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...

Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  There truly is so much for us to be thankful for.  I know that I am especially grateful for my family this holiday season.  They are so great and such a support to me even with them being so far away.  I am also grateful to serve as a full time missionary and the blessings that have come because of my decision to serve.  Everyday I feel so lucky to wake up meet amazing people in the amazing country of Malaysia.  The people here are so special and they do a good job of being a second family for me.  This evening we are having a Thanksgiving dinner Malaysia style with roast chicken, mash potatoes, veggies, fried noodles, fried rice, tropical fruit and anything else an Asian would think to bring to a dinner.  Although it is a foreign holiday to them they are so kind to celebrate with us and learn of its importance to us.  Malaysia is hot and rainy, enjoy the cold and the snow and be grateful for it!

The monkey that attacked me.

The cute Orang Hutans

group shot with it

Probiscus monkeys, the ones with the long nose

boat ride to the island

beautiful island

island

the boat, there was no dock or mini boat so we HAD to get in the water :)

more beach :) just a 20 boat ride from the house

the trail



island

Building faith and homes

This week I have been blessed to take part in the building on a branch member's home.  The family just got evicted from their previous home and needed one of the basic necessities of life, somewhere to live.  The process is nothing like heading to the Home Depot and buying wood, nails and what have you.  The process is, going into the swampy jungle and cutting down trees with machetes.  It is quite possibly the most difficult physical labor I have ever done.  It takes like 5 minutes to walk 25 feet, there is mud everywhere and don't even get me started on the bugs and other creatures of the jungle.  However difficult, it has been rewarding.  There is nothing more worth my time than helping people and serving them any way I can.  The house is coming along nicely, but keep them in your prayers!

From October 29^th

So it has been a long time since I have written so I will try my best to sum up what has happened.  In the last two weeks we have seen 5 additional baptisms here in Sandakan.  They were all people that I helped teach and all people that I love so much.  They are really great and have changed their lives for the better.  But, more recently, I just got back from my visa run to Singapore.  It was so great to get out and "stretch the legs" for a bit. We left on Tuesday and flew to Kuala Lumpur from Sandakan.  But, unfortunately our plane had been delayed for 1 hour in Sandakan so we missed our connecting flight to Singapore.  And what makes it even worse is that because we were flying the low cost carrier Air Asia, we were responsible for paying for a new ticket to Singapore, regardless of whose fault it was.  So, as we were waiting in line to buy the new tickets I was talking to a Chinese couple from Singapore who was in the same situation as we were.  I told them that we were Christian volunteers and that we had to get to Singapore for our visa run.  He was very sympathetic to our situation and wished us luck.  As he finished buying his new tickets he left and we were up to the counter.  We found out that it would cost an additional 340 RM to make the next flight out.  We didn't have enough money on us so we headed to the ATM to get money.  As I was about to put my card in, the man and his wife come up and he takes out his wallet and says he wants to pay for the tickets.  He gave us way more than was needed to pay for the ticket, so after we accepted his charity and paid for the tickets we went to go give the extra money back.  We ended up talking for about 1.5 hours and had a great time making the best out of a bad situation.  We got into Singapore 3 hours late but made some great friends. 

Singapore was a fabulous time.  I had subway 2 times, McDonalds 2, Burger King 1, and DOUGHNUTS, all of these things we do not have in Sandakan.  It was quite the culinary experience that was extremely refreshing from the everyday curry that I have come to accept.  I also found an international grocery store that had an entire Japanese isle!  I bought a lot!  Unfortunately Singapore ended far too quickly and we were back on the plane to Kuala Lumpur, and from there to Kota Kinabalu for a two day zone conference. This time we flew Malaysia Air both legs and had fabulous service.  Once in Kota Kinabalu I had McDonalds again, so good, you guys take it for granted, I know I did!  We got in late at around 11 and had to be up at 4 to get ready for the next day's activities.

The zone planned out at amazing activity that started at 5 in the morning.  We hiked mount Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in southeast Asia.  It was about a 2 hour bus ride to base camp where we hiked the ridiculously vertical climb.  The funny thing is before we left we met this group of Japanese hikers.  They were all part of a hikers club for retirement age grandmas and grandpas.  All of them were 70-85 years old and were solid climbers!  We left before them on our trip but on our way back down we met them coming up and one of the grandmas said, "kekkou yukkuri ikimashitane"  which means you went at a pretty slow pace didn't you guys.  Let me tell you it was not an easy hike, we were all dying and gasping for breath.  It was the most cardio work I’ve done since before the mission!  We climbed 3000 feet in a 4km trail.  There were no flat spots, it was continuous up up up.  There were these ridiculous wooden stairs that sometimes were like 3 feet high! Anyway, the view was amazing, even though we didn't get to go to the very top because we didn't have the right permits, we did get pretty far up.  The clouds were swirling all around us as we hiked, sometimes entirely enveloping you.  And then in the flash of an eye the clouds would momentarily clear and you would see the most breathtaking views!  So, when the Japanese group said we went slow my reply was, "we took a lot of breaks... to take in the scenery."  A very memorable experience and definitely something I would do again.  Although my legs are dead right now, absolutely shot, I almost can't even walk, certainly not like a normal person.

After Kota Kinabalu it was back to Sandakan!  Last time we were in Kota Kinabalu my companion and I forgot our passports so we had to take the 7 hour ghetto road, break your butt, make you sick, fear for your life bus ride.  Instead we got to take one of those small propeller planes back to Sandakan with a significant difference in time, taking only 50 minutes.  Now everything is back to normal and its back to work!

Photos

The goal was to get the coin to drop from his forehead and into his mouth.

 Somebody taught him how to make a shrimp out of old plastic bags.

 First Baptism

First Baptism

I had my first baptism this past Saturday!  It had been a long and difficult two month process but it finally happened.  We baptized this wonderful girl named Gerlly.  She has the best smile ever and always has a positive attitude and an energetic hand shake for you.  She lives the most humble of lives and I admire her and her family for that.  To me she is an example of faith and of having the "bigger picture in mind."  She definitely has a personal relationship with her savior that all of us would do well to model it.  She is the first baptism in Sandakan in almost 4 months.  It was great to see how the branch members welcomed her in.  This unity in the branch is something that cannot be felt in a large ward; there are just too many people.  There is something difficult and rewarding about being one of 70 people that work together to fellowship and to strengthen the church.  Everyone knows everyone and because every family in the branch is a convert family, they have a common interest to help encourage each other and find others to share in their joy. I will forever be grateful for this experience, especially because transfers are in 2 weeks and I might be called somewhere else. Just remember, missionaries don’t go on missions because it’s easy, they go because they truly believe in what they are doing.  We try to make all of our actions exemplify the only truly universal example to us all, Jesus Christ.  I have a testimony and I'm doing my best to share it.  Until next week!