9th email from Hong Kong

Hello hello!

I would like to start off by apologizing for not sending a written letter last week - after hearing that Elder Breedlove was going home (I believe I told you about that) I decided that I should write him on Preparation Day. I then thought I ought to write to another of our group, who never made it to Hong Kong due to worthiness issues. Then I wrote to my MTC companion, one of my MTC teachers, and Elder Crowther. After having written all of these, I got as far as writing Dear Family on another letter before running out of time.

You'll be pleased to know that I have written this week, and it shall be on its way to you as soon as I track down some stamps. That's a bit tricky sometimes, as Elder Alspaugh and I have as of yet to track down a Post Office...

Today we had a very fun Zone Activity - we went into Wan Chai, the heart of Hong Kong Island, to take pictures as a District. We started at a big gold flower which was put on the spot that Britain handed back Hong Kong to China - Elder Ng particularly liked that monument. Then we had a kind of scavenger hunt, taking as many pictures as possible of specific roads, buildings and other landmarks around the area. For all of our eagerness and zeal, our group faired pretty poorly - but we WERE the first group to return back, and therefore the only group to return on time. The last group to arrive was a whopping 30 minutes late.

Last Friday was Zone Conference, so we all met together for that, and it was really good. In order to learn how to be better teacher, we "learned from a master" and watched Jeffrey R Holland's Conference talk, The Only True God, and Jesus Christ, Whom He Has Sent. After we first saw that session of Conference, all of the missionaries were abuzz about it, as it so clearly defines the Godhead and challenges the views of the Trinity - Elder Holland says that the notion of the Trinity is "never set forth in the New Testament, because it is not true." Such boldness can be challenging, and was what the Zone Leaders were trying to inspire us to aspire to. Inspire to aspire. Interesting wording...

That brings me to a side note - if you do send me an iPod, and it can indeed deal with videos, I'd like the last General Conference loaded on in its entirety - even the General Young Womens broadcast. After reading the Relief Society broadcast in the Ensign, I've learnt a lot about raising families in the Gospel, and have learned that all messages can apply to all of us. Elder Ng gave me the counsel to do as Nephi did and "Liken all scriptures unto [myself]." Now when I read, for example, the Lord's covenant with Abraham, I liken it to myself and realise that those same blessings are to be mine if I keep the commandments as best as I can.

An interesting side-note; in the MTC, Elder Dallin was obsessed by the fact that there are wild parrots flying around Sydney - mostly because the rest of the District didn't believe him. In his letter I received from him today, he wrote at the bottom "yes, there are wild parrots in Australia, and the keep me up at night!"

Hong Kong can also be pretty noisy at night - less parrots and more trolleys rattling. There are very few beggars in Hong Kong. The really poor know that there is a better way - work for your money by collecting up cardboard and selling it to a recycling facility. So they travel all over the place, picking up cardboard, rummaging through bins, hanging around outside of shops, piling up huge mounds of cardboard to sell, and cart them around on little trolleys. A man who keeps his stash just outside our window (well, quite far below our window, as we're on the 8th floor) is particularly diligent can must only get a few hours sleep, because every night until late he moves his trolley around out there, and every morning from about 5:00 he's back at work. We occasionally get free noodles from a fresh noodle shop, which we give to him.

For Thanksgiving last Thursday Elder Alspaugh wanted to do something special, so he figured we could use some of our personal money to take the man and his family out to dinner. Unfortunately, he was off collecting elsewhere, so we couldn't find him - so we treated one of our investigators instead! The man lives in such poor conditions in such a squalid little apartment with such little money, and is so lonely that he loves to meet with us. I love watching as the door opens, he sees us, and just beams a huge smile. This particular day he was so thrilled that we were taking him out to eat - it took some persuading to get him out there, but we managed it. He reminds me a lot of David Ferguson; particularly in age, or course, but also humility. He's strongly Buddhist and believes in Ancestor worship, but as he heard about our Heavenly Father, it seemed to click in his mind that this was just another way of honouring his parents - his Heavenly Parents instead of earthly who have long since passed on. He has a son who works about 20 hours a day to keep them alive, and one time when we visited them during the day when his son was sleeping, he banged on his door and said "Wake up - two angels are here to see us!" Both father and son (who was strangely not that grumpy after having been woken up during one of his few hours of sleep) were truly happy as we taught that how to pray, and playfully ribbed each other as they themselves tried.

Hong Kong is a hard place to live - it's always busy and you have to work constantly just to support yourself. So I don't blame a lot of people for having a "I'm too busy attitude" when we try to talk with them; it's a cultural mental block that so many people have, that means that it's easy to sift the truly prepared people from those who are just mildly interested. If they really want to learn, they'll stop and talk; they'll let you teach them; they'll agree to a second visit. If not, if they feel too busy, then they just aren't ready.

One thing that really surprises me is how popular Japanese cartoons are here. Christmas in the local shopping centre is a rather unique experience - they don't have pictures of reindeer, Father Christmas, stars and angels everywhere - instead, Christmas seems to be sponsored by a popular cartoon called Keroro (or, as the Cantonese people pronounce it, Kelulu - the R sound is very hard for them). There are pictures of this little frog thing all over the complex, accompanied by snow, presents and a big globe with a ring of tinsel around it that is suspended from the ceiling. It's very bizarre. Elder Alspaugh explained to me that Christmas has no Christian meaning to a predominantly Buddhist nation, and it is completely commercialised. Personally, that doesn't sound too different from Christmas back home to me - just switch Santa for a frog. So Kelulu is the big thing of the moment; earlier in the year it was a blue cat named Doraemon, who is even on signs in lifts and on escalators, warning you of poor manners like crowding the lift or not holding the handrail. Fads seem to move quickly here - there's always something new, cute, colourful and slightly creepy to amuse the children, frustrate the parent's wallets and scare the missionaries.

And on that happy note, I shall say goodbye, for another week. I love you all lots and hope that your enjoyment of the approaching Christmas season is more Christ-centred than mine - to be honest, I'd rather Hong Kong skipped Christmas all together so that I don't have to think about missing out on lots of fun food, presents and being with all of you.

Bye bye!

羅 長 老 - Loh Jeung Louh - Elder Loffhagen