MOM!!

    I am feeling a lot better; the Chinese coals helped a lot!! I don’t think I can ever eat KFC ever again, which is kind of a bummer because KFC is the most popular restaurant in all of Malaysia! Lezter was telling me that even in his kampong, which is in the middle of the jungle, they have a KFC!! I have never been to a place that didn’t have KFC. But, yea I am happy that I am feeling better.

     This week was the famous Indian holiday Deepavali and since my companion is Indian, I of course was forced to celebrate. Yea, I got a lot of weird looks walking around in a huge Indian white gown and speaking Tamil to my companion. 

     L is doing wayy good. He gave his testimony in church and literally people were cracking up. He talked about how his girl friend took him to church and told him that this is the actual Church of Jesus, and L said, “Well of course I believed her--it has His name on the building!” But, his girl friend has moved out of his house and he is only smoking half a stick a day, so we are still working hard with him. Yea, keep praying for him. On Sunday, I had the biggest headache ever and I wanted to drink water and eat so bad, but I thought this is probably how L feels when he doesn’t smoke, so I am going to endure for him!!

     It is way true about that talk you told me about. The one thing that I have learned on my mission is how to deal with trials. This new Chindian (half Indian and half Chinese) sister missionary, who is from KL, asked for a blessing because she was stressed.  As I gave her a blessing, I felt impressed to say that this mission is meant to test you in every aspect so that you can become who God knows you can be. A great talk is the one by Elder Christofferson about the currant bush! Have you heard that one?? He related the story that Hugh B Brown told about how he had to cut down his currant bush so that it would grow back and bear fruit. He said as he cut down the bush he saw a tear come from it and felt like the bush was saying, "How could you do this to me, I was so big and tall--now all the trees will laugh at me. I thought you loved me.”  The Gardner said, "I do love you and I know what I want you to be." A while later the bush grew back to be a huge current bush that was full of fruit. Elder Brown then related the story of his currant bush to a time when he was in the British Canadian army. Elder Brown said he was denied a promotion to a General because he was LDS. Elder Brown said that he went home, threw his hat down, shook his fist at God, and said, "How could you do this to me, I thought you loved me!!" And then he heard a voice say, "I do love you and I know what I want you to be!" God has a plan for all of us and He knows what he wants us to be!!

     Your story about the kids in Primary made me laugh. The adults who teach the kids here just cane the students when they are bad. The District President’s wife has bigger biceps than me and she is also an English teacher. One time this Chinese girl called her a bad word in Chinese and the President’s wife literally beat her up!

    

     I have been with the Ibans for almost a year now! I do have some side-effects though, for instance on the side of my feet I have these HUGE knobs. Apparently they come from sitting cross-legged with out any shoes on.  And, my fingers are stained from eating curry with my hands.

     I talked with Elder Petersen who just went home. He said he is better now, but for the first couple days he was in culture shock. It will be sooo wierd coming home, like sooo weird. Here when you have visitors in your house, you all sit in a circle on the ground cross-legged (you don’t show people the bottom of your feet) and the host MUST bring out some kind of drink and cracker. They MUST feed you, even if they are dirt poor. If they don’t have anything in the house, they will go to the river and get you water. I think that the hardest thing for me to overcome when I get home will be to not eat with my hands!! It is sooo much better that way!! Trust me!!

    But I love you mom!! Hope all is well!

Elder Madsen