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.