Keeping our noses to the grindstone

OUR TESKI DRIVER, CHONG
HE IS SO FUNNY

We have been here for 2 weeks now and are feeling somewhat settled. We are learning our way around this city as we go out to a different place just about every day.

OUR NEW PLACE, MASTER BEDROOM

A REAL KITCHEN!

OUR LIVING ROOM

Yesterday we went exploring a bit to a place called One Borneo which is a newly developed area near the university. We had looked at a condo there a few weeks ago so we were aware that it was there and they have a free shuttle from downtown. It is a new housing area, shopping complex (mall) and it is NICE. We did a little shopping where I found a Corell bowl and nice heavy forks and spoons. Everywhere we go there is KFC, Pizza Hut, and McDonalds. None are my favorite but at One Borneo they had a Kenny Rogers Roaster restaurant. That was nice. They serve Malaysian food but also some American food. Normally when we eat out we eat Malaysian or Chinese food. There was a good restaurant in Bintulu that served a great fiery vegetarian dalcha that I really liked. I'll have to learn how to make dalcha---yellow lentils, potatoes, onions, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, onions, garlic, and some chilies. Cook it up and serve with rice. Yum!

So we are working, as I said. We are so busy here. We can certainly see the wisdom of having us live here in the capitol. Sometimes it seems that all we have to do is get up in the morning and get out there and Heavenly Father puts us in the right place to meet the right people to make this work happen. Our prayers for guidance are answered every day.

WHEELCHAIR HANDOVER  KK

On Saturday we had another wheelchair handover ceremony to the Cheshire Homes organization here in KK. They are a home for disabled adults and have several locations throughout Sabah. I think we have one more handover for the wheelchair project that was started by our predecessors.

BILL SPEAKING AT THE WHEELCHAIR HANDOVER

We visited a home for abandoned children and they have big needs also. We will be helping there we think.

ONE OF THE CHILDREN AT THE HOME

Bill here;

Yes we have been swamped. One of the members asked us if we have "p" day. No time for P day here. We do take breaks a little here and a little there is all. We have felt very directed by the Lord. I feel like we are proxy for the Lord getting his work done. We recently met a lady at church that was visiting here from West M. She found out what kind of work we did. She was with a group of friends of her brother's and one of the discussions they had was about our work. One of the men there just happened to be the President of the Society for the Blind in Sabah and principal of the blind school. He of course wanted to talk with us. We we just happen to have an eye specialist coming next week to meet with us in the south end of the Island about a 2 hour flight from here. He is a retired Ophthalmologist from the states that will work with us in determining the vision project we can do here for this year and next. So now we will be able to include this group in his visits and possibly be one of the projects as it seems to be the one with the most needs and serves the largest population. Did we just happen to meet this man? Don't think so. We have these things happening regularly to us. In the Missionary handbook that we study each Tuesday in District meeting Ellen read the part that says that our bodies are not our own while serving. Oh how true that is. We need to stay healthy and our minds focused so the Lord can get his work done.
We were on the front page of the national newspaper again. Now of course we don't ask for the press to be there nor is this our objective when we take on a project. But it sure helps in bringing our church out of obscurity in this corner of the world.

Next month we have David Fransen coming over to look at 4 different projects for clean water we have found. We will travel with he and Lena all over East M. to look at these. Some will require travel in 4X4 over rough jungle roads and some will require a good hard hike. They come paying a good part of their own expenses. And of course give of all their time, both specialist do.

We have been gone 5 months now. One of our daughters said it felt longer than that. It is good to be missed. We miss all of you too!! We are so thankful for all of your support and prayers. We wonder many times during the week how you are doing and what you are doing. We miss being a part of your lives. But we know this is the Lord's work and are so grateful to be healthy enough and have the resources to serve. We wish we could tell you more about the cultural things here.

SHOPPING IN KK

A brand new modern huge mall here in KK and this is what you will see regularly. In the papers there is quite a bit being said about a young mother who was arrested for drinking in a local bar/dance club that will be canned for doing so.  Also in the paper we see pictures of officials giving alms to the poor. Also in the papers pictures of the Penan that are still nomadic and are having real trouble settling down to the settled life a the government wants them too. These are all things in the papers so I think it is ok to repeat here.