Our arrival in Hong Kong was very interesting. We arrived on the first day that protesters had started crowding around the airport. People were gathered along all the walkways from the area where the arrivals come through toward the baggage claim area. Many were chanting “Free Hong Kong”, and handing out flyers that said “Sorry for the inconvenience”, and others were sitting beside elaborate displays of various protestor paraphernalia, some with pictures of Carrie Lam (Hong Kong’s current CEO) and some saying “shame on dirty police” showing pictures of people who have been harmed by the rubber bullets and tear gas. I have to say their methods were very peaceful, and I was strangely excited. I feel bad for the police in this area who probably feel the same way as the protesters do but have a duty to keep order. I hope not many people get hurt before they can reach some kind of resolution, but I guess that’s unrealistic. People always have to get hurt to earn their freedom.
It was such a pleasure to see Mom and Dad on their mission. I never got to see them at work on any of their missions until this trip to Hong Kong. My overall impression was that Mom and Dad are doing just fine. They blend in and know how to get around on the buses and subway or “MTR”. Mom carefully plans out directions and navigation and Dad just kind of goes for it. Health-wise, Dad is slowing down a bit, but as long as he drinks plenty of water and is able to rest here and there, he’s fine. But honestly even I had trouble keeping up with them. There is a ton of walking and I was sweating and getting tired, and they were more fit than I was.
Mostly, I just think that Mom is the coolest. Seeing her chatting with all the sister missionaries in Tagalog was fabulous. Everybody loves mom. She is a surrogate mother to all those sisters.
The Island Branch that Mom and Dad attend is a branch made up of probably 95% female domestic helpers. I think I counted 5 males other than Dad, Hunter and the visiting elders. Many Filipinos who can’t find work or make ends meet in the Philippines come over to Hong Kong as Overseas Foreign Workers (OFWs). They get jobs as domestic helpers (live-in housekeepers or nannies) for people who work full time in Hong Kong and need help with their children. They work 6 days a week and get only one day off. The branch we attended was made up of workers whose day off is Sunday, but in Hong Kong, the Church has branches that meet on all days of the week to accommodate OFWs who have their day off on other days of the week. Apparently OFWs can earn twice as much as the average employee can earn working in the Philippines. But many OFWs get used to this kind of work and send much of their money home, so they end up not having enough money to return home. I met ladies who had left behind husbands and children and had been working in Hong Kong for twelve years! These ladies are essentially in bondage, because they rarely make enough money to go back home.
The sacrament meeting talks were very meaningful as sisters who had recently graduated from the self-reliance program were able to report on their experience (which is exactly what I was assigned to do for the Academy at the end of the week in the Philippines-see later post). But what left a lasting impression on me was their prayers. One lady at the beginning of the sacrament meeting said the most humble and sincere prayer I’ve ever heard. She prayed for the people of Hong Kong to be able to have peace and comfort amidst all the protests. She was praying for the people who literally treat her like a second-class citizen! And when she got a little choked up praying for her family, I struggled to keep my composure. It is heart-wrenching the situation these women are in.
As we walked around the city and the pier on our way home that afternoon, the happy, humble Filipinas were lining the sidewalks like homeless people because they have no other place to go on their day off. I had watched a documentary prior to my trip that said that OFWs make up 5% of Hong Kong’s population of 7 million! But even knowing that, it was just very sobering to see it with my own eyes.
We got to do some sightseeing with Mom and Dad. We visited the Hong Kong history museum with some of the other senior missionaries and then went out for dim sum. Mom and Dad also took us to the Sun Yat-Sen Museum which used to be owned by the church. It’s the building where they were baptized and used to attend church. I saw the font where they were baptized. I saw the room where they attended Gospel Principles class. I saw the office where Elder DeJager ordained Daddy to the priesthood. It was so special to be able to picture a younger Mom and Dad with a baby Lani walking those same halls and climbing those stairs when they were investigating the church.
The old church and their apartment are on a very high part of the island. The narrow roads are very steep. Now, they have an extremely long series of escalators/moving walkways that take you up the hill, but back in the day when Mom and Dad were there, they traveled those roads on foot. I couldn’t imagine them carting a baby up and down those steep hills, but Mom said she had a stroller.
After such a full day, we were all pretty tired, but we pushed it a little further and decided to take the tram up to Victoria Peak. The tram was so steep going up the hill that it created an illusion. It appeared that all the skyscrapers were tilted. It was really cool. And the view of the harbor from the top was beautiful even on a foggy day.
Long story short, Mom and Dad are doing just fine. Their apartment is small but has everything they need. The supermarket they go to is loaded with all kinds of fresh bread, meat, and produce. Mom can even find special Asian things like coconut bread very easily. They’re working hard and are very happy. Seeing them definitely inspires me to want to serve a mission one day.
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