Hong Kong Trip -- Sunday

On Sunday we took a taxi ride to church.  Can I tell you how weird it is to be in a church building with multiple levels and an elevator?  On the way in, Ben saw a local boy scout!  He was so excited and went up to him to tell him he was a scoutmaster in the US.

I'm surprised that these were really the only pictures we have.  We were in so many pictures that day, they must have been taken with other sisters' cameras.  We were back in the Peninsula 2nd Branch (the same sisters at the boodle fight in the mountains).

One of the sisters (between Mum and Dad) is from Myanmar if Ben and I remember correctly.  Her name is Elohim and when asked if there was any reason why her parents named her that, she didn't know.  It was just a coincidence!  She brought 3 of her Buddhist friends to church that day.

Ben and I in front of the church building.

That Sunday was one of the best church experiences I've ever had.  There were visitors from India who had traveled all the way to Hong Kong just to attend the temple.  There was also a newlywed couple that had just been married in the Hong Kong temple 2 days before.  The husband was from Pakistan and the wife was from Florida, and there were legal issues with getting married in a lot of countries but they were able to get married in Hong Kong.  They were flying back home to their home countries the next day until they could legally have the husband move to the US.  They guessed that it would take 6 months.  It was so amazing to hear their testimonies and see their faithfulness with such a hard situation.  I was just impressed that since they wouldn't get to see each other for so long and they only had 3 days to get married and have a honeymoon, that they spent one of those days at church.  I am in awe of these people.

As I said in the Boodle Fight post, these sisters in the branch are domestic workers from other countries.  They move to Hong Kong to make a higher salary so that they can support their families.  Some of them have wonderful employers and some of them have terrible employers.  We got more of a feeling of the type of life that they have to live while we were there.  After seeing how small apartments are in Hong Kong, I asked Mum and Dad where they sleep (by law, even if they're married to a local, they have to live with their employer's family).  Some are lucky enough to get their own rooms.  But most sleep with the children and Mum had even heard that some of them sleep under the kitchen table.

One sister's story really stood out to me.  Her name is Gloria and she has been away from her family in the Philippines for 20 years.  Not too long ago she was talking with her son when she found out that a typhoon was headed for his home and that his roof was in desperate need of repair but he didn't have enough money to fix it.  Gloria went to her employer and asked for 2 months salary in advance so she could send it to him.  Her employer refused.  

A few days later, Gloria was getting ready for church when her employer came up to her and laid down $500 and said that he needed her to work that day even though Sundays are her only day off each week.  He told her she could send the extra money to her son.  Gloria looked at the money and said, "No, I have to go to church."  He put down another $500 and she said no again.  For the third time he put down another $500 and she still said no.  

In the end, Gloria was able to go to church and keep the Sabbath day holy, and the typhoon changed course and completely missed the Philippines.  I thought her story was incredible and inspiring.  These domestic workers only get one day off a week and their employers get to choose what day it is.  The church is aware of this and makes it possible for them to attend the full 3 hour block no matter what day off they have.  Even the temple has special Sunday sessions for these women who only get Sundays off.

It was so amazing to see that these sisters who only get one day off don't use it as vacation time or to have a break from their hard lives.  They use their one day off to go to Institute, choir practice, church, the temple, and to do their visiting teaching.  I was in awe by how faithful these sisters are.  That Sunday was a day I will never forget.