3/25/10
I understand more and more Cantonese everyday. I decided that I am going to seize some sort of business opportunity in Macau one day. This place is getting huge and I heard it makes more money in revenue than Las Vegas. I also want to be a good member of the church and help it explode over here. There is a Marriot being built and when its done it will probably give out lots of Books of Mormon.
As always I forgot what I needed to write. I will totally keep a journal soon. I also didn’t take much pictures this past week. I love that all the children here are multilingual (if that's how you spell it). for instance that Filipina girl shoving flowers in my face can speak English, Tagalog, Cantonese, mandarin and Portuguese, her name is Danielle and she is eight. I think it is just the most awesomest thing to speak mandarin with her; most of the other primary is that same way only her mandarin is the best. The little boy is Chinese and his care taker is a member so he comes and disrupts sacrament all the time. The only young man in the branch can't really speak English, or tagalong from what I hear, but his mandarin is really good. I have got to get a photo of him, he looks like a Chinese trapped in a Filipino body. Frances needs to go on a mission and trash the world, he's the teacher’s quorum president now, James is approximately twice as tall as him.
So I just want to learn every language that is flowing around over here, particularly Vietnamese and Nepalese. Recources for these people are basically limited to the Book of Mormon. There are some Vietnamese members here though.
I really feel that there could be a mandarin branch here very easily. The only problem with that is that then there would be no Cantonese branch because all of the members are from mainland or Taiwan.
The University is jam packed with people I can teach. It is a huge temptation to teach ten million mandarins and forget the other people. Our baptism is on Sunday and Doreen is inviting her friends to come.
I have learned that baptisms and numbers are definitely not what a mission is about. Sure I have baptized with every one of my companionships, but I feel I am far from being a successful missionary. I heard a disturbing analogy of missionary work like being on a boat. So missionaries are all on a ship saving all the people who are overboard by pulling them onto the ship. While the amount of people who are coming onto the boat is high, there are about two times as many people jumping off of the boat.
It is really hard to retain members over here and keep them active, I guess ultimately its there decision but I’m sure we need to put a larger focus on them rather than putting more people on the boat. Correct me if I'm wrong RM friends and family.
I love Macau and I am so upset that I came so early in my mission. When I get back, I will be so "Macau trunky" as they call it. They also have a disease called "international trunky" as well. Lucky me - to be destined to contract both. Yellow fever already interferes with the work enough. God definitely knows what to do to test me.
But he did know that Jessica Li would be coming to Hong Kong, so he wisely put me in Macau while she stays there. I’m not so sure why that's wise, but its probably best that I don't see her while I'm on my mission. As far as requests for things that she can bring me, perhaps a letter with some photos and the hook ups with her relatives.
My time is up. I am so glad that I wont exist for ten years
Love
Hua zhanglao
No comments:
Post a Comment