Our First Real Missionary Experiences

The past two days have been very rewarding for us.  We finally feel like "real" missionaries. 

Yesterday we took two Elders to visit Sister Susanna.  She is such a sweet sister, who is a quite recent convert to the church, but finds it very difficult to come to church because she lives a long way from the church and does not have money for a taxi.  She lives in a group apartment, with no furniture.  The Elders found a couple of stools in the other room that we could sit on.  Whenever you enter someone's home you always take off your shoes.
  We talked to her about how she learned about the church and about her family.  We found out that she is a widow and her only son lives in Australia.  The Elders gave her a short message and then talked to her about saving her money so that maybe she could take a taxi to church one time a month.  She smiled and said that she would do that.  They also told her that we could come back to visit her sometimes and bring the sacrament and message for her.  She had such a sweet spirit and we felt so good when we left her home.

Sister Susanna

Later we took the other Elders to visit the doctor who treats the missionaries when necessary.  They had never met him, but they talked to him while he was eating lunch at a restaurant The Elders basically taught him the condensed version of the Plan of Salvation.  He had many great questions, and agreed with the things they were saying and his questions were answered to his satisfaction.  At the end of the discussion, he simply said "What do I do now?"  Elder Lamb told him that the missionaries could come to his home and teach his family in about 6 appointments.  He said he would have to see if he could make that happen.  This was another special experience as we listened to the Elders testify of the truths of the gospel.

On Sunday we attended Sacrament Meeting in the JB Branch because Elder Lamb had been asked to speak.  His subject was "How Living the Gospel Helps With our Challenges." 

We then left and went to the Masai Branch (Malay speaking) for Sunday School and Relief Society/Priesthood meeting.  Even though I don't understand the words, I truly felt the spirit as they taught the truths of the gospel.  These are such warm and loving and friendly people, it is very easy to love them back.

These are some of the Relief Society Sisters with a few Young Women included.

The Branch President and his family are so delightful.  He works as a bus driver in Singapore, so he rides his moto into Singapore every day.  He said he usually gets home at 2 or 3am.  What a dedicated man he is, as he trys to run the Branch and his family responsibilities. President Bahak, Sister Alan, Ryhme Ivry age 14,Joanna Jessy age 11, Chevonne Nangel age 5, Joyee Luffi age 2 and (not in picture) Eilyn Esterina age 18

  This is the Anlang family.  We are going to visit them on Saturday

 /David, Nancy, Fazina age 20, Jeswin age 5 and Feliczen age 14

Melita with her two daughters Ashley age 9 and Atkinson age 2.  The Branch Presidents little daughter sort of jumped into the picture.  What a cutie!!

After church we took the Elders to visit this wonderful family.  They joined the church 2 or 3 years ago. 

Taha,  Estes age 16, Brian age 18 and Vianni age 22 and mom Sira

Their mom isn't able to come to church very often because she works on Sundays, but somehow they manage to keep their faith.  They are so humble and amazing!  It is exciting to get acquainted with the saints here.

They would love to go to the temple, but it is very difficult because there isn't a temple nearby and it is expensive for them to all get passports.  Their son Brian is preparing to serve a mission, so hopefully in the near future this beautiful family will be able to be sealed

together in the temple.   They have pictures on the wall of the Manila temple and also of their baptisms.

 

Sitting on the floor without your shoes is common here.  They were kind enough to give Elder Lamb & I their two chairs.

I hope that I will never again take for granted the blessings that I have in my life.  These beautiful people have so little in the way of worldly goods, but they are happy and I know that the Lord loves them.  I am thankful for the opportunities to serve and to grow here in Malaysia.