Dear family,
I am so excited to have Elder Cowser as my companion again. We are going to work very hard and be charismatic and warm and friendly to everyone, even those people who think we are a cult.
So about taking single mothers' money. Right after I wrote you guys I was asked by a member to give all the other missionaries money from her. I totally felt like I was giving pay checks to all the false priests who practice priestcrafts. But, that's Chinese culture to give money away so its not too bad I guess. The worst part was that sister Tan is a single mother of two and gave all ten missionaries money. Anyways, that was pretty much my worst nightmare come true; me giving away a poor lady's money away to missionaries. Talk about grinding upon the faces of the poor. Mortifying experience really.
I feel way better now about the future. I am quite optimistic. I feel like I can make a positive difference in world. I have moved over my funk already in just like two days, in the future I will try to be less negative because you guys could perhaps overreact and assume to worst. Moods like those only last for so long.
So we are actually baptizing Sister Tan's brother in law this Sunday. He came down from Sichuan specifically to get baptised, but it feels a lot better than an ordinary mainland visitor baptism, because we are taking a week to teach him and not five hours. So I like things right now.
I hope that Xia will come down eventually with his wife and daughter so those two can get baptised. I really feel happy about him. I hope you guys can meet him, he said he will come back before I go home. This was the family that I prayed and prayed for. If I pull it off, I will feel complete. I will have done the impossible.
I feel like I already wrote you guys this week so, I won't write much more,
I love you all
Hua Zhanglao
Thursday, March 3, 2011
2/8/11 Chinese New Year
Hello family,
I can't go to BYU in the Summer? I think I might tell President Chan to change my departure date to June 17th. There's no point for me to be home at May 6th. Is this wise? I am quite trunky and app
arently a not very successful missionary. I hope there is still much good I can accomplish. I feel I have not yet completed what Heavenly Father wants me to do.
I totally don't have much energy anymore. I hope I get a spunky new companion who can't speak a lick of Mandarin. We'll find out tomorrow if I remain with elder Yu for a fourth transfer.
So anyway, I am so happy that all my brothers and sisters are baptised. A huge accomplishment for a family of our size. There are plenty of members over here who have children who still need to be baptised, but the parents went less active so the children have no opportunity. You are all so powerful, especially my PTA ruler mother and bishop father. I can't wait to see what things are like in Rose Park? (Hills?,Cottage?) I want to hang out at the cool library all the time up there in Salt Lake.
There are three or four people that say they will be baptised before I go home, so I kinda wish I could extend my mission to give them just a little more time to commit to a specific date. I'm pretty sure they aren't converted to me, I think I'm much too unapealing for that. I am way bald now and cranky all the time and have no enthusiasm; I am definately not true.
Chinese new year wasn't too bad this year. I just feel slightly bad about having single mothers take all ten mandarin elders out to dinner and afterward giving all of us money in red packets. Was it elisha who had a widow lady make a cake for him? I wish, this sister would miraculously not run out of finances after feeding the missionaries. I know that they will be blessed somehow.
Anyway, I am still pretty positive about the future and love you all. Things will happen in the Lord's time and all we can do is put forth a big effort and continuously do better, no matter what point we are at now.
Grandpa's butterfly picture is so crazy. I want to be that rad when I grow up. I might have turned into a crochety senile old man already though, it could be too late. This picture is way better than the one with him playing with a hanger. It totally lifted my spirits. hilarious.
I love you all,
Hua Zhanglao
I can't go to BYU in the Summer? I think I might tell President Chan to change my departure date to June 17th. There's no point for me to be home at May 6th. Is this wise? I am quite trunky and app
arently a not very successful missionary. I hope there is still much good I can accomplish. I feel I have not yet completed what Heavenly Father wants me to do.
I totally don't have much energy anymore. I hope I get a spunky new companion who can't speak a lick of Mandarin. We'll find out tomorrow if I remain with elder Yu for a fourth transfer.
So anyway, I am so happy that all my brothers and sisters are baptised. A huge accomplishment for a family of our size. There are plenty of members over here who have children who still need to be baptised, but the parents went less active so the children have no opportunity. You are all so powerful, especially my PTA ruler mother and bishop father. I can't wait to see what things are like in Rose Park? (Hills?,Cottage?) I want to hang out at the cool library all the time up there in Salt Lake.
There are three or four people that say they will be baptised before I go home, so I kinda wish I could extend my mission to give them just a little more time to commit to a specific date. I'm pretty sure they aren't converted to me, I think I'm much too unapealing for that. I am way bald now and cranky all the time and have no enthusiasm; I am definately not true.
Chinese new year wasn't too bad this year. I just feel slightly bad about having single mothers take all ten mandarin elders out to dinner and afterward giving all of us money in red packets. Was it elisha who had a widow lady make a cake for him? I wish, this sister would miraculously not run out of finances after feeding the missionaries. I know that they will be blessed somehow.
Anyway, I am still pretty positive about the future and love you all. Things will happen in the Lord's time and all we can do is put forth a big effort and continuously do better, no matter what point we are at now.
Grandpa's butterfly picture is so crazy. I want to be that rad when I grow up. I might have turned into a crochety senile old man already though, it could be too late. This picture is way better than the one with him playing with a hanger. It totally lifted my spirits. hilarious.
I love you all,
Hua Zhanglao
Thursday, February 3, 2011
From Christmas through Feb 1
2/1/11
Hey guys, I don't know any of my BYU passwords so getting back in for summer term might be difficult. My user name is XXXXXXXXXX if that could help.
If only I knew my social security number, then I could have got my net ID password. I also could have got it if I knew my hotmail password.
So anyway I guess I left behind all worldly endeavors behind me.
If you guys could help me out somehow over there it would be great. I don't need to pick classes till march, but it seems like today (Feb 1st) is the last day to sign up for summer or fall.
My departure date is May 6, I hope that wouldn't interfere with you guys being able to pick me up.
I love you guys.
1/26/11
Hello everybody,
Laura's video worked this time, way cute by the way. Will they be bilingual and I can still communicate with them, or do I have to learn Spanish eventually?
I am starting to learn that there is no secret ingredient to missionary work, just like being a dragon warrior. There is a quote in Preach my gospel where a prophet says " Missionary work is just that; work. There is no substitute..."
I used to think that if my teaching skills rocked or some new method of finding or obtaining referrals came out, I would probably be more successful. I feel that new methods and tactics are fine, but the main thing is to get out there and do stuff, and do it with charisma and enthusiasm. Eventually, you will get the results that the Lord wants you to get. The spirit is quite vital in guiding you, and there are certain ways of going about missionary work that will never work (Bible bashing), but the main thing is to give a good diligent effort.
I often get discouraged by getting rejected by tons of Hong Kong people, but I realise that as long as I tried and thrustheth my sickle, as least I will lay up in store that I personally won't perish. And eventually, I will make some sort of progress.
I am really proud of my family, we are so powerful. I enjoy my tranlsator father. In fact, I had noticed that same translation difference that he pointed out to me. Are you reading out of the pinyin columned one? I'm stuck in Isaiah, but I will finish the Book of Mormon in Chinese before my mission is over. In the pinyin comlumed one, there is 800 pages, so you just have to read eight pages a day to finish in 100 days, or 4 a day to finish in 200. I admit it's difficult to read eight pages of pure Isaiah, especially in Chinese, when the names of places and people mean even less to me than in English. I also ran into a classmate of my father. Ken Schupe who is a foreign echange student at the Hong Kong Chinese University, Elder Yu forced me to let him fellowship for us, his Mandarin had a ridiculous Cantonese/white person accent and he brought a Chinese girl with him to our lesson, I'm pretty sure it was his girlfriend, she is the AP's investigator. So anyways, Elder Yu regretted having him fellowship and I said "I told you so". I am one thousand percent certain my father's Mandarin is way better than his, not that that's important.
I don't know how to cook any Chinese food but Ramen. I guess I could theoretically stir fry stuff or fry rice, but I am lazy and eating out here is cheap and not necessarily unhealthy. I enjoy Chinese food though.
Keep being so powerful and don't give up.
I love you all,
Hua Zhanglao
1/19/11
Hello family,
Nothing too wise to attempt to say this time. It is so sad that we have Mandarin speaking investigators that are literally too poor to go to church all the way in Wan Chai. One has a cute little haircutting tent thingy, Im going ot get a haircut from her for about two bucks American today. Her Last name is Wang, just like three other investigators we have. She devoures the Book of Mormon like no one I have ever seen since all the Indonesians we taught in Macau. Anyways, I hope we can baptise her somehow, at least into a Cantonese ward or something.
Elder Dodge sent me a wallet with a marijuana leaf on the front. He said that that pretty much represents his area that he's in now. Im going to tell him that the weed wallet was actually made a few train stops up from where I live and that I can bargain about three for under a dollar US. That totally represents my mission too. When I had first got here I saw sweet old lady wearing a t shirt with a marijuana leaf on it. She obviously had no idea what she was wearing, it was pretty adorable.
Anyways, life is good. A different Mandarin missionary is fortunate enough to get a second round in Macau and I was the one who invented Mandarin missionaries in Macau. I am way jealous. If I pray really hard and then beg President Chan, maybe I can go back. I don't know when I'm going to come home yet, I guess I have to ask President Chan. If you guys are coming to pick me up, then should I tell them not to buy plane tickets for me?
I can't write too much today because I have to email President Chan. My mother made me way trunky and wonder about my future. I wouldn't mind teaching missionaries at the MTC or washing dishes again. I just like to have free housing while I go to school.
I love you guys,
Hua Zhanglao
1/13/11
Hello my family,
I couldn't see the video laura sent me of Ezra. I assume he was just making really cute monkey noises.
Yeah, that is so embarassing that you guys go through my private archives. [Editors note - these archives were stored in a notebook that one of the kids found in a closet and took to church to draw in. We were actually attacked by the writings while in a sacrament meeting]
Did you know that as a rapper I go under the pseudonym "BB Wolff"? BB standing for "Big Bad". I just need an accomplice who will go by "RR Hood" and we'll go ridin' in da hood together. Oh man, that is totally why I can't write a journal, or a rhyme book. It will all leek out and anything that can humiliate me will be revealed by prying eyes. I really can only have people reading my stuff after I'm dead, like any real artist would. Post humously publishing things is a lost less akward.
I really like Jennifer's baby, Zoe right? She totally looks like babies over here, exhibiting an Asian dominace. Way cute.
Anyways, I guess my mother wants me to chastise my brothers and sisters. In the mission field we would say "recenter". I like what my mother said about making mistakes. I have recently remembered some wise thing that someone taught me once. Its called "learn from your mistakes". It is totally fine to make mistakes. Me and my companion go throughout the day saying this phrase at least a million times. Everytime we do something way ridiculous, we just say "Learn from your mistakes" convincing ourselves that we will never make that error ever again in our entire lives. Usually we would do something like purchase some food that is way too overpriced and small and not delicious and then we would resolve never to do that again. The beauty of mistakes is that you only really have to make them a couple of times to learn from them, often times once is enough.
It might have been my father, it may have been Rafiki, whoever said it doesn't matter, but you need to learn from the past. The past can hurt. I like to whack other elders randomly and then when they ask why I did that, then I will tell them that "it doesn't matter, it was in the past". This is really immature and goes to show that missionaries can only watch a selected few movies and are likely to go insane at any moment. I digress, anyways, don't fret too much about what bad things you have done just move on and don't do them any more. That is a simple way of explaining repentace.
That is one major theme for me this year "Learn from your mistakes". It can be said that is the meaning of life. So I don't really know how to explain this to children, but I know they could catch on eventually, it took me like twenty-one years and counting to realise that my past doesn't have to come back to haunt me too much if I just don't think about it or repeat it. Of course sometimes your parents get into your stuff and make you relive it. Just learn from your mistakes. You often can learn way more from making one mistake than you can learn by having many successes. Just don't make the same mistake twice. This one I know came from my father "You also don't have to make every mistake possible either" learn from other people's mistakes.
I imagine some cavemen experimenting with berries and mushrooms trying to find out which one's are edible. You should probably not eat that same type of berry or mushroom that killed Og over there. Likewise, if Daniel gets in trouble for doing something wrong, you probably shouldn't do that thing either, otherwise you will probably get in trouble too.
Yes, that is something that I really hope that I can have down in these next five months before I get back "Learn from your mistakes".
This phrase is really good at making me not have too much guilt as well.
Anyways, I hope that was good enough, I hope it wasn't to advanced for my brothers and sisters. I love you guys,
Hua zhanglao
1/6/11
Hello everybody,
I went to the temple today, I really like the Chinese aspect of it. I listened to the Mandarin translation this time. It was way awsome, I had a real spiritual experience. I recommend everyone to try it some time. Then I read from the Chinese copy of the Book of Mormon. I like it.
So anyway, I think that I will resolve to be more positive. I know its a really vague and unmeasurable goal, but I think it is probably what I need.
We have really good investigators, even if sometimes opposition gets in the way. I think that opposition is a blessing, it wouldn't be as satisfying to bring someone unto baptism if it was easy.
If someone asked me what food in the American diet makes us so robust and enormous, I would have to say meat. Although its not just because of a certain type of food. It has alot to do with portions. American meat portions are satisfying and borderline exsessive. While Chinese portions of meat are about half as big as American and are fifty percent bone matter. Bones add to the flavour and make food more fun to eat. It kinda feels like playing with your food, knawing on a bone that you're holding with chopsticks.
I really feel like I have only had KFC like twice in America and like a million times in Hong Kong. Maybe when I was in America I thought eating chicken in that manner was gross and not processed enough for consumtion, whereas here in hong kong KFC is a place where I don't have to worry about getting heads or feet served to me.
Its funny how opinions change based on one's environment. I still feel like some sort of ignorant westerner somtimes. Concepts like qi, yinyang and fengshui still feel alot like superstition or foolish traditions. I guess I haven't really been able to study them much. Acupuncture seems so crazy, I swear its just placebo stuff. Didn't my dad get acupuncture on his mission and then couldn't ride his bike home? Does dad believe? I am positive we can't get acupuncture on our missions or massages. Definetly not massages, especially not in Mong Kok or Wanchai - yikes.
I like it over here. It sure seems like I run out of things to say pretty easy. Its becoming more and more apparent I should keep a journal. I welcome any questions or comments, advice or constructive criticism.
I love you all,
Hua Zhanglao
Hey guys, I don't know any of my BYU passwords so getting back in for summer term might be difficult. My user name is XXXXXXXXXX if that could help.
If only I knew my social security number, then I could have got my net ID password. I also could have got it if I knew my hotmail password.
So anyway I guess I left behind all worldly endeavors behind me.
If you guys could help me out somehow over there it would be great. I don't need to pick classes till march, but it seems like today (Feb 1st) is the last day to sign up for summer or fall.
My departure date is May 6, I hope that wouldn't interfere with you guys being able to pick me up.
I love you guys.
1/26/11
Hello everybody,
Laura's video worked this time, way cute by the way. Will they be bilingual and I can still communicate with them, or do I have to learn Spanish eventually?
I am starting to learn that there is no secret ingredient to missionary work, just like being a dragon warrior. There is a quote in Preach my gospel where a prophet says " Missionary work is just that; work. There is no substitute..."
I used to think that if my teaching skills rocked or some new method of finding or obtaining referrals came out, I would probably be more successful. I feel that new methods and tactics are fine, but the main thing is to get out there and do stuff, and do it with charisma and enthusiasm. Eventually, you will get the results that the Lord wants you to get. The spirit is quite vital in guiding you, and there are certain ways of going about missionary work that will never work (Bible bashing), but the main thing is to give a good diligent effort.
I often get discouraged by getting rejected by tons of Hong Kong people, but I realise that as long as I tried and thrustheth my sickle, as least I will lay up in store that I personally won't perish. And eventually, I will make some sort of progress.
I am really proud of my family, we are so powerful. I enjoy my tranlsator father. In fact, I had noticed that same translation difference that he pointed out to me. Are you reading out of the pinyin columned one? I'm stuck in Isaiah, but I will finish the Book of Mormon in Chinese before my mission is over. In the pinyin comlumed one, there is 800 pages, so you just have to read eight pages a day to finish in 100 days, or 4 a day to finish in 200. I admit it's difficult to read eight pages of pure Isaiah, especially in Chinese, when the names of places and people mean even less to me than in English. I also ran into a classmate of my father. Ken Schupe who is a foreign echange student at the Hong Kong Chinese University, Elder Yu forced me to let him fellowship for us, his Mandarin had a ridiculous Cantonese/white person accent and he brought a Chinese girl with him to our lesson, I'm pretty sure it was his girlfriend, she is the AP's investigator. So anyways, Elder Yu regretted having him fellowship and I said "I told you so". I am one thousand percent certain my father's Mandarin is way better than his, not that that's important.
I don't know how to cook any Chinese food but Ramen. I guess I could theoretically stir fry stuff or fry rice, but I am lazy and eating out here is cheap and not necessarily unhealthy. I enjoy Chinese food though.
Keep being so powerful and don't give up.
I love you all,
Hua Zhanglao
1/19/11
Hello family,
Nothing too wise to attempt to say this time. It is so sad that we have Mandarin speaking investigators that are literally too poor to go to church all the way in Wan Chai. One has a cute little haircutting tent thingy, Im going ot get a haircut from her for about two bucks American today. Her Last name is Wang, just like three other investigators we have. She devoures the Book of Mormon like no one I have ever seen since all the Indonesians we taught in Macau. Anyways, I hope we can baptise her somehow, at least into a Cantonese ward or something.
Elder Dodge sent me a wallet with a marijuana leaf on the front. He said that that pretty much represents his area that he's in now. Im going to tell him that the weed wallet was actually made a few train stops up from where I live and that I can bargain about three for under a dollar US. That totally represents my mission too. When I had first got here I saw sweet old lady wearing a t shirt with a marijuana leaf on it. She obviously had no idea what she was wearing, it was pretty adorable.
Anyways, life is good. A different Mandarin missionary is fortunate enough to get a second round in Macau and I was the one who invented Mandarin missionaries in Macau. I am way jealous. If I pray really hard and then beg President Chan, maybe I can go back. I don't know when I'm going to come home yet, I guess I have to ask President Chan. If you guys are coming to pick me up, then should I tell them not to buy plane tickets for me?
I can't write too much today because I have to email President Chan. My mother made me way trunky and wonder about my future. I wouldn't mind teaching missionaries at the MTC or washing dishes again. I just like to have free housing while I go to school.
I love you guys,
Hua Zhanglao
1/13/11
Hello my family,
I couldn't see the video laura sent me of Ezra. I assume he was just making really cute monkey noises.
Yeah, that is so embarassing that you guys go through my private archives. [Editors note - these archives were stored in a notebook that one of the kids found in a closet and took to church to draw in. We were actually attacked by the writings while in a sacrament meeting]
Did you know that as a rapper I go under the pseudonym "BB Wolff"? BB standing for "Big Bad". I just need an accomplice who will go by "RR Hood" and we'll go ridin' in da hood together. Oh man, that is totally why I can't write a journal, or a rhyme book. It will all leek out and anything that can humiliate me will be revealed by prying eyes. I really can only have people reading my stuff after I'm dead, like any real artist would. Post humously publishing things is a lost less akward.
I really like Jennifer's baby, Zoe right? She totally looks like babies over here, exhibiting an Asian dominace. Way cute.
Anyways, I guess my mother wants me to chastise my brothers and sisters. In the mission field we would say "recenter". I like what my mother said about making mistakes. I have recently remembered some wise thing that someone taught me once. Its called "learn from your mistakes". It is totally fine to make mistakes. Me and my companion go throughout the day saying this phrase at least a million times. Everytime we do something way ridiculous, we just say "Learn from your mistakes" convincing ourselves that we will never make that error ever again in our entire lives. Usually we would do something like purchase some food that is way too overpriced and small and not delicious and then we would resolve never to do that again. The beauty of mistakes is that you only really have to make them a couple of times to learn from them, often times once is enough.
It might have been my father, it may have been Rafiki, whoever said it doesn't matter, but you need to learn from the past. The past can hurt. I like to whack other elders randomly and then when they ask why I did that, then I will tell them that "it doesn't matter, it was in the past". This is really immature and goes to show that missionaries can only watch a selected few movies and are likely to go insane at any moment. I digress, anyways, don't fret too much about what bad things you have done just move on and don't do them any more. That is a simple way of explaining repentace.
That is one major theme for me this year "Learn from your mistakes". It can be said that is the meaning of life. So I don't really know how to explain this to children, but I know they could catch on eventually, it took me like twenty-one years and counting to realise that my past doesn't have to come back to haunt me too much if I just don't think about it or repeat it. Of course sometimes your parents get into your stuff and make you relive it. Just learn from your mistakes. You often can learn way more from making one mistake than you can learn by having many successes. Just don't make the same mistake twice. This one I know came from my father "You also don't have to make every mistake possible either" learn from other people's mistakes.
I imagine some cavemen experimenting with berries and mushrooms trying to find out which one's are edible. You should probably not eat that same type of berry or mushroom that killed Og over there. Likewise, if Daniel gets in trouble for doing something wrong, you probably shouldn't do that thing either, otherwise you will probably get in trouble too.
Yes, that is something that I really hope that I can have down in these next five months before I get back "Learn from your mistakes".
This phrase is really good at making me not have too much guilt as well.
Anyways, I hope that was good enough, I hope it wasn't to advanced for my brothers and sisters. I love you guys,
Hua zhanglao
1/6/11
Hello everybody,
I went to the temple today, I really like the Chinese aspect of it. I listened to the Mandarin translation this time. It was way awsome, I had a real spiritual experience. I recommend everyone to try it some time. Then I read from the Chinese copy of the Book of Mormon. I like it.
So anyway, I think that I will resolve to be more positive. I know its a really vague and unmeasurable goal, but I think it is probably what I need.
We have really good investigators, even if sometimes opposition gets in the way. I think that opposition is a blessing, it wouldn't be as satisfying to bring someone unto baptism if it was easy.
If someone asked me what food in the American diet makes us so robust and enormous, I would have to say meat. Although its not just because of a certain type of food. It has alot to do with portions. American meat portions are satisfying and borderline exsessive. While Chinese portions of meat are about half as big as American and are fifty percent bone matter. Bones add to the flavour and make food more fun to eat. It kinda feels like playing with your food, knawing on a bone that you're holding with chopsticks.
I really feel like I have only had KFC like twice in America and like a million times in Hong Kong. Maybe when I was in America I thought eating chicken in that manner was gross and not processed enough for consumtion, whereas here in hong kong KFC is a place where I don't have to worry about getting heads or feet served to me.
Its funny how opinions change based on one's environment. I still feel like some sort of ignorant westerner somtimes. Concepts like qi, yinyang and fengshui still feel alot like superstition or foolish traditions. I guess I haven't really been able to study them much. Acupuncture seems so crazy, I swear its just placebo stuff. Didn't my dad get acupuncture on his mission and then couldn't ride his bike home? Does dad believe? I am positive we can't get acupuncture on our missions or massages. Definetly not massages, especially not in Mong Kok or Wanchai - yikes.
I like it over here. It sure seems like I run out of things to say pretty easy. Its becoming more and more apparent I should keep a journal. I welcome any questions or comments, advice or constructive criticism.
I love you all,
Hua Zhanglao
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Merry 2010 Christmas!!
Christmas was so good, thanks for calling me! I am so glad that I have a pretty cool family. So did anyone get anything way awesome for Christmas? I told you I got a birthday package for Christmas right? Also there was a beautiful flower drawn by Alyssa wishing me a Happy Mother's Day. It made me really proud to be a mother.
I am remaining with Elder Yu for a third transfer; the longest I have ever had one companion. I hope we can continue to do good work. For some reason I end up getting really tired of most of my companions at about two moves. I was under the impression that President Chan was aware of this and would not suffer that I should remain with one companion for more than two transfers. I guess I was wrong. I do need to exercise patience. Eventually I guess I will remain with one companion for enternity, so nineteen weeks isn't really much time at all, let alone six to twelve. I just feel that an attractive lady of my choosing will probably be easier to get along with. Actually I feel most of my previous companions were handsome in their own different ways, I just don't think any were my type.
I think I recall Peter telling us that he had a companion that he wanted to marry the girl version of. Is Emily that girl? I'm curious.
So anyways, I want to know what new years resolutions I can attempt. Any suggestions. I think I'm gonna do the 365 push up challenge. Where on January first, you do one push up and then on the second you do two and so forth, all the way to december 31 where you do 365. I wonder if that's possible. Its not a leap year next year is it? I would sure hate to have to do 366.
Maybe I should just resolve to write in my journal once or twice. I really failed this year, maybe I never wrote in it this entire year. I have no idea what to write in it. The only things I can think of writing in it, I have already wrote in a letter back home.
Its way better to recall stories and experiences incorrecly, with interesting embellishments (thats not how you spell it) and fictional additions added in. If I wrote a journal, then I couldn't take creative liberties when I retell mission experiences. People would totally say, "thats not what you wrote in your journal about it".
I think that the closest I could come to writing a journal would be a semi-autobiographical fictional short story that involved fantasy elements.
So I want some suggestions and hear what others have resolved to do. I know that through the Atonement of Christ all are able to repent and better themselves. It is really hard to improve yourself without goals, believe me.
We could potentially get seven baptisms - three almost for sure. I thought you'd like to know how powerful we are. Elder Kershisnik is a zone leader now. Thankfully, I am still Elder Wall, the ex-district leader.
I love you all.
Hua Zhanglao
I am remaining with Elder Yu for a third transfer; the longest I have ever had one companion. I hope we can continue to do good work. For some reason I end up getting really tired of most of my companions at about two moves. I was under the impression that President Chan was aware of this and would not suffer that I should remain with one companion for more than two transfers. I guess I was wrong. I do need to exercise patience. Eventually I guess I will remain with one companion for enternity, so nineteen weeks isn't really much time at all, let alone six to twelve. I just feel that an attractive lady of my choosing will probably be easier to get along with. Actually I feel most of my previous companions were handsome in their own different ways, I just don't think any were my type.
I think I recall Peter telling us that he had a companion that he wanted to marry the girl version of. Is Emily that girl? I'm curious.
So anyways, I want to know what new years resolutions I can attempt. Any suggestions. I think I'm gonna do the 365 push up challenge. Where on January first, you do one push up and then on the second you do two and so forth, all the way to december 31 where you do 365. I wonder if that's possible. Its not a leap year next year is it? I would sure hate to have to do 366.
Maybe I should just resolve to write in my journal once or twice. I really failed this year, maybe I never wrote in it this entire year. I have no idea what to write in it. The only things I can think of writing in it, I have already wrote in a letter back home.
Its way better to recall stories and experiences incorrecly, with interesting embellishments (thats not how you spell it) and fictional additions added in. If I wrote a journal, then I couldn't take creative liberties when I retell mission experiences. People would totally say, "thats not what you wrote in your journal about it".
I think that the closest I could come to writing a journal would be a semi-autobiographical fictional short story that involved fantasy elements.
So I want some suggestions and hear what others have resolved to do. I know that through the Atonement of Christ all are able to repent and better themselves. It is really hard to improve yourself without goals, believe me.
We could potentially get seven baptisms - three almost for sure. I thought you'd like to know how powerful we are. Elder Kershisnik is a zone leader now. Thankfully, I am still Elder Wall, the ex-district leader.
I love you all.
Hua Zhanglao
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Christmas Phone Call
We called Stephen on Christmas Eve on the phone first. The connection was not good but it woke him up. They are 15 hours ahead so it was morning for him. Then, we called back and talked for a few minutes and then we called him up on Skype which is much cheaper than the landline. We told him that we wished we could see him on Skype. He said that office elders do get to use Skype for their calls home. Sigh.
In the meantime, Laura and Job were hurrying over to get to talk too. Job's parents had just arrived from Mexico and they had to leave them and the babies to come over and talk.
Stephen said he shared a 1 bedroom apartment with 2 companionships. He thinks it is very large and feels that it must be a very expensive apartment. The apartment has 2 offices in it so that each companionship has their own office. He says he will send pictures.
They live in Fen Ling by Towlow Harbor. They have 2 bunkbeds squeezed into the space and there is no floor. He says he cannot see the harbor but he can see a grave yard. He thinks of all the dead who need to be saved. A chinese young man that he know pointed to the graveyard and said that his mom lived there.
Laura and Job arrived and she launched into a discussion about Pandora's Box music that Stephen used to have. The weather was cold but it seems colder due to the humidity. Then James and Dion serenaded Stephen with Jingle Bells in Mandarin, or, Ding, Ding Dang. Laura chimed in on the last line. Stephen said he had heard it before but that was in America in his Chinese classes. This particular copy of the song came from James's Mandarin class.
He had Chinese food for dinner last night. Ha-ha! It was Hong Kongized American food with rice, pork chops and chicken, they put tomato sauce on it which is called ketsap in Cantonese. They think they invented ketchup. They probably did come to think of it. They also think they invented Wyoming. I don't know how that could have happened.
We talked for a little over an hour which we justified because the last phone call was cut short by 15 min., because Stephen's calling card was not really a 60 min. calling card. We got to call him this time. It was much nicer this way.
We noticed that Stephen has a strange accent. He was happy enough and at one point started eating his breakfast which was a Swiss Roll. He said it was his Christmas breakfast. That does not make a mother happy to hear about. Everyone chimed in and talked to him and we laughed and talked about what is going on with us and with him and our old memories. It was a refreshing phone call and I think we can make it until Mother's Day when we get to talk to him again. In the meantime, we will be working on when Stephen will get off of his mission and when we will possibly visit him. Of course Tanya and Ross's new baby will be born early in the month. He should get off later in May or maybe in June. He has some say in what happens.
He was just telling us how that works when the call was dropped. Laura and Job went home and we called Stephen back to have a proper goodbye. Now we have to wait until Wednesday or Thursday to hear from him again. I do have an assignment. He wants "that Seely Girl's address" and Brannon's address. Katy is her name, but he calls her "that Seely Girl". He said she was living in England right now. We looked her up on Stalker.net and that is where she is but her family does not appear to be there too this time.
I got depressed because my stupid computer lost a portion of what I wrote down and now I have to go back now and then and add parts that were omitted.
In the meantime, Laura and Job were hurrying over to get to talk too. Job's parents had just arrived from Mexico and they had to leave them and the babies to come over and talk.
Stephen said he shared a 1 bedroom apartment with 2 companionships. He thinks it is very large and feels that it must be a very expensive apartment. The apartment has 2 offices in it so that each companionship has their own office. He says he will send pictures.
They live in Fen Ling by Towlow Harbor. They have 2 bunkbeds squeezed into the space and there is no floor. He says he cannot see the harbor but he can see a grave yard. He thinks of all the dead who need to be saved. A chinese young man that he know pointed to the graveyard and said that his mom lived there.
Laura and Job arrived and she launched into a discussion about Pandora's Box music that Stephen used to have. The weather was cold but it seems colder due to the humidity. Then James and Dion serenaded Stephen with Jingle Bells in Mandarin, or, Ding, Ding Dang. Laura chimed in on the last line. Stephen said he had heard it before but that was in America in his Chinese classes. This particular copy of the song came from James's Mandarin class.
He had Chinese food for dinner last night. Ha-ha! It was Hong Kongized American food with rice, pork chops and chicken, they put tomato sauce on it which is called ketsap in Cantonese. They think they invented ketchup. They probably did come to think of it. They also think they invented Wyoming. I don't know how that could have happened.
We talked for a little over an hour which we justified because the last phone call was cut short by 15 min., because Stephen's calling card was not really a 60 min. calling card. We got to call him this time. It was much nicer this way.
We noticed that Stephen has a strange accent. He was happy enough and at one point started eating his breakfast which was a Swiss Roll. He said it was his Christmas breakfast. That does not make a mother happy to hear about. Everyone chimed in and talked to him and we laughed and talked about what is going on with us and with him and our old memories. It was a refreshing phone call and I think we can make it until Mother's Day when we get to talk to him again. In the meantime, we will be working on when Stephen will get off of his mission and when we will possibly visit him. Of course Tanya and Ross's new baby will be born early in the month. He should get off later in May or maybe in June. He has some say in what happens.
He was just telling us how that works when the call was dropped. Laura and Job went home and we called Stephen back to have a proper goodbye. Now we have to wait until Wednesday or Thursday to hear from him again. I do have an assignment. He wants "that Seely Girl's address" and Brannon's address. Katy is her name, but he calls her "that Seely Girl". He said she was living in England right now. We looked her up on Stalker.net and that is where she is but her family does not appear to be there too this time.
I got depressed because my stupid computer lost a portion of what I wrote down and now I have to go back now and then and add parts that were omitted.
Friday, December 17, 2010
12/16/10 Parable of the Ax
Dear family,
I am totally bah humbug this year, it seems like its been a while since I had Christmas - a for reals Christmas. I remember Tatiana gave me a really cool knife once, or was that for my birthday? I have a desire for eggnog. Its actually kinda cold over here, it went down to six centigrade. I don't think it will snow though. I caroled with Elder Kershisnik, went we went on Mandarin exchanges, it wasn't a very successful finding technique. It seems like there is a whole lot of Ebeneezer Scrooges, or Ebeneezer Chan, Ebeneezer Wong, Ebeneezer Choi and the like, all over Hong Kong. Hong Kong needs to get haunted really bad, so grumpy. I say Merry Christmas in my most peppy, charismatic way that I can possibly muster and literally half of the people I talk to act like they didn't hear me. I know they heard me I was practically shouting it.
Anyways I am pretty trunky these days. I have a goal not to lose focus or quit my mission at least until I finish baptizing the rest of brother Xia's family. I think they are all good and will probably do it in the next month or so. It is the impossible. I am sure you have heard me rant about how we only teach ladies who are single in mandarin work and how we only can get investigators from referrals or turnovers form the Cantonese missionaries. I totally found a man by myself, helped him quit smoking after forty years and now his whole family will be baptised pretty soon. I am so happy that I got to experience that. I feel pretty powerful. The first family I have seen baptised into mandarin work since I started my mission. The second man baptised since I have been a missionary, the first one being Chester who was baptized by the Malaysian Tiger and me.
I don't boast in myself, I boast in my Lord. He is so good. I am an instrument in his hands. I feel like sometimes I am an ax, and that I am really dull. I just keep getting thwacked against a tree over and over, and while I am making a little head way, it would probably be more productive to stop and sharpen myself before I go any further. I can probably not finish the work I am required to finish even if I was sharp, eventually someone with a chain saw will handle the rest of the tree after I made my small dent of a contribution.
I am not so sure what that analogy all means, but I feel the redundancy of being endlessly smacked against a log is a lot like my mission. Am I doing something right?
I about died when I heard that story about Gideon blessing Silas. That is seriously funny. Some of those kids are too smart and witty, I remember Tasha telling me about Asher asking if she was a "windian" because she liked the car window down. I wish one day I could be hilariously clever like that.
I love all of you,
Hua zhanglao
ps Mother, hang in there, james will turn out eventually. I get a headache all the way over here in hong kong when I hear about his grades, I am so glad its not my problem.
Expect a call at about six on christmas night.
I am totally bah humbug this year, it seems like its been a while since I had Christmas - a for reals Christmas. I remember Tatiana gave me a really cool knife once, or was that for my birthday? I have a desire for eggnog. Its actually kinda cold over here, it went down to six centigrade. I don't think it will snow though. I caroled with Elder Kershisnik, went we went on Mandarin exchanges, it wasn't a very successful finding technique. It seems like there is a whole lot of Ebeneezer Scrooges, or Ebeneezer Chan, Ebeneezer Wong, Ebeneezer Choi and the like, all over Hong Kong. Hong Kong needs to get haunted really bad, so grumpy. I say Merry Christmas in my most peppy, charismatic way that I can possibly muster and literally half of the people I talk to act like they didn't hear me. I know they heard me I was practically shouting it.
Anyways I am pretty trunky these days. I have a goal not to lose focus or quit my mission at least until I finish baptizing the rest of brother Xia's family. I think they are all good and will probably do it in the next month or so. It is the impossible. I am sure you have heard me rant about how we only teach ladies who are single in mandarin work and how we only can get investigators from referrals or turnovers form the Cantonese missionaries. I totally found a man by myself, helped him quit smoking after forty years and now his whole family will be baptised pretty soon. I am so happy that I got to experience that. I feel pretty powerful. The first family I have seen baptised into mandarin work since I started my mission. The second man baptised since I have been a missionary, the first one being Chester who was baptized by the Malaysian Tiger and me.
I don't boast in myself, I boast in my Lord. He is so good. I am an instrument in his hands. I feel like sometimes I am an ax, and that I am really dull. I just keep getting thwacked against a tree over and over, and while I am making a little head way, it would probably be more productive to stop and sharpen myself before I go any further. I can probably not finish the work I am required to finish even if I was sharp, eventually someone with a chain saw will handle the rest of the tree after I made my small dent of a contribution.
I am not so sure what that analogy all means, but I feel the redundancy of being endlessly smacked against a log is a lot like my mission. Am I doing something right?
I about died when I heard that story about Gideon blessing Silas. That is seriously funny. Some of those kids are too smart and witty, I remember Tasha telling me about Asher asking if she was a "windian" because she liked the car window down. I wish one day I could be hilariously clever like that.
I love all of you,
Hua zhanglao
ps Mother, hang in there, james will turn out eventually. I get a headache all the way over here in hong kong when I hear about his grades, I am so glad its not my problem.
Expect a call at about six on christmas night.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
12/9/10 - The Real Meaning of Christmas
Did I tell you yet? I'm gonna be Santa Claus again. Sometimes I go to primary because my companion will play the piano for them. When we were in primary last Sunday and the teacher talked about Christmas, all the little kids started chanting that I was Santa. I don't particularly like it, but because I am the only Mandarin elder who is fat I am pretty much obligated. I wish I could lose fifty puonds, I bet you will all look so strange when I get back. I look the same but with less hair
I hope you send me a Christmas family photo and I can be jealous of how skinny everyone is. The weather isn't hot anymore, so I can't sweat away the pounds. Not that I did when it was hot. The public transportation in this city is pretty phenomel. I don't need to walk very often or ride a bike ever. I can just get on the bus or subway or train.
I wish I could watch an interesting movie every now and then, it seems like a million movies came out since I came on my mission. There are also like a million "classics" that I haven't seen before my mission. Then I realize that probably a whole lot of those movies would be a huge waste of time and that I wouldn't enjoy very many of them. I wonder if any of you have seen the church movie about John Tanner. That movie was unbelievable, it blew my mind. I wonder why I had never heard of that story ever before, it was just too amazing. Its in the D+C supplemental videos.
So I want all of you to know the real meaning of Christmas, because it is totally commercialised over here. It is kind of close. Next Christmas I will totally be home and could be married or something.
My family is actually way awesome, it took a mission of seeing other people's broken families and the terrible way parents spoil their children (not that my parents aren't guilty of spoiling me) and the worldy priorities that people put before their families over here, just to help me realize that we are pretty rad. We are just ultra powerful. My dad is a bishop, now there's power!! Just kidding, it just helps me know more that he is called of God.
I love you all
Elder Wall
I hope you send me a Christmas family photo and I can be jealous of how skinny everyone is. The weather isn't hot anymore, so I can't sweat away the pounds. Not that I did when it was hot. The public transportation in this city is pretty phenomel. I don't need to walk very often or ride a bike ever. I can just get on the bus or subway or train.
I wish I could watch an interesting movie every now and then, it seems like a million movies came out since I came on my mission. There are also like a million "classics" that I haven't seen before my mission. Then I realize that probably a whole lot of those movies would be a huge waste of time and that I wouldn't enjoy very many of them. I wonder if any of you have seen the church movie about John Tanner. That movie was unbelievable, it blew my mind. I wonder why I had never heard of that story ever before, it was just too amazing. Its in the D+C supplemental videos.
So I want all of you to know the real meaning of Christmas, because it is totally commercialised over here. It is kind of close. Next Christmas I will totally be home and could be married or something.
My family is actually way awesome, it took a mission of seeing other people's broken families and the terrible way parents spoil their children (not that my parents aren't guilty of spoiling me) and the worldy priorities that people put before their families over here, just to help me realize that we are pretty rad. We are just ultra powerful. My dad is a bishop, now there's power!! Just kidding, it just helps me know more that he is called of God.
I love you all
Elder Wall
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