Chinese 'War Zone' (Chinese New Year)

 

Hey Everybody once again!

 

This week was a good one as they always seem to be out here in Malaysia! I'll just throw out the highlights and the noteworthy stuff here real quick! 

 

 

In reference to the title. Every night is a competition between two Chinese families to see who can light off the most fireworks and who can light the loudest bombs basically. And this happens on EVERY street. It is way funny. When we ride home on our bikes I feel like I'm riding through a war-zone. Way fun. 

 

 

Last P-day after emailing we headed to the Bowling Lanes they have here in Sibu. Yes. They have bowling here. Weird right? So we headed down for our activity and we had a good time. I was a little rusty and it took me just a little bit of time to get my game back. But, Elder Thompson's bowling game is back, Haha!

 

 

My comp and I had the opportunity of riding out to one of our members houses this week. This member is the farthest out member of them all. I mean, out in the middle of nowhere. So we hopped on our bikes and we started out. After over an hour and I don't even know how many miles, we finally got there. It was a brutal bike ride but fun at the same time. There is something about biking in the dead heat and in the middle of the Malaysian jungle that makes me happy. We had a great lesson and then we headed back. This was the best part. There is no light out there and I mean NO light. It is just you, your comp, your bike lights, and the starry sky above you. It is the sickest thing. I had to be careful of where I was biking, because I would just get caught biking with my head looking straight up into the sky. That is a memory that I will never forget.

 

  

I also got to be a Chinese Elder this week as I went on exchanges with them. I've got to admit. My Chinese is getting pretty good, Haha!  Most of the Chinese here know Malay anyways, but between Malay explanations, Chinese vocabulary, and English translations, we taught some great lessons. We also did some service on the spot for someone which never happens, but that was cool! 

 I have a culture update for all of you. It kinda blew my mind a little bit. We got invited to a members house to eat food and basically celebrate with them. Reason? It was the year mark for their daughter's death. I thought it odd to be celebrating that and inviting the entire branch. But that is the thing here:  The Iban tradition is to invite everyone over to eat and celebrate. And we ate....we ALWAYS eat! To bad it goes right through me....oops... Basically the point of this "party" is to finish a year of sadness and heartache. So it was cool to help and talk to a lot of less-actives that have been long time members and friends. Awesome.

 

 

 

To finish up, I mentioned a family going to the Manilla temple last week. They got back this week. I did not even have to ask them to know, that they changed and they loved it.  I could see the happiness on their faces and I could see the light in their eyes. Of course I still asked them about it. The way they explained experiences and pictures and everything, it was all just awesome. Another testament to FAMILIES and especially KELUARGA ABADI: Eternal Families. That is the reason we are out here. True joy comes from this source right here.

Love you all!

Elder Thompson

Draper, Utah Missionary Letters thru Jan30 -2016

 

 

Zone Conf Jan 2016  &

Temples 'Hours & Years' Away 

 

Coming at you once again from a noisy Cyper Cafe in the middle of Sarawak, Malaysia in the city of Sibu!

This week was our Zone Conference week so way fun! For those of you that don't know what happens with conferences here in the Singapore Mission, here the update: 

We actually go to Singapore! We fly in early in the week and we hop on the MRT (Train) and we head to the church. The first meeting starts at 7 at night so we have most of the day to go run around Singapore and have a good time. Way 'sick!' This zone conference we headed to what is called "Gardens by the Bay". We walked around "Marina Bay" and we took some sweet pics, if I might say so myself. It was a fun day. We also have the opportunity to eat GOOD food that we don't have in [outer] Malaysia . We spend our money on food there, not souvenirs, haha.  

For the other parts of the zone conference it is just like normal. On the second day we receive training and talks from the President and others. All of which are good! (But I may like walking around Singapore a little more...)

 

 

We wake up on the 3rd day at our hotel, and we head out early so we can get to the airport. This is Changi Airport. It is no ordinary airport. That is why instead of going 2 hours early, you go 5 hours early. There is so much to do and see in that airport it is almost like you don't even have to leave the airport for tourism!  But it was the perfect way to top off zone conference before heading home back to [outer] Malaysia!

 

 

 

Back in Sibu, Sarawak we then had District Conference for our District. So all our branches combined in Sibu to receive instruction. It was way cool to see the all of these people come in from sometimes 4 hours away to come to the meeting. During the meeting the focus was on "Families Can Be Together Forever", which is exactly what it should be. They talked about the temple a lot and man it was spiritual. One of the families in our branch was given a spotlight because they were leaving for the temple that afternoon. I have been working with this family for the last 6 months while I have been here and they are the best. It was such a powerful moment when I realized they are going to be sealed together for time and all eternity, as I was helping to watch their son up on the stand. As I am typing this email they are probably being sealed in the Manilla Temple. A sacrifice that is not easy for ANYONE here. They have to save for years and many do not make it there. The more I see this sacrifice the more I gain a testimony of FAMILIES. That is what it's all about.

Anyways, this week had its fun and also its spiritual experiences. Good week and here comes the next one! 

Elder Thompson 

 

 

 

High Points in Sibu

Hey Everybody!

I'll get right to it. Last P-day we went to the highest point in Sibu and I didn't get a chance to put it in my last email! In the perspective of Sibu, it was a pretty high point. But in terms of the mountains back home in Utah, it was pretty much a cute, little hill. BUT, it was a great feeling to hike an inclined hill since I haven't done that in so long haha. Once we got up there it was cool to see everything, and out of all the stuff to do in Sibu...there's not a lot...this was pretty fun and something to do. So that was that!

Later in the week we were at our recent converts house teaching his daughters so they can be baptized. His younger daughter was sick when we showed up, and she has been sick for a while. So they asked us to give her a blessing and we did everything like normal. I did the anointing. I was finishing up the first prayer and toward the end of the prayer I felt these little, tiny hands softly set on top of my hands. At first I was a little thrown off but when I finished the prayer I saw that it was their little 6 year old son and I started laughing a little. It was pretty cute because he was telling everyone he just wanted to help to heal his sister. In my head, all I was thinking is that this kid is going to be an awesome Priesthood Holder when he grows up! It was so cute haha. 

 

Another part of the week one of our members referred us to her friend and we went to visit her friend. These were two mothers who were great friends and we just enjoyed listening to them talking to each other. It was a pretty cool experience for me especially because a lot of time you look at these people here and you think they are so different. You marvel at how many things are opposite and different. But today was different. I listened to these two mothers talk about all the same worries and struggles that mothers have back home! They were talking about how they had no time to cook or do the things they wanted at home because they were always running their kids around to school and activities! Sound familiar? It was weird but way cool to see the same side of mothers across the world. 

This week we had the opportunity to do service at the Chinese blind society. Let me tell you. Never have I been so grateful for the yard work skills I got before my mission. (Thank you DAD) We weeded and got their little garden ready to plant whatever they wanted. It was cool to meet some of the old folks there and to serve them as well. That was one cool things we did this week also!  (Also: Chinese Branch Member's Drawing of us again):

  

Lastly, we got a referral from one of members toward the end of the week and we got the chance to meet her at church this week and teach her. Her religious background is that her family is Buddhist. Her initial interest is that she wants to know who Jesus is. It was such a cool experience to teach someone with that background and start from scratch. Learning about her religion and her beliefs first was key and pretty crazy for me to learn. The whole perception of God and Jesus Christ was completely new for her. We taught and she understood. Better yet, she understood that as she gets to know who Jesus Christ is, she will begin to learn his teachings. We told her that as she learns more about him, she will learn more about what he wants us all and her to do in this life. She is way excited. As are we you could imagine!

That seems to be all for this week. This next week is Zone Conference so we are heading Singapore! I'll let you all know in next weeks email! Love you all! 

Elder Thompson     ( PThompson@MyLDSMail.net )

PS: Thanks Oregon Family, Ashley, Grandma, etc., members loved the care package, pics:

 

Draper, Utah Missionary Letters thru Jan9th -2016

Sufficiently Grateful

Nama Berita Semua!?

This week was a good one, well it didn't really start off too well, but it finished alright! 

To start of the week I was sick all day for a couple of days. I caught a true Malaysian viral fever here and it just about put me out of business. There is enough to be said about being sick, but catching a Malaysian sickness that you've never before encountered....it's something else. There were a couple days where I would try to diagnose what I had by taking into mind all of my symptoms. After counting all the symptoms I would just give up...I had no clue what was happening to my body. BUT, everything is all good now and I am back up on the job! That brings me to my main point, Sufficiently Grateful. 

There are a lot of days where you just look around here, and the smell hits your nose again. We are biking in a ridiculous heat and sweating all over and no one will listen to you. You are having a bad day and all you want to do is just go home and call it a day. Normally I pity myself and feel pretty bad about it. This week was different. I was down so much just doing NOTHING because I was sick. You can't just slide in movies here or have your mom to help you with whatever you need while your sick. You get pretty down on yourself. Then comes the day you get better. I got outside, the sun on my back, the wind while biking. I was so happy to be out again. It's stuff like this that when in the midst of trails and challenges, you forget about them. So I thanked God a little more for the ridiculously hot weather and the sweat off my face this week. 

 

 In other news, my bike situation is looking up!!! Finally. I finally found a bike shop that can fix up my bikes and they don't want to scam me! These guys are honest and they do what I tell them! So for now I am riding comfortable with bikes and it feels great. Another huge reason for being grateful this week.

Last thing for the week. This one was a highlight. We all got invited to a Chinese Wedding happening within our Chinese Branch here. It was way fun and way cool. If you know anything about Chinese over here, they love to party, and more than that, they love to eat. Oh yes.  So we watched the original wedding which was pretty calm, then we headed down to a nice hotel in the "Bandar" (City) for the reception. They call receptions here "Chinese Banquets". It was crazy. They decorated the whole place and had a stage and everything. You would of thought it was a Fortune 500 company seminar or something. Anyways they sat us down at our designated table and they did what all Chinese do here for banquet dinners: Set the food in the middle of table on a spinning wheel and then let the people at the table attack it with their chopsticks....So we followed suit, and I wasn't complaining haha. Then at the end we do a toast. Everyone stands up and we toast to the married couples health by yelling "YAM SENG". I mean YELLING. It sounds like a college football game before kick-off. It was way funny and fun to join in on. But I guess you could say that blew my mind this week.

 

That's all I can think of highlight-wise. We'll hope next week we can get back into the work a little more. Other than that, time keeps rolling and memories keep coming! We'll talk next week! 

Elder Thompson

PThompson@MyLDSMail.net

Draper, Utah Missionary Letters thru Jan9th -2016

IN THE NEWS

Happy New Year 2016 (Chinese New Year too!)

Hello again to everyone and Happy New Year!

I think I'll start this email off with just giving everyone an inside look on what a New Year is like here in Sibu, Sarawak, Malaysia. Well, first, in the morning you get calls from all the members who invite you to their house to basically eat food and what not. That's all they want you to do, come to their house, and eat. They won't let you stop eating. Anyways we have to pick only a couple of house to go to so we ended up at our recent converts house for the night. We went out to the back and started the fire in their oil drum which was cut half-way. Once the fire was about high enough we slap the wire fencing on the top, and then you throw whatever you have on the "BBQ" and you cook it up.  In this case, the father came home with bag fulls of chicken heads. So yeah slap those one and fry 'em up! Simple and easy right? I know, it's awesome. Then after eating and relaxing and visiting, us missionaries have to be home so we head home. 

As the sun sets you can here and see fireworks going off all over the city and across the river. We get home and we get all ready for bed with background music of, fireworks. Then as you are falling asleep and thinking about the day, the clock hits 12:00 am in the New Year.   At exactly that time, EVERY Sibu gangster in the entire city lights off their arsenal, and every other house that wasn't previously lighting off fireworks, joins in. (Word of advice: Chinese LOVE fireworks...) It honestly was like a war-zone haha. We are talking Chinese gangsters who can get things off the black market and that includes fireworks that are more like bombs. So needless to say all of us missionaries hop out of bed and watch the sky get lit up. It was way cool! Even better, Chinese New Year is even more insane, and they celebrate that for a month straight here haha. Can't wait until February!

Well, other than that this week wasn't too exciting in regards to highlights happening. Missionary work is on-going. I still get my mind blown like everyday with something new. I should probably take note of these things so I can tell you all when email time comes around everyday haha. I guess for now, one cool cultural thing I can share with you this week is this: When you have guests over for any reason, even for like 5 minutes, you must bring out some drinks and crackers. Or some sort of cake. It's like "mali" if you don't. "Mali" being Taboo. So every house we go to we at least get some flavored water and some cake or crackers. Culture update for everyone!

 

That's it! Love all you guys and thanks for all the support!

Elder Thompson

Draper, Utah Missionary Letters thru Christmas -2015