Sunday, July 6, 2014

June 30, 2014 – “King of Kuching” Transfering to Sibu Jaya - Week 24 in Kuching

Mom:  The Book of Mormon musical is coming to Spokane.  It does not treat the church or missionaries kindly.  Anyway...there is a big PR push by the local Stakes to use this negative publicity to get non-members and members talking about the church, especially missionary work, and turn the negative into a positive.  Part of the plan is to do a social media blitz and share your own or family missionary experiences via facebook, etc.  They did this in other cities where the musical was playing and it was very successful.  Anyway....if we posted about your missionary experience, WHAT IS SOMETHING you would want us to SHARE?

Elder Halpin: As for the Book of Mormon thing you can share anything I’ve shared and I will think about it and send a maybe a better response next week.

Way sick Adam about the Japeechen camp out. Also how do you manage to break 3 iPods?.

The chocolate was sedap. Also I wear the 40s. The 38s must be older than I thought because I know for a fact that I am smaller than when I left on my mission...

Also on a different note, if I wanted to extend (it would be for 1 transfer (6 weeks)) would you guys be alright with that? It would mean I would come home the first week of June instead of the last week of April.

So. transfers...

I am going to Sibu Jaya, it’s an area next to the city Sibu. My new companion is Elder Chan,  he is from Kuala Lumpur. Should be fun! A bunch of the YSA here going to school are from Sibu Jaya. From what I hear the branch mostly consists of a set of large flats in the middle of the jungle an hour from Sibu proper. Anyway, I hear the branch has about 80-90 people coming to church.

Samarahan has been fun I’m going to miss it. Elder Lafontaine is going to Bintulu to train.  Elder Capener and Elder Allen are going to continue on alone here in Samarahan.

This week was kind of pell-nell. On Wednesday, the Jarrau family ended up being too busy to meet and we haven’t been able to get back over there. Instead we went to visit Sister Merina. We met her son Jackie who was on vacation from work in west Malaysia as a welder. He seems pretty interested and said he would read the Book of Mormon. There is no church where he works but he said when it comes there then he would learn. Way cool guy.

Went to Kampong Rembus with the other Elders to meet the members there on Thursday and also went to visit Brother Niga, he is preparing to receive the Melchezedek Priesthood.

Saturday we had a closing Gawai party with the whole branch, lots of food and ngajating and poco pocoing and jogeting and such. Also a Gawai tree that we set up in the foyer. Great fun.

Sunday everybody was sick. Literally everyone. I mean that everybody who came to the party and ate the food was sick. All 50 of them. There was a line for the bathroom the entire meeting. When I had to go I just walked to our house...

Sunday evening we met with Sister Lucy’s parents they are way good reading and praying, and are on date for the ninth of August.
Overall good week. We have a group family home evening tonight at the church most of branch should be there, it will be a good way to say goodbye to everyone.

My time in Samarahan has been good. We actually have found "good" (progressing ones who have a somewhat strong desire to learn) investigators and have done a lot of good with the less active and recent convert members here. We have managed to raise attendance from 25-35 to 40-50. In the next transfer anywhere from 2 up to 15 people should be getting baptized including both our and the other Elders investigators. I am going to miss all the great members here transferring sucks.

Also last Sunday was district conference and President Mains came to Kuching. It was rather funny because he asked who was present that had been present at the June one last year and I was able to raise my hand. I have been labeled the "King of Kuching" and it has been predicted that after 1 transfer in Sibu Jaya I will be transferred back to Kuching..... Anyway whenever there is a district event here it’s way nice because I get to see a bunch of members from Matang, at district conference 5 families invited me back to visit, it kind of sucks because I have no time to.

Anyway I guess I should send you guys some pictures... I’ve been kind of bad at it.

Love

Elder Halpin

Pictures:


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This Morning we went to an Orangutan reserve. Way cool. They come around to eat fruit that the park puts out.

Closing Gawai Branch Party

This Morning we went to an Orangutan reserve. 
Way cool! 
They come around to eat fruit that the park puts out.




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