MTC 2 and First Week in Hong Kong - "we have a lot of work to do until the sun goes down"
We arrived to Hong Kong one week ago.....
A stark contrast in cities from our first mission: the Czech Republic countryside city of Jihlava with its 54,000 residents to the metropolis of Hong Kong's 7,726,000 citizens.
Our 1st senior mission in eastern Europe: Welfare Self Reliance, Refugee Relief, and YSA - Institute was an amazing and a blessed experience with many dear friends across many countries and climes. Our 2nd senior mission to Asia: Area Welfare Specialists for Humanitarian relief efforts across 6 Asian countries will expand our horizons and love. We also are called to serve with the Hong Kong Island Philippine branch as a "mother and father role" to 40 some Philippina domestic workers.
(Asia Area Welfare Specialists - Humanitarian)
We hit the ground training from Elder and Sister Thurston about current projects in Cambodia, Nepal, Timor Leste, and Indonesia (we also have India and Singapore--awaiting senior couples). The Thurstons from Toole, UT served previously as Humanitarian missionaries in Ghana, and Cambodia. Their 3rd mission was originally scheduled to India, shifted to Pakistan (but with visa delays they were reassigned to the Area office here in Hong Kong). They have vast humanitarian experience, and we are grateful to have 10 days learning from them. The Oeklers are the other Area Specialists working with Taiwan, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Vietnam, Laos, and Thailand senior Humanitarian missionaries.
We have a key area role in moving scores of enriching projects forward for the citizens and communities of our 6 assigned countries. The approval processes, computer files and CRM databases that are required to get timely funding to the projects and manage payments, progress and completion require much work. We have met all the senior Humanitarian missionaries in the field via video calls who are working with wonderful organizations, communities and people. Without couples in India and Singapore for the time being, we continue some work. We had a video conference call on Tuesday with a wonderful lady in Singapore whose organization works with the government to help homeless and needy families in Singapore.
looking down from the Central Plaza Tower observation floor (ExxonMobil Chemical continues to have its offices in the Central Plaza Tower)....the Church's 12 story building below in brown...
The Hong Kong church organization supporting our humanitarian activities in the Asia Area has amazing people who work hard with us volunteer missionaries. Our 12-story office is literally across the street from my previous employer, ExxonMobil. I took a photo from the observation floor of the 70+ story Central Plaza Tower. I hope to meet up with a few work friends over time. Who would have thought that after 10+ business trips to the Rennaissance Hotel on the Hong Kong Harbour (1999-2004) that I would be working near my old business grounds as a volunteer senior missionary 20 years later.
Each week we bring multiple projects from the Humanitarian couples working with NGOs, Gov't organizations, schools and communities forward for funding approval. Often, we cannot share countries and details per legal agreements nor specific project costs. Already we've worked approvals for Indonesia: water well projects for 7 communities, computers and school supplies for an Islam school in need, community center in Jakarta...for Cambodia: a number of hospitals and clinics with medical equipment to help lower infant mortality and improve the health of children and mothers. I plan to share more details of the amazing projects and work to help many improve their quality of life.
Wonderful MTC experiences, including a few days of our family reunion while in the MTC on our free days... our children came from Denmark, Minnesota, Idaho, Utah and Texas.
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