Hong Kong Pioneers

Dear Friends and Family,

Tuen Mun--my home!

I can't really express the feelings that I've been feeling this past week. In terms of missionary efforts it was very similiar to weeks of the past. Miracles coming up in different ways, working with members, investigators, recent converts and less actives. In my mind the best weeks consist of all that and a little street contacting too! I love being here in Tuen Mun! I forget that other missions span great areas and that some missionaries never see all of the areas they serve; I have like a 2 square mile area and I know every inch of it. Literally.

One of the highlights for me this past week was Zone Conference. It was just for the New Territories Zone (22 Elders and Sisters) and so that made it a little more one-on-one. I was asked to conduct the meeting. The Zone Conference was actually based on a Mission Tour from Elder Gong in August 2012 (one that I attended my 2nd week in Hong Kong). It was focused on knowing the 1st Vision and bearing strong testimony of this important event in history. It was a great conference. The closing remarks were given by President Hawks and he showed a video from a Hong Kong "Pioneer Dinner" he attended last week. It was a dinner for the members of the church who were baptized between 1949 to about 1960. The video showed clips of what Hong Kong was like at that time, showed members, and then also had interviews with some of those Pioneers who shared their stories. There was also a portion done by a Couple Missionary who had served in Hong Kong during the 1950's and are now back in Hong Kong serving again! I have never felt such an outpouring of love and the Spirit than I did in those few short moments. The Spirit was so strong and you learned so much of the struggle they had. The only explanation as to why these people were converted is that it was the Lord's will and this church is true. There was so much opposition and struggle: walking for endless miles through the rice paddies; missionaries who spoke poor Cantonese; the Book of Mormon wasn't even translated into Chinese yet--and wouldn't be until the 1970s. There is no explanation besides God. I was sitting on the front row of the chapel watching this and was just brought to tears and had so much love for Hong Kong and the good, prepared people that are here.

I think those feelings have just persisted through the week as we have gone out finding, or whatever it may be. I mean seriously, I live with 700,000 people in this 2 square mile area. There is a reason I am here right now. There are people who need what I have.

The week flew by after that and before I knew it it was Sunday and we were in Sacrament meeting and the Stake President, President Chan was speaking to us about those who have been waiting for us whether they are living now or have passed on. He really gave us a call to arms to reach out and do both family history work and typical missionary work. He mentioned something that struck me kinda hard which was that there are 840ish names that he has of members that previously lived in the New Territories Stake boundary but they have moved, changed numbers etc... and now are "Lost Sheep". He really emphasized the need to seek out our brothers and sisters who have been overcome by the world and need the Savior's influence again in their lives.

Elder Hallstrom

Later Sunday Evening we then went to the HungShuiKiu stake center where there was a
broadcast of Jeffrey R.Holland's fireside. Elder Holland is the newly assigned Quorum of the Twelve to the Asia Area and has been in Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan the past few days. It was a live broadcast from the Wanchai chapel and there were a number of speakers. Some as young as 10 year old Primary children, and then some of those "Pioneers" that I spoke of a moment ago. The last two speakers were Elder Hallstrom and Elder Holland who both gave FANTASTIC talks on missionary work and this pioneer mindset.

Matthew Cowley dedicated this land July 14, 1949 and Elder Hallstrom was born July 24, 1949. He mentioned that due to complications with his mother's pregnancy Elder Cowley had blessed his mother when he was yet an unborn baby during this same Asia trip. Elder Hallstrom drew some parallels to how we have all been set apart to be here at this time to serve the Lord.

Elder Holland greeting the missionaries

Elder Holland shared 3 thoughts as to how we are all Pioneers in our day. 1: This is the dispensation when the Children of Israel don't flee from Babylon. We are here to stay and to fight for our God. 2. This dispensation has the fulness of the gospel, more than was in any other dispensation; we have the complete truth. 3. We have a comission unlike any other dispensation before us to prepare the Church of the Lamb for the Lamb. We are prepping for the Second coming! It was yet another spiritual manifestation to me of the truthfulness of this work and how I really don't have much to do with the goodness of the gospel; I am simply a tool.

I'm so grateful for the things that I have learned and felt this past week. I look forward to the All-Mission meeting with Elder Holland tomorrow afternoon!

I love you all.

Love,

Elder Siebach