KUCHING KICK-OFF

HUMANA STUDENTS GETTING FRESH CLEAN WATER

HUMANA CLASS ROOM

A WARM WELCOME AND DANCE

AT ONE OF THE HUMANA SCHOOLS

  Well, I see that it has been some time since I posted.  We have had to make our blog private recently.  There is quite a little stir here in Malaysia over the use of the word 'Allah' which some Muslims claim exclusive rights to use.  Because of that there are some who are feeling threatened by Christians here in Malaysia.  We are keeping our heads down, under the radar.

A NEW HUAMANA TOILET

(WHY DO WE HAVE SO MANY 

PHOTOS OF 

TOILETS?)

 We have been traveling for two weeks to various places overseeing our water projects.  We spent my 62nd birthday in one of my favorite places, Lahad Datu.  It isn't really so bad; maybe I am getting used to it.  We love visiting the Humana schools over there and the first 4 have their clean water projects nearly complete.  Just a few things the contractor has to do and they will be done.  Then they will start 4 more.  We also spent 2 days in Sandakan, up on the Sulu Sea.  We visited more Humana schools that had potential need for clean water.  Some had REAL need and some needed new faucets so they could turn their water OFF.   I think that on our second day of driving for hours on rough roads we both felt tired of seeing palm oil plantations.  And we just couldn't make our driver, Pepe, who is also a Humana school supervisor for that area,  understand that we wanted to help schools that don't have water or sanitation.  To give you an idea of how far apart the schools are, it took us from 9 AM to 4 PM to visit 3 schools.   Ususally when we are going to be gone all day like that we take food from town for lunch---food that we know is cleanly prepared like KFC.  But Pepe assured us that we could eat at the plantation canteen where he eats when he is in the area.  Big mistake!  The place was not clean and either was the cook.  We both ate it and washed it down with a Coke which is all they had.  And Bill is just now feeling better.   After 3 days I started him on antibiotics.  Nothing else was working and we had to keep going.  

CURRENT TOILET 

ELLEN AT A TEA HOUSE AT THE HOME

OF AGNES KEITH IN SANDAKAN

    Sandakan is an interesting place to visit.  It is a small town on the northwest coast of the tip of the island.  For those of you who have a map of Sabah, it is the 'dog's eye' (Sabah is shaped like a dog's head).  It was the home of the British Forest Conservator until about 1953.  It was occupied and then destroyed by the Japanese during WWII.  Sandakan was the home of Agnes Newton Keith, the author of "Land Below the Wind" which I enjoyed reading several months ago.  She and husband and young son were POWs of the Japanese.  There is a big war memorial to the Australian POW's who died on a death march from there.  We were able to visit Agnes Keith's home and had 'high tea' at a English Tea house nearby. 

MORMON HELPING HANDS AT BEGU

 

SADIR

   This last Friday we flew to Kuching on the south end of East Malaysia for a clean water project 'kick-off'.  This is to provide new pipe and better intake for 2 kampungs that are both snugged up to the Indonesian border in the mountains.  It is so beautiful up there.  Both projects  will help about 1,200 people and the people who live in the kampungs will do the work themselves with supervision from the department of health.  We are partnering with a Rotary Club in Kuching.  

CUTTING THE RIBBON WITH YB ROLAND & ROTARY& BANK

    About a month ago, after we had the project approved and on it's way, we met with the LDS leaders of the 3 branches and district there and they wanted to help with the project.  There is certainly a need for that as the materials have to be transported from the end of the road to the water source which is up the mountain about 2 miles for one kampung and about 1.5 miles for the other.  So Saturday morning when we got there with our 'Helping Hands' vests there were almost 60 members waiting to go help.  We had the vans ready so off we went.  It is about one hour to drive there and the last half is over very rough one lane tracks.  Some of the vans couldn't make it without unloading the passengers because the road was so steep.  We were very grateful that the track was dry.  We are in the rainy season and it rains every afternoon or evening. 

BEING WELCOMED TO THE KAMPUNG

 

TRADITIONAL DANCE WELCOMING US INTO THE KAMPUNG
THEY ESCORTED US ABOUT 50 YARDS 
DANCING ON EITHER SIDE OF US

At each kampung we were welcomed with their gracious and gentle ways.  They like speeches so that is always a part of these affairs.  And they fed us.  That was very unexpected but indicates their gratitude for the help we are giving them.  Then the LDS went to work.  Those huge rolls of HVC pipe dissappeared up the trail being carried by 6 or 7 people.  Then at the other kampung the pipe was in lengths but up the trail and across the creeks it went.  The gratitude was so evident on their faces.  These are Bidayuh (which means 'walking by foot path') people who are quite poor.  They have small farms in the mountains and sell their surplus for cash.  They grow rice but not in paddies like we know but have a variety they can grow on the hillsides.   The people are quite small but very strong.  The Rotary Club in Kuching who we are partnering with on this project provided food for the people who are working on the water project. (If they aren't working on their farms, they don't have food to eat.)   They brought boxes of noodles (ramen-type) and biscuits for them.  You will probably see those boxes in the photos.  

MORMON HELPING HANDS 
MOVING THE PIPE UP INTO THE JUNGLE TO THE DAM

TWO MILES FROM THE KAMPUNG

We are not involved in very glamorous work as you can see. However it is very rewarding. We are bringing the gospel closer the the Malaysian people in small schools and villages one at a time. It is sometimes hard  to remember how this will all turn out after many years of this kind of work but we have faith that it will. We are in the trenches. We get tired sometimes and even a little sick. But we are keeping our eye on the ball and remembering that all of our kids already did this and if they can in much harder situations we can and must too. Thanks kids you started a good tradition for our whole family. 

Some day perhaps long after we are gone when our grand children are talking to their children they will be able to say when they hear of the announcement of a temple in Malaysia  that is where your great grandpa and grandma served back at the turn of the century. 

We understand that recently it has been determined that the number of senior couples are down by 40%. I am sure that the economy is a large part of that.

Well we love it and are very busy and know that we are on tip of the plough and are happy to be there even though we feel like lone rangers. This Tuesday will be the first district meeting we will attend in over a month or so. 

We miss you and so look forward to your notes.

Love

Bill & Ellen