大家好！
This week has been nuts. Tuesday through Thursday my companion Elder Shields and I were on exchanges with Elder Sae-Wang who was covering the Mandarin work since Elder Chiang went home. We had so many back to back appointments to maintain the work in both areas. On Wednesday we went to the temple with Nicholas for the first time, and was also able to do baptisms.
Thursday is when transfers came and 18 new missionaries came into the mission! This has been the biggest group since I have come to Hong Kong. For reference just a couple of transfers ago our mission total was in the low seventies. This new group now increases our mission size by nearly a quarter. With them came my privilege to train Elder Solitario, who is from Manila, Phillipines. We are now serving still in the Victoria 1 Branch but Elder Shields and I are split into Victoria 1 A and B, and with the increase of missionaries in the mission, the two of us are living in To Kwa Wan across the harbor which increases our daily commute from a 20 minute walk to a 40 minute train ride.
It's been pretty interesting to get used to these surroundings with a new Elder, but it's been nothing short of fulfilling to be able to teach and lead a new companion in the work while supporting so many missionaries in the zone.
This week we had the chance to watch General Conference where our church leaders provide insights on modern day needs. In his address "Take Upon His Name" by Elder James G. O. Fantone, he discusses experiences he had as a mission leader helping missionaries grow. I loved a portion of his talk which describes the reason for increase in both joy and purpose as missionaries became more and more experienced in the field. He explained, "Time did not change—the missionaries did. The work did not change—the workers did...
When we genuinely take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ by losing ourselves in the service of others, something miraculous happens. We experience what Alma the Younger referred to as a “mighty change” in our hearts (Alma 5:14)—the kind of change that leads to true conversion and not merely personal elation. King Benjamin asked this penetrating question: “For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?” (Mosiah 5:13).
Recently with this new calling, I have had the privilege to be a lot more introspective in seeing habits I have built over the past year effect the work. Initially when I came to the mission, I had some struggles with adjusting to the rigid schedule of the mission, especially waking up and putting my all for the 12 hours we serve per day.
But with habit building and an increased testimony of Jesus Christ, I have found more fulfillment and joy in this work than I have ever done before. The beautiful nature of this work rests in helping others come unto Jesus Christ to "bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which [we] did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost."
As tasked with new responsibilities, within the mission or outside it is also easy to feel overwhelmed. I would like to finish with this quote shared by Michael A. Dunn.
Sometimes... God [makes] the impossible possible can part seas and move mountains... but most often He tops off our courage, capacity, and confidence by empowering us to “lay aside every weight” so we can “run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1).
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2026/10/28dunn?lang=eng&id=p_bLiIu#p_bLiIu
Much love and more Cantonese next week,
Elder Zhao
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qkaoEe965etiYQuj7
Read More About This Post
This week has been nuts. Tuesday through Thursday my companion Elder Shields and I were on exchanges with Elder Sae-Wang who was covering the Mandarin work since Elder Chiang went home. We had so many back to back appointments to maintain the work in both areas. On Wednesday we went to the temple with Nicholas for the first time, and was also able to do baptisms.
Thursday is when transfers came and 18 new missionaries came into the mission! This has been the biggest group since I have come to Hong Kong. For reference just a couple of transfers ago our mission total was in the low seventies. This new group now increases our mission size by nearly a quarter. With them came my privilege to train Elder Solitario, who is from Manila, Phillipines. We are now serving still in the Victoria 1 Branch but Elder Shields and I are split into Victoria 1 A and B, and with the increase of missionaries in the mission, the two of us are living in To Kwa Wan across the harbor which increases our daily commute from a 20 minute walk to a 40 minute train ride.
It's been pretty interesting to get used to these surroundings with a new Elder, but it's been nothing short of fulfilling to be able to teach and lead a new companion in the work while supporting so many missionaries in the zone.
This week we had the chance to watch General Conference where our church leaders provide insights on modern day needs. In his address "Take Upon His Name" by Elder James G. O. Fantone, he discusses experiences he had as a mission leader helping missionaries grow. I loved a portion of his talk which describes the reason for increase in both joy and purpose as missionaries became more and more experienced in the field. He explained, "Time did not change—the missionaries did. The work did not change—the workers did...
When we genuinely take upon ourselves the name of Jesus Christ by losing ourselves in the service of others, something miraculous happens. We experience what Alma the Younger referred to as a “mighty change” in our hearts (Alma 5:14)—the kind of change that leads to true conversion and not merely personal elation. King Benjamin asked this penetrating question: “For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?” (Mosiah 5:13).
Recently with this new calling, I have had the privilege to be a lot more introspective in seeing habits I have built over the past year effect the work. Initially when I came to the mission, I had some struggles with adjusting to the rigid schedule of the mission, especially waking up and putting my all for the 12 hours we serve per day.
But with habit building and an increased testimony of Jesus Christ, I have found more fulfillment and joy in this work than I have ever done before. The beautiful nature of this work rests in helping others come unto Jesus Christ to "bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which [we] did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost."
As tasked with new responsibilities, within the mission or outside it is also easy to feel overwhelmed. I would like to finish with this quote shared by Michael A. Dunn.
Sometimes... God [makes] the impossible possible can part seas and move mountains... but most often He tops off our courage, capacity, and confidence by empowering us to “lay aside every weight” so we can “run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1).
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2026/10/28dunn?lang=eng&id=p_bLiIu#p_bLiIu
Much love and more Cantonese next week,
Elder Zhao
https://photos.app.goo.gl/qkaoEe965etiYQuj7
