Asia Area Mission: February 2012

FEBRUARY HIGHLIGHTS

Time for our monthly Blog update. We are doing well here in Hong Kong and continuing to enjoy our various assignments. Two new couples have arrived this month. One will work with the everyday branch and one will work with Area Welfare. A third new couple arrived in late January to replace the Executive Secretary couple (the Sackley's) who have been called as Mission President for New Delhi, India. So we are no longer the greenies of the senior couple missionaries. We are both so grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission and to be here in the Asia Area. It really is quite remarkable to see how the Church is growing in this part of the world. At our Area Presidency devotional this past week, Elder Perkins, the Area President, went through the presentation the Area Presidency gave to the Quorum of the Twelve earlier this month. The focus of the presentation was how the Church is growing in the Muslim countries of Asia and the various challenges the Church and its members face in these countries. So heart-warming to hear the stories of families sacrificing so much to embrace the restored gospel. So exciting to see how the Church is growing in these places.

I was asked to give a short presentation on the Area Audit program to the Asia Area Mission Presidents, who came to Hong Kong for their semi-annual leadership training conference. So that was a little scarey - but it went well. The big highlight for us in February was a trip to Bangkok, Thailand. The trip was at the request of the Area Audit Committee for the purpose of conducting a couple of audits and training sessions. We also had the opportunity to meet and discuss audit issues with the finance staff in the local Church administration office for Thailand and President Smith of the Thailand Mission. The people we met there were all very friendly and hospitable. We attended Church in a small branch on the southern outskirts of the city in an area known as Samut Prakan. There were about 45 people in attendance at the meeting. We of course did not understand what was being said as the meeting was in the Thai language but our Assistant Area Auditor for Thailand provided periodic translation for us so we could at least get the subject and main gist of the messages. There is one Stake and one District in the Bangkok metro area which has a population of some 15 million. It was heart-warming to see and feel the faith of the people, many of which live in difficult circumstances.

Following our training session with the North Bangkok District on the Saturday afternoon of our visit, we were invited to attend a double wedding reception to be held in the chapel that evening. The brides were sisters. We decided to stay. Even got our picture taken with the wedding party. There were over 300 guests there and they were serving about a 10 course meal - most of which we chose not to eat. We sat at a table full of young missionary Elders and just watched and listened. It was a lot of fun.

These missionaries were at the reception because there were well over 100 non-members invited.

We had the opportunity to spend some time seeing some of the sights of Bangkok. It is a big sprawling city with horrendous traffic jams. Here are some pictures of the main sights we saw.

Traffic circle outside the Grand Palace

A dazzling site from afar, the Grand Palace and Wat Prakaew command respect from all who have walked in their sacred grounds. Built in 1782, and for 150 years the home of the Thai King, the Royal court and the administrative seat of government, the Grand Palace continues to have visitors in awe with its beautiful architecture and intricate detail. Wat Pra Kaew enshrines Phra Kaew Morakot (the Emerald Buddha), the highly revered Buddha image meticulously carved from a single block of emerald, dating from the 15th century AD.

The next few pics are of Wat Arun. The impressive silhouette of Wat Arun’s towering spires has probably become one of the most recognised temple landmarks of Southeast Asia. Constructed during the first half of the 19th century by King Rama II, in the ancient Khmer style, the stupa (or ‘Prang’ in Thai), showcasing ornate floral pattern decked out in glazed porcelain, is even more stunning up close. Apart from its beauty, Wat Arun symbolises the birth of the Rattanakosin Period and the founding of the new capital after Ayutthaya fell. Contrary to what its name suggests, the temple appears most beautiful at sunset, rather than sunrise.

Some new friends we made at Wat Arun. they all spoke good English.

The next series of pics are at Wat Pho. Once a centre for public education during the reign of King Rama III, Wat Pho (or Wat Chetuphon) harbours a fascinating collection of murals, inscriptions and sculptures that delve into various subjects, from warfare to literature, astronomy to archaeology. Apart from the main pavilion, the vast temple complex contains a landscaped garden with stone sculptures, stupas adorned with glazed porcelain. It is also the location of the reclining Budha.