Called to Serve Elder Stahle: Muslim Wedding (Week 36)

Muslim wedding

This past week has been very good! I got to go to KL on Friday and I did two baptismal interviews. They were really good. They were both girls, 18 and 12yo. They helped to build my testimony so much. I love doing interviews! I feel so close to Jesus Christ when I do them. Because I am actually representing him. Even though I represent him every day, but doing interviews is just a different experience! Last Monday, we were going to Sunway Pyramid Mall. We were trying to get a taxi to take us there and the guy told me 30 RM. I told him no way! I usually pay 10 RM. He told me that I am a very bad Jesus because I won’t give him a lot of money for his "family". A few days later we were taking another taxi to go to Sunway again. It was all four of us Elders. The other three got in and I was about to get in and then...the taxi driver floored it. I wasn't even in the car yet so I just screamed ELDER!! (hahahaha) It was really funny!

Me, after a morning workout

We had a good lesson with Jonathan. He is the kid we met at Sunway. It’s sad because he said he can't be baptized until he is 21! He is only 18 right now. He said it’s because his Mom pays for his schooling and everything. She would disown him if he left the Catholic church. He likes what we share with him! So hopefully that will change soon! He is a great kid! He really wants to learn and come to church.

Elder Misa also kicked in our office door this week because he lost our office keys. He tried to pick the lock for about 30 minutes. He has to buy a new one and it will be 500 RM!! The management handyman at our condo told us he could have opened the lock in 20 seconds!

Petronas Towers were pink last night. Strange.

So when I was on exchanges on Friday I was with Elder Scott and trying to find a less active. We passed a huge Hindu Temple. Outside of it they had four cement pads. One of them had wood on it and yes it was on fire. They were cremating a body! And all the smoke was blowing to the train station where we got off. It smelled so bad! All it smelled like was burning flesh and just nasty smells!!!

We got to watch the Priesthood Conference this week and it was very good. I loved all the talks! We also got to go to a Muslim wedding yesterday! That was very fun and something I had never seen before. So it was really cool! I have never experienced anything like that in my life, ever! They had super good food and I ate so much Beef Rendan!! It was amazing!! I ate at least a pound of it! That is easily one of my favorite dishes here in Malaysia! It was one of our members daughters whom got married. She entered Islam. She used to be a member of the church.

Malaysia Peps

I just heard! I’m being transferred to Penang Island, Pengang, Malaysia!! [Pengang is known as the “Pearl of the Orient.] I'm training another new missionary. So it should be interesting!! Penang has really good food up there too! We will be speaking English. It is all English and Chinese speaking. I’m whitewash training. That means we will both be in a new area. I hear I might get a local from China! They covered his name so I will find out whom my new companion will be on Friday when I go to Signapore and pick him up. There are like five missionaries from China coming we hear. I’m also excited that I will be biking again! The transfer also said that I will start a new area. That means they are probably going to put us where there has never been missionaries before! So when I came to Puchong three months ago I whitewashed here also.

Our iPads are going to come soon.

How is Sister Sophie and everyone doing? This is so cool that they are right now--at our house! I’m so happy to hear that you invited them over for dinner to meet the family.

[Anything you would like to tell the Ting family while they are here with us at our house?] Tell them I miss them a lot and I miss Janelle’s salty duck potatoes that we would eat on the port so much!

I love and miss you all and I love being out here.

Love, Elder Stahle