"Stephen is Awesome" - so says his mom

1/28/10
Hello family,

I am doing pretty well. Me and my companion did the impossible, we found a new investigator on our very own, she brought her almost eight year old son with her to English class. The boy, named Benson wants to come to English class next week as well. He is a genius and says that his favorite subject is math. However his least favorite subject is English. We found them when I noticed them struggling through his English homework together. I offered to help them after a whole lot of encouragement by my companion. We gave them a Book of Mormon after English class. To be honest, I feel it is very likely that they will both get baptized. That is the way with our Mandarin English class, about a 90% baptizing rate - if they come.

I am just actually a really shy person when it comes to talking to strangers and adults. I like children much better. They are just so receptive and patient, and it’s okay to make faces at them and tell them that you can run faster than them. I hope to be able to over come my fear that I have been developing for the past few years.

I brought my camera, but the USB cord that I brought was the wrong one. I like the recipes, actually Gyoza, or Jiao zi in Mandarin, is probably my favorite Chinese food now. We just went to a members house who just got back from the mainland and seriously ate probably like a hundred that she made. I am totally going to learn at New Years or Valentines activity that our branch will put on.

I got a letter back from Daoqi Zhanglao (Elder Dodge). He said that his Cantonese is slowly improving. Man! I thought I could like brag about how I learned too languages or something on my mission and he just got to brush up on one that he already knew. Oh well, we are going to tour the world together after the mission though. I can't wait to have conversations with him in Chinese.

I am improving really slowly. Probably at my own pace. I am satisfied, but I’m sure that if I improved at the level that the Lord knows that I can, I would have been as powerful as I am now back in the MTC. I am definitely not saying that I am powerful or anything, but I bet my language could be pretty good if I had worked my hardest the entire time. I probably would have really good social skills too.

I still don't really have any crazy miracles or super hilarious stories that have happened yet. This makes it really hard for me to write a journal.

Maybe this was the longest letter I have ever written. It sure feels like it. I have learned about families on my mission, I really love you guys. I am really blessed to have a powerful family. I can't wait to have all the nieces and nephews become endeared to me. I have decided that I will probably adopt a Chinese girl when I get home. My reasons are that one, adopting a girl makes you feel better than if you adopt a boy because they don't like them up there in mainland and two, they are a couple thousand dollars cheaper. Its a win win situation. I have also learned the value of women on my mission. Here in Hong Kong there is so much pornography and prostitution and as a Mandarin a large portion of all of our investigators and branch members are single mothers who were mistreated by some dirt-bag. It makes me sick, I’m glad that I know that women are daughters of God. Also basically all of our turnovers and new investigators are given to us by sister missionaries. I also really like the “please mind the gap” talk by that one single sister during conference, it hit me because we have that at our subways too. They also say queue up, and rubbish bin and chips instead of fries. Britain really jacked this place up.

I love you, Hua Zhanglao

Baptizing Mainlanders on P-Day

1/25/10
Dear Family,

I was baptizing mainland visitors last p-day - which explains a late letter. I would totally love to show pictures but I think I fried my camera battery in much the same way I fried both my electric razors. I really love teaching all the lessons one after another. It saves so much hassle of having people come to church and investigate for months.

I decided that I can't really recall stories with very much accuracy. I just will be patient and show you the video of my mission when we're in the Celestial Kingdom.

I can totally still beat James in a race. Yeah, you could probably send me recipes, but there are only toaster ovens in our apartments. Actually Elder Kershisnik is kinda getting a reputation as a chef. I really would love receiving a Matis Yahu cd in a package. I don't really need much besides money. I got Peter's letter and a whole bunch from ward people.

I am pretty much same old same old over here. I really want to get sent to do English work in the International zone when all the new Mandarins come in. I feel my Mandarin is not horrible, so it could take a hit like that.

I wouldn't mind hearing mission stories from my father, brother or sister so I could know what kind of story I should probably share. I need advice on how to deal with atheists and people who say that Buddhism and Christianity are both right and are pretty much the same. Polar opposites: people who believe everything and people who believe nothing.

One time I was upset when a leader's wife had the audacity to say that her mission in Mexico was probably harder than over here because we get to start at square one and we don't have to deal will catholic misconceptions. False! The Catholic church is actually pretty big over here. You can Bible bash if you want.

Starting at square one is hard. I can't explain the Abrahamic Covenant or the gathering of Israel with nothing to go off of. I was also trying to explain what it meant to baptize the earth with fire when Jesus comes again to one of our investigators and I tried to bring up Noah and the flood but she had never even heard that story, let alone Israel and Joseph getting sold into Egypt. There is a large attraction/amusement place that is called Noah's ark in Hong Kong by the way. Surprisingly that investigator just tore up the Isaiah chapters no problem.

So I could probably use my father relating with me how he slammed people who said "There are many paths to the top of Fuji".

My testimony is growing and my life is getting happier and happier, I want other people to have that too.

I love you all

(Hua Zhanglao)

1/6/10 and 1/13/10 "A Two for One"

1/6/09

I apologize for not writing last week, actually I did but I recently had to change my email as some sort of church procedure so I sent your email not too my mom.

I am excited for all the baptisms, although I think I’m winning the numbers game over here.

I brought my camera but I didn't bring the cord to attach to the computer, plus I don't have very many photos anyways.

We are having a mandarin zone chess tournament today, I will win. I think maybe my mandarin is improving. I am definitely getting better at making friends with people I have never seen before. Many people read my "Wo hui Putonghua" badge and start conversations because they think its hilarious or probably impossible that I can speak mandarin. I pretty much can't speak mandarin, but I can fake it and people think that I’m a genius if I don't try to say too many things.

Chinese New Years is on Valentines Day.

Funny names: I can't think of very many, Im pretty sure I already told you Coco, Angel, Candy and Ocean right?

A typical day is like wake up and eat, exercise somewhat, shower, study for forever, get dressed eat again and then go to appointments and do some finding when there are no appointments. I have heard that no Mandarin has ever "found" a person that became a progressing investigator who got baptized. There are plenty of referrals from Cantonese missionaries that turn into baptisms though.

I feel my Savior's love every day. I planted the seed and it grew, it is beginning to be delicious unto me. I am so glad that this life has a purpose and meaning and that I was fortunate enough to get to know that my whole life.

I love you guys and hope that this letter was okay even without any interesting photos.

Hua Zhanglao (Elder Wall)


1/13/10
I feel just like Daniel. I can't keep up good habits for more than three days. Any sort of new years resolution that I attempted was definitely killed by the first week of the year. I don't exercise very regularly, study consistently or bring my camera around or write in my journal. You know that I have been this way all my life. I thought that somehow the mission would automatically do that for me. But no, God still gives me the gift of agency everyday.

I am happy for dad, I brag about him all the time. My mother can definitely learn Spanish. After my mission I think I might pick it up in a day or two.

I threw up this morning, then I went to the temple. I think it was food poisoning. I like to see my temple. I might get a picture of it someday.

I just wonder why the Lord wants to send in four more mandarin missionaries so soon. All of our experience and natives who can also speak Cantonese are probably toast and are going to canto work. I secretly hope to go to the international zone when the new ones come. I can mess my English up really well over there (not to mention my Mandarin). If not, I could be training pretty soon.

All I know is that I need to do my best, or at least strain myself and put forth a bigger effort. I love missionary work and love my mission.

I am so upset that I miss all the babies. I am starting to appreciate them a lot more. Elderly people too. I recently helped an old lady walk around and she sang like three songs in Mandarin to me, the old lady also spoke Russian which was way tight. She is sister Zhang, we probably can't baptize her though because her hip prevents her from going to church. We also have an investigator who is going to get baptized in march, she has a really cute daughter who is really shy and only really opens up around me. The daughter is three and a half and talks half mandarin and half Cantonese (all of our primary is that way). In fact our branch president's two year old son speaks Japanese all the time with his mom and speaks mandarin to the members but his best language is English. Musashi is a genius.

I didn't see any picture of Thomas.

I love you guys,

Hua Zhanglao (Elder Wall)

Adorable Chinese Children

I asked Stephen, who drew his name for Christmas and what he got. He didn't say who he got and what he bought that person. I also closed telling him that I pray for him everyday and often pray that he will marry in the temple and raise righteous children etc, etc, etc.

Here is his response:

I got Elder Elia's (a senior missionary who checks our apartments) chopsticks. He thought it was a great gift and will probably remember me for the rest of my mission. He is a pretty humorous man from Hawaii - just like the previous senior couple was. I like his wife too.

I wish that you didn't write me about finding a wife and having babies. My kidnapping list is growing bigger everyday you know. Pretty much a whole lot of our investigators and less actives and home teaching people have adorable children who all know that I was Santa. I can't wait to grow up, geez mom get me all trunky.

I thought I had answered all of your questions. I really wish that I could write home super righteous things home to you guys like Elder Dodge does with his family. I think I might write him back today as well as a few other people. There are a lot of people that come through Hong Kong who also live in Vancouver, in fact I have also met some people going to Vancouver on their missions speaking Mandarin.

I am growing spiritually too. I feel the Spirit and enjoy my companion. I love scriptures and want to read the Bible in Chinese even though that's probably not the best use of my time. In the back of my copy there is a plan that tells you what to read every day in order to read the bible in one whole year and it is a huge temptation to make finishing the Chinese Bible a new year's resolution.

Today I am going to a really expensive buffet.

I love you all

Hua Zhanglao (Elder Wall)