OFW Journals (OFW Stories on the News) and Some OFW Employment, Career & Business Tips

Shared by ceasar1185@aol.com

To all those concerned:

Here is a personal testimony being shared by a young sister missionary (in her early 20s) for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and her own impression about Filipina women now serving as domestic helpers in Hong Kong. I hope that you are touched, as much as I was, in reading her testimony.

Joe Aliling

Sister Peterson in Hong Kong wrote:

----- Original Message -----
Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2007 10:44 PM
Subject: Update from Hong Kong

Wow where does the time go! I cannot believe it is almost April and I will be ending my mission in June. I hate to think of this blessed experience coming to an end. I get melancholy thinking of leaving Hong Kong. I have found so much peace while serving here in this part of the world.

I know this has been a true blessing from God to be sent here to learn so much about Hong Kong, some of their Chinese beliefs and culture and to get to know the kindness and love the Chinese people have shown to me over these past 16 months. All I can say is I will never forget this experience and the memories will be treasured throughout the rest of my life.

Over the past 16 months, as a missionary serving the Lord I have witnessed many beautiful baptisms, I have taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ to many wonderful individuals and witnessed God's miracles. I have taught English classes to the Chinese and Philippines and learned more about Family History by working in the Family History Center several times; I have seen two Lunar New Year celebrations. I have watched the festive Dragon and Lion dances, and watched one of the largest spectacular fireworks celebration on New Years Eve along with about 100,000 others gathered in the streets of Wan Chai.

I have visited a half dozen little villages where you feel you are going back in time. Several of these are fishing villages. I have seen the dried fish market where all the fish are dried out along the street curb where buses and cars travel past. I have seen hundreds of unrecognizable foods that the Chinese use in their everyday meals for health...... ..especially special soups.

I have visited many temples and walked up to the world's largest sitting bronze Buddha. I have learned a little about Taoism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Ancestor worshipping. I have seen some of the most spectacular skyscrapers in the world here in Hong Kong. I have traveled on MTR (subways) double deck buses (always sitting up in the top front row to see the view of the countryside and cities) trolley and ferries all over Hong Kong. I have eaten chicken feet, and other foods I did not know what I was eating but I DID IT and I survived. I ate a seven course meal in the very modest apartment of a humble Chinese artist who came here from China with his wife and daughter. I did not recognized most of what I was eating but it really was pretty good! Yes, the people I have met and grown to love will always remain so special to me and I will continue to stay in contact with them when I return to the states. How does one let go! I will be crying the entire last week when I have to say my goodbyes to so many people I have really grown to love. They have taught me so much more than I could ever imagined.

Then I must mention the very humble filipino women who come over here and devote their lives raising other children while having to leave their own so they can support their families back home. I have not ever met such humble people as these ladies. So many of them are educated too and that makes it even sadder.

Some have great employers but many are treated almost like slaves for six days a week and 6am to 10pm hours. Some work 7 days a week with maybe 3 hours every two weeks off. They sleep in a room that cannot even fit a twin bed......so they sleep on a somewhatcot. Year after year, they serve these people here in this International City. People from all over the world come to live and work and hire these sweet ladies. Most of these people could never afford to have this kind of lifestyle in their homeland. Many of these ladies are employed by the Chinese. We are talking about $400 a month for their full time services. The average pay is around $3400 HK money.

I have learned so much about their lives also. They can never say no to anyone who ask for help. It is their culture. They are always sending money to cousins, aunts... anyone who needs help........ ...and they are the ones who never have any money left because they give it to their loved ones. I have grown so close to so many of these ladies who are in our little branch.

We are together every Sunday and in the evening we share our dinner together. They love to cook... ...and my companion and I insist on cleaning up the dishes while we have them sit and watch a good video.

They are so generous. Some are going to Canada because it is a better place to work. They only work 5 days a week, get paid more and can bring their families over in two years. They cannot do that easily here in Hong Kong. I understand some of the filipino sisters also go to Saudi Arabia and other countries doing the same work. It has only been in the past 30 years, that they have been working here in Hong Kong. These ladies truly are humble "the meek will inherit the earth".

It is very interesting and wonderful to experience and teach the individual who has never believed in any "God". One who has never prayed to anything or anyone. To see them slowly witness the Holy Spirit when they pray and then to share with them that the sweet quiet voice that they hear within is God answering their prayer through the Holy Spirit. God will answer anyone's prayer if one will be humble, exercise faith and pray to God to receive answers to his prayer. Then just stay still and listen! To hear one share their first experience in praying and feeling the Holy Spirit is one of the wonderful miracles from God.

This probably will be my last letter coming from Hong Kong. Because my house in Florida has not sold, I will be living there for awhile so please come visit me once I get settled. I am only 2 hours from Orlando and minutes from beautiful beaches.

May God bless you and your family abundantly with peace happiness and joy.

Love,

Sister Peterson