Chinese New Years

2/22/10
So Chinese New year wasn't as special as I thought it would be, everybody seems to leave Hong Kong to party somewhere in the Mainland or Taiwan. I did get a lot of Red Pocket money, which kind of weirds me out when I think about it. It seems pretty strange to me to hand out cash for a holiday. We got treated to several meals by the few members who stayed. We didn't see the fireworks. The whole mission went to the largest outside buddha in the world named "Big Buddha" or "Da Fo" in mandarin or "Dai Fut" in Cantonese which I think is pretty funny. It was super cold.

I got zero pictures because my battery was dead. I guess there's always next year. I heard the package is at the temple but I haven't picked it up.

I thank my mother for the letter on hymns. I enjoy hymns and that method of singing a hymn mentally to ward off bad thoughts works pretty well. I just actually feel my mind melting from all the Mormon Tabernacle choir and EFY. But it is great incentive to leave the apartment as soon as possible, maybe even early.

So there are three Mandarins coming in now; one missionary is moving up early because his parents are Chinese. There are at least two Mandarins now that will go into International work. I have a not so secret desire to go.

The work was pretty slow during the holiday but it will pick up here pretty soon with a baptism next Sunday and another two weeks later into the branch.

My Mandarin is not progressing much and an elder who came in with me who had no Mandarin background before the mission seems to understand and say a whole lot more than me. I'm not jealous, I just know that I could definitely be doing a whole lot better especially with about five years under my belt. It kind of seems like band all over again. I had an advantage of playing the trumpet since fifth grade and by the time I was a senior I was last chair trumpet with about three freshman above me. At first, because I could work less and obtain the same results as everyone else, I did. Eventually people who were working harder than me who were not as blessed initially started passing me up. Don't fall into that trap, especially if you have the advantage of being born into the only true church on the face of the planet. Work hard, strain yourself in all that the Lord has blessed you with.

I don't wish to harrow up any body's soul now. I know what I have to do. All I have to do is do it. Its a whole lot better than not knowing what to do or only knowing sort of what to do. And that is why I’m a missionary.

That is my message for the day, I hope James can get something out of it.

Hua Zhanglao