Two Letters at Once 12/7/09

Date: Thu, 03 Dec 2009 09:12:49 +0000
Subject:
Hello family,

I am gaining much experience and I am progressing. I had almost lost my wallet once this week and thought that I had lost it today. Turns out it was in my backpack.

To Laura: Congratulations! Thanks for writing me. I actually am fat. Chinese people are allowed to point this out. It actually is funny. Pretty soon I will inevitably get skinny and then not be funny anymore. I am the fattest missionary in the mission.

I see Elder Kershisnik about twice a week. This week we had companionship exchanges and I got to be with him. We went finding. We contacted this one guy together. We asked him why his church doesn't have prophets, but the church in the bible had them. He thought that was a really good question. We pretty much blew his mind. He started walking away and turned around to assure us that his mind had been blown. Then I threw in stuff about children not needing baptism. He was pretty stunned. I wish I could explain how incredibly flabbergasted he was. Kershisnik's Mandarin thrashes.

I am still terrified about when I become a senior companion. I will train pretty soon too. We have a mandarin coming in January and four in march. This is actually way too many mandarins. I think president Chan wants ten max. My second move there was only eight. When there is fifteen mandarins for almost a year straight I don't know what exactly will happen. I assume all of the experienced Mandarins and Hong Kong natives with mandarin calls will get sent to Cantonese or English work. Then I will have to train and probably die. I actually wish I could get sent to do international work and convert a lot of Philipinas and Thai ladies who are nannys. I don't want to be in a zone full of a whole lot of white guys who just barely arrived in Hong Kong who only "speak" Mandarin.

I am definitely having the time of my life. I am slowly improving my testimony and confidence in myself. I don't know about my language improvement thought. My English is definitely digressing (it took me like five minutes to recall that word). I guess I can say its because Chinese is replacing it.

Hong Kong has pretty much every kind of place you can imagine to purchase things. Seven eleven and circle K are here. They also have supermarkets and street markets. There are many Chinese medicine places. Turtle shells and antlers evidently have medicinal properties.

I will probably answer other questions once I have better experiences to answer them.

I love you all,


Hua Zhanglao (Elder Wall)

Letter that was sent to someone else:

I just moved to Mong Kok today. I am the zone leader minion. That means that Elder Ngai is my companion and that he is mandarin zone leader. He is from Canada and plays hockey. I like him. I just have to go on exchanges every time he has a zone leader meeting. I'm not invited. All the other zone leaders are in zone leader companionships. I told him that I am his flying monkey. His parents are both Hong Kong people. His mandarin is better than his Cantonese though.

Mong Kok is an immoral place. There are many pink lights (Chinese version of red light) everywhere. There is pretty good shopping for Chinese merchandise on lady street. My apartment has six people all of whom I am pretty familiar. I like them. There are a lot less roaches here than in Kwai Fong.

I will send more photos next time. Actually I didn't take a single picture last moves. I basically went on a strenuous hike to the top of lions rock and then realized I didn't bring my camera to take a picture of the view of all of Hong Kong.

I think I might not be scared of talking to random people anymore, whether on the train or on the phone. I have more confidence now. Elder Bendall really helped me. We did have our differences though.

I just really wish that that package had Maris yahoo in it; that was probably my only Christmas wish. Its cool though. Thanks for all the love and support. Sorry that my emails sometimes aren't emailed correctly. I think that my drivers license might be from when I lost my wallet and the lucky person who got all my money decided to mail my license out of mercy or something. I had a spare because I anticipated losing my wallet. I will never use it though; mandarins don't go AP anymore (APs drive cars).

I love my mission. I love you guys.

Elder Wall

Hua Zhanglao.

The Lost Email from Nov 12 is Revealed - compare to the recreated version

My apartment is really small and has roaches. The view is great. Nobody uses bikes in this mission. Only the office elders and APs use cars. I haven't noticed any new talents that will aid in missionary work. My companion is Elder Bendall. Transfers are every six weeks and this transfer has about four more weeks. Unfortunately, Chinese girls are attractive, but my companion is helping me not to become a "Larry" when I get back home. Elder Dodge or Daoqi Zhanglao said happy birthday/encouraging things. I am planning on writing him today.

Madagascar! all right! My favorite manager at the MTC cafeteria was from Madagascar. His name escapes me but I bet he is still there and Kevin should practice Malagasy and French with him when he goes to the MTC. it bugs me that I forgot his name. There are a lot of Indonesians here in Hong Kong if that means anything.

For Christmas I want the Maris Yahoo (however you spell his name) CD. I know dad knows who the Jew who does reggae is. I am dying from all the Mo tab. Maybe send me Christian heavy metal or rap as well. I think I might be able to find that in Hong Kong though.

By the way, speaking of probably inappropriate requests. I think that my mother shouldn't have asked Seely to give me a picture [mother was only doing what her son asked her to]. I feel really awkward about that. Her picture was nice though. I don't think I will print it off, but maybe I will. I think worshiping idols is against one of the 10 commandments. Why do the letters that I send take so long?

I really miss Grandma Wall. Sometimes I get really afraid to do something bad because I swear grandma is watching me. Isn't the spirit world on earth? I don't know. I should probably be more afraid that God is certainly watching me.

My language is progressing I think. I am just frustrated a little because I am certain dad's Mandarin is still better than mine. Why couldn't I have a little more genes from him and a lot less genes from Grandpa Blanchard?

I like hearing about the family. I really like hearing about James pupating. How tall is that guy? How big is his mustache? Is he gonna get fat like me? Everybody tells me I'm going to get skinny and they tell me all the examples of previous missionaries who went home completely different. I just haven't seen any before and after pictures or heard testimonials. There is another Mandarin right now who was supposedly (that's not how you spell it) just as fat as me. but he denies ever losing any weight. I can't wait to be his companion and learn his secrets.

I love you all,

hua zhanglao

Old Man Christmas

Wed, Nov 25, 2009 at 8:14 PM

Dear Family,

I am so excited about baby Ezra. I like that name. I also like how Gideon at 16 months can talk and tease his dad. Levi must talk now. Mikey must be in full sentences. How is Jordan's speech? Pretty much perfect by now huh?

I just wonder how I sound to Chinese people when I speak their language. I bet its pretty funny. I just about die every time I hear one of them speak English.

The ward decided that I am going to be "Shengdanjie lao gong gong" (a vocab word that I thought I would never use but still learned anyway). Which basically means that Santa isn't real and that I have to be the impostor who goes around claiming to be him.

I liked Thanksgiving, I had about three - so don't feel bad about me. Today we have another.

I am progressing as far as confidence goes. But the Lord has placed quite a few people in front of me who will engage me in conversation first so that I don't have to be too outgoing.

I liked the family pictures. I don't know about getting a photo of girls from efy. By the way I wonder if its possible to get that girl's address so I can write her back. Her name is Alison. Sonya also wrote me. The one who played the trumpet. She took world religions from Brother Choi because I recommend him. I'm so glad that Kevin suggest for me to take that class. I pretty much have more knowledge of people's own religions than they do themselves. You can pretty much know that they are a foolish tradition.

I know people named Yuki, CoCo, Angel and Candy. Actually I know a lot of people with these names. They are the most common ones. Very suspicious names if you ask me.

I know somebody named Ocean someone else name Star. Those are translations of their Chinese names.

There isn't much graffiti. Its in poor English and pretty funny. "Death: the ultimate high" and "Visit China before China visits you" I can't remember the really good stuff.

The school kids wear uniforms. I have no idea what their schedule is. Hong Kong is probably safer than Japan. Everybody here idolizes Japanese things. Hence the "Japanese" name Yuki that is so prevalent.

There are quite a bit of homeless people. What's funny is that a whole lot of them are Mandarin.

About two kids is the average per family.


Bird's nest soup is too expensive. So is the shark fin variety. I ate a duck head once. I didn't know it was a duck head until all the meat was off and I realized it looked like a skull. I thought it was funny. I guess brain pretty much tastes like everything else.

I love you all,

Elder Wall (Hua Zhanglao)

--
Missionary Son
Elder Stephen Wall
Hong Kong Mission
#2 Cornwall Street
Kowloon Tong, Kowloon
Hong Kong

Cold Snap

Nov. 19, 2009

Sounds like everything is going great over there! Right now its probably the coldest its ever going to get (in the 20's Celsius). I still sweat profusely. I think that I'm going to live in Hei Long Jiang when I grow up. Its really cold over there and there are Russian people and Mongolian people and Korean people.

I like being a missionary. I recently bought a 20 questions game in simplified characters. Its an amazing study resource; now I can ask people if things are bigger than a bread box using Mandarin. I still don't know how to be interesting when I write. My companion is really helpful and pretty loving actually, he seems to care about me and is really helping me conquer my problem with being shy and not having much confidence. I will probably be with him next transfer again.

I think I forgot to mention that my first companion that I had is about 26 years old. I put that in perspective; isn't that older than Peter? [no - Peter is 27] I have really grown to love him too. He got pulled from Mandarin work and will go home in Cantonese work. I will miss him.

Noah tears it up in mandarin. he also isn't too shy. I really do enjoy his sense of humor.

I have officially lost track of how many baptisms I have had.

We have one investigator who is really close to baptism. The 22nd of Nov is her goal. her name is Elsa. I think she's as old as Laura - but Laura has two babies now.

Dad is too busy. I don't think that I'm quite as busy as him and I'm a missionary. Aren't I supposed to be more busy than him?

I enjoy bragging about how smart my dad is and how loving my mom is for having nine children.

I love you all

hua zhanglao

Mom Deleted Stephen's Latest Letter Home

Sorry,

I somehow deleted Stephen's letter home. I did read it to "the dad" and James. My plan is to recreate it. Stephen struggles with writing letters home each week. He asks for questions so that he will know what to write. Much of his letter was in reply to something someone had written or asked.

He said, no, he has not discovered any special talents that help him be a better missionary. His language skills are getting better. He wishes he got more of his genetics from his dad instead of from his Grandfather Blanchard.

Transfers are in 4 weeks.

Brannon wished him a happy birthday and encouraged him. He is going to write to him today.

He said his apartment is small and has roaches. Only the office elders and zone leaders get to drive, everyone else walks or bikes. Unfortunately Chinese girls are attractive. His companion is Elder Bendall and Elder Bendall is teaching him how not to notice the attractive girls and how to prevent him from turning into a "Larry" when he gets off of his mission.

He is glad James is passing all of his classes and wanted to know how tall James is now and how big his mustache is and if he will get sturdy like Stephen is. Stephen is told a lot that he will lose weight on his mission like the other missionaries. He has no proof of this but wants to be companions with this other large guy to find out his weight loss secrets.

Madagascar for Kevin Wall's mission - wow! His favorite supervisor at the MTC is from Madagascar. He couldn't remember his name but when Kevin is in the MTC, he can practice his French and Malagasy on him.

For Christmas he wants Christian heavy metal music or rap. He is not sure it that is kosher on missions though.

He misses his grandmother Wall and is afraid of doing anything wrong for fear his grandmother is watching him. He knows he should fear God more.

He loved the picture of Katy (having eaten all of the birthday cake) and he said he may not print it out because it might be similar to idol worship.

So, that's all I can think of.

Sorry

Burst Worthday 11/5/09

Family. This has been the burst worthday I have ever had but I think baptizing people is probably the best birthday party you can have though. Yesterday I confirmed for the first time, which in case you didn't know includes a blessing that is dictated by the spirit. It was rough and I don't believe I was exactly saying what Heavenly Father wanted me to say. We had a Thanksgiving dinner yesterday too. Today we went to the DBC with all of the main-landers who got baptized and their friends, I bought myself white suspenders for my birthday.


Members over there are pretty hilarious. There was a branch president who came with the group of about sixteen. He was baptized about seven years ago in LA. He was a little misinformed and was telling the visitors that we worship Joseph Smith, and also asking if they had purchased their garments yet. Nice guy though.

We also have an investigator who is from the west part of China. His last name is Liang, he has mental problems and hangs in the park but his wife is very sane and loving. He kept showing us his card that said that he is mentally handicapped, evidently he wasn't handicapped when he first came to Hong Kong looking for a job. He kept saying what a hassle it was to be retarded. He seemed very with it to me. We asked him if he had prayed before, he said yes. Then we asked what praying did for him. He gave the best answer I had ever heard. I was stunned how he could be handicapped, so much that I was a little too shocked to talk. Then he asked if I knew how to speak mandarin and if I really understood his answer. So anyway he can't really come to church because its so far away and costs a lot of money because he can't work. This place is a buffet of languages. One time I was talking with a Pakistani child with the couple of Cantonese words that I knew.

In the course of looking at Liang xiansheng's disabilities card so much, I saw his name that wasn't Chinese. I tried to pronounce it. It turns out that it was Kazakstani - pretty rad.

I want to learn all the languages Tagalog, Cebuano, Thai, Arabic. Too bad I'm struggling with the easiest on of them all: Mandarin.

I enjoyed the packages. I like that I got sent pictures of me and girls. That truly shocked and amazed people. I was reminded of how I hadn't written back one of the girls in the picture. I tried to get mom to give me her address but I guess I had too many friends named Alison on Facebook. Maybe she could find the address to a girl named Alison who is in the picture she printed off for me, and then tell her my sincere apologies. I wrote Jessica and Katy. I hope they received the letters, it was about three or four weeks ago. I got a letter from Elder Dodge. And I get emails from Laura a whole lot. Maybe mom can send me pictures of Jessica and Katy next time :)

I need confidence. I am too scared to rap for people and to do my Bill Cosby impressions. But worst of all I am pretty scared to talk to people. My mission is a fourth of the way over now. Pretty soon I'm going to be home and regretting what a poor job I did.

I love you all, the church is true

hua zhanglao

Mandarin Zone 28 Oct 2009

Thanks for your conversion story. At first I didn't notice that there was an attachment to your email (just comments on the family). I was very disappointed that that was your conversion story, but then I saw the attachment and was comforted.

Anyways, there is a Mandarin zone now. This is probably so we won't be able to interact with Cantonese missionaries and corrupt them or pollute their language. I am not really feeling the love. Zone activities and functions will be especially lame because all the Mandarins see each other about three times a week as it is.

I think we need a battle call like "Mandarins! Asseeeemmmbblllle!!!!!!". I really am dying about what to write. Actually I did turn my study journal into a rhyme book. Everybody says that my raps are good, I'm pretty sure that it is my favorite talent that God gave me. It makes journal writing much more interesting and bearable. I wanna buy a drum machine so that I don't have to wait for someone who can beatbox to practice. The only thing that makes me upset is that I can't really rap for zone or district activities because it would just be for the Mandarins now, and I’m pretty sure they will get sick of me. I hope President Chan doesn't cut Christmas. I mean he is Chinese and they don't really celebrate it.

Elder Kershisnik came yesterday. I bet his Chinese thrashes.

I love all of you and if my emails don't suffice, tell me what you want to hear.


Hua Zhanglao