Stephen's Missionary Blog - WOW Christmas comes this month - remember our missionaries!

Dear loved ones,
I spent half an hour reading all the emails that I received so it might be hard to write a good letter or even make an effort to respond to them.

I just got back from my temple, which I still haven’t taken a picture of. I couldn't think to bring camera attachments to the temple with me so no pictures today. Sorry.

I actually really want to go do international work, when the new Mandarins come in. International work is basically for the domestic helpers who live in Hong Kong who are almost exclusively all Filipina and Thai ladies. And they go to church like every day.

I don't recognize the Elder Gu, but I bet I'll be friends with him one day. All the mainlander missionaries pass through these parts so I saw some who went to Vancouver too. Did I tell you that before?

A temple missionary that used to be father's coworker is going to feed me and my companion on Monday. Elder Bishop. I like him, he speaks Mandarin well too. He knows Elder Ngai's father. Elder Ngai's father is the Branch President of the Calgary Mandarin Branch and Calgary Canada Mandrin speaking is where my MTC companion Elder Stewart is. I don't think I told you this yet. I just am not really good at talking about anyone else but myself. Did I even tell you my companion's name when I was in the MTC.

I have a list of people to send snail mail to that include Katy Seely and my cousin Kevin Wall who is in the MTC on his way to Madagascar.

I actually am still not that good at being social with strangers yet. Those new investigators that I found took about ten minutes of my companion urging me before I sat by them and offered to help the boy do homework.

Actually mainland people are way nice. A ton of Cantonese missionaries' baptisms are just mainland people that they should have turned over, I would say probably a majority of the Cantonese baptisms are. Hong Kong culture is just not so receptive to enthusiastic foreigners trying to talk you about God on the street.

One day the patience and persistence of my parents will pay off with my little brothers and sisters. I know one day it will pay off for me too.

I can't wait to talk Chinese with my one brother and see him go to China on his mission.

I am almost out of time so I will wrap up with some righteous thoughts I guess. Families can be together forever. I guess I like my family more on my mission than before. It's actually not because of the usually reasons; I am not homesick one bit, this is my new home now. There is a quote from one prophet that they really like over here and put all over ties and bumper stickers, it says "No success can compensate for failure in the family" or "Meiyou renhe chenggong keyi mibu jiating the shibai". It's true, I hope to be able to be a better family member when I get back home and finally move out of the house.

I love you all,

(Hua Zhanglao)