Out of Sight - Not out of Mind

27 May 2010

Those photos were adorable. I am here in Wan Chai back in mandarin work. Presently there are 13 elders with the mandarin call, only eight of them are in mandarin work. Only four companionships will certainly make the work more difficult. Hopefully we can get a baptism or so to make President Chan realize that there is a whole lot of work in the mandarin side of town. Elder Oaks came and told me stuff that I already knew and asked for comments about what we have learned about revelation. I really like the main point of his talk which was about improving ourselves and always repenting and learning and doing better. I really want to improve and hopefully I will with my new companion. His name is Elder Reber.

I am quite out of it, so thank goodness my new companion is so responsible and patient. Even though he is the "junior companion", he helps me remember keys and the cell phone and how to get places and basically all the common sense things that I am incapable of. I think I will love him. About the only thing I have on him would be mandarin, and a guy like him will certainly pick it up really fast.

We helped all the Filipina sisters move around and then replaced all of our stuff into their old apartment. We also escorted some to the ferry pier to get to Macau. Today we also taught a mainlander who wants us to get his art into America so that people would want to hire him as a cartoonist. His art skills are pretty crummy. Poor guy. When we taught, I taught a whole bunch and then basically turned the lesson to my companion to take over when it was time to talk about the book of Mormon and then the cartoonist very vigorously rejected it. Poor Elder Reber.

We sorely need more investigators, baptisms and all around more success. I really don't know how to write a lot. I will probably start again to write in my journal now that today is my hump day and because I want to improve myself.

Me and Elder Reber are going to be really patient and understanding with each other. Our theme is to "keep it real". This basically means to be humble and non-sarcastic and never to hide our feelings. I hope I don't have to stop being "fake" all at once. It is not meet for a man to run faster than he is able.

I do miss Macau totally and I will probably study Cantonese in an effort to qualify myself for a return transfer period. I love you all and hope that everybody will improve at least a little and will push themselves more.

I really am kinda bummed by James's performance, but I am so happy that I can be in Hong Kong and it can be out of sight and out of mind. I’m grateful its not me. But I know he will still have ample opportunity to correct this, I myself feel like I wasted a whole year of my life and I have a bright outlook at what this next year will have in store. This internet cafe is packed will tons of fourteen year olds who swear loudly while playing computer games together, please excuse me because I would really like to leave soon and don't really have much to say.

I truly am the happiest I have ever been in my life.

I love you all

Hua Zhanglao

Man, I love Macau

5/13/10
Man. I love Macau. But Macau doesn't love me. I have to leave in ten days and never come back for at least fifty days. The phone company also robbed me of all my Mother’s Day talking. Maybe I'll call just out of the blue sometime. I surely will miss the people here.

I never got the opportunity to get all those Vietnamese people. Too bad. I guess the work the Lord had for me do is finished over here with only a mere three baptisms after Sunday night. I will be trunky for Macau for the rest of my mission. I have no idea what will become of me now. I am pretty sure I will go senior. There is also a Taiwanese elder coming in a few transfers. I hope I get to train him. Im next in line to train by seniority.

When I come back from Macau I better appear to be a big dog in the eyes of the new elders, most of whom I don't know. The lessons that I have learned over here will perhaps aid me in the work over in the Mandarin branch. I will be a lot more friendly to people. I probably will long for friendly people who are not too busy to stop to at least say a quick hello.

We saw the Michael Jackson gallery at a casino named Pointe 16. We ate a buffet at a casino named star world. and we watched a dragon show and then a water fountain show at a casino named The Wynn. Today was a day to remember.

I am way bummed, but I realize how blessed I was to get to come here. It seemed like it was an impossible dream every minute. I will be slightly upset when Elder Kershisik will probably come and take my place. What a mission stealer!

I really loved Elder So. Too bad it was so short.

My Mandarin will probably get better though. I will probably go back to Mandarin work.

I don't think I’m ready to be a senior especially since I don't know my way around Hong Kong. I have lost most of my knowledge from living in Macau for a while.

Sorry I don't have much to say. I love all of you and I will try and make up my Mother’s Day phone call when I get back to Hong Kong.

Hua Zhanglao

Patience, Caveman Talk, Better Letters

4/23/10
So when I went back to Hong Kong and attended the temple the man in the changing room stall across from me asked me if I knew where Elder Wall was. Turns out He was brother Leurng or Uncle Parkenson as Elder Dodge addresses him I guess. He is the missionary leader of his Chinese branch in Vancouver, I did an endowment session for his great great grandfather. Brother Leurng was a awesome dude who didnt stop smiling or punching; he playingly socked all of the really old temple workers he could find. He told me that he is a bao li person and abuses his missionaries. A wise leader I assume.

When I got back, the Macau government only gave me seven days stay. I would love to have prayers to be able to remain in macau. I also think my investigators all need that same prayer.

I'm gonna do it. I will actually take advantage of having a Chinese companion and learn amaizing Chinese. Brother Leurng told me that Elder Dodge's Cantonese was marvelous. I am so jealous.

I bet the other missionaries' mothers get way better letters from their sons. Its true nothing happened really this week. I was pretty sick. Our investigators are ticking bombshells of drama. No casualties yet, but I've heard the horror stories of international work in hong kong. Never serenade a sister over the phone!!

We have a sister named Augustine who quit smoking after 22 years she had be smoking since ten. The only problem is her slave driver boss.


Maybe more later

I love you all.

hua zhanglao Elder Wall


4/15/10
Family. Isn't it about time? That's the message of General Conference in my opinion. It made me severely trunky. I loved the patience talk during preisthood by President Uchtdorf (if thats how you spell it). I really need that. The patience section in my preach my gospel got ripped out - complete accident.

So the next transfer happened and my new companion is Elder So, a really cool Hong Kong guy who is actually also a Mandarin missionary. He is about twenty-five.

So there were really awesome ladies that came from Philipines last pday after I wrote you all. What is so awesome about them is that they are Chinese teachers in philipines. One is a member already. What is even cooler is that they really teach Fuijianhua which looks alot like Fijian to me after I wrote that down (its a Chinese dialect). They speak Mandarin too though. Now they are learning Cantonese. The day after my companion and I met them we had to go back to Hong Kong for supplies and to make our exit date that the Macau government gave us. I was so excited to meet them because we had an automatic fellowshipper because one is already a member. I would also be their bestest friend because we all speak Mandarin. Wouldn't you know it, just as I suspected, once we got back from Hong Kong on Saturday, the sisters had already taken them as their own. The first thing I told Elder Lindsay after we met them on p-day was "don't let the sisters know about them" and that's exactly what happend. I miss Mandarin work where we didn't have to deal with theaving sisters. We're definately all on the same team, but they have no idea how bad they thrashed all my dreams and crushed all my hopes. I totally had a skip in my step all last pday and thought it an absolute miracle that I had met Philipinas that spoke Mandarin and that taking time out of my preparation day gave me blessings. Its okay though, every single companionship here in macau has Mandarin investigators and wouln't turn them over to me. Elder So will tell them, he's gonna be the Zone leader.

Elder So and I will definately have a stronger emphasis on Mandarin people this transfer. I am so excited. And we will only speak Mandarin to each other.

Elder Dexter Gomez was one of the many missionaries sent out from the Oakhills second ward. That ward is a powerhouse.

I was so happy to receive my father's letter in his area of expertise. I wonder if now I should print out that email and gloat it around in front of everybody. I think maybe I should have patience to weather out people's comments instead. Uchtdorf's talk was the absolutely tailor made for Elder Wall talk of this general conference. I definately need patience with the sisters.

Thanks for having patience with my constant complaining about others. I hope you all will tell me your hardships and frustrations just as much. I hope my mother will recover soon. I hope my little brother's beard will come in soon (seriously shaving is the ultimate acne cure). I hope that my little brothers and sisters particularly Alyssa will learn to listen to mom and dad. I have almost learned that they have been right all along.

I will keep a journal starting tonight.

I love you all and will have better letter.

Hua Zhanglao( Elder dingding)

PS Ding ding means wall in both indonesian and tagalog. Indonesian took alot from arabic huh dad? They have kitab mormon and are always talking about Allah.

4/7/10

I want to start off by asking my father one thing. So I never hear the end of Cantonese being the hardest language on Earth, with the exception of Finnish and that's it. The logic I have heard is that the writing system doesn't match the spoken and that the pronounciation (if that's how you spell it) is probably some of the hardest in existance. I have the feeling that Vietnamese is more difficult. I always get hasseled about how easy Mandarin is in comparison to Cantonese. I realise that this must be true to some extent since most Cantonese missionaries only know about two hundred characters and I can easily thrash them. But the grammar! Same! Caveman talk. Today he/she/it eat rice. Simple.

So my question is: How many hundreds of languages out there are harder than Cantonese?

The answer to that question should satisfy my pride for being incapable at this moment to learn that particular language. To be honest the only thing I can't do is the pronounciation; a couple more tones and a few weird sounds is all. If I get that, its a sinch and I know it.

I also get bugged when they say that Mandarin sounds like drunk cantonese. It is so obviously the other way around.

I have to be cautious with this letter because my companion glances at my screen periodically to insure that I am not saying any thing bad about him or his mission language.

We all know that mandarin is so much more useful. And all the Cantonese missionaries are destined to study it one day.

That felt really nice to vent to you dad. I really hope your expertise in this field of study will agree with me.

I feel so handicapped sometimes because I can't speak. I can understand alot.

I love Macau. I love the gospel. I love my companion. He is such a softy. so sensitive. He makes our lessons really long and likes to sing with our investigators and kneel down when we pray with them. Its not a bad thing. It gets the job done in international work. He can make the sisters cry easily.

We have two investigators with a baptismal date. Both are Indonesians.

I want to get this Vietnamese thing goin. We dont have any pamphlets in Vietnamese so its hard. I'm gonna order some. I feel like we can probably baptise twenty if we work hard. Thats my honest feeling.

General Conference hasn't happend yet over here. Was it any good?

I hope there is something on journal writing that doesn't just tell me to keep one, but will tell me how to go about doing it.

I hope this letter wan't be too bogus. I couldn't remember anyhting that went on this week.

I love you all,

Elder Wall (Hua Zhanglao)

Multilingual - Won't be on the 2010 Census

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

Estrada Santa Xavier do Alfonzo al Costa Cabral de Carlos

3/18/10

Actually my mailing address is still the temple in Hong Kong at #2 Cornwall street. I just rarely get the opportunity to go and pick up mail over there. I would have no idea how to mail something to Macau because all the streets are like Estrada Santa Xavier do Alfonzo al Costa Cabral de Carlos, and are way easier to read in Chinese than Portuguese. Why in the heck is everything in Portuguese? Its a good thing I know not to fumar in the elevator because of the Chinese and the picture of a cigarette with a circle and a cross though it. Our chapel has the church name in English, Chinese and Portuguese. All the bills we get are in Portuguese too.

Anyways, about Macau, the greatest place on earth. This place is just like a tame Las Vegas actually, most people work at the casinos; we do weekly planning at the casinos too. We sometimes tract next to the water fountain shows that happen.

There are actually many people who speak Mandarin over here, particularly at the colleges. We are getting Vietnamese investigators and we have a recent convert who is Vietnamese that we are going to use to fellowship. We teach way more lessons than I used to in Mandarin work. All the members try their best to fellowship and give referrals, also the find people like a missionary would. We teach lessons by accident about twice a day, usually with a member present.

I really haven't taken much pictures yet. I am pretty sure I will stay in Macau for six months so don't worry about me never getting any good ones to you. I sent a photo of all my previous companions. I will get a photo of my new companion soon.

I like my companion, he is really cool. He just turned twenty four. He likes to teach lessons for a long time though. Its good, but technically we are only supposed to teach for fouty five minutes maximum. I am used to teaching people for six hours at a time though, back when I was in Mandarin, so its no problem.

I kinda miss the Mandarin branch Victoria 3rd, I wonder if any of them miss me. We are going have Filipino night soon and I heard there is going to be balute. I am excited to try that. I will for sure get a picture. Speaking of disgusting poultry. I think that chicken with no preparation other than taking feathers off and some guts out is gross. Freshness in this case does not make it taste better. I dislike millions of bones and floppy skin all in my food. In Macau I don't need to eat that stuff, we have US mart. I am going over there right after I leave the Biblioteca Central de Macau.

I love you all. I will keep a better record of my mission this week. I like how my brother in law is famous. I think i might purchase the hint of lime Tostitos right now.

Hua Zhanglao

"Favorite Missionary Ever"

Stephen is Elder Lamb's "favorite missionary ever". Thanks to Elder Lamb, I have several pictures of Stephen and some pictures of Hong Kong too.

3/11/10
Dear family,

I like my new calling. I like my companion who just had his 24th birthday. Actually, I failed to mention Nepalese people who read the Hindi Book of Mormon, African people who read the French Book of Mormon, Vietnamese people who read Vietnamese ones and we have a couple Korean copies just in case. The cool thing about Indonesians is that alot of them don't speak English and learn the gospel through Cantonese but the cooler thing about Vietnamese people is that they don't speak Cantonese and need to learn the Gospel through MANDARIN!

We have an investigator with a baptismal date already, we have only met her four times total. What is hilarious is that she is from Sichuan China. My companion speaks English to her and I clarify with Mandarin. He is going to baptize her in Mandarin. It will be his first baptism, he doesn't even know the prayer in Cantonese. I, one the other hand have baptized probably about twenty. This investigator's name is Doreen and she wants to serve a mission. When we told her that some people don't believe in the book of Mormon, she told us "As a matter of fact I feel quite angry" Elder Lindsey, Abby and I laughed really hard. Abby is a Filipina member who doesn't really relate much to a mainland student, but is so nice that she is an amazing fellow shipper (for pretty much all of our lessons).

I really love our branch, there are so many different types of people but they all love each other and I feel that they probably epitomize what heaven looks like.

In Macau seriously I can get everything that they have in America for a little less than you can, before the postage. US mart has all the name brand companies' obscure products. Extra large low fat pizza Pringles? Got 'em in Macau. Oh Henry chocolate bars? Yep. They even have Maruchan Ramen, which makes no sense. Why import ramen from America? That baffles my mind. When we were in the immense candy section, observing all the Wonka candy that I have never seen in the US, Elder Lindsey said "It's too bad they don't have Raisonettes." Then I said "Of course they have." I promptly found him a bag. Then he said "I just wish they had the big box kind." Then I said, "Of course they have the big box kind," and found him one instantly. They have these sets of products all taped together and sell them for sixty patacas these sets include a bag of pretzels and like a package of double stuff chocolate Oreos and Chunky Nabisco chips ahoy all together. There is also every type of Malto meal cereal and every single Western Family product known to man.

So in short, don't send me packages with goodies. I will probably get way fat as it is. Food is so cheap that we can eat out pretty much every meal.

Church starts at 5 and ends at 8, its pretty much the coolest thing ever. And we go to the Cantonese ward in the morning in case any investigators can’t make the later one and translate for them. I am useless in Cantonese as of now, but I will totally start studying it so I can communicate with Indonesians and translate church perhaps.

I didn't understand why we needed to be at the church so early on Monday morning and was sort of complaining until my companion said "Surprise! We're the branch Clerks!" I enjoy counting money and sorting the many different bills that also include Hong Kong dollars in addition to patacas. The exchange rate is one to one so no problem.

I have the same thoughts as my father about visiting Macau. To heck with Hong Kong! Just kidding there is just a spirit out here, everybody says hi when you say hi to them and genuinely smile back at you; Chinese people included. We should definitely visit the mandarin branch though. I am missing a convert baptism that me and Elder Ngai got together. It is Liu Jiemei, a single mother who has an adorable three and a half year old daughter who is definitely on the kidnap list. My other convert baptism, the one I got with Elder Bendall apparently misses me a little too much. Her name is Elsa and she recently graduated from Baptist U in Kowloon tong by the temple. I will get photos to
you guys of my baptisms eventually.
I have lots more to say so tune in next time.

I will probably have pictures as well too.

Hua Zhanglao

Transferred to Macau!

3/4/10
HAHA! It happened. The Mandarin zone was abolished and the Mandarins
were all desegregated into Cantonese zones and districts. Three
Mandarins went to international, Elder O'Neill who came in with me but
has poor Mandarin, Elder Mills who is new and rad but could use the
boost of international work where finding and tracting is effective
and me. They both are still living in Wan chai on Hong Kong island
and pretty much do all of their work there.

I, on the other hand, am in Macau. I was told that I should teach
everyone, Mandarins included and my companion is to study Mandarin
with me. He is a really tall Hawaiian named Elder Lindsay, he studied
Mandarin for three years at BYU Hawaii, but got a call to Hong Kong
speaking Cantonese. I like him, I think he is probably also about as
old as my brother and yet I treat him as a peer. Missions are weird.
The amount of languages here is intense, the housemaids speak
Ilicano, Tagalog, Cebuano and Indonesian but we will teach them in
English. We will probably teach Cantonese lessons as well though.
The other crazy thing is the Portuguese, all the street signs and
businesses are written with Portuguese and Chinese characters
underneath. It’s insane. I don't know how I will get around this
place, there is almost no English. We have like eight different
languages of the book of Mormon in the chapel and the sign on our
building is in English, Chinese and Portuguese.

I hope I can grasp Cantonese and intensify my Mandarin. I am so
excited I cannot even try and explain it over an email. I guess I
will call on Mother’s Day from over here so it’s all good.

I will miss the Mandarin branch though. There is pretty much no such
thing as a International primary, because all the Philipinas and
Indonesians are over here working and their kids are still in their
native lands. But I’m sure their children are way adorable.

The thing about Macau is that it is like twenty million times better
than Hong Kong. The only two Mandarins ever to go besides me were
Zone leaders because they both had pretty good Cantonese and did
mostly Cantonese work. The entire mission is jealous of anyone going
to Macau there are only ten missionaries here. Needless to say I
never even had a glimmer of hope that I would get here but, my wildest
dreams did take place here from time to time. Mandarins also have
never been to international work ever before. Everyone is so jealous
and they all told me that I was going on a vacation mission.

I have a call to literally talk to everyone and teach everyone. I
don't have to turn anybody over. The only problem is that the sisters
in Macau international don't either.
I still don't know all that's going on over here yet, I've only been
here one day.
This is maybe the coolest thing that has ever happened to me.
Probably will be the best time of my life.

Man, I don't know what to say really. I promise to take pictures and
actually write in a journal. You won't miss a beat.

Some times I wish I had my father's talent, because I'm sure that he
would pick up all seven languages that Macau offers other than
English. I didn’t understand what he wrote me about animal Abkaz.

I am the Mandarin "go to guy" over here. I can't wait to get to work.
At first it kind of seemed like an accident, but now I'm starting to
feel really special.

My suitcase wheels got jammed and turned into erasers and left two
black trails behind me as I painstakingly drug my suitcase grinding the
wheels on the cement all the way. I have so much literature in my
suitcase that I brought. I was way sweaty when I got home.

I don't even know all the Mandarins in the mission now and I only know
like three of the people here in Macau, so bear with me as I get to
know people before I talk about them.

I think that was probably a sporadic letter I hope you captured a
little of my excitement.

Love,

Hua Zhanglao

PS If I ever decided to write a letter it would probably never get to
is destination. Packages would take months to obtain.