Macau--Moving toward Chinese New Year 2015

We had the opportunity to go to the Venetian Hotel to check out their Medical and Dental Clinic.  The place was amazing!!  It has 7500 hotel rooms.  They are planning to have 2500 stores in their mall.  It would knock your socks off!!  They have a full outpatient medical and dental clinic.

When the missionary's get sick they like to have an established set of physicians to seed the missionaries too.  It is plan of Joy's job to establish that network here in Macau.  While the all foreign missionaries are covered by Aetna International.  It is hard to find doctors that really accept the insurance.  These missionaries have little or no money, so getting the medical people to accept the insurance is a big deal.

Macau Venetian Hotel and Casino

The gambling makes this city go...it was the fireworks capital of the world before gambling was made the number one priority.  There a large number of big buildings in Macau.  Some are really lite up.  The city is building everywhere.

 The cobblestone streets in some areas remind you of Europe.  It is an amazing place to be and see the mix of the cultures.  We have many new adventures each week.

Cobblestone Streets in many Places

Chinese New Year is 3 weeks away.  We have all types of preparation occurring.  The building are decorated inside and outside.  It is beautiful and colorful.

2014 Macau Chinese New Year Preparation

Most families decorate their door and throughout the house. It is time to prep for the coming New Year.  It is the year of the goat.

2014 is the Year of the Goat

We are blessed to be part of helping the church growing opportunity.  We are happy and involved!!  We continue to be humbled by the language and sweet giving people.

Scott and Joy with one of the beautiful Filipino Sisters

Sister Joy Holbrook

Elder Scott Holbrook

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Macau and the Wonderful People We Work With

We have a super fantastic mission president and his equally impressive wife, President Val and Julie Hawks.  They direct the efforts of 150 missionaries in Hong Kong and Macau.  We only have 2 senior couples assigned to the mission president.  One works in the mission office and we are in Macau.  There are other missionaries that work at the temple, other district and area assignments, but we have limited contact with them.  Macau is the place we expect to spend for about 18 months.

The people are wonderful.  They are so giving and generous.  My heart is softened each week as I see the sacrifices these people make to provide for their families.  Many of these Filipino sisters come here to work without their families and sending the money back to provide for their families.  They labor here for years in support of the their children (who is usually raised by grandparents) and their father who also working.  

One of these Sister Missionaries was a helper in Hong Kong.  She joined the church and is now serving a mission here in the China Hong Kong Mission.  The other has limited family support but had a burning desire to serve the Lord and is here with much sacrifice.  Can you imagine the faith of these wonderful people?  It touches me to the very soul.

Sister Holbrook is supporting the missionaries with medical issues.  While these missionaries are young they still have stomach problems, colds, bumps and bruises.  Plus, some much more complicated issues.  This week one missionary had some emergency surgery--it was very rough week for the missionary and Sister Holbrook was right by her side all the way. She is really involved.

We live down a beautiful, cobbled street.  See the pieces carefully laid into place for 1/3 of a mile.  It is like some of the streets of Europe.  It is fun to walk down, but it can get slippery.

We are very fortunate to be by all these high committed young missionaries and good people you live here.  Their energy and excitement for the gospel is never ending.  We are proud to be representatives of Jesus Christ!