January 19 2014 email

Chinese new year is bigger than Christmas. Like it is crazy. Go to a shopping mall... or really any store, and there are chinese people everywhere. I swear The chinese people stop working for a month and go shopping. It is ridiculous, especially when one of your potential investigators works everyday... and feels like she can't stop working on sundays till after chinese new years...

(This is in response to something I said about a fun Chinese New Years party we went to last year)

Oh my goodness I forgot about that! That was an awesome party! That is pretty much like every day here! Just instead of chinese robes I'm chillin in missionary attire... and there is no snow...

Zone conference was awesome! I got to meet Elder Larry Wilson of the 70, and he randomly picked people to have an interview to discuss the mission with ,and I got to talk to him about Kuching, missionary work, learning Malay, he told me that he knew that I was a hard working diligent elder and to continue what I do!

Singapore was fun, we went to Wendy's, and that was awesome :P

My new companion (just like my last 2) is awesome. We like a lot of the same stuff, we both put on our papers that we wanted to go to Japan :P Have a lot of similar stories, He is a little taller than me :P which is really strange, cause I don't ever see someone taller than me :P

Nama dia Elder Bukit :P sangat hebat dia! He has been in an English area his whole mission, so he can't really understand all of what is being said... I have to really step up, and I like it cause I feel like now we are really getting things done, the two of us are definitely supposed to serve together and I am really looking forward to serving with him!!!

Jumpa Lagi!

Picture with me and sutherland and the family holding the manila temple, that is A, he is a RM and he served in Salt Lake, and he has been in Kota Sentosa about as long as me... but he is already married

 

Sister K's family, we brought McDonalds there when Sutherland was leaving

 

Elder Hill at a group of houses :P

 

Me at the same group of houses

 

A little farm shack for tools

 

plants... malaysia... the works :P

 

Bro. A giving us some sugar cane! It was so good! We ate straight sugar cane and it is freaking delicious!

I found an english sign language book by the church... so elder and missionary.. and serpent looks really funny :P

January 12, 2014 email

hey this is what I sent to President Thomas, thought I should send it to you,

Well President, I have my first baptism approaching on the 25th!!! and I am overjoyed at the change I've seen in this man, just to give a quick report, I thought I'd tell a little about him.

So his name is A, and we were going to teach a less active, and met him and his buddies, absolutely drunk outside. However, regardless of their physical condition, we talked to them for a bit and joked around and then went to teach our lesson. When we were closing, A came upstairs, and it turns out that he is the less active member's husband.

We saw then a struggling marriage, a man who didn't live up to his potential, and we were determined to make a change.

A met with us the following Tuesday, and he expressed a sincere desire to change, he told us that he wanted to stop smoking and drinking, and that he was ashamed of many choices he had made in his youth (for example his tattoos) and absolutely loved the message and the Book of Mormon that we brought him.

As we taught him the first 3 lessons we found that he was truly prepared, and that as a result, he asked every question that he needed to, with perfect timing in order to open his heart.

As his wife was a less active member, he knew a little about the commandments, including the Word of Wisdom, and in the 3 weeks we have known him, he has stopped drinking alcohol, and smoking (and coffee etc, following the wow) without us teaching him.

We have gone over the baptismal requirements, and it is everything he wants in life. I have seen this man's life change, and now his wife has been re activated, and the two of them are happier and happier every time we see them. The church not only saved this man's eternal salvation, but his wife's, also their marriage, and has helped him quit several harmful addictions.

President I'm so grateful for the choice I made to serve.

Serve with everything you have!

Jumpa Lagi,

With all respect and admiration,

Elder Bester

 

Then he sent along a bit of email for us

 

and you should watch the latest mormon message and also make sure you are all reading your scriptures and praying TOGETHER for a considerable amount of time EVERY DAY If Dad can't make it home on time, then read in the morning.

And have a real FHE Every monday. and if you can't do it on monday, do it on a different day

also nothing is more important than those family unity things. Don't just reset goals. Drop everything and anything to accomplish them.

I'm just as happy helping a family achieving that as I am helping a person be baptized. It is so important do it everyday

transfer news, i am staying in sentosa, Elder Hill is coming here, and Elder Sutherland is going to Penang as a zone leader

 

 

January 5, 2014 email

ok so i'll write about A. So he is now on date for the 25th to be baptized. We clarified and he is legal... cause before we thought he wasn't...

but we met him when going to teach Y and T, two less active ladies in our branch, and we met him and his buddies absolutely drunk out of their minds by their umm... i guess like boarding house? out side there little square to live in... and we had fun with them... but then went inside.

we told A we were gonna teach him tuesday when he was sober... he comes up about an hour later when we are ending, and it turns out that he is Y's husband! and we did not like him. at all. but! We met him that tuesday and everything changed, and since then (we still haven't taught the W.o.W but he knows it cause his wife is a member) but he has already stopped smoking and drinking. Do you know how incredibly hard that is? and he has done it because he knows that the Book of Mormon is true and he loves this church.

anyways I'm going!

Jumpa lagi keluarga saya!

Dec 29 2013 emails

Once again, Elder Bester's plan of bike to the farm was spoiled by rain and some people didn't want to bike in rain... which we do everyday...
and we are trying to go with a group.

And we found a different place that is open a little earlier so we switched locations :P trying to get emailing done with because we are going to go to some nature reserve or something, which I think is the Kuching equivalent of nosehill

interesting things, our washing machine stopped working, so today will also be washing all of our clothes by hand day. umm apa lagi... it was really funny to say things in Malay and have none of you understand it :P

I asked him to explain some of the pictures

hmm lets see the pictures

so there is my rugby ball :P it is a ball used for the sport of rugby.

there is the picture with A and Y, Y is a less active member and A is her husband and our investigator... but that picture shows almost their entire house. for example, our kitchen back home (as in Calgary) is probably 3-4 times the size of their house.
the pink thing behind us in the picture is their bed which they have to put up against the wall to sit... and they put it down when they sleep.

missionaries sleeping in cars...

that fruit is a very sour fruit that I like, but not many people do, and we tricked Sister T into eating it... and it was wonderful :) because she doesn't do well with food :P for example she doesn't eat durian, so that was really funny for the rest of us :P

We went to President S's kampung (he is in the district presidency) for christmas, and a lot of the pictures are from there, he is Bidayuh

There is the shack with the jeep on the left, that is M's house, it really is just a wooden shack.

My christmas bike

J, He is a member in Kota Sentosa.

The Book of Mormon in Malay,

And what power outlets look like here

 

Well things are never really normal in either missionary work or malaysia :P umm christmas just ended, so I feel like finally we are starting again... but christmas holy cow that was crazy.

K so the day before christmas we went to a few members, ate at their houses etc... but Christmas was a nightmare and a half, but it was a really good nightmare :P

SO first of all christmas eve all the crazy chinese and Ibans set of fireworks all night... so we get up, go to skype and eat at brother c's house here we skyped...
Then we went to S's kampung, and I'm pretty sure most of them had never seen white people, cause everyone wanted us to go to their house. So we ate a lot there (I think only 2 houses... but we ate a lot...)

Then we went to Batu7 and ate at M's house... a lot.. and then to Sister K and Brother J... but we heard they were at Sister I's... so we went there, ate, sister K then took us to her house... feasted... then we went to Stutong... ate at Brother M's... then J's... J's family told us that earlier in the day a bunch of drunk guys attempted to murder their entire family... then we went to A's, ate a little... then Brother Y's... and ate some more...

So that evening was interesting after that...

Then the next day we did it again... but not quite as much...

and then again the next day... so I haven't spent money on food in like a week :P 

 Ugg Boxing day! I miss boxing day!

 

We have to go back to Singapore every 90 days at least because we come here on 90 day tourist visas... so we just border hop for a few days and come back, but our next zone conference is on January 9th

So just to put things in perspective, there may have been missionaries here before... but only 3 years ago were they allowed to wear name tags...
and my branch is decently new, they don't have many youth programs, there are no active ym. The YW do have activities in our branch sometimes, but not often, and they never have things like firesides. Malaysia is not organized like it is back home.

 

I asked about his washing machine

 

 

we have someone coming to fix it... like it started smoking...
there is alot we need to get done :P

Also so a bit about my mission.

So there is a stake in Singapore, and it has 2 Zones (North and South and the North zone has JB). There is 3 Zones in West Malaysia (Penang/Butterworth, KL, Ipoh) Sarawak has 3 (Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu/Miri) and Sabah has 1 zone (maybe 2... but I've never been there so idk...) Umm in Malaysia Kuching and KL are the biggest zones, Kuching has the most members, but not all that educated and organized... and KL is smaller but the people are a little more solid there.

The work is so new here :P   

 

oh crazy story!

So we had a guy come to our door and knock and ask to learn... and he is an israel muslim... so we got his number and stuff, but we called president and he said we can't teach him even though he isn't malaysian...
but we are starting to think that he could possibly have been sent from the gov't...

We did meet a new guy to teach this week and we are meeting him tomorrow!

 

I really liked the pictures you sent in the box of oranges :P

gotta go!

Jumpa Lagi

 

Dec 22 emails

We did a bunch of emails back and forth again. The first email was a response to my email, where I told him about our trip down to Hillspring.

Oh my goodness the Hillspring Christmas I forgot about that...

Christmas is brutal for missionaries because everyone is busy and there are parties and activities so we lose a lot of time and I'm excited for it to finally be over so that we can be more effective again.

and wow! no trip to the hospital!

We set our distance record for biking yesterday at 66km... it was sedikit jahu (really hard?)... but it was worth it.

it's hard work out here, but it's a lot of fun also. It's really tiring though :P

eventually I'm gonna stop by this big sports store and buy a rugby ball :P but still haven't done that :P

Some days p-days are the worst :P it's been a lot of shopping... but never really for stuff that I want/need to get, and that has been kinda annoying cause it's felt like a bunch of wasted p-days.

anyways, I'm excited to skype you guys!!!

talk to you on wednesday... or tuesday i think for you guys, tuesday night?

Jumpa Lagi
Elder Bester

 

Troy: Hi Brent, are you having a good time in Malaysia?  Did you have a good time today? Do you have Christmas there?

Dad: What's Christmas like there?

Mom: shoes yet?

Dad: you should go Christmas carolling with a bunch of missionaries and hand out treats.

Troy: today Bro Laughlin gave me a Detroit t shirt, it says Datsyuk on it. Do you know what number he is?

Dad: go carolling at a mall

Troy: what's your favorite hockey player?

Katie: I am reading Mockingjay and I'm over half done.

Troy I'm having a good time in Malaysia. Today was kinda boring so far, but I still have a long time left :P and yes we have christamas.

Dad christmas is all about Jesus

mom, nope. still have the pair I'm wearing... and going to get some at a store that the missionaries all get them at maybe... hard to find white people sizes.

Dad, we go out with our branch and see less active members, and then they all still don't come to church :P

we can't do things like random caroling cause we are in a Muslim country

Troy I have no idea what number he is
dad, no

Troy, Iginla

Katie, I still haven't read the first one


Troy: are you going to send me a really cool present? Like a monster truck?

I'm not sending any presents cause I haven't got any yet :p and I don't have money :P And I send letters :P

p-days have been really lame recently, and we were gonna go to a crocodile farm, but we couldn't because of one of the sister missionaries in our branch

Christmas has just killed our numbers, and I'm really excited for it to be over so we can do more work again, cause it's been caroling and branch parties, and meeting all the missionaries and a lot of time that would have been better spent if Christmas wasn't right now

I told him something about how maybe he was planting seeds, not seeing the results yet...

so the big mission theme out here is that the field is white, and that we aren't here to plant seeds

and we don't do much contacting, we work with members, because member referrals are the highest success rate, and there are so many less actives in Malaysia that they take up a lot of our time

also there is no home teaching program here, and we are starting it... so it isn't like being back home, the missionary things that they do at home I think (from what I saw) were both ineffective there and if they were applied here.

the area we are in has no completely active families, one is active but it's a single father and his daughters, and one is active except that the mother and father have been taking turns deciding to not go to church

I would like to finally do something on p-day :P and really want to buy a rugby ball and still haven't

if you're having a bad day you need to go strengthen the members because this is a branch. These branches aren't like wards back home. it is like 1830 here

Would you be able to play rugby? Do people there play rugby?

people play rugby here. and you can play touch, or just throw the ball, or just have a rugby ball.

I know pretty much every active and inactive member :P

the thing is, in Canada, a branch still is in a stake, and there are people who know what they are doing. The city of Kuching has only sent out 6 missionaries in its history and one of them is serving right now. So there aren't many people who really know what they are doing...

Rugby is decently big in Canada, it's about the same in Malaysia.

They play a lot of badminton, soccer, and everyone does track

Stayed on your bike ok this week?

I didn't get knocked off last week cause Heavenly Father was looking out for me lah

i stayed on my bike :P

 

Any comments on Jordan's great bball skills? He played one on one with Dad yesterday, which was funny to watch. Dad still has some skills and much longer reach than Jordan, but Jordan can outrun Dad.

dad has the skill of being able to push jordan around due to being twice his size :P

also I could beat dad 1v1 cause all dad can do is post around, and he can't out beat Elder Bester ;)

Also the Iban name tag language picture (with the 2 tags) was one of the only reasons I ordered the 2nd tag :P

Dad is wondering if we could maybe set up a fund here that members could contribute to, to help people to go to the temple there. Like, if you know of a family that we could all help to go.

I'm not allowed to set up things like that, white handbook lah

it's called the one trip temple vist thingy :P that you put in other on tithing slips and just specify malaysia

it was announced at a general conference a while ago, the one trip temple fund, and a lot of members already use it.

No funny stories this week?

on sunday we forgot our phone in our suit jackets (we keep them at the church in the branch presidents office) but we had to get it... but don't have a key to his office... and we didn't have a phone... so we broke into his office :P

 

it's been a good week, but rather long and a little unproductive... and it's just cause it is christmas :P

I had to talk in church :P so it is my 3rd time speaking in sacrament meeting... and my companion still hasn't yet!

hmm what else, i still haven't had pop or ice cream because D is stoping coffee... oh ya and we are going to have to give D to the Kuching International branch... :/ which is unfortunate because that branch is really hurting Kuching... and it has all the educated members (they speak english there) so it is just going to build that branch meanwhile it could help sentosa.

Sentosa is pretty good, like in Kuching there is one really strong Malay (Batu Kawa) then the International, and then us, and we are decently functional, and have quite a few priesthood... the other 3 branches are hurting though

 

oh ya, so we had to drop one investigator, one went back to indonesia for christmas, and we have to give donna to another branch, and we have one other investigator who is progressing :P so it has been a little different :P

 

Why are there 6 branches instead of all together? is it because of distance?

 

distance. no one has transport here. it is the biggest freaking problem ever. like there are around 3-4 cars in our branch.

also there are about 40-70 people who go to each branch, but 300+ on the records in each branch because of all the inactives

and they are trying to build a stake, and you can't do that with 2 wards...

remember that most of Sarawak is 3rd world, although Kuching isn't... but it deffs isn't first...

also my area is just outside of Kuching... and most the members live in shacks

H (the indonesia guy) texted us merry christmas :) he is great i love him :P

anyways merry christmas!

saya akan cakap bersama kamu semua pada hari natal!!!

Saya sayang kamu! harap kamu semua ada seronok! Selalu belajar supaya kamu boleh menjadi pandai macam saya!

What did you speak about it church?

 

and I talked about christmas lah and doing missionary work.

because I'm a missionay lah, and it is almost christmas lah 

Do you ever have days without rain? Do you worry about floods?

yes we have days without rain, we live in an appartment building... so no, however we have to walk through flooded water a lot. Sarawak is the province in east malaysia, and Kuching is the capital of sarawak I don't really want to leave Sarawak unless I go to sabah, because (for example) in KL they speak English, so you don't learn as much Malay, and if i ever go to west or singapore I am never speaking english with my companion and im gonna tell him i was adopted by ibans.

also boleh is a good malay word, it means can like saya boleh, i can.

i bought new white board markers!

everyone and their dog invited us for christmas :P im gonna get fat :P

Ok jumpa Lagi!

Elder Bester

 

Dec 16 2013 emails

This week, most of the family was awake when Brent emailed. This is the first message he sent:

so this week i got hit by a car!

Trying (and succeeding) to scare me.  Then he sent more info:

but I'm all good! didn't fall off my bike

 

and then

 

Elder Sutherland saw the whole thing and doesn't understand how I wasn't thrown off my bike, but Tuhan looked out for me :P

 

 

Tuhan is the word we use because we can't use Allah for God, and actually when I got hit it has helped me shift in to 5th gear easier

 

 

I sent some questions about the pictures, and a comment about last week's pictures

What is the melon? Who is cooking? Is that your kitchen? Nice hat!

Fashion advice from Katie - don't leave your pants tucked in to your socks when you are not on your bike.

The melon is watermelon... it taste the same, they have yellow and red here. The melon is right after Elder Sutherland threw it at me :P I walked past the kitchen and he says "Elder Catch" and I didn't think he'd actually throw it... so it bounced off me and cracked :P

The guy cooking is Elder Sutherland... :P

and yes that is our kitchen.

I love the hat.

I was getting on my bike katie #DontTellTheLordsServantsWhatToDoSmallChild

We asked if he has many investigators

we have a few right now, and we have really started to get referrals as we have been working with the members a lot

Then another email, about his branch

This week we had 66 people at church! It's just nothing like church at home where everyone knows what they are doing :P We have 2 returned missionaries... in the whole branch... and only cause one moved from kk to here.

Oh the primary presentation was  this week! It was really funny :P

and like everything is completely fine with me and my bike... like Heavenly Father really helped me, don't worry, i only told you to scare you :P

Any words for Katie so I can send her to bed?


The Book of Mormon is true!

And finally, his "long" email

So we had the primary presentation this week! It was awesome, except imagine trying to get all of the primary to sing in Malay... so all the primary sang in English... so it was very umm... interesting :P but it was awesome and really cute :)

D (an investigator) is stopping drinking coffee, but this week she is only having half a cup each day, so in order to help her... I can't have any pop or ice cream! and man, I can't imagine how hard getting off coffee must be, cause getting off pop is killing me :P

I got hit by a car, but truly God helped me out. (unrelated, did you know you don't need hand to ride a bike :P) both by providing me the opportunity to become skilled on a bicycle, so that I could handle the impact without falling and also by a little extra help while I was in the collision, cause I should have been thrown from the bike :P

My companion threw a watermelon at me :P

and it is always hot here :P

I love you all, and miss you.

I hope you are all growing as much as I am, prepare to serve a mission!

Jumpa Lagi!

Elder Bester