July 21, 2010

Thank you for the letters this week everyone.

Red Fish sounds like it didn't dissapoint. I'm glad. And good weather for you all too! How perfect. I had a dream last night that I was sent home. Not for any reason other than they just decided it was time to go home. I remember being very very mad in my dream. I take that as a good sign - I don't want to come home yet. Sorry fam :-). I bring this up because this week I was told something I never thought I would hear. We were talking to the Elders at District Meeting and they were giving Sis Whittemore a hard time becuase she is going home next month. Then one Elder turned to me and asked me how far along in my mission I was and I told him I was a few weeks away from starting my eleventh month. He replied, "pppfff, you're almost done too!" Those words hit me like bricks; I did not like hearing them. Almost done?? what? that's crazy talk.

We just got back from visiting a long house an hour outside of town in the jungle. The senior couple took Sis W. and I in their car. It was awesome. Long Houses are incredible. They are just really really really long houses with hundreds of doors. All Ibans seem to originate from a Long house. They always talk about which long house they are from. This long house we went to was on fifty foot stilts. It was truly incredible. I took plenty of picutres. I'll have to show you. While we were there we went inside to take a look and saw an old man sitting on a mat. He told us to come and sit for awhile. After talking to him for a bit and translating for Elder and Sister Mckellar, we found out he was the chief of the long house. He was a pretty cool guy. He started talking about when the long house was built (a couple years after WWII). We started asking him what he remembered about the war and he replied, "the white people won, the japanese wanted us to give them food, we wouldn't give them any." He was only 5 or 6 at the time. It was fun to talk to him though.

This week was great. Extra rainy. I feel like I wore my black shirt everyday (it hides all the mud that flies up from the tires). Moses' three daughters were baptized on Saturday. Remember moses? The father who liked the modesty article. That was a wonderful baptism. It was seemless. Their uncle is a long time member in the other branch here in Miri and he performed the baptism. It was amazing, there were no repeats. You have to understand, everyone is new to the gospel, everyone messes up on the baptisms. The catch phrase for baptisms here in Miri is "it doesn't have to be pretty". But Angela, Anastasya and Lydia's baptism was beautiful. Moses came and he looked so happy that his daughters were getting baptized.

On Monday we went and visited just with Moses and Payah (his wife) to see if we could get to the bottom of their concerns. He didn't want to be baptized because he has already been baptized in the Catholic church. He thought God would be mad at him for getting baptized twice. We explained to him the need for authority (for the 100th time) and I told him in God's eyes he has not yet been baptized. God didn't recognized his other baptism. He was convinced, it didn't take much. I think he wanted to be baptized all along he just didn't want to get in trouble with God. His wife Payah didn't want to be baptized because she is 6 months pregnant and was afraid of hurting her back. She wanted to wait until after the baby was born. I told her I had seen a woman who was 8 months get baptized no problem (in a movie - but I didn't tell her that part). I also told her about Sampang getting baptized. Good ol' 90 year old Sampang. she has seen him at church in his wheel chair and was impressed when we told her he was baptized not long ago. After a bit of convincing from her husband she agreed too. they are getting baptized next week. Who knew Sampang would aid us in resolving other investigators concerns?

Tain, a less active member we have been trying to work with came to church this week. For the first time in about 3 years. We are teaching his friend which is really helping him come back to church. I love going to teach them. they are cute men. His friend doesn't understand much of what we teach so Tian whispers to him in Iban during the whole lesson. It's cute. They are one of the houses we teach by candle light. I love that. Zero distractions. We went to their home Sunday morning to remind them to come to church and Tian was outside hammering away and something on their shack in only his shorts - looking very much unlike he was planning to go to church today. We told him 'Hey your coming to church right?" and he gave us some sort of lame excuse as to why he couldn't come. The excuses we hear are rediculous. they might as well say, "oh I can't come to church next week because I have to sit down..." for reals. Anyway, we reminded Tian why we go to church and that he really does want to come back, that's what he tells us everytime we see him, AND that he had to bring his friend Adam today. Adam wasn't there at the time so we were bummed, thinking they weren't going to show up. we left Tian after he told us, "if Adam comes back, I'll bring him". Luckily, on our way out we passed Adam returning from wherever he was. We said, "Hey your coming to church today right????" and he said "of course." Later at church Tian and Adam sat in the back, and they left right after sacrament meeting. That night when we went to teach them Tian said he felt like it was his first time at church all over again; he said he didn't know anyone. Ya lah! because you haven't been in 3 years! I'm so glad he came though, it's progress. He is bringing adam again next week, which is good. It's good for Tian to have the responsibility of bringing Adam because he is really excited to share the gospel with him. In the past Tian use to follow and help the missionaries teach all the time. I think, slowly but surely he will work his way back. The inactivity here is heart breaking. There literally are hundreds who don't come. so sad. Always go to church, it's so important.

love you all

sis v