The Zhao Family

大家好！

This week up until Thursday was the end of my fourth transfer on the mission! Because Elder Vega was leaving the area, we had a lot of chances to meet with members before he moved to Tai Po, which almost drove us crazy trying to schedule and make each appointment. Everything aside, it has been an amazing opportunity to serve alongside Elder Vega. He is such an example of patience and humility, and as we are the same mission age, I look forward to serving around him sometime in the future.

That Thursday, following a much needed apartment clean-up, I met my new companion, Elder McClellan! He is from Utah and he is as beast of a missionary even though he just finished training in Sha Tin. He hopped right into the area and started contacting right away, and I am excited for this next transfer!

This week overall was very busy, but a different type of busy than last week. During my transfers with Elder Vega, we had a lot of things that we put on the back burner that should have been done. With Elder McClellan here, we have been working until the last minute of every day to try to get the area caught up to date. Even as I type this email, our WhatsApp has more than 81 notifications :') It has been a grind.

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This year we were blessed to have members from around Hong Kong carol/perform in YoHo Mall along with a choir of some of our missionaries in a big Christmas display. This only happens once a year, and it occurred in our area this past Saturday! Words cannot express the peaceful feeling that the sacred songs brought to such a bustling mall. People stopped, stared, and even started recording the display, and I have never felt so much pride in the strength of the members here. During that time, I was reminded of Helaman 5:3 which reads,

"Nevertheless, the people of the church did have great joy because of the conversion of the Lamanites, yea, because of the church of God, which had been established among them. And they did fellowship one with another, and did rejoice one with another, and did have great joy."

This joy is so important to remember as we share the gospel. It is the joy that is the reason; the thing that drives us to share each day. This Christmas season is the chance we have to share this joy; a type of joy which can only come from love!

As a small invitation this Christmas season, I reextend the same given from President Eyring during the Christmas devotional.

"This Christmas,

mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion and replace it with trust. Write a letter. Give a soft answer. Encourage youth. Manifest your loyalty in word and deed. Keep a promise. Forgo a grudge. Forgive an enemy. Apologize. Try to understand. Examine your demands on others. Think first of someone else. … Be gentle. Laugh a little more. Express your gratitude. Welcome a stranger. Gladden the heart of a child. Take pleasure in the beauty and wonder of the earth. Speak your love and then speak it again.”

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Christmas season is one of remembrance; remembrance of the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ who has given us this joy! I hope that you all have a good Christmas this week and remember to read the Christmas story! Have a great week and always remember the true meaning of this awesome holiday :)

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

聖誕節快樂！
趙長老