8th email from Hong Kong

Hello everyone!

So this week, in order to try and make my correspondence a little more co-ordinated, I've been writing down during the week what I want to write about in my planner. Good idea, right?

Too bad I left my planner behind.

I would not recommend attempting to catch me while I'm on the computer - for one thing, you're right, it's not following the Spirit of the law, and for another thing, our email time is different every week, as we book time in the library according to when they have free. So last week it was in the afternoon; this week I'm writing at 10:00am; 4:20am GMT.

Besides, Christmas is coming up soon; maybe I'll phone you then.

The Christmas period is going to be a lot of fun; unfortunately, it'll me next Moves so I may have a brand new companion. This Moves is only 5 weeks long, because otherwise it'd start two days after Christmas, and that means that the new Missionaries will be flying from the US to Hong Kong, and will be on the plane for the shortest Christmas of their lives as they cross the International Dateline!

But we have lots of fun things going on; Mission Conference is being replaced by a Christmas social, where we all will exchange presents in a Secret Santa kind of thing, have a Talent show (I'm tempted to enter, but have no idea what talent to share), skits, and of course, the 2007 Mission slideshow, with approximately 3 pictures of me in it. I'm kind of hoping that I'll have done so much weird stuff in the MTC that other missionaries caught on camera (mostly because I'm so light, thin and easily bench-pressed) that I'll make it into something other than group shots, but we'll see.

On Christmas Eve, there's a scripture study session and carol-singing service at the Temple, which all the Missionaries can attend should they wish, which ought to be fun.

As I'm kicking off with Christmas stuff, I may as well discuss the issue of money, memory cards and MP3 Players - a memory card bought in Britain and shipped over would be best. I briefly glanced at prices here in one shop, and they were ridiculously expensive. I then realised that they actually were cards for Britain which had been imported - sometimes the way Hong Kong operates confuses me, as all the cards are made in China anyway. For example, McDonalds ice-cream is cheaper than milk.

As for any and all money I accumulate from various relatives and friends through you, I would like for you to pour it all into my current account, so that at the end of the two years I have a sizeable amount to go "trunky shopping" with - our last Preparation Day in the mission, we are allowed to go to a place called Mong Kok, which is full of cheap technology, music, DVDs, games, etc. We get to buy tons of stuff that we take back with us. I'm adjusting my desire for a MacBook, figuring that only a few hundred will be necessary for a pretty good regular laptop when I get back.

Boy, this has been a boring email. Reminds me of some of my prayers - "Dear Heavenly Father, please send me this and this and this and this..." Sorry for going on about things I want you to spend money on for me/do for me.

I received a very sad phone call yesterday though. Of our MTC District, one person came to Hong Kong early, Sister Chan (who is CBC - Canadian Born Chinese - and already speaks Cantonese). One went to Australia, of course, my companion. But one person in the last week in the MTC finally decided it wasn't right for him to go to Hong Kong, as he had some worthiness issues, and as such is working through them at the moment. And now one Elder who made it to Hong Kong is going home because he is having severe problems with his back. Elder Breedlove was our District Leader in the MTC before me, and was Zone Leader while I was District Leader. He taught me a lot, but now has to leave for home. It's sad to see our MTC group slowly losing members one by one.

Anyway, we had interviews with President Van Dam this week, which was fun. It meant I finally got hold of our companionship's copy of the General Conference Ensign, which I've been wanting for a long time. It's amazing. I love the picture of the First Presidency on the cover; the dignified President Hinckley with his cane, the big Right Hand Man, President Monson, and President Eyring, looking still just a little out of place. Speaking of pictures, though, there is one that really caught my eye. It shows about 16 Missionaries serving in the West Indes, and one of them looks amazingly like Julian Jest. I was astounded to see him in the Ensign - I'm fairly convinced it is him; the only doubt comes from that I forgot where he served his mission, and he's now returned, but the person in the picture looks just like him! I have told many times the story of how seeing Elder Jest stand in Stake Conference just after his return, before he was released, really inspired me in my desire to be a missionary, not only serve a mission, and his wise listening to my problems one YSA dance the night I lost my job at Sharp and felt like I was completely abandoned. If it is him, please tell him that I recognised it next time you see him (or a member of his family, as I believe he's not living at home at the moment).

Now, finally, perhaps I'll talk a little about the work. It's moving along well. My language is slowly, slowly, improving. I can understand a lot of what is going on around me now (at least related to Gospel terms). So it is all going well.

And that's all I have time for. I love you all lots and lots.

Happy Thanksgiving (my companion keeps pointing out stuff he's thankful for)

羅 長 老