Wet Christmas

So this week has been an interesting one.  Of course it is the Christmas week, and with that comes fun and excitement.  But here in Sandakan things get a little mixed up.  Rather than a white Christmas, we get a wet floody Christmas.  It has been raining for 4 days straight now and the streets have flooded more than once.  Just two nights ago we were on our way back home from an appointment in town.  It was too late to take a bus so we took a taxi.  Once we got about half way there the traffic started slowing down and the water level started rising, and people were pulling u-turns to avoid the deep water.  He said we had to get out of the taxi and find our way back home.  So there we were, having to walk home through the flood.  The water was nice and cold, in addition to being partially sewer water (beautiful smell).  Luckily we were able to avoid the deeper water, only wading in mid thigh deep.  When we got to the worst spot we saw these teenagers helping to divert traffic.  When we asked them why they were doing this, they told us their houses were flooded in 5 foot water and they couldn’t get home.  So, they wanted to help people.  I thought this was terrific, even if half of the people were idiots and decided to try to make it through.  They usually made it halfway through and then the group of teenagers had to push them the rest of the way.  We said goodbye to them and wished them well, commending them on their civic service.  That night we ate at the restaurant at the bottom of the hill next to our house.  Right about as we were about to go pay, the group of helpers came to eat.  They were freezing and hungry and had little or no money especially with their houses flooded.  So we bought all six of them dinner.  And with the inexpensive food prices here in Malaysia, it was a small sacrifice to cheer up these guys.  It made me realize that good people still exist in the world and people still have a helping attitude. 

Christmas Spirit

This week has been an amazing week.  Getting ready for Christmas and just having a couple of experiences that make the season that much more special.  This last Friday Elder Nowland and I participated in a wheel chair charity project sponsored by Latter Day Saint Charities.  It was quite possibly the most rewarding service project I have ever participated in.  Helping these people who were either paralyzed in some way or had a mental disability be fitted for wheelchairs nearly brought tears to my eyes.  It made me feel like I am really supposed to be here.  And really, there's no other place I would rather be right now, even though it is Christmas time.  We worked with other volunteers based out of Kota Kinabalu and just shared in the excitement of helping other people.  It really amazed me how big the church really is.  People who think it is just a Utah thing should know that LDS charities, funded by tithing and fast offering money, has spent 1 million dollars in the small state of Sabah alone, this year.  The money goes to buy wheel chairs, safe drinking water systems, agricultural support and other projects.  This Christmas season I am full of joy.  It seems like it might be the best Christmas ever in terms of truly remembering the meaning of Christmas.

Plan of Salvation

So this morning I was unable to chat because there was a death in the branch and I had to go and help oversee the funeral arrangements.  A sister in the branch, her name Serima had her mother pass away this morning.  They woke up and found her dead, with her eyes open...  Anyway we went there at 9 in the morning and stayed at their house until just now about 4 o’clock.  It was a humble sight, sister Serima's house is probably the most humble I have ever seen in my entire life.  They live on the top of a hill that has no road and can only be reached by practically scaling the mountain!  Anyway they were so kind and welcoming and just loved to have us there so we stayed for a long time.  They fed us a huge meal also.  And when I say big, I at 20 fish, each about four inches long.  It was quite possibly the most I have ever eaten my entire life.  And I thought I was going to die a couple of time but it made them so happy to see us eat so much food that I had to keep on going.  Elder Nowland and I were eating for about 1.5 hours by the time we said enough :)  We shared some scriptures with them and bore testimony of the Plan of Salvation, both of which were warmly accepted.  It was a beautiful moment and the funeral is scheduled to proceed tomorrow morning.  It was raining today making it nearly impossible to get up the hill so pray that tomorrow there will be no rain and we can take the body out of the house.  That’s another thing that was a shock, the Sungai tradition is to keep the eyes of the diseased open until all of their family has been able to see her.  It just scared me, especially when you are eating right next to the body!  Anyway, at least they didn’t ask me to touch the body.  I don’t envy the family members who have to bathe her and prepare her for burial...