July 28, 2010

I'd like to start my letter off with a quote.\

"Yes, I've seen the Sister Missionaries around before. You girls are always so modest. You even wear biking shorts under your skirts when you ride the bike..."

Here's where I turn to my companion with raised eyebrows. Biking shorts eh....oh dear.

So how are you? The family reunion is this week right? I hope that is fun. I'm sure it will be. Crazy that last time they had the reunion in that place I couldn't go either. I was in Alaska.

We just got back from hiking Lambir today. Lambir is a jungle trail that leads to various waterfalls; it's about 30min by bus from the city. It was beautiful. But hiking in the jungle is difficult. About every 30 minutes or so I had to brush a couple leeches off my shoes. Sick. None got me, but poor Sister Whittemore got bitten twice, once on the hand and once on the ankle. Most of the leeches I had were only on my shoes. One got one my ankle but I felt it right away and brushed in off before it bit. We even had to remove our shoes to cross a small stream to continue the trail and I didn't get any. Seriously so blessed. I think it is fact that what scares you most, you are blessed with the most. This is the reason Sister Whittemore had so many leeches (she's terrified); you should have heard her screams ringing through the jungle. This is also why if there is a cockroach in the room it immediatley darts for me, full speed. The hike was fun. It was super hard, and the waterfalls weren't that impressive, but the jungle made up for that. I'm exhausted.

Sister Whittemore is going home in two weeks. She's excited. I'm kind of worried. When she leaves, two other sisters leave with her; which leaves us with not enough sisters for all the areas. There aren't any sisters coming either. They will probably have to close one of the areas and I am just praying it isn't mine. That would be terrible. There is an 80 year old single sister missionary serving here with a couple in Saba (the other state on Borneo) with her children (also couple missionaries); the elders keep teasing me that she will be my companion when sister whittemore leaves. I can only imagine. 80 years old on a bike. it just wouldn't work. we shall see what happens.

This week had a lot of drama. I dislike drama. The drama was with Moses and his wife Payah. They were supposed to get baptized this week right? ya, not happening. We went to his place Friday night to just drop by and he said he was still having doubts. He is really scared of being baptized twice. Anyway, we scheduled an appointment to come back the next day to teach them and try and help them out a little. It's only natural he is nervous. He seemed fine and said of course we could come back the next day. But when we got home that night he called and told us there was a problem and to not come back again. That was a shock. We didn't really know what to do. Never come back?? That is so unlike their family. We were sad; we were really sad for their 3 daughters who just got baptized. If we couldn't go back we wouldn't be able to help them very much. We worried about it a lot Saturday and Sunday morning we were riding past their road before church and happened to pass Moses on the street. We stopped and talked to him for a bit and he apologized for the phone call saying he and his wife had a fight and she was the one who didnt' want us to come back. That was even a bigger shock. Payah loves us, she is always so happy when we come. It was so much more difficult for us to understand why she didnt' want us back because she has never voiced any concerns about what we teach (except for wanting to wait to have her baby). I was relieved though, at least Moses still didnt' mind learning. It's always the best when the father is in agreement with us, they are after all the leader of the home. Yesterday, we went to see Payah to see if we could figure out what ticked her off. She said she got mad at Moses because he was being so wishy-washy about the church; one day he wanted to be baptized, the next he didnt', then he did again etc. We carefully asked her if we could come back the next day to teach her family again and she said of course we could. Obviously she isn't mad anymore. All that confusion, all that worry, all that DRAMA over the weekend was for nothing! I'm gIad it is all over and done with. i hate being involved in marital arguments. Rediculous.

Sister Whittemore told me today that she feels she hasn't experienced enough of the culture here. Since she is going home soon she told me today she wants to eat out everyday from now until she leaves. Oh no... I feel bad because she really hasn't experienced much of the cuisine here and it is really good. Sister Lim showed me everything good in KL, which is why i'm eating nothing now :-). But eating out everday!!!! I'm going to die. Maybe I'll pack a lunch.

Miss you all

sis v