"Wait, you're Muslim?"

Some good stories for this week so let me share all those!

First, we met this sweet couple of these way prepared people outside a mall and they said we could meet and eat at their place. We set up the time and day and when the day came everything pulled through, which was a first. We started into eating this delicious food and getting to know them. They were awesome at English and they both owned their own businesses. They had money to travel and they had other family too. They were nice and super cool and Elder Haslam and I were looking at each other and smiling thinking, these people are 'golden,' we were 'high-fiving.'. So we finished the meal and we were honestly right about to get into teaching when I re-asked the question again to clarify what religion they were. They said, Islam......wait what?! I could have sworn they said Christian before. I just put my head in between my legs, pretty much, looked at Elder Haslam, and we just laughed. Of course the Muslim couple would be the most hope we have seen in months. These people are prepared...I wish we could teach them. Funny, haha.

We wanted to teach one of our investigators in a house that didn't have a male that was of age so we couldn't go in. We walked around the entire village and asked every member we knew if they could help us out but they couldn't. We were getting pretty desperate so I told our member who is a Sister, that we needed to pray. I said the prayer and asked for a male member to help us and be at the house we wanted to teach. Well, you all know God. We show up, knock on the door, and there was a 16 year old guy who stayed so we could teach! 

 

We were way far out in some more villages exploring when Elder Haslam got a flat tire. I mean, we were way far out. The rest of the night consisted of us two walking on foot in the pouring rain, absolutely soaked, backed to house. It got dark and I think I made it through about 5 or 6 hymns before we finally got home. I don't think I hit any of the lyrics right on but I think I sang like 12 versus of "Ye Elders of Israel". Most of it was just made up on the spot, haha. Good times!

The Young Men had an activity and it was pretty much let's get together and cook food! We met at the church and all the members taught us a little bit about the Malaysian way of cooking and flavors. It was way fun and way tasty.

Elder Thompson

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Draper, Utah Missionary Letters seen thru Oct 29-2016

Food and Missionary Challenges

Hey yo!

Yes you heard it right and yes the picture does not lie. They have a food challenge over here in Kuching where they challenge you to eat a 1kg burger stuffed with everything...in 20 minutes. That is 2.2 pounds if anyone was wondering. That puppy was HUGE. But was it tasty ;) Best part is, if you finish it, it's FREE!?!  Guess who walked outta there with every bill still in his wallet?  Yeah. Yep. This missionary. I finished that thing in 12:10 min. The fastest of the 5 missionaries that did it with me and of all the missionaries I have heard do it! It was way fun haha. 

 

We had zone conference this week so that means that President Simmoms and his wife get to come in a conduct meetings and do training for a day. It is always a good time. For the night activity we went bowling as a zone and sadly, Elder Thompson was not victorious on that day, but it was way fun bowling with President. 

 

 

I did exchanges this week with the Samarahan Elders who are both natives to Sarawak here. I love working with natives. One of them in particular is Elder Patrick! For those of you that remember he was my second companion back in Sibu! It was awesome to be able to work with him again and he has grown a lot on his mission. You want to know why missions are so special? Well, let's take a 'dirt poor' teenager from Malaysia who knows no English, dropped out of school at the age of 13 (or rather could not afford it), whose family background is not that good and nor are they supportive in his mission, and who really can't read or write?....and lets send him on a mission?!?!  Fast forward to over a year and he learns how to read and write through the Book of Mormon, he can speak pretty good English, and he has such a tenacity to learn the gospel like never before. That is what missions do and that is why they are so inspired. I love it here.

Elder Thompson

 

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Draper, Utah Missionary Letters seen thru Oct 22-2016

Indonesian Testimonies

Hey everyone!

I'll start of with the highlight of the week and that was definitely that Liliana got baptized! Everything went smoothly and the spirit was for sure there. The best part was obviously her testimony and man was it powerful. She knows it's true and we feel like we have been through so much with her even though it has only been 5 weeks. Awesome.  We had the baptism and I also had to do exchanges with the members in my district on two of the days. So I had a lot of different companions this week and a lot of different experiences but all were good!

 

 

Last week for P-day we went to the Sarawak Cultural Center and got to walk around there with the zone. It features all of the different tribes here and their culture. They have each of the types of houses that you can go in and explore. Like most tribal things go here, Elder Thompson just feels at home. 

  

 

 

Here is a funny memory/bucket list item that I checked off this week! So on the way out to our house out in Matang, there is a Mcdonalds?!?. You know how sometimes all you want to do is just stop and get an ice cream cone?? That is like me, except every time... but we never have time. Anyways we decided to get one...except we didn't have time. What do you do? Drive thru... No car? No need.... Just ride your steel beast of a bike up there and order up! It's a bit hard to ride after you have it in your hand but it is so worth it. Ah, yeah...

Love you all!

Elder Thompson

PS:  The Jenga Lessons are fun to do with families, kids, and tie in with Scriptures: Pics & Video:

 

Video: Link: Teaching via Jenga game with Kids followed by Scripture relation 

Jenga foundation lessons with kids in Kuching by dim light

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Draper, Utah Missionary Letters seen thru Oct 15-2016

Persidangan Umum

(General Conference)

Hey everyone I have to brief as always because: 1) I live in the Malaysia and Internet really isn't a thing here...you'd expect it to be, but it's not, and:  2) Missionaries have no time. I apologize in advance, I wish I could get all the details out.

Last P-day we went to some more caves and that place was full of bats! We were hiking around in these small spaces and when you could actually stand up you had bats flying around you in a tornado. Coolest thing ever. You'll never feel more like Batman ;)  We now have a new companion who joined us here in Matang. He is the assistant to the President and he had some rough visa chops in Singapore so he is out here with us! It's Elder Harker and he is the same age as me in the mission. We came out together! It should only be temporary but still fun!

 

Conference was sick. We get it a week later here because...Malaysia, but it was still awesome. I wish the rest of our branch thought so too! We show up to set up the Saturday morning session and start it up and....no one comes.... 3 missionaries and a cockroach crawling around the rotting floor was all the Church got from Matang here. It's ok we are working on it! I love this place. Here are a few of my favorites for conference:

 

Dieter F. Uchtdorf reminded us that we should be feeling that "Ah" factor throughout our lives as we study and learn. He also told us all to check ourselves during Priesthood session if we are Alma's or Amulek's. Awesome.  Henry B. Eyring reminded us to be grateful for the small things and the small gatherings of saints that don't look like much now. Oh how I am grateful for the pioneers here in Matang leading out.  Ronald Rasband told us to "Don't forget." Enough said.  David A Bednar asked the piercing question. Do we know Jesus Christ?  M. Russel Ballard asked us as well. To whom shall we go? What could be better than this church? Where will you go if you're not here that will provide such joy as this? If you have felt that joy, can you feel so now?

I love you all!

Elder Thompson

 

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Draper, Utah Missionary Letters seen thru Oct 8-2016

Kampung Life

Hey what's up everyone?!

Let me start off with last P-day. We got done emailing and then we headed out to some caves in the mountains near our house! Well, you can't really call them mountains because they are like, 10x smaller than Utah, but still SOMETHING TO CLIMB. The mountains here are like the movie, Avatar, if anyone knows what I am talking about. They feel like they are just floating in the air. Trees grow out the sides and they just look so different. It's awesome. The caves were way cool as well. To reference another movie, King Kong, or Pirates of the Caribbean. The caves were pretty much a 'free for all' and you could go as far and as deep as you wanted. Make sure and bring a flashlight. Tons of  cool surprises and bats everywhere! 

 

Speaking of bats...I took one to the face while riding back home. I guess she just wanted a kiss. All these bats 'trynna' get at Elder Thompson over here. I didn't know a huge, sweaty, bike riding white dude could be so appealing...

Anyways about the Kampung (Village) life. We had the opportunity to head out to some kampungs around our area. These places are cool, all wooden houses and some really humble people. They are all Iban and they for sure didn't build the wooden bridges for my huge feet. I guess they just want me to slip and fall in the river that looks more like a sewer?! Jokes, it is a sewer. Yummy :).  I will tell you what though, Kampungs make some really nice home-made 'burgers.' Now that stuff is yummy! 

 

 

Let me finish with the story of Liliana. She is going to be baptized in two weeks! We got here and she had been taught for over a year without really ever being ready or committed to church. Well, it took some hard commitments and some fasting and praying, but look where she is now. She bore here testimony to the congregation of about 20 people on Sunday and man, it was strong. She is ready. Couldn't be more excited for her. Love it here in Kuching already!

I for sure love you all as well!

Elder Thompson

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Draper, Utah Missionary Letters seen thru Oct 1-2016