In Singapore!

We received an email from Alex this afternoon to say he'd arrived safely in Singapore. He loved the MTC but he is very excited about finally being in the field.

Here are a couple of excerpts from his email:

...Singapore, however, reminds me so much of a more spread-out, urban Hong kong! Same weather, same kind of transportation, only they speak mandarin and there is a HUGE indian culture here. It's crazy, indian village on one side of the road and chinese on the other...

...Everyone says my new companion is GREAT! I hope he works me to death, I have to get into good habbits and learn to work hard from the very begining! We're the first missionaries in a new area! There was one area that was really productive so they split it. We are the first to be there...

...We were walking to get some food and people would like at my badge in Chinese and say "yehsoo...jee...Yehsoo..." trying to read "Yesu Jidu" in chinese characters, it was cool. Can't wait to get out there! I have orientation and stuff tonight and tomorrow... Everything is happening so fast and I'm just trying to keep up! Elder Ngo and I had fun while flying listening to all the different types of mandarin, all the different accents.

My address is -

Alex Nightingale
253 Bukit Timah Road
Back Building, 4th Floor
Singapore 259690

Make sure you don't write "elder"! It's best if you leave that out :)

The mission office asks that you don't write "Elder". I am inferring that Alex will actually be in Singapore, since I think he'd have mentioned it if he were going to Malaysia.

All will be revealed!

MTC August

Alex loves the MTC!

But of course, he does get a little down time. Or.... up... time....

Photos!

Alex - Week One

I just received a lovely long email from Elder Nightingale and he is absolutely LOVING the MTC. His district is wonderful, and includes his two friends from our branch here in Hong Kong, who also went into the MTC on the same day as Alex. His companion is Elder Ngo, an American missionary from Harvard and Alex loves him and thinks he is great.

Alex seems very upbeat and optimistic about Mandarin and said he enjoys the fact that he is in the Mandarin Branch and all his church meetings are in Mandarin. He said his teacher shared this MTC saying:

Spanish-speaking missionaries leave the MTC fluent in the language.

English-speaking missionaries leave the MTC with an increased knowledge of the gospel.

Chinese-speaking missionaries leave the MTC humble.

Alex has faith that he will speak Mandarin fluently with some Heavenly help. Here is an excerpt from his letter about his Chinese name:

My district is sweet. We are the chinese branch, so all the mandarin elders have church together, we pray in chinese, give talks in chinese, bless the sacrament it's a great way to syl and hear chinese all the time. President Liu, or branch president is from Taiwan and loves teaching the missionaries all about the language. We have so many great missionaries who support one another. There are two elders going to Hong Kong, who love to ask me questions. One's name is Elder Wall, or as we like to call him, the great wall of china. I have a chinese name, or at least a last name. it's Elder "ying" spoken in a first tone which is high. So i am called "ying zhanglou" pronouned "ing junglow" (ow as in cow). The missionaries in my class are so great, we all just work together and support one another, it makes the work easier. Our teacher said something really great the other day. He said "spanish elders leave the mtc fluent in their langugage, english speaking elders leave the mtc with an increased knowledge of the gospel, chinese elders leave the mtc humble" hahaha it made me laugh but is so true, I know that i can learn mandarin with the help of the spirit and as long as I put my trust in my heavenly father, everyting will work out in the end.

Alex described some wonderful spiritual experiences and is absolutely delighted to be where he is. He mentioned the website dearelder.com not knowing that I had already ordered him treats from called2serve.com which will have arrived by now. It looks like his P-Day is Monday.

I'm sure Ying Zhanglou would LOVE to receive letters from people!

MTC Address

The Carlsons took Alex to the MTC today. Here is Alex's full address in the MTC:

Elder Alexander Nightingale

MTC Mailbox #184

Singapore Mission

2005 N. 900 E.

Provo, Utah 84604-1793

Photos as soon as we get any!

Gone!

Alex is headed for the MTC!

Set Apart

Alex was just set apart by Elder Perkins. It was quite amazing, and Alex feels the weight of his calling. We also found out that there are ten mandarin-speaking missionaries in the Singapore Mission, and they are spread around Singapore, West and East Malaysia. One of the many blessings Alex was given in the setting apart was that he would come to love the food, culture and laughter of the people of Singapore and Malaysia. I loved that bit:)

Elder Nightingale is in the house.

Elder Alexander John Nightingale

Today, Alex turns 19. In three days' time, he leaves for his mission in Singapore. He will first spend about eleven weeks in the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, where he will learn mandarin, and learn about the people he is going to teach. We are all very excited!

If you'd like to write to Alex in the MTC, his address is below. After he arrives he will be assigned a PO Box No., which we will post on the blog.

Elder Alexander John Nightingale
Singapore Mission
Provo Missionary Training Center
2005 N 900 E
Provo, UT 84604

We will update the blog weekly with his experiences and photos, as they come.

Alex is very much loved and we will miss him greatly, but it's hard to be too sad when we think of the wonderful adventure ahead of him! He is really ready to serve. He will be set apart on Sunday evening, at Elder Perkins' home, and then Monday morning, it all finally happens!

Stay tuned:)