The Rest of June

Guess I've been so excited about how close to the end we are, I forgot to update the blog! Sorry!

From June 7
Were you anywhere near the earthquake that was in Malaysia this week? I think you weren't, but did you feel anything?

Floods in Malaysia -> Muslim areas

Earth Quakes in Malaysia -> hit a province that is %60 muslim... (although there are 4 branches there)

Sarawak -> Christian :)

I was fine, I've also heard that the missionaries in KK were also fine :)

Way to go uncle James.

We might have a baptisms this week! Yay!

Anywho that's me this week, what's up in Calgary?

The picture last week is an area called Kudei... which just looks like that everywhere... 

the new pics are a kampung out south of Kuching,

Me and Elder Ee, cause he got transfered,

and then another shot of where members live.

Oh interesting story! There is a kid in our branch, who got the Melchizedek priesthood a few months ago, and we found out he is only 17 and turns 18 later this month hahahahahaha

Bike riding is good. :P

Hopefully have a baptism this week!

From June 14

We just emailed about school, and got some pictures

June 22

Hey, can you send my regards to the Fick family? I don't have an email for them or anything, but, I wish to send my condolences.

I liked the pictures of the boys at the temple, they looked way sick.

I took some time looking at the schedule, I like the Work 3 HS-60, university is going to be difficult. Hopefully I have somewhere to live :P

Russell emailed me, he's super green hahaha, he's gonna be so green after the MTC. but he seems way more diligent than me before my mission... cause I didn't start reading my scriptures until the MTC..

I found Carson's dad's obituary, it was very nice.

Oh also wanted to say, there are some names that can be requested on our family history, but I think Grandpa would have to give permission (Babowal (so shouldn't be too hard to get permission))

We had district conference this week, got to see so many members! I knew almost every one there, I felt like a king haha, everyone likes Elder Bester haha. I got to translate the saturday adult session for President and Sister Mains, and translated (with another Elder) the general session into English.

We went to Bako National Park today! That was a lot of fun! Lot's of pictures.

Anyways, I think that's all I have, 65 days! (not that I'm counting... :P )

Jumpa Lagi

Elder Bester

Umm the pics, there are pictue of me with members at district conference, and then pictures at bako, pretty much it

do you know that you can get an ancestry account for free with an LDS account? the senior couple hooked me up a couple weeks ago!

Is my road bike still ok? I think I'm going to use that alot...? could you make sure that it's healthy...? :)

ok, I gotta go! See you in 65 days haha!

Jumpa Lagi,

Elder Bester

June 28

Cool little miracle, about 6 months ago I got a online referral to bring an English copy of the book of Mormon to a house in my area, we finally found the house (forever away) only to find no one there, and the guard said that no one actually lived there (the house was in a gated community) we left the book of Mormon on the doorstep, and went home.

Just a couple of days ago, I met a dude from Singapore at a funeral talked about the church and stuff... met him at lunch today! total fluke, and turns out that he owned the house that the book of Mormon was delivered to, read the entire thing, and asked for a copy of the doctrine and covenants

also, we were at a house, and asked a little kid how to say Kasut (shoe) in english (we were teaching English words haha) and he sits and says "Sh*t" that was way funny

also, hopefully have a baptism on thursday!

It's a moniter lizzard (I don't know how to spell in english dang it) and it swims through the plumbing every now and then and surfaces in our toilet.

and I was a little tired hahaha

Final Words from President Mains:

President Mains

Dear Elders and Sisters,

One last time in my capacity as your mission president, I wish to share a message and express my deep love and admiration for you. I love the Book of Mormon. I have come to appreciate even more, the plainness and clarity of the message contained in this matchless Book. This Book testifies of the divinity of Jesus Christ and of His doctrine – The Doctrine of Christ. It was preserved and brought forth in our day to convince “… the Jew and Gentile that Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God, manifesting himself unto all nations…” (Book of Mormon title page)

Likening the words of this Book to myself has helped me appreciate the power it has to change my life. I will paraphrase and liken unto me the words of King Benjamin in Mosiah Chapter 2 as he addressed his people for one last time: …I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities in body and mind; yet I have been chosen by God, and set apart by an Apostle of Jesus Christ, and was suffered by the hand of the Lord that I should be your mission president; and have been kept and preserved by his matchless power, to serve you with all the might, mind and strength which the Lord hath granted unto me…”Behold, I say unto you that because I said unto you that I had spent my days in your service, I do not desire to boast, for I have only been in the service of God. And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.” (Mosiah 2:17)

It has been one of the unparalleled blessings in my life to have served in this calling. Because of this call, I have come to know each of you! You have become dear friends. I consider you as my sons and my daughters. I wish to give you my last counsel: “I say unto you that ye should serve Him who has created you from the beginning and who is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another…And behold all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments and [follow with exactness the mission rules]; and he has promised you, [and I promise you] that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper [in the mission field]; and he never doth vary from that which he has said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.” (Mosiah 2:21,22)

I will miss you dearly. Remain faithful and true to your calling and to your new mission president, President Simmons, who I love and respect.

Preach My Gospel Missionaries love and serve the Lord.

With love, your fellow servant and friend,
President Mains

June 1, 2015 - Pictures!

Hey, nothing too exciting this week, Elder Ee got transferred to another branch in Kuching, I'm still in Matang with Elder Davie.

Baptisms? Do anything for pday?

We went out to a village (Lundu) and met with members out there for gawai (the big holiday here)

No baptisms yet, stay tuned though for a couple of weeks.

Lots of food... but not a lot of work, pretty much hahaha

sorry wasn't able to chat, we are late... gotta go...

Anyways Jumpa Lagi!

Miss you all

Elder Bester

Baptisms - May 24, 2015

That's funny that I got accepted to UBC and nor UofC, considering that UBC is ranked as a much better school haha

WE HAD 2 BAPTISMS YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Also, we went to Singapore, that was fun, there was a point where I was with 5 other missionaries, and the 5 of them combined had served for less time than me...

As of tomorrow I have 3 months left!

anywho, i'm on if anyone is awake

also, I got the story that you sent at zone conference (I figured it out 'cause no one else knew what MLA  meant :P )  (also 'cause of Edmonton) but I had no idea that we went that far back! I feel like I don't know my family's history at all. Also Dad still hasn't sent me his conversion story... and like I don't know any of my grandparents stories... or like if/where they got sealed/baptized... was great grandpa a member when there was only 1 branch in Edmonton?

How long before moving to Canada did they get baptized? and did only they join? how many siblings does Grandma have? and why didn't you get baptized at 8? :P 

and what the heck is Dad's story?

What are you doing for pday?

We are planning on playing laser tag... :)

That is our Young Women's presidency, and Gawai is next week (so most of our members won't be at church) so if I get transferred (also next week) I won't see them! so I took pictures with them. (We have been working a lot with the youth here, it's one of the strongest youth programs in Sarawak)

I don't know where I'm gonna live in Vancouver... oops

I met the Canadian from Vancouver in Singapore (he's english speaking) but we stayed at his apartment, so if he doesn't go to his family ward (chinese) then we will be in the same ysa branch!

Did you perform the baptism?

yep both of them, but Elder Ee and Davie gave the gift of the holy ghost. The girl (G) her father has the M.Priesthood, but was too sick to come back to Kuching (he is in his home village) and the rest of the area (siol Kandis) has no priesthood holders, and the other family is from Lundu (about an hour drive (and they don't have a car, so they take the bus and get a hotel to come to church) away from Kuching) there is a M.Priesthood holder there, but he doesn't know the family (we are trying to start a group there) and they both picked me to do it

anyways I'm peacing out! Jumpa Lagi

May 17, 2015 - Lots of teaching

Cool little stories this week, we had 11 Investigator lessons with a member present, which is a lot. Normally throughout my mission I'd normally get about 4-6 a week, so we had a sick week,

If things go right, our area should have baptisms every week (excluding one) for the next 5 weeks!

On Sunday I went on splits with Brother Raj (the last picture I sent) my companions went out to Lundu, and I stayed to help do sacrament out in Siol Kandis (a "village" (still in Kuching) about 8km away from the church (and no one has transport))  That was a lot of fun to go around with a young man as my companion, he borrowed Elder Ee's bike and we biked all the way out there it was a blast.

We got a new investigator this week from a potential we were working with, her name is A, and she goes to school with one of the youth who live in Siol Kandis. The only problem being that she can only occasionally leave her school, but were gonna try to work with it :P

Anyways, what's up in Canada

Oh ya, also we had a youth activity on Saturday (hence the picture of all the youth at McDonalds) that went really well, we had 15 youth (and/or the 20 year old leaders) (so actually only 13 youth) and it was such a good activity!

anyways jumpa lagi!

Elder Bester

May 10, 2015 - Stories after Skyping

During district meeting this week, 4 men came into the parking lot, broke the window of the senior couples car and stole the gps, they were seen and so they booked it before causing more damage. So I was the official translator at the police station!

So we managed to get camera footage of them (the security at the Kuching District Center is pretty good) so I was involved a lot with security this week... However we still managed to get really good lessons in and had 4 investigators at church in spite of the lack of time.

We have some kids out in an area called Siol Kandis who we are teaching (un-baptized child of records, ages 9-13) (not the coolest investigators, but hey, he who holds the youth holds the future)

and they don't really have transport from that area (as a result the branch presidency is planning to move the building (cause we are just in a shop lot) and we are holding a sacrament service in that area once a month) but the kids convinced their less active father to drive them to church (we didn't even know he had a car) so we were shocked to walk into church and see our 4 investigators sitting with the youth who manage to come from Siol Kandis, it was truly miraculous.

anywho, jumpa Lagi!

Elder Bester

May 3 2015 - Lots of stories!

Ok cool stories this week

So we were going out to a lesson, with investigators in Elder Ee's previous area, and I ask him "Hey do they have any word of wisdom problems" and he says "Of course not" So we get there, and there is a group of guys in the house, all of which are smoking and plastered...

We talk to them for a bit, and one guy is just going off in Iban, and as my companions don't speak Iban, he was only talking to me... so I was listening to this drunk guy go off about how he knows our church is true, just he is a sinner, so doesn't want to come to church. I explain that like, the point of church is to fix our problems, and he continues to ask me if I take these medications is it ok to come to church, so at this point I'm apprehensive, and I ask him what kind of medications... and he says "They help me focus" so I thought they were probably ADD medications or something of the sorts, and he pulls out the bottle, and I look at the label, and the first thing they say is "No, it's different than whats on the label" he then unscrews the cap, pours it onto his hand, and white powder, followed by a rock of cocaine fall on to his hand!!!!

So immediately I say "ok we have to go, we have an appointment" and Elder Ee says "What? We don't have an appointment!" 

So we got out of there... haha

another story, so we had exchanges this week, and me and Elder Davie stayed in Matang, and Elder Ee went to Batu Kawah with Elder Christensen (one of the ZL)

on his return, he tells us "Elder Christensen gave me acne medication" and immediately red flags go up in my mind, and I ask him to see the pills... and turns out, there was a huge language issue, and Elder Ee actually had Malaria pills... not acne meds, and had just taken 2... and to add worry, they were expired by a year, luckily there were no major side effects, but it was hilarious.

Ok so miracles this week!

A less active young woman had asked us to start teaching her brother who had not been baptized yet, so we met her family (her Dad is currently sick and at his home village) and the mom said that she hadn't met with the missionaries in 3 years, wants to come back to church, and wants her 2 un-baptized children baptized! The next time we met her she showed us all the other of age kids who weren't baptized yet! so we picked up 2 New Investigators, and 8 more to come in the coming weeks!

We had a family from Lundu (about an hour drive) come to church last week, and the Mom asked us to teach her son (11 years old) so the branch had an activity out in Lundu and we taught her son, and he is also on date for baptism! So once a week we will do a phone lesson and then once a week we will go out to Lundu to teach him!

We also had 2 random girls show up at church last week and they stayed for 2nd hour! They are now learning also!

And one of the investigators who we are teaching (J) (normally we meet her during her lunch hour on sundays) just accepted the date of 27/6/2015!

anyways, it's been a crazy week!

Jumpa Lagi,

Elder Bester