Hello family,
Things are really starting to get exciting here as a missionary in Sandakan. For the last 6 weeks ago, we have really been in a dead spot. I'm glad I could still be here to work through this.
On Thursday, a young Filipino man named Ednel referred us to his friend Rose, who happens to be the girl who works at the internet cafe that missionaries in Sandakan have been going to for who knows how long. I always assumed she was Muslim. Nope. She's a Filipino Christian. After we found that out, we decided we would try to come on Thursday to talk to her. We got all ready for it, then came to the building, and I said to Elder Stone "Wait a minute, how are we going to do this? This is going to be aqward." He said "I was just thinking the same thing." So we thought a minute, and decided we would just start talking about Ednel, and tell her that we would like to meet together with him to have Gospel sharing (I don't know why Filipinos like that term, but they always use it). So we climbed the staircase and stepped in. Upon seeing us, Rose looked around at all the computers as usual, and found two computers together (she knows the missionary rule). Then both Elder Stone and I started talking at the same time "No, no, no." We stopped to let the other person speak, and I finally ended up talking "Namamu Rose, kan?" "Your name is Rose right?" Her eyes got about twice as big with suspicion and nervousness. "Yeah, why?" "Well, last night we were talking to your friend Ednel. He's a member of our church. He said you were also Christian, right?" "Yeah ..." We then shared a short message, and invited her to meet with us, which she declined, I think more out of shock than anything else. We'll ask her in a few minutes if she read the pamphlet we gave her, and maybe try again.
Hola mi son? How about, "Selamat patang, anakku yang terbaik."
We met the greatest guy last week. We had found three people in an area last week that agreed to meet us again. One of them was a 20 something Kadazan Roman Catholic man, another an 18 year old Indonesian maid, and finally a 60+ year old almost blind Chinese Buddhist man. Now, if we had to make a decision based on probability of which was most likely to go anywhere, it would be the Kadazan guy first, then the maid, then far behind would be that old blind Chinese guy. But that's the problem with making quick judgements: things just don't work out like you'd expect. As it was, the Kadazan guy told us to not come back, the maid told us her boss got angry with her so she doesn't get time to meet with us, but that old Chinese guy invited us right in and listened very sincerely to what we had to say. His name is Ng Keng Shun. We found out he went to a Catholic school when he was young, so he is at least aware of some of the Biblical teachings, however diluted or distorted he may have recieved them. He expressed a great willingness to learn, but frustration that he couldn't read any of the things we gave him. We invited him to church, but he didn't give us a solid commitment. Almost at the last moment, I remembered that we had a baptismal service the night after we met him. We invited him to that, and he said okay. Of course, he didn't know the way and would have a very hard time finding it by himself in the dark, so we offered the help of a member to come get him. After this, we were talking about prayer, when a woman drove up. He told us it was his maid, that she is Christian. She came in, and very uncharacteristicly to rich people with maids, he asked her to sit down for a minute and talk with his friends. We were all for that. We told her about the Restoration of the Gospel, and she didn't seem particularly interested. Then, Keng Shun said "Hey! I'll be going to a baptism tomorrow night at their church. Do you want to come with me?" She wasn't sure at the time.
When Saturday rolled around, we were faced with a dillema on who we could ask for help to bring Keng Shun to the baptism. The 1st counsellor in the branch presidency, Alex Voo (a former Buddhist himself) would have been perfect, but he was busy. Thankfully, we now have the help of a very awesome member by the name of Andrew Yap. Brother Yap was Sandakan's second branch president (we're now on number 4) who has spent the last 3 or so years in Mesa, Arizona, and is currently just waiting on a fiancee visa to go back, get married, then live the rest of his life in the U.S. While here, he is not working and doesn't have much to do, so last week when we talked to him, he essentially offered any kind of help any time (which he has fulfilled very well so far, including buying us lunch at pizza hut today). Andrew Yap makes me laugh. In reality, he's a 40 year old Malaysian, but he acts like a 20 something from Arizona. He describes himself as a banana: yellow on the outside, white on the inside. He can be ridiculous sometimes, but he was more than willing to put off dinner with his family to help us out. Sure enough, both Keng Shun and Alice came to Juarak's baptism. I'll get pictures sent some time.
Hani is still doing awesome. She came to church on sunday and loved it. But she had some sad news for us. Her parents, who she hasn't seen for 9 years, wanted to take her back to her village from this last week until Christmas. Luckily, they haven't come yet, but who knows how much longer she'll be here. She expressed her disappointment at not being able to be baptized this month. We told her we could choose another date in January and she said "Yeah, but that's so far away." It's true. Maybe she'll be able to stay long enough to be baptized before all the opposition from her family sets in, though. I hope she doesn't go to her village and cave under all the pressure which she will surely face.
Our zone leaders came yesterday for exchanges. That is always very fun. I don't know if I ever told you, but one of my zone leaders now is Elder Pace, who was in my MTC group. He was with me yesterday. It was very good to see him and talk to him again. I feel kind of sorry for him, though. This is his first malay speaking area. He has been working on learning malay every day, but it's not the same in english areas.
December 1-5 will be kind of crazy. We'll be having zone conference on the 1st and 2nd in KK. Elder Stone and Elder and Sister Morrey will then be going on a visa run on the 3rd through the 5th, as will Elder Niederhauser, so I'll be with Elder Pace in KK for those days. Last night, it sounded like one of the Elders from Tawau will also be going at that time. I'm not sure which one, but it's possible I'll be with Elder Pace and Elder Ogden, both of whom I was in the MTC with. That would be so awesome.
It sounds like President Skelton usually switches our P-Day to Thursday so we can celebrate Thanksgiving. We'll find out next week.
Sorry I don't have pictures this week. They just slipped my mind.
We had a missionary return to the Sandakan branch yesterday (it was kind of lame- there was no one except his sister to pick him up). He was serving in the Phillipines. He called us up this morning and offered to come with us whenever we could use him. I'll try to take him up on that tomorrow morning. A returned missionary will be awesome to have in the branch.
I don't know if I ever told you, but Elder Van Wagenen and I have had a little competition going on. When I first got here, he sent me a post card.
I just had to one up him, so I sent him a 4 page double-sided letter. He responded by sending me a tie. Well, I've been thinking long and hard about how I might get him, and then last week when I was at the grocery store last week, I found just the thing. I got him good. I saw cornees, Malaysian corn and milk flavored hard candy. As we say it here in Sabah "Habisbah." It's over. Finished.
I was really impressed by a verse I read this week from the Book of Mormon.
It's Alma 50:1 (I think. The computer's being slow and I can't load it
now) " "I was thinking about how Moroni, even though things were going all right, continued to make preparations for war. He didn't ever stop working. If Moroni was a missionary, I think he would start working hard every morning at 7:00 when the alarm clock went off, not at 12:00 when he left the apartment. He would continue to work until 11:00, not until 9:30 when he came home. Since I've been with Elder Stone, I've learned so much about the importance of all the little things we do before we go out and after we come back. I've learned that personal revelation comes to those who seek it, the the Lord is more than willing to tell me how I can be a better missionary or what I can do to help my investigators, if only I am willing to diligently seek that revelation through diligent scripture study and planning every day. I've learned that because of the intense satanic opposition to my every action as a missionary, if I do not actively seek to make good plans and do everything I can to ensure those plans come to pass, I cannot expect anything to happen. Moroni understood that he could not slack off, and he has provided a great example to me, and I hope everyone else. You may not be a missionary and be expected to devote every second to the Lord, but be assured that you can and should be anxiously engaged in the work of the Lord, and are entitled to His help as you try to do your duty, whatever that may be.
Love,
Elder Muffler
Whats been going on?
11 years ago
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