Nov 25 email

I realized some of this email doesn't make sense without my email included, so I've put some parts of my email in italics, before Brent's responses.

How are things going this week? It’s so funny every time we look at the weather forecast, does the weather ever change there?

The weather changes here, it goes from really really hot, to swimming.

Then, told Brent about Katie and Troy participating in the Primary presentation in our ward.

Hey! I get to play the piano for the primary presentation in Kota Sentosa! Troy you are so awesome, you are such a stud.

Katie, I better not have to start writing letters to Everett... that's all you can do :P sing duet's only :P

Next, told him about the Grey Cup...

Dangit the ti-cats lost :/ they're my east team. Oh btw I am uploading a bunch of pictures... but there is no way they are all gonna upload on time... so hopefully next week I can get some more also.

And about Jordan's fender bender and basketball tryouts

Oh my goodness, Russell was with him! Dangit I wish Russell had emailed me this week about that :P oh well he'll tell me eventually :P I heard about basketball from Jordan :P

Told him that Hedley was the half time act at the Grey Cup

Luke said Hedley was awesome!

Well, we have quite a few investigators, one with a baptism date for the 21st of December, but I don't know if he'll make it in time... cause he needs to quit smoking... I hope he does though!

Craig did magic tricks at Troy's birthday party.

Craig does magic? since when haha that's awesome.

Hey so Malay music is really good. It's almost like alternative in Canada, my favourite Malay song is Mungkin Nanti.

so a couple things I'm asking for... :) would you guys be able to (one day in the future) send a USB with Royals by Lorde, and Mungkin Nanti on it? Everybody in the mission has hard drives so they can add music :P So I'm buying one soon.

Also, in the MTC Elder Harr had a shirt... and it said "real missionaries ride bikes" and I was wondering if you know... one day...  a shirt like that could end up in Singapore for me... :P

 

Okay, story for the week... well one of them :P

So my shoes had been taken a bit of a beating (I'm buying new ones this week) so we were going out to a half active family for a party (as in the two kids... who are older than me so i guess not kids... are active and the parents aren't) But me and Baranov went and played soccer with these little kids in the community first, boosting our rep for when we are out there next time. And my shoe totally fell apart :P like the metal piece is gone, the soul went another way... I sent some pics home but I don't know if they'll make it in time :P It was really really funny haha.

So also, at this party, President Hedges showed up with... DURIAN!!!!! (really smelly fruit) and it was awesome. I really like it. It's really good over here... probably only cause I had it in the MTC though..

So today for p-day we went exploring In BAT CAVES!!!! We climbed all over these caves, we went up this one shaft that went straight up, and it was one of the sketchiest things ever.  I hope a bunch of those pics get through.

Well We are always wet here, always hot, and always smiling.

Also Elder Baranov ran over a dog while biking today :P I wrote about it more in my letter.

Jumpa Lagi!

Elder Bester

 

 

Nov 17 2013 email

I actually really like the weather here, I have no problem adjusting except it is hard to run in the mornings sometimes, but we have air conditioning, and just like at home, i hate it. It is just cold wind, I would rather not have it :P In Kuching everyone has Air con, and they all over dose on it :P

Yesterday we set our companionship record for distance on our bikes, and that was 50Km (like 50.2) because our branch is not really in Kuching... we live in Kuching and have to bike 5km to our church, which is just on the city limits, and then we went out to Batu Sepuluh (Mile 10) and taught a lesson with a member, and came back... But interesting story from last night, on the way back (because the member actually lives about 5km away from Batu 10 in a place called Kampung Kuap) but on the way back, my seat started getting loose, and then boom! a piece fell off, then a car ran over the piece and destroyed it, and then my seat fell off.

So I biked 10Km standing up to get to a members house (Belinda) and get tape to try to fix my seat because of course, this happened on sunday when i can't go buy tape. :P

WAY TO FREAKING GO JORDAN!!!!!!!! THAT IS FREAKING AWESOME! Now start training for Rugby season.

all my letters are on my desk, I am gonna send some stuff for Christmas that will probs get there in like January :P

The Malay in the MTC and here... well the words are the same... maybe :P everyone speaks a different dialect, and they all learn Malay, so everyone's accent is different, but it's not too bad to understand, especially in lessons.

We got 2 new investigators this week, and they both said that they will read the BOM and if they know it's true they'll get baptized.

I really hope that I don't get transferred (it's the first one out here for me, they are every 6 weeks) because everyone has started inviting us for Christmas!

I love you all, hope you're having a great time.

I don't know how to upload like comments on drop box, so there is a bunch of pictures with no explanation, except for the no durian sign in Singapore :P

Jumpa Lagi

Elder Bester

 

November 11 email

HEY! so today (Remembrance day) (which like Canadian thanksgiving, I am celebrating alone :P although there is another Canadian in the mission, but he lived in Dubai his whole life, so that doesn't count) is my 2 month mark! two months ago today, I said good bye to all of you in the airport! I find it really funny that remembrance day happens to fall on "a day off" for me :P
 

This is later than i normally email because we went out to a kampung today with Belinda and her family (you'll read more about that family in my next journal) but Belinda is a youth and she is 19 preparing for a mission, so we bring her to a few lessons. But ya, we just did relay races... in the middle of the jungle :P I got some really cool pictures that I'll have to put in the drop box next week :P
 

I. can. not. believe. that. you. bought. a. car. after. i. left. and. now. jordan. has. a. car.

are you guys actually building the basement too? :P
 

I already have dates lined up :P (not actually... just people who want one when I get back :)
 

Obviously Dad's hand reading skills are not as good, he doesn't have mother instinct while he reads.
 

I'm actually serving in an area where Brother Simon served, in fact he converted Belinda and her family
 

Work on your talk :P
 

Also I got the advent calendar and haven't peeked, as much as I've wanted to :P
 

what else..... hmm....

Oh ya! I have some letters... but they are still all sitting on my desk...

and can you guys still send my letters to various other people so it's cheaper for me...... :) also cause I mean, you can probs just like, hand some out... and that one less stamp....
 

when we got back from Singapore, as we were going into our room, our neighbour across the hall started talking to us, and we brought up religion (as i have everytime I've talked with someone) and we asked "Oh what religion are you?" (which is actually really normal to ask in Malaysia) and she said "I don't really have one.... could you teach me yours?"

and me and Elder Baranov just look at each other for a second like "did that just happen"
 

but ya we're teaching her tomorrow, so hopefully that all works out :)
 

I've had some really neat experiences, I wrote about a couple of them in my letter today.... that I wrote on the bus on the way to and from the Kampung... so it's sedikit a hard to read.
 

Love you all :)
 

Jumpa Lagi!
Elder Bester

Zone Conference picture 

Monday October 21st Letter

Hey Family!

So I'm all packed and ready to go to Singapore tomorrow!

First of all, I don't have any birthday cards in this because I thought it would be cooler to send those from Singapore.

So (as I know it won't get there in time)
Happy Birthday Mom! on the 28th!

You're now closer to 50 according to significant digits.

     Mom's age in decades
          4.5 -> 5!
So that's like being 50!

Troy & Katie, I hope my cards will get home from Singapore before your birthdays, but if they don't I have a 'graffiti work' in there for both of you, Troy gets the car, and Katie gets the M&Ms :P
(Mom gets the letter :P)

So Katie, Happy 11th Birthday on November 28th!
and Troy, Happy 6th Birthday on NOvember 21st!
(hope I got that right :P)

There's not too much in there (the package that Brent sent), some notes, the first sheet of Malay stuff I got on the first day, my first journal which either goes to October 12th or 13th, I can't remember, but I think it's the 12th.

A couple things I want to ask,

- Could you guys send more of those Book of Mormon bookmarks?
- Would you guys be able to get me some emails like Frause, Russell and Coleman?
- My journal is my journal, so I ask that you guys only read the missionary part, just cause I don't remember what I wrote before and I probably sound like an idiot... I mean if you want to go ahead... but you guys will probably all think I'm stupid :P

I got to the 100th section of the Doctrine & Covenants today! I'm trying to finish the last 38 before I touch down in Singapore! If I do that I'll have finished both the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine & Covenants since I got here :P and there is very little time to read.

Make sure you read as much as you can! Because I wish I'd read more before I came here! So Jordan, you better be reading like crazy!

I got your "weekly newsletter" today. A little shocking to hear about Uncle David & Aunt Kathryn :/ Sometimes while I'm in the MTC I've forgotten that I'm in the middle of the Utah bubble, where everyone's Mormon and in the MTC everything seems perfect.

It's sad to hear about that, and I'm not sure who to offer my condolences to. If anyone at home is concerned, remember that our family knows about the fullness of the gospel, that we know about eternal families, and because I've always known about how much our family loves each other "Families can be together forever" has always been one of my favourite songs, and dear to my heart.

Remember that the 7 of us (or more if Troy gets his wish :P) can, and will be together forever in the Celestial Kingdom.

Know that all over the world there's people who love you, even on the other side of the globe, in the country of Malaysia, you've got a brother/son who loves you
AND PRAYS FOR YOU BY NAME EVERY SINGLE DAY.

Mom & Dad, so maybe this is just cause I'm in the MTC, and one of my teachers happens to be studying Civil Engineering at BYU...
but could you look into engineering at U of  C, U of A, UBC, Queens & BYU? (also the swim teams)

My Malay is amazing considering the short time I've had here. I've seen so much growth in my Malay, my testimony, faith, physical strength, spiritual strength, mental strength, musical ability, my singing, how I make friends.

Everything has changed for the better out here.

I missed thanksgiving with all of you, I loved the pictures :)

I hope you all liked my little email to Granny Nanny, did everyone cry?

Did Granny Nanny get my balloon wish? As weird as it is, I actually really missed that part of Thanksgiving.

I want you to know that I had my own Thanksgiving up here, and it was just me & Heavenly Father, and really it was just a really really long prayer :P I loved! The Charlie Brown card! I really hope that doesn't look like a bomb in my suitcase as it might :P and I'm bringing it to Singapore.

I love you guys a lot.

Saya adu baryak kasih saying bagi Kamu Samua
(I have much love for you all)
Kamu Samua denat untuk hati saya
(You're all close to my heart)
Troy, Kamu terbaik
(Troy, you're the best)*
Saya barharap Kamu Samua belajar banyak hal-hal dalam ini dua tahun **
(I hope you all learn many things in this 2 years)

* They actually say "best" in Malay but Terbaik looks cooler :P
** Probs not spelt right

Anyways :P

I sent Sonya's Mom an email on Thursday... I think >>> and I wrote in all in Malaly, so if she got it, she can tell you just how little Malay I know :P

Bro Horman said I've got probably around a 500 word vocabulary right now... which isn't much considering in English I probably know about 1000 times more :P

I love the letters & emails form home, I really love the pictures :P

I still have my "sleds" in case I want to go tobbaganing :P

I'm going to work my butt off for the next two years, and that's going to carry on for the rest of my life.

Guys, nothing is more important than the gospel. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.
Money, cars, friends, iphone 5-6 (or whatever the new thing is)

Remember that and life will be bagus (good)

I love you all so much

Jumpa Lagi!

Elder Brent Bester