Hiking the Outback

 

Dear Family, 

This was another very busy week. We worked every day till 6:30 or 7 pm. Both Greg and Steve (the two Area Legal Counsel) have been out of town the last week and a half and it seems that a lot of the extra work has found its way onto my plate. But no complaints from me. I really enjoy what I'm doing. 

Even with all that I visited a professional table tennis (definitely not referred to as ping pong) store this week. I couldn't believe all of the different paddles, table tennis shoes, clothes, balls, etc. Paddles ranged in price from $25 to $500 or $600 USD each. Incredible! Another one of the missionaries here has befriended one of our Chinese neighbors. He and his wife and young daughter are from Beijing and they love to play table tennis. We've now all become friends and table tennis is in our future. So we are serious about this. We start taking lessons (once a week) from the owner of the store next week. He is a grand champion whose dad was the national champion of China about forty years ago. Pretty cool huh?

Some of the hundreds of paddles for sale. During the weekend this guy has a line out of his store into the street to get into the store and buy stuff. Weekdays aren't so crowded -- everyone is working.

These are old, vintage paddles from past champions that have been retired.

One of several tables he has in the store. He uses these for teaching guys like me. Notice all the practice balls in the holder in the foreground.

Boxes and bins full of ping pong (excuse me, table tennis) balls.

These guys are very serious about the RC trucks. The one we saw this week has two live parrots on it.  Their minder just drives down the walkway entertaining everybody.

Last weekend, Mom and I went out to Tiu Ging Ling, my first assignment when I arrived here over 50 years ago. It was only a sleepy little fishing village back then. This is the place I talked about in my farewell talk where I received my testimony of the Book of Mormon. Now it is filled with apartment buildings. No signs of the town I knew are left.

We hiked down to this beach last week with a bunch of our fellow missionaries. The hike through the trees was beautiful. It reminded me of hiking in Hawaii.

Before starting the hike down to the beach we spent some time at a little park known for its 

 kite flying. There were several people all flying kits way up high with these long, long, lines which required these big winders. This guy let me fly his kite for a bit. No stunt kites here though. There are trees everywhere which makes that kind of flying impossible. But even then, the trees down below this knoll are full of old, crashed kites.

You can see some of the kites out there behind Mom. They get waaaay high!

Yesterday, Mom and I hiked Dragons Back on the other side of Hong Kong island. It was a beautiful hike that AJ and Kelsey introduced us to when we were here with them.  But we got started late and was very warm when we finally got on the trail around 11 am.

This hike winds along this ridge for several miles and ends up a pretty little beach called Big Wave Bay, the local surf spot.

We got stopped right before the top and had to wait for a hiker to be lifted from the trail.  Apparently they got overheated. It was pretty exciting, what with all the search and rescue people, the noise and the swirling dirt and debris as they hovered and then flew right over the top of us.

                                                     

When AJ and Kelsey took us on this hike they introduced us to this classic surf shop/noodle shop...

....Mom has waited for this moment ever since that day. Here she is eating her favorite noodles from the surfshop. Notice the surfers behind Mom in their wetsuits (which they really didn't need -- the ocean is warm)

Last night we went out with the other missionaries and had this delicious pepper beef and rice hot plate.

Then we went down to the Hong Kong Symphony Orchestra and listened as they play live the entire musical score for the first Indiana Jones movie. We watched the movie and listened to the orchestra at the same time. It was great!!!

This week I had an extraordinary experience. This is me speaking to the local branch of Filipino women. This is called the Everyday Branch which is held for the Filipino women working here as domestics. They work 12-16 hour days, six days a week. On their only day off (which is required by law) they then come to church. Since they all have different days off each week, there is an organized sacrament meeting for them everyday of the week so they can come to church. I was the Sacrament Meeting speaker for Tuesday through Friday last week. You can see here about15 Filipino women attending. Each day brought between five and fifteen women to church. The Every-day branch is staffed by several senior missionary couples. Both your mom and I were very moved by this experience. These women are living here in Hong Kong, far from their families at home. Many of them work here for years and years and send most of the money they make back home to help raise and educate their children or their siblings or their grandchildren. They were sweet and kind in every way. It was an honor to meet and be able to speak to them. I felt the spirit speak through me to bless them in their terribly difficult lives. This was both heart-breaking and inspiring at the same time.

Well, time to go. Another big week ahead of us. We love and miss all of you.
Dad and Mom