Feeling more awake - 50th email from Hong Kong

Dear Family,

I got a very good night's sleep last night, so I'm very awake right now. Normally I have the Air Conditioner blowing in my face all night, but last night it was turned down significantly, so I was very comfortable.

This week has been a very interesting one. We've had another typhoon, Mission Conference, and many other fun things. Plus today is Temple day.

So last Monday, as we came home, we saw a sign on our apartment building's door that told us that there was a level one typhoon warning. I'm not sure whether or not I've explained the warning system, but with a level one warning, it means the storm is still a way off. We're allowed to proselyte as usual. When it gets to level three, as it was the next day, we're not allowed to go further than 15 minutes from home (unless President Van Dam gives the go ahead). So on Tuesday we had to cancel our meeting with J because he lives quite a way away. That night, it kicked up to a level eight. Very frustrating. I very much dislike being trapped inside, as a level eight means not being able to leave the house. It was particularly frustrating because we were supposed to have Mission Conference the next day.

President Van Dam told us he was also very worried about Mission Conference - that he was up in the early hours of the morning checking the weather, when it finally calmed down to a level three. So the next morning everyone was phoned, being told that we were to ignore the weather warning and come to the conference anyway.

Conference was a lot of fun. We all learned and laughed together. President Van Dam and the office staff have come up with a new referral scheme with coloured balls - every ward now has a plastic jar. When a member gives the missionaries a referral, they get to put a ball in the jar. The idea is to give the ward members a physical encouragement to share the gospel.

After being taught about a lot of different things, I left Conference with the feeling that although I've been working hard recently, I haven't been working smart. I'm falling into the same pitfalls I saw older missionaries in when I was new in the mission; just finding all the time and not working with the ward enough. So I need to do better and change.

Don't worry too much about what I do or where I live when I get home; I can guarantee that when I come home, I will be happy to live at home a little longer before moving on. Truth be told, without being trunky or homesick, I really miss Berkshire. I miss Princess Square, Bentalls and WHSmiths. I miss Reading, Broad Street Mall, the Oracle, the cinema. I miss the church buildings.

I don't miss Slough very much though.

Honestly, while Hong Kong is a big adventure and a lot of fun, I know where my home is. So don't get me wrong - I'm not homesick by any stretch of the imagination, but when I come home, I will be happy to just enjoy myself there for a while. Such thoughts, by the way, have left me somewhat less interested in BYU than I was before.

I'm not in need of anything special for Christmas - money in the ISA would do me a lot better. The last thing I need is more random stuff to fill up my suitcases. I'll leave it to you to think up things.

Anyway, I've got to be off. Love you all lots and lots.

Elder Matthew Loffhagen

羅 長 老