WE ARE HOME!

Though it has been some time since we were released from our Asia Area Mission, this last posting will finally complete the 18+ month lifespan of this blog. We have been busy reconnecting with family and friends, are both feeling well, and are happy to be back home, though missing the excitement of the city and that we called "home" for one and a half years. Most of all we miss the people that we came to love and respect.

On Wednesday night, September 29, we arrived back in Salt Lake City and were greeted at the airport by two of our families; another family came to our home a bit later. It was wonderful to see our grandchildren, their moms and dads. 36 hours later, the entire family gathered in St. George at the temple for the special sealing of Keegan. We loved our few days together!

Fortunately, Dave, Leslie and Max were able to be in the states and came to Utah to be with family. We were so grateful for the efforts of all as we were welcomed home so graciously.

Leaving Hong Kong was not easy. Ryan Lee, our good friend from the office, took us to the airport and we made it (barely) on the number of bags and their maximum weight limits! The flight from HK to Taipei and then through Los Angeles and to SLC was long, but pleasant enough.

Farewells with those we came to love seemed to last for days. Joyce and Joseph were friends whom we saw almost daily. They were always so pleasant and kind . . . we miss the wonderful Chinese staff.

A small "farewell/thank you" gift was given to the staff at the office as we visited each individually. The bookmark was created and designed by our dear friend and artist, Sarah Samuelsen -- the cookies were a joint effort between me and my special friend, Cheryl Ferguson. 75 bags were created and appreciated.

Lunch with the senior missionaries is a tradition when couples depart for home. Our lunch was yummy, and we were presented with a special Chinese photo frame as a keepsake.

Our branch farewell event was memorable in every way. We spoke at our sacrament meeting and the choir sang "one last time." After the meetings, we had family home evening together; there were songs, dances, tributes, flowers, keepsakes, and delicious food. The warm smiles and occasional tears would be greatly missed.

Heaps of photos were taken that day!

Familiar songs and dances made for a lively activity!

"Simple costumes" . . . not really, but these very clever women can create incredible effects.

Brad and Kristin arrived for a week toward the middle of September. They were accompanied by their friends, the Burrows, and all stayed at a hotel very near the office. We spent some great time with them, and in the spirit of adventure, they ventured off on their own some of the time. Above we are shown with some of our special Filipina women after a temple session.

Fortunately, it was a "holiday week" for the Chinese. With the Mid-Autumn Festival occurring on Wednesday, we decided to visit Victoria Park to see the unusual and enchanting lantern festival. There was much to see, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

A day-trip to Big Buddha and Tai O fishing village provided lots of opportunities to see new things. Since these places are favorites of ours, we were happy to join our visitors in this outing to see "one last time" the places that we think are quite wonderful.

At the fishing village, this sweet woman works so hard to keep the pathways clean and orderly for the locals and the many visitors that come to Tai O. It is such a unique spot where you feel you've "stepped back in time" to another era. Fishing supports the people there, and you see very fresh fish as well as racks of drying fish -- and additionally many varieties of dried fish. We weren't adventuresome enough to buy some . . . but the fresh almond cookies were yummy!

Our farewell dinner with the Asia Area Presidency and wives was perfect. We loved spending the evening with these three men and their lovely wives. Oh, how we miss them!

The staff joined in celebrating the festival -- and fruit and moon cakes were the fare of the day. The Whitmans taught the "chicken dance," hokey-pokey, and the bunny hop. That was our way of infusing a bit of our culture into their traditional holiday activities.

Without question, the fruits are much more appealing to us than the mooncakes (reminds us of having to eat fruit cake at Christmas when we were young -- just because "you did that" at the holidays).

Lilian and I spent a very pleasant lunch together. She is a special friend who owns a shop near the office -- I was involved in a project with her and grew to truly respect and appreciate her willingness to accommodate the needs we had. Hopefully she will come to Utah for a visit in the future -- she says she is considering it!

Another view from the upper patio at the Church Administration Building -- oh how we miss the city life!

Our good friend, Edward, treated us to lunch at the Hong Kong Country Club. He is a very kind, thoughtful, and generous church member whom we had the opportunity to work with on occasion.

Lunch at the Crystal Jade, one of our favorite Chinese restaurants, was enjoyed by some of the office staff before we left. What a great group of people!

Taking some of the Asia Area mission presidents and wives on a short outing to Stanley Market was a little break for them in an otherwise "very busy and productive" mission presidents' seminar which was held in early September. We enjoyed preparing the physical elements of many meetings and seminars while they were in Hong Kong. The best part, however, was the wonderful people we became acquainted with because of our assignments.

Awesome August!

This will be my last posting from Hong Kong. We leave for home in just a few weeks . . . and I'll add the final chapter some time after we arrive in Draper and reunite with our family. I do want to conclude this blog with the events of these last weeks as well as the time we will spend with our son Brad and his wife Kristin, who arrive on September 18th. Also, I will add our final good-byes with many dear and treasured friends.

Recentlly I taught a group of wonderful women "how to become better teachers" and it was pure pleasure. They were so receptive and seemed to appreciate my presentation. After the one-hour spent learning and discussing, they provided (unexpectedly) a delicious meal complete with a special "thank you" cake and accompanying traditional Filipino song.

Oh, how I will miss the hugs these women freely give!

A Saturday outing to the Hong Kong Museum of History was exceptional. The displays were impressive -- everything from traditional clothing to . . .

an explanation of the opium wars and Japanese occupation of Hong Kong in the 40s -- to the traditional wedding carriage where the bride and groom met each for the first time other on their wedding day. An excellent docent provided information that really gave us some important information.

Some beautiful artifacts were enjoyed . . .

traditional lanterns were admired . . . and we thoroughly enjoyed spending a few hours indoors on a hot, muggy and rainy Saturday.

Sister Elaine Dalton, General President of the Young Women worldwide, came to Asia for about 12 days. Her stopover in Hong Kong was significant with many young women enjoying a devotional in the afternoon, followed by a dinner I provided for her and about 25 others. Later, there were several hundred in attendance at another leadership meeting. She is such a magnet for the girls, freely giving hugs, smiles and her undivided attention. What an outstanding role model she provides for these special young women!

Having never been in the IFC (International Financial Center) previously, Ned took me over one Friday afternoon so I could see the harbor and views from this incredible building, the 8th tallest in the world. It was used in the "Batman" movie (remember those the "claws" on the top). The views from the lookout point were quite spectacular.

And looking to the harbor, it was fun to see the junks, boats and the tall buildings on the Kowloon side.

Our "still to do in Hong Kong" list included Kadoorie Farm and Botanic Garden -- which we visited a few Saturdays ago. Terraced farms were created when the Chinese returned to Hong Kong after the Japanese occupation in the 1940s. Additionally, hundreds of thousands of Chinese civil war refugees came to the area. These people worked hard to terrace the mountain side and were given starts of plants and some animals for their personal use. Over 56,000 interest-free loans were given by a humanitarian group so the Chinese could begin a new life on their own. It was an incredible program begun by two Europeans in an effort to help in repatriation. We thoroughly enjoyed seeing the zoological gardens, the botanic gardens and taking a shuttle bus to the top of the mountain where we could "see forever."

One of my all-time favorite flowers!

A pagoda "up top" provided a good backdrop for a photo op.

There were beautiful flowers everywhere!

Intrigued by columns and "all things Chinese," we especially enjoyed a few minutes at the top of the mountain.

Coming back to Hong Kong from the New Territories where the Kadoorie property is located, I noted the long aisle of "legs" through the various cars on the train. As you can see, the trains are beautiful, clean and are extremely well-maintained.

A highlight of August was the marriage of Delia and Delbert. Both from the Philippines and both returned missionaries, they are a special couple. We have enjoyed getting to know her and participating in their marriage in the Hong Kong Temple as well as at a reception at the Church after the marriage. We wish them both "all the best!"

Looking up in Hong Kong!

We have discovered the need to "look up" in Hong Kong. There are bustling streets and countless intriguing shops; it is easy to lose your bearings if you don't look up! Spotting a favorite building, you can regain a sense of direction living in this metropolis.

There are many magnificent buildings; we can even see some "mountains" in the background.

At Times Square, looking up reveals a gorgeous mosiac "glass ceiling" -- large and beautiful.

Some time ago, our Area President, Elder Perkins addressed the studentbody at BYU-Hawaii. He spoke of the need to look up. He likened the need to physically "look up" in a world filled with diversions. He quoted a former general authority who said: "The eye must be trained to look upward. We must look to God and live."

Then he suggested a few ways to do this: Look up to Heavenly Father in daily prayer. We need to make time to speak to our Father in Heaven each day. He also spoke of the temple and the need to "stand on high ground" like The Peak in Hong Kong. It is from the temple (our "peak") that we gain a true perspective

The view from the top is incredible. The lessons we learned from Elder Perkins' talk will help us both physically and spiritually.

In the heat of July . . .

The last Saturday of most months, the senior couples have an activity together. It was our turn to plan, so we organized a harbor cruise at 7 p.m. Everyone that was in town attended -- a fun evening was spent on the water enjoying the sights on both sides.

Though it was a warm day, the breeze and the water combined to make a very pleasant cruise.

The views from the water are really spectacular!

A happy group!

President and Sister Uchtdorf visited Hong Kong for several days (personal vacation) and were kind enough to speak to the missionaries and the members here. It was my pleasure to prepare the gift basket for their hotel room. We had a special few minutes with them and their twin grandsons in our office area and received a very kind personal note from President Uchtdorf after his return to Salt Lake City. They are truly marvelous people.

The two of us ventured out on a recent Saturday to find the Sai Kung Country Park Nature Trail. It was a nice walk, though the weather was very hot and humid. We were grateful for the trees that provided some shade.

The scenery was truly beautiful and we weren't that far from the hustle and bustle of the city --about 45 minutes from a busy subway station!

Bananas were growing in the trees.

A resort complete with accommodations, swimming pool and a large recreation area was just across the river.

Near the end of the nature walk, we arrived at the Hakka folk museum and village ruins from 150 years ago.

The buildings were well-kept and depicted life in the area during an earlier time.

A SERIES OF INTERESTING SIGNS!

This building a few doors from our apartment is not "opulent!"

Reflexology is very popular and "massage salons" can be found in almost every block. This neon sign did catch my attention. The foot massages here are great!

If you are hungry, try the "Little Sheep" for dim sum! We did and enjoyed it when Steve and Cami were here.

This one is really something -- American Restaurant with Peking food! We wonder just what is on the menu??

At Ocean Park, you have no reason to trip or stumble since you are warned to "mind the road hump!"

If you are shopping at the wet market, you can spot a place to buy pork because of this sign!

It does look like a Giant Foot is featured here -- along with some "baby" ones!

This sign is on lots of buses throughout Hong Kong. Thank goodness we have "sincerity and eternity" at the rear of the public transport!

We've had many items cleaned here -- and I guess that the Chinese laundry is trying to compete, or at least measure-up, to American standards!

Thank goodness for Sincere Insurance Company!

Who wouldn't want "cute hair??"

Can you argue with this one?

Thankfully, we have Honest Pharmacy -- though we haven't used it! But who could argue with that name?

A favorite sign . . . for a shop across the street where you could get a light meal and some delicious items made from milk! Things we had never before eaten, but very tasty!