NICOLONZOLA

From the land of efficiency and tofu ice cream

2009-05-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

PIG FLU UPDATE: there was a breakout here in HONG KONG! AHHHH! we are all going to die! the chinese see this as the end of the world and everyone walks around wearing masks, washing everything with chlorine and passing out flyers of how to avoid getting the pig flu. i think it's hilarious. ok, not really, but the overeaction is funny. i will try not to get sick and die.

ok, something food:
only here in Hong Kong can you find strange flavors of everything. for example they have taro flavored popsicles and taro filled desserts at McDonalds. i think it's gross, but the chinese love it. they also have tofu flavored ice cream. this is actually pretty good. it's more like soy ice cream really, but not bad. everything here is soy and i buy soy milk as well, so i am use to the flavor. ahh!! i'm turning chinese!!!!

something cool:
the chinese are very efficient people. seriously. if they put their mind to something, it gets done man. for example, construction here is nothing like in america. when they work construction, the actually all work and it gets done over night. they started this huge project and the next day, a building was up and plants, trees and flowers were in by the next day. it was amazing!!! the same project would have taken 6 months in the US. they also are constantly moving people in and out of business spaces. one day we walked by a store that was covered in little things to sell and the next morning it was completely gone! i swear they have some magic power. either that, or they just know how to get things done! the americans need to take some lessons!

something funny:
the bucket hat man. yes, the bucket hat man. he is our most recent stocker...:) he rides this little weird bike and wears a bucket hat man and has the most creepy face. we are determined that he has been following us, so we try to evade him as much as possible. we've turned it into a game. it's way fun! then the other day, we felt like we were being followed again. these 2 men came right up behind us at one intersection and it was so creepily close that i just decided to turn around and talk to them. so i did. it was our elders. they said they had followed us for a mile or so. crazy elders. apparently they don't have anything better to do with their time than follow the sisters around! we told them they can join our stocker fan club along with the bucket hat man.

something cultural:
so here in Hong Kong they have something called cheng-outs. which basically means the members take us out to eat and feed us. this is usually an amazing thing and good food. BUT, sometimes it is quite the experience, especially when people unexpectedly feed you and then you have to eat it to show them how good it is. last week we had 2 in a row and i thought me stomach was going to burst! the chinese have food manners that are hilarious too. for example, you cover your mouth when you use a toothpick because no one wants to see you pick food out of your teeth, but you can talk with your mouth full and spit the bones out of your meat onto the table right in front of everyone....? does that make any sense to anyone? they also burp..a lot. i love it. sorry mom. they also have the ingenious idea of putting down plastic cloths on the table, so you spit our bones and spill and then at the end of the meal they just wrap it all up and throw it away. easy as that!

that's all for this week!

From the land of pig flu and modern toilets

2009-04-29T15:17:00.000-07:00

something cool:
here in Hong Kong is a restaurant called "The Modern Toilet." yes, it is exactly what you are thinking it is - a bathroom themed restaurant. it's pretty much amazing. we went there today for lunch and i took tons of pictures which i inconveniently can't send to you. try googling it. you drink out of urinals and sit on toilet seats and eat food out of a toilet. and they also have flushing toilet sounds in the background. sorry mom, you probably think this is ridiculous, but you are totally coming here when you come to pick me up. the food is alright, but the atmosphere is hilarious and totally worth it.

something miracle:
we had 2 less actives come all the way to the Ma On Shan chapel on Sunday after 20-30 years of not going to church. it was a miracle, seriously. God is amazing.

something food:
so, our district elders won the Easter egg hunt we put together for them a few weeks ago and the grand prize was a dinner on the sisters, so we made them the most amazing meal in creation. it consisted of lamb, mashed potatoes, vegetables, french bread and cheesecake with strawberries and whip cream. (you don't really get meals like this here in Hong Kong.) so they were really excited and so was i because we ate it too. it reminded me of America...except for the lamb part. which was a miracle that it turned out, because i've never cooked lamb before. yeah for experimentation!

something exciting/scary:
so, the bird flu/pig flu or whatever it is that is going around has been causing quite a stir here in Hong Kong. they are crazy about sanitation here, especially since the SARS scare. they clean everything! and I'm serious. they have stickers everywhere that say "sanitized every hour" and "this carpet is sanitized." so funny. they also have people out cleaning the streets, sweeping sidewalks and trimming, pruning, washing all the time. it's amazing. i guess it keeps people employed and keeps the city clean. i like it and it makes me feel better about touching public things for sure. the chinese are funny when it comes to being sick though. they always wear face masks, even in public. it's just what you do to be courteous to others. luckily, i haven't got sick at all here in hong kong. if i do, I'm totally wearing a mask.

something spiritual:
in thinking of mitchell and michael getting there mission calls recently, i read in Alma 16:16 the other day and how it is so true that the Lord is preparing the hearts of the people they will teach in Honduras and Chile. I'm so excited for you two!!!! one of the best things i ever did was start praying for those that i would meet and teach on the mission as soon as i got my call. it is also true now for me as i know there are people being prepared every day for me to meet and teach the gospel. The Lord knows who will be ready for us and where we need to be to meet them. it's so amazing and such a blessing! and so cool if you jsut think about it!

something funny:
chinese people are so confused sometimes. they are caught between 2 cultures - the british culture and the chinese culture. an example of this can be seen just looking at people walking down a sidewalk. they have no idea which side to walk on. they drive on the left side, like in england, so the sidewalk just puzzles them. left or right? ahh! i don't know!!! so they just walk all over the whole darn thing. it makes for fabulous encounters though and great "breaking the ice" moments when you run into them because neither of you can decide who has the right of way. now add bikes into the mess and it's just hilarious.

tata for now!

From the land of heat and humidity

2009-04-22T15:15:00.000-07:00

something cool:
so here in china they are big on exercise. not the kind of exercise you are thinking of. I'm talking old person exercise. the old people here are called popos. and they have exercise "stations" all over the parks and public areas here for them to do their version of America's "sit and be fit" workouts. it's hilarious. you're walking along in the park and all of a sudden there's a bunch of equipment for old people and other strange things like rocks cemented into the ground that they like to walk on barefoot because they think it stimulates the nerves in the feet and it's healthy or something. strange and kind of cool.

something funny....kind of:
so one of our investigators, Chahn Ji Muih, has a devil dog. her name is Muih Muih, which means, "little sister." the very first time we came to teach her, he peed all over the place and then ran all over my lap. it was pretty gross, but i could handle it right? well, we've been teaching her for a couple weeks now and this last week we had another devil dog attack. this time he put his paws up on my knees and peed all over the floor where my backpack was sitting. gross. if that wasn't bad enough, when i went to get up, i realized that before that he had peed all over the couch i was sitting on and that i had sat right in it. yes, dog pee all over my skirt and my backpack. fabulous, thank you Muih Muih. i HATE that dog. behind Chahn Ji Muih's back, i call her Mo Gwai, which means devil. ha!

something miracle:
i didn't melt this week from the heat and humidity. it got up in the 90's this week and in the 90's for humidity until it would burst and just pour rain. especially fun when you're out tracting. at least when it rains, people can't see your sweat marks anymore, because your entire shirt is wet!!!...:) so fun! i am still trying to run every morning, but it's getting hard. i come in from running and i literally have sweat from every pore. i took a picture it was so amazing. i have to wash my workout clothes twice a week because they are soaked and smell sour if i don't wash them, as things don't really air dry well here...:) and believe it or not, this isn't even summer weather yet really. ha! wahoo! bring it, baby!

something exciting:
so, my ward has had to move buildings as the one in Sha Tin is under construction for the next year to make it bigger. this has caused some difficulty, as we now have no place to teach lessons or meet as a district. with all the setbacks, there have also been many blessings. the new building in Ma On Shan is far away, but very beautiful and brand new almost. much more room and accommodating. despite the distance, we still had 3 investigators at church on sunday and that is pretty good for us! it was very exciting and it will really stretch us to find the creme of the crop that are willing to travel that long to get to church.

something spiritual:
so, i've been reading about Amulek lately in the book of Alma and i just have to say that he is probably my favorite Book of Mormon person. his story is very similar to Job's if you read closely and he still endures and overcomes and continues to preach the gospel after losing everything he once had. i especially like the scripture that talks about Alma strengthening him in the Lord after all the hardships. it reminded me of Alma 31:31 as well, finding comfort in the Lord. as missionaries, we don't have all the options and things to do that we had before to get out stress or release frustration. we have to turn to the lord for comfort and strength. and that is how it should be always actually. i've realized this lately. the mission is making me realize who i can always turn to even for the smallest of things. before, i would go running, or out in nature or just get away from people and go driving somewhere or paint or read or something. well, as missionaries, you can't do a lot of those things. so you are drawn to your knees. it's amazing how much more affective that is than all those other things are....:) i know i can always find strength and comfort in the Lord.

From the land of many mosquitos...

2009-04-15T16:39:00.000-07:00

I apologize last week's email was so short and incomplete. Apparently one hour here at the sha tin library actually means 50 minutes, and i got kicked off the computer right in the middle of typing. hopefully this email is more complete and satisfactory as i am aware of how time works here now...:)

ok, something cool: umbrella dispensers
I mentioned in the last email about umbrella dispensers. yes, they actually have machines that dispense umbrellas of all size and color of your choice. that says two things about hong kong: how much it rains here and how much people are scared of the sun. they use umbrellas for both - keeping off the rain and keeping off the sun rays as they want to be as white as possible...the exact opposite mentality exists in the US. funny how that works. anyways, if you ever get caught in a rainstorm, don't fret, just run to the nearest umbrella dispenser!

something exciting: General Conference!!!
This last weekend was general conference for us here as we get it one week later than everywhere else so they can have the translations complete. the missionaries watch in english of course so we can actually understand, but it was so very much needed i can't even tell you! as you all guess, my favorite talk was Elder Perry's, as he talked about how missionaries UNFORTUNATELY spend most of their time finding instead of teaching. enough said. so true. i'm glad to here that back home there is more of a push for member missioanry efforts. the missionaries will love you forever if you follow the words of Elder Perry! go back and read his talk, it's amazing....:)

something miracle: RANDY
no, not my dad, although my dad is pretty amazing...:) this is a man we met the other day along the river. he just went for a walk because he didn't know what else to do with himself. we randomly decided to take a different way to our lesson appointment and do some finding along the way....God led us to each other. Randy has been contemplating suicide the last few days as he has had some rough experiences the last couple months of his life...losing his business, girlfriend, moving back to china, no job, etc...the case of many people here. he didn't see the purpose of life when people were so greedy and only want money and it all adds up to what in the end? these were his thoughts when he ran into us. what would have happened if we didn't say hello and contact him?...good question. he;s amazing, going to church this sunday and the elders are teaching him tonight. he is very sincere and i have no doubt that the gospel will save his life...in more ways than one...:) it's miracles like that make me so happy to be a missionary. seeing the gospel literally bring hope to someone's life enough to keep them going is incredible!

something funny: knee-highs
yes, in the heat, we are required to continue wearing nylons and/or knee highs to look professional. i wouldn't have a problem with this if they could at least perform some sort of useful function. they don't. they don't even protect our legs from mosquitoes. i am determined to make nylons that repel bugs. probably the only market for them would be "sister missionary mall", but it would be worth it only for my own benefit. if i could attach pictures here i would send you a picture of my legs. i counted over 100 bites. yes, they are very attractive, let me tell you. that's the price you pay for standing and talking to people to bring them the gospel....:) ...it's worth it!

something food: KFC and McDonalds delivery
i mentioned last time about this i think. yes, they have little motorcycles that run around all over town delivering KFC and McDonalds burgers and food to people who can't even stop into the one that is one block away from their door. (there are mcdonalds on every corner here). and i though america was lazy!!!!

something spiritual: President Hinckley quote

President Van Dam interviewed us this last week and asked us about out goals for the mission and for after the mission. as i feel like i just got here, it was weird to think about after the mission. hello! i don't want to think about that right now, president van dam, i'm a missionary! (can you hear me saying that?...cause i did...:) anyways, schooling and marriage and that wonderful real life stuff has been far from my mind, but one of the sisters i live with gave me this quote and i love it. it made me calm down a little, too.

"Many women are serving missions and more are preparing to serve. Not because they're not married or because they don't have anything else better to do. But because in the last days the lord will be sending his priesthood army to the world and he needs to send them to mothers who have been schooled in the gospel. and what better schooling can a mother have than that of serving a mission."

thank you president hinckley for boosting my confidence! i love him! and i love you all!....cheerio, ta ta for now! see you in a week!

from the land of KFC delivery and umbrella dispensers

2009-04-08T16:38:00.000-07:00

SOMETHING EXCITING!!!!!:
Yea Mitchell and Michael on receiving your mission calls!!!! wahoo! Honduras and CHile!!!! I'm so excited to have more spanish speakers in the family. my spanish has been slowly all replaced with cantonese as of late, but i'm trying to pull it back as i've been asked to help teach a lady from Guatemala. So cool! No one told me when you are going to the MTC! Please let me know asap!!!!

something funny:
Mistranslations. there is a lot of chinglish here in Hong Kong, but my favorites are the english translations that you see everywhere. most people don't know that it doesn't make any sense, so it's pretty funny. especially when it's on someone's shirt or on the sign of someone's business. the other day i saw a building that had the word "education" spelt "ecucation." yep, i would definitely go there if i wanted a good education. here is something written on one of my notebooks. this will go under the category of...

something worth quoting:
"i wish you a happy day. sports not only let us have a healthy physique, but also the growth of our inner strength, so we became very cheerful and exuberant spirit. knowledge is power. learning is a gradual, and slowly grasp. knowledge acquisition is multifaceted. learning must find the best way to essentials. we can achieve good results. learning notebook. learn and every day."...............did you get all that????....:)

something spiritual:
ok, so the analogy of the artichoke, abbreviated version. so alma 5 talks about the change of heart that must take place in us in vs. 12, 14, and 26. i, of course, thought of food. artichokes have hearts at the center of them and in order to make the artichoke eatable, you must boil it for almost an hour to get it all soft and yummy. so it has to go through that "mighty change." then you must start peeling all the layers of goodness off to get to the heart. this refers to vs. 28, which states that we must strip ourselves of pride! and with every layer of pride you strip, you get closer and closer to the heart, where the good stuff is and that is who you want to be! i have to end now, because i just got kicked off my computer.....uh, that was lame. ok, sorry, so short. will write more next week, hopefully! sad! love you all, b-bye!

from the land of crazy english names and fate

2009-04-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

something food:
so this week has been the week of the "DOUBLE-O CHALLENGE!!!" yes, my companion and i ate Only Oatmeal for an entire week just for kicks to see if we could do it. that's 21 meals of oatmeal. i made it different every time and kept track of what i made and took pictures of every bowl. it was amazing. you'de be surprised of all the different ways you can make oatmeal. my favorite was probably the pineapple and yogurt combination. so good! they also have an oatmeal porridge with egg in it that is really good. we will reward ourselves by going to Tripple-O's - a restaurant here in sha tin/tai wai area. anything to make missionary life more exciting!...:)

something exciting:
I am staying in Tai Wai for another move with my trainer! i'm excited because i feel like i just started to get to know the area and the people in the ward. we are also going to be moving buildings as the church building here is going under construction, so that should be fun teaching lessons without a church in our area to teach them in. thank goodness for the members. we will use their homes! that's more ideal anyway...:) i was hoping to know where mitch and mike are going on their missions, but i guess i'll have to wait another week for that exciting news! ah, it's killing me!

something miracle:
the Yaji saga continues. Yaji, our friend who believes in fate and said that if we saw him again we could teach him is very cool. we showed up at the bridge at 12:45pm and missed our moves calls meeting to see him. we prepared and prayed so hard to know what to say to him and just prayed that he would show up! he did, and he came by himself so we could discuss "truth."...:) he even bought us lunch! he is an amazing man and use to be a police man and is now a mathematics teacher and tai chi master. yes, sister vance i want to learn tai chi from him. next time he said he will show us some stuff. wahoo! anyways, he will be our mystery investigator that we teach whenever fate allows us to run into him because he won't give us his phone number or anything. but he always says, "next time," so we assume there will be a next time. we shared a lot of things with him about truth, who god is, the holy ghost and how we have our testimonies and know these things for ourselves because of personal experiences and faith and all the different kinds of knowledge and how spiritual knowledge has to be gained through spiritual means. it was amazing! i will keep you updated.

something funny:
chinese english names. they are ridiculous. i started keeping a list of the crazy ones. and yes, these are all considered english names. people give them to them or they create them themselves. here we go:
winky
elvis
crazy
bigyu
string
caviar
money
winseh
koey
apple
chopstick
lego
fifi
angel
there are also about 5 people in our ward that have the english name "mandy" including the girl who we just had baptized. i guess it was popular this year or something, but it makes things very confusing!

something cool:
my mtc district finally made it to Victoria peak this week! Sister Peck from our younger district just arrived from Provo and we went with her to the peak and had a fabulous time. such beautiful views of hong kong! but also especially good since it was April Fool's day... i of course had to do something outrageous, so i showed up with my arm in a sling and told everyone that i had slipped in the shower trying to reach for my towel without getting out of the tub and fell and hit my arm on the toilet. so ridiculous, but everyone believed me and felt bad for me and sister palmer wouldn't let me carry my bag....:) wahahah! i had called sister van dam in the morning and got her in on the joke and she brought me medicine and talked about scheduling an x-ray appointment. the only skeptical one was president van dam, who kept poking my arm to see if it hurt and asking my suspicious questions...:) it was awesome. i broke it to everyone when we got down to the bottom. silly people! don't even realize that it's april fool's day!

something spiritual:
ahh! i don't have any time! so, i will just leave you in suspense and write about it next week. i call it my "Analogy of the Artichoke." it's amazing and deals with Alma 5. love you all! cheers!

from the land of terrible cheese, but amazing noodles

2009-03-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

something cool: chyuns and math! (chyuns = apartment buildings)
1 chyun has 30 floors. each floor has 20 apartments. each apartment has about 3 people. that's 1800 people per chyun. in one area there are about 4 chyuns in 5 acres of space. that's 7200 people in 5 acres of land. welcome to hong kong.

something funny:
so there are a lot of crazy people here in hong kong. and they all speak english for some weird reason. and usually know something about the church because they are they only ones crazy enough to talk to us...:) one man in particular amuses me. he stands outside of the tai wai mtr station and directs all the buses coming in. he has self appointed himself to this position. he isn't needed to do this. BUT, day after day he comes and yells, and moves people around and calls to the drivers and makes all sorts of scenes and movements with his hands and arms and "directs" the bus traffic. i love it.

something food:
cheese here is definitely not a main food source. it is expensive and hard to find. i had chinese cheese the other day at an investigators house and it was the most awful stuff i have ever tasted. terrible and potent in every form of the word. i will stick to cheddar while i'm here i think.

something worth quoting:
"the only way to go swimming as a missionary is to swim in your own sweat." -me

it has been hot here lately and i'm feeling the affects of the humidity and all. i will get use to it i guess.

something spiritual:
so one of our investigators is a very smart girl and has studied lots of philosophy. she is amazing and i love talking with her. she told us a funny story yesterday about a quote she found in the bathroom of her school. it had the famous quote from Nietszche that says "God is dead." and underneath it someone had written - "Nietszche is dead." - God. very true. hahaha. God is not dead. he is very much alive in this world and helping this work along every day. i've so grateful to have this knowledge and am working my hardest to help others know that God is not dead. he lives. this i know.

something miracle:
a man we ran into on monday who is very smart and intellectual told us that if he was suppose to learn about our church he would see us again and then it would be fated. we didn't see him on tuesday, and wednesday it was raining very hard. my companion sister vance felt we should go out finding anyways and felt prompted to go to the bridge area where we cross the river. so there we were in the rain and talking to people on the bridge and along comes yaji - the man from monday. we are meeting with him this coming monday! being a missionary is so much fun, because we know that fate is real - God is the one in charge of it and he is the one helping us! now that's fate!

From the Land of yam chah and chyuns

2009-03-18T16:36:00.000-07:00

something funny:
chinese fashion. yea, it's pretty interesting. i've seen pretty much everything here. the other day, i put my argyle socks on with some shiny, sparkly shoes with my sweat pants and took a picture making fun. the next day, i say a girl wearing that exact thing. yep. they wear pretty much anything with anything here. i love it.

something food:
yam chah!!!!! the best thing ever. some members in our ward took us out to do yam chah, which means "drink tea" literally, but we don't of course. it's basically where they put out a bunch of food on a turn table and you dip it in all kinds of sauces and eat till you are so full you can't move. it's amazing! i had my first chicken legs too! not bad, but it has been described as trying to pull meat off of a baby's hand. yes, gross. but overall, good experience!

something miracle:
last p-day after email my trainer and i discovered we were locked out of our apartment. we were suppose to go to the temple and had been looking forward to it all week and were fasting for some of our investigators. my comp's recommend was in the apartment, so we part our heads together and discovered that we could open our apartment with an umbrella. yes. it was a miracle. we go in and made it to the temple. nice try satan!

something exciting!!!
today, we had a zone activity and played football against the New Territories Zone. it was pretty much the most fun i've had since i came here. my team won first place after some intense tournaments. it was insane and i have never been so sweaty in my life. i love football and got a lot of exertion out that needed to get out. i will try to attach pictures! we lost our first game, and it was double elimination, but we came through and won the next 7 games. it was crazy.

something language:
i had my first pass off success last week on saturday and passed off lesson one! wahoo! only 5 more lessons to go! they always make me really nervous, but i learn a lot and they are good. i have set lots of goals to pass them all off before the end of my second moves. we'll see how it goes. it pushes my language a lot!

something spiritual:
Uncle Bob sent me this quote and it is perfect for here in hong kong where everything revolves around time. everyone here is so busy and has no time for the gospel! here it is:
"Time isn't your natural dimension. There are days when you wish that time would pass quickly, and it won't. And there are days when you wish you could hold back the dawn, and you can't and it's because you and I are not at home in this dimension we call time. It's because we belong to eternity. A fish is at home in the water but you and i aren't at home in time. if we really were at home in time, we wouldn't wear wrist watches and have clocks on the wall. And that ought to tell us something. So in those moments when life presses in upon you, remember that you are struck out of eternity. And this is not your natural home. And time is not your natural dimension. Now we have to function in it. But the fact that we're not at home in it ought to tell us where we really do come from." -Neal A. Maxwell

I love you all so much! Cheerio!

A Little Bit of Everything!

2009-03-11T16:35:00.000-07:00

So, i've decided these emails need some sort of structure every week, so i don't waste time blabbing about stuff. And you are all so good at writing me that i have no time to write back! ahhh! the blessings of a large family are just overwhelming sometimes!...:) so, i've decided to do a list of "somethings" for every week to cover all the stuff going on here. here goes:

Something cool:
Hong Kong has something called sky bridges that are all over the place. instead of having scary intersections to cross and get killed by flyinh by taxis and double-decker muses, they have these sky bridges for mass amounts of people to walk on that go up and over the roads and intersections. they are covered and even have escalators and stuff because they go so high. they have ramps back down to the sidewalks. pretty cool, and keeps walking traffic flowing without having to wait for cars and stuff. chinese people are so smart!

Something funny:
Lots of people know who we are before we get to them or see us talking to other people and want to avoid us. This is funny because something they go to great lengths not to talk to us. like walk in the bike lane and almost get run over or try to cross the road to early and almost get hit by cars. some people even run in the opposite direction as us and accidently run into trees or trip and stuff. i think it's hilarious! just think when they get to heaven and someone asks, "so how did you die?" and they have to say, "i was running away from the missionaries and got hit by a bus."...:) ok, maybe, that's not funny. sorry mom....:)

Something worth quoting:
"for every brainfart, there is a blessing." -my comp sister vance

Something exciting:
Our TALL BOOK IS HERE!!! Matthew will know what I'm talking about. It is the missionary vocab and phrases book that every language gets when they go to the MTC. It helps us learn the phrases and vocab, especially religious vocab to teach lessons, etc. they haven't had one for Cantonese and it made it so hard to learn stuff, because cantonese is not a written language in romanized form. the ping yam is all invented to help english people learn it. it arrived yesterday and they gave it to us in mission conference! we all celebrated and it will make learning the language for me go so much faster! wahoo! such a blessing! this is actually a really big deal and just shows how much the work here is progressing and getting better every day!

Something food:
So, here in the wonderful land of hong kong they have everything you could imagine. yes, even marshmallows filled with chocolate. my friend Cary Plocher always wanted to invent them because she really likes s’mores and there they were in our fridge at the church...marshmallows with chocolate already in them! they are called "snowiz" i think. i roasted them over the burner yesterday and made a s’mores, it was amazing!

Something spiritual:
We are all familiar with the song and story of the intsy-wintsy spider. we sing it with children and do all the actions and have a great time. BUT, do we stop to think of the meaning of the song? we disregard the fact that after the rain washes the spider down, the sun comes up and dries up all the rain and the intsy-wintsy-spider goes up the spout AGAIN! Like that little spider, i am a bug in this big city and many times i get washed out and rejected, But I will not give up and i will not let the rain get me down! out comes the sun, and back up the spout i go!!!

Something language:
The other day when we were contacting some people i told them that "kidneys love you so much!" if you say "God" wrong, it means kidneys. yea for me!

Something miracle:
My companion Sister Vance and I have been praying for miracles and more people to teach! We found a family! they are special and the mother and daughter especially are prepared for the gospel. the dad is too, he just doesn't know it yet. at the MTC we were told that people with problems are exactly what we are looking for. he is unemployed right now and very concerned about keeping face and providing for his family. we are focusing on prayer and ways they can pull together as a family and rely on God to bless them and strengthen them in this hard time. There are so many people out there that are struggling just like they are and need this gospel! it will help them so much not to worry about the worldly pressures, but to know that their heavenly father is watching out for them and wants them to have peace in their lives. there are miracles around every corner here in Hong Kong!

Remember, you are all something special to me!

From the Land of Tai Chi and Dragon Fruit

2009-03-05T08:48:00.000-08:00

As i do my studies every morning, i have the most pleasant view of concrete buildings, drying laundry, and chinese people doing tai chi down below on the roof of the mall below my apartment building. it is the most fascinating thing to watch. This one lady in particular is there every morning doing here daily ritual. She does other exercises that i'm not quite sure what they are, but she moves around a lot and rubs her body and shakes her hands and does a little dance every now and then that makes me laugh. i'm tempted to video it one day. Walking around tracting and finding, there are tons of people in the parks and in large open spaces doing tai chi and playing their music. i've decided that i really like chinese people. Mostly because they make me laugh and they are so small and cute. this one time in an elevator, we ran into a popo (grandma) that was less than half my size and bent over so far her chin almost reached her knees. i could have picked her up with one arm and carried her home with me...:) but they keep on keepin on and i don't know how they do it. there are old people all over the place doing little exercise things outside all the time, so i guess whatever that little dance thing they are doing helps them live forever or something. It's like "sit and be fit" Chinese style. Americans should take note.

I have also concluded that I love Chinese food. People say that there is a lot of strange and weird food here, but i am yet to eat anything i don't like! it is all amazing! They have the coolest fruit i have every seen. My favorite so far being the dragon fruit. It is white with black seeds and almost has the texture of kiwi, but the outer shell is blazing red/pink with cool leaf things coming off of it. it is sooo good! i have also been introduced to gaak jai bengs, which are waffles with peanut butter, sweet and condensed milk and butter. i can't tell you the joy that filled my mouth when i ate it. the scent of them wafts through the mall where we walk to get to the MTR (subway) everyday and reminds me of the memory. they are so amazing though that i decided they can only be eaten every 3 months or so. i have to control myself, or else i will die of a heart attack at age 30. The bread here is also to die for. they fill it with all sorts of good stuff and most the time i can't read what's in it, so i just pick one and get surprised. it reminds me of eaurope and london a lot with all the bread shops and cakes and pastries. The pastries and cakes here are different though. they are very spongey light. i love it! less sugar, but still good. i've discovered many different ways to make oatmeal here that my dad would be proud of. that's pretty much all we ate for breakfast when i was younger, and now i have found ways to expand the amazingness of oatmeal. they put in condensed milk, eggs, cinnamon, peanut butter and all sorts of interestingness. it's almost gourmet sometimes. being limited with food supplies also drives me to invent strange things for meals. it's times like that when i open the fridge and say, what to we have? let's put it all together and eat it! through this process i have invented some of the best omelets i've ever had in my life, thanks to raisins, cheese, eggs and a mystery meat that i'm not sure what it really is still....:) yes, it is good. trust me... The BBQ's here in Hong Kong are also incredible. They cook live clams over the pit and you get to watch them sizzle and squirm to death and then you eat it. yum. you also roast fish balls and other weird meat over the fire and spread this honey bbq sauce over it that makes everything taste good no matter what it is you're eating. if you can't tell, i lvoe the food here. i love hong kong and i love being a missionary. see you next week!

Sister Bird

I Made It to Hong Kong! Wahoo!!!

2009-02-26T08:50:00.000-08:00

Leih deih hou! (hello everyone!)

So this is going to test my typing skills because i have just 15 minutes to write this! (I'm in a cafe with a timer...:( ready, set, go!

Trainer: Sister Vance - amazing, from California, i call her a "calm rock," she is solid in the gospel and has a such a strong testimony and wants to tell everyone about it, i love her! she is bold and inspires to be more so and to use what i know.

Area: Tai Wai - my teacher predicted i would go here! Nice one Sister Slade!!!

Apartment: i live with 3 other sisters: sister Kong, Varner and Townley. Yes there are 5 of us in this tiny tiny little apartment! i though the mtc was small, haha! i love it though. very cozy and everyone is very considerate of each other.I actually live in Sha Tin area, but my area boundary is just right across the street. i love my ward and the area. we go running toget more familiar with it....which is such a blessing! God sent me a trainer that likes to run! so many blessings!

so, here in Hong Kong we have this weird terminology. when you first come to the mission you are "born" and your trainer isyour mom and you are here baby. yes, it's strange but i like it. when you are done with the mission you "die"and go back home...:) hee hee. so sister Vance is my momma and she is a very good one. i am one lucky baby!

Ok, so on to the good stuff. MIRACLES!! they happened the very first day i got here. I got to take an investigator To listen to Elder Nelson Speak. Her name is Mandy and we actually just set a baptism date for her yesterday! Wahoo! March 22nd! She is golden. My first night on the way home, i taught someone how to pray on the MTR (subway). it was so cool, kind of awkward as it got all quiet and there were so many people squished in there and they were all listening to me teach this girl how to pray. i loved it!...:) it's crazy when you actually get to use the stuff you've been learning for real! my first Sunday at church they had me get up and bear my testimony to the ward. also amazing. i got to express my love and tell them how excited i was to be there and help them. i had been praying that heavenly father would give me an opportunity to do that and now i just have to live up to my word!

the weather here is crazy warm already and at the end of the day i come home pretty sweaty and gross, but i don't care too much. we do a lot of finding right now, which can be grueling sometimes, but it's always worth it when we find that one person who wants to listen to us!the Lord helps me to know what to say and to just say what i know. I usually have to just open my mouth first and then he fills it. I get discouraged sometimes, well at least frustrated because i don't like not being able to understand what they are saying, but i am learning to be more patient with myself. i want to push myself with the language as much as i can so i can converse more fluently with people. they have what they call language pass-offs here and i am doing my first lesson pass off this week. we will see how it goes. if i don't pass they just have you keep doing it and it's just good practice.

thank you for all your prayers and emails! we are going to schedule time at the library next time so i have a full hour for email and then i won't be so stressed trying to type this. OK, i love you all so much!

(if you are reading this sister Slade and sister Burby,here's a shout out to you all and tell sister Peck, Lemmon and Elder Stringham i love them and to keep working hard!)

Hong Kong is pretty much amazing! Even though i'm more of a mountain , countryside kind of girl and not really a city girl, this place has already captured my heart. You are all in my heart as well. cheerio! b-bye!

THE MTC: A PLACE OF MIRACLES!

2009-02-04T08:33:00.000-08:00

First of all, I have to publicly thank my sister for posting these e-mails for me. She is amazing and keeps me in connection with all of you since I don't have enough time to write all of you and don't really have access to my blog at this point in time.

I am down to 12 days left here at the Provo, Utah Missionary Training Center! I have been here 10 weeks now, and I am definitely ready to go to Hong Kong. However, I will miss this sacred place and all the experiences I have had here. So many that I cannot recount them all to you, but want you to know that I have never seen so many miracles and blessings in all my life! There is just a incredible feeling here that can only be experienced in the flesh. I especially love when all 2,000+ missionaries gather together for meetings and sing songs like "Called to Serve." There are so many of us, learning 52 different languages and traveling to all over the world to share the same message, a message of happiness and salvation that fills me with so much joy and vigor that I sometimes cannot contain myself. There is nothing I would rather be doing with my life right now.

I just want you all to know that learning a language is the most hilarious thing I have ever done, especially Cantonese. I am learning quickly, but still make lots of mistakes. I've decided you just have to laugh at yourself, otherwise you would get really frustrated and cry. We've said a lot of ridiculous things when we practice teaching, like "God eats you," instead of "God knows you." The difference comes with the tone of the word, so if you use the wrong tone, you are saying something completely different than you mean. It's fabulous, let me tell ya! Or very humbling at the least. There are about five levels to learning one word in Chinese: the sound/tone, pronunciation, ping yam/romanization, character, and the actual meaning of the word. It's challenging, but with the hardest challenges come the greatest blessings and rewards! The LORD is truly helping me with this work I am in and I am forever grateful for his love in my life. May you feel it also in your own lives and know that I pray for all of you each night!

Joi gin!

Sister Bird (Bat Ji Muih)

Sing Daang Faailohk!...(from the MTC)

2008-12-24T09:42:00.000-08:00

This sums up my feelings completely. In Cantonese, this phrase literally translates to "holy birth happiness" - their version of "Merry Christmas." I feel so blessed to be where I am today. Although far from home and not celebrating the holidays with my family, I am surrounded by so much love and 2000+ brothers and sisters here at the Missionary Training Center. There is no better place to be at Christmas time as everything we do centers around Jesus Christ, his purpose in coming to earth, his gospel, atonement, and the endless love that he extends to each one of us. Just thinking of his holy birth feels me with joy and happiness!!

My lifestyle here is probably very strange to most of you, but I want you to know that it is by far the most satisfying and rewarding challenge I have ever undertaken. I spend from 6:30 am to 10:30 pm every day studying, eating, drinking, sleeping, and dreaming Cantonese. In the "downtime"...ha!...we sleep, exercise and eat (food). I love spending my time in such a focused manner that everyday I fall into bed physically, spiritually, mentally and emotionally exhausted! It's glorious!

The Christmas season here is magnified in every way possible and there is such a feeling of love and joy in the air, you can't help but catch the spirit of the season. I hope you feel the same joy in your own lives wherever you are and know that I pray for all of you everyday....I do a lot of praying these days, as that is the only way to make it through the day around here! I'm amazed as the Lord answers those prayers every day. Merry Merry Christmas!

Love,

Sister Nicole Bird (Bat Ji Muih)

My Next Marathon

2008-11-28T23:51:00.000-08:00

In many ways, I am still unsure of what this whole mission thing entails. Yes, I've heard numerous stories and advice over the years and been given specific information and preparation tools tailored to where I'm going and the language I'll be speaking. Yet, every mission is different and every person is different. No amount of advice or research can prepare me for what I am about to begin. Sometimes you just have to do it.

For some reason, to just "do it" has been much harder than I thought it would be. I decided to serve a mission over 7 months ago. Much transpired before then to prepare me spiritually, physically, emotionally and mentally, and many things have happened since then. I knew I needed money to pay for my mission, so I went to Alaska to work for 4 months. Returning home in September felt like I was finally hearing the gunman say, "on your mark..." The paperwork, studying and shopping preparation was minimal compared to other events going on in my family, so it was only until several weeks ago that I realized he had already said, "get set..." I've been waiting in this "get set" position for a while now and there is nothing more unsettling than the anticipation you feel before that gun goes off. This Wednesday, the gunman will say "GO!" and I have this inkling that it will not be as exhilarating or short as my 100 yard hurdle races were in high school. This will not be a sprint. This will be a marathon.

Fortunately, I have some experience with marathons. They usually take months of preparation and a lifetime of living well and taking care of your body. You can prepare and train all you want, but there is nothing like actually running the 26.2 miles in one go. Marathons require physical, spiritual, mental and emotional preparation (at least in my book they do). Many runners ask themselves part way through the race, "why am I doing this?" This is usually because they can't feel their legs or they can feel way too much of that blister that just formed on the inside of their left arch. They are long, exhausting and sometimes painful. So why? Why do so many crazy, psycho people like myself run these things? I'll tell you in two words - runner's euphoria. It's possibly the closest thing to bliss I have yet experienced. It's the all-encompassing feeling that I have accomplished something hard, something near impossible for the human body to do. It was hard, yes, but it was worth it. The training paid off, the scenery was breathtaking, people were encouraging and I had the opportunity to encourage as well. The rewards along the way and the reward at the end is priceless. And in my case, I know I didn't do it alone.

Many have asked me why I am serving a mission with much of the same tone that one might use when asking me why I run marathons. I don't blame them. I've asked myself the same question many times. In fact, I've felt much like Tevye did in the musical "Fiddler on the Roof." I find myself saying, "So, God...Do you know why I'm doing this?...Of course you know....Would you mind telling me?...Not yet?...Ok...Maybe a couple clues, eh?...I know, I know...Patience..."

I have a suspicion that my answer will come much the same way my reason for running marathons came - after the fact. Maybe something like "missionary euphoria." No matter how hard it is, no matter how long, exhausting or possibly painful, it will be worth it. The reward will be priceless. And I won't have to do it alone. As the good book says, "They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:31)

Hong Kong on the Horizon...

2008-11-09T21:26:00.000-08:00

The waiting game is getting to me. It has now been 2.5 months since I found out I will be serving in the China Hong Kong mission starting December 3rd. The time has passed quickly, but I feel as it draws nearer that each day prolongs itself more and more just to taunt me. Although I've been grateful for the time to prepare and be with family for certain events, I am so ready to just go! In fact, in many ways I am already gone...

I love being at home with family and it definitely has it's financial benefits; however, I find myself going stir crazy from time to time. Wenatchee is simply beautiful in the fall, but even its calming influence does little for my restlessness. Time is the problem. When I have time to think about things, I get into trouble. Knowing I am about to leave for 18 months to a country I am hardly familiar with to teach people in a language I don't know tends to bring on a whole range of emotions that I desperately try to suppress. These emotions accumulate day by day, mound up in heaps in the corners of my room like a pile of dirty laundry, and then taunt me until I break down and resolve to sort through them. As I sort, I ask myself, WHY am I doing this? Who's idea was this anyway? WHY am I postponing grad school and other dreams to spend a year and half living like a nun? Ok, not really like a nun, but close...:)

The truth is, just as a pile of old clothes can easily be tackled, cleaned and put away, these emotions are easily shelved when I focus on one thing - agency. Serving a mission for my church was actually something I felt prompted to do. However, I chose to act on that prompting. That action led to China and who knows where China will lead me, but I am confident that it will lead me to where I want to go. Even if I am not sure where that is right now. Agency brings with it the weight of responsibility. The difficult part will be making my decision the right one by making the most of every day I am in Hong Kong. I believe there are times in our lives when we have the opportunity to pick and choose our battles. At this point in my life, this is the battle I have chosen and I hope to do all I can to come out triumphant.

Alaska: Land of the Midnight Sun?

2008-07-31T17:37:00.000-07:00

I can count on one hand the number of warm, sunny days we've had up here in Anchorage for the month of July. I've decided that summer doesn't really seem to exist in Alaska. Either that or global warming is having the opposite effect up here in the northern regions of the world. In fact, it has been so overcast and rainy here all month that the rivers are flooding and the train I work on is only running up to Denali, instead of all the way to Fairbanks because of it. Crazy. Several times I have rebelled and worn shorts just because I wanted to pull them off the shelf and not feel like their space in my suitcase was totally wasted. The nickname "Land of the midnight sun" just doesn't have the same effect when the clouds are always covering it.

Despite the dreary weather, I have been trying to keep myself busy and make the most of my time here in "The Last Frontier." A couple of hiking excursions and camping trips are always the best cure, no matter what the weather. Some friends and I hiked Flat Top (a mountain close to Anchorage) and it truly rejuvenated my senses. I always think clearer at higher altitudes and we even saw the full arch of a rainbow! My most memorable moment so far is probably watching all the Alaskans going dip netting down in Kenai during a camping trip. As a "non-resident," I wasn't allowed to actually do the dip netting, but it was fascinating to just observe. They did let me gut the fish, of course, and I thoroughly enjoyed that. I even ate some raw fish eggs straight out of a red salmon!

The most important accomplishment this month, at least in my eyes, was turning in my mission application and finishing all my interviews and doctor's appointments. It's official now! Wahoo! Now I just get to play the waiting game. I'm guessing it will take about 2-3 weeks or so to find out where I am being sent and when. Everyone keeps asking where I want to go and are annoyed when I tell them "I really don't care." I've decided that wherever I go is where I'm suppose to be, so there's no use in setting up some sort of expectation when i probably won't get sent there. I'm planning on Provo, Utah or Temple Square in Salt Lake City...:) Anyways, I will let everyone know as soon as I know.

In the meantime, enjoy the sun wherever you may be and don't take it for granted! There's one thing to be said for all these clouds and rain - I am ten times more grateful than I use to be for just pure sunshine, vitamin-D happiness. It truly lifts my spirits.

All it takes is ALL you got!...

2008-07-01T16:38:00.000-07:00

…My new slogan for my Alaskan adventures. After running the Mayor's Midnight Sun Marathon here in Anchorage on the 21st, I definitely felt the effects of giving it all I got. However, the soreness was a small price to pay for the amazingness of runner's euphoria and realizing afterward that I had just run 26.2 miles the fastest I had ever run and that my body was still in one piece. At 3 hours and 49 minutes I was only 4 minutes off from qualifying for the Boston Marathon. (But I will be on my mission anyways by next April, so I'll just have to focus on that goal when I get back...:) My roommate Erika ran with me and we both placed much better than we had planned. Out of 700 females, we took 38th and 42nd! We were shocked, since we only had 1 month to train. I took 7^th in my age group (20-25) and Erika took 1^st in hers (15-19)! It was overall an incredibly difficult trail, but I think that made me run faster because I felt like I was going to get a bad time with all those hills! The trail was absolutely beautiful and green, winding through forested areas and we even saw a baby moose (calf) on the trail as we were running…only in Alaska...:)

I recently learned that there is a club for people who run 50 marathons in all of the 50 states. Erika and I have decided that before we turn 50, we will have joined that club. So, that being said, I have a lot of work ahead of me, but I can’t wait! There is just something so exhilarating about races that I can’t get enough of. Although this is my 3^rd marathon, 2 of them were in Utah, so it looks like as of right now I have 2 down and only 48 left to go! Yahoo!

Running Into the Wild

2008-06-12T19:10:00.000-07:00

Against my mother's wishes, I am currently training for another marathon while I am up here in Alaska. Since I am determined to run a marathon in every state, I figured I should run it while I am up here. I will admit that it has been difficult to train with my work schedule and everything else I am trying to accomplish, but it has turned out to be such a blessing. My lovely roommate, Erika Ewing, also runs marathons (I believe she was sent to me from up above) and when we have the same scheduled days off, we venture off into the numerous trails and woods of the Anchorage area.

The first few runs were somewhat depressing as Anchorage had not quite leafed out in all its beautiful green lushness and resembled more of a brown sand bag with numerous dirt and twigs. The trails seems to change every time I run on them, getting progressively more green and full. Of course, there are always the tunnels with the train running overhead, random moose to maneuver around, sunsets, lakes and small creeks, bald eagles on the mud flats and airplanes flying so close I can feel the vibration from their engines. I realized today as I was running my standard 20 miler run before the race that I am so incredibly spoiled. Every time I go running, I am amazed at the beauty of the area around me and the peace and quiet of my surroundings. I've even run into people that were on my train car the day before on my runs. They give me time to think, breath deeper and expand the limits of my physical capabilities. I love my runs. They are my salvation. I don't need a marathon to get me out on the trails here. Actually, I can't wait to just go jogging without keeping track of time and distance and just enjoy the run for what it's worth....which is a lot.

Anchorage Away!

2008-06-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

Like many before me, I came to Alaska with some sort of distorted and romantic view of life in Anchorage and the last frontier. With a month of reality behind me, I believe it is now safe to reflect on life as I have experienced it.

If first impressions were all that were ever taken into consideration, I don't think Anchorage would fair very well. At least not during the winter time. When I arrived, it was still cold, empty and winter was delaying its departure. The first reality check was my downtown apartment complex...aka "The Eagle Street Crack Hotel." Not kidding. Within the first week of staying there, our neighbors were arrested for using and/or selling illegal drugs and the police were frequent visitors. The wireless internet password is actually "callthecops." Yes, quite comforting to say the least...:) Mom, aren't you glad I didn't tell you any of this earlier? Oh, and apparently a 2-bedroom apartment here means they will place an extra bed in the living room. 7 girls in a 1 bedroom apartment is quite the feat if you ask me! It's pretty crazy, but the cheapest way to live in the downtown area. Fortunately, we do live close to the rail yard, have good water pressure and an apartment of guys across the parking lot to watch out for us. Blessings, blessings!

Work is not an entirely different cup of tea. Just add enough sugar to make it last 14 hours a day. I spent my first 2 weeks training and stuck inside a train that never left the rail yard. And when I say I am a "Car Manager," I actually mean I am a tour guide, waitress, custodian, mechanic, bar tender, secretary and computer technician all-in-one. And yes, I carry out all these duties on a moving train, which is harder than I ever thought it would be, but possible. I never thought I would be carrying cups of hot coffee down a train car aisle full of 88 people while picking up garbage, listening to Sally-Sue complain about being too cold, answering Billy-Joe-Bob's question about Alaskan foliage, and wondering if the restroom downstairs is out of toilet paper or if I should check the HVAC breaker. They say Alaska is a place of adventure. I think it is coming in a different shape and form for me...

My environment here is exactly the opposite of life in Provo, Utah, AKA "the bubble." Which is a good thing in many ways and quite refreshing; however, the f-word every 5 minutes, smell of smoke, drunks, crack addicts, long work days and the loud noises of the city streets and bar below my bedroom window do take their toll after a while. I have learned to find joy in small and simple things- like cute old people on the train that will talk to me forever about how they met and why they came to Alaska, my dear roommates that have a car to go to church and buy groceries, the beautiful sunsets that last an hour, trails everywhere for running and friends to go with, comfortable cafes with free wireless, yoga in the park by the lake on my days off and the amazingness of really good seafood. The trees are finally leafing out and flower baskets are being hung on the sidewalk posts outside as I type this. Thank you spring! (I know this sounds funny, since it is summer most everywhere else.) I have decided to let Anchorage have a small place in my heart and some space to grow...I think it will. In the meantime, my paychecks and tips keep me working, my roommates keep me laughing and the food keeps me moving. Nothing that a good hike won't cure...and there are definitely plenty of those to conquer.