Korea
Sinyoung Kim, a senior from Korea majoring in TESOL, shared, “One thing that impressed me while growing up in the Church in Korea [is how] the members are always sharing their happiness and even sadness. People are willing to cooperate and help each other. They all serve each other by visiting, cooking, singing, messaging, or hugging. It is pretty often the members share their trials and hardships in the Relief Society meeting. It helps people to serve those people who are weak or poor in their own situation. Korean members of the Church have their own way and method to help others by using their talents.”
Taiwan
Henna Hai-Wei Qiu, a sophomore from Taiwan majoring in graphic design, explained, “In Taiwan, it is very open to all religions. However, most of the people in Taiwan are Buddhist. So, it is hard for the missionaries to preach the gospel there, especially for the older generations.
“When I was young, growing up in the Church, I was always the ‘special one’ in a group of people. The reason is one of the most important parts of Taiwanese culture is drinking tea. So you can buy tea or people would like to buy tea for you. I always had to reject them, and tell them it is because of my religion. Most of the people respect me, but they are shocked and cannot believe it. [Not being able to] drink tea is also the most common problem for the investigators in Taiwan.”
South Africa
Joana Chibota, a junior from South Africa majoring in biomedical science, described how, “While I was born in Zimbabwe, I grew up in South Africa. And because there weren’t a lot of members where I lived, we were all quite close. Church gatherings feel more special because the gospel is what united us [and] what gave us a break from the world.”
China
Andrew Zhang, a graduate who received a degree in graphic design, said, “The only thing different is China doesn’t have their own chapels. All our gathering places are rented apartments or houses. Also our Seminary is online and students have to get up at 5:30 a.m. to log in the online class throughout the week.”
Hong Kong
Alice Lee, a sophomore TESOL major, shared, “As a member of the Church in Hong Kong, I can feel a sense of belonging because I can understand the language and feel that members love me.”