Sup fam,
I'm feeling better thank you very much, all except for a stupid cough that doesn't want to go away. It's made teaching really fun because everytime I open my mouth I have cough attacks. Sister Wong has really had to step up this week, becuase often I can't get a word out. She's done beautifully.
Dad, I think I may have given you a false sens of Miri from all the pictures I have been sending. Miri is indeed a town that is quite modern, it even has a couple malls. But then you turn a corner and it's poverty. The Malays and Chinese are usually the wealthy ones that live in the houses and on actual streets; but we don't teach them. So, we spend our time in the shacks by the river with the Ibans, Kenyahs, Kelabit, and Kayans. Mostly the Ibans though. On P-days we often spend time in the city, and the place we live is in the more modern part of the city. It's really is a crazy city, absolutely zero city planning. We will be biking down a road of shops and all of the sudden there is a beautiful chinese home, and then we turn the corner and there are little shacks with no plumbing or electricity. I guess I only take pictures of the shacks and sticks because, A that's where we spend our days, and B that's what's foreign to me.
I live in a place called Jinhold Apartments, Lot 2160 Jalan Bulatan, Block 4, MCLD, Taman Piasau Indah, 98000 Miri, Sarawak. Google Earth your heart out dad. We live about 25 minutes from the airport. And that town you found, KUCHING, is the captial of Sarawak. Kuching means "cat" in Malay, which is fitting because cats are everywhere here. They are taking over. I'm told in the city of Kuching they have huge statues of cats...wierd. I believe we will be going there next month for the 3rd session of that big training. Ugh cats, they are gross, and dogs too. If there is anything my mission has taught me it is to hate animals... They are so disgusting. Is there such thing as dogs with hair? I forget becuase all the dog's hair is scratched off from itching the fleas. Just kidding...but seriously.
This week has been ok. There is always a hi-low after baptisms because you get the feeling of having to start over. They train us over and over again on how to avoid the "tidal wave" (having a ton of baptisms and then nothing), but it's still hard to avoid. We still have a few planned for the end of the month, but we are having to be more and more creative on finding ways to find new investigators.
The next day we went back and visited Matthew, the lonely man, and taught him about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. He was waiting for us on his porch, dressed up very nice. The day before, when we met him he was in grungy grass stained clothes trying to fix a weed wacker. He had cleaned up his house, had soft music playing, juice made and ready to drink (with ice! what a delicacy), biscuits and he had bought candles for light (he doesn't have electricity). He said, "I've been waiting for you guys" Ya we noticed, the place looks amazing and you've actually showered. He said he had been waiting a couple hours. THis guy seriously needs company. His wife and 2 kids are back at Kampung. We had a good lesson and talked with him for a while. He said he would read and we are meeting him again in a few days. He is super super strong catholic, so I'm kind of nervous about that but we will see how it goes.
I have a lot to learn when it comes to missionary work, man oh man
love you all,
sister viehweg
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