Pday was one day earlier this week.
I am not sure what to write. We found a Mandarin family consiting of three sisters and their individual families. They are the Tang family. The middle sister brought her husband and mentally handicapped 28 year old son. Her son's name is Zhang Li and his dad's last name is also Zhang. I really like Zhang Li, he really liked church and grinned at me a lot. I also like how he keeps saying that my Mandarin is good. The youngest sister brought her fifteen year old daughter and made me take take pictures with her alot. I"m sure it was inappropriate. But I am a Mandarin so rules don't really apply to me.
I am almost recoverd from my wallet mishap. My new companion makes me food a lot. He is very relaxed. I like him. We ate dinner with his uncle who came to Hong Kong on business. He is half Taiwanese. His mom came to America at age 2 so he is not really like Elder Dodge.
I can't wait till Chester (a recent convert) is ready to fellowship with us. He is so rad.
I am only staying here one more move. We have a goal for three baptisms (not including mainland visitors). I really like it here and wish that I could be the one to work with the Tangs. When they came to church, which was about an hour away from their house, the oldest sister wanted to purchase a Gospel principle's book. All three of the sisters are Christian, but the second sister's husband doesn't really even beleive in God. They pretty much want to continue coming to church and meeting with us. I felt really cool sitting next to seven investigators at church.
The reason I know that I won't be here is because it is very easy to predict Mandarin companionships with 100% accuracy. For instance I knew that Elder Bendall would be my second companion my first week in Hong Kong. Elder Bendall will pretty much train Elder Kershisnik. And whatever work I aid in over here in the West (New Territories as well now) will be completed by him.
It is slight extrapolation but is it possible that I will be Kershisnik's second companion.
we want to open the overflow. We have about four hundred people on our branch roster and only about sixty show up on Sunday's. It's actually not about reactivating less actives. Most of the people who join go back to the mainland and are never heard of again. The way to open the overflow is to find new people. I wish to find more permanent residents though. Preisthood holders as well.
I hope that's enough rambling. I am still pretty terrified to make phone calls in Mandarin. I have been out for four months, which means I only have like twenty more. I haven't even really done much. I don't even speak Mandarin yet. Two years is not long enough.
华长老
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Elder Bendall and Question Answers
Can you tell me all about your transfer? I stayed in kwai fong but my trainer left. my area is still west kowloon. We have like twenty investigators. we have like seven recent converts. Elder Bendall is my new companion's name.
Thomas wants to know if you are being good. I am trying hard. my new companion is a night and day difference from my trainer elder lee.
Jerrica wants to know how many people you have taught? I have been in many lessons. I don't teach too much because Elder Lee talked alot. I want to change this move.
Alyssa wonders how many people have "you" baptized?I have only baptized one. My very first week. I think that Elder Lee had a personal thing about mainland visitors, so he refused to go to the temple and teach them several times.
Daniel askd how can you learn to speak Chinese?The only way is through the gift of tongues. Asking Dad would be better.
I want to know what your apartment is like? Roaches. I am the apartment leader. Which means I tell people to clean up and stuff.
How many rooms, bedroom rooms, is it a house or an apartment?1, apartment. Hong Kong is way small.
How many people live there?4
Do you have a speaker to open a gate or anything?no, we have a guard who sits at the bottom. The guard lets missionaries in with no hesitation.
What kind of a car do you drive?I have a car?
What do you eat when you get to pick at home?ramen. There is a whole two isles of ramen in the store.
What are your favorite foods there?McDonalds, KFC, ramen
Please don't send a pouch system. It will be of no use. I actually am going to probably die. My new companion is really generous though. I honestly have three white shirts. The washing machine puts rust on my clothes. For some reason nobody else has this occur. I have like no reserve funds either. I still feel the Spirit and have a love and desire to serve the mandarin speakers of Hong Kong.
I always have to say upsetting things and then leave with an overall tone of optimism.
I am pretty sure that we will get two convert baptisms this move reguardless of how bad my language is.
I really like my new investigators. We got about six at once. It was a rather large family. They are all coming to church. Then they will be progressing investigators.
There is one recent convert that I really enjoy. His name is chester. I can't wait to use him as a member present to bail us out when we can't speak Chinese. He probably needs some time though.
K I love you
Don't worry too much about me.
Thomas wants to know if you are being good. I am trying hard. my new companion is a night and day difference from my trainer elder lee.
Jerrica wants to know how many people you have taught? I have been in many lessons. I don't teach too much because Elder Lee talked alot. I want to change this move.
Alyssa wonders how many people have "you" baptized?I have only baptized one. My very first week. I think that Elder Lee had a personal thing about mainland visitors, so he refused to go to the temple and teach them several times.
Daniel askd how can you learn to speak Chinese?The only way is through the gift of tongues. Asking Dad would be better.
I want to know what your apartment is like? Roaches. I am the apartment leader. Which means I tell people to clean up and stuff.
How many rooms, bedroom rooms, is it a house or an apartment?1, apartment. Hong Kong is way small.
How many people live there?4
Do you have a speaker to open a gate or anything?no, we have a guard who sits at the bottom. The guard lets missionaries in with no hesitation.
What kind of a car do you drive?I have a car?
What do you eat when you get to pick at home?ramen. There is a whole two isles of ramen in the store.
What are your favorite foods there?McDonalds, KFC, ramen
Please don't send a pouch system. It will be of no use. I actually am going to probably die. My new companion is really generous though. I honestly have three white shirts. The washing machine puts rust on my clothes. For some reason nobody else has this occur. I have like no reserve funds either. I still feel the Spirit and have a love and desire to serve the mandarin speakers of Hong Kong.
I always have to say upsetting things and then leave with an overall tone of optimism.
I am pretty sure that we will get two convert baptisms this move reguardless of how bad my language is.
I really like my new investigators. We got about six at once. It was a rather large family. They are all coming to church. Then they will be progressing investigators.
There is one recent convert that I really enjoy. His name is chester. I can't wait to use him as a member present to bail us out when we can't speak Chinese. He probably needs some time though.
K I love you
Don't worry too much about me.
Temporal Struggles
8/19/09
Hello everybody,
So again I am having struggles temporally. All my clothes have rips and tears still. I don't remember my pin number for my credit card from the credit union. I think that I lost my camera, I have missed many awesome photo opportunities.
I still have no idea what is going on in Mandarin. My companion makes me do phone calls, but all I can really understand is "could you give the cell phone to Elder Lee?"
I seriously have heard way more Cantonese than Mandarin since I have been here. I am upset that I cannot order food, make purchases or get places. When I don’t have Elder Lee any more as a crutch I will surely perish.
I am way more uncomfortable than I have ever been in my whole life.
My companion is the only native Mandarin speaker in the mission. Therefore he teaches way more in depth than anybody else. He says that he "slams". He is pretty good at shutting people down and confounding them with the word of God.
There is a language program where you have to pass of lessons and then pass of characters. You attain levels of expertise depending on which lessons and characters you pass off. I have not passed anything off. My companion "the Malaysian tiger" is intimidating. He has quite an aura. He has made several people cry during pass offs (including the mission president's daughter most recently).
I want to be the very best . I am too scared to open my mouth though. When we do finding about 5% are Mandarin. The rest of the time I am being mocked, I bet they are all wondering what a big fat white guy is doing going around saying "ni hao" to everybody. It certainly stops people though, it seriously confuses them and they stop and shake my hand. My Mandarin and their mandarin cannot accomplish the task of spreading the gospel though.
I taught a crazy man who was singing to himself. I basically asked if he took requests. The guy turned out to be a mainlander who seemed to be pro communist. I only understood Mao Zedong and felt a very positive feeling coming from him. Actually at this point I am in a companionship exchange with a Cantonese elder. We both had no idea about this crazy man's ramblings. I taught and he understood, then I gave him a pamphlet.
We actually have legitimate investigators, and we have two who are really close to baptism.
I love you,
I hope this letter suffices.
8/12/09
Dear Family,
The Life of a Mandarin Missionary: We get cell phones, extra money
for traveling and eating out because our area is the entire zone and
its okay if we come back late, if we're dealing with mainland
visitors. We're the highest baptizing group in the world, in fact
last Friday (on my 3rd day here) I performed my first baptism. We
just teach people who come from the mainland who are almost perfect
with the gospel and once we teach them every lesson we baptize them at
the end of the day. The groups range from about four to about thirty.
This is a really good opportunity because they won’t go anywhere but
just listen to my broken Chinese until its time for them to get
baptized. My trainer has me talk and then he fills everything in.
At our baptisms a brother pulls out his cell phone to accompany our
hymns. No talks were planned out, no special musical numbers, no
white underwear - last minute. I realized that the greatest baptisms
ever were "thrown together". Everybody save me needed to repeat their
baptisms.
I will end up with over a hundred baptisms when I'm done. Actually
there are local investigators that are getting baptized as well. My
companion and I have several that just need concerns resolved before
baptism. After I baptized my mainland visitor, these twin boys who
are about ten years old got baptized (my companion did a lot of work
with them).
Also, our branch is from all over, so are our investigators, so I
can't understand some of their accents. It's probably a good thing
that I have this so that I can understand everyone and not just Taiwan
accents when I am older.
I wear a bright red badge that says that I speak Mandarin. I have
found out that I really don't speak mandarin, but it sure is a nice
excuse for me when I look stupid around everyone speaking Cantonese.
I have had some experiences where people were speaking Cantonese at
me, then they saw my badge and then switched into Mandarin. I am
having my pride chiseled at.
It is fulfilling. My companion is so rad. He knows so much slang in
English but adds his own twists. He says "basically" a lot.
"Basically there are a lot of stud that are Mandarin." I think it is
great that I have the companion who is most proficient in any
language. I hope I learn things from him.
Going out finding is ridiculous in Mandarin. "Basically you get a lot
more people when you speak Cantonese". I do a lot of standing in, in
an awkward creepy way, while my companion does all the speaking
(especially when he is speaking Cantonese).
Of course the weather is nasty. I don't know how it can be so hot
when there isn't a sun visible anywhere. It rains a lot and the rain
is warm too.
I love it. You won’t believe me, but it is everything I expected
before hand. I am surprised that I love it all the same. Everybody
tells me that I am fat but I will get skinny. They also tell me that
Mandarin will "man man lai" slowly come (Cantonese people tell me this
too).
I love you,
I hope I included everything
Hua Zhanglao , Wah Junglou
Hello everybody,
So again I am having struggles temporally. All my clothes have rips and tears still. I don't remember my pin number for my credit card from the credit union. I think that I lost my camera, I have missed many awesome photo opportunities.
I still have no idea what is going on in Mandarin. My companion makes me do phone calls, but all I can really understand is "could you give the cell phone to Elder Lee?"
I seriously have heard way more Cantonese than Mandarin since I have been here. I am upset that I cannot order food, make purchases or get places. When I don’t have Elder Lee any more as a crutch I will surely perish.
I am way more uncomfortable than I have ever been in my whole life.
My companion is the only native Mandarin speaker in the mission. Therefore he teaches way more in depth than anybody else. He says that he "slams". He is pretty good at shutting people down and confounding them with the word of God.
There is a language program where you have to pass of lessons and then pass of characters. You attain levels of expertise depending on which lessons and characters you pass off. I have not passed anything off. My companion "the Malaysian tiger" is intimidating. He has quite an aura. He has made several people cry during pass offs (including the mission president's daughter most recently).
I want to be the very best . I am too scared to open my mouth though. When we do finding about 5% are Mandarin. The rest of the time I am being mocked, I bet they are all wondering what a big fat white guy is doing going around saying "ni hao" to everybody. It certainly stops people though, it seriously confuses them and they stop and shake my hand. My Mandarin and their mandarin cannot accomplish the task of spreading the gospel though.
I taught a crazy man who was singing to himself. I basically asked if he took requests. The guy turned out to be a mainlander who seemed to be pro communist. I only understood Mao Zedong and felt a very positive feeling coming from him. Actually at this point I am in a companionship exchange with a Cantonese elder. We both had no idea about this crazy man's ramblings. I taught and he understood, then I gave him a pamphlet.
We actually have legitimate investigators, and we have two who are really close to baptism.
I love you,
I hope this letter suffices.
8/12/09
Dear Family,
The Life of a Mandarin Missionary: We get cell phones, extra money
for traveling and eating out because our area is the entire zone and
its okay if we come back late, if we're dealing with mainland
visitors. We're the highest baptizing group in the world, in fact
last Friday (on my 3rd day here) I performed my first baptism. We
just teach people who come from the mainland who are almost perfect
with the gospel and once we teach them every lesson we baptize them at
the end of the day. The groups range from about four to about thirty.
This is a really good opportunity because they won’t go anywhere but
just listen to my broken Chinese until its time for them to get
baptized. My trainer has me talk and then he fills everything in.
At our baptisms a brother pulls out his cell phone to accompany our
hymns. No talks were planned out, no special musical numbers, no
white underwear - last minute. I realized that the greatest baptisms
ever were "thrown together". Everybody save me needed to repeat their
baptisms.
I will end up with over a hundred baptisms when I'm done. Actually
there are local investigators that are getting baptized as well. My
companion and I have several that just need concerns resolved before
baptism. After I baptized my mainland visitor, these twin boys who
are about ten years old got baptized (my companion did a lot of work
with them).
Also, our branch is from all over, so are our investigators, so I
can't understand some of their accents. It's probably a good thing
that I have this so that I can understand everyone and not just Taiwan
accents when I am older.
I wear a bright red badge that says that I speak Mandarin. I have
found out that I really don't speak mandarin, but it sure is a nice
excuse for me when I look stupid around everyone speaking Cantonese.
I have had some experiences where people were speaking Cantonese at
me, then they saw my badge and then switched into Mandarin. I am
having my pride chiseled at.
It is fulfilling. My companion is so rad. He knows so much slang in
English but adds his own twists. He says "basically" a lot.
"Basically there are a lot of stud that are Mandarin." I think it is
great that I have the companion who is most proficient in any
language. I hope I learn things from him.
Going out finding is ridiculous in Mandarin. "Basically you get a lot
more people when you speak Cantonese". I do a lot of standing in, in
an awkward creepy way, while my companion does all the speaking
(especially when he is speaking Cantonese).
Of course the weather is nasty. I don't know how it can be so hot
when there isn't a sun visible anywhere. It rains a lot and the rain
is warm too.
I love it. You won’t believe me, but it is everything I expected
before hand. I am surprised that I love it all the same. Everybody
tells me that I am fat but I will get skinny. They also tell me that
Mandarin will "man man lai" slowly come (Cantonese people tell me this
too).
I love you,
I hope I included everything
Hua Zhanglao , Wah Junglou
Arrival in Hong Kong - Adjustments
date Thu, Aug 6, 2009 at 1:10 AM
subject Im here
So I just now deleted my email that I spent a half hour writing. Its a good thing that I am no longer in the mtc or mom would call the mission president. We get an hour to write letters so no problem. my pday is thursday.
I am so sweaty all the time. soaking wet, and then it rains. I got hot water at the restaurant we ate at, I sweat all the hydration that It gave me while drinking it. As soon as the water went down my throat, an equal amount of water came out of my pours.
A task such as ordering food would not be too hard for me if I was using mandarin. But I have to sit with a stupid look on my face while cantonese is being spoken.
My trainer is good. He is looking over my shoulder right now, so I have to be honest. All the other missionaries speak highly of him. The call him the malaysian tiger. He speaks mandarin, cantonese, english and indonesian fluently.
I hope to learn a whole bunch from him, he seems every bit as good as everybody says he is.
I don't have a whole lot of motivation to keep writing since a whole half hour just went poof.
Hong Kong is gorgeous. The landscape is very lush and green. And then there is this huge concrete jungle accenting it. It is quite big. I don't understand how to get around yet, but I hope to soon. The roommates are cantonese so there is gonna be alot of cantonese being spoken.
Actually, elder Lee, my trainer was the office elder when I put my papers in. He chose most of the incoming missionaries names. He knew that I studied four years of mandarin in high school. he also knew my mothers name was rhonda.
He is pretty rad so far. I am really excited to see why they call him the tiger. I hope I can keep up and learn valuable awesome things from him.
my zone is kowloon west. The wild wild west. We have the largest area for two elders aside from the APs and the office elders (the entire zone).
k bye
I love you
hua zhanglao
8/4/09
The transcribed message Stephen left me on my cell phone. I have now learned that I have to answer "Blocked ID" phone calls while Stephen is on his mission.
Hey Mom!
This your son Stephen calling from Taiwan. I got a hold of dad so, he's just going to have to tell you and it is going to have to appeases your appetite to talk with me.
I am doing great!
We landed a Book of Mormon in San Francisco and we got his address and phone number in Taiwan. So that was pretty exciting.
I'm going to leave in about an hour to Hong Kong.
Yah, things are pretty good.
This is an expensive message that I am leaving on your phone. I hope it is good enough.
love you,
bye-bye
8/3/09
Today, I'm so scared. I should be happy that the work is moving forward, not upset that my mission isn't that unique. There actually isnt much culture shock over there from what I heard, there are tons of white people and everybody speaks english. Chicken feet and pig parts soup is nothing new, I bet I wont get anything that I haven't eaten before (I hope I get dog).
I think joining a moms egroup sounds dorky.
I still don't know what to say to you guys, Im nervous and terrified and excited.
I like all the stuff about babies. Pictures are fine. I took pictures but I can't send them to you on the computers over here.
Father, there is an Elder Bishop who is going to China with his wife along with us. He said that he supervised the Chinese translation. I asked if he knew you and then he answered "Dion?". I think that he was pretty cool.
My flights are lame times. I leave the MTC at 6:30 pm and depart SLC at 9:30. I dont know when we get to taiwan, but we leave 1:30 am. I really don't see me converting anyone at the airport. Skip tuesday and travel about 13 hours. I get there about 10 am, I bet the moment I get off the plane I hit the ground running and go out that day despite being way sleepy.
Im sorry that we're poor, but at least now you're compelled to be humble. Thanks for supporting my mission all the more. You won't regret it, Im gonna tear it up. And when I open up China the money will be worth it.
thats about it
love y'all
Elder Wall (Hua Zhanglao)
subject Im here
So I just now deleted my email that I spent a half hour writing. Its a good thing that I am no longer in the mtc or mom would call the mission president. We get an hour to write letters so no problem. my pday is thursday.
I am so sweaty all the time. soaking wet, and then it rains. I got hot water at the restaurant we ate at, I sweat all the hydration that It gave me while drinking it. As soon as the water went down my throat, an equal amount of water came out of my pours.
A task such as ordering food would not be too hard for me if I was using mandarin. But I have to sit with a stupid look on my face while cantonese is being spoken.
My trainer is good. He is looking over my shoulder right now, so I have to be honest. All the other missionaries speak highly of him. The call him the malaysian tiger. He speaks mandarin, cantonese, english and indonesian fluently.
I hope to learn a whole bunch from him, he seems every bit as good as everybody says he is.
I don't have a whole lot of motivation to keep writing since a whole half hour just went poof.
Hong Kong is gorgeous. The landscape is very lush and green. And then there is this huge concrete jungle accenting it. It is quite big. I don't understand how to get around yet, but I hope to soon. The roommates are cantonese so there is gonna be alot of cantonese being spoken.
Actually, elder Lee, my trainer was the office elder when I put my papers in. He chose most of the incoming missionaries names. He knew that I studied four years of mandarin in high school. he also knew my mothers name was rhonda.
He is pretty rad so far. I am really excited to see why they call him the tiger. I hope I can keep up and learn valuable awesome things from him.
my zone is kowloon west. The wild wild west. We have the largest area for two elders aside from the APs and the office elders (the entire zone).
k bye
I love you
hua zhanglao
8/4/09
The transcribed message Stephen left me on my cell phone. I have now learned that I have to answer "Blocked ID" phone calls while Stephen is on his mission.
Hey Mom!
This your son Stephen calling from Taiwan. I got a hold of dad so, he's just going to have to tell you and it is going to have to appeases your appetite to talk with me.
I am doing great!
We landed a Book of Mormon in San Francisco and we got his address and phone number in Taiwan. So that was pretty exciting.
I'm going to leave in about an hour to Hong Kong.
Yah, things are pretty good.
This is an expensive message that I am leaving on your phone. I hope it is good enough.
love you,
bye-bye
8/3/09
Today, I'm so scared. I should be happy that the work is moving forward, not upset that my mission isn't that unique. There actually isnt much culture shock over there from what I heard, there are tons of white people and everybody speaks english. Chicken feet and pig parts soup is nothing new, I bet I wont get anything that I haven't eaten before (I hope I get dog).
I think joining a moms egroup sounds dorky.
I still don't know what to say to you guys, Im nervous and terrified and excited.
I like all the stuff about babies. Pictures are fine. I took pictures but I can't send them to you on the computers over here.
Father, there is an Elder Bishop who is going to China with his wife along with us. He said that he supervised the Chinese translation. I asked if he knew you and then he answered "Dion?". I think that he was pretty cool.
My flights are lame times. I leave the MTC at 6:30 pm and depart SLC at 9:30. I dont know when we get to taiwan, but we leave 1:30 am. I really don't see me converting anyone at the airport. Skip tuesday and travel about 13 hours. I get there about 10 am, I bet the moment I get off the plane I hit the ground running and go out that day despite being way sleepy.
Im sorry that we're poor, but at least now you're compelled to be humble. Thanks for supporting my mission all the more. You won't regret it, Im gonna tear it up. And when I open up China the money will be worth it.
thats about it
love y'all
Elder Wall (Hua Zhanglao)
Getting Ready to Leave
July 27, 2009
Wooo! I'm leaving early. They're bunching us three with the Cantonese elders. We're gone on the third.
So don't send me any packages. I am not feeling ready. I have a mixture of terror, nervousness and excitement. I knew I would leave not feeling ready. The words of Come come ye saints come to my mind "why should we think to earn a great reward, when we now shun the fight? I want to have a movie mad of my mission like Groberg. But when I study it doesn't show.
I worry about the weight of my luggage. I have every chinese recource I could get ahold of here. They include, a white hand book, a missionary phrase book, a childrens song book, an illustrated book of mormon stories, gospel principles, two grammar books, 2 three column copies of the book of mormon, two oxford dictionaries and a traditional chinese-english dictionary, a bible and a book of mormon without pinyin. Oh yeah and Jesus the Christ.
I suppose I could have gotten all the resources in simplified too. I was really close to purchasing all the cantonese stuff (just a really fat hymn book). I think they're gonna give me a missionary phrase book for cantonese though.
I don't know what to say to you guys. I love you. Glad to get out of this happy prision, but also feeling a little unready. Next tuesday, this is my penultimate time to write you from the MTC
and a large hymnbook without pinyin and a small one with pinyin. Preach my gospel with characters and a preach my gospel without. I could be over in wight for my luggage perhaps.
I have english literature as well.
Love you still
Stephen Wall to me Jul 20, 2009
Really nothing is happening over here save some personal growth. I have no problem writing letters. I enjoy writing letters and am hurt you would ever think otherwise. I know my letters are often boring and quite dismal, the same old "Im lazy" deal every time.
I know I'm growing because I was really angry when I got called down to the presidents office because mom was just being a mom. I had to miss gym which is the only true and unlasting joy offered in the MTC (the meals definately last forever, I'm 253 lbs.). I then remembered a one pahoran and a one moroni. I promise I don't sit on my throne in a thoughtless stupor when I am writing you letters; I only do that when I need to be studying. I promise it wasn't my fault the two times you didn't get a letter. MY companion endured missing gym quite nicely, he's pretty cool. He also vouched for me to the president that I write letters every week.
I also realised what a ungrateful little worm I was for getting angry at someone who way paying for my mission. Who definately deserves to hear every last excruciatingly boring detail.
Really that was the highlight of my week, being chastised for a computer error that was out of my power to stop or realise that it happened.
I pray this one gets to you.
Im still pretty lazy. I learn more and more each day that Hong Kong was perfectly taylored by the Lord to test me. They won't lets us three who are going to hong kong sit in with the cantonese class. It makes sense and I'm not as upset as I thought I would be. I don't really study mandarin so why would I spend time studying cantonese? Also I'm sure I would forget it all by the time I got there since I'm not emersed in that language. I do remember the setting apart blessing I got that said I would learn all the cantonese that I would need to know. From what I gather, I won't need any :(
I love y'all,
华长老
Stephen Wall to me
Jul 18, 2009
I need to hurry up and get terrified that I'm going to China in like five weeks. I know the Lord will make up the difference once I do my best and extend my capabilities after all I can do. Only one problem, I have never "done my best" or "all I can do", no never in my whole life in any aspect.
It's sad when people who have never studied Chinese before are surpassing me because the rely on the Lord more and do their best. Maybe it's not sad.
The more I think about it, the more I know that Hong Kong is perfectly fitted to test me. I am going to sweat all day everyday, be too close to everybody else who is sweaty, get lost a city that doesn't have numbered streets like provo and is like fifty times bigger (at least), everybody speaks english except my investigators (so its essentially like a mission to Canada, Australia or the States, thus imparing my ability to learn my language), Noah will be my companion, no driving, and there happens to be several million Chinese girls there too.
At least it is safe to say that I won't have a leadership sentance asside from being a trainer or a senior companion. And at least I know that the Lord is mindful of me?
Im almost done with the Book of Mormon in English, I think Im going to go for it in Chinese afterward. There are several missionaries from Hong Kong who just arrived last wednesday, the white ones know absolutely no Chinese (either dialect) which reassures me that I wont have a good opportunity to learn the language as well. The Chinese one is confident that he doesn't speak mandarin although he is probably the best mandarin speaker here (teachers included) and should only stay for three weeks.
All in all, I am way excited to be physically worn down and uncomfortable, but I shrink to give my self mental strain.
I love you all,
Elder Wall (Hua Zhanglao)
Wooo! I'm leaving early. They're bunching us three with the Cantonese elders. We're gone on the third.
So don't send me any packages. I am not feeling ready. I have a mixture of terror, nervousness and excitement. I knew I would leave not feeling ready. The words of Come come ye saints come to my mind "why should we think to earn a great reward, when we now shun the fight? I want to have a movie mad of my mission like Groberg. But when I study it doesn't show.
I worry about the weight of my luggage. I have every chinese recource I could get ahold of here. They include, a white hand book, a missionary phrase book, a childrens song book, an illustrated book of mormon stories, gospel principles, two grammar books, 2 three column copies of the book of mormon, two oxford dictionaries and a traditional chinese-english dictionary, a bible and a book of mormon without pinyin. Oh yeah and Jesus the Christ.
I suppose I could have gotten all the resources in simplified too. I was really close to purchasing all the cantonese stuff (just a really fat hymn book). I think they're gonna give me a missionary phrase book for cantonese though.
I don't know what to say to you guys. I love you. Glad to get out of this happy prision, but also feeling a little unready. Next tuesday, this is my penultimate time to write you from the MTC
and a large hymnbook without pinyin and a small one with pinyin. Preach my gospel with characters and a preach my gospel without. I could be over in wight for my luggage perhaps.
I have english literature as well.
Love you still
Stephen Wall to me Jul 20, 2009
Really nothing is happening over here save some personal growth. I have no problem writing letters. I enjoy writing letters and am hurt you would ever think otherwise. I know my letters are often boring and quite dismal, the same old "Im lazy" deal every time.
I know I'm growing because I was really angry when I got called down to the presidents office because mom was just being a mom. I had to miss gym which is the only true and unlasting joy offered in the MTC (the meals definately last forever, I'm 253 lbs.). I then remembered a one pahoran and a one moroni. I promise I don't sit on my throne in a thoughtless stupor when I am writing you letters; I only do that when I need to be studying. I promise it wasn't my fault the two times you didn't get a letter. MY companion endured missing gym quite nicely, he's pretty cool. He also vouched for me to the president that I write letters every week.
I also realised what a ungrateful little worm I was for getting angry at someone who way paying for my mission. Who definately deserves to hear every last excruciatingly boring detail.
Really that was the highlight of my week, being chastised for a computer error that was out of my power to stop or realise that it happened.
I pray this one gets to you.
Im still pretty lazy. I learn more and more each day that Hong Kong was perfectly taylored by the Lord to test me. They won't lets us three who are going to hong kong sit in with the cantonese class. It makes sense and I'm not as upset as I thought I would be. I don't really study mandarin so why would I spend time studying cantonese? Also I'm sure I would forget it all by the time I got there since I'm not emersed in that language. I do remember the setting apart blessing I got that said I would learn all the cantonese that I would need to know. From what I gather, I won't need any :(
I love y'all,
华长老
Stephen Wall to me
Jul 18, 2009
I need to hurry up and get terrified that I'm going to China in like five weeks. I know the Lord will make up the difference once I do my best and extend my capabilities after all I can do. Only one problem, I have never "done my best" or "all I can do", no never in my whole life in any aspect.
It's sad when people who have never studied Chinese before are surpassing me because the rely on the Lord more and do their best. Maybe it's not sad.
The more I think about it, the more I know that Hong Kong is perfectly fitted to test me. I am going to sweat all day everyday, be too close to everybody else who is sweaty, get lost a city that doesn't have numbered streets like provo and is like fifty times bigger (at least), everybody speaks english except my investigators (so its essentially like a mission to Canada, Australia or the States, thus imparing my ability to learn my language), Noah will be my companion, no driving, and there happens to be several million Chinese girls there too.
At least it is safe to say that I won't have a leadership sentance asside from being a trainer or a senior companion. And at least I know that the Lord is mindful of me?
Im almost done with the Book of Mormon in English, I think Im going to go for it in Chinese afterward. There are several missionaries from Hong Kong who just arrived last wednesday, the white ones know absolutely no Chinese (either dialect) which reassures me that I wont have a good opportunity to learn the language as well. The Chinese one is confident that he doesn't speak mandarin although he is probably the best mandarin speaker here (teachers included) and should only stay for three weeks.
All in all, I am way excited to be physically worn down and uncomfortable, but I shrink to give my self mental strain.
I love you all,
Elder Wall (Hua Zhanglao)
Marching Orders
July 27, 2009
Wooo! I'm leaving early. They're bunching us three with the Cantonese elders. We're gone on the third.
So don't send me any packages. I am not feeling ready. I have a mixture of terror, nervousness and excitement. I knew I would leave not feeling ready. The words of Come come ye saints come to my mind "why should we think to earn a great reward, when we now shun the fight? I want to have a movie mad of my mission like Groberg. But when I study it doesn't show.
I worry about the weight of my luggage. I have every chinese recource I could get ahold of here. They include, a white hand book, a missionary phrase book, a childrens song book, an illustrated book of mormon stories, gospel principles, two grammar books, 2 three column copies of the book of mormon, two oxford dictionaries and a traditional chinese-english dictionary, a bible and a book of mormon without pinyin. Oh yeah and Jesus the Christ.
I suppose I could have gotten all the resources in simplified too. I was really close to purchasing all the cantonese stuff (just a really fat hymn book). I think they're gonna give me a missionary phrase book for cantonese though.
I don't know what to say to you guys. I love you. Glad to get out of this happy prision, but also feeling a little unready. Next tuesday, this is my penultimate time to write you from the MTC
and a large hymnbook without pinyin and a small one with pinyin. Preach my gospel with characters and a preach my gospel without. I could be over in wight for my luggage perhaps.
I have english literature as well.
Love you still
Stephen Wall to me Jul 20, 2009
Really nothing is happening over here save some personal growth. I have no problem writing letters. I enjoy writing letters and am hurt you would ever think otherwise. I know my letters are often boring and quite dismal, the same old "Im lazy" deal every time.
I know I'm growing because I was really angry when I got called down to the presidents office because mom was just being a mom. I had to miss gym which is the only true and unlasting joy offered in the MTC (the meals definately last forever, I'm 253 lbs.). I then remembered a one pahoran and a one moroni. I promise I don't sit on my throne in a thoughtless stupor when I am writing you letters; I only do that when I need to be studying. I promise it wasn't my fault the two times you didn't get a letter. MY companion endured missing gym quite nicely, he's pretty cool. He also vouched for me to the president that I write letters every week.
I also realised what a ungrateful little worm I was for getting angry at someone who way paying for my mission. Who definately deserves to hear every last excruciatingly boring detail.
Really that was the highlight of my week, being chastised for a computer error that was out of my power to stop or realise that it happened.
I pray this one gets to you.
Im still pretty lazy. I learn more and more each day that Hong Kong was perfectly taylored by the Lord to test me. They won't lets us three who are going to hong kong sit in with the cantonese class. It makes sense and I'm not as upset as I thought I would be. I don't really study mandarin so why would I spend time studying cantonese? Also I'm sure I would forget it all by the time I got there since I'm not emersed in that language. I do remember the setting apart blessing I got that said I would learn all the cantonese that I would need to know. From what I gather, I won't need any :(
I love y'all,
华长老
Stephen Wall to me
Jul 18, 2009
I need to hurry up and get terrified that I'm going to China in like five weeks. I know the Lord will make up the difference once I do my best and extend my capabilities after all I can do. Only one problem, I have never "done my best" or "all I can do", no never in my whole life in any aspect.
It's sad when people who have never studied Chinese before are surpassing me because the rely on the Lord more and do their best. Maybe it's not sad.
The more I think about it, the more I know that Hong Kong is perfectly fitted to test me. I am going to sweat all day everyday, be too close to everybody else who is sweaty, get lost a city that doesn't have numbered streets like provo and is like fifty times bigger (at least), everybody speaks english except my investigators (so its essentially like a mission to Canada, Australia or the States, thus imparing my ability to learn my language), Noah will be my companion, no driving, and there happens to be several million Chinese girls there too.
At least it is safe to say that I won't have a leadership sentance asside from being a trainer or a senior companion. And at least I know that the Lord is mindful of me?
Im almost done with the Book of Mormon in English, I think Im going to go for it in Chinese afterward. There are several missionaries from Hong Kong who just arrived last wednesday, the white ones know absolutely no Chinese (either dialect) which reassures me that I wont have a good opportunity to learn the language as well. The Chinese one is confident that he doesn't speak mandarin although he is probably the best mandarin speaker here (teachers included) and should only stay for three weeks.
All in all, I am way excited to be physically worn down and uncomfortable, but I shrink to give my self mental strain.
I love you all,
Elder Wall (Hua Zhanglao)
Wooo! I'm leaving early. They're bunching us three with the Cantonese elders. We're gone on the third.
So don't send me any packages. I am not feeling ready. I have a mixture of terror, nervousness and excitement. I knew I would leave not feeling ready. The words of Come come ye saints come to my mind "why should we think to earn a great reward, when we now shun the fight? I want to have a movie mad of my mission like Groberg. But when I study it doesn't show.
I worry about the weight of my luggage. I have every chinese recource I could get ahold of here. They include, a white hand book, a missionary phrase book, a childrens song book, an illustrated book of mormon stories, gospel principles, two grammar books, 2 three column copies of the book of mormon, two oxford dictionaries and a traditional chinese-english dictionary, a bible and a book of mormon without pinyin. Oh yeah and Jesus the Christ.
I suppose I could have gotten all the resources in simplified too. I was really close to purchasing all the cantonese stuff (just a really fat hymn book). I think they're gonna give me a missionary phrase book for cantonese though.
I don't know what to say to you guys. I love you. Glad to get out of this happy prision, but also feeling a little unready. Next tuesday, this is my penultimate time to write you from the MTC
and a large hymnbook without pinyin and a small one with pinyin. Preach my gospel with characters and a preach my gospel without. I could be over in wight for my luggage perhaps.
I have english literature as well.
Love you still
Stephen Wall to me Jul 20, 2009
Really nothing is happening over here save some personal growth. I have no problem writing letters. I enjoy writing letters and am hurt you would ever think otherwise. I know my letters are often boring and quite dismal, the same old "Im lazy" deal every time.
I know I'm growing because I was really angry when I got called down to the presidents office because mom was just being a mom. I had to miss gym which is the only true and unlasting joy offered in the MTC (the meals definately last forever, I'm 253 lbs.). I then remembered a one pahoran and a one moroni. I promise I don't sit on my throne in a thoughtless stupor when I am writing you letters; I only do that when I need to be studying. I promise it wasn't my fault the two times you didn't get a letter. MY companion endured missing gym quite nicely, he's pretty cool. He also vouched for me to the president that I write letters every week.
I also realised what a ungrateful little worm I was for getting angry at someone who way paying for my mission. Who definately deserves to hear every last excruciatingly boring detail.
Really that was the highlight of my week, being chastised for a computer error that was out of my power to stop or realise that it happened.
I pray this one gets to you.
Im still pretty lazy. I learn more and more each day that Hong Kong was perfectly taylored by the Lord to test me. They won't lets us three who are going to hong kong sit in with the cantonese class. It makes sense and I'm not as upset as I thought I would be. I don't really study mandarin so why would I spend time studying cantonese? Also I'm sure I would forget it all by the time I got there since I'm not emersed in that language. I do remember the setting apart blessing I got that said I would learn all the cantonese that I would need to know. From what I gather, I won't need any :(
I love y'all,
华长老
Stephen Wall to me
Jul 18, 2009
I need to hurry up and get terrified that I'm going to China in like five weeks. I know the Lord will make up the difference once I do my best and extend my capabilities after all I can do. Only one problem, I have never "done my best" or "all I can do", no never in my whole life in any aspect.
It's sad when people who have never studied Chinese before are surpassing me because the rely on the Lord more and do their best. Maybe it's not sad.
The more I think about it, the more I know that Hong Kong is perfectly fitted to test me. I am going to sweat all day everyday, be too close to everybody else who is sweaty, get lost a city that doesn't have numbered streets like provo and is like fifty times bigger (at least), everybody speaks english except my investigators (so its essentially like a mission to Canada, Australia or the States, thus imparing my ability to learn my language), Noah will be my companion, no driving, and there happens to be several million Chinese girls there too.
At least it is safe to say that I won't have a leadership sentance asside from being a trainer or a senior companion. And at least I know that the Lord is mindful of me?
Im almost done with the Book of Mormon in English, I think Im going to go for it in Chinese afterward. There are several missionaries from Hong Kong who just arrived last wednesday, the white ones know absolutely no Chinese (either dialect) which reassures me that I wont have a good opportunity to learn the language as well. The Chinese one is confident that he doesn't speak mandarin although he is probably the best mandarin speaker here (teachers included) and should only stay for three weeks.
All in all, I am way excited to be physically worn down and uncomfortable, but I shrink to give my self mental strain.
I love you all,
Elder Wall (Hua Zhanglao)
Computer Frustrations
Just to let you know I did write. The computers here are just satanic. They take like ten minutes to log in. I wrote my letter and then clicked send with many minutes to spare. It said that it had logged out and to log back in to start a new session. I did but the time ran out just from logging in.
I would rather die than hand write something after spending so many headaches on an email.
Laura, I do receive your letters, thanks for your support. I love you and you're great.
Tatiana thanks for writing me too. Also aunt Sue a while back.
Its a shame you didnt get to receive my email I labored over last week. Its way better than this weeks email is going to be.
I still don't feel like I have ever worked my hardest. I am really prideful and don't feel like I need it. I know this is sin. I am hoping for a devastating experience and that I am compelled to be humble like the poor Zoramites.
I want to be completely broken, and then, like muscle fiber or a bone, become stronger after the healing process. If you want to you, could probably pray for an angel to come and put the beat down on me.
I am reading the scriptures with more vigor (if that's how you spell it) than I ever have. I am getting the scripture mastery down, but only up to where I'm at in my reading. I am going to finish Alma today, I only have the war chapters to go so Im pretty happy about that.
I actually think the scripture mastery will help me. If I can't speak Chinese and can hand an investigator a scripture that is pretty simple, I don't have to know how to speak Chinese.
I still hate schedule, regiment and planning. I know if I do this, my ability to work my hardest will be greatly increased.
My companion and I are probably the most advanced in the zone besides Daoqi Zhang Lao (Elder Dodge). Of course this causes in me pride. I even get upest when my companion proves he is better than me. I mean jeez, he didn't even pass the AP test. Of course he didn't take it and if he had he would have received a 4 instead of a 3.
I am slowly approaching being able to read the Book of Mormon in Chinese. There really isnt much going on over here, a couple of Spiritual experiences every few seconds or so, but not much really going on.
I want to preform miracles. Not just sissy "I felt really nice" experiences, I want to perform actual legitamate miracles. I do know that it will take alot of doing all the simple and mundane things before I can. Also I should be content with the boring miracles that increase faith slowly and only add like a drop to my lamp.
So on my mission I had better be tired, hot, sweaty, hungry, sleepy, achy, embarassed, out-shined, broken down and breaking out.
I love you guys,
Hua Zhanglao (Elder Wall)
I would rather die than hand write something after spending so many headaches on an email.
Laura, I do receive your letters, thanks for your support. I love you and you're great.
Tatiana thanks for writing me too. Also aunt Sue a while back.
Its a shame you didnt get to receive my email I labored over last week. Its way better than this weeks email is going to be.
I still don't feel like I have ever worked my hardest. I am really prideful and don't feel like I need it. I know this is sin. I am hoping for a devastating experience and that I am compelled to be humble like the poor Zoramites.
I want to be completely broken, and then, like muscle fiber or a bone, become stronger after the healing process. If you want to you, could probably pray for an angel to come and put the beat down on me.
I am reading the scriptures with more vigor (if that's how you spell it) than I ever have. I am getting the scripture mastery down, but only up to where I'm at in my reading. I am going to finish Alma today, I only have the war chapters to go so Im pretty happy about that.
I actually think the scripture mastery will help me. If I can't speak Chinese and can hand an investigator a scripture that is pretty simple, I don't have to know how to speak Chinese.
I still hate schedule, regiment and planning. I know if I do this, my ability to work my hardest will be greatly increased.
My companion and I are probably the most advanced in the zone besides Daoqi Zhang Lao (Elder Dodge). Of course this causes in me pride. I even get upest when my companion proves he is better than me. I mean jeez, he didn't even pass the AP test. Of course he didn't take it and if he had he would have received a 4 instead of a 3.
I am slowly approaching being able to read the Book of Mormon in Chinese. There really isnt much going on over here, a couple of Spiritual experiences every few seconds or so, but not much really going on.
I want to preform miracles. Not just sissy "I felt really nice" experiences, I want to perform actual legitamate miracles. I do know that it will take alot of doing all the simple and mundane things before I can. Also I should be content with the boring miracles that increase faith slowly and only add like a drop to my lamp.
So on my mission I had better be tired, hot, sweaty, hungry, sleepy, achy, embarassed, out-shined, broken down and breaking out.
I love you guys,
Hua Zhanglao (Elder Wall)
Purchasing and Clothing Destruction
Dear family,
To sister Rodriguez: I think that's a bogus idea. Those babies are so cute!! I dunno about the naked pictures though, gave my companion a bit of a shock.
It really seems like someone attacked my clothes with a knife. They're all slashed up. My reboks and shirt and suit. very suspicious, it was probably me somehow. So nothing really exciting is happening here because its the mtc.
I enjoy how the mandarin lunch ladies who were my coworkers are also fake investigators in the TA place.
I cant stop myself from purchasing so many products at the book store. I have bought nearly every Mandarin book available and it was hard to stop myself from getting Cantonese things too. I really like my childrens Book of Mormon Stories. I can read it no problem, its just that the real BoM is hard.
We WILL be able to read the real thing by the time we're out of here. Especially with the Lord's help.
I am 240 pounds about 60 pounds more than last summer. Whatever, Hong Kong will make me sweat it all off in a disgusting uncomforable manner.
I really don't know what to say and I cant remember the fifty questions that Laura asked me. I'm not too faithful at journal writing, mostly because I'm sick of writing uninteresting things that occur in my life.
I love you bunches and can't wait till I have experiences that knock your socks off.
Elder Wall (Hua Zhanglao)
To sister Rodriguez: I think that's a bogus idea. Those babies are so cute!! I dunno about the naked pictures though, gave my companion a bit of a shock.
It really seems like someone attacked my clothes with a knife. They're all slashed up. My reboks and shirt and suit. very suspicious, it was probably me somehow. So nothing really exciting is happening here because its the mtc.
I enjoy how the mandarin lunch ladies who were my coworkers are also fake investigators in the TA place.
I cant stop myself from purchasing so many products at the book store. I have bought nearly every Mandarin book available and it was hard to stop myself from getting Cantonese things too. I really like my childrens Book of Mormon Stories. I can read it no problem, its just that the real BoM is hard.
We WILL be able to read the real thing by the time we're out of here. Especially with the Lord's help.
I am 240 pounds about 60 pounds more than last summer. Whatever, Hong Kong will make me sweat it all off in a disgusting uncomforable manner.
I really don't know what to say and I cant remember the fifty questions that Laura asked me. I'm not too faithful at journal writing, mostly because I'm sick of writing uninteresting things that occur in my life.
I love you bunches and can't wait till I have experiences that knock your socks off.
Elder Wall (Hua Zhanglao)
Old Letters Home
6/15/09
Dear family,
Our district has the only native speaker as one of our teachers. As it turns out she was baptized in Hong Kong so its no wonder she favors me. Also after seven weeks they're gonna experiment on the three of us going to Hong Kong and let us go to classes with the Cantonese elders to learn how to buy things and ask directions. I really hope I confuse the two languages together.
Temporally I am struggling. My gray suit has slash on the sleeve and a tear on the elbow on that same sleeve. A white shirt has a food stain on it. The officer shoes are ripped up. A par of paints has a hole in the butt and I smell bad all the time. My watch is miraculously (if that's how you spell it) unscathed.
Spiritually I am obese and my soul is delighting itself in fatness. For some reason my companion (Elder Stewart AKA Sun Zhanglao) and I cry during like every meeting, video and song. God made it so I cry when I feel the Spirit to humble me. I realize this while im crying and then I cry harder because I am not humble. I feel like I'm a sister missionary.
I have not worked as hard as I should have. If my companion and I had worked as hard as we could have since the first day, we would be able to read out of the book of Mormon and Bible in characters without the pinyin romanization help by now. We will be able to do this before we
leave the MTC for sure.
Love you guys, I wish I was doing interesting things, or that I could just remember them when I write letters or journal entries,
Elder Wall (Hua Zhanglao)
P.S. Send me pictures of babies
On Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 7:48 AM, Stephen Wall wrote:
Hello family,
I still don't know how or want to write. Letters or journals. I always leave out the good things. I think that I have too much fun over here. I really like all the war and violence things that we are taught over here. Too bad I cant fight with a sword. What seems harder and take more bravery is missionary work. I would rather train with a weapon than with flashcards and reading. Also it takes lots of bravery to tell people what they need to know. In the RC or referral center, all we had to do was call people up and see if they had received their complementary DVD. I was terrified. Most of the people we called seemed to have already been called previously that day and were annoyed. Most of them seemed like they were black people from the south "Hello may I speak with Tyraneka?"
"Who callin' ?!?" hangs up.
So I need to start studying and things. I need to work hard mentally not violently. I can be a solider who marches with scriptures and armor of God and such. Please don't be discouraged because of the length of my letters. Its just me being obedient to my commandments. I don't enjoy it yet, pretty soon I won't leave out the good stuff.
I keep the same companion the whole time, its a good thing that I love him. He enjoyed my fortune cookie. I talked somewhat to Elder dodge during my stay. I realised that pretty soon I will be home regretting wasting most of the two years that I was in China and wondering where all the time went.
love you,
Elder Wall
June 1
Dear family
I can't wait till writing a letter and writing in a journal is easy and no longer a pain for me. I think that 30 minutes is too much time for me. I only need like 5 minutes. I bought the large type of journal because I didn't bring the one that we bought from Walmart. I can't even fill up half of a page in my journal. I am humbled that I have to cry at every meeting, I wish I could just feel a burning in my bosom. I like my companion. His name is Elder Stewart. He is at the same level as me in Chinese. This allows our companion study, planning and language study to have the potential of being intense. Most other elders have not even learned any Chinese before, and here we are going through flashcard after flashcard of characters. Not only that, my companion has the Spirit radiate from him when he teaches. I can't wait till Saturday when we teach a lesson to "investigators", we are gonna tear it up, maybe better than the missionaries that have been here for six weeks. Actually, we will, but we lack some vocab to teach the entire lesson in Chinese, so we are just going to get to know our investigators first. Don't miss me, I have given up my old life and I have forgotten it, so much so that I haven't even talked to Daoqi Zhanglao, my former best friend back in my sinful time.
Love,
Elder Wall
Dear family,
Our district has the only native speaker as one of our teachers. As it turns out she was baptized in Hong Kong so its no wonder she favors me. Also after seven weeks they're gonna experiment on the three of us going to Hong Kong and let us go to classes with the Cantonese elders to learn how to buy things and ask directions. I really hope I confuse the two languages together.
Temporally I am struggling. My gray suit has slash on the sleeve and a tear on the elbow on that same sleeve. A white shirt has a food stain on it. The officer shoes are ripped up. A par of paints has a hole in the butt and I smell bad all the time. My watch is miraculously (if that's how you spell it) unscathed.
Spiritually I am obese and my soul is delighting itself in fatness. For some reason my companion (Elder Stewart AKA Sun Zhanglao) and I cry during like every meeting, video and song. God made it so I cry when I feel the Spirit to humble me. I realize this while im crying and then I cry harder because I am not humble. I feel like I'm a sister missionary.
I have not worked as hard as I should have. If my companion and I had worked as hard as we could have since the first day, we would be able to read out of the book of Mormon and Bible in characters without the pinyin romanization help by now. We will be able to do this before we
leave the MTC for sure.
Love you guys, I wish I was doing interesting things, or that I could just remember them when I write letters or journal entries,
Elder Wall (Hua Zhanglao)
P.S. Send me pictures of babies
On Mon, Jun 8, 2009 at 7:48 AM, Stephen Wall
Hello family,
I still don't know how or want to write. Letters or journals. I always leave out the good things. I think that I have too much fun over here. I really like all the war and violence things that we are taught over here. Too bad I cant fight with a sword. What seems harder and take more bravery is missionary work. I would rather train with a weapon than with flashcards and reading. Also it takes lots of bravery to tell people what they need to know. In the RC or referral center, all we had to do was call people up and see if they had received their complementary DVD. I was terrified. Most of the people we called seemed to have already been called previously that day and were annoyed. Most of them seemed like they were black people from the south "Hello may I speak with Tyraneka?"
"Who callin' ?!?" hangs up.
So I need to start studying and things. I need to work hard mentally not violently. I can be a solider who marches with scriptures and armor of God and such. Please don't be discouraged because of the length of my letters. Its just me being obedient to my commandments. I don't enjoy it yet, pretty soon I won't leave out the good stuff.
I keep the same companion the whole time, its a good thing that I love him. He enjoyed my fortune cookie. I talked somewhat to Elder dodge during my stay. I realised that pretty soon I will be home regretting wasting most of the two years that I was in China and wondering where all the time went.
love you,
Elder Wall
June 1
Dear family
I can't wait till writing a letter and writing in a journal is easy and no longer a pain for me. I think that 30 minutes is too much time for me. I only need like 5 minutes. I bought the large type of journal because I didn't bring the one that we bought from Walmart. I can't even fill up half of a page in my journal. I am humbled that I have to cry at every meeting, I wish I could just feel a burning in my bosom. I like my companion. His name is Elder Stewart. He is at the same level as me in Chinese. This allows our companion study, planning and language study to have the potential of being intense. Most other elders have not even learned any Chinese before, and here we are going through flashcard after flashcard of characters. Not only that, my companion has the Spirit radiate from him when he teaches. I can't wait till Saturday when we teach a lesson to "investigators", we are gonna tear it up, maybe better than the missionaries that have been here for six weeks. Actually, we will, but we lack some vocab to teach the entire lesson in Chinese, so we are just going to get to know our investigators first. Don't miss me, I have given up my old life and I have forgotten it, so much so that I haven't even talked to Daoqi Zhanglao, my former best friend back in my sinful time.
Love,
Elder Wall
Welcome to Stephen's Missionary Blog!
This blog for Elder Stephen Wall (Hua Zhanglao) was started on 17 Sept 2009. The pictures and letters come from the start of his mission which was 17 May, 2009 and I (his mother) will keep up his letters and pictures. I hope that this blog will be a source of inspiration and will help him to get the letters from those who love him and keep up with his letters home.
Thank you, let's pray and do nice things for "our missionary" and help him be as successful as he can be.
Much Love,
Stephen's Mom
Thank you, let's pray and do nice things for "our missionary" and help him be as successful as he can be.
Much Love,
Stephen's Mom
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