Letter #95 - Week of 25 Nov 2009 - Tough week in Penang

Hello,

Penang has been a very tough area the last week.

Last week, we were sitting in Maem's cafe, talking about her baptism. She was a little depressed, and she told us it was because the members who referred her were giving her an especially hard time. I think I told you how they were apostatizing and all. Anyway, she said they were going on vacation to Thailand, and they wanted her to go with her. She said no, she wants to stay so she could go to church and be baptized. That didn't make them happy. They got really angry with her, and threatened to send the police to close down her shop and take away her friends who don't have a passport. Anyway, we were talking about 12:30 in the afternoon. She said they had rented a van and wanted to pick her up and leave at 2:00. They told her not to tell anybody else about it (they had borrowed money from several people in the branch with the excuse they were in difficulty from loan sharks, but they really just wanted to take a long vacation to Thailand and England, and perhaps move to England to stay). While we were talking, Brother Soon called. Elder Stone knew them quite well before they went off the deep end, so he took the phone and answered it by saying "Brother Soon! I hear you're going to Thailand." That didn't make him very happy. He hung up. They showed up about 20 minutes later. We did our best to give Sister Maem emotional support. When the Soons showed up, they denied they were going to Thailand and promised we would see them at church on Sunday. Actually, just Sister Soon said that. Brother Soon gave us the most angry stare I have ever seen, shouted "I'm not in the mood!" and left on his motorcycle. That was a very interesting reaction. Obviously, asking about vacations is in no way offensive and provocative. If they were taking a normal trip, they probably would have been happy that we cared. But they know they are doing wrong. The show of their countenances doth witness against them. They seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord, and from His servants. Well, Maem did end up caving in and following them to Thailand. She should be back soon. She was having some sort of heart problems or something, and ended up in the hospital one of the days. I feel so terrible for her. Hopefully the Soons are on to England.

It would not be fair for us to send someone to England without England sending someone to us. The Penang Elders had quite a nice trade. A young man named Lew came to church on Sunday. He had spent the last 4 years or so studying and working in England. He had been going to church and learning from the Elders off and on for the last 3 years. When we were first talking to him we asked "Are you still interested in learning about the church." "No," he said. "I just want to be baptized." Oh
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We talked to him again last night, and it seems he had just put off baptism because he didn't feel ready, but after coming back to Malaysia, he realizes it would be the right thing to do. It seems like he knows it all. He had been in a singles ward in england, and was around lots of member friends frequently. He's been to the temple grounds and firesides and watched general conferences. He'll be an awesome addition to the branch. He'll probably be baptized on the 5th of December.

We'll have zone conference next week. Probably my last one, because in January we should have a General Authority tour the mission.

Every time I watch any show with dancing in it I also wish that I had been put in dance lessons. Just this morning during breakfast and as we cleaned, we watched the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas show from last year, and it had some traditional dancers in it. And Mom would probably like to hear that I really love the song O Danny Boy that's included on the disc.

Love,
Elder Muffler