Elder Taylor: Deep Cleaning week 24

**Ian just wrote last week, so he didn't have much to update. **

Well, this has been a short while, but important things happen every day.

Today is the special day of the year where all of the missionaries in Hong Kong stay home and do a deep cleaning of literally everything. We are to do Personal Study for an hour, email our families, and otherwise do cleaning work. the Fridges in our apartment literally look like they have been transformed. That as well as the AC units and the bathroom. We still have a way to go, but we started off well this morning by eating a rare delicacy of chocolate chip pancakes.

I have in this email some pictures of the apartment and you can take a look at just how small it really is. We have a small bathroom (15 square feet). Two offices, each about the same size as the bathroom. You can see the main area where we have the bunks. Our kitchen is a little bigger than the bathroom and the offices. It's amazing how much we are able to fit in it though (i think it's because it's tall). My bed is the top far bunk. Elder W and I have to be careful when we wake up because we have hit our heads up there before.

I have only seen one cockroach in this apartment, all thanks going to Elder P because he has spent the past month fighting them like a master.

Next week is Zone Training, as well as a mysterious broadcast where we are all fantasizing about someone finally giving this mission ipads because that would help us remove so much weight and bulky items. I have really begun to crave for the LDS library app in its convenient beauty. Just a hope though. I'm not sure what will happen. Not a super big deal though.

I'm reading in the book Jesus the Christ by James E Talmage for the second time through. I can definitely tell the difference between before my mission and now. I actually look at my notes now and think to myself "was I really that short sighted?" I love the guidance of the spirit that is so freely available here though. I feel like I'm at the Tree of Life, beckoning others to come and taste of this wonderful fruit of the Love of God. Nephi shows what is necessary to have this in a fullness. In 2 Nephi 4, he exclaims that he has trusted God and will trust him forever. This is going to be my ponderizing scripture for this week (possibly next week too). 2 Nephi 4:34. Trust in God and let the blessings flow, unhindered by whatever pride or sin may currently exist.

All my love and prayers go to you and these people of Hong Kong that I so dearly love and serve. Please find someone that is seeking the truth, because their problem just might be that they don't know where to find it.

Additional notes from mom: I asked Ian about the weather. It's been unusually cold for the area. "It's not that cold mom. Sorry to misinform. It's just that it's comparitively cold when you look at the first day I was here and sweating more than I thought was possible. Last week was the coldest it's been in Hong Kong since 1956 though (I think). I'm still fine though."

I also asked him what he'd like in a package. "You can send whatever you like. Everyone is a fan of granola bars because you can't get them here. Malaysians are especially fond of them. I know that because Elder Liew (the assistant to the president) is from there and had never had a granola bar prior."

As Ian was moved recently from the temple to the Sha Tin Mall I asked about the housing situation and his new(er) companion, Elder Powell, who is known as "the happiest missionary in Hong Kong":

"Not being in the temple is definitely different, but I am still having a blast in Sha Tin. It's definitely cheaper as far as travel goes. Before we moved, we had to take the MTR every day and that would cost at least 11.5 HKD every day (if not more if we were finding in a different part of our area). I have found myself comfortable in teaching with Elder Powell, but that may just be because Elder Tung trained me so well. I feel like Elder Powell and I have improved our skills in Finding, Teaching, language, and feeling the spirit so much as a companionship. I definitely find it easy to work with him. I just hope that he feels the same way about me.

Trainings in District meetings have all been about the Atonement, specifically about it's Healing, Cleansing, and Enabling effects. It's been more of a discussion than anything, and we are all so in tune with the spirit that sometimes it doesn't even require verbal communication to explain how we are all feeling. Sometimes the entire district will sit there in silence so as to completely submit ourselves to the sacred spirit that is present in the discussions. We all have deep conviction towards Christ, and we have all grown closer as a district because we are more aware of how we have each personally utilized the Atonement and it's affect that it had had on us. Next week I'll try to remember to bring my notes with me to share with you some of the promptings that came to my mind.

The weather is starting to warm up, and the monsoon season should be just around the corner. After the coldest period of time in decades, I keep hearing rumors that it's also going to be the rainiest it's ever been. Hopefully I'm just hearing it wrong. Who knows though. I might actually get permission to wear those boots that I brought (yeah, turns out that we are actually not allowed to wear those without special permission."

One of Ian's friends from our ward at home just gave his farewell and I told Ian about it:

"I'm sure Kadyn did wonderfully. He's always been a sober guy, and I know that he'll be great on his mission if he continues to apply the same endurance that he has in the past. Tell him that he's awesome for me, and that I would love to be able to contact him via email if he has any interest or questions about anything. He's probably got plenty of different resources as far as that goes though. So many missionaries..."

"Love you mommy. It seems far away, but Mothers day is just around the corner. Thank you for teaching me so much, and I am especially grateful now for how much you taught me about keeping stuff clean. A clean house is a godly house, and today is the deep cleaning day of the year. The fridge has never looked so nice."

The newly cleaned fridge!

Breakfast

Elder Powell on the left, Elder Walker in the middle, and Elder Pung on the right. "Elder Walker and Elder Phung are the missionaries that are serving in the Sha Tin area. They are in our apartment as well as in our district."