Jan 19, 2010

Hi dad. Im still safe.
I am sorry there are so many hard things happening in the world today. I
feel very blessed and protected. We take extra precautions to remain safe.


So this week has been a week of miracles. Naveen was baptized on Saturday
and it was amazing. It was also very stressful. Right up until the baptism
we didn't know if he was going to make it because of work. But he did.
I've never seen him so happy. After he was baptized he kept saying, " oh
sister, i have been waiting for this for such a long time". I love this
Punjabi man. But the stress still wasn't over. He still had to make it to
church the next day to receive the Holy Ghost and get confirmed. We do all
we can to let the converts know how important it is to come to church the
next day. If they don't come we kind of have to start over. Late saturday
night Naveen text'd us and told us he couldn't come and that he was so
sorry. His boss wouldn't let him. We said a lot of prayers on his behalf
that night, praying and praying that he would come. We got to church the
next day and Naveen was there sitting on the couch. He said "Sisters, i did
like you said, I just turned off my phone". I was so proud of him, that
takes so much faith. He was really nervous to go in to work on monday, he
was worried his boss would fire him. But the Miracles just keep coming.
Not only did his boss still want him to work, his boss also gave him every
Sunday off from now on. I couldn't believe it, this never happens in
Malaysia. Work is our enemy. But Naveen has really been blessed. He looks
so happy all the time.
At church on Sunday there were a lot of Americans traveling from the
States. One girl was there on her honeymoon touring Southeast Asia and
knows macsen and lisa. Her name is Stephani Tanner ?? Small world.

Another miracle on Sunday was Janak. Nanda's friend Janak is getting
baptized next week but in order to be baptized he needed to come to church
on Sunday. If he didn't come we were going to have to postpone his baptism
for the second time. We had to postpone the first time because on Sunday
Nanda sent Janak to go to the Embassy for some reason, on Sunday. Nanda got
in trouble for that one :-). Don't send our investigators on errands on
Sunday! Anyway, the week prior he got Dengay. We were so sad A. because he
was sick, and B because we didn't think he would come to church. But Sunday
morning came and in walked Nanda and Janak. He was feeling so much better,
which is crazy because Dengay is pretty serious. I was so happy, and he
looked so happy too.

Let me tell you about the Myanmar family we met last week. Remember them?
So, they invited us back on Sunday night. We showed up and the whole family
was there plus some others. It was quite the crowd and they were all
sitting on the floor waiting for us. We came in and sat down with them and
they told us it was going to be a little while before we could start. We
were not sure why but soon realized. People just started flowing into this
little apartment, all from Myanmar. I counted and we taught 35 people, all
crammed in one room. They sang a few songs in Burmese while playing a
guitar. And then Aboi, the only one who spoke english leaned over and told
us we each had twenty minutes to preach to them. It was little
intimidating, but they were all ears. Sister Mccurday sang for them a few
hymns, since they sang for us. And Then we taught them all about the
Restoration of the Church, complete with pictures. We kept it very very
simple because Aboi was having a hard time translating. We also gave them a
few pamphlets about Joseph Smith in Burmese, it is all we had. It is hard
to teach without any printed materials. When we finished they requested we
sing again for them, which we did, and then we sat and drank Coke haha.
They want us to come back at least once a month to preach to them.
Unfortunately none said they could come to church so we don't know if it
really is a good use of our time. We shall see. It was quite the
experience. As we left we shook all 35 of their hands. Myanmar people are
so cute!

We have begun teaching a man named Farooq. He is from Pakistan and is
working here in Malaysia. He is the most humble and happy man I have ever
met. We teach him in his tiny 4x4 ft guard hut, where he works and also
lives. He used to own a shop in Pakistan but it got burned to the ground by
people who found out he is Christian, so he came here to work. Everything
he earns he sends back to his family. Hence the reason he lives in the
guard hut. He is awesome though. Every time we see him he talks on and on
about how he is so blessed by god and what a good life he has. To me his
life seems pretty sad, but he is so happy. He really wants to get baptized
so we are excited to help him do that.

Man, you guys missionary work rocks so much. It seriously is the best. I
am so in love with everyone we teach. Nanda introduced us to two more of
his friends this week who are coming to church on sunday. The work is
awesome.

love you all!

No Im sorry shannon, I cannot see mt everest from Malaysia, ya dork.

sister v