I am very excited with loads of information this week! There are three things that have happen, are
happening or are going to happen that have really brightened my spirits and
made me very happy. The first is of
course Chinese New Year! It is a mad
house here in Malaysia for what is easily the largest and most celebrated
holiday in the country. While Malaysia
is a very culturally diverse country, the Chinese tend to be far more wealthy
than any other race and therefore spend more money on the holidays that effect
them.
For a Chinese person Chinese New Year may have some cultural
value to it. But for me, an onlooker, it
is a very different experience all together.
First of all it is the only time of year that businesses close their
doors and take a vacation (this is a pain), it is also the time of year when
you can find the best deals at the supermarket and other retailers. But most of all it is the time of year where
Chinese people are scrambling around to try and bring as much luck into their
lives as they can! This means that they
will give money to children (I’m still considered a child..), giving people
oranges, having people over at your house to eat a lot lot lot lot of really
really really really great food, and most of all, fireworks! At midnight of Chinese New Year EVERY house
will participate in setting off thousands and thousands and thousands of
fireworks. The noise is deafening! It was the most in your face experience I
have ever had in my entire mission. The
sky is just lit up with color, the streets are filled with fire-cracker smoke
and all the Chinese people are having a great time. It was so loud you could scream at the top of
your lungs and not be heard. This
continues for about 2 hours. There is no
point in trying to sleep so I guess you have to join the festivities, even if
it is 2 in the morning... :) Suffice it
to say it was a lot of fun!
The second thing that has happened and is going to happen
again is the branding of my name here in Miri.
Let me give a little history of the Singapore mission. Here in Malaysia people are having babies all
the time, whether it is your investigator or your member, you are guaranteed to have someone with a small child
or one on the way. This opens the
opportunity of having you name stay in the mission field forever. Yes, I am talking about having a baby named
after you! It happens on a regular
basis, you just need to be in the right place at the right time and close
relationship with the family with child.
Now the first baby was actually a girl and was named after my sister
Misha. The couple wanted to use my name
but I told them, you can just use my sister's name, and they did! Coming up in the month of March I am very
happy to introduce you all to baby Micah Stewan anak Roni. I will finally have a baby named after me,
and I am very excited about that. :) My name shall live on for generations! ha-ha
The third thing is that I am getting transferred this week,
and I could not be happier with where I am going. I am headed to one of the resort cities of
Malaysia, Kota Kinabalu. Located right
on the beach this city is beautiful and home to south-east Asia's tallest
mountain, Mnt. Kinabalu! It is a
majestic peak that is the symbol of Sabah!
My apartment is the best part. It
is right on the beach! We live in a high
rise condo that is right up on the beach with a patio that overlooks the ocean
and produces the most beautiful sunsets.
Maybe just as good or even better is the fact that for the first time in
my mission I have a McDonalds that is within walking distance of my
house!!!!! I am really excited because I
will also be zone leader which will allow me to take a monthly visit to my very
first area in my mission. This area
travels a lot averaging about 1 plane trip a week, so I will be traveling and
visiting old areas and getting to see new ones.
I could not think of a better place to die, I truly am in the Greatest
Mission on EARTH!
I love Singapore Mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well I hope that everyone at home is safe and healthy! peace and prosperity to everyone!
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