Wow. I'm impressed that Dad really did pick out a tie that I really like. I would hazard a guess that he picked out the brown striped tie, though. I'm sure he doesn't remember, but Mom probably remembers.
Oh, speaking of clothing. If anyone ever asks you for suggestions on what clothing to get: we did almost everything right. Stafford poly-cotton shirts would probably last the rest of my life (the only problem is they turn yellow and grey a lot faster than they wear out), haggar pants are the best (I bought two different kinds, and haggar are way better: I should have bought them all that brand but I didn't like the color; then I came out and colors didn't matter, comfort did, and haggar pants are way more spacious below the waist (obviously they are the same as the other pants at the waist), both pairs of ecco shoes should last my mission no problem. However, my ties are not enduring so well. I shouldn't have brought silk ties. Polyester are much better. Not that ties are hard to replace. It seems like people are always trying to give you new ties. I will pick up some new shirts and pants I left in Singapore tomorrow.
I'm not sure how much of Grandma's money I have spent. I'll take out some more just in case today. I need a pair of jeans. President Skelton has recently requested that we at least wear pants when we're travelling through immigration (we are supposed to dress down to not arouse suspicion).
Reboni has been too busy with work the last week to meet with us. We have talked to him, though, and he is doing good. He had a great uncle or something pass away on Sunday. When we asked if we could do anything to help his family, he told us "No. Besides, I don't think my family is ready to accept this", implying Reboni fully has accepted and intends to share it with his family later.
Bong is also doing excellent. He was down to 3 sticks of cigarettes and hadn't had alcohol for several days until yesterday he had a drink at a friend's birthday party. Last week, we taught him about eternal families, which he really responded well to. After the lesson, we were trying to get him to pray with us, but he didn't want to. Before, he had prayed using Heavenly Father, then prayed in Bisaya, then closed "In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen", again in English. He finally asked "Do you have to use english when you pray?" Of course not, we just don't know how to say it in Bisaya. I tried to have him translate it himself, but I don't think he understood what I was asking from him. So finally, we realized we could search through the Book of Mormon for verses that use those phrases, which we did. We figured out what he could say, and after that, he was more than willing to say a prayer. He even had his daughters and wife come out of the house (we sit at a wooden table outside of his front door) so he could pray with them. That was touching.
Bong does have a difficult problem that we are still trying to sort out. He and his wife aren't actually married. And, because neither of them are Malaysian citizens, I think it's unlikely they can get married here. We are trying to figure out how they might be able to register for marriage in the Phillipines through an embassy, or through mail, or if they have to, we might ask them to fly back (through Air Asia it is amazingly cheap- something like 20 US dollars) to Manilla and have a bishop marry them and then fly them back.
We met another very interested investigator last sunday. Actually, he met us. After church, we got on the bus, and I sat next to an Indian guy, and he started talking to me in a very strong accent that I could barely understand. But I got my message across. After we got off the bus, Elder Compton explained to me everything he said, having worked primarily with Indians with a strong accent in his last area. Well, we met him this past sunday, and he had lots of questions for us. His name is Jeevan. He has been working in Malaysia for about a year for a recycling plant, and his family is still in India. Unless I'm mistaken, he has been having his own worship service on Sunday, but he is interested in joining a church, especially the one that claims to be the true Church of Jesus Christ. Throughout the lesson he mentioned several times his desire to do what we are doing. He told us he wants a copy of the Book of Mormon and each of our pamphlets to send back to his home town so they can translate it into his language. He is very animated. When we told him about Joseph Smith's decision to pray to find out which church was right, he gave us two firm thumbs up, bobbed his head back and forth like Indians do, and said a firm "Yes! Yes!"
I have been gorging on food the past week. I'm so happy my metabolism is back the way it used to be. I can eat quite a bit and not gain any weight. I have gained a couple pounds back. I'm back to 170. Between Chinese New Year feasts, and Elder Gulbrandsen's cookie dough, I got plenty to eat this last week. Speaking of cookie dough, I'm going to have fun with our toaster oven this week. It finally hit me that I can bake things now, so I found self-rising flour last week and made biscuits a couple of times. I'm going to experiment with banana bread, muffins, and cookies this week.
Chinese New Year has been fun. I have had many more mandarin oranges. We get them wherever we go, which pleases me greatly. You've got to remember that it was the Chinese that discovered gunpowder and pioneered the use of fireworks. Sunday night it felt like we were in a war zone walking through a chinese terrace house neighborhood. Fireworks were going off all around us. It was fun. I got to catch a glimpse at a Lion dance. It was amazing. Two people are dressed in a lion dragon creature costume and dance by jumping between platforms set up on a stage. We also recieved a little Ang Pao packet. They are little red envelopes filled with money given out as gestures of good will and good fortune to those who are not married. Although missionaries normally cannot accept money, we are authorized to accept those as part of the Chinese cultural tradition. We got 2 ringgit. I'm buying an ice cream cone.
I read an awesome scripture this morning in 2 Nephi 4:15-16. I share Nephi's sentiment. My soul delights in the scriptures. The scriptures have been at the very core of my testimony, of my development, and really my happiness since I started reading when I was 13. While on my mission, I know the days I really put effort into personal study and ponder on what I read throughout the day are my best days. I've noticed that the investigators and members who take time to read from the Book of Mormon every day are so much more likely to make good decisions, which lead to baptism or lasting activity and true conversion. Those who do not have a very hard time doing that. It is my hope that all who read my email today ask themselves if they have read from the Book of Mormon so far today, or they plan on reading it some time after they read this. Those who make a decision to read the Book of Mormon every day will be blessed in every way in their lives. They will have the Spirit. They will recognize temptation and be better equipped to face evil. They will have a greater desire and ability to do good. It will lead to eternal life. It's that simple.
Love,
Elder Muffler
PS: I've been showing my family picture to investigators and members lately. I got a big one made. I thought mom would like to know, nearly every time people see the picture they comment that I have a young mother. I promise I'm not lying.
OH yeah, we ate at Burger King this week for grandma.
I had a whopper. That was delicious. I never liked Hamburgers before my mission, but I sure enjoyed eating that one.
Elder and Sister Douglas also made a really good stew for us on Monday. It had okra in it, also carrots and potatoes and beef.
This is also a picture of me serenading on the Malaysian flute thing I bought last week.
I forgot to mention we had a branch activity yesterday at the beach. It was fun.
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