Feb 15 2015 - Lots of pictures!

I don't ever have to help with sacrament in Kuching, there are always enough people (if they don't have enough youth normally other members bless/pass the sacrament instead of elders)

I had to give an "emergency talk" yesterday, because the brother who was supposed to give the talk didn't come... somehow I always get picked for talks... in all my branches. I've given 3 talks here already... my companion (he says he gave 1) hasn't given any since I've been here. I don't play piano very often, I always try to make sure members play, one of the youth can play a few hymns from the hymn book, and there is an RM who can play some also, and if they can't play it they just play  simplified hymns.

I might go to Dairy Queen in Singapore!!! Also, I'll be in Singapore for my 6 months left day... (Feb.26th)

OH YA! I was actually sick this week, like not what Mom thinks sick is, like I was actually sick... got a fever up to 39.3 degrees... that was rough, but I'm all good!

We have some new investigators from some part member families, things are going pretty good!

Elder Bester

Anyways pictures!

Barbequing at Christmas!

Elder Yang and Elder Sessions sleeping

Elder Sessions "Puming" the branch president's son on his bike

 

Mangosteen (the fruit)

Our investigator following us to find less-actives (the little girl on Elder Sessions Shoulders)

Those aren't our hats, they are Sister M's hats, (an old 80+ year old sister in our area) and we borrowed them

 

A pet monkey

The performance at the cultural center

 

 

More Cultural Center...

 

 

Me with an old Bidayuh guy who works at the center

Japanese skulls kept over a fire in an "Iban longhouse" (The Iban (ancient) belief is that the soul is kept in the skull of a person, so when the Japanese invaded Sarawak, the Iban's chopped off their heads and kept their skulls burning over a fire to continually burn their souls.)

 

(still cultural center) Iban drums

a spider...

a waterfall...

Me wearing a Malay thing...

 

Us digging the grave for the newly departed former branch president.... with a log in the middle of it

 

Goats I saw while on splits with Elder Harr in Batu Kawah, that was cool 'cause I've never seen pet goats in Kuching, like imagine you drove around MacEwan and saw goats... same concept

 

The chair of the guy who binded my Kitab Mormon into hard cover

 

Sister S's baptism! 

 

Us visiting Sister K and Sister B in the hospital (the old members from Kota Sentosa, they were the main help in my area back in Sentosa)

 

A jug plant (in Bako)

 

Beautiful Bako... lot's of pictures from my mission... in Bako

 

Elder Sessions with the Babi #haram

Our investigator on the back of Elder Sessions' bike

 

ok that should be all my pictures

I was reading some of your emails and Luke says that you were visiting people in the hospital because you were really sick and already there. No wonder I worry!

hahahahahaha that's so funny, no, we don't go to the government hospitals in the event of an emergency, we always go to private clinics because Malaysian hospitals are sketch. (I've never needed to go to a hospital on my mission)

Did you get your new suit? Is there anything you need?

got a new suit, is there a way you could ship a peter's milk shake here and timbits?

Feb 9, 2015 - Fun PDay

wow you e-mailed a lot :P hahaha

That sounded like a cool stake conference though!

We just went to Bako (Which is the cool beach that I went to last year in Kuching) That was a ton of fun, we played capture the flag on the beach there, it was such a great time, had a hike got to run around, now getting e-mailing done....

We got a new investigator this week! Her name is V, 14 years old, she was a referral of our recent convert's younger brother! She doesn't have a very large background of Christian knowledge (small understanding of God and Christ, plan of salvation were entirely new concepts) but she is incredibly supported by the youth of Matang branch (majority of which attend the same school) (The Matang youth are super dope, it's a lot of fun to serve in the branch with them)  

Anyways :P

I got my Christmas package a couple weeks back :) I like the pillow case haha, I finished the Doritos already... :P

I miss the chinese new years parties back home! They were fun! There is so much chinese music, and Elder Sessions absolutely hates chinese music... so he's going insane right now :P

#hopeImNotLessActiveInAYear #_if_i_am_go_kick_my_butt

I asked about the mission presidency

So the Mission Presidency is President Mains, President Chen (Singapore) and President Ero (Kuching) I know President Ero very well, I've only met President Chen once (both Christmas' I ate at Presdient Ero's house... and all his daughters are fb friends... also his son replaced me in Johor as Elder Lebanon)

I think the general authority is the Asia area President (Elder Funk) He came to Kuching, but I didn't have the chance to meet him. 

The councellors of the mission presidency (now this is just my thoughts, obviously I don't know every thing they do) assist a lot with member and district work. Presdient Mains can do interviews for members with good english, and even poorish english, but President Chen can do interviews in Chinese, and President Ero can do interviews in Malay/Iban (and he's Bidayu, so if he needed to he could also do that...) anyways, they assist a lot with the district (and Singapore Stake) in organization and function.

anyways that's a bit for today :P

Anyways! Jumpa Lagi!

Feb 1, 2015 - Baptism!

Hey! This was my baptism in Johor that happened the week after I left!

 

Sister S got baptized this week! That was very exciting, the baptism went really well! I still haven't gotten a card reader... sorry... but Elder Sessions is going to give me the picture in a sec from the baptism.

 

The house is awesome, I love Elder Parker, one of my favourite people in the mission, he is training Elder Ee from Kuala Lumpur, he's funny, 'cause his English is pretty FOB... but it's better than his Malay (he's Chinese) so it's funny talking to him :P I've never really seen a "native greeny" but he's really funny, It brings back memories from Sentosa.

(I told him that Jordan got 32 points in a basketball game)

32 points is a lot of points! I've heard (from Bro.Laughlin) that J is almost 6 feet tall now! (but I'm guessing probably still about 110lbs)

What the heck! Why is it so warm back home...? is it summer already? oh... never mind, it was schizophrenic Calgary weather.

 (And I told him that the cousins came over, with Sam driving)

SAM CAN DRIVE WHAT THE HECK!

Anyways, the week was good :P

Jumpa Lagi
Elder Bester

January 25, 2015 - Staying in Kuching!

Hey! Still waiting for transfer news!

So now I'm the only one from 2nd ward? (also LDS.ORG doesn't list the Merciers as on a mission...)

I'm very impatient for transfers, my desire to e-mail is very low with no transfer news.

You should use this time to write really long emails with all sorts of exciting stories and the time will fly by!

well, a week ago we helped a sister do service, she needed to cut off some branches on a tree.... a very tall tree... so we climbed it and hacked off branches with a machete... while being bitten by red ants... the size of quarters.

Writing stories drives me crazy :P

umm... I went on splits with Elder Harr! (He is ZL in Kuching) that was awesome! We had such a great day talking to each other and getting work done! I love that guy so much, he's so diligent and incredibly down to earth. I think the reason that he always needs to have a companion is so that he doesn't get translated...

We have a baptism on saturday! #hopeidonttransfer

umm... idk... OH YA!

We dug a grave for a former branch president! The Matang Elders with a couple of YSA went out to the church grave yard (1st time) and dug a grave, problem being that the land wasn't cleared to well... so we had a tree trunk in the middle of the grave... that was a pain :P the next day (day of the funeral) a couple members had to go out with a chain saw and get it out before the funeral.

idk... that's been my week :P

my suit should be done tomorrow. Also I found a book binder to make my Kitab Mormon into a hard cover book... so I'm pretty stoked.

I'm still in Kuching! still in Matang, same companion!

Hey everyone! I want to say I love you all and appreciate the Love and support you have given me throughout my mission, and I am sorry I haven't sent any pictures... I'll get a card reader soon and send them all...

Jumpa Lagi!

Elder Bester

Jan 19, 2015 - Funeral

Interesting week, got to meet some lost less actives in our area, so now we have some new people to meet with. Right after sacrament meeting, (District 2nd counselor) announced that a brother (used to be a branch president) had just died, so that through some strangeness into the meetings, then we went to the home (with a lot of members from the district) saw the brothers body (already prepared). They didn't have any temple clothing in Kuching, so he was dressed in regular sunday clothes (but with white pants) That was interesting to see.

The most amazing part of that was the support that came from the district. Members from every branch came to support the family (there is a daughter and a son (19 &20)) (the mother passed away a few years ago) and to be there in their time of need. It was truly Christ like love at work.

We just went to the Sarawak cultural village (as I told Troy) that was cool, but I've seen the culture for the last year +... and it was a little different than what was shown :P

From Troy's email:

I went to the Sarawak Cultural Village today (That is why I'm e-mailing late) that was really cool, they had a show of all the different tribes in Sarawak. There was also examples of houses in villages (which weren't really all that accurate... but that's ok I still liked it) 


#Diplomas! #no_tests_im_on_a_mission #hayoureinschool #cantdoworsethanididinenglish

Wow, Dad's been travelling all over the place. Japan, LA, next he'll end up in Kuching :P

The NFL is always the same 8-10 teams in the semi's, Wow surprise, Packers, Seahawks, Patriots, and Colts :P
 

I go to Singapore in the end of February, but next week I'll e-mail with transfer news!

Jumpa Lagi,
Elder Bester 

also, there are 11 new missions opening up!

Jan 11, 2015 - New Branch President

Hello!

I'm glad you got my package, sounds like everything is going great back home!

Sound like a crazy party house as usual :P

We got a new branch president yesterday! President D, who was the (less-active) branch mission leader in Kota Sentosa while I was there! and now he is active and a branch presdient! Also he is only 24! and his counsellor is a returned missionary, who is only 26, so right now the average age in the branch presidency is 25!!!

Very exciting time in Matang, I'm way stoked, also quick question, would you recommend getting a new suit while I'm here? I don't want to just waste the money I have left... it would probably be about RM700 for a nice one, and I'm wondering if it would be cheaper than getting a new one back home... even up to RM 900 is only $300... but I've only got $2 000 left and I want to have money at school... so I don't know what to do...

I had an interview with President this week! I love Kuching, everything is great :P So funny that I didn't see him for 6 months, and then I have two interviews back to back with him haha. He answered a lot of questions, it was way awesome.

Anyways, off to play some sports today!

Jumpa Lagi,

Elder Bester

I'm glad everyone liked the ties! Did the rest of the stuff make it there safely?

 One of the missionaries who was here tonight is going home in August just like you. And another one was an investigator in Kelowna when Jordan Crowell got there and is now on a mission!  Been out 59 days or something!

THAT IS SO FREAKING COOL!

Jordan is almost home isn't he? When does he return? Also Josh Widdup is almost back right? Like in a few weeks... also Elder Baranov goes home on wednesday! My first companion to go home...

Also there are a few Elders (including my companion) from my group going home on the 11th of August, so they have only 7 months now! I'm running out of time!

 

anyways I'm out of here!
Jumpa Lagi

Elder Bester

 

Jan 4, 2015 - District party

There was a district Christmas party on the 31st, so I got to see a lot of members from all the branches! That was super exciting, got to most the members from Kota Sentosa again!

The Milkshake party! That was so much fun! I loved that party, really good tradition :P No New Years kiss this year though :P

hahahahaha " I think he’s tired, because he didn’t make me type a play by play of all his goals for you. Maybe later."  That's hilarious hahaha

New Years hockey! Man I miss the ward traditions!

How many of the boys made it through all of it (Hobbit / Lord of the Rings movie marathon)? cause I remember doing Harry Potter, and it was just me and Cobi :P

I actually remember that you went there for your 1st anniversary, cause Dad has said some jokes occasionally about that :P

Elder Pierce is a Chinese Elder! I went on splits with him last week, and we went to the Stutong area of Sentosa, so we stopped by a bunch of members :P

I haven't ever been offered that (bat and flying squirrel)... but I would try

Elder Lefontaine (serves in this mission he is in Kuching now, and was in Kuching when I was first here, he's from Detroit and he like the red wings) his brother served in a ysa ward in Edmonton

hope for UofA :)

Jumpa Lagi,
Elder Bester

I asked him how splits worked when they both speak a different language.

My understanding while teaching is good, but that's more because I can watch people and their actions, and a few words here and there, so I know what's going on.

But I just speak Malay or English, depending on the person...

Pretty much I just sit there and say something in Malay every now and then :P

We'll see, I'm hoping for UofA, I honestly think the hardest to get accepted will be UofC because they don't take the ap marks...

I still haven't gotten a SD card reader... so eventually I'll get one and upload pictures.

Elder Bester

 

sorry, about the pictures... I should really get a card reader :/

latest news! (from the mission)

Also if you notice, 370 baptisms... roughly 100 companionships so 12 in a year isn't too bad :P