23 June 2010 & Who is My Neighbor?

Dear family,

I just finished going through a temple session. The temple here is way awesome because all of the crazy languages going on. Now we are in a net cafe with juveniles who have colorful language going on. They are so adorable.

I am progressing in my studies and am attempting to read Jesus the Christ. I am starting to get hungry for the mysteries of God. I am at page 170 which is a little more than an eighth done with it. I feel James E Talmage is pretty powerful. The language in that book oftimes bewilders me. Way complex for me. I feel like Talmage beat the Bible in complexity and length when he wrote that one.

I had noticed that Sister Reneer was in the new Gospel Principles book. When it first came out I was shocked and ran around telling everybody that my bishops wife was in the book. Then Elder Kershisnik said something like, "Hey! Thats my next door neighbor". Elder Kershisnik is always topping what I do. I wont be suprised when his Mandarin gets better. I am working on not being prideful so that it won't upset me.

I really dislike being asked how long I have been studying Mandarin. Because then I have to shamefully reply that I have been studying for six years. Then my companion who has been studying for only a couple months blows everyones mind.

I want to go back to Macau speaking Indonesian this time. I should still be there but the stupid government had to be disagreeable.

Man. I really love the gospel. I am growing spritually if not mentally.

That Zhu family didn't show up on Saturday because the little girl was sick. Man! Instead on Saturday we got treated to dinner in the police station next door to the Wanchai Chapel and there was this dude from Camaroon who lived in mainland for two years who ate with us. His Mandarin was easily a thousand times better than mine. Only two years of study! I wish I could be that powerful by the time I'm done with seven years of study. He also spoke Sichuanhua the local dialect where he stayed. He wouldnt beleive me when I said I can understand it. He's Methodist but wants to play bball with us sometime. It would be so rad to baptise a black man into the Mandarin branch.

Our numbers don't look good on paper, but pretty soon people are gonna get baptised. It will probably be next move though. I hope to stay with Elder Reber one more transfer.

I think too much about my future in a selfish way. I need to focus more on others eternal salvation and what I can be doing right now to help people. Instead I think about exploring the Mainland and becoming a peasant and learning good Chinese and then going back to BYU and then getting a job sitting at a computer typing junk all day.

I look forward to the future, especially because I will be a way better person by then at everything I do. I will also have a six pack and adorable children.

So anyway, I am sure the content of this letter was less than uplifting.

I love you all and can't wait to have a forever family one day. I also miss Fourth of July barbeques.

Hua Zhanglao