Dear all,
Yes, just got back from the Temple. The contrast between the quiet there and the noise here in a gaming center is unbelievable - I can barely hear myself think in here, as everybody is playing games with the sound cranked all the way up - and for some reason, somewhere behind me, someone is playing a game where you clap in time to "Uptown Girl". Very peculiar.
Some big news this week - first off, K's baptism has been postponed a little bit. He's progressed really fast, and after accidentally drinking some tea on Monday, just after his baptismal interview, we felt it best to just give him a little more time. It was a horrible phone conversation as I talked to him for 45 minutes trying to persuade him why waiting will help him. He's okay now though - he understands that this will help him develop patience, and has really turned to the Book of Mormon for guidance and comfort. His only request is that we don't baptise him on the 29th of June, because his friends won't be able to come to the baptism, so it's going to be in 2 weeks on the 22nd.
Brother T made a move this week that ought to make things easier for you all - he asked us to give him an English name. Naming Chinese people is a fun occurrence that comes up every now and then. Elder Sharp named him "Ammon" and he was very excited to go and read about the amazing missionary adventures of Ammon in the Book of Mormon. Considering his continental (continual) desire to serve as a missionary himself, I think it's a fitting name. So in English he is now to be known as Ammon T.
This week was interviews, and I asked President Van Dam about how you would go about picking me up at the end of my mission. He said it's very simple - when I choose my finishing date (which I will do about 6 months before I come home), you will be sent a letter which should contain the details of how to go about everything. He said that the Church will pay for my flight home, and that you can coordinate with the woman in Salt Lake who arranges missionary travel so that they book the flight correctly so that we're together.
That said, considering what I'm expecting the weather to be like in the heat of Summer, you might find it more comfortable to come in Winter. I guarantee that the heat and humidity will be somewhat uncomfortable. It might be better to arrange to come back the following Christmas or Easter holidays.
I've been thinking more about Universities. While I know it's awkward to throw yet another option on the plate (and one that is somewhat protested by Mum), I'm still considering BYU. It would certainly give me the opportunity to study Mandarin at the same time as something else, and I've heard some very good things about their Computer Animation courses - supposedly there's a 100% hiring rate coming out of BYU. I know that's yet another random option to throw out which has nothing to do with anything else we've been thinking about, but I think I'd really enjoy a career in animation.
Between ferrets, a hamster, a snake, 2 chinchillas and Timothy, I'm wondering if there'll be any room for me in the house when I come home anyway! It all sounds like Tim's practising well though for a wonderful future career - taking over for Hagrid at Hogwarts!
Congratulations on Bethany with her new job, it sounds like it'll be good.
Next Thursday is the end of yet another Moves, and I'm very much hoping to stay where I am, but also fully ready to move if it's required of me. I'm looking forward to whatever happens either way. In the meantime, next Thursday, Ronald A Rasband of the Presidency of the Seventy is coming to visit Hong Kong and has requested to meet with the missionaries. So we're having a special meeting with him next Wednesday. Elder Volk was asked to put together a choir and I guess I've faked musical competency enough times for him to ask me to sing tenor. Rather awkward as my voice doesn't tend to go that high any more, but we had a practice this morning and sounded rather good apparently.
Well, the noise in here is so loud that I can barely hear myself think, and my companion's waiting for me to finish as we're pressed for time this week, so with that I'll sign off.
Love you all,
Elder Matthew Loffhagen
羅 長 老
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