave their "words of wisdom" (Things they learned on their mission) It was super good. I also was able to say goodbye to everyone. I was really sad to leave. 

   Here I am though in Tin Sui Wai it is the smallest proselyting area in the world right behind temple square. I Live in Yuen Long and go to church in Hung Shui Kiu. The whole place has a completely different feel to it. We all get the West rail pass and after that travel is free on the Light rail (We take that a lot) the MTR and MTR buses. I get really lost a lot but it should be fine. My companion Elder Cox and I get along great. I will kill him at the end of our 6 weeks together (He will go home) Then 9 weeks and I will go home. Super, Super weird!

   We had church yesterday and the Chapel is so nice! It is huge and feels way better than the one in Tai Po. The benches have padding too! It was actually really hard to not fall asleep. The Bishop asked me to speak so I did. I am much more comfortable  doing that in Cantonese now. 

   Next week we get to skype home!!! I am so excited! It will be my last one in the field though so that will have a strange feel to it. But yes Life is Hot! 

   Next week I will send home a video of the new house. We Live on the 28th floor but they don't count the 4, 14, or 24 floor. Chinese people are not a fan of the number 4. Good thing I am elder 5!

Love,

Elder Walker

伍長老

​

There are too many pictures to explain. Sorry. The people are Jeremy (Member I was friends with) Elder Harding. Elder Chen (Former Companion) 

"Quick" video of the Tai Po Chapel. (The one he went to before his transfer)