Monday, December 31, 2012

Hello Fam,

Not much has changed since wednesday....... haha.  The reason I was so fidgety on Skype was because I felt uber sick, and the rest of the day I was feeling it!  It was funny, because I didn't want to eat anything, and then the Ho sisters took us out to dinner and, as usual, shoved food down our throats.  They are so sweet.  They are two single sisters that have been members for almost 30 years.  In fact, the  Ho Sue Yan was the first Sister missionary from malaysia.  She served in the Singapore mission.  They keep the church in KL moving.  And they are so concerned about the welfare of the missionaries, and are always wanting to give us food.  They even bring candy to church to give to us.... which is kind of embarrassing, but also very needed because by the time we get to church and go through church, we're usually starving.  The saying, "What would Jesus do?" and "What would the Ho Sisters do?"  are almost the exact same questions.  I think that it is a pretty good goal to be able to put your name in that statement.  They helped us teach our progressing investigator on Christmas day, and were awesome because they speak English, Mandarin, and Hokkien.  

Speaking of that Investigator.  His name is Beh, and he continually impresses me.  He is in his twenties, buddhist, and works as an electrician.  We have been teaching him for sometime, and he is still very interested.  Usually the Chinese people here don't want anything to do with us, but he is completely the opposite.  After he learns a lesson, he wants to come with us to our other investigators to help teach them!  He speaks Malay, so he can help with the lessons.  We FINALLY got him to introduce us to his family on Saturday.  It was the greatest/worst experience of the mission I think.  We met his mom and sisters, and they took us to Pizza Hut and Beh translated what we said to them in Hokkien.  Elder Trotter and I were amazed that they were listening, because for Chinese people, this NEVER happens in this mission.  His mom agreed to a return appointment with another branch member that speaks hokkien.  We were so excited.  I'm not going to write how we met the Dad, but it was the most awkward/uncomfortable/mostpainful/longest car ride of my life.  Anyways, I am so excited for this family.  The church could use them so much!  I think, more importantly, they could really use the gospel in their lives.  You can feel it in the way they asked questions, and how they responded to our questions.  I can tell this is going to be good.  

Vicki, I forget to tell you, but tell Lauren HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  I cannot believe she is 15 (right?)  haha.  I remember you changing her nasty diapers in the Winnie the Pooh bedroom at your old house :-)
And thank you for the Christmas present.  I will probably use it to buy expensive sweets, because that's probably what I would have wanted from you if I was at home! haha.  And that is too funny about your concert experience... not your average concert experience i bet!

I'm glad you guys got to meet the Trotters.  Elder Trotter is pretty funny.  I have heard all of those stories you've mentioned, and just about everything else about him too.  I can't believe how fast he can talk, and he always has something to say.  always.  It is kind of funny, because when I was with Matheson, I feel like I talked the whole time, and now I feel like I do a lot of listening.  He is really funny though, and sings to me while I'm showering... whether I want him to or not.  haha.  I think Eric would get a hoot out of his facial expressions.  

I've been writing Whit, and it seems like he is doing super well.  I guess they had an unheard of number of people at church this past week!  I'm glad he is doing well.  I guess he is having some companion issues, but oh well.  THe way Whit described it in the email was super funny.  Does he have a blog that you check?  

Oh, yeah, I didn't skype you guys for that long because we're only supposed to for an hour!  Elder Trotter went for over 3 hours with various people haha!  I sat their listening to mo tab.  oh well.  
It was nice seeing the whole fam over there.  Tell Grandma and Grandpa thankyou for the Christmas gift.  

Oh before I forget, our new address: 
No. 9B-1 D'Haven Condominium
Lorong Tenggiri 1A, Off Jalan Mohd Yamin, 41100
Klang, Malaysia

Our new apartment is kind of driving me nuts.  The other day, one of the mosque had something at 4:30 in the morning that woke us up.  On all of their menaras (towers) they have loud speakers, so it seems like there is always someone singing/chanting/talking.  This area is very muslim.  We went to some flats to go contacting, and out of the entire building and found 2 Christian families.  It was a huge building -____-  THey are very nice people though.  Sometimes they give us free food on the road.  We were on the bus the other day, and these kids were making fun of us because they thought we couldn't understand bahasa.  Finally, I couldn't take it any longer, so I stood up and told him "Not only do I understand you, but can you please close your mouth?"  He went DEAD silent, but the whole rest of the bus started laughing.  It was a pretty funny experience.  ALso, we were at a mall eating lunch, next to a little stand, and I could hear these girls working at the shop talking about us as if we were students.  I kind of turned around and said, "we're not students, we're volunteers for our church."  Same reaction.  They were actually embarrassed because they were talking about my eyes too... -____- and then they wanted pictures.   #whitepeopleinasiaproblems.

Nothing too exciting has happened other than that.  We'll keep you all updated.

Bai
Elder RObinson

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Greetings from Kuala Lumpur

Hello Family,

It has been the most hectic week ever.  I am so tired right now, I have no idea what to even write to you.  hmmmm

Before I forget, we want to Skype next Wednesday at 10:00AM Kuala Lumpur Time.  This translates to your Christmas Day evening, although it will be the morning of the 26th for us.  We will have one hour to skype.  my name is david.aj.robinson on skype.  The password is the same as my other ones... so check and make sure we are skype friends.

Since last time, I have left Sarawak.  It was kind of a sad goodbye trying to see everyone off, and trying to pack again.  I cannot stand packing.  After Elder Hodder dropped me off at the Airport in Miri, that was the first time that I haven't been with a companion since I entered the MTC.  I had a very nice flight into KLIA.  THe only problem was that my new companion told me he would be waiting for me at the airport.  After almost an hour of waiting, I decided to go use some of my change and call Elder Matheson back in Miri.  I got a hold of him, and he told me that right as I boarded the flight, my new companion called telling me to take the Train downtown.... so it was a good thinhg I called.  THe airport is about 35 minutes outside of Kuala Lumpur Sentral, so I had a decent ride ahead of me.  As I was sitting, some artsy guy comes and sits nexts to me and asks. "how much longer do you have?"  He knew about our church, and actually had a friend who went on a mission in New Zealand.  THis guy was from Norway, but grew up in Australia, and had spent his college days in Copenhagen.  He was a journalist for BBC WOrld News, and now travels the world taking pictures for BBC.  We talked a lot, and he thought the mission was a very cool idea (I had to explain it wasn't just a 2 year trip).  It was probably the first time I have talked to a white person that wasn't a missionary in a LONG time.  He took a picture of me, and went on his way.  
My Companion is Elder TRotter, and he is out of control!  I don't even know how else to describe him.  He is really funny, and sometimes a little too funny.  He is a big wrestler from spokane washington.  He was state champion wrestler, and got scholarship offers at all the ivy leagues and stanford, but chose to go to BYU.  He is into guitar and has recorded a couple songs.  Again, he is out of control.  Some of the things he says kill me.  It is kind of hard to explain.  hahaha.  For teh most part, he is very hard working, and very forward.  In fact, he talks so much that I have figured this transfer is going to be a good time for me to learn how to listen.  He is always talking or singing.  he reminds me a lot of Elder Mayo.  

Because our Area is so new, we don't even have our apartment yet.  We have been living in the other elders 500 Sq. foot apartment... with 4 people.  you literally open the door and bump into my little spot on the floor.  I haven't slept on a real bed for a week.  And I am still living out of my suitcase.  THankfully, I think we are moving in today!  We have been traveling an hour to Klang every day.  We spend so much time on transportation, it is a little crazy.  Our new apartment is supposed to be pretty nice though!  Oh by the way, I LOVE KL!!!!!!  It is SO COOL.  I absolutely love it.  All the elders here keep saying to me that they have never seen an elder so excited to be called to KL area.  I love it. The investigators that we have met usually work in the city, so they like to have us meet them there.  THe other day, we had an appointment in KL City Center, and the investigator spoke great english, owned a cold storage (popular Expat store) and gave us free drinks.  Afterwards, since it was friday, we went to Pasar Malam (night market) (EVery Jumaat , which is the Islamic day of worship, there is Pasar Malam... even in Miri) and we got some awesome food for really cheap.  I have seen the Petronas Towers (i figured Eric would ask if I had seen that yet), and they are very cool at night.  THe city in general is just very cool.  It is in a large valley surrounded by mountains (not very tall ones), but is still very green and rainy.  It is just soo cool.  We are close enough that we can take the KTM from Klang to KL.  
There is a train called the KTM, and the trax-like thing is called teh LRT.  
Klang is also awesome.  It has a really cool Little INdia, with ton of delicious smells and fancy little shops.  It is a lot poorer i think in Klang.  

We have been so busy with setting things up for our new Area, that we haven't done a lot of missionary work yet.  We didn't have a cell phone even, so we had to go set that up.  The Subang Jaya Branch, that we are joined on to, had a great Christmas party the other day, with TURKEY (which is suuuupper expensive over here), and even had a white santa claus!  It is completely different over here in West Malaysia.  Literally everything is different.  Our very first night here, a member took us to dinner that cost over 100RM and I had the best steamboat ever.  So good.  THe members here love the missionaries, we are very lucky.  Also, most of the missionaries here have never served in East, so they have NO IDEA that they are spoiled beyond reason getting this type of treatment.  THe branch put on the CHristmas party..... in east, that is OUR JOB!!  Very different.....  We also had a 'birthday part' for one of the subang jaya members and they invited us, and they are half indian and half filipino, so the food there was SO good.  I think  I can get used to the food here :)

If we weren't hectic enough as is, we had ZOne conference this week in Singapore!!!!!!  I always love going to Singapore.  We flew down from Kuala Lumpur on Monday morning, and had all day on monday to do whatever we wanted.  I got to see Elder Crum there.  We had so much fun.  Elder Crum and I went to the Lego Exhibit that is being featured at the Marina Bay Sands-- very cool.  It was awesome just catching up with him.  We went all over town.  We went to orchard, and they have the whole thing lit up with christmas lights.  It reminded me of Paris last year.  THere were street performers of all sorts all over the place, and lots of free and yummy street food.  It doesn't feel like Christmas in Malaysia.... but the moment you go to Singapore, you know it is Christmas time.  It is kind of cool, because there is a ton of secular Christmas stuff.... but there are also scriptures posted on the big malls, and the big hotels.  Lots of church christmas music playing in the airport, the city, the subway.  Very nice feel.  Sister Mains also put on a very nice Christmas Zone Conference for us.  She said that we have to be extra nice to our families when we call next week..... heheh.   We then went to Little India in Singapore and got awesome banana leaf and curry.  I also got a very tastey mango lhasi.  yum....

I only got one package in singapore from you guys.  The one with all the candy in it.  Nothing with the iron man shirt, or the electronic dictionary :(  are you sure it made its way to Singapore?

We then took a 5 hour bus ride from Singapore to KL last night, and ended up staying in the other elders apartment in downtown KL.  I have no more clean clothes, and no apartment to go to.  I AM SO TIRED.  we didn't even get back to KL until 3AM.  ugh.  Oh well.  that is why this email is more of just a list of things that happened.  

Oh, and there has been a lot of trouble with the missionaries lately.  We are not supposed to write anything in our emails, because the government may be screening them.  THere was an incident last night in Pinang, and at the border in Singapore last week.  Can't really say a lot about what happened, but it's got us all on our toes.  We may have emergency transfers.

k by

Hope you guys are having a fun Christmas time, bai
Elder RObinson

Sunday, December 9, 2012

BIG NEWS



Search
Help
 Mail
 Calendar
 Contacts
Collapse Navigation Pane
My Email Settings
Deleted Items (20667)
Drafts [53]
Inbox (721)
Junk E-mail [1]
Sent Items
Click to view all folders
Manage Folders...
Hello Family,

Sorry this email has taken so long to get started writing.  This morning has been SOOOO hectic.  There is some pretty big news.  Well, as you know, transfers were coming up so all week we were worried about that.  Elder Matheson has been in Miri for 6 months, and was SURE that he was leaving.  So we have spent a lot of the past couple days doing stuff for him to get ready to go, as well as teach a music class, as well as some other baptisms for other missionaries, and other random activities.  It has been non stop.  WELL, this morning, we get a call from the Zone Leaders to tell me that I AM MOVING TO KUALA LUMPUR TOMORROW!  In fact, I right afterwards got a phone call from my new companion who told me the inside scoop of what is going on.  It turns out that we are actually going to a city about 1 hour away from KL called Klang.  It is a port city on the ocean.  There have never been missionaries there.  There isn't even a branch there.  We will be the first missionaries to open up this area.  I felt very grateful because my new companion said that President trusted me enough to open a completely new area so early on in my mission.  I am very excited.  My new companion, Elder Trotter, also told me that it is going to very very very difficult.  I guess there is a family that is living there that are strong members, that have been going an hour to KL every sunday.  We will go to church in the city until we can get a group started.  I am very excited.  Apparently Malay is heavily spoken in Klang, even though it is in Semananjung (West Malaysia).  Elder Bodhaine is moving to Singapore tomorrow too.  He is excited.  It is weird, because our trainers are going to be staying in Miri.  I have been frantically trying to pack and finish all the little house keeping things back at the house.  I guess it's an hour outside of KL, so we will go there a lot and get yummy food :-)  Oh, and I also quickly opened up all the presents in the advent calendar in case there was anything I wanted :)

I am also very depressed about leaving.  I feel like I just barely came here!  It was sad, I went and visited one of my favorite investigators this morning, and told them I was moving, and took some pictures.  Sister Mundun was balling, and I felt really bad.  Her husband, Dangkan, is one of my favorite people, and I am so sad that I will not be here to see his baptism, if he makes it there (which I'm sure he will).  WHen you guys pick me up, I really want to visit all my old areas.  I told them I would come back!  I will also miss being in Borneo.  This past week, we had an activity where the members attempted to make cupcakes and give them to less active members.  Well, as we were waiting, a couple Iban women and a Kayan  were telling me about the traditions and cultures of the tribes in Borneo.  SO FASCINATING.  I guess the all like to go back to their Kampongs deep in the jungle because their family there are RICH.  Not with money, but with priceless artifacts and family heirlooms.  I want to go so badly.  They tried to count all the languages and tribes spoken in Borneo, and they lost count after 30.  It is so interesting.  They also have shrunken heads back at their Kampongs in the jungle, which they used to post on the borders of their kampongs to warn other tribes from trespassing.  One of the women said her grandfather had the neck tattoo and the arm tattoo (very significant, means you traveled a great journey, and you're a fierce warrior -- killed people).  The best part of this was that they told me all of this in Malay, and I actually understood it.  I feel like I'm finally getting to the point where I get along just fine with the languge.  Back to investigators.  we have a couple with planned baptisms this month, and I am so sad that I won't be able to see them.  We also have been offered lots of christmas meals at members' houses.  I will also miss Christmas at the HOdder's house.  In fact, I am REALLY sad that I won't spend Christmas with them.  I love going to their house.  They're like my second grandparents-- i love it.  They spoil us.

What else.

Oh, this isn't as exciting, but we were at district meeting the other day, and one of the senior couples pulled out a photo they took when they accompanied me and Elder Matheson to an investigators house.  Everyone was busting out, because in the background I am making this RIDICULOUS face.  It was so embarrassing.  I was trying to tell the investigators a story, and sister martin just happened to catch my face at a very very bad time..... ugh.

On wednesday night, in the middle of the night, Elder Matheson's bed completely broke.  I thought it was someone trying to break in, so I freaked out a little bit (also embarrassing).  It was pretty funny, it woke everybody up and was startled.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD (Tomorrow)!!!!!  What cell phone gadget did you get yourself this time?????  I think I will buy myself something in celebration of your birthday.  I tried buying a slice of cake at the store last week for moms birthday.... and never again will I do that.  Malaysians are still working on making good sweets....

We were supposed to have a caroling activity this week, but it turns out that there is a Muslim law that says you can't sing in public?  Christmas songs?  So.... I guess the plan is to go inside of the people's houses.... and then sing.
Speaking of government.... the other day, we were doing studies in the morning and then, all of a sudden, the land lord lets himself in with government officials and they start taking pictures of everything.... Very strange.  They didn't say why either.... they were gone in like 10 minutes.... hmm...

I also received a letter from Carson (from college) and Cassie. Carson is going on a mission to Uruguay!  I am very excited for him.  There was one funny thing in the letter.... You can tell when people don't read the blog because they say "HOW IS SINGAPORE???"  Little do they know I am thousands of miles away, including crossing the SOUTH CHINA SEA!!!!  We always find it funny when we find those.  I'm afraid if I send a letter he won't get it in time.  Maybe you can message him and tell him to email me.

Elder Crum has been emailing me like crazy because we'll be in the same zone now!!!!!! SO excited for that.  We'll get to go to Singapore together.  And, I need to email Mayo back because now I won't be able to accompany him for his song at their zone conference.... oh well.

I think that is all for now, say hi to everybody!
Elder Robinson
 Reply Reply to All Forward Move DeleteClose Previous ItemNext ItemClose
Re: BIG NEWS
David Robinson [robinsond@myldsmail.net]

Hello Family,

Sorry this email has taken so long to get started writing.  This morning has been SOOOO hectic.  There is some pretty big news.  Well, as you know, transfers were coming up so all week we were worried about that.  Elder Matheson has been in Miri for 6 months, and was SURE that he was leaving.  So we have spent a lot of the past couple days doing stuff for him to get ready to go, as well as teach a music class, as well as some other baptisms for other missionaries, and other random activities.  It has been non stop.  WELL, this morning, we get a call from the Zone Leaders to tell me that I AM MOVING TO KUALA LUMPUR TOMORROW!  In fact, I right afterwards got a phone call from my new companion who told me the inside scoop of what is going on.  It turns out that we are actually going to a city about 1 hour away from KL called Klang.  It is a port city on the ocean.  There have never been missionaries there.  There isn't even a branch there.  We will be the first missionaries to open up this area.  I felt very grateful because my new companion said that President trusted me enough to open a completely new area so early on in my mission.  I am very excited.  My new companion, Elder Trotter, also told me that it is going to very very very difficult.  I guess there is a family that is living there that are strong members, that have been going an hour to KL every sunday.  We will go to church in the city until we can get a group started.  I am very excited.  Apparently Malay is heavily spoken in Klang, even though it is in Semananjung (West Malaysia).  Elder Bodhaine is moving to Singapore tomorrow too.  He is excited.  It is weird, because our trainers are going to be staying in Miri.  I have been frantically trying to pack and finish all the little house keeping things back at the house.  I guess it's an hour outside of KL, so we will go there a lot and get yummy food :-)  Oh, and I also quickly opened up all the presents in the advent calendar in case there was anything I wanted :)

I am also very depressed about leaving.  I feel like I just barely came here!  It was sad, I went and visited one of my favorite investigators this morning, and told them I was moving, and took some pictures.  Sister Mundun was balling, and I felt really bad.  Her husband, Dangkan, is one of my favorite people, and I am so sad that I will not be here to see his baptism, if he makes it there (which I'm sure he will).  WHen you guys pick me up, I really want to visit all my old areas.  I told them I would come back!  I will also miss being in Borneo.  This past week, we had an activity where the members attempted to make cupcakes and give them to less active members.  Well, as we were waiting, a couple Iban women and a Kayan  were telling me about the traditions and cultures of the tribes in Borneo.  SO FASCINATING.  I guess the all like to go back to their Kampongs deep in the jungle because their family there are RICH.  Not with money, but with priceless artifacts and family heirlooms.  I want to go so badly.  They tried to count all the languages and tribes spoken in Borneo, and they lost count after 30.  It is so interesting.  They also have shrunken heads back at their Kampongs in the jungle, which they used to post on the borders of their kampongs to warn other tribes from trespassing.  One of the women said her grandfather had the neck tattoo and the arm tattoo (very significant, means you traveled a great journey, and you're a fierce warrior -- killed people).  The best part of this was that they told me all of this in Malay, and I actually understood it.  I feel like I'm finally getting to the point where I get along just fine with the languge.  Back to investigators.  we have a couple with planned baptisms this month, and I am so sad that I won't be able to see them.  We also have been offered lots of christmas meals at members' houses.  I will also miss Christmas at the HOdder's house.  In fact, I am REALLY sad that I won't spend Christmas with them.  I love going to their house.  They're like my second grandparents-- i love it.  They spoil us.

What else.

Oh, this isn't as exciting, but we were at district meeting the other day, and one of the senior couples pulled out a photo they took when they accompanied me and Elder Matheson to an investigators house.  Everyone was busting out, because in the background I am making this RIDICULOUS face.  It was so embarrassing.  I was trying to tell the investigators a story, and sister martin just happened to catch my face at a very very bad time..... ugh.

On wednesday night, in the middle of the night, Elder Matheson's bed completely broke.  I thought it was someone trying to break in, so I freaked out a little bit (also embarrassing).  It was pretty funny, it woke everybody up and was startled.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD (Tomorrow)!!!!!  What cell phone gadget did you get yourself this time?????  I think I will buy myself something in celebration of your birthday.  I tried buying a slice of cake at the store last week for moms birthday.... and never again will I do that.  Malaysians are still working on making good sweets....

We were supposed to have a caroling activity this week, but it turns out that there is a Muslim law that says you can't sing in public?  Christmas songs?  So.... I guess the plan is to go inside of the people's houses.... and then sing.
Speaking of government.... the other day, we were doing studies in the morning and then, all of a sudden, the land lord lets himself in with government officials and they start taking pictures of everything.... Very strange.  They didn't say why either.... they were gone in like 10 minutes.... hmm...

I also received a letter from Carson (from college) and Cassie. Carson is going on a mission to Uruguay!  I am very excited for him.  There was one funny thing in the letter.... You can tell when people don't read the blog because they say "HOW IS SINGAPORE???"  Little do they know I am thousands of miles away, including crossing the SOUTH CHINA SEA!!!!  We always find it funny when we find those.  I'm afraid if I send a letter he won't get it in time.  Maybe you can message him and tell him to email me.

Elder Crum has been emailing me like crazy because we'll be in the same zone now!!!!!! SO excited for that.  We'll get to go to Singapore together.  And, I need to email Mayo back because now I won't be able to accompany him for his song at their zone conference.... oh well.

I think that is all for now, say hi to everybody!
Elder Robinson

Monday, December 3, 2012

Malaysia news

Hello Family,

First off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!  Or SELAMAT HARI JADI!  Or 生日快乐!I hope you have a good day.  52 years old..... phew.   Did you get my letter that I sent?  I've sent a bunch of letters to you guys, and it seems like you guys haven't gotten any of them... or atleast don't act like you do.  Did you make the usual??  White cake, white frosting with coconut, and raspberry jam?  That sounds very yummy right now.  Let me guess, everyone is still making you cook/clean even on your birthday.  Or maybe Kaitlin has been spending too much time on Pinterest again and found some obscure/complicated recipe to try!  I hope that letter gets to you..... Did you do anything fun?  Did you get anything nice?  OH, I forgot you spent the weekend in Phoenix, how is Arizona?  Warmer?  

I also got all your letters from thanksgiving, including the letter about the Good Samaritan.  I read through it all, and found it very interesting.  It is weird, because I had never thought of the story like that, but now that I've read that analysis of it, I don't think I'll ever think of the story any other way.  Regardless, it was a very nice message and I tried to use an example from it at church yesterday.  THank you for that.  I also forgot to mention that I got the article you clipped out of the paper about Bishop Causse (?).  I really liked that message as well.  

Update from last Monday:
We had our Thanksgiving feast at the Hodder's house.  There was soooooo much food, and it was so good.  There was a unspoken competition for whose food would be the most popular, and Putnam/Bodhaine were sure it was going to be their fajitas and homemade egg nog (both of which were delicious), but everyone LOVED the cabbage salad.  So much that the Senior couples made me write down the recipe to give to them.  ALso, we made the Pumpkin pie krusteaz packet you sent, and again, EVERYONE loved it, and wanted more.  I think I spent a total of 15RM on my contributions, and everyone else dropped big amounts.  haha.  It was really nice, and felt like thanksgiving.  We had so much extra food that we had district meeting at their house the next day, and just ate left overs, and were still full!  We've been getting very creative with what we make.  Yesterday, we made more cabbage salad, homemade curry, and rice pudding for our sunday dinner.  It was so good.  After 3 months, we're finally getting the whole group cooking thing down.  

It has been a good week for missionary work.  We have several investigators who are preparing for baptism this month.  Unfortunately, we've had to move back their baptism dates because of word of wisdom issues.  On the brightside, this making them look deep inside themselves for what they really want.  One of our investigators is beginning to understand that if he wants the significant changes the gospel can bring, he will have to make significant changes in his life.  Probably the most rewarding part of the week was when one of our Investigators didn't read in the BoM.  We decided it would be best if we didn't continue with our lesson, but read with him.  We asked where he was in his BoM reading, and he said 1 Nefi 3.  We read the first 20 verses, and asked what he thought.  He wasn't really sure.  We asked him to really search the verses, and see if there was anything that related to him.  He found verses 7 and 15.  With a little bit of explanation from us, he was able to finally see how these ancient stories applied directly to him.  He was making all sorts of connections, and using his name instead of Nefi's name as he described how God doesn't expect us to do something unless a way is prepared for us to accomplish it.  He also related how no matter how many times we have tried to "go back to Jerusalem", we must continue to berusaha (strive/push forward/do what you're supposed to) until the time the Lord finds most appropriate.  He also liked how Nefi said he would NOT return home, as long as he and his heavenly father lived, until he had done what he needed to.  It was so rewarding to see the scriptures becoming a tool and not a chore in this man's life.  I honestly think this experience will continue with him, and spark the interest he has in making scripture reading a habit in his life.  I am so excited for him.  

I read a talk from Conference in the Ensign the other day that really made me think about my investigators.  The talk was from the Priesthood session of conference, by Elder Eyring.  It talked about how each one of us is blessed with unique gifts and talents, each specifically given to us to enlarge us, to make a difference in the lives of another, and to help the work progress.  He mentioned  briefly that he became the man that he was today because others could see the gifts and potential that he had-- much better than he could see.  I think this is so true.  THe people we teach are soo great, and it kills me that they can't see what I can see when they view themselves.  THe talk also said that if we do everything that we can to seek for revelation, the Lord will tell us everything we need to know about another's gifts, so that we can help them discover what treasures the Lord has in store for them.  This takes a lot of work and effort on our part-- we're still working on it.  THe more  you dedicate yourself to finding the gifts of another, you begin to forget yourself, and really begin to see as the Savior sees.  To look at a person, and search for every strength they have, and listen for what potential gifts they could receive, is so humbling.  This really is the perfect time to just forget about yourself and help others, I'm very grateful for that.  It is going to kill me if I have to leave next week.  Transfer details are given next monday, and then we have to leave our area by thursday. 

OH, and I got the Advent Calendar!  I love it!  I wish this computer was working better so that I could upload a picture of it on our door!  The people I'm living with are kinda ingrates, and don't appreciate it, but then they are the first ones to use the pillow cases and crystal light!!  I love the pillow cases, it reminds me of how we used to always switch to the Christmas pillow cases in December.  Do you remember mine?  I think it was blue and had little small print reindeer on it.  #homesick

Embarrassing moment.  
Yesterday in church, the chorister gave me a piece of paper with all the songs we would be singing, and their respective number in the English Hymn book.  I thought, great, I'll use the english one since it has bigger print.  Well, it is find and dandy until we get to the intermediate hymn.  They told me Hark all ye nations.  On the board, it said 122 in the Indonesian Hymn Book, (the index says that is hark all ye nations) but really 122 is put your shoulder to the wheel.  (124 was hark all ye nations.... typo).  So I start playing hark all ye nations, and NO ONE is singing.  I'm looking out at the congregation and am SO confused.  Not even the senior couples were singing, so I was especially confused.  On the second verse, people started singing.  Well, since there are 3 verses in hark all ye nations, I stop.  EVERYONE LOOKS AND ME AND TELLS ME TO KEEP PLAYING!  I was so lost.  It turns out, the congregation started singing put your shoulder to the wheel, to the tune of hark all ye nations!!!! WHICH HAS 4 verses!  ugh.  I was so embarrassed.  I literally did nothing wrong, but everyone thought I was just messing up up there.  OOf. 

Speaking of music.  Since we're trying to find service projects here, we are teaching music classes starting this saturday.  The hope is that nothing like yesterday will ever happen again.  We even might start teaching piano lessons because the senior couples have found 7 electric keyboards.  SIster waktins would be proud.  haha.  The goal of this first class is to understand how to read the hymn book.  When it says, sing happy... sing happy (not shouting).   When it says sing gently.... sing gently (not shouting).  We'll see how well it goes.

They had a youth activity at the church the other day, and one of our investigators nephews came.  We went with him, and afterwards, they had donuts!  I hadn't had a donut for so long, so I pointed to one and asked what flavor.  The lady said, "creme filled"  I take a huge excited bit to find out that it was creme flavored....... durian creme flavored..... #malaysiapains

We also had to cancel another lesson the other day because the rain was so loud.  We were screaming and they still couldn't hear us.  

OH, and the hodder's loved the oven mit (?).  I also gave them my box of toffee because they gave me a camera tripod.  It didn't fit their camera, so they wanted me to take it.  I thought i would say thanks.

Ok. that's all
bai
Elder Robinson

Sunday, November 25, 2012

THANKFUL WEEK


Ok, as I was writing the email, the power went out at the internet kedai, and we all had to leave.  Turns out that entire part of town is out of power.... so we had to bike into town to email.  ugh.  Make that 3x now I'm starting this email (thankfully gmail saves it -- the computer place here just had a power surge... what is going on?)

Thank you for sending that recipe.  For thanksgiving we went to that fried chicken place and ate a ton of mediocre (less than kfc) fried chicken!  It was nice to get all together, and we all went around the table saying what we were thankful for.  That was nice.  But today, we're having our REAL thanksgiving dinner.  We're all supposed to make something, and bring it to the Hodder's house at 4:00.  The hodders are making chicken and gravy, the martins are making bread/sangria, the sisters are probably going to try to make a decent dessert, the chinese are making dessert, the Zone Leaders are making sweet potatoes, and putnam/bodhaine are making fajitas..... SO THERE IS NOTHING FOR ELDER MATHESON AND I TO MAKE.  So we decided we would make that pumpkin pie bar stuff you sent, and then since no one offered to make a vegetable dish, I thought I could make that?  They have cabbage here, but about nothing else.  The food has been pretty good here since the fruit season is in full swing.  On every street corner there are people selling durian.  it's pretty expensive so we don't buy any.... just wait till the senior couples do!  Just yesterday, we had investigators give us several Kilos of rambutan (which I swear is laichee, but everyone tells me it is somehow different.  I uploaded a pic of some).  We also were given a fresh pineapple from some investigators, and made a pina colada with ice cream/ice/and some smoothie flavor packets elder bodhain'es mom sent.  We made breakfast burritos the other day with one of my mexican flavor packets.... SO GOOD.  Yeah, I like getting the flavor packets, but don't send beef ones.... the beef here is awful.  Chicken only please!  Also, if there are other type of flavor packets/recipes that don' tcall for expensive vegetables, dairy products, or red meat... send them here!  

I guess kind of the big news this week was that on Wednesday, Elder Matheson and I walked into the house to find everything turned over.. and we had been robbed.  It turns out, for the 1 1/2 hours there wasn't any one in the house, someone busted through the back window and searched/stole everything they wanted.  I freaked out and searched the whole house for everything.  I labeled this email "thankful week" because we really had so much to be thankful for (atleast I did).  The theif didn't steal any of our passports.  Luckily, I had my camera in my bag with me, so that wasn't stolen, but that wasn't the same for the other elders.  They did steal some things that are really making my life difficult, such as: my SHAVER, my extra battery charger for my camera, and one of my batteries, my glasses cleaning kit, and they stole about 40 Sing that I had in my drawer.  They also went through that stationary you gave me and left it all over the place.  How low budget is that?  Bodhaine had several hundred USD stolen, and his ipod/speakers (no more mormon tab!).  The most amazing thing is that we had all of our harddrives sitting in the main room, out in the open, and he didn't steal that.  That has ALL our pictures.  I would have hunted him down and destroyed him had he done that.  So, although a lot was stolen, I am very thankful that the really important things were still there.  The senior couples had the police come over and look things over.  They dusted for fingerprints, which just left a huge mess ( in addition to the other mess we had to clean up from the robber), but all our neighbors told us the police are useless here and that we're not getting anything back.  Our house is not very secure at all... .so now we have gone to great efforts making sure everything is triple locked and hidden.  

As far as packages go, I have received 3.  I just barely got the one with the toffee!  It was SO GOOD.  the V kind.  I haven't opened the rest.  I have a little nibble every day.  Stuff like that is realy good.  I'm kind sick of sugary candy like hi chews and swedish fish.  peanut butter would be nice, or mixes too!  I have not gotten the one with the bike stuff.  When did you send that?  That would be so useful because I have had 4 flats in the 2 months I've been here -_____-
Transfers are on the 10th of December, and there is always a chance that I could be moved, so don't send any packages until after I know for sure.  You can send them to Singapore, but then I would have to carry them back.. which really isn't an issue.  

I really kinda hope I stay.  I have really gotten to like it here.  We do have investigators, and they are great people.  We have several baptisms scheduled for the end of December, so I would be really sad if I were not able to see those.  We have been teaching a young family for quite some time now.  The mom is already a member, and she is so great.  She is so diligent (which is hard to come by here) and even though she has a hard time reading, she is so willing to do everything she can to understand (not just read) the scriptures.  We have been focusing on her husband, who is one of my favorite people here.  We just taught the Word of Wisdom, which unfortunately is a huge issue here.  It was so disappointing, because we have had several significantly spiritual messages, and especially one on Saturday that I can't really explain, and then... on sunday morning, His wife came to church saying her husband had friends bring alcohol over and got too drunk to come to church now.  I was so sad.  All day yesterday.  There is a point where you can do everything you can, and it is still completely up to them to live up to their commitments.  It hurts me to see how he doesn't understand what he is doing.  I feel guilty in that maybe we should have waited until he had a stronger grasp of the foundational topics before we gave him that.  I just hope he can find the strength to do what he needs to do for his family.  

I have never hated alcohol/cigarrettes more than since I've been here.  The cigarette companies, and alcohol companies, have done a fine job at destroying a people.  All of the island tribes here are PLAGUED, in every sense of the word, but alcohol and tobacco.  Both of those substances severely limit their agency.  It is so sad.  Anyone who supports either of those industries should look at the world and see at the culture they are stomping on, and the lives they are ruining.  You can literally see (like night and day) and Iban family that drinks, and one that doesn't.  Completely different ways of life.  Although it is a bit different in America, the principle is the same.  

I do read your guys emails, it's just we don't have a lot of time to email (and I've essentially stopped emailing friends because now we have no time), and a lot of times I forget the questions as I'm typing this beast of an email.  Lets see.  Dad: we teach from the indonesian BoM.  We hope the Malay one will be out soon.  We use all the indonesian church tools.  For the most part, they get the idea from it, but there are usually some common words that always stump them.  Fruit is very expensive on a mission budget, so we usually eat rice/noodles.  I refuse to pull out personal money for food here, because I think part of being a missionary is living on the mission budget (not everyone abides by that rule here).  We are getting creative.   

MOm: the relief society is... well it's getting started.  There aren't many super strong sisters, but the relief society president spoke in church yesterday and gave a relaly good talk about the importance of doing your part, wherever you are.  She said that we all have a duty to help the branch president, and the savior, watch over the sheep of his fold.  If we don't do that, we aren't pulling our weight.  

I am super excited for today's dinner and for singapore!!  I hope you had a fun thanksgiving and enjoyed ALL of you PUMPKIN treats!  I'm so happy whit wrote you! 

k bai
ELder Robinson

Sunday, November 18, 2012

Not that exciting

Dear Family,

This week was not as exciting :( oh well.  In fact, I didn't take any pictures this week, and once again, I forgot to take a picture of my bike/apartment/neighborhood.  We were all too exhausted from the trip on monday to do much else haha.  


News.

We got a new branch president yesterday!  His name is President Willi, and he is great.  He has been a member for almost ten years, and speaks really good english too.  He is Pedayu (tribe), and they are generally pretty educated.  His family had us over for dinner the other day and we ate some tastey spaghetti.  We also had a priesthood training last night with the District President, President Ingkon, for all the Miri priesthood holders.  The church has been in miri for over 10 years, and supposedly there are over 1,000 members here.  Less than 200 are even considered less active.  I never thought I would say it, but this is my testimony to home teaching.  Home teaching is literally the only thing that will save the church in Miri, and apparently in Malaysia too.  A lot of missionaries will plow through and baptize a lot, but because of differences in language/tribe/area/income, members do not fellowship eachother, and recent converts fall through the cracks.  It is really sad, I've seen it happen already.  We have been working with the district president to make home teaching happen.  If it works, everything will be different in the church here.  Just yesterday, I saw two sisters in the branch talking and laughing with one of our investigators.  It was such a seemingly insignificant moment, but you could see the friendship, the support, and "spiritual nourishment" taking place.  President Hinckley said every new convert needs a friend, a responsibility, and spiritual nourishment.  I am so excited to see how the hometeaching will work - starting next month.  We heard from one of the senior couples how his home teachers brought him out of inactivity by just visiting him once a month.  If his home teachers hadn't been there, he would have forgotten about the church.  I am happy to see a new support system coming to help our investigators.  Very exciting.  It made me feel really guilty about the 'effort' I put into hometeaching in SLC.  ALthough the circumstances are quite different, the principle is not.  The bishop needs help, and everyone in the branch needs help.  We need to be there for eachother.  

What else.  OH, those "Nuevo Cocina" spice packets you sent were delicious.  We tried making tacos yesterday (the HOdders bought taco shells in Brunei), but the beef here is terrible, so they were kind of disappointing.  We're going to just stick with chicken.  WE're getting very creative with what we eat now a days.  THanksgiving is this week!  We have all been talking about all the good food we used to eat on thanksgiving.... Kind of depressing.  We're going to a place called "Hartz Chicken" for thanksgiving probably.  It is pretty trashy all you can eat fried chicken, but it is the closest thing we can get to a feast here haha.  I am kind of disgusted with myself because I have a new found love of Fried CHIcken.  Probably because that's the only time we get meat.  I feel like a vegetarian here... no bueno.  We do eat quite a bit of chicken though.  OH!!!  Will you send me the recipe to make Cowboy special???  I was craving that this week, and I think we can make it!  Make sure you eat lots of food for thanksgiving.  Especially turkey, and yams, and that yummy pink creamy cranberry stuff.

Speaking of food.  I was at an investigators house the other day, and I went to go say hi to him behind the house, and he was hunched over a fire.  I asked what he was cooking.  he answered, "dinner".  Went I walked over to the fire, there was a DOG HEAD in it!  With the fur, eyes, and mouth open.... It was actually a really creepy scene.  I fumbled with words and kind of just ran away.  Embarrassing.  

what are your plans for Christmas?  Any fun vacations?  Turkey?  That sounds fun.  We can't stop talking about our Singapore Christmas trip!  We're going to bring suitcases and buy a ton of real food to make Christmas meals all week when we get back.  I have a fun idea for sending you guys a little christmas thing, but I need to figure how to mail it..... 
Thank you for getting an album.  Make sure they are good pics too.  Maybe one of temple square with christmas lights too!  Lots of snowy mountain pictures, because they don't fathom the idea of snow here.  

President Mains came to Miri this week!  It was for training, so he just came and gave us some good advice and then interviewed us.  He has to put up with a lot of non-sense.  In PMG it has a quote saying, "are you a burden or a blessing to your priesthood leaders?"  It is very easy to distinguish between the two.  Especially here.  Supposedly this mission is notorious for having some of the best missionaries in Asia, and the worst.  I've heard a lot of stories....... ANyways, I'm determined to be a blessing at all costs.  I really like President and Sister mains, they are so great.  

Funny moment, we were at an appointment, and we were finishing with a closing prayer, and during the prayer, the entire house fell like a foot.  It was the scariest thing ever.  The investigators asked if that was the Holy Ghost.   haha.  We never found out why the house did that.  


ERIC:
Happy birthday, happee birth day ay ay, happy birthday (proud fam).  Did you get my postcard I sent????  Do you remember the mystery scavenger hunt I did for your scooby doo birthday?? hahaha.  I think that was the same birthday that sammy banner gave you a lighthouse photo album.  (why do I remember these things?)  What treats are you bringing to Student GOvernment?  I've been thinking all morning about what I should by myself for your birthday!!  You know what sounds really really really good?  A gourmandise fruit tart.  You would think that fruits and vegetables would be in abundance here, but they're not.  Unless you're into Malaysian fruits and vegetables, which are not the kind  you like.  I may splurge and buy a durian or fresh mangos soon.  I uploaded a picture of the worlds largest box elder bug.  It was crawling on my companions shoe and I had to take a picture.  HOpe you enjoy your birthday, and eat lots of good food.  

I really don't have anyhting else to say!  Oh, I'm going to try and remember to answer your questions.  There are 14 missionaries in our zone.  our zone goes from Bintulu, to Brunei.  So technically, brunei is in the Miri district, so that's kind of cool.  I'll try to take more pictures this week.

Mariel said that her Parents are coming to singapore in january!  I wish I was there!  I really want them to come to miri..... that would be hilarious.  

Have a happy thanksgiving, and say hi to the whole family for me!  

Elder Robinson

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Housing in Miri on a River
Some Elders from Miri District, Sarawak, Malaysia
A Typical Wet Day in the Life of a Malaysian Missionary
Elder Robinson Seeks Revenge Eating Baby Crocodile (actually Monitor Lizard).
                                Elder Robinson Barely Escapes Crocodile  Attack

Monday, November 12, 2012

Another crazy week in Malaysia

ANOTHER CRAZY WEEK IN MALAYSIA.  I feel like I never stop.

The reason why I am so late writing this letter is because for P-day today, we decided to do something different.  We heard there was some good hiking inland a ways, but we didn't really know where.  Someone told us about this Lambir Park, so we started looking into it.  We decided as a Miri District to all go together.  So.  We woke up extra early this morning, and it had been pouring rain all last night, so everything was wet.  Anyways, we get to the main bus station, and get on a bus headed to Sebu (a town in central Sarawak).  Well, we rode it for about an hour or so, and then saw a sign for Lambir, and we all jumped and told the bus driver to stop!  We got off in what was literally the middle of the jungle.  It was so hot, and all the fresh rain water made it really humid.  We went to the little house they have set up, and pay for our entry, and started hiking.  Malaysian "Marked Trails" are not like AMerican ones... at all.  In fact, they tie a little string on a couple trees and you are supposed to follow that.  The ground doesn't even look like a trail.  It is like a hunt for the right colored string on the tree.  Anyways, after hours of hiking we had some cool finds.  We went to a water fall and took some pictures in front of it.  We also went to this point called Bukit Pantu.  It was such a HARD hike.  The whole time, I was imagining what Eric would have been like had he come on the hike...... let's just say he wouldn't have been invited... not that he would have wanted to go!  It was crazy.  In the middle of the Jungle.  We kind of got lost a couple of times... that was frightening.  The hike to the top of Bukit Pantu was so worth it.  It put you on top of this cliff that looked inwards towards the jungles of Borneo.  It was kind of spooky being in there.  It was like the jungles you see in movies.  There were huge ants (maybe over an inch, and super fat) that would travel in these huge lines.  They were so big that you couldn't smash them easily with your shoe.  Oh.  Other bug problem.  They told us at the front, if it started to rain hard, to come back to the house IMMEDIATELY.  The reason why, is because there are leeches all over the jungle, and when it rains, the leeches jump of the trees and will grab on to you.  I, of course, thought this was a bunch of nonsense, and didn't take any heed.  Well, the trees were still wet and within a kilometer or so into the jungle, THERE WERE LEECHES.  They weren't what I was expecting.  THey were narrow and orange.  Some were small, others pretty big.  They are also extremely fast.  I watched one bolt up Elder Putnam's leg!   I looked down at my shoe at one point and saw ten on my shoe.  I caught one on my foot and ripped it off, but it was too late- the leech had already bitten so now my shoe has a bunch of blood stains.  One of the sisters also got bit pretty bad and there was a bunch of blood.  I'm trying to upload pictures as we speak.  I don't think I have ever sweated more in my life.  Probably because I have never climbed things so steep, so steamy.  I also had never had to use a vine to swing over a river to get to the next part (that was actually very fun, I have a video)  So lots of adventures today.  Oh, and when we were done, we went back to the main road and tried to hitch hike back to Miri.  We saw a bus come by, but he wouldn't stop.  Finally, a bus came.  The problem was that some lady had a bunch of durian, so the whole bus smelled like rotten onions.  Lovely.  Not to mention a bunch of stinky, sweaty missionaries.  And now I am sitting in an internet kedai, in gross clothes, covered in dirt, emailing you.  

What else.  

Oh.  My companion, Elder Matheson, is district leader, so he has to do splits with everyone.  That means, I get to do splits with everyone!  This week, I got to go on splits with Elder Chong.  He is one of the chinese elders, who is from Sitiawan.  He doesn't speak a whole lot of english, so I got to learn a ton of Chinese.  It was so fun.  I really hope, somehow, I will be able to learn a lot here.  It was funny, because he came to our area, so he wrote out a prayer in Malay so he could contribute to the lesson.  He is a pretty cool guy.  He worked in a bakery for three years, and wants to work in a bakery when he gets older.  We made pancakes for him, since he had never had them, and I made homemade stove syrup for him.  He ate so many of them.  and he put so much butter on them.... haha

This week, one of our investigators, whose name is Dangkan, fed us Biowak.  Biowak is the iban word for monitor lizard.  I'm uploading a picture of it now.  He told us he caught it in the gutters by our house >.<  Anyways, I ate some.  it was pretty good.  White meat, like chicken... but somehting was off.  Oh, we made Fajitas yesterday with that fancy spice packet you sent. SO GOOD.  It was the best home made meal we've had yet!  Tortillas aren't a thing here, so we bought prathas (a malay flat bread thing) that you fry at home.  They were chili garlic flavored.  They were so good.  We're still talking about it.  

I got the package too!  That was really good how you did it so it was actually addressed to the Hodders.  That way, they can go pick it up with out having me there.  The caramels were very good.  And all of the other stuff was good too.  WHen you get a chance, you should take some pictures of Utah/home/you guys and put it in a little album so I can show some of the people here.  They love pictures.  ALso, everyone is emailing me about holiday stuff... and it is kind of depressing because it is so hot here and no sign of holiday stuff :(  Everyone was jealous of the pumpkin pie stuff you sent!  Except, we have no oven to cook it.... oh well, we'll find one!  Could you send some Christmas music?  Sheet music?  I miss it!  Elder Bodhaine played sleighride in the house and I about died.  Hopefully when we go to Singapore we'll be able to get some.  There is one thing I want for Christmas.  I really want an electronic dictionary that has English, Chinese, and Malay.  Is that even a thing?  You should look into it.  I would love that.  Even just a English - Chinese one.  

I'm sorry the video didn't upload last time.  It took soo long.  It was a video of the storm, and is SO COOL.  Oh well,  I guess I'll show you when I get home.  I think I included a couple of the aftermath in this upload.  

That is exciting to hear about WHitman and his farewell.  That all happened so quickly!  I can't believe I wasn't there for his call, his opening, his temple experience, or his farewell!  I hope he is excited!  Mariel has been keeping me updated, because he hasn't!!  It is kind of sad that he is leaving so close to the Holidays... but hopefully he will have an awesome experience in the field.  I'm telling myself that so that my Christmas here will be really fun!

So President Mains has asked all of us to find 4 hours of service per week.  This week, one of the ward members asked Elder Chong and I to help her out.  They live in this wooden house on stilts over a mud field.  Getting to the house is a disaster, because there is so much mud!  A couple blocks away, there is a huge pile of rocks and crumbled cement.  So.  She had us wear these woven straw baskets that have one loop that goes on your arms and head, so the basket can rest on your back, and stuff these baskets with rocks.  It was very tiring.  Oh, I forgot to tell you why.  She wants to make a walk way to her house, so people don't have to get muddy.  It was fun, but a lot of work.  Got my work out in for the day!  It is interesting, because there is so much that needs to be done here, but the idea of service projects isn't really a thing here.  We pray a lot for opportunities to serve.  Somehow, they always show up... especially when you least expect them.  

We also had an interesting experience with an investigator.  We have been teaching the parents of a child who was baptized (the missionaries before us did that), but the word of wisdom has been a huge stumbling block.  The wife is very quiet.  We assumed they just didn't want, because the husband never kept the commitments.  Well, we went last night to drop them, but the wife spoke up and said she wanted to be baptized.  We asked her why, and she said that when she saw the picture of her son standing there alone in his white clothes, she felt like she should have been there.  Her sister is one of teh strongest members in teh branch, and has been talking to her.  The real issue we are facing is that she can't read, so she has never read the book of mormon.  At that moment in the lesson, the idea came into both of our heads, that we should ask the Husband (even though he doesn't want) to read the book of mormon to his wife.  He himself has never really read it.  he agreed.  This story doesn't probably make a whole lot of sense, but it was a very amazing experience to see how ideas can be put into our heads by the spirit if we are earnestly seeking to follow it.  This is kind of like the last try with this family, so we're praying that this will help them.  The book of mormon is most definitely the most powerful tool we have.  Everyone should be constantly reading it.  If you don't have a reading habit... start one.  We will all be held accountable for the opportunities we had to learn from it.

This email feels really rushed, probably because we got here way late and still haven't grocery shopped.....

one last funny story.  

we have an area called taman tunku that is pretty far away, so we usually ride the bus out there.  Well, on the way back last week, the bus driver literally slammed on the brakes, gets off the bus, and walks away.  The engine was still on.... the keys in the ignition.... and the driver just left.  We sat there for ten minutes... not exactly sure what to do.... finally, he came back, and continued driving.   As if nothing had happened.  Very strange.

oh, I tried emailing the scouts last week, but they didn't respond.  I don't have their email addresses right I think.  I feel really bad that I didn't write Jeff.  Especially because now I know how important letters are.  I should get back in contact with him.  

ok, I'm going now. 
Bai
Elder Robinson