March 24, 2010

Hey peeps.
I'm writing you from a glorious Internet Cafe in Singapore. Wow, It is nice, the keys don't stick when you press, they are all present and accounted for, the connecting is flaw-less, the seat is comfortable, the computer is new, etc. What a change from the usual weekly internet trip. This is my second time in Singapore and this place continues to amaze me. They need to build glass walls around it and call it Singapore mall; because that's what it is, one very large mall. We flew in yesterday. Sister Lim and I and an Elder Ng-Woon from New Zealand serving in Petaling Jaya, a suburb of KL, all went to the airport together. The assistants had told us Sister Lim was coming, but when we got to the airport she had no ticket. We called the zone leaders, who called the office couple, and apparently the Assistants forgot to tell us that Sister Lim was no longer going. She was pretty bummed, we sent her back to KL in a taxi to spend the next couple days with a senior couple serving in Petaling Jaya. So it was just Elder Ng-Woon and I. The flight was pretty empty so we got some seats towards the back and layed down for a nice 45 minute nap. I didn't know who I was meeting in Singapore, I figured there would be some girl I was supposed to be with. After Elder Ng-Woon and I got through immigration we met the office couple and found out that almost all of the sisters were also flying into singapore that day. I was so excited. We are the only sisters in West Malaysia so I was excited to see all the other sisters serving in East Malaysia. Sister Goodwin from my MTC group came with her companion and it was so good to see her again. Sister Petty, Richie, and Harrison also came. There were a bunch of Elders flying in from various cities too so it was a lot of fun. We all went out to dinner and walked the streets of this busy city. In all honesty, they don't have anything planned for us when we come so it is very much like a vacation...Last night all the sisters stayed at the Office couples home, they have a pretty big crib, and it was a lot of fun. The two Indonesia Sisters from our MTC group were also in Singapore, they had to leave Indonesia only for a few days and it happened to be the same few days we were here. It was good seeing them again.

Today Sister Petty and I got up and ran through a park near to where we stayed. Like everything else here, it was beautiful. I really like Sister Petty and Richie, we have very very similar personalities. Unfortunately Sister Richie is leaving in two weeks, and Sister petty is leaving only a few months after that. At the rate they are transfering sisters I don't think I will get the opportunity to serve with either of them. Most sisters stay in an area for 9-10 months. Which is totally unfair, the elders moved about every two months. After running, and after dying Sister Petty's hair, we went to the beach. Oh it was glorious. With all the Elders and Sisters we made a pretty large group. We played volleyball, threw football, and sat on the beach staring longingly at the water...It is beautiful here. You should all take a trip to Singapore someday. It's not tropical Island beautiful, it is huge modern skyscrapes running into the ocean beautiful. We stayed at the beach for a couple hours but it soon got too hot to stay; when no water is involved, you can only endure so much of a hot beach, despite how pretty it is. After emailing we plan to hit up Little India, which should be fun.

This week in Kuala Lumpure was ok. Oven was baptized on Sunday after church. Kiran baptized him. After he was baptized Kiran got up to share his testimony and he started by saying "I wanna sare testimony but I wanna sare in Nepal becos I wan to sare to my brother oven" Then he talked in Nepali for a couple minutes. After he finished Oven got up also and shared his testimony. It was so good to hear how happy he was. He told everyone that a few months ago he started looking at his life, thinking he wanted something more in it. Then his friend Som introduced him to us. I was sitting in the back at the piano and almost started crying. Sunday was slightly emotional because it was Kiran's last Sunday with us. This week he goes back to Nepal to wait and prepare to go on his mission. He wore his full suit to church on Sunday that he just bought for the mission and he looked so good! Just like an Elder. Seeing him baptize Oven and then share his testimony with him was so awesome. I am soooooo going to miss Kiran. He has helped us missionaries in KL so much. After the baptism I was playing postlude music and Kiran comes over very sad and said, "sister I am sad" I said, "why are you sad Kiran" He said, "Sister I am sad to leave Kl, you will forget me I know it" I said all I could to encourage him that no one in the branch could forget him, they all love him to death, and also that the mission is going to rock his world. He will be missed though that is for sure. I hope I get his address when he finally gets his call because I really want to write him and encourage him.

So sister lim and I sing a hymn before we start companionship study every day. At least we try to. I think it is from having studied for two hours already but my eyes have the hardest time reading the words in that small hymn book. And I don't know what sister lim's excuse is but she has a hard time too. We sing the wrong words, and mess up a lot, and I don't think we have been able to get through a hymn yet without laughing. We usually end up throwing the book down and just pray and get on with our studies.

Our cute Korean neighbor came over the other night and asked for my help in grading his English paper. It was adorable to read his English, so simple. It actually was really good. I showed him how to change words and reorder things to make it sound like better English. It was fun. I told him to come over anytime if he needs help. it is amazing how fast small children pick up other languages, no fair. We are going out to dinner with his family on Saturday, we'll see if we can get them to want to learn.

Oh I got your packages! Thank you macsen and thank you family. You guys are really the best. I walked into the office yesterday and one of the office elders runs over and hands me not one, but two packages and says, man sister viehweg you are loved. Yes I am. I made the mistake of opening them in the office in front of all the office elders and all the elders there for their VISA runs... the candy is gone. It went fast, but we all enjoyed it! So thank you thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And macsen, just yesterday I was at the store looking at seasoning packets thinking I wanted to buy some to cook with and then I saw the price and had a heart attack. How did you know to send them. you're awesome. Thank you thank you for the books too! they are perfect.

sis v