When we got there my heart broke

Hello Family and Friends!

Another week here in Sibu passes by and here is an email about some highlights that happened on this adventure out here on a mission!

This week we had a Youth Activity at our church where all the youth from Sibu came down as well. All of the youth from our 3 branches here in Sibu attended (which is not too many), but it was way fun to see so many faces!  We played fun games like Frisbee and that balloon stomping game, I am not sure what it is called... Anyways it was hectic but awesome! 

  

 

We had one of our members move out from their house and move pretty close by. They did it without telling anyone, so when we asked to meet them she had to meet us at her old house and travel to the new one. We rode our bikes, she took us through the back roads to her new house. We went through abandoned ship yards, and industrial parks until we got there. When we got there my heart broke.  It's what we call, instant humbling here in Malaysia.  Their new house is a grouping of little shacks held up on stilts, sinking into the river behind them. Families live in these homes with four walls, mostly three, that are made up of thin sheets of wood.  We walked on a pathway over the river, I could feel every wood piece bending underneath me until we got there. Even when we walked in the door, the floor was such thin would I almost broke through multiple times. I felt so bad I thought I was going to break their house. The thing with these types of houses is that they are way more often the only choice of living. They are everywhere here, they are just tucked away and hidden. These members we met with walk to church on foot, but they are of the happiest families I know. When we were teaching, they brought out so much food, I knew that they had given us everything they had, and of course they force us to eat. I felt bad eating their only food. These people are so loving and they give all they have to us. Truly humbling, and I prayed with all I had when we left, and left blessing on their house, so that house we would remain standing and support this family as well as always being filled with love. 



 

Snake with its 'Bones - So Good!



These people here in Malaysia, especially the members, I have learned to love so much. A lot of experiences here have been pointed towards families and every time I laugh or have fun with theses members, I learn so much. This is one big family here and they always welcome me as that awkward, big, white, Iban child from America. I love this place and it will be hard leave when that time comes. 

 

I think that is it, not too many this week but some awesome experiences!

Love you all!

Elder Thompson

PS:  Still Bike shopping to replace constantly breaking bike, Dad sending money, but may have found an option:

2015 Draper, Utah Missionary Letters Oct24-2015

Flying to Trainings - Sibu BBall 'Recruits' - Favorite Foods

Hello once again family and friends!

This week was another good one! Not so much happened but we definitely had a good time and some fun stuff happened. Of course the work goes on as well, we (Elder Patrick and I) have a pretty new approach on how we're attacking the work because he is a native and he has great ideas that are different! But here goes some highlights.

We got to watch the Priesthood Session of conference at our senior couples house so that was way good. It was nice to do that otherwise we would have had to get by watching it in Malay on Sunday with the Branch. That was fun to do anyways but I didn't get a whole lot out of it, so it was good that we watched it in English.

  

This week we had New Missionary Training, usually it is during week but since our mission is so spread out we had it week 8. We got up and flew to Kuching, Sarawak, the capital of Sarawak. It was only about a 40 minute flight but still fun to take a small plane. We got there and we had a lot of time before the training started so we went and explored. We hitched a ride to Waterfront, one of the bigger tourism spots, and we had some fun there. It was fun to explore a new city a little bit! We came back and had our training then we headed out to find places to sleep for the night, flew out the next morning and came back to Sibu! It was good to be home, but Kuching was way sick!

  

So we play basketball every morning, and lately we have like guys come up and play with us, then they ask us if we want to play on their team for some tournaments. We would love to but we don't think we can, so we tell them that, but this guy said if you can we'll have jerseys made for you anyways, haha! So we got these jerseys this week, it's like we got drafted into this like semi-pro league that we might just be able to only help coach them in, probably not play...dang.  But we got jerseys for free and they are sick! Perks of being white, American, and playing basketball decently...haha.

 

The work is still slow here, always has been, but we are strengthening the members and getting in touch with the less-actives. It hard to have investigators here because Sibu is a "one night town" as in, people come here to go other places, so we work within our means.

On to another week down, another coming up!

Elder Thompson

PS:  Several of the favored foods :





Not Unusual to Cut up Coconut

Favorite Breakfast

Favorite Lunch

   



 2015 Draper, Utah Missionary Letters Oct17-2015

I Love the Iban Culture!

Heelllooo friends and family!  It has come down to another week and here we go with another email! This week had all sorts of emotions and experiences. (What?!? Parker had emotions this week....wait...Parker had emotions?!?)  So, yeah, here are some highlights and note-worthy things going down in Sibu, Malaysia.

We had transfers this week, which was really weird because I thought 6 weeks would never come. But the unexpected happened, my trainer and my "father" as they joke here, left me! Elder Yang got transferred and will not finish my training! Dang it! I loved that guy so much but he had more important things to do before he heads home. So, I waited anxiously to see who my new companion will be, an hour later I figure out the I will be staying in Sibu, and my new companion is Elder Patrick! This kid is a native, he has been out on his mission one more transfer than I have so it's nuts. He is a blast, loves to joke around and he is just a funny guy haha. So, what this means, is that the rest of this transfer will be done in Malay....holy freak. Yeah!

Elder Yang leaving was bittersweet. It went down weird but it happened. My bike, Bessy, Hernandez 2.0, The Green Hornet, gave out at a red light, the tire went flat. So we did what we do here best, ghost ride. You ride side by side holding the broken bike and riding hopefully a better bike that is functional. So I took Elder Yang's bike and ghost rid Bessy to the church, I have gotten really good at this actually given all my bike problems....it's an art. After Elder Yang said good bye at the church to everyone, which was way sad, we headed out to go home, on foot. It was way good because wwe got to talk and enjoy each other's company for longer and walk the streets of Sibu. I will miss that kid.

Elder Patrick came in, and so, as I mentioned, everything is in Malay. It is jump starting my language. It is crazy how much I have learned in a week already. He is a native Iban, as you may know, I love the Iban culture. So he knows Iban as well, it is like their tribal language. Anyways Iban is the best way to communicate with Iban's because they understand in better, so here comes the Iban language studies! Elder Patrick is such a fun time, we laugh a lot, and we work hard.

  

This week we got to see conference, it was a week delayed because they had to get the translations and all that sent over. They gave us an English one too...Thank you!! I was so spiritually enlightened. I have never had such a desire to learn and to gain knowledge, this conference was awesome, I can't say favorites but I may make notes of them throughout my next emails...awesome. 

Today was P-day, we took the zone to Kampung. It means home village where you originated. We went to Kapit. It's the biggest one in East Malaysia, it was way fun, saw some cool sites, did some cool stuff, living the Iban life!

 

Get a feel for these Boats in Video Below ::

 

Well, there goes another week in Sibu, back to work! 

Elder Thompson
PThompson@MyLDSMail.net



MidWeek Post Note:  received message from the Senior couple missionaries, The Bodell's who are in Sibu with the missionaries there:

""Dear Brother and Sister Thompson, Sister Bodell and I wanted to share with you what an amazing young man you have for a son. Elder Thompson is just that, an amazing young man! We went to an FHE with him and his companion last night. He taught the whole lesson by himself in Malay. His companion, Elder Patrick, shared some thoughts in Iban. Elder Thompson's language skills are awesome. He is doing so well. Besides that, his attitude is excellent. His heart is huge. He loves the people. He loves being a missionary. He's courteous and caring. He is a jack of all trades. He is obedient to the mission rules. He has a level head (which is very unique in someone his age). Sister Bodell and I love him and enjoy being around him. Thank you for sharing him with the Lord and the people of Sibu (presently) and with the rest of the mission. He will touch the hearts of many, many people.""

2015 Draper, Utah Missionary Letters thru Oct10-2015

First Transfer in Malaysia

Friends and Family Hello!

This week was good one, it's crazy to think that a full transfer is over, now everyone in my district waits here to see where everyone goes or stays! So here's goes the highlights of the week!

I got to be a Chinese Elder when the district leader went on exchanges with E Yang my comp. So I learned my Chinese for the day and experienced that, which was fun. I had no idea what anyone was saying but it's a good thing I'm good at reading emotions and tones and figuring out what they are saying! We found some ripe coconuts on our way home and we were pretty thirsty so I climbed up and grab a couple, we opened 'em up and they were good! Haha, cool experiences but I missed Elder Yang. 

Later in the week we headed to one of our members homes. they own the monkey that I always play with...but it seems like they acquire new animals every week! They house is a zoo! So we got to play with their cats, dogs, chicks, worms, and whatever else they had! They have the cutest little cat but it's leg got mangled by the monkey, way sad, but he's still adorable! We have these Sego worms as pets now, they are the grossest things. But, their house is always a blast!

 

Towards the end of the week we did a lot to help the Chinese Elders move out of their apartment and into their new house! I packed this truck so high with all this furniture with all my truck loading skills, it was sketchy but we did it! Way fun to do some service and help those guys out!

 

 

I have the lucky opportunity of having a professional barber as a companion. He got sponsored to travel the US and teach classes and what not, so I get the freshest cuts in all of Malaysia! Anyways not a lot this week, just some fun experiences and some missionary work! Lovin' it here in Sibu and I'm becoming apart of the people even though I'm still this huge white kid in a white shirt and tie! Miss you all!

Elder Thompson  (or "Tong Chung Lao") that's my Chinese name, it's official

 

2015 Draper, Utah Missionary Letters Oct3-2015