Old Chinese Proverb

Old Chinese Proverb:

Happy is man who work soil

And children follow

Who plant rice

And children follow

Who tend rice

And children follow

Rice crop fail

Eyes of children say:

What can we do Father?

Father plant rice

So children can follow.

Water buffalo in Miri

These white birds hang close by them

There are about 5-6 water buffalo

does this not seem like a scene from another time and place?

Thought for Chinese New Year

Confucious say:

When the sun rise in East

Smile at Sun

Sun smile back

Smiling sun mean: Do not wonder:

Is today happy day or unhappy day?

Decide: is happy day.

One happy day and another happy day is up to you

Many happy days mean happy life with going down of sun.

Pujut Corner

Just wanted to share with you a bit of what we are doing. We spend a lot of time teaching at Pujut Corner. It is a large area of Kampongs.

This is an everyday sight. There are always clothes hanging out to dry. From windows and ropes and doorways and poles, and wire... This is the Dryer. The grass is a welcome sight...not typical.

This gives you and idea of how the houses are built and what materials are used. Occasionally, someone has a little paint... and in this case, used it for the door...and a little bit more... Materials are gathered from any and every source. A board here, a door there, a piece of rope, a tire, a car hood...

Pujut corner is where the Ringkai family live. They are a a beautiful family. We teach them each tuesday night. They are the ones with 2 candles for light. We play a game with them and their children each time after the lesson. It is so fun. This week it was "Don't eat Pete!" This week, we learned to our great distress, that Tantus their boy of 11 years, is not in school. The reason: They didn't understand how to fill out the paperwork! That is our goal this week: Get Tantus in school! He will have to begin as a first grader. But imagine, being 11, or 15, or 19 and not knowing how to read!!!

The children play out in the dirt with nothing. They make kites out of grocery bags and sticks. We see them at times going through the garbage....not for food... but for anything that looks interesting.... or that they could make into a toy.

This is not an abandoned house. People live here.

Pujut Corner is also where Dandi, Manda and Winnie live. They live next to the county recycle center. No bins, or containers....just stuff dumped there for recycling.

We also teach them on Tuesday nights. This week as we sat there, a huge (about 3"-4"long) flying bug flew in and darted from person to person. Everyone was ducking and swatting, until Dandi captured it ! Then it kept flying at the window and banging into it. It has a hard shell so is very noisy as well as unnerving!

Manda and Winnie are members. Dandi is "listening"...but the excuse many here give is: "My heart is not yet open" In many ways it is very descriptive and honest.

We think he maybe has felt the spirit and is a bit panicky, So Dad is taking some Jerky to share with him next week, and just going to make it "an establish friendship visit."

Snake Soup

Ssssnake Soup

Yes, that would be Snake Soup. Unlike Campbells or Knorrs, or Marie Callendars, or your own homemade variety...

Snake Soup

Want a look??? Be my guest:

And you can also have some at the request of the hostess...

And if you don't like the soup, she also has "fried snake." Oh, you are doubting that I see... Well, cast your eyes this way:

Oh, It'a quite a marvel what the wilds of Borneo can produce! This was, of course, not just ANY snake, be it souped or fried... It was the delicate, Python. Would you too, like a taste, now, or.... Would you like "The Rest of the Story" first?

Recently, a Chinese friend took us to a little roadside place that sells food. She had a relative there, both of them had been married to brothers. Both now widowed, Both brothers murdered. Separately. Yes, we're still in Borneo.

When we met her sister-in-law, she had her arm wrapped in a bandage. Sore muscles, she explained,..... chop up snake. It seems that another acquaintance (oh to have such friends) had brought her a very large Python, and asked her to cook it. She had spent many hours "chopping" it up. Tough skin those pythons.

She then fried, boiled and stewed it...a versatile snake. She explained: Very good for you. Cleanses blood. So what else to do? Didn't we want clean blood? That would be, "clean" blood, not cold or curdled.

Well, I am now "cleansed"...from what I am not certain...mostly from eating snake, I think! Well, that is.... "the rest of the story".... almost.... John said later: "There simply has to be be something inherently evil about eating a serpent" they, after all, are known to promise you anything!

With much love, from the South China Sea (minus one snake)

Lucie's reaction upon hearing the news that her Meme had partaken of snake soup:

"Did it wiggle as it went down, Meme?"

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever!

In Malaysia and around the world, The Story is retold:

...And Mary brought forth her firstborn child.....

"And lo a multitude of heavenly hosts were heard singing...."

And there were in the same field, Shepherds keeping watch...

And they followed the Star to where the Christ Child lay...

And although the "baby" was missing at the critical time

(while they were on stage!)

and Santa Clause entered early during the spiritual presentation!!..

The cast went on without its Key Member and accounted

it a great success. Yes,

...the best Christmas Pageant Ever!

And that my children...is the story.

I heard it myself on the South China Sea!

Whoops!

I missed putting in "the Jolly Old Elf" who inserted himself into the Christmas Story prematurely.... but he came! Just the same! Timing isn't everything after all!

For unto "us" a child is born!

For unto us, a blessed Christmas package arrived...

And her name shall be called:

Meredith Jane Reed

Parents: Christy Jane and Matt Reed

We are overjoyed at this beautiful Christmas gift!

Next Year...Jerusalem

I understand that the Jews have had a saying for hundreds of years: It is this: "Next Year Jerusalem" Meaning that no matter what foreign land or home they may be in at the present; their dream is that "next year" they will be in their beloved Jerusalem.

Christmas. So far removed from all that is Familiar. Traditional. Loved. and yet, Oh, how much I have learned, about others...and myself. I realize that One may have "seen the world" and Never really seen the world at all! It makes me think of the gentleman that I met in the MTC. He exclaimed: "Oh, I have seen Borneo!" I found out that he had "seen Borneo" from the deck of a cruise ship!

Vanessa: lives on a construction sight where her father works. She has psoriasis, which disables her at times to having to be carried everywhere because her skin is so painful.

Vanessa's feet. This is the best they have been!

I had thought that having been here nine plus months, I would no longer be "shocked" at anything. Then we went caroling with the Youth. They were dressed in their "Sunday Best" boys in white shirts and ties, leaders too.

It was dark, very dark, as we made our way into the kampong. We stopped at a members' house, asked which carol they would like us to sing; sang it , had prayer with them, then Left singing, "We wish you a Merry Christmas"

From House to house, we made our way deeper into the jungle...over rickety boardwalks and makeshift bridges, which were an attempt to keep us out of the mud and putrid water. On we went, through debris, refuse, junk, moldering buildings and the smell of stagnant, dirty water. I was straining to see every footstep ahead so as not to fall through the boards or slip off the path. When we left the boards; we continued on paths covered with shattered glass.

Stopping at the homes of people that I knew at Church; My mind would rebel. No! George could not live here. I can't believe it. Brian? Not Brian, Brian,that I see each Sunday...He helped lead Youth conference...Brian, here? Defeni: No! darling Defeni that I teach piano to? and the loveable Ayah and Ibu the sisters adore? The "disconnect" of person and place was too great!

(I have tried to think how I could help you "see" the setting. Perhaps, a dark, dank, scene from a frightening Halloween movie... in which you thread your way into the black unknown...although, I don't think even Steven Spielberg could create this!) The sounds, the smells, the wet dampness, the uncertainty of the path, the heaps of garbage...

Later as Dad and I pondered what we had seen and I tried to talk through my disturbing shock, We decided that this life is so very very very much shorter in the space of eternity than we can realize. That these people are NOT meant to live this way, in such difficult circumstances, And they won't. Always...

Giraud: Father of Vanessa. An exceptionally strong member. His eyes are in terrible pain because of his work in the intense sun and heat on a construction sight.

Because of their poverty; they are also greatly blessed for they are humble and teachable, and recognize the truth of the Gospel.

Through baptism, they are called the Children of Christ.

"And now because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons and his daughters; for behold this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.

(Mos. 5: 7; Mos. 27:25; Alma 38:6 Alma 22:15, Alma 19:33)

They shall inherit ALL that he has. They shall at length live in a Celestial home befitting their spirit

They have reason to be happy as they sing: "We Wish you a Merry CHRISTmas." Their joy that rises above their circumstances is ALL about Christ.

This is the miracle of how they emerge from their most impoverished and difficult home settings with dignity. And they DO have DIGNITY. It is remarkable.

Yes, I have much to learn. There are many peoples in the world to learn from. I am certain that this is education that I needed. I have seen much of the world; but how little I know.

Merry Christmas! and next year: Jerusalem.