Blessings from obedience

Oct. 13, 2014

We just came back from a nice walk.  We try to leave by 9am.  It has the cool, morning sun.  We say Good Morning to the guard at the guard house.  Then with umbrella up, we walk.  Occasionally we will see someone in their yard watering the plants in vases.  If she looks Chinese, we say Zoa On, or good morning in Chinese.  If he or she looks Malay, we say, Salamat Pagi.  English Good Morning always works.

When people ask us where we come from, they can tell by the accents, we sometimes say Singapore because we just came back from Zone Conference.  Or from Hong Kong because we look the part.  Or when we feel safe about it, we say America.  That kind of evokes an aura about us.  Their eyes widen.  They want to know more about us.  So that leads us into discussions about why we are in Malaysia.  We tell them, we are volunteers on the mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  The people know it as the Malaysian Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

After a mile plus or a kilometers, we come to the Bukit Buruang Pasir or Bear Hill Market. We look for some good buys. I found a pair of pajamas.  The merchant tells me "it is high quality."  She will give me five ringits off the listed price.  I recognize this vender from the Wed. night Market.  She recognizes me.  So, we are friends now. 

Elder Mah was looking for a good fish for dinner tonight.  He chooses to buy this sotong or squid.  It is a good thing that he knows how to cook it.  It is a good thing, Elder Mah can cook or  we would be hungry.              

At another stand we pick some bananas that are three inches long.  We get two mangoes. We get a papaya.  We can't decide which papaya to buy.  The vender holds one up and says "eat today", he holds another papaya up and says "eat tomorrow."  Oh, okay we will take both.  With both our hands carrying something. we take the dirt and gravel path home.  We will get home around 10am.   It will be time for scripture study.

I am glad we are on this mission because we live the missionary standards.  I thought we were living good standards before this mission.  Now we pray maybe 5, 6, or 7 or more times a day.  We don't do TV.  I do not need to watch the news or weather during the day. Our mission motto is a Christ Centered Mission.  We do get blessings when we are in compliance with the standards.  If we want the Lord to bless us with our hearts desires, we need to come to a more perfect obedience.  I really feel that is the difference.

I feel we are blessed.  We are successful because we are strengthening the members, re-inviting members that for various reasons have not been to church.  Elder Mah is the Advisor and teaches Elders Quorum and Marriage and Family Relationship.  I am the Relief Society Advisor.  I teach Institute, Relief Society, sometimes Chorister and Marriage and Family Relationship.

It gets dark about 8pm.  The sun is red due to the haze from the field burning in the country of Indonesia which is South of us.  We miss you and wish the best for you.  Peace be unto your house.

                                                               Elder and Sister Mah  :)   :)