Auckland New Zealand Mission

April 2024 - April 2025

 A new phase is about to begin.  

Watch for upcoming events as we join the Office of General Counsel

in the Pacific Area.

Farewell to Hong Kong

 

Tears have been close to the surface for a week.  The goodbyes seem too frequent and last so long.  It must be time to leave our beloved Hong Kong and move to the next face of life.  We feel blessed beyond belief.

       The “Seniors” met in Dockyard restaurant for a farewell dinner.

“Good morning, have a happy day”, comes from this man every morning as he waves both hands high in the air to be certain I see and return the greeting.

Near the church office building I pick up an English newspaper from this kind woman.  For months now she’s handed me six papers each day.  I deliver the news to all the couples on the tenth floor. 

We couldn’t leave without hiking Lantau Peak, the highest (reachable) mountain in Hong Kong.  The steps were steep, the humid air filled with mist.  My hair dripped with moisture when we reached the top.

This older couple wanted photos with us.  They speak no English so we just stood where she pointed.  Our nametags so often serve as drawing cards, in a positive way.

We descend the mountain on the Big Buddha side.  Rick walks toward the wisdom trail.

The drums of good fortune remain.  At New Year celebrations I recall people pounding these for good luck.

                                             The tram provided a scenic and restful descent.

The trail below reminds us of our climb to Big Buddha in January of 2020 – before the world changed.

         Although it is difficult to see, the words on this police car read, “No drink driving.”

“Time to Reborn” message greets us every morning as our bus enters the cross harbor tunnel.  One new sister thought it was a beautiful Easter message.  I didn’t have the heart to tell her it is a plastic surgery advertisement. 

Aah!  The wonderful sisters of the Peninsula Branch, this is week two of meeting in person again.

                     Jaquilyn wants a photo with Rick too.  Marty Slater stands in the background.

Beautiful pastries awaited our surprise “meeting” with the Real Estate team.  Notice the HUGE raspberries on the tasty tarts.  Also, delicious Portuguese egg tarts will always remind us of Hong Kong.

Rick works closely with Real Estate and the team wanted to honor him.   We were lured to the 9^th floor conference room under false pretenses.  Too many “goodbyes”!

 

Final Days in the Office of General Counsel (OGC)

 

Polly completed her postpartum confinement (one month).  The OGC waited for her visit to snap a few final office photos for the Area Presidency Memorial Booklet.

       Polly’s baby is one month old.  Precious!

We can’t pull ourselves away from this beautiful child and radiant mother.  No one works as we take in the sweetness of a new baby in our midst.  My thoughts turn to grandchildren and my desire to embrace them.

     The Area President, David F. Evans, couldn’t resist the scene.

Sweet Puoi Puoi (meaning positive energy) sleeps through her debut.  With two older sisters,  Sim Sim and Muoi Muoi, at home this crowd is no threat to her dreamy slumber.  I can’t pronounce her Chinese name and parents are still not in agreement on her English name.  Whatever she may be called, we all agree she is beautiful!

We waited for Polly to visit before taking an OGC photo.  We love these people and respect the countless hours invested by each in moving the legal work forward in Asia.

Steve recognized the need to socially distance in the photo to show our compliance with Hong Kong Law.

Norman swims with Rick in the harbor.  They have created a wonderful friendship.  He invited us hiking last Saturday.

We discovered this woman dancing with a hula hoop at the rest area.  Countless surprises await at every adventure in Hong Kong. 

The tree roots take over the exterior of the concrete bunker.

We reached Devil’s Peak in Yao Tong and enjoyed entering what remains of the defense fort.  The writing is on the wall, though Norman couldn’t even read the very old style characters.

The huge cemetery fills one side of the mountain.  Incense always burns near the shrines.  We respect the way they honor their ancestors.  

We finally meet inside the church again.  The sisters thrill at seeing one another.

The Ho Man Tin church stands tall with five levels.  It was one of the first buildings constructed by the church in Hong Kong.

Jaqueline (in black) has become a special friend.  Ling Ling (in black print) leads the branch choir and serves as a role model for many of these women.  I feel enriched through these humble, energetic, and spiritual sisters.

Winding Up Phase

 

As we decrease our personal belongings, clean the apartment, and prepare to pack our bags, I pause to add a few highlights of recent weeks. 

Finally, a concert!!  "Magnificent Mozart" presented a synopsis of Mozart's life and music with orchestra and solo performances.  The entire concert was just over an hour and delightful in every way.  The orchestra wore period costumes that created a feel of stepping back in time.

                        Proper social distancing was a must inside the theater.

    We await the performance and enjoy the scenes on stage – artistic murals of Mozart’s era.

    Several senior couples and a few from the area presidency joined in this delightful event.

Jelly fish are prominent harbor visitors during spring months.   The delicate, floating creatures appear graceful and harmless.

Watch out!!  The sting is deadly.  Norman, Rick’s swimming friend, “kissed” a jelly fish while swimming and emerged with swollen lips and serious scratches on his face.  

                       This is the dressing room in a sporting goods store.

               Rick emerges after trying on a swimming shirt (hoping to avoid jelly fish stings).

                       A night market seen from the overhead foot bridge.

We made it to the top of High West Peak.  Ascending the elevation hike literally took our breath away.  I counted steps during our descent – 1600!!!!  That doesn’t include the pathways and inclines, just the steps.

My camera looks down on the traffic heading into the harbor tunnel during the afternoon rush hour.

The Latimers and Ashes attended the community Cantonese Opera performance in support of Crystal, a talented woman who cleans the Church Office Building.

Rick takes a daytime stroll down Lee Tung Street.  This European section of town creates a feeling of celebration with or without the lights aglow.

These unique statues on the square make me smile.  We enjoy all that Hong Kong offers.

Transportation in Hong Kong

                   The bus provides our most common day-to-day transportation.

                The rail car, ding ding, runs on the downtown portion of Hong Kong Island.

                Most of the buses are double decker.  The narrow staircase leads to the top level.

One very fit senior sister, a marathon runner, missed the top step and tumbled to the bottom.  No broken bones or injuries, she was dazed but very lucky.

                            The top level provides great views of the city and outlying islands.

                               This is just one view from the top of the bus.

                           The red metro symbol guides people to the nearest station.

           We now enter the metro station and take escalators to what feels like the bottom of the earth.

Rick stand at the glass sliding door as we await the arriving train.  Note the white arrows on the floor for waiting riders.  The green arrows mark the exit point for arriving riders.

             The train arrives but the doors take a few seconds to open.

                                      We allow riders to exit first.

                                                            Rick now enters the train.

Not many ride the train on Saturday morning.  Generally, no seats are available and we stand.  Sometimes the car is filled with people and we pack ourselves in like sardines.

We tap, or scan, our cards as we enter and then when we exit stations.  The MTR is incredibly efficient and on time 98% of the time.  We appreciate this fast track when traveling longer distances.

                                    Ferry transport remains our favorite travel style.

                         We enjoy harbor views, such as sailboats, when crossing on Saturdays.

            The interior of larger ferries, those going to islands, tend to be nice and comfortable.

             Regular harbor crossings are short and seating is much more functional.

      We like to watch the assistants tether the vessel as we reach the pier.

                               Rick descends the stairs from the top level.

             He exits the ferry using a ramp and the workers always say, “Mind your head”.

The ramp leads to the exit side of the station.

The familiar ferry welcomes new passengers and crosses the harbor again.

The colorful TST ferry is a favorite.  These present a common view of Hong Kong Harbor.

I never tire of the harbor view from our home on the peninsula.  Hong Kong is a beautiful city.