HELLO FROM HONG KONG

Hi everybody!!! WOW what a couple of days it has been!

 

 

So I made it to Hong Kong safely! Haha what a relief right? I said goodbye to my family then went on a two hour place ride to the LA Airport and had to find my companions which was stressful because first of all, the airport is huge and I had to find the international gates and just yeah no it was super hard haha anyways so I found them and we had to verify a whole bunch of info before our flight leaving at 12:40am! The flight was good! The other two girls sat by each other and I had a whole row of three chairs to myself! So I slept most of the time and they brought us dinner and then breakfast too! 

 

 

It didn't really feel like a super long flight, but it was a good 15-16 hours or something! Anyways so then we get off the plane and my companions and I did not know how big of a day we had ahead of us! The airport was crawling with security and just people telling us where to go, what lines to be in and just all this stuff. We had to jump through a ton of hoops, and finally get tested for covid. And then after getting test, they gave us food and water and were assigned a chair in a waiting areas. They finally came to tell us we had negative test results after three hours of sitting there! Then we went and got our passports stamped! We got in the "permanent" resident line... I felt so cool okay and then we went and got our luggage. We had to wipe them down right then and there and then when we were getting on the bus, they just like grabbed our bags and started disinfecting spraying them! I was like okay and then they just like told me to get on the bus haha we were probably at the airport for about 6-7 hours! 

 

 

So at the airport we got these security bracelets and they also had us download this app and connect it to our bracelet. The bracelet tracks us and if we leave our room is a $25,000 fine and 6 months in prison!!!! The app connected to the bracelet will make our phones start buzzing and it says scan our bracelet and it starts counting down and so we panic and have to run and grab our phone and scan it really fast haha We had to download a software for missionaries that protects us from certain things, and when we all did that, it got rid of the app! So now we're freaking out like the government is going to come get us or something 

 

 

The hotel provides us with food and water everyday! So that's super nice of them haha they also give us laundry detergent so we can wash our clothes and we actually have a really nice view! Its some buildings and I mean they're under construction but its cool to see the workers working everyday and it will be cool to see the progress on the buildings haha and then we also have a view of the ocean! I'll include a Pic! I have my own room (queen bed) and bathroom, they other two girls are in the joining room with a twin bed each... We do all our studies in my room because there is a table! The food they give us isn't the best and we've always been so hungry! One of my companions sister Kho has family here and they heard we were starving so they dropped of a TON of snacks for us yesterday and McDonald's!!! So nice of them! And Oh my gosh the McDonald's here is so much better then at home!!! Not the pickles but it's okay.. Anyways yeah and today someone in her family is bring us dim sum!!! 

 

 

Our daily schedule has been pretty productive honestly... We're supposed to wake up at 7, but because we're still adjusting, we usually wake up at around 5:30, workout, eat, get ready and then plan our day and do whole bunch of different studies.. We usually end up doing about 5 hours of language study again because what else are we supposed to do haha! We usually get tired around 8:30 so we just go to bed because we are pooped

 

 

It doesn't really feel like I'm in Hong Kong yet! I'm excited to get outside and it's only day 4/21 of quarantine! It's okay... We can do it haha we have to keep telling ourselves that! We see people outside of our window riding their bikes and we're like must be nice haha but it's been humid even just in our rooms so we know outside it's ten times worse! Sister Kho is fluent in Cantonese and Sister Nebeker served here before covid so they've both been helping a lot which I'm super grateful for! Sister Kho was assigned mdrain speaking though so she practices that adnd I'm picking up a little bit! So you guys remember I taught you Joe Sahn... I can write the tons anymore haha but you go up when you say Joe and down when you say Sahn hahaha Zao an is good morning in madarin! I'll try and make this as simply as possible haha say it like tzow (like ow my leg hurts) and then and is like on (like on the table) it but open your mouth wider than usual haha and say the an higher then zao! It's a cool language and I want to try and learn it at school when I get back! 

 

 

I've been reading this book that the Ogata family gave me before I left! It's called Redeemer! It kind of just talks about the many names of Christ and explains why and where the names came from! In one chapter is talks about how He is the light of the world! And then it says Light always wins! The book related it to a campfire.. When it's dark and cold outside and there's a campfire, everyone gravitates towards the campfire because you feel protected and safe and warm and you can see because there's is light! I think through the dark times that we all have, if we gravitate towards, or come closer to Christ, our hearts will be warm and we can feel safe, protected and comforted! 

 

 

I'm super excited to be here and to make the most out of quarantine for the next few weeks! I hope you all have a great week! 

 

 

-Sister Clanton!!

Ps please email me :')