Hello at last From Kuching, Malaysia!

Arrived and loving it!

Hello from Kuching, Sarawak, East Malaysia!   

 Yep!   We went from this........

Above is the pond and golf course out the window of my mom's condo where we have been staying for a couple of weeks.

......to this!  

The view from our apartment window in Malaysia!

  We went from this (our language trainers, Scott Johnson and Zane Pulver) and our fun MTC District (Trainer Brother Keddington, the Shanz's, the Peterson's, us, the Bailey's, Trainer Sister Russom)

 

 to our Mission President fixing us breakfast and snacks the day we arrive in Singapore!

We have settled into our apartment enough for me to begin my blog for this year and this mission.  I’m not sure we have adjusted to the time changing yet, but we don’t seem to be having too much trouble. 

After leaving Salt Lake at 1AM on Monday, Jan. 21^st we flew to Atlanta and had a 6 hour layover.  We met our friends from our first mission, the Bailey’s, at the airport for a little while and a little breakfast.  We then left for the 14.5 hour flight to Tokyo Narita Airport.  We were fortunate to have an empty seat between us which made for a much nicer flight.  It was so long but I couldn’t sleep so I watched 5 or 6 movies and got up between each of them to walk and stretch my legs.   We arrived in Tokyo about 4:30pm on Tuesday, Jan. 22^nd.  A 3 hour layover was just enough time to stretch legs and walk a bit before getting on the plane for the last leg of our flight, 8 hours to Singapore.  Again we had no one in between us but it wouldn’t have mattered for me.  I promptly fell asleep and must have slept for about 5 hours.  It was difficult for me to wake up but that seemed to tide me over until we got to sleep Wednesday morning after landing.

There was so much confusion about our reservations and sleep arrangement or whether or not anyone would be at the airport to meet us we did not know what to expect but as we were getting our luggage, I looked out and saw two people with badges.  I turned to Ed and said, “Honey, we have badges!  It must be President and Sister Mains!  I waved and they waved back and as soon as we could we went through the door and she was just filled with enthusiasm and we hugged even before I moved around the gate!

Then President Mains pulled out his ipad and said,  “We have to record this for you to send home!” and he took this picture outside the baggage claim at the Singapore Airport at 2AM!!!

2AM pick up by President Mains at the Singapore Airport. We were ready to stay on the ground!!

They drove us to the Mission Home and we all went to sleep very quickly because we had a big day ahead.  We slept until about 8AM and then both Elder Moulder and I were up and studying before the Mains woke up.  They fixed us a wonderful breakfast (he loves to cook) of sausage, scrambled eggs, waffles, fruit and juice.  Then we began our instruction in their living room.  About 2pm we headed out to the Mission Office for more instruction and a tour of the Stake Center which includes a Family History Centre.  Along the way we had told President Mains about Elder Johnson from The Woodlands 1^st Ward in Texas and we were surprised when he showed up at the building with an investigator!  We took our picture with him for the folks back home.

Cute Elder Johnson had no idea who we were but when he found out we were from The Woodlands too he couldn't stop grinning.  He spoke to the President for a moment while we were there and it was obvious he was loving the work.  He just kept smiling and smiling.  What a great missionary!

So….we spent the night with the Office Couple, Elder and Sister Howell.  They stay in the quarters behind one of the other church buildings in Singapore which is used to house groups of missionaries when they come in.  The house (now the church building) was the home of a wealthy Chinese man and the quarters behind the house were for his concubines and servants.  It was a fun building to stay in.  At least today there are western beds and sit down toilets . 

What is now a Church building used to be the waterfront home of a wealthy Chinese man.

President Mains, Elder Howell and Elder Moulder study the menu at our first Singapore restaurant.

Elder Moulder loading all 8 pieces of luggage into the car heading back to the airport for the flight to Kuching.

Arriving in Kuching we were met by long time Church members Brother Lebannon Ero, his wife, Sister Mollie and their youngest daughter, Liahona.  They brought us to our apartment where the Sisters who live upstairs from us were eagerly awaiting our arrival.  The other senior couple serving in East Malaysia who lives here have been gone on their regular Seminary and Institute Support run around the island so the Sisters were happy to have another senior couple in the building.  

This is our apartment building.  It has a security gate that works better than the one we had in Salt Lake on our last mission!  ^_^ Ours apartment is the center apartment.  It uses the half of the building with 2 bedrooms, 2 baths and porches on the front and back.  The reddish and green area is the porch where the washing machine and oven are.

This is the 2nd bedroom and is the office where I am sitting right now!!!

Everyone chatted for a while and said goodbye to the Ero’s and then the Sisters began helping us do whatever we needed to.  They have been so helpful, translating, taking us to the stores, etc.  The other senior couple had left a jar of Skippy peanut butter, a loaf of bread, a box of cereal and a box of milk for us in the frig so we had some food.  (Since then we have been eating a lot of toast with peanut butter for breakfast, lunch and dinner.)

This is the food that was left for us by the other senior couple who are on a training trip right now.  So sweet.  The bread is very good but the milk is a little different for us.

 
The Sisters called the man from whom we are renting the car we will drive for the next 18 months and he and his wife and son came to deliver the car right away.  The couple here before us rented it new from him so we don’t have a new car but it is a good little car.  Elder Moulder really enjoys driving it.  It is a Malaysia make called Proton.  It is quite zippy and perfect for these roads.

Elder Moulder in the driver's seat of the Proton we are renting.  It is a fun little car and we are adjusting to the British driving quite well....better than we thought.  Probably because the people here do not drive very fast, they are polite drivers and they do not honk their horns!!!Hurray!

We have spent several days and gone through several local people to help us set up our internet and get a cell phone and a phone for our Vonage number. We appreciate these people so much. 

We have been cleaning and going through things in the apartment.  Learning how to use the little washing machine and the showers and the air conditioners, etc.  The prior couple left all the appliances we would need:  2 printers, rice cooker, blender, mixer and a few I didn’t know I would need but have come to appreciate very much:  heated tea kettle, clothes drying rack.

I haven’t even tried to cook anything yet but that may happen tonight.  We have a two element gas stove inside the kitchen and a little oven outside on the porch next to the washing machine.  I haven’t even opened that door yet…..it’s a little scary to me ^_^.  We do have a small microwave also. 

Washing machine on the left(must be kept covered so bugs and lizards don't get in because it is an open porch) and the oven.  Haven't tried it yet.....

Kitchen area with one of the two refrigerators.  The green door goes to the porch with the washing machine.  The table in the foreground is large because missionaries are always getting together!

This is our water filtering system provided by the Church.  We have to brush our teeth here and we have to be careful to keep our mouths shut during a shower.  We also have to wash any vegetables or fruit we eat in a solution of bleach and filtered water to be safe.

Saturday we were invited to go with the Sisters and Elders from our District to dinner before a baptism.  It was great fun to be with the high energy group.  They are so fun.  

Our District

 The new Church building is a beautiful building  that looks like most you would find in the States.  There is no organ in the chapel but other than that it is just the same.  The building is laid out a little differently to accommodate the 3 branches that meet there and the District Pres. Offices.  The kitchen is a little different too.

The baptism was wonderful.  Three adult men who have overcome challenges with the Word of Wisdom to be baptized.  They just couldn’t stop smiling.  I know they will be blessed for making this step toward having an eternal family.  On Sunday Elder Moulder was invited to be in the circle for the confirmations.  That was nice. 

After the baptisms we left with the Sisters to take them to an appointment  with an investigator they have been seeing for some time.  She is so sweet (Sister Rita) and her son (about 10 years old) was right there with her.  The Sisters taught about Fasting and Tithing and this cute woman had no trouble with understanding the concepts and committing to live them both.  She wants to be baptized but before she can she must be more regular at attending Church.  She said her husband’s car is broken so she will need to walk to Church tomorrow but she promised she will be there and she was!

We are still unclear as to what we are to do in attending the different branches here but we went to the two branches we think we will be working with at the Church building.  The first branch (Batu Kawa) seemed to be small in numbers.  They are the first to meet in the building at 9:30AM.  We arrived just in time to walk in and both the adult leaders on the stand stood up to greet us so we walked to the front to shake hands and then sat down.  The meeting began and then we heard a few words that we could understand and realized it had just been announced that we would be the first on the program to bear our testimonies to the congregation!  Ha!  We had not reviewed our testimony language!!  Elder Moulder was very brave and he stood up and gave a two sentence testimony in Malay.  I was not so brave and did agree to a translator.  My testimony was a bit longer because of that.  It did throw in a couple of words/phrases that I knew.  I did begin by saying in Malay I didn’t have words in Malay to speak my testimony.  After that first meeting we decided to return to our apartment and prepare for the next one just in case the same thing happened.  It did and we were both prepared the best we could.  We sounded like we learned Malay from a book, but, well…..we have! ^_^

So that is our first few days here.  I will end with a couple of photos….the moon was so beautiful Sunday night.  If I can just get rid of the ants all over the place (in the computer, in the kitchen….everywhere) I will really love this place. 

Singapore buildings on the way to the airport.

Another uniquely designed building and metal "flowers" next to it.

You can almost see the Shell sign behind the light post.  I was taking pictures from the car traveling to the airport.  We had only seen Singapore at night so I wanted to get some photos.  I was pleased to see Shell stations all around.  In fact, there is one right down the street from our apartment so we can use Shell gas while serving here!

From the plane on approach to the Kuching Airport.

Elder Moulder, Sister Trottier and Sister Tehrani brought us to a nice mall with a food court on Friday evening.  We had Tahi food although there was another place with tacos and a hamburger called "The Big Texan".....Another day perhaps.

Last night I was walking past the kitchen window and the moon was so beautiful.  It isn't a sunset like I used to put on my blog from our last mission, but this was as breathtaking.  The photo just doesn't do it justice.  What a great place to be living right now!