Life in Mukah - Aug 17 2014

HEY! I'm online! Glad everyone had fun at provincials, and from what Jordan tells me, sounds like he had a lot of success!

I'm sitting beside an 18 year old missionary right now, so I'm no longer the youngest Malay speaking missionary :P

My birthday was weird because now I'm 19 and that is old... cause next year is going to be really weird... so my head isn't quite faham-ing the whole "I'm 19 thing" (faham = understand I think)

Mukah is freaking dope. It is clean, and very beautiful, very nice, also much smaller than Sibu (which was very small compared to Kuching :P) It is the smallest place in Malaysia with a branch, but the members there are awesome. Including babies and children, there are not even 200 people on record... so still very new, the group was formed 5 (maybe 6) years ago, (the current branch president said 5, but I think there was one family 6 years ago that was allowed to have the sacrament, and the rest started getting baptized about 3-4 years ago) it has only been a branch for 3 years, I'm the 17th Elder to ever serve in Mukah as a branch... so it is an extremely rare, and blessed opportunity, to strengthen a branch and help it flourish.

The members who go are strong, not as many go, but no one left after 1st hour this week (church attendance, was 30 this week, the last two weeks were 53 and 54) more priesthood holders came to Mukah this week than ever went to Sibu 2... :P so I'm enjoying the fact that it actually runs like a branch, and not like an incredibly weak ward, with too much people and no attendance :P

Mukah is small, so only me and Elder Shorts [and a senior couple who are going home soon and not being replaced... :( ] Elder Shorts is from Mappleton Utah, and he is freaking awesome, we get along really well, and he is a really chill guy. He previously served with Elder Stewart (the other missionary from Alberta) so has served with 2/3 of the Canadian missionaries :P

I don't really see to much of missionaries coming and going... cause not only am I in small Sibu... but I'm in isolated Mukah :P so new/old missionaries doesn't affect me too much :P but we came down to Sibu today (for Zone meeting tomorrow) so I get to meet a few.

My group had 24 missionaries, and the one 6 before me had 25, so big groups coming and going is pretty biasa. (biasa = ordinary, according to Google Translate)

We have some awesome investigators, including a family of a missionary currently serving in this mission (Elder Takin) and there is a lot of potential in Mukah. My companion was in Elder Hill's group and has been out for about 16 months. (I hit my year mark soon fyi)

anywho :P

Jumpa Lagi,
Elder Bester

 

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/missionary-experiences-shape-future?cid=HPMO081114394

also these are some cool stats, I didn't read all of it cause I got bored at about the pictures, but the stats were really cool

sorry a little late today because we bused down from Mukah to Sibu... (3+ hours...) so ya... we have meeting tomorrow... did I say that already?

How has the food been?

Food has been good. I've been in Mukah for 4 days...

What is the bus like?

The bus is different depending on the company. I went to Sibu on a really junky bus... came back on a nice one, just bring our bikes on. Malaysia has poor people (who get by) and very rich people... so there are nice buses... also there aren't many people in Sarawak... (3 million) and about half (and maybe more) live in Kuching, Bau, Serian, Sri Aman (which are all Kuching Area) so there is no crowds on the bus. When I got on in Sibu I was the only one, when I got to Mukah it was full though.

Transfers are fun, you travel your self... otherwise how am I supposed to go...?

OH! So the night of transfers I was packing etc. and didn't sleep... at all... so I got on my bus at 7:30 and slept until almost Mukah, when a bunch of Indonesian field workers got on the bus, so I gave them my seat and sat on the back, (really hot on top of the engine) by my bike haha it was a lot of fun :P

We played touch rugby last p-day and it was really rainy... so we got really muddy :P

I sent some pictures of wonderful families and investigators in Sibu, and I get to go see Brother J today and buy a burger from him!!!!! so I'm pretty stoked

 

also Mom, the bridge and the big building are Mukah, also the entry where you wrote (on my blog) "learning Jawi" you put a picture with Chinese that meant Sibu... (on a white board)  a while ago...

 

anyways, hope this week was good, being in a new area is fun, but always challenging, but it's fun, I love the branch here, it is another shop lot branch, but it is so much fun.

sorry shop lot means we meet in a shop lot and not a chapel... so like in a building with a bunch of stores... and one of the "stores" is a church...

Jumpa Lagi

Elder Bester

 

Transfer news - Aug 10, 2014

It was Brent's birthday yesterday, Aug 9, so I told him to measure himself so we could add his height to our wall...

ok I'll measure my self, except it might be cool to have the gap and be like "that was when I was growing spiritually" :P

also Dad should e-mail me :P cause he is the only other person related to me who has served a mission and he understands what a mission is :P and I want to hear about trek from him.

Also you didn't answer any of my questions from last week :P

also it is transfers this week, but we do not yet have the info :P

I just got transferred to Mukah... Its only been 2 transferrs and I love the people here... ugg I thought I had 2 more transfers at least... but oh well... My companion is the district leader... and our district is a senior couple, me and him...

His name is Elder Shorts, and he is pretty short :P

anyways... ummm ya I don't know what to think :P

From a response to Mike

I just got transferred to the tiniest little place in the world -_- where there is my companionship and a senior couple, but I go where the Lord wants me to, I'm really excited about the place, but don't understand why I was only given such a short time in this branch that I have come to love so much.

Anyways, I'm glad you enjoyed trek, and I'm so happy to serve the Lord, I've been reading Jesus the Christ, and it is eye-opening, and life changing. (Just finished chapter 22 this morning) but I feel like it is a book much more appreciated as a missionary than as a pre-missionary, and I'm glad I'm finally reading it :P

It was awesome here in Sibu, but so hard to leave because there is so much I could do.

I asked where Mukah is, and if they would still buy food, or have to cook now

It is in the same zone, it is a 3 hour bus ride north of Sibu... it is kinda in the middle of no where...

I got the package thank you so much :) Mukah has a KFC and no McDonalds... there is nothing there :P haha

Then I looked up Mukah, and saw that there seems to be a lot of seafood, this was the response

so Ibans (and other local Sarawak people) take prawn and smash it with gross vegetables and make my least fav dish in the world called blacan :P

I'm excited to go to Mukah, just don't want to leave Sibu :P I feel like transfers would be a lot easier if I was in a mission closer to home, where I know I could go back often,

 

I sent some pics of stuff, mainly food.

I asked if he saw the picture of the height wall

I did, Jordan is still shorter than me at 17 :P

anyways I'm off !

Jumpa Lagi,
Elder Bester

 

New Investigator - August 3,2014

Hello Family!

I hope that you enjoyed trek, and that you were all uplifted and enlightened!

The mission field is the "big trek" so get ready :P

quick couple questions, how big was the last package you sent? because there is a package in Singapore that was too big for the AP's to bring, and if that is you guys, I love you so much :P

also could you send some more pepto bismol? k thanks

umm... my companion may have possibly dropped my fossil watch and cracked the screen -_- (whatever it is just a thing so nbd) but what is the deal for the warranty for Fossil watches? and could I send it home and get it fixed?

I forgot my camera this week... so I'll send more pictures next week...

also I don't have my priesthood line... could you guys send that?

 

And Bro. Johns sent me a bunch of chocolate and he is the greatest guy in the freaking world. He is truly the candy man :P

also dropbox kinda sucks in this place...

Also have you guys looked into anything for school for me... cause like I know you all miss me and don't want me to go to school after I come home... but I want to not live in a cardboard box... and would like a nice car and a family... so I need to go to school... and things like scholarships... and/or acceptance to a school would be nice :)

 

anyways this week I got a fever of 39C (102F) but the first day I got sick, we went out, and I started not feeling good... but I went and taught 3 families before I would admit I was sick :P then I slept pretty much the whole next day, drank 100plus, and then... was still kinda sick ish the next day, but after that all good!

I went on splits with Elder Sutherland, which was so much fun because we served together in Kuching, and he trained me... so we got to have a day again to kick butt. It was a lot of fun, and it was nice to see how much both me and him have changed.

We were at K-M's house (who we are helping to go to the temple next year) and we asked one of their neighbours if we could help. Turns out he was drunk, but he came up to us saying (in broken English, that is how you can tell if some one is drunk, they try as hard as they can to speak English it is so annoying :P ) asking us to help him quit smoking and drinking so he can fix his family and be a better man. So we are meeting him daily right now, to help him get over his addictions, he smokes about 40 cigarettes a day, and we have yet to meet him sober, but the amazing thing is, that if he wants to, he can stop this week through Jesus Christ and his atonement.

We had 60 people at church, which was awesome because K's family came (Even though he and his wife had work they went to sacrament and went late) and they brought our investigator family!

umm... lots of things happen on a mission... I'll just tell you all about it in another year or so :P

Jumpa Lagi!

Elder Bester

July 28 2014 - Temple trip planning

 This week has been good and stressful.

We had two awesome investigators come to church this week, they are studs, E and N, and the rest of their family is learning.

Finally, after so much work, and pulling strings, finally, I got this branch to pick a date for a temple trip next year, when I first got here they said no to temple work, but we have been teaching towards it and December 2015 is the Sibu 2 Temple Trip which is so freaking awesome and I'm so stoked because they are hopefully going to (by next year) have at least 7 families going.

 

also dropbox is strange this week... so no uploads...

 

sedikit-sedikit, demi lama-lama, menjadi sebuah bukit (Translate from Indo) (also the thing I actually say is sikit-sikit lama-lama jadi bukit)

also there is a kid listening to Holiday by Greenday and I'm very happy :P

 

AND NOW BOULEVARD OF BROKEN DREAMS MY LIFE IS MADE :P

 

little-bit, for a long time, into a hill

 

Did that translate right?

 

Also, first Green Day since your mission?

 

 

yep  and yep, so that is a big saying here, over time become a mountain :P

also another really good Malay song is "Aku anak Kampung" which is pretty much a guy talking to a girl saying that he is from the village, and that the girl is beautiful, but he didn't have school, and is poor, so she should find someone better, but at our branch party (which actually was pretty awesome) we all sang that on karaoke... and it was so much fun :P

anywho Jumpa Lagi also now there is a kid listening to skrillex :P

Jul 20 2014

Hey interesting little video :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnKaU-8hRAo

Cool, but now we are going to watch it in English

hahahaha

We watched that at Easter for Family Home Evening, must say it is good in a foreign language, but much better when you can read more than "and" "you" "he/she" and "not"

I know, just wanted to show you that it is in INDO!!!! woot!

I should change your FB profile picture to be your bike helmet picture!

I was going to ask that actually! Good thinking,

also the "St.Guchi" Picture is because our house has that brand of lock... so I thought it was really funny that St.Guchi is looking over the Elders house :P

I just saw that the missionaries in Sandakan Malaysia have a 6 pm curfew because of tensions with the Philippines? Do you too? Did I read that right?

Elder Harr is in Tawau... and there was a military boat right out side his church (the church is close to the beach...) With a turret and orders to shoot any invading boat and take it down, also an airplane (MH017) was shot down over Ukraine.

Malaysia will continue to have problems until there is religious freedom. Heavenly Father will not let the country remain in an chained state.

That is why Sarawak is ok, because it is the most free of any of the Malaysian provinces. So no, I have no results of the Philippines/Sabah invasions

interesting little Malay English thing, the word for "Government" and "Kingdom" is the same in Malay (Kerajaan) The root word of which is Raja or King.

So whenever we establish the "Kingdom of God" we are legitimately establishing the "Government of God"

I was on splits once with an Elder in Kuching, and we were discussing Malaysian Government, which city will have the first stake etc... (which is a pretty common topic :P)

and he pointed out a few scriptures and noted, that as foreigners we should up-hold laws, but as a member of a nation, it is our responsibility, especially as members of this church, to do everything we can to ensure the correct laws are established.

I hear that there are a few good stories in Luke's email, so will post those when I can.

Helping Elders Move - Jul 13, 201

The senior couple posted some pictures today, looks like a busy week. There was a picture of you with a bunch of people at a birthday party, with “birthday glasses” on, not sure how else to describe that. Also, zone conference and Chinese dinner, and also pictures of Elders moving furniture, for new apartments. (I only saw the back of your head in those ones, at least I think it was you!)

 

So, did you help everyone move? I think you said that  you’d be staying in the same place, everyone else was moving? Did that really happen? Is it super quiet now?

 

Ya, I did a lot of moving :P the house is such a mess right now, me and Elder Hobbs are trying so hard to get everything organized in the big house, it is such a struggle, but things are looking a lot better.

Just me and Elder Hobbs in the house, President and Sister Mains are trying to get us out of there, it isn't strange to me because with exception of two weeks in Kuching I have only lived with my companions... (Even in the MTC) so biasa sudah. We get along really well, Elder Hobbs is so diligent and loving, and we have had a lot of success together.

Sibu is awesome. We are getting a temple trip organized for next year! Which is going to be awesome, and is such a miracle, considering the branch was against having a temple trip when we got here, but things are changing, and hearts are softening, it is so great here! We have some good investigators, but I can really see the branch starting to become a real branch.

The language is Iban, it is the language of the native people... who are Iban. (There are so many different tribes (like native americans back home) but Ibans are 28% of Sarawak) Iban is similar with Malay, and so I can understand it pretty well (I called the Kota Sentosa Branch President last night and we talked in Iban, which was really cool :) ) but my speaking is not nearly as good as my listening, and I prefer Malay :P

We sent you a package when we were down in the States, which you might have gotten already. It’s up to you whether to open it or wait, it’s for your birthday.

I still haven't gotten anything, I don't know when the AP's are coming to Sibu again, but if it isn't for a while I won't get it 'till the end of this transfer...

It's been really cold here... close to 35 everyday :P

I haven't swam in so long :(

Your branch would go to the temple in the Philippines, right? Are there many people in the branch who have gone? Is dressing modestly a tough lesson because of the heat and culture, or would it just be people like me who would have a hard time with the heat, and if you grow up there it's not a big deal?


They go to Manila, there are 6 people who have gone... remember how this branch is struggling a bit :P But the great thing is we have changed this branch so much.

There are always naked people around :P people not wearing clothes, just cause they are too lazy to throw them on :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6FKiNVbw3Y

This is what President Mains showed us last zone conference

 

Airport Stories - Jul 6 2014

Wow, the cabin sounded like a lot of fun! Did I tell you about the time that we bought fireworks and had members set them off cause we aren't allowed to :P (chinese new year)

I was so busy writing those emails last week that I didn't get to tell you guys a few stories! So when we were coming back from Singapore, we flew through Kuching (and I was ticked cause everyone else had a long enough lay over in Kuching to leave the airport, and I couldn't) and there were 3 different flights going from Kuching to Sibu, me, Elder Sutherland and Elder Christensen were on the first flight, but Elder Hobbs... my companion was on a different flight!

So... I flew to Sibu (ticked that I couldn't go visit members in Kuching, cause if I had been on any other flight I could have!) but I get to Sibu... and my luggage was still in Kuching! :(

so the other two chilled with me for a bit, and then we look at the board to see that Elder Hobbs' flight has been cancelled... so my companion was in Kuching... and I was in Sibu...

but he got his flight changed, came a few hours later, with my bag! So everything turned out good, but it was really funny.

this week I got kinda sick... so I ended up sleeping for about 24 hours... Elder Berger was pretty sure I had dengue... so I called Elder Baranov and he gave me a blessing, and all ok!

We had district conference this week which was freaking awesome, so many good speakers, the 2nd counselor (but currently the only counselor...) to President Mains (President Ero) gave some amazing talks. He is Bidayuh, and one of my favourite families from Kuching, so it was so awesome to see him again, to hear him and meet with his family!

He spoke on how if you keep all the commandments, the Lord will bless you to be learned, and successfull... and I think everyone believed him as he pulled up in his lexus, and then his wife came later in a mercedes... (btw, cars are ridiculously expensive here...) but ya... he has deep pockets :P

I got to translate his talk for President and Sister Mains, that was scary :P but a lot of fun!

Dad wants to know if you have a mission doctor? Or, did you go see a doctor? Or, call Sis Mains?

I called Sis Mains, and talked with her yesterday at zone conference. Dad should know I can handle myself :P

That's exciting that you got to translate for the Mains, guess your Malay must actually be good! It must be hard to keep listening and talk at the same time.
 

"must actually be good" -_- among the best.

WHAT THE HECK LUKE IS WEARING MY HOODIE!

Also pics, my branch mission leader giving me a hair cut

 

Our recent convert J working his hamburger shop,

Brother E's kids (Branch mission leader) ... just cause all three of them are really cute... but also always steal my camera

 

 

Canada day Rubik's cube,

Independence day Rubik's cube

and beautiful Sarawak

 

I LOVED THE MINI STICKS

I goof around with them all the time, and could use them on p-day (I am the only one from Canada though... so...probably no one else is gonna want to...)

Anyways, I'm logging off...

 

JUMPA LAGI!

Elder Bester