The Zhao Family

Archive for March 2026

2024-03 Things that happened in March...while mom's in HK

This March has been a very challenging month. While Abbey's in Hong Kong taking care of her mom, Da took on many responsibilities as a single parent while taking care of FF, home, church, work, and even help print tax documents for Abbey's clients. So we don't have many big events, but rather many little events that happened in March.

However we've been blessed. Families have brought dinners to us, invited us to their house for dinners too.

Below, the Wei family invited FF and me to their house for hot pot. And also spent time to put together Studio Ghibli 3D pieces.

While mom's not home and Da doesn't have time to cook/too lazy, FF has been cooking food herself and making meal preps for school lunches.

She'll even invite friends to come over like Bonnie and Kara to cook with her.

FF also enjoy time with church youth and play sports activities like basketball and volleyball.

Our young women also had an knitting activity, which was nice for the girls.

Da's uncle (mom's younger brother) also live nearby with his daughter and their three children. They stopped by our house to spend time with us. They are a lot of fun!

The Chad / Elle Anderson family also invited us to have dinner with them. They are an awesome family ! Especially their daughter Abi, who's super spunky!

Once in a while, we'll go out to eat. Da took FF to a new place (to her) for chicken sandwiches. It was yummy.

We also get to celebrate Emilee's birthday too!

Every year in the first day of Spring, Rita's and Dairy Queen give out free frozen treats. We get the free ice slushie and ice cream.

Bonnie has also been hanging around with us quite a bit. Since she lives in the neighborhood and is taking the same math class as FF, she's been helping FF with her math homework.

Bonnie has also been helping with cooking dinner

FF has also been busy helping Jelica Pascual babysit her two adorable children.

We went to Sophia Harnood's school Lady of Good Counsel to watch her be part of their school play, "In the Heights"

Jacob Yang has somewhat moved into our house. He lives in our basement. While he lives here, he helps with cooking and doing other house chores.

During our weekly video call with Elder Zhao, FF was messing with his companion!

The world map at the Seneca Stake Center has photos of all current missionaries.

Each month our Branch members have a group Temple session. For this month, Da was on-call and was literally about to enter the session when he received a call and he ended up having to go to work to fix an issue.

2026-03-30 Elder Zhao - Week 42 Different Type of Busy

大家好！

I hope you are all doing well, it is crazy that it is March already. The days seem like they merge together as our days are filled with office work. However, it has been sweet to see the Easter celebrations begin all over Hong Kong.

As office missionaries one of our responsibilities is to coordinate all of the mission's supplies like tags, passout cards, scriptures, and pamphlets, but for the most part, we maintain and renew the apartments. One of the biggest things that we arrange are the contract renewals for our apartment leases, which occur every few years. As it turns out, my first couple of weeks in the office had two routine contracts to renew, which is more than my companion had had in his whole three months in the office. It's been fun figuring it out together haha. In addition to this, two more apartments decided to change and push forward their renewal date so we will be having six in total from midway March through April.

Because of such the work has been crazy busy. There has been a lot of communication with our legal team and President to assure all of the contracts are well written and coordinated with the landlords. On top of this, we have had a lot to do with apartment maintenance, one of which was a broken bathroom that was scheduled for renovation in one of the apartments, requiring us to find accommodations for the missionaries living there.

It's actually been really fun to coordinate these things, but there is a difference from the work I am used to. At the end of the week it is not as easy to look back and see what you have done, but I have learned so much and seen how necessary this part of the work is.

Since each Saturday we don't go into the office, I may start writing more about them as we go out and do prostylting work. This past one I was with Elder Scow, and here is the report I attached for our weekly email to President for a little bit more about it:

"The exchange went super well, I was with Elder Scow in Wong Tai Sin. Elder Scow and Elder Rasband actually had scheduled an RC to visit the temple for the very first time, and although he was nervous, he was able to have a good time feeling the spirit. Following, we had the chance to really get to know one of their members from the Ward Presidency and ate with them for lunch. Our ward then had a sport activity where we got close to members and supported a long time LA who we thought was a friend (I had never seen him before). He taught Cantonese through Ping yam, which had us learning Cantonese the whole time from him. Later at night we were able to even talk with many HK RMs whom where having a reunion at the KLT chapel. It was fun to listen to their stories and see the success and God's hand in all of their lives as they had applied what they had learned in the mission. One of the biggest things I found was how joy was so easily reciprocated in the work. Elder Scow is naturally gifted with giving and reflecting energy and it was so natural to find and work with him. This exchange I learned a lot about the simple aspect of getting to know a friend before inviting. Elder Scow does well at connecting very naturally with anyone and it makes finding very relaxed and fun. Throughout the exchange we shared with each other the joy and privilege of serving in this mission..."

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As a quick spiritual thought, here is a scripture Elder Masina shared with me just recently which I loved because of its simplicity.

2 Nephi 22:2
"Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation."

I will trust Him in wherever I serve, as He has a plan for me to accomplish! I know the same is true for you as well.

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That's all from this week, along with a little bit of a drastic haircut, which may have been a little shorter than I originally intended. I hope you all also have an amazing week and I look forward to writing again soon!!

https://photos.app.goo.gl/qkaoEe965etiYQuj7

下次見，
趙長老