Dear Dad,
Thanks for the email again. Cool that it was 10-10-10 the other day huh, there was footage on TV of mass-weddings going on all over Asia. Thousands of couples gathered to be married all by one preacher just to have the anniversary 10-10-10. In my opinion 11-11-11 would be much cooler, they should have waited a year.
Sounds like you all had a good week full of football. Right on. And dad I do remember you telling about us the story of meeting the apostle in Isreal and then later on in Japan, although I thought it was Elder Maxwell not Elder Faust. So ya I guess you do need to tell those stories more often so us kids can get the facts straight. I'll tell you this, In the MTC Sister Goodwin once was talking about how cool it would be to be baptized in the Jordan River and I told her my dad was - ya, I had to brag. She thought it was the coolest thing and has told all of her companions since, and more hahah. You've got a cool history dad, make another book. I'm on page 398 in my mission journal, which doesn't seem like that much but the pages are big; I'm proud of myself, especially since I hadn't written in a journal since middle school. Most of the pages in that Middle School journal have since been torn out and thrown away too - I mean, who really likes themselves in middle school? I sure didn't, what a depressing journal that was haha.
ANYWAY. Miri has been good this week. Transfers are in two weeks and my little daughter Sister Wong is terrified I'm getting transferred. I have tried to assure her that with how expensive this mission is President never transfers people for no reason. And since no new sisters are coming, there is no reason for a transfer. I'm not going anywhere, but she still worries. It's funny.
Next week all the missionaries serving in Sarawak are going to Sibu, the city south of us, for the second phase of the major training we had in Singapore earlier. We are excited. We get an 8 hour bus ride that I am actually really looking forward too. 8 hours of just sitting sounds really really great to me; man I'm tired. I remember when I first got to Kuala Lumpur, my trainer Sister Mccurdy was so tired all the time. I remember thinking to myself, "man, why is she so tired? I never feel tired at all". Now I know....Sister Wong has all the energy in the world and she keeps me going, NOT THAT I'VE GOTTEN LAZY OR ANYTHING. haha.
Last Sunday they showed Conference at church. It was a total nightmare. The two branches gathered together to watch it on the screen in the chapel. Ibans have zero sense of what it means to be reverent. Throughout the entire session everyone was talking, not even in hushed tones, in full voice! People were on their phones even. No one was paying attention. The sound system was terrible so no one could hear above all the talking, the translator was a girl which really REALLY confused the Ibans. Seeing a man on screen and hearing the voice of a woman just didn't compute for many of them... PLUS the language was Indonesian so much of it they didn't understand. That Sunday we had a lot of investigators at church and the whole time I was just praying they were feeling something that I wasn't...because it was totally unspiritual. That Sunday actually broke my record for people at church thus far on my mission. It was awesome. Everyone who said they would come, ACTUALLY CAME. What a miracle. For many of them it was their first time attending church so all the following week we had to explain to everyone that we don't watch films every week as worship. They thought that was the normal, and they were not impressed. It's been stressful because we talk up church so much because it is so important and so awesome, but then they come and see chaos and a movie. Fortunately a few felt something special; two of the boys who attended church for the first time Sunday agreed to prepare to be baptized next month when we visited them this week. Their names, Jackson and Baru. They are so cute.
The other day when we were teaching them we asked Baru to give the opening prayer. He agreed but looked terrified. He said he had written a prayer to help him remember how and asked if he could read it. It's not ideal, but we consented because he really did look so scared. As he took out the piece of paper and unfolded it the paper was shaking so bad because of his trembling hands. Haha he was so nervous, as he prayed his voice was so shaky. After his prayer we assured him that it was so perfect. He was breathing hard and smiled, "hhh hhhh hhh really? hhh hhh hhh" It was hysterical, I've never seen a 24 year old man so scared.
This morning Sister Wong was making fun of me becuase I literally stood in front of my closet in my whites, staring at my clothes for 20 minutes. I hate all of my clothes. Burn them all. They are so sick, they have sweat stains, and black spot stains all up and down the back from the water kicking up off the roads when it rains. So old. So, today I bought a shirt. The first article of clothing I have bought in Malaysia. I held out for a long time but finally couldn't stand it anymore, I needed a new shirt. I'm very pleased with it. With my luck, the first time I wear it will be a down poor and it will be stained, just like all the other ones. Oh well, It's not like I'll be bringing ANY of these clothes back with me, their just yuck.
Love you all
Have a good week
I know I will
This mission is the best mission in the world. I know other missionaries say that but this one REALLY IS
Lisa told me before you that she was prego haha! I'm special
Sister Viehweg
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