Adjusting to Hong Kong

Dear Mum and Dad,

As we all sit around emailing together in the smokey, noisy, dimly lit gaming arcade that is our only real option for internet access here, the five of us missionaries are sharing the news we're getting from our families about General Conference, which we are very much anticipating. Elder Cope's parents told him that the messages are very bold, encouraging us to be a covenant people. Elder Marshall's family say that Elder Holland's talk is powerful. I told them all that a new X-Men film is coming out soon.

Not that I'm criticizing - I just thought it was funny. You also talked about General Conference, so don't think I'm poking fun or anything.

This past week I've felt a little like a new missionary again - I'm having to readjust to the busy, fast paced life of Hong Kong. Ironically, while life is faster paced, missionary work is slower. Finding and teaching in Macau was very easy - I've been describing it as the "South America" of our mission, because when I was finding there I really did feel like I was shooting fish in a barrel. But back in Hong Kong, it's not quite so simple. But to quote Dad's favourite story, "This is good." Here I can learn and grow at a much faster rate, and the lessons I've learned in Macau have prepared me to come home to Hong Kong and go about things with added and increased zeal and desire to serve. So I'm looking forward to my time here and my opportunity to do my part in Kwai Fong.

The names you listed from Google Maps sound familiar, but I'm not completely suk sik (I can't remember how to say that in English, so I figured I'd use Chinese and hope you get the idea) with my new area yet. It seems nice, though - quiet but busy. There's a little bit of every flavour of China that I've found in my previous areas.

Speaking of Google maps, actually I discovered this street view thingy yesterday. We were at the Temple for a leadership meeting and afterwards Elder Matthew Chan, the only other British Elder in the mission who is currently serving in the office as the Distribution Centre Manager, showed me. He showed me his house and took me on a little tour of some English countryside. We tried home, and then the Reading Chapel, but neither seemed to work - now I know why; they haven't done it yet. Hearing from you about how the media has convinced people that this technology is bad makes me cringe - it would be absolutely impossible for Google to have 24 hour real time cameras pinned on every single house in the nation - in the world, even. But such is life. Personally I think it's amazing and will make finding directions to things even easier.

I've been recently brought to the realisation that the world has continued on without me. Being on a mission is like being in a time capsule for two years - I realized the other day that things I'd been doing a few weeks before the mission, and my entire life back home, happened two years ago. The newest Elder in my District, Elder Cope, has a 32gig iPod Touch, which he bought here in Kwai Fong for $2000HK second hand (which was a pretty good price before the pound crashed, but is now around £180) and I have to say that this "new" piece of technology is absolutely incredible. While it's not exactly being used to its full potential right now, as he's only using it as an MP3 player, it's undeniably very cool. But the last thing I need is to waste money on tech - especially as I anticipate what will no doubt be a very rocky period of student debt coming in the near future. The nice thing about a mission is that I've learned to comfortably live out of a suitcase without modern gizmos - although I am going to go buy a new camera later today. That's a somewhat essential piece of missionary technology. But I'll try and get the cheapest I can. Considering that all of my memory sticks are Sony, though, I may be out of luck if I don't want to buy all new memory for the camera. But if it's cheaper, I'll just do that. I really don't want to waste too much money, and I know that £100 is a lot for you to part with all at one time for such a trivial expense.

Good to know that Tim's doing well, and that Jess is being loved. Please thank Julian the next time you see him, and apologize that I haven't replied to his last letter - it's written but not yet in the post box. Also when you see Chris after he gets back, again, apologize that I haven't replied to his last letter. I think he'll understand.

Pretty much all letters and correspondence between myself and anyone back home has ceased, almost entirely because a little while before I went to Macau, I decided that I really didn't care anymore. I can talk to people in a few more months. This probably isn't the best lahm faat (what's that in English? Way of thinking?) but Elder Ng told me that he got to be the same way when he was about the same time through his mission. One of the Sisters who were in my MTC group, and who served in my District when I was District Leader for the first time, Sister Corbridge, sent me a wedding invitation a few months back. She gets married to some nice man in three days, but I've also not gotten round to writing and congratulating them.

Monday the 4th will be fine for the call. But would that not put things right in the middle of school/work time? Or I could call in the morning (your morning)? I found out recently that Elder Ng had asked President Van Dam for permission to call on the British Mothers' Day instead of the American one, which is what Elder Chan has done, so actually we had permission all along, which I didn't know or even consider. I wish I'd known that sooner, but it's a little late now.

Well, time is running out. I love you all. Tell Tim to keep up the good work, keep doing the right thing, and keep repenting when necessary. I'm very, very proud of him. Tell Jess a similar thing, with an added emphasis on how much I love her and want her to choose the right. Also mention that I know a lot of single, attractive Return Missionaries who speak Chinese, should she be interested in their email addresses. If you see Beth, tell her I love her and that she's in my prayers.

Love,

Elder Matthew Loffhagen