ORANGATANGS, CROCS & HANDOVERS

Crocodile Farm

Another busy week in Sabah.  We are coming up on the 53rd anniversary of Malaysia's independence which is the 31st.  A national holiday, our branch has a picnic planned at the beach.  They start the picnic at 9 AM and finish shortly after noon in order to avoid the heat of the day.  Usually we have a potluck but that has not been announced yet.  I am still planning to take a large pot of spaghetti.   

Young orang'tan at the refuge near Sandakan

Another one at the refuge

Monday we had family home evening at Sister Helen Enobling's home with her 8 children, aged 3 months to 17 years.  It is fun to be around so many kids.  They dote on the baby girl who is held by someone at all times.  She is so cute and fat with Chinese eyes and black hair.  First we had dinner---brown noodles and white noodles.  Our lesson was on priesthood blessings and at the end of the lesson baby had a blessing as she is having some difficulty with asthma.  We played "Don't Eat Pete" which they all loved---all that candy.

Tuesday evening we visited with Brother Francis and his wife Susan who were baptized in July.  We taught a new member lesson on temples and family history.  I had them filling out pedigree charts in English, Malay, and Chinese.  They had dinner for us and as always, we eat too much.  They hand us a plate of rice and ask us to dish up from plates of barbecued pork, fried chicken with mayonnaise, tofu with sausage, stir-fried cabbage with sausage, and a salad of chopped apples, cucumbers, tomatoes, and chili.  If you eat it all they put more rice on your plate and then the host starts dishing up more food for us to eat.  We forget to leave food on our plate to show that we are full.  We both were taught to clean up our plates.

Wednesday we visited Brother Francis Simon, a counselor in our branch presidency whose daughter, Carolyn, is preparing to be baptized.  Carolyn didn't come. :(  Again, dinner was served and this time Pizza Hut and soda.  We had a nice visit with Brother Francis and his daughter-in-law, Weda, who speaks only Indonesian.  She is a member of the church but not active because she works on Sunday.  She has a small vegetable market.  We encouraged her to come to church with her 3 children and promised her that she would be blessed if she demonstrated her faith and attended church.

Croc at the farm---so fat and lazy that they don't even move when their food is tossed to them.

Curious ostrich

Early this morning we flew to Sandakan where we have a wheelchair hand-over in the morning.  We came a day early so we could have a day to play.  Every time we come here we are in a great big hurry and never have time to see some of the things people come here to see.  One of those places is Sepilok, an orangutan refuge/rehabilitation center.  We arrived by 10 AM, in time to watch the feeding of the orangutans.  There are also babies there.  These are orangutans that have been taken as pets or orphaned.  They are raised and trained to take care of themselves as they would in the  wild and then taken deep into the rain forest and released.  It is quite a set-up. 

THE JUNGLE

We also visited a crocodile farm.  There are many crocodiles here.  We have seen a few in the wild and they do attack and kill and eat people occasionally.  They are estuary crocs and they are huge.  There were so many there---all sizes and colors; black and white (actually the white ones are yellow and black) and the more common, gray crocs.  We watched a couple of fellows in a small pond with a 12 food croc armed with bamboo poles and they were manhandling the critter.  There was music broadcast over the loudspeakers---"Good, Bad, and the Ugly"---and we both chuckled. We also fed bananas to pig-tailed macaques and gray macaques.  I was most impressed with the crocs and how big they are.  

OUR HOTEL IN SANDAKAN---we have such a tough lfe

Friday we attended the handover for wheelchairs in Sandakan. We were fortunate enough to have the Elders and the Branch Pres there. One of the children that got a wheelchair is 7 years old and has been carried by her mother all of her life. What a huge relief for that mom.

THE SEVEN YEAR OLD AND HER MOTHER

SANDAKAN HANDOVER WITH CHESHIRE HOMES REPRESENTATIVES AND RECIPIENTS

Friday we flew to Tawau. There was a huge storm Friday night that woke us up and we were without power all that morning because the basement was flooded as were other parts of town. So no air-con, no tv, no computer, no elevators, no workout ...wow we are sure dependent on electricity. That afternoon we attended the handover  for Tawau. At both handovers we were pleased to hear stories of the much needed relief for these families that received wheelchairs for their disabled loved ones. 


One of the Elders told us that they are teaching an investigator right now who had heard of our church because of the humanitarian work that we have been doing in that area. What a reward for us! 

We got a funny call in our room from one of the oragninizers  that told us that we would be picked up a different time than originally agreed as we were not to arrive until most of the other guest were there as we are VIP's.That is so strange to us still to be treated that way but it will be missed as we have been assured by our kids that the VIP treatment is over when we hit the airport on September 21.

We have now probably completed the last of our trips. That brings the total trips to 35 in the last 18 months, 82 separate flights. We have spent a large amount of our mission in the air or in the jungle. Many of the stewardesses and immigration people know our faces and names. Kind of weird.

THE BEAUTIFUL TREES WE WILL MISS

THE ELDERS IN TAWAU AND BRANCH PRES LIEW

We have really gained a new perspective on life and the world we live in. We have a very special appreciation for the poor and needy. We have only helped a few in a place where so many are in need. That sensitivity has changed how we feel about the poor and needy all over the world and yes just across our borders. We have gotten to know these people by sharing meals and good times and celebrations and good fellowship with them. We have been in their homes, taught them and they have taught us. We have learned patience and tolerance, and kindness. We have learned more about humility and not the kind that just comes from being less fortunate. We have witnessed respect daily. We have felt in our hearts the strong spirit of love from their hearts. We have felt a spiritual connection. We stand in awe at their seemingly natural charity which we see evidence of every day in just normal life. They are so willing to give and yet they have so little. 

ELDER LEAVITT EATING AT DEVI'S CURRY HOUSE WITH FINGERS OFF OF BANANA LEAF

SUNRISE OVER MT KINABALU FROM OUR APT.

The members here have such strong conviction and I feel that part of that has to do with the fact they have so little....so little in the form of distractions. Is that it? I am not sure but it has been our privilege and blessing to be with such a happy people. Happy because they truly have Christ-like charity which then gives them their strong faith in Jesus Christ. How is that possible to have such a strong sense of charity and really very little to give? Maybe because of what they are willing to give? Their time and hearts? I don't know the answer but feel so blessed that they shared with us a small part of their lives and happiness. 

game of "DON'T EAT PETE" with Gary's family...new converts

BRAND NEW SIS HOWARD FROM SNOQUALIMIE, BRO ADRIAN..BRANCH MISSION LEADER

SIS ZAFAR..FROM PAKISTAN

left to right...ORIENS..BINTULU, US, ERICKSONS..CES , BUDGES..BINTULU (CAME JUST BEFORE US , LEFT LAST WEEK FOR HOME)

 This blog has been a very nice blessing in our mission life to be able to share with all of our friends and family our experiences as we have had them. Thanks Lauralee for insisting that we do this and helping us get it going.


Till We meet...till we meet..........Bill & Ellen

The Tip of Borneo

MONUMENT AT THE NORTHERN TIP OF BORNEO

THE TIP----CLOSEST WE HAVE BEEN TO HOME IN A LONG TIME

Friday we decided to do some touristy stuff so asked 2 sisters from our branch to accompany us to the tip of Borneo.  They are members of the Rungus ethnic group from this area of Sabah so knew the way and where to go to see the Rungus culture.  We left KK at 7:30 AM and drove about 150 miles or 240 km through the beautiful but very poor countryside of the 'left ear of the dog'.  The people who live in this area of Sabah are farmers of rice and vegetables and a few palm oil plantations or they are fishermen.  They live off the land, literally.  It was a beautiful drive but over rough and narrow roads but well worth it to see the very northernmost tip of Borneo.

JUST LIKE WE DID IN THE MTC

The water was so clear and beautiful shades of green and turquoise; so clear that a boat floating out from shore appeared to be floating in the air.  The beaches were white sand and some of the most beautiful and clean we have seen here.  Not many people go to this area, and it was only opened as a 'site' about 6  years ago.

THERE IS THE BOAT BUT IT LOOKS DIFFERENT IN A PHOTO

We stopped for lunch in the small town of Sikuati where we found a restaurant.  Sister Lillian was not pleased with the food they had but it was the only restaurant so she went to the market and bought some fresh vegetables and took them back  and had them cooked up for us to eat for lunch. (Only in Malaysia) No bad side effects.  I went with them into the market and all the people stared at me---the tall white lady.  Some were not too shy and spoke to me.  Everywhere we go we are stared at but they are also very friendly and sometimes will talk to us.

We also went through Kota Belud which is known for the horsemen who live there.  We didn't see more than a couple of horses and they are quite small, about the size of a pony.

KOTA BELUD HORSEMAN AND HIS MOUNT

 I don't know when the horses were brought to the island but they have been here for a while.  They just don't grow very large here.  Perhaps when the British ruled they brought horses over.  It seems funny to me that they put 'clothing' on the horses.  They are very colorful.  Also look at the headdress on the rider which is very typical of the people in this area of Sabah.

Listening for the ocean---yes! it is in there

This is the owner of the sea shell stand with her daughter---just off the 'school bus'.

This is their home.

All the sea shells. 

Which one do I want?

The ladies who went with us wanted to stop at a road-side market to get some treats for their children.  They wanted treats made from the tapioca plant which is dried and made into meal or flour and then made into snack foods like chips.  They flavor it with chilies or dried shrimp or other fish, roll it thin and deep fry it.  Yum??  The photo shows how the packages of snack foods are displayed, hanging from hooks on a string from the ceiling.  No shelves in this market.  We also saw tarps laid out on the ground with peanuts drying in the hot afternoon sun.  

The public transportation in that area was usually a Toyota truck with a canopy and benches along the sides in the bed of the truck.  We saw people going to and from market and children riding home from school also in this mode.  One fellow was sleeping on a pile of coconuts in the back of a lorry.  I couldn't resist taking his photo.

WE WERE AFRAID THAT HE WOULD BOUNCE OUT WHEN THE TRUCK HIT A BUMP

Saturday night we attended the baptism of Marta, a young woman of about 35.  Before the baptism a friend of hers cut her Buddhist bracelet off her wrist and told her she wouldn't need that any longer.  Bill confirmed her a member of the church this morning in sacrament meeting.

Lahad Datu and Vision Equipment Handover

HORNBILL---NATIONAL BIRD

We have been busy little bees over here in East Malaysia.  The last Friday in July we flew with the public relations couple missionaries, Elder and Sister Howarth, to Lahad Datu to attend a Humana Sports Day event.  There were 22 of their over-a-hundred schools participating in a day of sport and field events during the day and chorus and dance performances in the evening.  Somewhere in there we had the handover of the 18 clean water projects that are now completed to the Humana Schools.  We enjoyed seeing the kids perform and the love and pride in the eyes of the teachers as they watched the kids.

HUMANA SPORTS DAY
Each school had their own colors and banner as they did a 'review' for the VIPs who were Torben and Rosalyn Venning, director of Humana, the Indonesian consulate general and us, representing LDS Charities.

NESTOR, JUDITH, NOR, AND  JAMES PAUL


They sang a song for us as a special request from Bill.  They are quite a family and we sure love them,

BILL, ELLEN, ROSALYN, AND TORBEN
This is what a "hand-over" looks like here in East Malaysia.

. We have made 9 trips to Lahad Datu and have traveled  thousands of miles through the jungles of Borneo to visit these schools and assess their needs, design solutions,  arrange for the work to be done and then to visit the schools again to inspect the work.  We will miss the students who performed for us nearly every time we would visit a school and the teachers who welcomed us even though we interrupted their routine. We will especially miss the director and his wife Torben and Rosalyn. But most of all we will miss Nestor and his family. We spent many hours with Nestor who was our driver and translator.  He is a very good Christian man and I left him a Book of Mormon with my testimony in it as we said goodbye for the last time.

BILL PLAYING WITH THE CHILDREN 
WHILE WE WAITED FOR THE EVENING PROGRAM

HANDOVER OF EQUIPMENT FOR VISION SCREENING

The following Friday, and that would be the 6th of August, we had a very nice handover of the vision equipment to the Sabah Society for the Blind and Sabah Mission for Vision.  The Mission for Vision is a group of professionals who volunteer their time for a day every other week to go to the outlying areas where people do not have access to medical care so much.  They treat eye disease/conditions and do cataract surgeries.  The equipment LDS Charities provided is for screening and a Ziess microscope for surgeries.  All the equipment is portable with tough metal cases to use for transport.  We were told that here in Sabah there is a backlog of 50,000 people who are waiting for cataract surgery.  This will help.  

We also attended the installation of a new president for one of the seven Rotary Clubs here in Kota Kinabalu and were presented with a plaque for the work LDS Charities has helped them with which is eye glass frames and lenses for children who are not able to afford to get glasses.  

We feel like we are tying up the bows on the work we started.  We have 3 more "hand-overs" for wheelchairs in the next few weeks.  And our final clean water project is started.  We sure hope it will be finished before we leave as we would like to go back to Data Kakus once more and see our friends there.  

FOOD KIOSK IN LAHAD DATU

Our branch is doing well.  We continue with our teaching and support in whatever ways are needed.  Last Sunday, unbeknownst to each other, we taught the RS and the Elders Quorum lessons on the organization of the priesthood because the teachers did not feel able to do it.  They don't know what a patriarch is because they have never had one; likewise, high priests. 

I have a wonderful family nearly ready to go to the temple in November.  I wish we could go with them but the schedule is not our doing.  I will be starting a new temple prep class this Sunday and have just enough weeks left to finish it before we leave.  

Our feelings are certainly mixed about leaving East Malaysia and especially the Kota Kinabalu branch.  We really love these people.  We see how hard they work to serve one another and how diligent they are in being obedient to the commandments.  They are real pioneers.  Their children and grandchildren will thank them for their faithfulness and their lives will be blessed to have the gospel.  We are aware of the natural disasters surrounding us in this part of the world and we pray for the people who are loosing so much.  We also are praying for the leaders of those countries that their hearts will be softened and that they will allow the gospel to be taught in their counties as well.  

   JUDITH, NESTOR'S WIFE, LEADING HER CLASS IN SINGING COMPETITION

We have been able to talk to the couple who will be replacing us after we go home.  They sound wonderful and will have a great deal to offer to continue this work.  We are excited for them.  Their experiences will be different from ours.  Every missionary couple brings something different and has a 'different' mission depending on their unique gifts and background.  

Bill here---
We have less than 6 weeks left and are feeling the pressure to get all ready for the next couple. Lot to do to have this operation ready for them in a way they will know what we have been up to.

Look forward to a joyful reunion and also sad at the same time.