Immovable Objection - And Rest of Week

Last Saturday after visiting with So Ying Ying I decided to walk all over two of my old areas. I went all over Shau Kei Wan and then made my way to Causeway Bay. As I was walking near the Sogos intersection in Causeway Bay I thought I’d look for the mother of an investigator we had, Derrick Tse. He heard about four discussions and really wanted to be baptized but his mother was completely opposed and wouldn’t let it happen. She didn’t like our Church or the fact that it would take time away from her son’s studies.
Fast forward six years and guess what, it is the same thing. She runs a newspaper stand (hard work that doesn’t pay great) and sits there all day selling stuff to passer-bys. I found where I thought her stand was (we’d visited a few times as missionaries and I thought I recognized her) and asked if she knew the guy I had taught. At first she denied knowing him but then when some nice lady stepped in to help translate she admitted it was her son. We chatted for a bit and I explained that I was back in town visiting and would love to see her son again. She was totally opposed and wouldn’t give me any contact information for him. I negotiated away any chance to share the gospel with him, saying all I want to do is grab a meal and catch up, and she still wouldn’t budge. Eventually she told me to come back on Monday morning and we’d go talk to someone.
So I showed up Monday and she didn’t have anyone for us to go visit so instead we sat/stood there together for 80 minutes as I begged/pleaded/befriended/did everything I could to get her to give me her son’s contact information. She again wouldn’t budge. She is literally scared to death of our Church. Thinks it is a total cult or something. I don’t know who brainwashed her but all my explaining didn’t do any good. I tried using every missionary skill I could still employ, all to no effect (It doesn’t help that the name of the Book of Mormon in Chinese sounds like Devil’s Door Scripture and our Church’s Chinese translation of Mormon Church sounds like Devil’s Door Church. The devil character is written different than the Moses character but sounds the same and the Church used the Moses one for the Church name and Book of Mormon. And our official Church name over here used to be ‘The Church of Jesus Christ of End of the World Saints.’ Thankfully ‘end of the world’ has been changed to ‘last generation.’ Sorry back to the discussion. Derrick’s mom even tried to buy me off. She gave me an envelope with 500HKD in it (like 65USD) and said thanks for visiting and caring about her son but I don’t want him to see you. I wouldn’t take the money (she was ticked) but seriously it was depressing. All I want to do is say hi to the kid, catch up on life (he’s awesome, in medical school now), get his email, and restart our friendship but his mom is adamantly opposed. She used the school excuse again that he has no time and said to come back in two years. I was like, I don’t know if I’ll be back in Hong Kong for 30 years, and I already waited six years because he was too busy with school. How much longer do I have to wait? So yeah, I got shot down. I’ll go visit again another time before I leave and leave my contact information if she won’t give me his. Such is missionary work in Hong Kong.

I took the rest of Monday off, walked a ton, bought a suit (65USD, but worried the color might be too light), visited the Temple, and hosted the YSAs for a game night. The rest of my week has gone well with the usual busy days at work. Today was very special. We had a nice Pioneer Day service and I got my new contact. Hurray!!!

Pictures are of: 1) Derrick's mom and I. We were pretty good friends by the time I left. I think I'd shared everything I knew how to say in Cantonese about myself and my family, all to no avail. 2) A three-story golf driving range I walked past. 3) The no-so-express express mail delivery of my contact. But its great to see again and be able to use my right eye.