Church

Inherent with any adventure is challenge. One of our challenges (and blessings) here is church.

There are two branches of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Macau. One is Cantonese speaking and meets up in Macau city from 9:30-12:30. The other is English speaking and meets from 5-8pm.

The Cantonese Branch is in a language we don't understand but has a Primary (kids group).

The English Branch primary consists of one 11 year old boy. Between weird hours and no primary, the English Branch is not so kid friendly.

We started out in the Cantonese Branch, hopeful that we would quickly assimilate lots of Cantonese into our brains and it would add to our adventure. Being in this branch did add to our adventure. It was awesome to get to know Chinese residents of Macau and to be able to ask them about their holidays, learn about what they like to eat, ask them random questions without offense, etc. They are awesome people. They have a great and a strong branch. And we got to try mooncake.

Branch President Chan is on the right


Over time, though, I started to wonder what we were doing there. An English speaker in a Cantonese Branch is not like a Portuguese speaker in a Spanish Ward. We had no foundation to get us from point A to B. I could listen to an entire talk and understand nothing but the "a-mohn" at the end. There were headphones in Sacrament Meeting and the sweetest sister missionary translations, but with a toddler pulling them off my head every five minutes I didn't get far with that.

Jozie and Haven are awesome - they're kids though. :) They were incredibly bored. Whenever it was time to sing they liked to sing jibberish really loud because truth is that's what it sounded like to them anyway!

So, a couple weeks ago we made the switch. We went for the 5-8pm, no primary option. I miss the people I knew in the Cantonese Branch and I miss feeling like at least I was trying to learn the language.

I do enjoy going to church in English though. It's so easy to understand. :) The English Branch is awesome too of course, though I feel sad knowing their stories. Did you know that in our modern 2013 there are many many Philippino mothers who leave their husbands and little kids in the Philippines so they can live in Macau and work as maids and send money back home? They go home once every couple years if they're lucky. It breaks my heart. Most of the English Branch is made up of people in this situation.

One thing that is amazing about the English Branch is how new the gospel is to these people's hearts. They are alive in it, they joy in it, it is fresh in their hearts. I love hearing their testimonies - both formally and informally shared. The gospel gives them strength and hope.

I feel that for me too. Dealing with culture shock and many losses to my comfortable U.S. life, I've been humbled. My lack of meekness has stared me in the face. I'm praying better. I'm thanking God for the scriptures.

Truth:

“I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns. I find myself loving more intensely those whom I must love with all my heart and mind and strength, and loving them more, I find it easier to abide their counsel” (Spencer W. Kimball, The Teachings of Spencer W. Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [1982], 135).