Elder Nathan William Allen: Baptism!

Well there was a baptism, I just wasn't there for it. I will include the pictures from my companion, and the other Elder who was actually here in Sibu right before me. We switched places. Elder Florence, my previous companion, baptized our investigator Sister Catherine last Monday (on her birthday per to her request), and she got confirmed yesterday at Church.

Last week, I had my first exchange with Malay-speaking Elders in a Malay-speaking area (only geographically covering half of my area, but is distinguished rather by the people we search for and talk to) which entailed us visiting a few of their members, and teaching them in Malay. Most of the Iban (Malay speaking members over here) members here don't speak much English, or any English at all. So I just mostly smiled and nodded while they taught a lesson (there were three of us Elders all combined).

While on the Exchange with the Malay Elders, we went to a park near the center of Sibu to contact and meet one of their investigators. There were thousands of people there (mostly Chinese so that was good for me). The event was the Chinese Mid-Autumn festival (or Moon cake festival if you know it by that). There were lots of lights displays, and a lot of people who were lighting off the "floating lights" or the flying lanterns there. It was really cool.

After contacting a lot this week, the times where we found success where in our unplanned opportunities to talk to people about the gospel. We talked to one girl who was here for about a week and a half, and then heading to Singapore where she studies. We were able to meet with her before she left, and will pass her information to the Sisters in Singapore.

We were running low on batteries for our gate opener to our house, and so on Friday we had to stop by a convenience store to buy the small battery to replace the dead one in our remote. While we were there, I noticed a man standing near the outside of the store, and so I started talking to him. He agreed to meet with us, and we met with him the next day. We shared with him the message of the restoration, and despite having some long questions that we could have answered quicker, it went well. We are scheduled to meet him tomorrow, and he will be our first and only real investigator since we passed what few we had to the Chinese Sisters who entered the area.

Conference was really good, See you next week.

Sincerely,

Elder Allen

More about Nathan's mission in an email to his Mom:

I was in Singapore when someone mentioned Elder Merkely. I told them that he was related to me. The Elder I was talking to mentioned that Elder Merkely had said something about me when I came into the mission. So he was aware of me as well. I just asked my zone leader here, a native from East Malaysia who has served his whole mission in East as well if he knew and Elder Merkley. He says that he knew him well.

Elder Tan is my new companion. I actually served in his Ward (while he was on a mission) in Singapore.

And in an email to his Dad:

Elder Tan and I are the only pair of Chinese Elders here. There were two sets of Sisters (one Malay, and one Chinese) that were added to this area when I came in to Sibu. The first time Sibu has had sisters in 7 years.

Fun Fact, Elder Dwiggins [Bill works with his Dad] and I are going bowling together today. I am actually sitting across from him right now. He speaks Malay, and so is with the four other Malay Elders (there is a 3 sum) in the other house. They live about 10 minutes away, but we see them a lot for District meeting, P-day, and exchanges that Elder Tan holds.

Pics: bike riding, some of our members with non- floating lanterns at FHE